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CAMPBELL COUNTY RECORDER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012

Fall festivals in Northern Kentucky B1

Your Community Recorder newspaper serving all of Campbell County 75¢ BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS

Library asks voters for tax increase By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com

Campbell County voters will decide Nov. 6 whether to support an increase in their library tax bill to pay for construction of new southern branch. The library’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a rate increase in July from 7.4 cents to 9.4 cents per $100 of assessed property value for the 2012 tax year. The rate increase is 27 percent, and will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $20 more on their library tax bill. The library owns

land at 1045 Parkside Drive, south of Alexandria, and is proposing to build a 28,000-squarefoot, two-story building for $5 million. Voters will see this question on the ballot: “Are you for or against the Campbell County Public Library establishing an ad valorem tax rate of 9.4 cents per $100 of assessed value for real property in Campbell County, Kentucky for the purpose of constructing and operating a new library facility in southern Campbell County?” Library director JC Morgan said voters need to know the li-

brary board is considering several options if the ballot measure fails, including closing a branch or reducing services at all three branches in order to build the South Branch. Holding off on building the South Branch is another proposals. People need to understand the impact of those choices and help the board make those choices, he said. “It’s better to be open now about it than to be forced to make decisions the public wasn’t aware of later,” Morgan said. Fort Thomas resident Michele Turner is rallying support for a

“yes vote” on the library ballot question through the group she created, “Vote For Libraries.” Turner said the tax increase is worth the investment, and said her family’s library tax bill will increase to about $150. Through borrowing books, music, and other library materials, her family gets about $2,500 annually in value, Turner said. “We see this as an issue of fairness,” she said. “It’s their turn. People in the northern half of the county have had these excellent library services for a long time.” Cold Spring resident Larry

Robinson, a member of the Campbell County chapter of the Tea Party, said he and others are fighting for a no vote because the South Branch is not needed. In a county of 90,000 people, by the library’s own projections 14,000 people will live within five miles of the new branch, Robinson said. The proposed location is closer to Pendleton County border than it is to the middle school in Alexandria, he said. Another issue is the “grandiose design” the library has proSee LIBRARY, Page A2

Exorcist coming to Fort Thomas Thomas to speak Oct. 7 By Amanda Joering ajoering@nky.com

FORT THOMAS — The exorcist who inspired the 2009 book and 2011 Warner Brothers movie “The Rite” starring Anthony Hopkins is coming to Fort Thomas to speak about exorcism. Father Gary Thomas, a Vatican-trained exorcist, will be speaking as part of St. Catherine of Siena’s speakers series at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7. Terri Babey, one of the coordinators of the series, said the opportunity to have Thomas speak at the church came about through another priest in the diocese who knows him through various conventions they’ve both attended. Babey said the church wanted to have Thomas speak as a way to educate people about the evil the world is facing today. “Evil is definitely on the rise, you see it every time you turn on the TV, it’s just everywhere,” Babey said. “We want people to become educated about the spiritual warfare for their souls that is raging every day.” Babey said the hope is that Thomas’s speech will strengthen deepen people’s faith and help them to realize that evil, and the devil, exist and that they need to work to combat it. The speech will include information about what Thomas has learned about possession, demons, the devil and exorcism. There will be a question and answer period during the event, Babey said. For more information about the event, which will be held at St. Catherine at 1803 North Fort Thomas Ave., call 441-3438 or 4411069. Tickets are $10 at the door and doors open at 5:45 p.m.

Grants Lick resident Dan Schneider drives his restored 1939 Chevrolet Oren fire truck that was New Richmond, Ohio's firest fire truck, along Washington Street in Alexandria with his father Yandall Schneider of Grants Lick as part of the fire truck parade for the Alexandria Community Fire Department's 75th anniversary Sunday, Sept. 30. CHRIS MAYHEW/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

Firefighters roll into 75 years By Chris Mayhew cmayhew@nky.com

ALEXANDRIA — Firefighters long since retired united with current members of the Alexandria Community Fire Department to celebrate 75 years of fire service in Alexandria Sunday, Sept. 30. A fire truck parade down Main Street and Washington Street preceded an afternoon open house. People gathered inside the firehouse bays to socialize and eat, and exhibits of old photographs and firefighter memorabilia were set up in the firehouse’s meeting room. Current firefighter Mike Sheanshang, of Alexandria, was helping children clamber up into

IN A PICKLE

BEAN BASH

Rita shares a recipe for Nell Wilson’s famous hot pickled peppers. B3

The 39th annual Bean Bash Saturday at Turfway Park in Florence. A6

one of the fire department’s trucks outside after the parade and was joined by his daughter and 7-year-old granddaughter. Sheanshang said he retired from the U.S. Postal Service seven years ago and became a volunteer for the fire department as a way to give something back to his community. “So, I went and I got my EMT license and the rest is history,” he said. EMT stands for Emergency Medical Technician. The Northern Kentucky Firefighters Association named Sheanshang “Firefighter of the Year” in 2012. Sheanshang said he likes the

Mike Sheanshang holds his granddaughter 16-month-old Emma Sheanshang in his arms as he explains a feature on an Alexandria Community Fire Department truck during the 75th anniversary open house Sunday, Sept. 30. CHRIS MAYHEW/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

See FIRE, Page A2

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The Campbell County Recorder 654 Highland Suite 27 Fort Thomas, KY 41075

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