CLEAN & GREEN
B1
NORTH CLERMONT
Your Community Press newspaper serving Goshen Township, Jackson Township, Newtonsville, Owensville, Stonelick Township, Wayne Township Email: clermont@communitypress.com We d n e s d a y, A p r i l 2 0 , 2 0 1 1
Bailey Wood, 12, left, and Sam Wood, 10, of Stonelick Township clean up at Gauche Park in Owensville.
mdannemiller@communitypress.com
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Park board seeks members
50¢
Goshen to get ambulance
By Mary Dannemiller
Vol. 31 No. 14 © 2011 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Website: communitypress.com B E C A U S E C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S
The Goshen Township Fire & EMS Department will soon have a new vehicle in its fleet. The trustees approved the purchase of a demo ambulance from Columbus-based Horton Emergency Vehicles Tuesday, April 12. The total cost, including lettering and radio installation, will be around $120,000, said Fire Chief Steve Pegram. The ambulance alone costs $116,000. Revenue from EMS billing, motor vehicle crash billing and fire equipment surplus sales will be used to purchase the vehicle, Pegram said. The township will make one $32,000 payment in each of the next four years to pay for the ambulance. “At the end of the four years we will own the vehicle outright,”
he said. “This will spread the cost out and allow us to use revenue we receive from several sources to pay for the vehicle while not over burdening the budget all at once.” This year’s payment will be made with an advance from the general fund, which the fire department will pay back after the revenue comes in, Pegram said. Currently, the department has three ambulances, but two of them have already cost $9,000 in repairs this year and break down frequently, the fire chief said. The oldest ambulance, which has 116,000 miles and was purchased in 2004, will be sold on the government surplus website govdeals.com. “We are currently operating three units with either more than 100,000 miles or are 10 years old or older. Therefore based upon industry standards we should be
looking to replace all of our ambulance fleet however that is not a fiscal or operational reality,” he said. The demo ambulance is significantly cheaper than the $206,000 brand new heavy duty ambulance the township considered purchasing a few years ago, Pegram said. “To save money the EMS committee and I have been looking at demo ambulances currently available on the market from several reliable manufactures,” he said. “We chose to look at demo units since they are immediately available and typically are offered at a reduced cost compared to ordering a custom unit.” The older ambulances have broken down in the emergency bay at Bethesda North Hospital several times. So far patient care has not been affected, said Goshen Township Trustee Bob
Hausermann. “I find nothing more embarrassing than one of our vehicles broken down at 2 a.m. in a hospital parking lot,” he said. “We’ve been very fortunate that we haven’t been in a situation were the vehicle broke down on an emergency scene.” Hausermann also said the township frequently borrows ambulances from neighboring departments when one or both of Goshen’s older vehicles are in the shop. “I cringe every time I see a Harlan Township life squad at the fire department,” he said. “I know the economic situation that everyone is in right now, but nothing is more important than protecting the lives and property of the people of Goshen Township. If we don’t do that, we fail at everything.”
The Goshen Park Board is down to only two members, following the resignation of Jennifer Mohler-Geary and Brian Fick. Mohler-Geary submitted her resignation to the township trustees last month while former member Matt Horwitz resigned in January. Fick resigned this week. FULL STORY, A2
Grassy Run starts April 29 in ‘Burg
Racing worms
An expert on the archeology of the early Native American settlers of Southwest Ohio will be a guest speaker this year at the 19th annual Grassy Run Heritage Rendezvous. FULL STORY, A3
Marr/Cook Elementary School teacher Becky Foster, left, points to racing worms while second-grader Ryan Willemin watches. The worms were competing the “Worm Bowl,” one of the activities at the Goshen school's Family Night April 7. For more from the event, see Schools, A9.
Goshen, CNE hope for best on court
Both Goshen and Clermont Northeastern hope to put together an encouraging season on the tennis courts this year. While neither program is expected to contend for a league title, each team will have its bright spots. For Goshen, a young and inexperienced squad will prepare itself to be a force in 2010. For CNE, veterans will lead the way while promising newcomers develop their potential. FULL STORY, A10
JOHN SENEY/STAFF
Change in calamity days welcome
Prom royalty
By John Seney jseney@communitypress.com
Goshen High School seniors Gary Parriman and Tiffany Dority were named prom king and queen. Parriman’s tuxedo is made entirely of Duct Tape, including the top hat. For more photos from the prom, see page B5.
Gov. John Kasich April 13 signed into law a bill that restores the number of calamity to five for Ohio schools. Former Gov. Ted Strickland had reduced the calamity days that schools are allowed to have without making them up from five to three. But when Kasich took office this year, he said he would support returning to five days. The legislation signed by Kasich goes into effect immediately. Signing of the bill was welcome
MARY DANNEMILLER / STAFF
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news for Clermont County school officials. Superintendent Charlene Thomas said Goshen schools canceled five days this year because of bad weather. Under the old rule, the district would have had to make up two days, but now does not have to make up any. Superintendent Neil Leist said Clermont Northeastern schools canceled school six times this year. The district will have to make up only one day this year, instead of three, Leist said. The CNE makeup day will be Friday, June 3.
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