D ELHI PRESS
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Two enter Mercy’s hall of fame.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS
Civic groups may want to fund pavilion Budget indicates TIF as funding By Monica Boylson mboylson@communitypress.com
David Anderson, left, owner of Vitt, Stermer and Anderson Funeral Homes, received the Delhi Business Association's Business of the Year Award from former president and current board member Steve Schott. MONICA BOYLSON/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
Vitt, Stermer and Anderson named business of the year
Was runner-up for last three years By Monica Boylson mboylson@communitypress.com
Vitt, Stermer and Anderson Funeral Homes was recently named the Delhi Business Association’s Business of the Year. Also in the running for the award was Cin-dee’s Crafts, Remke Bigg’s and Walt Sweeney Ford. “For the last three years, they’ve been runner up,” Delhi Business Association President Russ Brown said. “We were
happy that that they won this year.” Owner David Anderson said he was surprised by the win but said he was suspicious when members of the business association insisted he attend the Jan. 9 meeting. “I was honored,” he said. “It was unexpected and it is always something that I will remember and appreciate.” Joseph Vitt and John Stermer founded their first funeral home in 1899 in Westwood. In 1909, the two built a funeral home in Sedamsville and in 1925 purchased the building at 3425 Harrison Ave. as a third loca-
tion. In 1947 they bought land on the corner of Delhi Pike and Robben Lane to build a new Vitt and Stermer Funeral Home and closed the Sedamsville funeral home. Their funeral home in Westwood closed in 1980. In 1981, Anderson’s grandfather Guy and father Bruce took ownership of the Delhi Township and Cheviot funeral homes, which still operate. In 1993, David Anderson took the reigns at the funeral home and became active in the business association. Brown said the funeral home See BUSINESS, Page A2
A group of Delhi Township organizations may want the chance to form a foundation to raise money for a pavilion at Delhi Park rather than having the cost picked up by the township. The pavilion, proposed near Clearview Lake, was estimated to cost about $285,000 when conceptual drawings were completed in 2010. The project – which is a line item in the 2013 budget – is slated to be funded in part by $176,000 from a tax increment financing (TIF) fund, which diverts taxes for capital improvements. The rest of the cost would come from $81,000 in escrow from the original
$850,000 loan to purchase and renovate the lake property in 2008. Delhi Parks and Recreation Director Sandy Monahan said the project has been in the works since the township bought the lake property. After seeing the $176,000 TIF line item on the now adopted 2013 budget, Trustee Mike Davis expressed his discontent with spending money on the park project. “I think it sends the wrong message to the taxpayers to proceed with the project Duebber and then ask for a park levy,” he said. During a Jan. 9 Delhi Township Board of Trustees meetSee CIVIC, Page A2
Delhi Township is proceeding with plans for a pavilion at Clearview Lake in Delhi Park. MONICA BOYLSON/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
Seton senior organizing dance for special needs students By Kurt Backscheider kbackscheider@communitypress.com
Seton High School senior Emily Gramke, standing second from right, is organizing a dance for students with special needs as part of her senior project. She is pictured with a group of students at Three Rivers Middle School, as well as the school’s assistant principal Trish Duebber, standing second from left, and special education teachers Annette Suer, third from left, and Cindy Oser, far right. KURT BACKSCHEIDER/THE
Emily Gramke said she wants to give special needs students a chance to simply let loose and have fun. The Seton High School senior is providing that opportunity by organizing a dance specifically for area special needs students. “I’ve always been interested
in working with special needs children,” said Gramke, a Delhi Township teen. “When I was in the eighth grade I volunteered at Stepping Stones (a nonprofit organization helping people with disabilities find independence) and I just fell in love with it.” The dance she’s putting together for special needs students will take place from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, in Seton’s
gymnasium, 3901 Glenway Ave. Admission to the dance is free, and it’s open to special needs students from all over the West Side in grades seven through 12. When it came time for Gramke to pick a subject for her senior project, she said she immediately chose to focus on special education. She’ll begin See SETON, Page A2
COMMUNITY PRESS
WINNING RECORD
RITA’S KITCHEN
Seton Saints on right track. See story, A6
Comfort foods offers quick, easy meals. See story, B3
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