SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
B1
JOURNAL
Your Community Press newspaper serving Anderson Township, California, Mount Washington, Newtown E-mail: foresthills@communitypress.com We d n e s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 0 9
Doug Master, co-owner of Master Pieces Antiques.
© 2009 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Kids achieve superstar status
More than 28,000 people of all ages – preschoolers, kids, teens, parents, grandparents and other adults – discovered the pleasures of reading together during the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County’s 36th annual Summer Reading program. FULL STORY, B1
Candidates sought
Are you a candidate for election this fall? If you’d like to be included in the cincinnati.com online election guide, please e-mail your name, office sought, and e-mail address to Eric Spangler, editor of the Forest Hills Journal, at espangler@ communitypress.com.
Voice your opinion
The Anderson Township Park District and the Metropolitan Sewer District are getting closer to an agreement for an easement in Riverside Park (see story, A2). Where do you think the easement should go? Let us know by going online and voicing your opinion by typing Cincinnati.com/anderson township into your Web browser’s address bar and voting on our poll. We’ll run the results in next week’s edition of the Forest Hills Journal.
Web site: communitypress.com
B E C A U S E C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S
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Council members visit mine By Rob Dowdy
rdowdy@communitypress.com
In a move meant to offer fellow Newtown Village Council members a glimpse at a working underground mine prior to a resolution opposing a similar mine in Anderson Township, council members Ken Pulskamp and Doug Evans recently toured an underground mine in Williamsburg, in eastern Clermont County. During the visit, they asked questions to get a better understanding of the workings of the mine and how it affects neighbors. Ron Wright, vice president of aggregates at Arch Materials Limestone Mine, said he’s familiar with the operation Martin-Marietta runs, and the company’s mines tend to work in a similar fashion. He said Arch Materials uses the federal requirements as minimum standards, and he believes other companies follow that model for fear of getting penalized. The Williamsburg mine takes up about 53 acres above ground and mines about 350 acres below. The proposed Martin-Marietta mine is about 50 acres above ground and 400 below ground. Wright said Arch Materials faced opposition from neighbors concerned about the noise and pollution, but numerous steps were taken to alleviate those concerns. For instance, he said the mine’s blasting is only rarely heard above ground, and all the explosives are kept in the mines while security and other employees are on site every hour of the day. The mine is surrounded by a tall berm with
ROB DOWDY/STAFF
Newtown Village Councilman Ken Pulskamp (left) speaks with Rich Wright, vice president of aggregates at Arch Materials in Williamsburg, during a recent visit to the underground mine there. Pulskamp and fellow councilman Doug Evans took a tour of the facility to see how it compares to the potential mine being discussed in Anderson Township.
Later that night
After the recent tour of the Williamsburg underground mine, Newtown Village Council was expected to vote on a resolution opposing the Martin-Marietta mine in Anderson Township. However, after a lengthy debate, the issue was tabled. Councilman Mark Kobasuk, who brought the issue before council, decided to get some more information on the mine before moving forward with a resolution. trees to lessen the sight of the work being done, as well as the noise. Trucks coming and going in the facility pass through a tirewashing system to ease concerns
of dust and dirt making its way onto roads. “We want to earn people’s trust,” Wright said, adding that in several years of operation, Arch
Materials has only fielded a couple minor complaints. Pulskamp said he was disappointed only he and Evans made the trip to the mine, arguing that opposing the Anderson Township mine without understanding how it works is a mistake that could cost future employment and the tax base in the nearby township. “People shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions without being educated,” Evans said.
West Nile virus found
Poll results
The results of the Sept. 2 unscientific poll on our Anderson Township community site at Cincinnati.com/andersontowns hip asking readers who their top pick is for one of two seats on the Anderson Township Board of Trustees up for election in November are:
By Lisa Wakeland
lwakeland@communitypress.com
Move utility poles to a central median (11) 42.31% Reduce curb cuts (6) 23.08% Use electronic signs in large shopping plazas (4) 15.38% Color coding business districts (3) 11.54% Create buffer between parking/pedestrian areas (2) 7.69% Total votes: 26 FORREST SELLERS/STAFF
9/11 remembered
Nagel Middle School eighth-graders Mary Wadell, left, and Jack Fetick admire a Peace Maker Quilt at the school. Nagel students designed 50 different quilts to honor those who died Sept. 11. The quilts will be on display through Nov. 11. To place an ad, call 242-4000.
Some mosquitoes in Anderson Township have become more than annoying pests. A sample of the insects recently taken from Sunmont Drive, off Nordyke Road, tested positive for West Nile Virus. Greg Kesterman, environmental health director for the Hamilton County Public Health District, said the mosquitoes were discovered during random testing conducted at various locations. “It’s very likely that West Nile is found throughout the county,” he said. “We’re trying to educate people on how to reduce the population of mosquitoes.” Kesterman said health district staff are monitoring stagnant water pools within a half-mile radius of the positive test site and alerting residents who live in the area.
Though a positive sample was taken from Anderson Township, Kesterman said it is not unique to that area and West Nile Virus can be found throughout Ohio. The viral disease is transmitted from infected mosquitoes to humans, can cause flu-like symptoms and is more likely to affect people 50 years and older. However, according to the Ohio Department of Health, 80 percent of people who have West Nile Virus do not experience any symptoms and one in 150 people will develop severe illness from the virus. In Ohio, only one mild case of West Nile Virus has been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of Sept. 1. Kesterman said it is important for citizens to drain standing water to reduce mosquito breeding grounds and take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
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