The Harrison Press 12-5-12

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*Is the JEDD dead? (page 4) *High school swim team starts their season (page 9)

Harrison Press

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Harrison, West Harrison, Crosby, Harrison and Whitewater TWPs

Movement Do you love a parade or what? on to save ancient tree A bur oak tree in Miamitown is rustling up attention. Sarah Minges Staff Reporter “The tree always stood out sminges@registerpublications.com in Miamitown,” said John McMichael, a licensed arborist who has a knack for finding record trees in people’s back yards. Record trees are determined by their circumference, height and spread. McMichael believes the tree is more than 100 years old, making it a bicentennial tree. He also believes it is a monarch tree, defined as very old, big and often valuable. McMichael said the oak could be worth $20,000 to $30,000. He evaluated a $28,000 sycamore in Columbus years ago. “It is a beautiful, well-shaped tree,” said Dick Cady, Miamitown Historical Society, of the local oak. “Losing that tree would be a big loss to Miamitown,” McMichael said. He urges cutting down trees devalues property. TREE, SEE PAGE 10

PHOTOS BY JOE AWAD AND MCKENNA MURRY, 9-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER/HARRISON PRESS

Harrison’s annual Christmas parade attracted a huge crowd Saturday evening, Dec. 1. Folks from throughout the area lined Broadway and Harrison Avenue in historic downtown to view a large display of holiday visual delights. Santa greeted the crowd as the procession came to an end.

Budget could be whacked by hundreds of thousands jawad@registerpublications.com

PHOTO BY JOE AWAD/HARRISON PRESS

Dick Cady, Miamitown Historical Society, is lending his support to save the town’s giant bur oak tree.

Copyright Register Publications, 2012

179th Year, No. 49

For some, closing the community center on weekends and an hour earlier during weekdays may be the most inconvenient Harrison budget cut for 2013. That is the tip of an iceberg that freezes most general fund budgets ... but no shipwreck is forecasted. City Council was scheduled to vote on a proposed budget Tuesday, Dec. 4, with the general fund bearing little resemblance to recent

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budgets that called for ending the year with meaty surpluses of $500,000 or more. Instead, the 2013 general fund budget is expected to finish about $73,500 in the black, an intended measure to complete more projects in keeping with the city’s improved bond rating achieved in 2011, said Mayor Joel McGuire. Major proposed general fund cuts: �Keeping all part-time firefighters to no more than 30 hours weekly to avoid providing medical insurance.

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Savings on reduced hours: $157,000. �Cutting $100,000 for capital improvements, equipment and vehicle maintenance. Savings: $100,000. �Moving senior center employee to utility department, and not replacing her after retirement next year. Savings: $48,000. �Foregoing police department accreditation next year. Savings: $25,000. �Crunching law department contract fees. Savings: $17,000. �No IT improvements.

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Savings: $11,500. The main factors impacting the city’s 2013 budget outlook include a 44.5 percent increase in health insurance costs, less revenue from the fire tax levy due to reduced property values, loss of local government fund and estate tax, maximizing street repairs to take advantage of historically low interest rates, and maintaining service levels and development investment levels, said McGuire. “We’re dealing with this BUDGET, SEE PAGE 10

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Joe Awad Harrison Press Editor

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