New Athens talks creative solutions

BY CORNELIA GRACE Harrison News-Herald Reporter

NEW ATHENS—The New Athens Village Council met for their regular monthly meeting on January 16. They began with a report from Garth Edwards on unresolved EPA violations.

“It’s stuff like power outages,” Edwards said. “Pump failure … damage to tanks, what you would do in those cases. Stuff like that.”

These plans will have to go to the local EMA for approval before they are sent on to the EPA. Once the plans are created, it’s easy to update them as needed to avoid future violations.

Under old business, Mayor Joe Petro discussed dynamic speed detection signs for the village. These signs display the speed of approaching vehicles and are generally placed in areas that have problems with speeders. The signs have been shown to be long-term, costeffective options for curbing speeding. This has been talked about by the council several times over the last few months. Petro considers it a good idea for the village to invest in a sign or two. Overall, the council has not been opposed to the signs; they just haven’t voted on purchasing them yet.

“I think we’ll wait until the spring to get the signs,” Petro said. “I see Saint Clairsville has them; I think that would be a good thing here … It’s not like having a police officer sitting there, but it’s better than nothing. They’re pretty pricey. It’s like $6,500 for two of them.” or the center at 330-365-9240, leave message.

The signs can be solar-powered or hooked into the village’s power supply. Petro contacted customer service to ask about a few options and was assured that the solar power works well even in cloudy weather.

Council briefly discussed repairs for the village pick-up truck. It needs some exhaust work, and the heater needs to be fixed. Petro and council weren’t sure where they would end up going for the repairs but agreed it needed to happen sooner rather than later.

There is still a question about how to spend money from the American Rescue Plan, which was for Covid aid. The requirements for its use have fluctuated over time as villages and cities scramble to use it before the federal government wants it back. Petro said there will be new guidelines released soon, and council will have to make a decision on how to spend the cash. The expectation is that the new rules will be less strict so the money can be used how council sees fit, rather than being forced to spend it in categories that don’t align with village needs.

ROAST BEEF Dinner Sunday, January 29th, 11am - 1pm Scio Fire Hall, 318 West Main Street. All-You-Can-Eat. $15 Adults, $8 under age 10. Eat in or Carry Out. Benefits Scio Vol. Fire Dept Building Fund.

SPRING BINGO New Athens Firehall Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.

THE HARRISON County Chorale Choir is looking for singers and readers for their Easter performance. The first night of organized rehearsals is on Tuesday, January 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the Scott United Methodist Church in Cadiz. For more information, call Kay Sedgmer at 740-491-1371.

VALENTINE DANCE Feb. 11th 7-11 p.m. $15 single/$25 couple at Cadiz American Legion. Cash bar, chili, cornbread, hot dogs, meat & cheese tray.

SPAGHETTI DINNER for Dennis Neeley Scholarship Fund. Feb. 11th, 4 - 7 p.m. at the Unionport Masonic Hall. Cost: Donation. Carry out available. Dinner includes: Spaghetti, salad, bread & butter, cake and ice cream.