Leaves, Parties, and Progress

Sorry it’s been so long since an entry was posted.  It’s been a hectic few weeks around here, what with the elections and all.  It’s been nice weather to walk the neighborhoods and knock on doors, but it takes a lot of time and effort and the blog has suffered.

Let’s catch up with some news.

First, ELECTIONS.  Everyone probably knows by now that the incumbents, Nancy Brown and David Finfrock, are returning.  Don Minton and Dick Zsambok were strong candidates and ran admirable campaigns, and we look forward to their involvement in township issues in the future.  Good communities are made stronger by interested citizens coming forward to serve.

Second, LEAF PICKUP.  We have had questions about the leaf pickup schedule, and the short answer is there isn’t one.  Well, there is, but it is very informal.  The road crew starts with the upper plat, since rain washes those leaves down the hills and into the gutters quicker than it does on the flat ground of the lower plat.  They try to get the big piles first, so rake your leaves out into the gutters and they will come by and vacuum them up.  They will keep making passes through both areas until either they have gotten all the leaves or the weather has turned so bad they have to convert the trucks into snow plows.  Don’t worry if we drive by your house and your leaves aren’t raked out – we will be back.  We ask that you get them out as soon as possible though, so the guys can get done before the bad weather hits.

Third, the FIRE STATION.   The progress is amazing, and the masonry work is almost done.  I need to go take a picture of the front now that the office part is done, but here is one of the back.

It is going to be a beautiful building.  It has doors now and can be secured at night, which is good.

Fourth, HALLOWEEN PARTY.  Every year the fire association puts on a party immediately after Trick or Treat for anyone who wants to come, and this year was another success.  The highlight of the evening is always the costume contest.  Here are a few winners, unfortunately without names.

I hope you are enjoying the beautiful fall weather this week, and are getting everything ready for the inevitable winter snow and slush ahead.  Soak up the sun and store it for later!

Posted by Nancy

Issue 5 On Ballot Nov. 3

Bethel township will have a renewal levy for Police on the ballot November 3.

Issue 5 will ask whether you want to renew a 1-mill levy to keep police officers in the township.  We currently have Deputies Evans and Kerns, Clark County sheriff’s deputies we pay to work only in Bethel Twp.  The sheriff has several similar agreements bringing additional deputies into other townships and the city of New Carlisle.

Issue 5 will not raise taxes or cost additional money if passed, but will continue the current level of funding.  We ask that you carefully consider the issue as you vote Nov. 3.

Projects Coming Together

It’s been a busy year around Bethel Township, with most of our projects delayed for one reason or another and coming together late in the year.

• Our new cruiser is finally in and in service.  Deputy Kerns really likes it.
• The new dump truck/snow plow is being fitted with hydraulics and other extras, and will be ready in about five weeks.  Just in time for winter.
• Road repairs, including edge overlays and chip and seal, were done on Bischoff Rd., Musselman Rd., Lammes Lane, Osborn Rd. and others in September.
• Over $2 million in improvements to Gerlaugh Rd., done under the jurisdicition of the Clark County Engineers Office,  fell behind early in the spring and never caught up.  The project is thankfully almost done.  The final layer has been applied and it has been striped, but there is still work to do with driveways, connecting roads, etc.
• The Medway street light project, being paid for with grant money and also under the jurisdiction of the County Engineer, wasn’t started until September.  There was considerable trouble working around undersground utilities, but the foundations are all in place now.  The poles should go up soon.
• Starting work on the new fire station was held up earlier in the year by the banking crisis, leading to the bond pool we were working with falling apart.  Security National, our local bank, came to our rescue with very favorable rates and the project is now on track for completion in January.  There have been weather delays, and rain still causes problems for is masonry and site work (excavation, parking lot, sidewalks, etc.)

Speaking of the new fire station, it is coming together fast.  The walls are framed in throughout the entire building, some of the windows are in, masonry is complete on the north wall and across the back of the main section of the building, and the drywall will be going up soon.  It is exciting to watch it change from day to day, week to week.

The rooms are framed in , waiting for drywall

We can see the various rooms now, the hallways, etc.  It takes an architect’s drawing to figure out what is what, though.

 

 

The metal liner in the bay area will keep it bright in there.  There is no second floor in the bay, so it will be insulated above this ceiling.

There are two grey stripes on the building, each two blocks thick.

The masons are keeping the finished product hidden working on the back of the building first.  You can see the finished end of the building as you head south on Lake Rd. though.

The asphalt for the parking lots will not be installed until late in November so there won’t be heavy trucks driving over it right away.  By then most of the heavy lifting will be done.

It won’t be long till we’re planning an open house so everyone can see the beautiful new building.  If you have any suggestions send them our way.

Masonry Exterior Beginning to Appear

The lower runs of masonry are now installed on the fire station.  I couldn’t get a picture of it though, because the workers covered everything with plastic to keep it from getting rained on while the mortar sets. 

Here’s a picture of them working on it Thursday.  They were rained out Friday, but came back Saturday to finish it up to the bottom of the windows.  There will be a contrasting stripe next, and they are waiting for that block to arrive.

Pictures of the Fire Station

These pictures are a few days old, so out of date already.  They show how quickly the building is progressing, though.

First, the front of the station.  The fire chief’s office will be to the left of the front door and township administration will be along the front to the right.  There will be a large meeting room behind the township offices, and living quarters for the fire personnel will be behind that room.  Other fire department offices and operating rooms will be behind the chief’s office.

Here is the back of the building.

There’s a lot of work going on inside, so let’s take a look.

The floors have been poured throught the entire structure.  (The floor is wet because the roof is not finished and this was taken after a rain.)  The door opening is where the main entrance will be, and the windows are where the township’s administrative offices will be located.  The township administrative area will occupy less than 8% of the building.

The fire wall is being installed between the bay area and the office area…

and electrical wires are being run before drywall installation begins.

This picture was taken in the bay area, which will be finished off with a metal ceiling.

We have had a few questions about why a wood structure instead of steel, and the answer is cost.  Both are rated for the same wind shear factor, but there is quite a cost differential.  This construction saves your tax money.

The building will be finished off with a masonry exterior, which should be going up shortly.  The main color is called “Mahogany,” and the contrast color is a light ecru (sort of cement colored).  It should be very attractive when it is finished.

Posted by Nancy

What a Difference!

What a difference a week makes.  The picture in the last post was taken last week, and on Tuesday of this week the concrete floor was poured in the living quarters/office section on the right end of the photo .  By Thursday it was framed in and almost completely under roof.

That section is as long as the bay area, and the building now looks immense.  It was too dark to take a picture when I went by this evening, but I will try to get one tomorrow and post it.

It’s moving along rapidly, and will be a tremendous asset to our township when it is completed.

Township News

1.  Construction on the new fire station is moving right along.  The living quarters and office area are mostly framed in, the bay is wrapped in Tyvek, the wells for geothermal have been drilled, and it won’t be long before the whole thing is under roof.  This photo was taken over a week ago, so the framing on the north side is much further along than it shows.

2.  Someone drove through Medway Park earlier this week, destroying two pear trees and several shrubs and damaging a utility pole.  A local resident saw the flatbed semi in the parking lot of the Country Store, then watched him drive right through the park rather than maneuver his rig back out onto the street.  Didn’t get a license number, though.  Dan Studebaker has donated new trees and bushes to repair the park, and we will do the work next week.  Thanks, Dan!

3.  Next Saturday is New Carlisle’s Airplane Parade.  Don’t miss it, as it is a unique parade followed by a street festival and carnival rides.  There will be a Cruise In on Friday evening.

4.  We will be doing our final brush pickup of the season the week of October 5th.  If you have any brush to put out be sure to call 845-1341 the week before and give us your address so we can get everything cleaned up for the end of the season.  After that pickup the guys will be changing equipment around and getting ready for leaf pickup in Park Layne.

5.  Our grant application for $1.3 million dollars for paving Styer, Stratmore, Weinland, and Lemay next year and replacing the Styer Rd. bridge near Raynor Park has made it through two rounds of review and been sent to the state for final approval.  We are definitely excited at the likelihood of getting all that work done next year, even if it means road closures due to construction again.

6.  Speaking of road closures, it seems like Gerlaugh Rd. will never be finished.  The contractors are having to haul out soil and put down a good base for the final section in front of Park Layne.  There just wasn’t much of a base there.  It is taking longer to finish it than expected, but eventually…….

7.  Meanwhile, a layer of chip and seal was put down on Old Bischoff Rd., and other roads are being repaired with wedges and skim coats.  All these methods prolong the life of the road and save tax money.

8.  Finally, the township will have a renewal levy on the ballot this November.  It is a 1 mill levy for police, and helps pay for two full-time deputies in the township that are provided by the Sheriff’s Department.

Posted by Nancy

Gerlaugh Rd. Is Finally Open

Long awaited and anxiously anticipated, Gerlaugh Rd. is finally back open at the Osborn Rd instersection.  The bad news is, construction is starting on the other side of the road and Stratmore and Carlotta will be closed for next little while.  Lemay will remain open so access to Park Layne will not be blocked off entirely.

Wish I could give an estimate of when this project will be finished, but nothing the contractor has said so far has been accurate.  First they had rain delays and now it is problems with the base of the road.  They have to haul in better soil and gravel to stabilize it, which takes additional time. 

It’s been a long summer, and the engineers office wants it done too.

On a “lighter” note, the flags along Main St. in Medway are markings for the streetlights that will be installed this month.  They will be a welcome addition, bringing more light while improving the look of the area.

Posted by Nancy

The Fair at New Boston

A view of the Fair at New Boston

You can visit the 18th century in Bethel Township this weekend. 

The Fair at New Boston, a re-enactment of life in the late 1700’s, is going on at George Rogers Clark Park, located at Lower Valley Pike and Tecumseh Rd., just off Route 4.  The park is near the site of the Shawnee village of Peckuwe, childhood home of Tecumseh, great leader of the Shawnee.  This village became the site of the Battle of Peckuwe, the largest Revolutionary War battle west of the Allegheney Mountains.

In honor of the area’s history, the fair is replete with Revolutionary soldiers, a Shawnee camp, braves on horseback, and frequent sounds of cannon fire. 

 

Native re-enactors are led by Chief Blackhoof

Capt. Colin James Campbell of the 1st Mad River Light Artillery

 

Littlest soldier lined up for review

All food served is authentic to the era, as are the wares offered.  Historic re-enactments take place along the streets of shops, with entertaining acts interspersed among the vendors. Cheapside Theatre presents magic acts, sword swallowing, and some Shakespeare.  As you walk the short trail into the Shawnee encampment you notice a sign that announces you are traveling “in miles, not feet.”  

If you find yourself overwhelmed by all the activity you can sit for a spell at one of the pubs while you enjoy a sarsparilla or a mug of ale.

At the end of the day a procession goes through the village, inviting all to join in as they proceed to the center to retire the colors and officially close the fair for the day.

The fairmistress approaches the closing ceremonies

     Fifes and drums lead Revolutionary soldiers during the closing procession

 

Tropps march through the village in the closing procession

Every community has its "colorful" characters

Dr. Balthasar closes the day's festivities

A delightful day, and it can be yours for only $8 ($3 for children).  It is held each year on the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend, and this year appears to be attracting record-setting crowds.

Come to the Fair!

Posted by Nancy

Rapid Progress on the New Fire Station

Framing started on the new fire station this past Monday, and it is going together very quickly.

Here it is on Monday.

First wall goes up

By Thursday they had the whole bay area framed in and started putting up roof trusses.  The contractor says they don’t like to do more than a 60′ span without covering it to tie it together, so they only did part of the bay before starting to enclose it.

Here is what it looked like by Friday morning.

Working on the roof

The last load of pre-constructed elements is due to show up Monday, and the contractors say the bay should be done Tuesday.  Then they will start framing the office section on Wednesday.