Tuesday, May 12th, 2015

New Bremen may save on water project

By David Giesige
NEW BREMEN - New Bremen officials could save $600,000 by using village employees rather than contractors to upgrade its well field, council members learned at Monday's meeting.
Using village employees should lower the estimated $1 million cost to $400,000, village administrator Wayne York said.
"We will be using a lot of our own manpower, which might mean we won't even have to go out for a loan for this project," he said.
The project will connect the new well field on West Tri Township Road to the water treatment plant. The village will bore and install the pipes necessary for the project. York said the village will subcontract some work.
Council members empowered York to pay Culy Utilities, Middletown, up to $50,000 for boring services and to purchase up to $50,000 worth of gravel and sand from Al Broerman Trucking, New Bremen, for the project.
York was also authorized to pay HD Supply Waterworks, Tipp City, up to $50,000 for steel casing and pipe fittings for the project.
The project is one of the village's top priorities for the coming year.
"New Bremen currently has almost no water reserves in the summer," York said. "Three out of the past six years, we have had to issue water use advisories. We need to upgrade our water well capacity."
Work on the project should begin in June and continue through August, he added.
In other business, council members,
• approved transfers from the income tax fund to the general, street construction, parks, pool and lockkeeper's funds.
Council transferred $575,000 to the general fund, an amount slightly higher than usual due to the hiring of an additional police officer and the upcoming hiring of an assistant village administrator.
Council transferred $175,000 to the street construction fund, $125,000 to the parks fund, $75,000 to the pool fund and $5,000 to the lockkeeper's fund.
• learned from mayor Jeff Pape that the Komminsk Legacy Park groundbreaking ceremony will be held June 7.
• hear from Pape that June 6 will mark the grand opening of the towpath.
• asked residents walking dogs on village property to clean up after the animals.
• announced the dog park next to Bunker Hill Park will open soon. The park will have benches, a waste receptacle and gloves. A waterline must be connected before the opening.
• learned a New Bremen Eagle Scout will oversee construction of three stone benches along the towpath, which is owned by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Additional online story on this date
FORT RECOVERY - Board of education members at a special meeting on Monday night hired Coldwater native Justin Firks as the Fort Recovery Local Schools' new superintendent. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
COLDWATER - Village horticulturist Alex Uhlenhake is a petunia man. He enjoys experimenting with different colors but is partial to the pink flowers he says really shine in the summertime.
$62,513 from EPA will help city buy refurbished model
ST. MARYS - A state grant will help the city buy a refurbished garbage truck.
City council at Monday's meeting heard the first reading of a resolution to accept $62,513 from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for a refurbished garbage truck and several Dumpsters.
MARIA STEIN - Sixty-five Marion Local High School seniors will receive diplomas at commencement exercises at 1 p.m. May 17 in the school gymnasium.
Firm would do study to determine possible building plans
MARIA STEIN - A facility committee wants the Marion Local Local Schools Board of Education to hire an architect to study district property for development.
ST. HENRY - School board members Monday supported a plan to create one site for a Tri Star 2.0 Career Compact focused on STEM-based learning.
The p
SIDNEY - A St. Marys man will be sentenced June 6 after pleading no contest to charges related to a fire that took the life of a 50-year-old man.
Court records show Derek Eilerman, 24, pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter April 27. He was found guilty and faces up to 11 years in prison.
ST. HENRY - Two new, innovative swings will be installed at the village park this summer.
Village administrator Ron Gelhaus told council members at Monday's meeting the Expression Swings will allow an adult to swing with a child.
COLDWATER - Village officials hope to save more than $100,000 by refinancing the bonds used to purchase and renovate the municipal center.
Village
Division IV Softball Sectional
MINSTER - Regan Hahn's pitching effort couldn't have been much better.
Minster's defense played mostly mistake free.
But when it came to stringing hits together and scoring runs, the Wildcats struggled in a 4-3 loss to Ottoville in Division IV sectional play at Four Seasons Park.
As a basketball player and later an assistant girls basketball coach at Marion Local, Beth Streib was no stranger to the classic coaching style offered by longtime coach Treva Fortkamp.
Razz-Eye View
A couple of college notes to start the View this week:
The University of Findlay women's golf team will compete this week in the NCAA Division II national championship at The Meadows Golf Club in Allendale, Mich.
Monday's Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
St. Henry jumped out to an early lead on Anna and held off the Rockets to take a 10-7 win in a battle of state-ranked Division III baseball teams at the Wally Post Athletic Complex.