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March 13, 2011

Northridge levy supporters reaching out By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers More than 30 Northridge Local School District residents and teachers attended a March 10 meeting to discuss the levy campaign seeking passage of a 1 percent school district income tax on the May 3 ballot. The district attempted to renew an existing 1 percent income tax twice in

2010, once in May and again in November, but voters rejected it both times. The levy expired on Dec. 31; as a result, the district will lose $1.7-million in revenue this year. Activities discussed Thursday included a series of three farmers’ breakfasts to be hosted by Northridge FFA. “The FFA is sponsoring a local farmers’ community breakfast this Wednesday, March 16, at the Homer Fire De-

partment, and then again in Alexandria March 22 at the library and in Croton March 23 at the Church of Christ at 7 a.m.,” said organizer Jayma Bammerlin. “They are inviting farmers to come and meet with the FFA and it’s open to the public. They’ll talk about the issues they are having.” Bammerlin said the district’s large geographic area, which is one of the largest in the state, makes it particular-

ly difficult to reach all the residents. “It’s very difficult for us because we don’t have a community paper,” Bammerlin said. “We don’t have one paper that everyone reads. “We don’t have a great way of getting things out, and people interpret things differently,” she said. “(Treasurer) Jim (Hudson) said we need our own annual report and he put this document out there.”

Bammerlin said the organizers would be placing more than 350 signs in the community, organizing phone calls and reaching out at all school events between now and Election Day. “It always boils down to a question of residents feeling comfortable about how we spend our money and what we are doing,” Bammerlin said. See NORTHRIDGE, page A2

Refinancing SNOWY SCENE water bonds should save village $60K per year By JENNA GANT ThisWeek Community Newspapers Johnstown Village Council is considering refinancing its water mortgage bonds, which village finance director Larry Heiser said should save money for the village and its residents. Heiser said he wants to refinance approximately $1,375,000 over the next six years. He estimates that the village would save around $60,000 a year, or $360,000 total, by switching from a revenue bond to a general obligation bond. Switching bonds, he said, would also save residents money. “It should be good because if we refinance with the general obligation bond knowing that we’re not going to take on any more debt for (at least) the next three years, we should be able to keep our water rate flat,” Heiser said. He said he believes there would be no increase in the community’s water bills for at least the next two years, keeping money in residents’ pockets. Johnstown is currently using a revenue bond to pay off the village’s water debt, Heiser said. “Revenue bonds are we are pledging that as we get water and sewer bills in and bill our client, we’re going to keep revenue from that to pay that debt,” Heiser said. He said he would like the village to switch over to a general obligation bond so that any kind of income the village receives could be used to pay off the water mortgage debt. He said that includes income tax revenue, local government fund revenue, and any other miscellaneous revenue sources. “It means every penny we would get in would go to that debt before other debt. It puts it at the top of the list,” Heiser said. “We’re still going to pay it from the water and sewer funds, but it jumps in a lot more revenue See WATER BONDS, page A2

By Eric George/ThisWeek

Light snow covered the ground and trees along South Main Street (state Route 37) in Johnstown on March 11.

Resident hopes to start recycling program By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers After speaking with potential investors, Pataskala Mayor Steve Butcher and staff at the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Johnstown resident Autumn Daley will be attending the March meeting of MORPC’s materials management working group. Daley has a dream of establishing a significant recycling facility in Johnstown because she thinks it is important to do so. “We can no longer be the throwaway society that we are,” Daley said. “We are throwing our money out in the trash every day.” To this point, that is the entirety of Daley’s vi-

sion. But she has spoken to business owners in Licking County who have agreed to match her fundraising toward the effort. Daley said she has asked private investors for $1.5-million. “The idea is to buy the property and get everything that we need, and they have told me they want a nest egg of $250,000 and they will match me dollar for dollar.” Brandi Whetstone, outreach specialist for MORPC’s Center for Energy & Environment, said one of MORPC’s goals is to try to stimulate a sufficiently coherent recycling environment in central Ohio that private businesses will have a profit motive to recycle. The goal, Whetstone said, is to turn waste into

a resource. “We want to encourage collaboration and regional efforts to increase waste diversion,” Whetstone said. “That’s an opportunity to build a market share for emerging recycling businesses. There is economic value to doing this.” Members of MORPC’s materials management working group include governments, recycling companies and various organizations interested in recycling. “Our materials management working group has volunteers in solid waste, EPA, citizens and organizations like the Columbus Zoo that are interested in reducing their environmental footSee RECYCLING, page A2

Johnstown American Legion looking to replace weathered flags By JENNA GANT ThisWeek Community Newspapers Johnstown American Legion 254 is working with the village to replace all weathered American flags throughout town. “Some of us noticed flags looking not very good, either faded out or looking ragged,” said Bruce Tolle, commander of Post 254. Tolle said he’s been working with

village council member David Keck since January “to see what could be done as a joint project.” The two are planning a new endeavor called the “flag replacement program.” Tolle said residents, through the village, could ask for a new flag at the cost the legion pays for an American flag. Neighbors could also let the village know if they see a flag that

needs to be replaced. “All they need to do is find out the address, on the mailbox or whatever it might be, and tell the city (Johnstown) and the city will send out a letter,” Tolle said. The letter would ask residents if they want to take advantage of the program. “We’ll come out and take the old one down, put the new one up and properly dispose of the old one for

you,” Tolle said. He said they are still deciding how to implement the program. “I’m firmly convinced that people who fly flags are patriotic and what happens, I think, is they hang the flag up and then they walk past it back and forth every day and never look up and they don’t realize that it’s gotten all faded, all ragged and

BRUCE TOLLE commander of American Legion Post 254

See FLAGS, page A2