Library promotes early literacy

By Cornelia Grace Harrison News-Herald Reporter

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Village council met for its regular monthly meeting on July 10.

Garth Edwards reported he’s been in touch with a new EPA representative. He sent her all the relevant maps and information required for water lines. The only thing he’s heard back is, “She’s going to send out another letter with partial resolutions to violations on that stuff and they’ll address it at the next sanitary survey, which should be at the end of next year.” He said that unless she needs something else, “We look good for the time being.”

He shared he just started a new sample period for lead and copper byproducts in the water and he is working on tracking metrics for water consumption.

Village Administrator Tosha Giesey shared her report. She said that going forward, any adjustments on bills will now need to be approved by the council. Previously, she would simply make the proper adjustments and pass along that information to Fiscal Officer Denise Geanangel.

“I had 14 shut-off notices sent out since last month,” she said. “[There was a high number] mainly because we didn’t do any last month because that’s when my computer wasn’t here.”

She also asked if there was anything that could be done about a resident whose water payment check is always returned by the bank.

“Every month,” she said. “In the end, it creates a whole lot more work for Denise and I because I enter the payment in, we take the deposit and drop it off, then they send it back, then I have to go back in the system and reverse it, put the return check fees on, put the bank fees on. Then I have to give it to Denise and she has to go in the system and fix the deposit because now the deposit is off.”

She said she understands that this can happen to anyone. “You may have one here and there but this one is constant,” she explained.

Giesey wondered if the village could require this resident to pay by money order only. However, council members weren’t sure if this was within their legal rights or not. The village solicitor was not in attendance so the council decided they would wait to discuss options with him and return to the topic at the next meeting.

With a recent house fire, Giesey said she went from Page ahead and shut the water off for the home, which was considered a total loss. “I don’t know how to get in touch with the [homeowner] but I did shut it off in the system,” she said. “They didn’t tell me to but obviously they’re not going to be using water. So I shut it off so it’s not accruing late fees every month.”

Mayor Joe Petro asked if there was going to be an official investigation into the fire and Giesey said that the responding departments did not find anything suspicious. Petro expressed concern about the building, which has begun to lean to one side.

“I don’t want it falling on anybody,” Petro said. “Probably the only thing holding it up is the chimney.… If it falls the wrong way it’s going to fall on [a neighbor’s] house.”

Giesey said she would pass along the information she had on the homeowner to the village solicitor to see if the owner can be contacted about dealing with the now destroyed building.

Sutherland said, “These classes are the highlight of my week and I feel so much better physically since I started coming to them.”

Pam Fehr said, “These classes have really improved my flexibility and I’m glad I started attending.”

CADIZ — The county commissioners met for its regular weekly meeting on Wednesday, July 19. They began by opening two bids for IT services at the courthouse.

Great Lakes Computer Coporation bid $6,825 per month and OMNI Strategic Technologies’ bid $18,600 for an initial assessment and full report then $6,200 per month for the first three months. Both bids were tabled for review.

Library Director Sandi Thompson was in attendance to speak briefly about the Imagination Library. According to imaginationlibrary.com, “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is the flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation. It reaches more children than any other early childhood book gifting program, and mails free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth until age five, no matter their family’s income.”

Thompson first shared her gratitude for the commissioner’s continued support of the program in Harrison County. “The library has been a strong proponent of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and we are very appreciative of the amount that you have donated to our fund for the project,” you said.

The county has been doing well with getting kids signed up for the program.

“We are very excited to share that

Harrison County has reached 74% enrollment,” Thompson said. “That makes us second in the entire state, only behind Shelby County which has 76%. We wanted to share that with you. It’s really important for children because literacy develops young and learning to read is so important. It’s been proven that children enrolled in the Imagination Library have better readiness scores. … So early literacy is extremely important. This is a huge gift that you have given to the children in Harrison County and I wanted to thank you.”

“We appreciate all of your and your staff’s efforts,” Commissioner Coffland said. He looked over a map Thompson brought that showed enrollment percentages for each Ohio county. “If I’m reading this right, it looks like there are only [a few] counties in the state that have reached 70%. I think that’s quite the accomplishment for us.”

Most counties in Ohio are under or around 60% enrollment levels with the highest enrollment being Lawrence County at 82% and the lowest being Holmes County at 35%.

“We really want to encourage individuals to sign their children up,” Thompson said.

The program is open to children 0-5 years old and is completely free. For information on how to sign up, visit https://ohioimaginationlibrary.org.

Lead service line survey begins

By Jacquie Humphrey Harrison News-Herald Staff Writer

BOWERSTON —

At the July meeting of the Bowerston Village Council, Village Administrator Bart Busby advised that RCAP will be in the village next month to begin work on the service-line project. He advised council that he will be putting out an All Call prior to RCAP representatives being in the area so that residents are aware.

Busby advised that the lead service-line survey is available on the village’s website at www. villageofbowerston.org and needs to be completed for each dwelling in the village. He asked council to make certain to complete their own surveys and advised that it would be helpful to spread the word to neighbors that this work will be done at no cost to the property owner.

Council President Paula Beamer advised that the village has secured $325,000.00 for this lead-pipe replacement project and said that the information for the survey will also be on the August utility bills.

Beamer advised that the demolition grant, through Harrison Coun ty, had recently been reopened. Beamer said that she has permission from one property owner to complete the neces sary paperwork on their behalf and asked council for further suggestions.

Other Action Discussed complaints received regarding a dilapidated structure in the village.

Approved a resolution to place a renewal of the current operating-expense levy on the November ballot.

Heard status reports from Income Tax Administrator/Utility Billing Administrator

Discussed status of multiple projects with The next regular meeting of the Bowerston Village Council will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 6 p.m. in the vil -

Jay Ira Kolenc