By Lee Jones
Ljones@civitasmedia.com
"NORTH LEWISBURG — Village Council members unanimously passed a temporary budget for 2015 at the regular meeting Tuesday.
Mayor Jason Keeran said there will be a carry-over balance of $544,000 from 2014. The total revenue expected, taking into account the carry-over plus estimated 2015 revenue and CD funds, comes to $1,970,757.
Keeran announced an estimated appropriation of $1,373,300. The budget was passed unanimously with all members present.
Contracts to repair and replace three roofs of village buildings were approved at the meeting. The first was a replacement for the Municipal Building’s roof, which will cost $23,300. The work will go to contractor Roof Dog.
Another local contractor, First & First, will work on the water treatment plant roof for $8,250 and the wastewater treatment plant roof for $2,750.
Council unanimously approved a resolution allowing Keeran to prepare an application to the Ohio Public Works Commission for street paving funding.
Justin Meeker of Triad Junior Baseball took questions about this year’s fireworks show. He said just a week ago, the fireworks were not going to happen because of funding. TJB had a little over $3,500 to spend, even after months of fund-raising by Nathan Holycross and others, and Meeker put in a call to the supplier. He received a deal of a $3,500 show, which he said is the “bottom dollar” amount for fireworks.
Some people, including council members Cheryl Hollingsworth and David Scott, indicated they were misled about the fireworks because they were told it would end up costing over $6,000 to have fireworks. Meeker and Holycross said an average fireworks show does cost that much, but that TJB did not want to buy fireworks on credit and have to play catch-up on the cost.
Meeker said he did not want to take funding away from the kids for a season in order to have a brief show of “boom booms” on one day.
Holycross said some people who wanted to donate backed out after making commitments due to having problems with the fiscal choices of past boards. Those commitments, Holycross said, were taken into account, but ended up not materializing.
“That was very misleading for a lot of people,” Hollingsworth said.
Capt. David Rapp of the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office introduced new deputy Ryan Black, who will join Deputy Bryan Dixon on village patrol.
Tina Knotts, with the Union County Chamber and Tourism, passed out informational cards about the upcoming Covered Bridge Bluegrass Festival, Sept. 19-21, at the Pottersburg Bridge.
Lee Jones may be reached at 937-652-1331 Ext. 223 or on Twitter @UDCJones"
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Nothing was mentioned in this City Council meeting about appropriation of funds for the Friends Cemetery and Butcher Cemetery; both located within the Village of North Lewisburg's boundaries.
I posted a comment with accompanying photographs for this story based on my visit to both cemeteries over the Fourth of July weekend this year.
Below are additonal photographs from the 4th and 6th of July, 2014 visits to the Butcher Cemetery on Tallman Street in North Lewisburg.
(Above)
Sinking gravestone of Charles E. Evans at the Butcher Cemetery
(Above)
The fenced in area toward the front of the Butcher Cemetery where only two gravemarkers can be seen.
