Property Tax Savings Deadline: October 1

Homeowners 65 years of age and older or who are disabled are eligible for a property tax reduction under the Homestead Reduction Program. Applications must be submitted by October 1. Get more information from the office of the Montgomery County Auditor.

Foreclosure Assistance is Available

Dayton City Commissioner Dean Lovelace urges Dayton residents who may be the victim of predatory mortgage lending to seek help through various community agencies. Dayton ranked 16th among the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the United States for home foreclosures during the first half of 2007. Many of these foreclosures can be attributed to predatory lending practices.


"Predatory lending continues to be a serious issue, not just in Dayton, but across the country," Commissioner Lovelace said. "I urge anyone who is in danger of losing their mortgage to contact one of the agencies below for help and advice."


· Montgomery County Recorder's Office - 225-4275
· CountyCorp - 225-6328
· Home Ownership Center of Greater Dayton - 853-1600
· Homeownership Preservation Foundation - 888-995-HOPE
· Ohio Housing Finance Agency - 888-362-6432

Kroger Development Public Meeting

Please join city staff at their next public meeting where they will provide more detailed information on the status of the Wayne and Wyoming development project and listen to your concerns.

Tuesday September 4th, 2007 at 6:30 PM
Fish Gate Community Church
424 Hickory Street
Historic South Park

Residents, Please Pay Attention & Be Aware!

At around 11:30 PM last night, there was a suspicious fire at the apartment complex near the corner of Illinois & Wayne. 5 of the units were completely destroyed & a number of residents went to Miami Valley with smoke inhalation.
This is the third suspicious fire in our neighborhood in the last two months.
Below you will see reports from the Dayton Daily News & WHIO-TV, as well as a link to pictures of the fire. Please check them out & Please, everyone, let's be more concerned & diligent about the safety of OUR Neighborhood & it's residents.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/ap/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=30958

Dayton Daily News
Fire breaks out in Dayton apartment building
By Ryan Justin Fox
Staff Writer
Friday, August 17, 2007

DAYTON — Firefighters are battling a fire in an apartment building in the 2300 block of Wayne Avenue.

About 11:47 p.m., police and fire radio communication voice traffic indicated that some of the people believed to live in the building have not been accounted for.
Extra firefighting equipment has been dispatched to the scene, according to the radio voice traffic.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2263 or rfox@DaytonDailyNews.com.

WHIO-TV
Suspicious Fire Breaks Out In Dayton

Fire crews were called to the 2300 block of Wayne Avenue on an apartment building fire after 11 p.m. Friday.
Fire crews said heavy fire and smoke filled both ends of the building and some residents were trapped inside when the flames broke out. Several residents were taken to the hospital because of smoke inhalation.
Investigators said they are not sure what caused the fire, but are calling it suspicious.
stephanie.dutton@whiotv.com

Please, if anyone saw or heard anything out of the ordinary in the part of Walnut Hills last night, aroung 11PM, contact Dayton PD at 333-COPS. This is our neighborhood & it is up to us to keep it a safe place to live!

SID Service Plan

If you click the link on the left, you can view the most recent draft of the Special Improvement District service plan. Please feel free to comment in the comments section of this post.

Spray Park Update

This was taken last week but you can see for yourself!

Wanted For Stupidity

If you know the whereabouts of the "937 Boyz" please let us know. They have some cleaning up to do.

No Really. What About That Kroger Development?

There has been a flurry of activity regarding the Kroger development at Wayne and Wyoming Avenues in the last two weeks. Without boring everyone with details a group of neighborhood leaders met to discuss ideas that would push this project along. A letter was written and sent to the city leaders with some questions and ideas. The letter asked if the city had been in communication with Kroger directly instead of their developer Midland Atlantic. We felt that it was important that Kroger was aware of the support that they would have in the community. Letters have been sent by neighborhoods to the CEO of Kroger and an appeal went out for others to follow suit. The response from the city manager was swift and is as follows;

Dear Concerned Citizens:

I want to take the time to thank you for your interest in the redevelopment of property at the Wayne and Wyoming intersection. We share your interest in moving this project forward and are committed to bring new investment to East Dayton. City staff have been working with the Midland Atlantic development group to bring in a new development opportunity that will provide an important amenity and job generator to the neighborhood. Those discussions continue, but there are some critical issues that we are still working through.

The biggest challenge is the amount of public investment that is appropriate for a development of this size and nature, particularly in a city that is facing significant funding challenges. While financial assistance may be appropriate and some funding has been preliminarily committed to facilitate this new development, the City has limited resources. As you are aware, property acquisition costs are a significant concern given prior negotiations that homeowners and businesses had with Midland Atlantic. The City and Midland Atlantic have both worked to identify additional funding sources for the project, but we are still trying to address a funding gap that has grown threefold since the project was first proposed.

Some people have expressed concern that the reason this project is not moving forward is due to the Ballpark Village project. I can assure you that the two projects are unrelated and that Krogers is not contemplated for Ballpark Village.

I also want to assure you that this project is a priority for the City Commission and staff is working diligently to bring this project to fruition. Funding sources, such as tax increment financing, have been part of the project for quite some time and we continue to look for other alternatives.

Our immediate next step is for me and my staff to meet with the Developer to discuss project financing and refine our strategic acquisition plan in an effort to move the project forward. We certainly want to include the citizens and other stakeholders as the development evolves. As soon as we get a firm and workable financing and acquisition plan in place, we will come to the community and provide updates to and solicit feedback from our stakeholders.

I appreciate your commitment and continued interest in our community.

Sincerely,


Rashad M. Young
City Manager

I will keep you posted as I get information.

Little Lambs Private Daycare

Little Lambs Private Daycare

269 Virginia Ave.

Dayton, OH 45410

Open House

August 1, 2007

4p-6p

Normal Business Hours

Monday-Friday

7a-6p

Open for Business

August 6, 2007

Owner and Director: Blythe Williams

Phone # 937.305.0957

Neighborhood Security

Security and quality of life issues are our responsibility. By our, I mean the residents of this community. If we fail to live responsibly then we shouldn't complain when others around us act irresponsibly. In the past, law enforcements motto was "to protect and serve" but this is no longer the case. Law enforcement should be there to enforce the law. This doesn't seem to be the case any more either. It seems that our police force reacts to crimes in progress or after the fact and is forced to focus on felony crimes that a jury will convict. If this is the case then WE have to become responsible for "Crime Prevention" in our neighborhood.
Walnut Hills is not a high crime area when it comes to quality of life issues. Most police calls are domestic disputes or petty thefts and vandalism. Petty crime however should be curbed because it can cause good residents to move away because they feel that nothing can be done to prevent it.
The problem is that we still expect the police force to "protect and serve" at a time when their job is to arrest criminals. They can't arrest criminals in Walnut Hills if we actively make an effort to prevent crime. If we can prevent crimes from occurring then the criminal element will reside and do their deeds elsewhere.
We are going to make an effort to form active and organised block watch groups. Blythe Williams has volunteered to spearhead this effort and can be contacted at blythewilliams@earthlink.net

A tentative plan is to divide the neighborhood into at least 7 sectors as follows. Section #7 may need to be divided into two managable areas.



We would hope to find one responsible person per block to be block captains and one of those captains should be a sector leader. People can report anything unusual to the block captains who can convey relevant information to the sector leader who could broadcast to the neighborhood via this web page or through email.
We don't expect miracles overnight and some sectors will exhibit more volunteerism than others, but it is a start. A block watch group is only as good as it's best leader. If we only establish this in 4 sectors then at least half the neighborhood is a safer place to live in.

We need to locate block captains and sector leaders so if you know the name of the most likely candidate on your block, please submit the name to Blythe. We won't take just anybody. I tend to do criminal and civil record searches on individuals on a regular basis. We may also consider a residency requirement for captains and sector leaders to ensure longevity of the block watch group.

In the last two years we have done a lot of exciting things and this is just one more to make this a more tightly knitted community.. The ultimate goal here is to make Walnut Hills the most desirable neighborhood to live in within 2 miles of downtown Dayton. I think that is an achievable goal.

Another Park Event

I received an email from the Teens of Promise Youth Ministry announcing this event for Saturday July 28th at the park.

PRESENTING
Celebrate Jesus!
A FREE Neighborhood Community Event

Celebrating the Lord Jesus Christ and His Love for Us!
WHEN: Saturday, July 28, 2007
From 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
WHERE: Walnut Hills Park
FOOD MUSIC FUN
Entertainment
Skits
Puppets
Illusions
Trinkets

Wading Pool? What Wading Pool?

This morning at the park!




Start thinking "Spray Park!"

What About That Free Pizza?

Our May website promotion was a smashing success, we were able to attract new visitors to our blog and add a few names to our mailing list! I'd like to congratulate William Herzog of Virginia Avenue as our winner, he takes home a $15 coupon for free pizza from Dewey's @ UD.

Thanks to all of those who entered!

What About That Krogers Development?

I got this emailed to me today.


July 2, 2007

Dear Neighborhood Organization Leader,

For literally years now the City has been talking with an agent of Kroger’s about building a new, larger, better positioned, Kroger store at the corner of Wayne and Wyoming in East Dayton. East End Community Services along with many of our friends from surrounding neighborhood associations and community councils have expressed our strong support for such a development. We share the notion that a new Kroger store would add high quality retail services to the City, support inner ring neighborhood vitality, add a significant number of new jobs, and help catalyze much needed new development along the Wayne Avenue corridor.
The proposed Kroger development requires a significant investment in property acquisition and public infrastructure dollars by the City. Unfortunately, Dayton and Kroger’s development agent, Midland Atlantic, seem to have come to an impasse in their negotiations and the project appears to be stalled. The possibility exists that the project could be abandoned entirely. In our view losing the Kroger development would be a huge blow to the continued growth and redevelopment of many of our inner ring neighborhoods.
If you agree, and are interested in voicing your concerns over the stalled talks, please join us for a meeting with the leaders of other inner ring Dayton neighborhoods who would benefit from a new Kroger Store at Wayne and Wyoming Streets. The agenda is simply to brainstorm and come to consensus about actions we could take as concerned residents to encourage the City and Kroger to take the steps needed to make the proposed new Kroger a reality. Paul Woodie will chair the meeting.
The East End Community Services Board of Trustees is hosting the meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday July 19 at 7:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the East End Community Center, located at 624 Xenia Avenue Parking is in the rear, off Steele Avenue.
Please call Jan Lepore-Jentleson, East End Community Services’ Executive Director, at 259-1898, if you have any questions or comments. We hope to see you on the 19th.

Sincerely,

Frank Surico
East End Community Services Board President

The Festival Was a Success!

The first Southeast Festival at Walnut Hills Park was a huge success despite a few faux pas that crept up on us along the way. Here are some pictures of the event. I may add some more later. We even got a visit from the mayor!











Here is the list of people who should be thanked for their roles in making the event a success.

Harold Ayres
Ed Ayres
Mike Schommer
Doug Schommer
Beverly Dunnington
Kent Lyon
Lela Estes
Bob Lipps
Chad Snoke
Kelly Claypool
Sarah Abernethy
Ben Abernethy
Mitch Kearns
Meg Malcolm
Shawnte Shepherd
Stephanie Llacuna
Koa Llacuna
Krissy Mayes
Josh Mayes
Ella Smith
Billy Stevenson
Steven Dalton
Joe Lacey
Kate Good
Brian Good
Ashley Wilcox
Jim Trickey
Jane Fries
Nicki Craft

There are at least four more who helped on the day but I didn't get their names so thank you too!

Southeast Festival

Feel free to download a printable version of this poster in color or black & white and place it where many people will see it!

We are going to have a baked goods booth at the Southeast Dayton Day Festival. If you would like to donate any baked goods, please call Beverly at 253-6266. This will be a fund raiser for our Association.

Getting Ready For The Festival

Here is a picture of Mike Schommer cleaning out the old wading pool at the Walnut Hills Park this week. If the weather is hot we will set up a misting station in the pool where the water can drain.



Here is Harold Ayres emptying a garbage can before the big day!

Some of the executive board members will be at the park this week getting a few last minute things ready. Stop by and say "Hi" if you see any of them working near the storage shed and restrooms.

An Invitation from South Park

I wanted to extend an invitation to you and your Walnut Hills neighbors from South Park. We are hosting a concert in our gazebo on Park on Saturday, June 23rd at 7 PM. A popular local group will be performing, and we are going to gather with blankets, lawn chairs, and refreshments to listen (everyone is bringing their own seating and refreshments).

Please invite your membership to attend. The group Disconnected is supposed to be pretty good--they play rock, Blues, Pop, Country covers and original songs. They play at the Fraze! Read about the band at http://disconnectedband.com.
Best regards,
Karin

Proposed Spray Park Picture

Here is a picture of the proposed spray park to be constructed in Walnut Hills Park. You can click on the picture for a larger image.

East Dayton Vikings Youth Football

Will be holding early sign-ups for football players and cheerleaders entering grades 3rd-6th for the 2007-2008 school year. Registrations will be accepted at Lohrey Center 2366 Glenarm Ave.
Cost is $75.00 per participating child.

Sign-up Dates are:

Saturday May 19th 11am-2pm
Saturday June 2nd 11am-2pm
Saturday June 9th 11am-2pm

These are early sign-up times. We will also be accepting registrations our 1st 2 weeks of practice starting Monday July 30th at the football field behind Belmont High School. Any questions please call.

Robert Delong @252-0311 Cell 657-4722

Mark Santos @781-4158

Brian Cooper @259-0269

Online yard sale sign up & map

With the spring Walnut Hills Community Yard Sale less than two weeks away... now is the perfect time for you to join in the yard sale fun. To make it easier to sign up, we've created an online form so that you can submit your information for the sale. The web form and additional info can be found HERE.

Once you sign up and contact me, we'll get your info and address on the official map. To view the current list of yard sales, check out the map HERE.

Then, to help you advertise your sale, we'll provide you with one of our new signs for your front yard... very cool.



All that for just $5! So what are you waiting for? Sign up now!

SOCCER 2007

www.daytonsoccer.org

SIGN –UP NOW UNDERWAY
FOR 2007 FALL SOCCER

• Enrollment for the Dayton Area Soccer Association (DASA) Fall Soccer season is now underway.

• Kids 4–18 years of age can register to play in this recreational soccer league.
• Dayton SAY is the official soccer league for the City of Dayton.
• See reverse side for registration form, deadlines, and fees.
Facts about Dayton SAY Soccer
• The SAY Soccer program emphasis is on kids having fun! Every player is guaranteed to play at least 1/2 of every game.
• Registration covers the cost of a soccer jersey, socks and a team photo. You supply the shorts, shoes and shin guards. No additional fundraising required!

• Season starts in late August and concludes in mid October. There are approximately 10 games in the season.
• Most games are played at the Gateway Sports Complex on Stanley Ave. near Route 4. Teams with kids ages 8 and above play some away games.

• Most games are played on Saturdays. Teams with kids ages 6 and above will play some evening games as well.
• Players ages 4–7 will receive a participation trophy at the end of the regular season.

Register early and save $5.00 for each child!

‘Building Safety Week’

Discounted Bill Payment Options Offered
During ‘Building Safety Week’
Release Date: Friday, May 4, 2007
Contact: Bill Nelson, Director of Building Services, 333-3883

As part of “Building Safety Week,” the City of Dayton’s Department of Building Services is offering a special amnesty program that will allow citizens to repay some outstanding bills at a discounted rate.

People who still owe money to the City of Dayton for demolition or boarding/securing costs can repay those costs at a 40 percent discount. But the time to take advantage of the discounted payment option only lasts through the end of May, so individuals with outstanding bills are encouraged to act fast. Payments can be made in the Department of Building Services’ One Stop Center, 371 W. Second Street, or in the Department of Finance at Dayton City Hall, 101 W. Third Street.

The discount does not apply to any bills that have been turned over to UCB Collection Agency or that have been attached to a property through Montgomery County. In these instances, customers must contact those agencies directly and will not be eligible for the 40 percent discount.

Each year, the City of Dayton joins other communities around the world to celebrate Building Safety Week, May 6-12. Building Safety Week raises public awareness of building safety and promotes the use, enforcement and understanding of building safety and fire prevention codes to protect lives and property.

“During Building Safety Week, I encourage the public to stop by our offices at the One Stop Center to learn more about the work that the Building Services Department does,” said Bill Nelson, Director of the Department of Building Services. “Building code enforcement is the job of professionals who work right here in the City of Dayton. Inspectors, plan reviewers and others in our department work to ensure that the structures you and your families live, work, and play in are safe by issuing building permits and inspecting buildings during and after construction.”
Nelson added, “Our department is using Building Safety Week to educate the community about the importance of obtaining proper permits and maintaining their properties. It is an opportunity to increase public awareness of the role that building safety and fire prevention officials, local and state building departments, and federal agencies play on the front line of defense to protect lives and property. They are the ‘silent defenders’ who are seldom seen but work daily to ensure safety in the community.”

Building Safety Week, first observed in 1980, is sponsored by the International Code Council Foundation, an organization dedicated to changing the devastating effects of natural disasters and other building tragedies at home and around the world. The International Code Council is an association that develops building safety and fire prevention codes that are used in more than 15,000 jurisdictions across the nation.
For any building safety concerns, contact the Building Services Department at 333-3883. For housing questions, contact the Division of Housing Inspection at 333-3977.

Found!!!!!!

I found a set of keys at the Walnut Hills Park earlier today. They were located on one of the picnic tables under the roofed area. There are four (4) keys attached to a ring, along with a Speedy Rewards ID tag & a Kroger Plus ID tag.
If you lost a set of keys & can identify them, give me a call @ 937-479-1965. Otherewise, I'll leave this post up for a few days, then send them USPS back to Kroger so that they may ID the owner.

Grass Cutting

If you need someone to gut your grass in the neighborhood and don't have anyone in mind then you can contact Billy on his cell phone at 718-0753. He is already cutting grass for several residents in the area and may be able to help you out.

PORCH LIGHTS

Now that the weather is changing and more people will be out and about, it would be a great idea if everyone in Walnut Hills would keep their porch light on. It costs only about $5.00 per month to leave it on 24/7. This would help your area along with the entire neighborhood by discouraging auto break-ins and other types of vandalisms. LIGHT UP THE STREETS!

Sherwin Williams Discount

We now have the cards for the discount at all the Sherwin Williams stores. All you have to do is present the Walnut Hills card and you will be given a 20% discount on all regular priced merchandise and a 5% discount on all sale priced merchandise. The cards will be available at our meetings or you can contact Beverly at 253-6266 and she will arrange for you to receive one. Spring is a great time for sprucing up your homes and this will make it even easier. HAPPY PAINTING!

Abandoned Properties - Article

This is an interesting article that describes what Buffalo, New York is doing to make banks assume ownership of their abandoned properties.
http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/254265.html

Sorry it isn't Walnut Hills related but it certainly applies to Dayton! I know our city administration is currently working on getting similar legislation on the books to deal with the same problem.

Don't Forget This!

WALNUT HILLS ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT
And BREAKFAST

Saturday April 7th, 2007
WALNUT HILLS PARK
Breakfast served in the shelter from 10:45 AM to 11:45 AM
Easter Egg Hunt begins at NOON

Hey everybody, it's that time of year when those bunnies lay those funny colored eggs and leave them in our neighborhood park! We invite the local children to search for them. The Church on the Rock is providing breakfast. This is a FREE event! A great time for everyone! We need 5 volunteers to help hide eggs and supervise, please contact Ella at (937) 256-3855 after 1:30 PM

Egg hunt is limited to children ages 0 through 12 only
and will begin at noon. Meet at sidewalk beside the tennis courts for egg hunt.

Neighborhood Yard Sale Plans

The neighborhood yard sale event is planned for May 12th – 13th, 2007. If you wish to be identified as a yard/garage sale location on the handout map and benefit from association advertising of the event, then you need to contact the following people this week and submit your name and address and whether you will be having a one day or a two day sale. Residents living west of Illinois and west of Wayne Avenue should contact Gary at 253-1359, while those between Pursell and Indiana Avenue should call Sarah at 252-2210. The fee is $5.00 payable to Walnut Hills Association and will be used to offset costs of advertising and promoting the event. We are looking into providing standardized yard signs for all participants. Don't wait until the last minute to call because the maps have to be printed before the event. When we know who the participants are we will post a map on the Walnut Hills website. Just before sale day someone will collect your fee and leave some map handouts and some balloons for identification purposes on the big day and possibly some signs. Remember anyone can have his or her own sale on this weekend but we won't know who you are and therefore can't help you with promotion. We learned from last years event that being on the map helped those locations with a large number of sales. So get your neighbors involved if you want to have a yard sale! It will help with the traffic flow. Any business owners should consider doing sidewalk sales on this day and it may be a good day to have an open house if you plan to sell your home.
Last September there were some 65 paid participants and another 20 or so that joined in on the day. It would be great if we could advertise over 100 locations!
If you don’t want to have a sale at your home you may be able to put up a table at the Colorado Ave Baptist Church. Call 256-1051 for details or if you would like to donate saleable items to the church. Please check this web site for updates.

20% Off Paint

The Walnut Hills Association has signed up with the Sherwin Williams program that will allow residents of Walnut Hills to purchase paint at a 20% discount of regular prices or 5% off sale prices. This discount is available immediately at the Walnut Street location. If you wish to use the Linden Avenue location then you might want to ask before you make a purchase. Just tell them you live in Walnut Hills. We are waiting for cards to be issued that will allow purchases at any Sherwin Williams location. For details or questions, contact Beverly at 253-6266 or check this web site for updates.

Dayton's Neighborhood Assistance Officer program seeks volunteers

The following story is from the Dayton Daily News, on Sunday, 03/25/2007. I feel that this is an important program and could be very beneficial to our neighborhood. The contact info is included in the article.

Dayton's Neighborhood Assistance Officer program seeks volunteers

By Kelli Wynn
Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2007

DAYTON — If you want to go beyond attending a meeting to show that you care about your neighborhood, then you may want to consider becoming a Dayton Police Neighborhood Assistance Officer.

The purpose of the program is to have Dayton residents volunteer to act as a support unit for the police department. NAO volunteers are trained to handle duties such as traffic control at emergency scenes, special events, nonenforcement calls, missing person searches and noise complaints. They also patrol at least four hours a week.
"It's a unique opportunity to be a little pro-active in your neighborhoods," said Cindy August, NAO supervisor. "You're doing something more than attending a meeting. You're out patrolling your neighborhood."

Starting April 1, current Dayton Police NAO volunteers will work 100 days to get 100 applications from Dayton residents. NAO volunteers will visit numerous neighborhood meetings, events and churches while performing regular duties to accomplish recruiting goals. This recruiting effort is in conjunction with National Volunteer Month.

NAO volunteers will be present during the Dayton Dragons' opening-day fireworks and Tax Day at the main post office on East Fifth Street.

Right now, the program currently has 20 volunteers. This is a great decrease compared to the late 1970s and early 1980s when the program had about 80 volunteers. August said she doesn't know exactly why the numbers have dropped, but thinks the decrease may have something to do with people being busier than in the past. "People don't know their neighbors and they don't get outside their own little world," she said.

For more information on the NAO program, contact Cindy August at (937) 333-1350.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2414 or kwynn@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Criteria for being an NAO

Must be at least 21 years old

Must live in the city of Dayton

No felony convictions or misdemeanor convictions involving a weapon or violence

Must possess a valid Ohio driver's license

Must have automobile insurance

Must be people-oriented

Ability to attend five weeks of training from 7 to 10 p.m.

Chili Cook-Off Results!

The 2nd annual Belmont Vs. Walnut Hills Chili Cook-Off that was held this evening was a huge success! We had around 80 people in attendance and a total of 14 entries from the two neighborhoods.

The proud winner of First Prize is Ms. Lynn Burchill-Phillips from Belmont.

Second place was awarded to Bill Brashear of Walnut Hills who's secret ingredient was sun dried tomatoes.


Third place was awarded to Josh and Krissy Mayes of Walnut Hills who used lentils and pineapple in their secret recipe.

The event was organized by Bev Dunnington and Bob Lipps who did an excellent job with providing all the extras and putting together the prizes. We would also like to thank all the members of the "Church on the Rock" for their support and without whom this event could not have taken place. Thanks to all the people who entered and all who attended. I'm sure this will be a repeat event next year.

Monthly Meetings Information

Monthly neighborhood meetings are held on the second (2nd) Monday of EVERY month EXCEPT in July and August at the Church on the Rock located at 321 Edgar Ave., Dayton OH 45410

The format for our monthly meetings are going to be changed beginning with the April meeting. We will now have a social and refreshment period beginning at 6:30. We encourage everyone to try to attend this time. We are having everyone wear name badges and the street that they live on so we can get to know our residents better. This will give you a chance to chat with your neighbors and also enjoy some good refreshments.

This will be followed by a normal meeting at 7:00. That meeting should be approximately 1/2 hour long. We will then break up into specific committees and anyone can participate in one or more of these committee meetings.

We now have a Park Committee, a School Committee, a Fund Raising Committee, and a Housing Committee. Our goal is to get more residents to participate in what's going on in the community. If you have a concern about a particular issue, you can be a part of that committee meeting and discuss your issues. It's very important to get your voice heard and we are making it easier for you to do just that.

Come out and be a part of your neighborhood.

PARK PROGRESS

Several representatives from the neighborhood met with the City directors for Recreation and Youth Services and Public Works to discuss some changes at the Walnut Hills Park that would be beneficial to the community. These changes are as follows:

1. The 200 amp. electric service near the shelter should be installed in early Spring.

2. The restrooms will be accessable for community events. A key(s) will be given only to specified people including the Park Committee chairperson.

3. The pool will be turned into a great spray area. This should be completed around July. They will have a designer come to a meeting and discuss it before it is put in.

4. We will have a walking path around the tree area in the top section of the park. After some discussion, it was agreed that having it around and near the ball diamonds was not feasible.

5. They are going to install basketball hoops.

6. They are going to install two poles for volleyball.

7. They are working with a resident and employee of the Public Works Department regarding the resurfacing of the hockey rink. 20 gallons of paint will be donated for the painting of the sides.

8. Discussions are in progress regarding a youth program this summer. We may receive support or services from the YMCA and East End Community Services as well as some assistance from the University of Dayton. The lunch program will begin following the summer break.

10. Regarding the tennis courts, it was suggested that we partner with Belmont or Cleveland School to see what can be accomplished about getting them worked on. It is being investigated.

It was a very productive, successful meeting. Harold Ayres and his son Ed, who are very familiar with the park, have accepted the position as chairpersons for the park committee.

Mayor McLin Delivers State of the City Address

Mayor Rhine McLin delivered her annual bright and peachy "State of the City" Address on Wednesday, February 14. The city has provided a pdf copy of her address and it can be found by clicking the link below.

Link!

McLin touches on a number of positive economic developments in the city but skips past pretty much all of our problems, in the end concluding that "The bottom line is this: for all of the struggles that virtually every major Midwest city has had to face in recent years, Dayton is in excellent shape. We are poised to emerge stronger for the adversity we have shouldered and overcome. I am proud to be a Daytonian, and I am excited about our city’s future." So there you have it.

Mentors Needed

East End Community Services mentoring program is looking for mentors to mentor young people ages 16-22 years. You will be connected to a young person who matches your interest. Some of our youth desire opportunities to learn about different careers, homework help, or even maybe interested to connect to different events within our community. Spending time with a teen or young adult provides them with a new perspective and the chance to experience new opportunities. So, think about who mentored you. For more information please contact Teresa Wendell at 259-1898

And any youth or young adult would are between the ages of 16-22 years who would want to participate, please call Teresa at 259-1898.

The Chili Challenge is on!

Last March the Belmont Neighborhood Association challenged us to a chili cook off. Of the 4 entries, Walnut Hills had 3 of them and managed to take 1st, 2nd and 3rd place! This year we are reciprocating the challenge and it will take place in lieu of our regular March meeting and will be at the regular location at 321 Edgar Avenue starting at 6:30 PM. Anyone can enter. There will be prizes for the winners. Be sure to check next month’s newsletter for any updates. Call Gary if you plan to enter at 253-1359 so that we can anticipate the level of participation and ensure adequate space in the room that we plan to use.

Oh, if you are reading this and live in Belmont here’s a taunt;
"We make better chili than you. Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah nyaaaaah!"

Twin Towers Citizens Cellular Patrol

The Twin Towers neighborhood has established a patrol group to monitor and report suspected illegal activity within their neighborhood. The patrol area overlaps into Walnut Hills to include Wyoming, Glencoe, Mannette and Gunckel Avenues. If you would like to get involved call (937)542-9468 or meet with the group at Wendy's on Friday evenings at 6:30 PM.

Dayton Announces Rate Change in Combined Waste Collection Fee

Release Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Contact: Fred Stovall, Director of Public Works, 333-4070



The City of Dayton is combining its current Waste Collection Disposal Fee and Waste Container Fee into one charge that will appear on the quarterly water utility bill. The City Commission today approved an Ordinance combining the current $5.00 monthly disposal fee and the 89-cent monthly container fee into one new $7.00 per month Waste Disposal Fee.



The rate change is effective January 1, 2007, which means Dayton water customers will see the new amount on quarterly water utility bills received in April 2007. The annual cost for waste collection services will increase slightly from $70.70 to $84.00. For comparison, most other area cities charge higher annual waste collection fees: Englewood - $278.00; Oakwood - $220.00; Centerville - $216.00; Kettering - $173.00; Union $162.00; West Carrollton - $152.00; Miamisburg - $144.00; and Trotwood - $134.00. The new rate change is estimated to result in approximately $731,000 of additional revenue for the City.



In 2002, the City of Dayton instituted the $5.00 monthly waste disposal fee to help cover costs associated with disposing of waste at the Montgomery County transfer station. That Ordinance was set to expire later this year. The Ordinance approved by the City Commission today replaces the 2002 Ordinance. In addition, the new Ordinance includes an annual escalator, which will be applied based upon the Consumer Price Index (CPI).



“As much as we would prefer not to change our rates at all, the escalating costs associated with waste collection operations make it necessary,” Fred Stovall, Director of Dayton’s Public Works Department, said. “It now costs more to dispose of our waste at the county landfill and to provide the containers that enable the City to maintain such a high quality of service. Unfortunately, that means we must increase our rates slightly to cover those outside costs.”



Bulky Waste pick-up service will continue to be provided at no charge.



“This is a good time to remind residents to recycle their household trash as much as possible to reduce the waste stream going to the landfill,” Stovall said. “The more we recycle as a community, the less we pay for disposing of waste in the landfill.”

VALENTINE’S DAY JAM FOR TEENS

MAYOR RHINE MCLIN TO HOLD
VALENTINE’S DAY JAM FOR TEENS

Begin Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2007

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cathy Shanklin, 333-8400
Donnell Gregory, 333-4021

Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin will hold a Valentine’s Day Jam on Friday, February 9, 2007 from 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. at Bomberger Teen Center, 1306 E. Fifth Street. The event will target teens 13 through 17 years of age. The theme of the jam is “Giving Back…Caring and Sharing from the Heart.” The cost for entry is either $5.00 or five canned goods. All proceeds and donations will benefit Daybreak Runaway Shelter for teens.

“I believe youth can have a good time and still provide an important community service,” says Mayor McLin. “With our youth from the Citywide Teen Council involved with planning the event, I know it will be a success.”

This event will offer Dayton area teens an opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s Day with great music, free refreshments, dance contests and more.

For more information, contact Cathy Shanklin at 333-8400, or Dr. Donnell Gregory at 333-4021.

Attend if interested.

The January 31, 2007 Dayton City Commission Meeting will be held at 6:00 PM at the University of Dayton's College Park Center, 1529 Brown Street. The highlight of the meeting will be the adoption of a Participation Agreement between the City, Miami Valley Hospital, and University of Dayton. The Agreement calls for UD and MVH to each contribute $125,000 toward the implementation of the Fairgrounds Traffic Plan.

Vandals on ATVs

I took a long walk Sunday morning in the snow and right at the corner of Heaton & Gunkel two vandals drove past me on ATVs. The grass in the little triangle park there had already been torn up by them and I believe these two may also be the one's responsible for destroying parts of the Walnut Hills Park. I snapped these photos of them and then called the Dayton Police at 333-COPS. If you see them out I urge you to do the same - their behavior is dangerous and illegal. They're destroying public property and risking lives.







The youths were traveling south in the alley between Colorada Ave. and Walnut Hill Pl. If you recognize them but don't want to get involved you can contact me at 271-3477 and I'll be glad to get more involved.

Arson

It appears there was a fire at 1015 Epworth Ave on Wednesday morning (January 17, 2007). The building is a double and has been boarded up already. There is an arson notice on the front of the building. If you have any information call the police department.

I see this didn't make the news at all, not that I want it to, but if it would have occured in Twin Towers there would have been a story!

East Branch Library Activities

East Branch

Coffee Gourmet International Month
Monday, January 15, 2007 - Saturday, January 20, 2007
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM for Kids - All Ages details

Gamer's Night- Video Games in the Library?

Thursday, January 25, 2007
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM for Teens - Ages 10-18 details
Gamers Night- Game on at the East Branch
Thursday, January 25, 2007
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM for Teens - 10-12 details

Homeschool Connection

Tuesday, January 9, 2007
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM for Kids - Ages 7-13 details
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM for Kids - Ages 7-13 details

Infant/Toddler Storytime

Wednesday, January 3, 2007
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 2-3 details
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 2-3 details
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 2-3 details
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 2-3 details
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 2-3 details

Preschool Storytime

Wednesday, January 3, 2007
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 4-5 details
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 4-5 details
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 4-5 details
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 4-5 details
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM for Preschoolers - Ages 4-5 details

Take and Make Winter Craft

Tuesday, January 16, 2007 - Saturday, January 20, 2007
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM for Kids - All Ages details

Cleveland Dedication and Open House

Saturday, January 20, 2007
Dedication Ceremony - 3:00 p.m. Open House to follow
Cleveland PK-8 School. 1102 Pursell Avenue, Dayton Ohio
Please RSVP - 542-3704

Congratulations Detective Bo Bilinski!

On Monday, January 8th, the Walnut Hills Community Association conducted the drawing for this year’s Winter Raffle. We’re proud to announce the winner of the laptop computer was Detective Bo Bilinski of the Dayton Police Department! We’d like to thank everyone who purchased and helped to sell tickets and we look forward to next years raffle!

Property Disclosure Law Information

New Residential Property ‘Disclosure’ Law Takes Effect January 1st

Release Date: Friday, December 29, 2006
Contact: John Baker, Housing Inspection Manager, 333-3977

Effective January 1, 2007, all residential property transfers or sales within the city of Dayton will be required to include a “disclosure of open violation” notice. The City Commission approved the Ordinance recently to ensure that code violations are resolved or acknowledged before a property changes hands. The new law requires both the buyer and seller of any residential property to file a Certificate of Disclosure with the Housing Inspection Division. This disclosure form must be filed with the Housing Inspection Division regardless of whether or not there are any outstanding violation notices on the property.

“Too often a homebuyer will acquire a home without realizing there are outstanding code violations connected with the property,” said John Baker, Manager of Housing Inspection for the City of Dayton. “This new Ordinance will help ensure that properties in need of repairs get fixed before they are sold or transferred to another individual. It’s just another way we can help enhance the quality and vitality of our neighborhoods.”

Any open violation notices must be disclosed so that they can be corrected prior to the sale or it confirms that the buyer is agreeing to make the listed repairs.

Beginning in January, the Certificate of Disclosure form can be found on the City of Dayton’s website (www.cityofdayton.org), in the Building Services Department at 371 West Second Street, at Priority Board site offices, and in public libraries in the city of Dayton.

The following information provides additional detail about the Disclosure Ordinance:

What is the purpose of the Disclosure Ordinance?
To help ensure that any existing violation notices on the property get resolved satisfactorily.

How does the Disclosure Ordinance accomplish that?
The disclosure ordinance requires the addresses and phone numbers of the buyer, seller, real estate agent, title company, appraiser, and mortgage or lending institution assisting in the conveyance. Any open violation notices must be disclosed so that they can be corrected prior to the sale or it confirms that the buyer is agreeing to make the listed repairs.

Can the property be sold with an open code violation notice?
Yes. However the buyer is acknowledging that they will appeal the violation notice to the Housing Appeals Board within 10 days or make the necessary repairs within 90 days of the sale. Failing to comply with the Legal Notice is a third degree offense punishable by up to a $500.00 fine and or 30 days incarceration.

Who has to file this Certificate of Disclosure?
Both buyer and seller must sign the completed Certificate of Disclosure, so either party may actually submit the completed form. 93.54 (A)

(more)

Are there any exceptions?
Yes. Section 93.54 (D) exempts sales or transfers made under the following circumstances:
(1) Made pursuant to judicial orders;

(2) Made to or by the state, a political subdivision of the state, or another government entity;

(3) Made between spouses or former spouses as a result of a decree of divorce, dissolution of
marriage, annulment, or legal separation or as a result of property settlement agreement incidental to a decree of a divorce, dissolution of marriage, annulment, or legal separation.

Is there a cost for filing the Certificate of Disclosure?
Only if there is an open violation notice outstanding on the property. If violation notices do exist, then a $60.00 filing fee is required. If there are no violation notices, the filing of the disclosure form is free. 93.54 (C)

How do I know if violation notices exist?
Beginning on January 1, 2007 you can find this information at the City of Dayton’s web site www.cityofdayton.org. By searching for the address of the property, you will be able to search for any open violation orders.

What do I do when I find the address?
The violations cited on any orders will appear in a list. You can then select to print the Certificate of Disclosure and the violations will print within the form. Have both the buyer and seller sign the completed application and fax to (937) 333-4294 or mail to the following address:
Housing Inspection Division
Certificate of Disclosure
P.O. Box 22
Dayton OH 45401-0022

What if I can not find the address on your web site?
For newer structures, it is possible that we do not have the address in our Housing Inspection data base system yet. If you do not find the address you are looking for, call (937) 333-3977 and ask to speak to someone to obtain a Certificate of Disclosure form on a property not listed in the system. They will take your information and research the address and get back to you within 48 hours.

When does the form need to be submitted?
The signed Certificate of Disclosure must be received at least three (3) days prior to the sale of the property. 93.54 (B)

Is there a penalty for not complying with this ordinance?
Yes. For individuals, the first violation of this section is a minor misdemeanor, and any subsequent offense is a fourth degree misdemeanor. A minor misdemeanor conviction carries a maximum fine of $150.00. A fourth degree misdemeanor conviction carries a maximum fine of $250.00 and or incarceration of not more than 30 days.

For an organization convicted of violating this section, a minor misdemeanor conviction carries a maximum fine of $1,000.00, and a fourth degree misdemeanor conviction carries a maximum fine of $2,000.00.

Light Up Your Christmas!

Fun holiday lighting and yard art adorned the Walnut Hills neighborhood. Area residents decked the halls to participate in the Walnut Hills Christmas Decorating Contest. Top honor went to the Dixon’s at 1242 Carlisle Ave. They will receive $25.00 for their gleeful holiday extravaganza. Joyce Riley, 1342 Epworth Ave., came in second and will receive a $10.00 prize. Third place winner resides at 250 Medford Ave. They also will receive $10.00. All winners will be recognized at the Jan. 8 meeting. Thanks to all residents who decorated their homes for the holidays. There were many beautiful displays.

Dayton Announces Next Round of “ORION” Neighborhoods

Release Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Contact: Jessica Jenkins, City Manager’s Office, 333-3675

After evaluating proposals from 12 neighborhoods, the City of Dayton has selected participants for the next round of its neighborhood stabilization program, called the ORION Solution program.

The three neighborhoods selected to participate during the first half of 2007 are Five Oaks and Mt. Vernon (combined) and Twin Towers. Three neighborhoods identified to participate in the program during the second half of 2007 are Westwood and Roosevelt (combined) and Old North Dayton.

The ORION program, which was first announced last year, stands for “Organizing Resources to Improve Our Neighborhoods.” The program’s objective is to coordinate key City services in targeted neighborhoods for a concentrated period of time. City departments work with neighborhood organizations and citizens to focus services like police, fire, building inspection, recreation, and public works in areas that need the extra attention, according to circumstances that are immediately affecting residents who live there.

The first four neighborhoods to participate in the ORION Solution this year were Riverdale, Santa Clara, Wolf Creek and Old Dayton View. Results show the program made significant improvements in the targeted areas.

“The first phase of the ORION Solution showed us the kind of success we can achieve if we coordinate our staff and our services with the active participation of neighborhood residents,” City Manager Rashad Young said. “Collaboration and involvement among our residents is key to making sure the impact of the ORION program continues for the long-term. The results we saw for the inaugural ORION neighborhoods makes me believe we can achieve similar on-going success in 2007.”

This Fall neighborhoods were encouraged to submit applications to be included in the ORION program for 2007. Twelve neighborhoods responded. An evaluation committee of City staff reviewed each proposal and made the final recommendations to the City Manager. The evaluation team looked at such factors as crime, housing conditions, demographic make-up, and citizen involvement capabilities to reach their recommendation.

Although the Five Oaks and Mt. Vernon neighborhoods applied separately, their close proximity to one another, as well as to recent ORION program participant Santa Clara, made them a good candidate for the opening round of 2007, roughly January-June. Both neighborhoods enjoy a high level of citizen participation and good housing stock. At the same time, they each face various quality of life issues especially relating to criminal activity.

Twin Towers possess diverse housing stock ranging from well-maintained homes to vacant and boarded structures. They have an active Community Council and other options for citizen participation that can help with implementing the ORION efforts. There is also a good opportunity to collaborate with the nearby South Park Planning District. Crime issues are a leading neighborhood concern.

The second round of 2007 program is expected to run from roughly July-December. Old North Dayton was selected for this round in part because of several quality of life issues, such as housing code violations, theft of copper piping, vandalism and vacant homes and businesses. Children’s Medical Center and the Old North Dayton Development Corporation will serve as important anchors for any future stabilization efforts.

The southern Westwood and Roosevelt neighborhoods will be addressed in unison due to their close proximity and related issues, including crime and housing concerns. A tradition of strong citizen involvement coupled with the opportunity to re-energize block clubs and other citizen groups helped in the committee’s decision-making.

City of Dayton staff will be meeting with leaders from the selected neighborhoods early next year. At that time, residents and appropriate departments will coordinate efforts to best deal with the individual neighborhood concerns.

Decorating Contest!

The Walnut Hills Housing Committee is holding a Christmas Decorating Contest. We will have several people from the association go out and view the entire area for the most unique, cutest or the one with the most originality. We will award first place $25, second place $10, and third place $10. Each winner will also receive a certificate. The winners will be announced in the January newsletter and at the January meeting.

Happy Holidays to all our residents!

It is that time of year when the weather can get the best of us and we have to be considerate of our neighbors. If you have the ability, clear sidewalks of snow for those who don't. If you are clearing alleys, don't pile the snow in front of a neighboring garage. The neighbor may have a car in there! When digging your car out of the snow, do not throw the snow on the sidewalk where an area has already been cleared. If you have a vehicle that won't run, park it in front of your own house and not the one across the street, you prevent your neighbor from having the opportunity to park in front of their own house. Often we are so focused on our own problem that we fail to realize that we are creating problems for the person next door or across the street.
On another matter, it was noticed last month that most people in this neighborhood do not put their porch lights on at night and many of those that do actually deliver these newsletters! The cost to leave your porch light on all night is about $3.00 a month. By not leaving it on, you invite crime to happen.

Twin Towers Cellular Patrol

The Twin Towers neighborhood have established a neighborhood patrol that covers their neighborhood and a portion of ours. If you would like to participate in this then contact Barb Bauer at 253-1616 for details and ways that you can help.

New Priority Board Committees

The Southeast Dayton Priority Board has changed their committee organization and is looking for additional citizens to get involved. You do not have to become a priority board member to participate in the committees, just a concerned resident of southeast Dayton. The committees will consist of the following categories;

Public Safety Committee – Activities relate to Police and Fire issues as well as court-watch projects and generally anything considered to impact public safety.

Community Development - Activities combine much of what the former committees of Community Relations, Business and Industry and Human Services used to engage in. For example Business and Industry activities related to retaining, attracting, increasing, promoting and improving the physical appearance of Southeast businesses. Community Relations activities related to promoting and marketing the SEPB to the community by improving communications and facilitating promotional functions. They also provided training opportunities for Board members. Human Services activities related to promotion of children’s health and communication issues, holding the City’s Recreation and Parks Dept. more accountable for youth programming, becoming more involved in non-City sponsored youth/teen centers, and supporting the Dayton Public Schools. They also educated residents regarding homeless issues.

Housing – Activities relate to holding the City more responsible for housing inspection results, education of property owners regarding their responsibilities and resources available to them, and advocacy for neighborhood cleanliness and maintenance of infrastructure, and responsible placement of homeless shelters.

Public Works - Activities relate to trash pickup, alley sweeps, traffic control issues, street repairs, RTA issues, advocating for an equitable distribution of revenues to SE public works projects, and coordinating issues related to medical services and providers such as expansion plans for MVH.

Financial Committee - Activities relate to researching and soliciting of grant monies for priority board projects and oversight of board expenditures and purchases for such projects. This group will work closely with the Treasurer who and the Coordinator.

This is one more tool that has been created by our Priority Board to allow members of the general public to have an influence on “Quality of Life” issues within our neighborhoods. The Priority Boards establish citizen participation in local government. These committees permit anyone in southeast Dayton to influence the Priority Board membership. For details or to join a committee, contact Ken Marcellus at 333-7381.

Winter Raffle

Tickets are $1 or six for $5.

Available from any of the officers or committee chairpersons listed on the front of this newsletter.

Prize is a Compaq Presario Notebook Laptop computer. This thing is slick! It has the following;

*Intel Celeron M processor 420 with 533MHz front side bus, 1MB l2 cache and 1.6GHz processor speed
*512MB DDR2 memory for multitasking power, expandable to 2GB
*80GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400rpm)
*DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive
*15.4” WXGA wide screen high-definition display and 1280 x 800 resolution
*Built in high speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g); 10/1000Base-T Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector;56 Kbps high-speed modem
*Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with up to 128MB shared video memory
*2 High-speed USB 2.0 ports for fast digital video, audio and data transfer
*Weighs 6.4 lbs and measures 1.8” thin for portable power

Comes with Microsoft works, Microsoft Money, Windows Media Player, Sonic Digital Media Plus, Adobe Acrobat Reader,Real Rhapsody and more.

Historic South Park to Hold Holiday Home Tour

Release Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2006

The Historic South Park neighborhood will hold its semi-annual Holiday Home Tour this Saturday, December 2, from 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. A dozen historic homes will be lavishly decorated inside and out for the holidays. The RTA Wright Flyer Trolley will traverse the route, providing a narrated tour of the neighborhood, carolers and other musicians will provide entertainment along the way. Participants can also enjoy a delicious holiday dessert buffet and browse the neighborhood antique shop. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased from www.historicsouthpark.org or by calling 228-3501. On the day of the tour, tickets are $15, and may be purchased at Hope Lutheran Church, 500 Hickory Street (the starting point of the tour). Come and see city of Dayton living at its finest!

City of Dayton Initiates Unprecedented
Downtown Redevelopment Project
$230 Million Effort Features Housing, Retail, Commercial and Entertainment

Release Date: Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Contact: Shelley Dickstein, Special Projects Administrator, 333-3600

The Dayton City Commission today announced one of the largest redevelopment efforts ever undertaken in this region – a $230 million project that would create a mixture of housing, retail, commercial and entertainment venues along Dayton’s downtown waterfront.

At tonight’s Commission Meeting, the City Commission adopted a Preliminary Development Agreement with two development partners, one of which is the lead principal of the Dayton Dragons baseball team – Mandalay Baseball Properties, LLC.

The development agreement was approved between the City of Dayton, Bear Creek Capital, LLC, and Ballpark Consultants, LLC (Mandalay). A preliminary site plan submitted by the developers calls for the creation of a dynamic mixed-use development, including a retail-entertainment center, modern residential units, and a mixed commercial-retail center.

The estimated total project investment is $230 million, with approximately $197 million for development activity and the remainder for utility and infrastructure improvements. The use of any City of Dayton General Fund tax dollars are expected to be minimal.

Other partners engaged in this initiative include the Downtown Dayton Partnership, CityWide Development Corporation, Montgomery County and the Miami Conservancy District.

Under terms of the agreement, the parties will pursue a three-pronged redevelopment of land along the Great Miami River in the northeast quadrant of downtown. The three specific parcels of property are defined as the following:

· Parkside Site, 37 acres of land currently owned by the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority. This site will be redeveloped as a retail center featuring “big-box” anchor stores. Projected investment: $40 million.
· Deeds Point Site, 12 acres of land owned by the City of Dayton and operated as park space. This property is intended to be developed as high-density, multi-family residential units, including condominiums and/or apartment complexes. Projected investment: $77 million.
· Webster Station Site, 23 acres of land adjacent to Fifth Third Field and currently comprised of mixed uses. This area will be developed as a mixed-use entertainment, retail, office and residential project, including restaurants and off-street parking facilities. Projected investment: $80 million.

“This is absolutely fantastic news,” Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin said on behalf of the City Commission. “This project has the potential to transform the downtown landscape to a degree few people have thought possible. The combination of housing, retail, commercial and entertainment venues along the beautiful waterfront presents a host of opportunities for residents of Dayton and the surrounding region.”

“We are especially excited about once again partnering with Mandalay on a major downtown revitalization project,” said Rashad Young, Interim City Manager. “Mandalay first had the vision and courage to invest in Dayton when they decided to bring the Dayton Dragons to town, and that investment has certainly paid off. We are confident that this latest redevelopment partnership will enjoy the same level of success.”

Based on the preliminary development agreement, the City of Dayton and the Developer will, over a six-month period, conduct various undertakings, including site assembly, economic feasibility studies, etc.

“Nothing of this magnitude has been attempted before in this region,” Mayor McLin said. “However, the developers on this project are proven professionals with the experience to complete such a large-scale, high-impact development. They each boast a track record of performance and building strong relationships within the communities where they work. We are excited about the credentials and the portfolio of successes they bring to the table, and we share the vision for what downtown Dayton can become.”

Ballpark Consultants, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mandalay Baseball Properties, is known for constructing new state-of-the-art ballparks for its baseball franchises, as well as spearheading development of real estate in and around communities where those stadiums are located.

Bear Creek Capital is a Cincinnati-based real estate firm, which has been highly successful in developing residential, retail, office and mixed-use properties across the nation, with specific experience in redeveloping several urban communities. The company has approximately 10 million square feet of real estate assets.

Architectural work on the project will be performed by the Development Design Group, an international design group with a history of achievement and successful waterfront renewal projects.

City of Dayton Seeks Community Input on Kroger Site Proposal

Release Date: Friday, November 10, 2006
Contact: Gwen Eberly, Acting Economic Development Director, 333-3805
Keith Klein, Senior Development Specialist, 333-3812

The City of Dayton Office of Economic Development has tentatively selected Midland Atlantic Development as the preferred developer for the proposed 12-acre site located at the corner of Wayne Avenue and Wyoming Street. The proposed site plan will be presented for community input at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 13 at the Southeast Priority Board, located at 2160 E. Fifth Street. A representative of Midland Atlantic will make a brief presentation on the proposal at that time. The public is encouraged to attend and comment on the site plan.

Midland Atlantic Development submitted a proposal in partnership with the Kroger Company. The proposal calls for a 76,000-sq.-ft. grocery store with a gas station and two additional 10,000-sq.-ft. retail buildings. City of Dayton Economic Development staff will negotiate a development agreement with Midland Atlantic to finalize the terms of the Wayne and Wyoming project. These discussions will include establishment of a site plan for the project. City staff expect the proposal to be formally presented to the Dayton City Commission for approval early next year.

Midland Atlantic has constructed more than four million square feet of space throughout the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, which includes an impressive list of successful retail developments. Their projects have included large mixed-use projects, power centers, neighborhood retail, and free-standing build-to-suit developments.

The project is based on the City of Dayton’s 1999 long-range plan, CitiPlan 20/20. The plan calls for concentrating commercial activity at strategic locations, known as clusters or nodes, in order to increase economic benefits to the community. The City hopes to build upon other successes in the area, including new Family Video and Family Dollar stores, CoCo’s restaurant, and the University of Dayton expansion.

For further information, contact Keith Klein, Senior Development Specialist, at 333-3812. Media inquiries should be directed to Gwen Eberly, Acting Economic Development Director, at 333-3805.

Special Investment Districts

PLEASE READ THIS

I am looking into the details of establishing Walnut Hills as a “Special Investment District” or a “Community Investment District” after reading an article on page 180 of the October edition of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. From what I can tell, no one has attempted to establish a residential investment district in Dayton and possibly in Ohio. Downtown Dayton and Canton have Business Investment Districts and the Dayton one is affiliated with the Downtown Dayton Partnership.
Effectively, we agree to impose a special tax on ourselves. I am thinking along the lines of $50 per structure per year. The money is collected by the county as part of your real estate tax bill and put into its own separate fund. The money can ONLY be spent in Walnut Hills for the Walnut Hills community. It can be used to support the park, improve sidewalks and alleys and even for festivals within the neighborhood. I would like to find out if the money can be used to increase police presence and to demolish vacant nuisance structures. Although the city or county has custody of the funds, they do not decide how it is spent or who gets it. The residents have that authority through a board of trustees.
In order for the tax to take effect, a petition must be signed by 60% of the property owners within the proposed district agreeing to the tax. The tax is in effect for 5 years and to renew it the petition process must be repeated.
I don't have all the details yet and I am trying to get copies of the Downtown Dayton paperwork to use as a model. If we run with this concept it will still take two years before anything happens because real estate taxes are collected one year in arrears and it will take a few months to get the petition and paperwork finalized. Realize this, though, if there are 2000 structures in the neighborhood the tax would raise $100,000 that can only be spent in Walnut Hills. If you have attended the neighborhood meetings in the last few months then you would have heard me say on several occasions that the time has come where we have to take care of ourselves. The city does not have the money to support the services that they should provide and Walnut Hills is nowhere on their radar screen. Although it will cost all of us, this is one tool that we can use to make our neighborhood the best one in Dayton to live in. If we don't use it then we are paying a higher price individually through crime, vandalism and reduced property values. I would rather attempt this and fail, then not attempt it at all. We can blaze a trail for other neighborhoods to follow.

Neighborhood Cookbook Idea

We are considering putting a neighborhood cookbook together as a fund raising vehicle for next year. Besides recipes it will be filled with the old trivia captions from the newsletters and possibly old photos taken in the neighborhood. If you would like to contribute your favorite recipe or have additional ideas for this project, contact Chad Snoke at 258-2392.

Wayne and Wyoming Development Meeting

There will be a public meeting on Monday November 13th at 6 pm at the Southeast Dayton Priority Board Offices located at 2160 East Fifth Street to discuss the proposed development of the new Kroger store in Twin Towers neighborhood. A representative from Midland Atlantic Development will be present to answer questions.

Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

The "Free" Thanksgiving Dinner is open to residents of Walnut Hills and will be on Tuesday, November 21st from 6:30-8:30 PM. We are planning a great evening of food and getting our community together at this special time of year. Home delivered meals are available for the elderly and physically disabled of the Walnut Hills Area. Requests but must be received by Sunday, November 19th. If you would like to volunteer, make a donation or arrange for a meal to be delivered please call 254-7522.

Rock KidsChurch is a part of Church On the Rock located at 321 Edgar Ave., between Wayne and Wyoming Ave.

Computer Raffle

This year’s raffle will be for a personal computer. We are looking at the availability of different systems. Once purchased, a full description will be included in the December newsletter. The computer system should be valued somewhere in the region of $450 - $500. The tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5 and are available from the Association officers listed and the committee chairpersons. The drawing is scheduled to be held on Monday, January 8th, 2007 at the neighborhood meeting.

Neighborhood Presentation

The University of Dayton offers a course in community leadership and Walnut Hills was chosen as their project neighborhood this year. On Wednesday October 11th the students will make a presentation of their work so far and I'm sure they would like many people to attend. The presentation will be made at 10 Wilmington Place at 6:30 PM and should be over by 8:00 PM. I don't know what they have in store for us but it could be informative.

Reminder!

Daylight Savings Time ends on October 29th. You need to set your clocks back one hour and change the batteries in your smoke alarm.

Adopt-an-Area

We participate in this program which involves collecting trash and debris along Wyoming Ave at Highland Park to Wayne Ave. This will take place on Saturday October 14th. Volunteers should meet at Highland Park (Wyoming and Steve Whalen Blvd.) at 11:00 AM. Children are welcome but need a parent or guardian present. If we have enough people we will pick up the trash on Wayne Ave as well. The Pizza Factory will be providing pizza for participants at the end of the route. This is a fun event. Come and meet some of your neighbors!
To volunteer, call Mike Schommer at 256-2516

Credit where it is due

This year we have managed to do quite alot as a neighborhood association but it wouldn’t be possible without the help of the people who volunteer their time. Besides the people named on the front of this newsletter as officers of the Walnut Hills Association, the list below includes those people who helped with the Wyoming Theater project, the Alley sweep and the organization of the Yard Sale this year. In many cases these same people have been involved in all the projects. I may have missed a few but here it goes;

Josh and Krissy Mayes, Ben and Sarah Abernethy, Mike Baker, Mary Lou Fricke, Gayle Goree, Laura Bonnorra, David Sparks, Gail Dafler, Bob Snider, Mario Gallin, Mitch Kearns, Mike Schommer, Robert Lipps, Sunshine Stevens, Everett Miller, Eric and Jenny Coleman, Deborah Cool-Llorens and Marjorie Vaudnais

Besides these people Barb Eckley and Judy Mangus have been instrumental in getting newsletters out to the 40 or so people who distribute them to your door.

If there is anyone interested in producing this newsletter each month, call Gary 253-1359

Health Fair

The Southeast Dayton Priority Board located at 2160 E. Fifth Street, is hosting a Health Fair on Friday October 20th between 1 PM and 3 PM. There will be approx. 100 Flu shots available on a first come, first served basis for people over 18 years old. Information will also be available for Medicare Part D , Red Cross, Disaster preparedness and Family Services.

Yard Sale Follow up

The yard sale was a huge success. There were 65 households signed up for the event and another 20 or so that jumped in at the last minute. We had people visiting from as far away as Cleveland to the check out the sales. We learned a great deal from the event. Those streets with the greatest number of participants were teaming with activity while those with one or two locations saw less traffic. We also discovered who wasn’t receiving this newsletter! The ultimate success was having people walking around the neighborhood. Whether they were residents or visitors they got to see what kind of neighborhood we all live in! We plan on doing this again next year. Some have suggested doing it in the spring. If you want to be involved in the organization of this event, come to the fund raising meeting now held on the last Thursday of every month at the East Branch Library on Wyoming Ave at 6:30 PM. Otherwise you will have to read about it here!

Neighborhood Yard Sale Plans

CLICK HERE to see the current map and official list of participating residents. This will be updated every few days as more locations are added.
Otherwise this will be the last notification that you will get before the scheduled day, which is still September 9th, 2006. If you wish to be identified as a yard/garage sale location on the handout map and benefit from association advertising of the event, then you need to contact the following people this week and submit your name and address. Residents living west of Illinois should contact Gail on her cell phone at 423-0422, while those between Pursell and Indiana Avenue should call Sarah at 252-2210. The fee is $5.00 payable to Walnut Hills Association and will be used to offset costs of promoting the event. Don't wait until the last minute to call. When we know who the participants are, then some balloons or banners can be left at each participating location for identification purposes on the big day. Remember anyone can have his or her own sale on this day but we won't know who you are and therefore can't help you with promotion. The idea is to make this an annual event so it is very important that it is successful this year!
Any business owners should consider doing sidewalk sales on this day and it may be a good day to have an open house. An information station is planned in the parking lot of Family Video on Wayne Ave. They should be having a sidewalk sale on that day.
It would be great if we could advertise over 100 locations! If you don't want to hold a sale and you want to donate items to be sold at the planned information locations, call Chad at 258-2392. Check www.walnuthills.blogspot.com for additional details.