Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Park Program and T-Ball in the Park

The Summer Park Program and the Co-ed T-Ball program start on Monday June 19th. The Park Program is 10:00AM to 2:00PM Monday through Friday and is open to any child who shows up.
The T-Ball Program is for age groups 4-5 years and 6-7 years. Teams will have a half hour of practice followed by a half hour of games. To sign up your child, call Theresa Wendell at 259-1898.
We still need some volunteers to help with both programs. Call Theresa if you wish to be a volunteer or if you would like to sponsor a craft or educational event that can be incorporated into this program. This is another thing we would like to get better each year!

Neighborhood Yard Sale Plans

This idea has been discussed and a date has been set for September 9th, 2006. We are still in the planning stages for this event and are willing to expand on it in future years to include open houses and garden tours but for now the concept for this is simple. Everyone is encouraged to have his or her own yard or garage sale. The Walnut Hills Association will publish an official map showing yard sale locations and publish this on a web page and distribute flyers through the libraries and any other means. We will also advertise the event. If you wish to be identified on the map, the fee is $5.00. This will offset the costs of maps and advertising.
The neighborhood will be divided into sections. The lower section from the Wayne/Wyoming triangle up to Illinois Ave has enough volunteers to organize and attend a starting/information station at the Family Video parking lot. If you live in this section and want to participate, call Gail at 253-9041.
We would like to expand this event to have another station at the Ohmer Park Church if possible but need 5 or 6 people to organize this section and attend the station. If you live between Indiana Ave and Pursell Ave and would like to participate or help, contact Sarah at 252-2210. We need two or three people to organize the section on the west side of Wayne Ave if people would like to participate in that area, call Gail at the number above.
If you don't want to have a yard sale, but would prefer to donate your items to the Association, you can. These items will be sold at the two stations and the proceeds will go towards the Walnut Hills Association. Any items that are not sold will be given to a local church or Goodwill after the event. If anyone would like to assist with the planning of this event call Gail at 253-9041 or Chad at 258-2392.

Summer Reading Program

The summer reading program kicks off with Family Pajama time on Tuesday June 6th at 6:30 PM. Events are; Tuesdays - Pajama time at 6:30 PM. Wednesdays - Toddler time at 9:30 AM, Story time at 10:30 AM. Thursdays - Crafts and games at 10:00 AM. This years theme is from "Giggle, Giggle, Quack" by Doreen Cronin. The Library is located at 2008 Wyoming Ave. Come and enjoy the fun!

Neighborhood Crime Deterrent Plans

Eric Jones made a presentation at the last meeting offering to establish a crime deterrent service for those areas of the neighborhood where he could gain adequate support from residents. He is willing to do nightly patrols to deter petty crime and illicit activity but cannot be a security service. His concept was a compensated form of neighborhood watch. If enough people on an individual street were willing to pay $5.00 a month ($60.00 year) and it were economically viable for him to establish this as a business then he could start later this year.
If every household in the neighborhood was willing to subscribe to such a service it would generate enough revenue that we could have more effective security and possibly better police response as a result. Certainly worth considering.
For details or information, call Eric at 673-8585.

4th July Picnic

Mark your calendars for Tuesday July 4th for our first Annual Picnic in the Park! We have notified the city that we would like to use the park on this day between noon and 6:00PM for a neighborhood picnic. So, if you plan to have company that day, just bring them up to the park and bring a covered dish or two! Since this hasn't been tried before there is no indication of how many people will attend. If it is anything like the Easter Egg hunt though, then we should be able to expect around 100 people. The plan is that the neighborhood association will provide some hamburgers and hot dogs but you may want to bring some of your own and a grill if you plan to arrive late. The idea is to make this event bigger and better each year.
If anyone would like to entertain the children with traditional games like bean-bag, egg and spoon or three-legged races for an hour or two feel free to bring along the items needed. We may be able to give some prizes to the winners!
This is an attempt to create an ongoing sense of community. The only difficulty we face is having a large enough grill to cook all the meat. If anyone can help or has any ideas, call Gary at 253-1359.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Amnesty Offered During Building Safety Week

Release Date: Monday, May 1, 2006
Contact: Bill Nelson, Director of Building Services, 333-3883

The City of Dayton will be joining other communities around the world in celebrating Building Safety Week from May 7-13.

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. The theme of this year’s Building Safety Week is “Building a Safer World Together”.

As part of the recognition, Dayton’s Department of Building Services, Division of Housing Inspection will offer amnesty to property owners who failed to register their rental structures within 90 days of ownership. The $50 fee per rental structure will be waived during Building Safety Week, May 7-13 only. All residential properties that are not owner-occupied are required to be registered with the City of Dayton’s Division of Housing Inspection. The rental registration forms are available in the Housing Inspection office and online at the City of Dayton’s web site at www.cityofdayton.org/one_stop/data/absenteeregisform.ps.pdf

“During Building Safety Week, I encourage the public to stop by our offices at the One Stop Center, 371 West Second Street 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,” Nelson said. “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 also registering non owner-occupied rental 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 built environment.”


“We encourage people to come in and inform our staff at the front desk that you are here to take advantage of the amnesty,” Nelson said.

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 registration questions, contact the Division of Housing Inspection at 333-3977.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Received from a resident;

Walnut Hills in the News of Yesteryear.

My name is Shawna Woodard and I work at the main downtown Dayton Metro Library in the newspaper, genealogy, and local history section. Since I live in Walnut Hills I thought it might be interesting to jot down some Walnut Hills addresses when I came across them in the newspaper. I am working on a long term project of indexing obituaries, so what I have found so far is from the obituaries.
Feel free to come down to the main library and search the city directories for your address. You can see who lived in your house from 1916 to 2006. If you want to, you can then see if we have an obituary on a past resident. Also available are Sanborn Fire Insurance maps for 1918 and 1950. You can see the basic outline of your house, what kind of roof it had, how many windows, and what other houses are on the street next to it. If you have more questions, you can reach me at work in the magazines department at 227-9551.

Newspaper Date Page Story

Dayton Journal 25 Feb 1947 14 Obituary, Mrs. Helen C. Geiger, 19 Virginia Ave

Dayton Daily News 17 Dec 1951 27 Obituary, Else Clara Strunk, 903 Wayne Ave

DDN 19 Dec 1951 47 Obituary, C. Monroe Watson, 74, 1524 Wyoming St.

DDN 23 Dec 1951 Sec 3 p 6 Obituary, Henry J. Heinz, 85, 1406 Wyoming St.

DDN 26 Dec 1951 19 Obituary, Adelbert Van Horn, 80, 1032 Wayne Ave

DDN 27 Dec 1951 15 Obituary, Mary DeEsther Sims, 56, 31 Illinois Ave

DDN 30 Dec 1951 Sec 3 p 5 Obituary, Lenore Carey Bailey, 45 Gunkel Ave

DDN 31 Dec 1951 9 Obituary, Mary A. Moses, 147 Medford Street

DDN 1 Feb 1952 40 Obituary, Frank H. Meier of 15 Illinois Ave

DDN 2 Feb 1952 2 Obituary, Earl Wilson, 79, of 473 Wyoming St

DDN 2 Feb 1952 2 Obituary, Frank H. Meier, 72, of 15 Illinois Ave

DDN 5 Jan 1952 8 Obituary, Mrs. Augusta Drake, 1303 Wayne Ave

DDN 16 Mar 1952 Sec 2 p 6 Obituary, Mrs. Edith Daniel of 129 Illinois Ave, Daughter of Union Veterans

DDN 16 Feb 1952 2 Obituary, Mortie Henning, 64 Virginia Ave

DDN 17 Feb 1952 15 Obituary, John Ortman, 336 Nassau St.

DDN 18 Feb 1952 15 Obituary, Mrs. May Blanche Logan, 334 Wayne Ave.

DDN 28 Mar 1952 20 Obituary, Carl Fischer, age 60, of 214 Illinois Ave

DDN 28 Mar 1952 35:6 Information on the estate of Matthew S. Riley, grocer, of 261 Virginia Avenue, died Feb. 21

DDN 29 Mar 1952 2 obituary, Mrs. Dora Erisman of 731 Wyoming St., member of Colorado Avenue Baptist Church

DDN 31 Mar 1952 24 Obituary, Katherine V. Gray of 261 Virginia Ave

DDN 25 May 1953 21 Obituary, Charles W. Smiley, 9 Illinois Ave

DDN 2 Dec 1954 49 Obituary, Richard Counts, 354 Wyoming St.

DDN 6 Dec 1954 24 Obituary, Laura Mannington, 1140 Wyoming St.

DDN 12 Nov 1973 40 Obituary, Sara Alice Owen, 88, of 1101 Tip Top Ave.

Volunteers for t-ball

Volunteers are needed to help run a T-ball league in Walnut Hills Park this summer. Volunteers are also needed for the daily program activities. Please call Theresa Wendell at 259-1898.

Parking in the street

Every couple of years we have to inform our residents that parking in the streets is not exclusive to a property owner. The street is public domain and as such, anyone can park their vehicle on the street provided that there are no contrary provisions such as "No Parking" or a reserved spot for a disabled resident. You should show common courtesy though and not park an immobile vehicle in front of a neighbor's property because you then permanently deprive them of the opportunity to park in front of their own home. An immobile vehicle with valid tags can be towed after a few days if you contact the housing inspection office. Unlicensed vehicles or ones with expired plates can be towed immediately by calling the police department. Most people won't contact the police or housing inspection until an "abandoned" vehicle becomes a problem or an eyesore. So, if you need a few days to work on your car, park it in front of your own house and to avoid any wrong impressions keep your tires inflated. Otherwise, in a week or two someone will call to have it towed away.

Adopt-An-Area Volunteers

Mike Schommer would like Walnut Hills to participate in the "Adopt-an-Area" program. He is looking for a few volunteers to help with litter pick up starting at Highland Park and extending down Wyoming Ave to The Pizza Factory on Wayne Ave where Free pizza will be provided to the volunteers. Planned date for this event is Saturday May 13th. For specific details call Mike at 256-2516.

Attention:

The East Dayton Vikings Football/Cheerleading
Will be having our first round of Sign-ups
When: 5/20/2006 1-4pm
Where: The Lohrey Center
These Sign-ups are for children entering 3rd, 4th 5th & 6th grades in the fall.
Cost: Is $75.00 per child due at registration time.

Contacts for Football:
Robert De Long 252-0311 (or leave a message)
Brian Cooper 259-0269 (or leave a message)
Lawrence “Buzz” Wallace 397-0603

Contacts for Cheerleading:
Cindy Shivadecker 902-2383
Nancy Cooper 259-0269 (or leave a message)

Grass and Yard Standards

As summer fast approaches, I have to ask you once again to play the role of a “good neighbor” by cutting the grass in the yards of vacant houses when it gets too long. If you lodge a complaint with the city, be aware that grass is mowed only in June and September. You are better off calling the housing inspector and asking them to write a ticket so the owner is fined. Have the inspector tell you when the ticket is issued, then cut the grass yourself. At least the owner will be held responsible for the monetary fine.
During the summer, the housing inspectors concentrate more on yard standards and will be looking for items such as:
* Indoor stuffed sofas on the porch (attract mice and cats like to spray them)
*Bushes growing in the right of ways or obstructing driving vision
*Motor vehicles on lawns or junked vehicles in yards
*Dog feces in yards that is not picked up regularly
Basically it is simple, be a considerate neighbor. If you don't offend others then they won't tell on you!

Monday, April 17, 2006

These cards were mailed out today...

YOU ARE INVITED TO A WAYNE/WILMINGTON/STEWART INTERSECTION REVIEW OPEN HOUSE
APRIL 26, 2006
5 - 7 P.M.
BELMONT HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA
2323 MAPLEVIEW AVE
There will be several proposals for modifications for the
Wayne/Wilmington/Stewart intersections on display.
These proposed plans were created from public input
solicited at a meeting held in February of this year.
Please attend, ask questions and voice your opinion.
For more information, please call the
Engineering Department at 333-3840

Monday, March 27, 2006

WALNUT HILLS ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT

WALNUT HILLS ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT
And BREAKFAST
Saturday April 15, 2006
WALNUT HILLS PARK
Breakfast served in the shelter from 10:30 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

Plans for Park Program

Exciting plans are definitely in the works for a 2006 Summer Park program. The details are being ironed out, but there should be daily activities Monday through Friday and lunches provided for the children. T-Ball may become a reality in our park. Also, we may try to initiate a weekly activity for those parents that home-school their children. However, we need volunteers to help out with the events. Volunteers will be thoroughly screened to ensure that our children are protected. If you are interested in volunteering with the activities at the park this summer, please call Theresa Wendell, the executive director for the YMCA Neighborhood Development Center at the East End Community Center at 259-1898 or email her at twendell@east-end.org

Meeting the Challenge

The Belmont Chili Cook Off was a success. There were around 40 people at the Lohrey Center to try the offerings. Including two city commissioners, one Mayor, one mayor's assistant and a former commissioner! There was plenty of chili to feed all. Of the 4 entries, three were from residents of Walnut Hills! Needless to say we placed 1st, 2nd and tied 3rd places. Maybe next year we should have a Walnut Hills Chili Cook Off and challenge Belmont!

Dayton Evaluating Urban Renewal Options for 12-Acre Site

As part of long-term community planning efforts, the City of Dayton is working to consolidate commercial nodes along the business corridors. One area identified as a concentration point is the Wayne Avenue and Wyoming Street intersection.

A recent study concluded that a 12.25-acre area near the Wayne and Wyoming intersection is blighted and has potential redevelopment value. As a result, City officials are moving forward with an urban renewal process that could lead to redeveloping the site for future commercial development.

Pierce Street, Wyoming Avenue, Hawker Street and Wayne Avenue generally bound the targeted area. It contains 86 parcels of property. According to the study, 44 percent of the buildings in the area show major deterioration or are substandard. Only 10 percent of the principal buildings in the study area were found to be sound.

To fully evaluate the redevelopment potential of the area, the City of Dayton intends to seek out interested developers and proposals. From there, an Urban Renewal Plan may be developed, and redevelopment plans will be shared with the community for feedback. The City Commission would ultimately be required to approve a formal Urban Renewal Plan. The entire process could take several months.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

What They Sold For!

Here is a list of last year's sheriff sale properties and what they sold for. This information is from the www.mctreas.org web site listing real estate tax information. If there is no deed transfer (NDT) on this web site and the owner has not re-negotiated the lien then it can be assumed that the bank has acquired the property and not changed the deed to avoid responsibility.

1420 Holly Ave. ($32,100) 317 Gunckel Ave. ($37,100)
1134 Arbor Ave (Fannie Mae) 1528-1530 Wyoming ($50,000)
31 Erie Ave. ($16,700) 1517-1519 Wyoming ($40,000)
137 Illinois Ave (NDT) 16 Gebhart St. ($32,000 by bank)
12 Virginia Ave (HUD) 1521-1523 Wyoming ($30,000)
15 Utah Ct (no sale) 1210 Arbor (NDT)
21 Anderson St. ($83,700) 1200 Wyoming ($26,000 by bank)
107 Edgar Ave (NDT) 243 Indiana Ave (NDT)
24 Edgar Ave ($30,000 by bank) 1101 Carlisle Ave(NDT)
1230 Highland Ave ($37,100) 2329 Wyoming (HUD)
1254 Phillips ($40,000) 405 Gunckel Ave ($29,000)
129 Heaton Ave ($30,000) 339 Illinois Ave (NDT)
1325 Arbor Ave, (NDT) 28 Lucerne (NDT)
1146 Carlisle Ave ($51,000 by bank) 1127 Highland Ave(HUD)
1039 Wyoming (VA) 340 Illinois Ave (NDT)
52 Illinois Ave (NDT) 19 Illinois Ave (NDT)
230 Edgar Ave (NDT) 1903 Alice $34,000 by bank)
1034 Walnut Hills Pl.($28,000 by bank) 238 Virginia Ave (Fannie Mae)
51 Missouri Ave ($47,844 by bank) 1808-1810 Wyoming ($61,000)
227 Illinois Ave (HUD) 29 Utah Ct. (NDT)
1314 Creighton Ave (NDT) 2310 Wayne Ave (NDT)
1127 Pritz Ave ($36,000 by bank) 1217 Creighton Ave ($40,100)

13 of the 44 properties (30%) have actually sold and most were to people who own several rental properties. Some reverted to HUD and the VA. The bad news is that 34% of the properties (those marked NDT) will most likely continue to sit vacant for some time.

Chili Cook Off

Belmont-Eastmont-Hearthstone Community Council is having a Chili Cook Off and has invited the Walnut Hills Association to participate. The cook-off will be on Monday, March 20 at 6:30 pm in the multipurpose room at the Lohrey Center located on Glenarm Road in Belmont. It is an open event to discover who makes the "Best" chili. You need to show up with your pot of chili and allow yourself to be judged. With some luck the Dayton Mayor and/or some commissioners will serve as judges, so go easy on the hot sauce!

State of the Community Address

Things are looking up for the Walnut Hills neighborhood. Last year we initiated a playgroup and it has grown from 2 adults and 2 children to 5 adults and 7 children meeting every week at the Colorado Ave Church during the winter and at the Walnut Hills Park in the summer. A network for home-schooling parents was started and will become better established over the course of the coming year. Lela Estes has initiated a 2006 summer parks program for children in our park by working with the Department of Recreations, Twin Towers neighborhood, the YMCA and the East End Community Center. We are also going to have our annual Easter egg hunt in April in conjunction with a breakfast provided by the neighborhood "Church on the Rock.” Plans are in motion to have a neighborhood picnic at the park on the 4th of July. We would like to be able to have movies in the park on weekend evenings in the summer. Members of the fund raising committee are attempting to put together an organized, annual neighborhood-scale yard sale event that may materialize in 2007 in conjunction with a neighborhood-scale open house/garden tour. Now that the ball is in motion, it would be nice if a few more people would step forward to help in these endeavors.