A community of neighborhoods,
A great place to call home.
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Springfield Township Newsletter
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December 2009
Volume 1, Issue 8
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Dear ,
 Our warmest wishes to you and your family for safe and happy holidays!
Sincerely,
Your Trustees -
Joseph Honerlaw, Gwen McFarlin and Tom Bryan
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What You Need To Know About Snow Emergencies In Springfield Township
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A snow emergency is a situation where all vehicles need to be removed from the roadway in order to plow away the excessive amounts of snow. Snow Emergency signs are posted at the entrance to all Springfield Township subdivisions. The Township declares a Snow Emergency, when 3 inches of snow have accumulated on the pavement. The Snow Emergency is declared through the use of the major radio and television stations in our community and in some cases, you may receive a phone recording from the Township's Code Red system. When a Snow Emergency has been declared, you have two hours to remove your vehicle from the street. This aids us in our snowplowing efforts in several ways. It helps us do a better job and prevents your vehicle from being "snowed in" by the snow that rolls off the edge of the plow as it goes down your street. Vehicles that are not removed are subject to a possible citation by the Police Department.
 Watch a video on the Township Snow Plow procedures now.
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Winter Entertainment Series
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With the help of local businesses and community volunteers, Springfield Township is pleased to present two new free events for families this winter!
Join us on Friday, January 8th for a performance with Grammy nominated children's songwriter and performer, Zak Morgan! Zak has released two children's CD's, Bloom and When Bullfrogs Croak and recently debuted a DVD called Zakland. His music encourages reading, writing, science and the love of learning. The concert kicks off at 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)Zak will have the kids up clapping and moving to his fun-filled tunes throughout the evening. After the concert, stay for a craft and a snack. No registration required.
A second free family show featuring Madcap Puppet's Aesop's Fables will be held on Friday, February 5th at 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.) In Madcap's production, Aesop is an old man recalling three of his best-loved stories re-told by a cast of puppets - and you! Stories include: The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Lion and the Mouse and The Hare and the Tortoise.
Both shows are made possible through a community programing grant with Target. Each show will be held at the Springfield Township Grove Banquet Hall, 9158 Winton Road. For more information, call 522-1410.
For more information on the Winter Entertainment Series, Click Here.
For more information on Zak Morgan, Click here.
For more information on Madcap Puppets, click here.
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Budget Shortfalls
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Springfield Township Trustees will be faced with some extremely tough decisions as they enter into the 2010 budget. The down economy has hit everyone hard and local governments are no exception. In just the past two years, Springfield Township has experienced a decline in the General Fund by over 2.4 million dollars. Overall expenditures have continuously decreased over the past few years, however the revenue the Township receives from the collection of taxes, continues to decline. This downward trend is due to an unprecedented decrease in revenue from the Local Government Fund and in the Estate Tax.
One of the major sources of funding for the Township's General Fund comes from Ohio's Local Government Fund. The Local Government Fund is comprised of a variety of taxes and fees collected by the State of Ohio and allocated back to the 88 counties and distributed to the local governments. This revenue coming to the Township's General Fund pays for services such as, as parks & recreation, catch basin and road repairs, streetlights, property maintenance inspections, administration and many other services used by Township residents. In 2007, Springfield Township received $703,867 from the Local Government Fund. In the wake of budget pressures and declining tax revenues collected at the state level, the revenue received from this fund by the Township was only $576,884 in 2009. Due to the current financial crisis facing the State, there is no guarantee for continuance of this revenue source.
The Estate Tax is a tax based on the value of the property of a deceased person. This income for any community is an unpredictable and varies from year to year. In 2007, the Township received $2,245,687 in Estate Tax. In 2009 that amount has come in at only $500,000 - a fifteen-year low for Springfield Township.
The Township Trustees continually monitor the changing revenue stream into the General Fund and carefully consider budget expenditures within the declining revenues. The task is to best serve residents while carrying out the services required by the Ohio Revised Code, which regulates Ohio governmental entities.
Township Administrator Michael Hinnenkamp has proposed several recommendations for increasing revenue while continuing to decrease expenses. These recommendations have been reviewed by the Board of Trustees and will be formally considered during the Board's Annual Organizational meeting on December 28th at 4:30 p.m. The Board will also conduct a Public Hearing on the 2010 Budget at 5:30 p.m. on January 12, prior to the regularly scheduled Board meeting. The budget will also be discussed in detail as part of the Sate of the Township Address on February 28 at 2:30 p.m. The permanent Appropriations must be finalized in March.
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Springfield Township Police Department Presents
"Choose Courage Not Fear"
Self Defense Seminar
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"Protecting Yourself From
Identity Theft"
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Choose
Courage, Not Fear - Self Defense
February 3, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Class will be held at the Grove Banquet Hall - 9158 Winton Road
FREE!
Arm yourself with courage and information needed to
fend off an attacker if ever necessary. "Choose Courage, Not Fear" - Self-Defense is
a valuable tool to protect those involved in a possible attack. With a delicate
blend of intensity and humor this alternative self-defense message is a life
altering, fast-paced, healing and fun. Debbie and Mike Gardner will be
your keynote speakers. Fasten your emotional seatbelts as the Gardner's
electrify you with new, updated safety information that will teach you how to
be COURAGEOUS and if necessary, DANGEROUS on command. Register by e-mailing the
names of the class participants to Dschaefer@springfieldtwp.org. For more information call 729-0003 ext. 4292. For more information on Debbie & Mike Gardner's class, click here.
Protecting
Yourself From Identity Theft
April 21, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Taught
by the Springfield Township Police Department
- 1130 Compton Road
FREE!
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as
nine million Americans have their identity stolen each year. In fact, you or
someone you know may have experienced some form of identity theft. Identity
theft is serious. While some identity theft victims can resolve their problems
quickly, others spend hundreds of dollars and many days repairing damage to
their good name and credit record. Seminar participants will learn how to
detect suspicious activity, deter identity thieves by safeguarding their
information and defend theft as soon as it is suspected. Registration is not necessary. For more
information call Dave Schaefer at 729-0003 ext. 4292 or register with your name and phone number to Dschaefer@springfieldtwp.org.
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Springfield Township Citizen Police Academy
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January 11 - March 22 (Mondays), 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Springfield Township Police Department - - 1130 Compton Road
The Springfield Township
Police Department will be holding the next Citizens Police Academy classes on Monday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30
p.m. beginning January 11. The classes are ten weeks long and are open to
residents of Springfield Township with limited registration. Participants will
have the opportunity to learn about patrol functions, domestic violence, K-9
operations and investigation practices. Graduates will have opportunities for
additional training and can become a member of the Citizens on Patrol. An
application is available online at www.springfieldtwp.org.
For additional information, call Lt. Rick Bley at 729-1300.
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Neighborhood Master Plan Update
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Many residents and business owners attended their initial neighborhood master plan meeting during the months of September and October. These meetings provided participants with a snapshot of the neighborhood trends, statistics and potential development opportunities within a specific geographical location. The meetings also revealed common issues that the Township will address, as well as individual neighborhood goals for the future.
Participants were asked if they would like to be considered as a steering committee member. Steering committee members will participate in some of the decision making processes that will eventually be presented in the form of a custom master plan for Springfield Township. (If you would like to be considered as a steering committee member, submit a letter of interest via e-mail to kflamm@springfieldtwp.org.)
During the month of December, Springfield Township Trustees will be looking through all of the interested applications to select a steering committee for each neighborhood district. Those members would then represent the neighborhood and serve as a resource to pass along the information in their specific district. The selection process should be complete near the end of December and the members will be formerly asked to serve on the committee in January. The commitment will include several Township orientation meetings and then a series of follow-up sessions throughout 2010.
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The Daddy Daughter Dance
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Register now for the Daddy Daughter Dance! This event will definitely sell out fast!!
Register by credit card by calling 522-1410 or print the registration sheet and mail it to 9150 Winton Road, 45231.
Click Here For Details!
Click Here For Details About the Upcoming Mom Prom!
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Nominate an Area to Clean Up In Springfield Township
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The 2010 Keep Cincinnati Beautiful Event Will Take Place on
April 25th
Every year Springfield Township participates in the regional Keep Cincinnati Beautiful cleanup event. Last year, over 80 volunteers gathered in April to clear litter from our streets, tires from our creeks and trash from our neighborhood parks. Through the neighborhood meetings, we heard loud and clear that
residents have the desire to do whatever it takes to clean up our
neighborhoods. With that - our goal this year is to double our cleanup efforts! This massive task cannot be done alone and we are now asking for your help to make Springfield Township a beautiful place to call home.
How can you help?
1) Nominate an area that you want to see cleaned up - an area that would make a big impact on the entire community or your neighborhood.
2) Commit to participate as a Project Leader for your neighborhood. A Project Leader would recruit volunteers and would meet regularly with other Project Leaders to maximize this year's clean-up efforts. Meetings will begin in February.
3) Register yourself, your church, girl scout or brownie troop, business, school, friends and/or neighbors to volunteer on April 25th.
Call Kim at 522-1410 or email your suggestions/registration to kflamm@springfieldtwp.org.
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State of the Township Meeting Planned
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Mark your calendars:
A State of the Township meeting will be held on February 28, 2010 at the Grove Banquet Hall, 9158 Winton Road. Registration will begin at 1:45 p.m. The meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m. More details, including an agenda of this meeting will be available in the January and February e-news.
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A Message From MSD
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MSD Launches Project Groundwork
The Metropolitan Sewer District has officially launched its Project Groundwork campaign to
educate Hamilton County residents about its multi-billion dollar and
multi-year initiative to control sewage overflows into local creeks and
rivers during wet weather.
Project Groundwork, one of the largest public works projects
in the history of this community, is comprised of hundreds of sewer
improvement and storm water control projects across our area.
The projects are designed to:
· Reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into local rivers and streams;
· Eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) in a typical year;
· Eliminate sewage backups into basements caused by MSD's sewer system;
· Reduce sewage debris and sewage odors in local waterways and make streams more pleasant after heavy rains.
For more information about Project Groundwork, please visit www.projectgroundwork.org.
Construction Projects In Your Neighborhood
Want to know what MSD is doing in your neighborhood?
To learn more about sewer construction projects in your community, please visit the new Project Groundwork website (www.projectgroundwork.org/projects) where we are listing all construction projects currently in construction and those that will be in construction before the end of 2009. The projects are categorized by Hamilton County municipality and township. Within the City of Cincinnati, they are categorized by neighborhood.
Please check back every three months for new projects and updates.
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Greeting Card Classes
at the Senior Center
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Discover the joy of making and sharing handcrafted greeting cards during a series of special workshops at the Senior/Community Center. Classes will be held on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cost for each class is $10 for Springfield Township residents and $15 for non-residents.
This Technique Toolbox™ workshop will be led by Mary Ann Mayers. She'll introduce three rubber stamping techniques at each meeting, and attendees will make three cards featuring those techniques. Each one-and-a-half hour class is packed with instruction, inspiration and fun, and all supplies for the cards.
Each month's class will feature a different theme:
January 12th - birthdays
February 9th - Valentine/anniversary
March 9th - spring holidays
April 13th - engagement/wedding; May 11th - Mother's/Father's Day; June 8th - brides; July 13th - babies; August 10th - kids; September 14th - all occasion; October 12th - Halloween; November 9th - Thanksgiving; December 14th - holiday.
To register, contact Senior/Community Services Director Thom Schneider at 522-1154 or at tschneider@springfieldtwp.org; full payment will be required to confirm registration.
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Write your Personal History
A class to learn how to tell YOUR story at the Senior/Community Center
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Mary Ann Meyers will be once again offering her Personal History Writing class for those 55 and better at the Senior/Community Center. Love and loss, hard work and fun, choices and challenges, heroes and villains, mistakes and lessons - your life has all of these elements. It is an amazing story, and you are the best one to tell it! This four-part workshop will help you chronicle several stories and build the momentum to continue saving and sharing stories with family and friends.
The Personal History Writing Workshop will be held on Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on January 20th & 27th and February 3rd & 10th. Cost for the series is $20 for Senior Center Members and $30 for non-members. Those choosing to purchase a center membership at the time of registration will have the non-member fee waived. Participants will need a 3-ring binder and pen for each class.
A minimum of 10 participants will be required to conduct the class and registrations will be accepted up to January 18th; full payment is required at registration. To register, contact Thom at the center or email him at tschneider@springfieldtwp.org.
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Join Us!
Springfield Township is on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube!
(Click on any link to join that group)
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H1N1 Vaccination Announcement
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H1N1 VACCINE AVAILABLE AT SITES ACROSS
HAMILTON COUNTY
HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO- Hamilton County Public Health is working with local communities to provide free H1N1 vaccine to anyone interested. For the last few years, Hamilton County Public Health has been working with local cities, villages and townships to develop a plan that would utilize familiar local places at Points of Dispensing should the need for mass medication or vaccine distribution arise during a public health emergency. By utilizing several Points of Dispensing, called PODs, travel and wait time will be minimal.
Individuals should pre-register on the following Web site https://h1n1vaccine.odh.ohio.gov and also complete the medical questionnaire at www.hamiltoncountyhealth.org for easy registration at the clinic.
The following locations will administer free H1N1 vaccine to the general public:
Monday, December 21
Time: 3:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Sycamore High School, 7400 Cornell Road 45242
Must have appointment. To receive appointment: Send an e-mail to montgomerypod@hamilton-co.org.Include the clinic date in the subject line of the e-mail. Also include the name and age* of anyone being vaccinated in the e-mail message.
Monday, December 21
Time: 4 - 9 p.m.
Location: The Anderson Center 7850 Five Mile Road 45230
Must have appointment. To receive appointment: Send and e-mail to andersonpod@hamilton-co.org.
. Include the clinic date in the subject line of the e-mail. Also include the name and age* of anyone being vaccinated in the e-mail message.
Monday, December 21
Time: 4 - 9 p.m.
Location: Oak Hills High School, 3200 Ebenezer Road 45248
Must have appointment. To receive appointment: Send an e-mail to greenpod@hamilton-co.org. Include the clinic date in the subject line of the e-mail. Also include the name and age* of anyone being vaccinated in the e-mail message.
Monday, December 21
Time: 3 - 9 p.m.
Location: Harrison Activity Center 9999 West Road 45030
Must have appointment. To receive appointment: Send an e-mail to harrisonpod@hamilton-co.org.Include the clinic date in the subject line of the e-mail. Also include the name and age* of anyone being vaccinated in the e-mail message.
Children nine and younger should receive two doses of H1N1 flu vaccine - separated by four weeks - in order to achieve optimal protection. *If you are requesting a second dose for your child 9 or younger, also indicate the date of the child's first H1N1 vaccination.
H1N1 vaccine is available in two forms - injectable and nasal spray. The injectable is a killed virus and is appropriate for most people to receive. The nasal spray (FluMist) is a live, but weakened virus vaccine and only available for healthy people 2 - 49 who are not pregnant. Both types of vaccine are used yearly to prevent seasonal flu and are very safe. Medical dispensing staff screens individuals in order to provide the appropriate form of vaccine.
In addition to being vaccinated, everyone can help stop the spread of illness by washing hands thoroughly and often; covering mouths when sneezing or coughing; and staying home from work or school if sick. |
Make 2010 Count!
The Importance of the Upcoming Census
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Why fill out the census form?
Every household
in the country will receive a questionnaire in 2010. To ensure an accurate and
fair count of all populations at all geographic levels in the nation, the
Census Bureau needs you or someone in your household to respond to the census
questionnaire.
It's important. - Census data affect funding for
your community, your community's representation in Congress and your
community leader's planning decisions. More info.It's easy. The census questionnaire takes
only a few minutes to answer and return by mail.
It's confidential. Your responses are protected by
law (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9). All Census Bureau employees have
taken an oath to protect confidentiality and are subject to a jail term, a
fine - or both - for disclosing any information that could identify a
respondent or household. More info on privacy
It's required by law. The information you provide is
combined with responses provided by your neighbors and other households
across the country, to provide statistical data that is used by
various local, state and federal agencies.
It's important-
Census data affects funding in your
community
Census data directly affects how more than $300 billion per year in federal
and state funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood
improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more.
That's more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period. Spending just a few
minutes to fill out your census form will help ensure your community gets
its fair share of federal and state funding.
Census data affects your representation
in state and local government
Census data is used to define legislature districts, school district
assignment areas and other important functional areas of government.
Census data informs your community's
decisions
The census is like a snapshot that helps define who we are as a nation.
Data about changes in your community is crucial to many planning
decisions, such as where to provide services for the elderly, where to
build new roads and schools, or where to locate job training centers.
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School News
Something to be Proud Of!
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Springfield Township would like to congratulate its local schools for their recent accomplishments:
FINNEYTOWN:
· Congratulations to the Finneytown High School Chorale. They will be
featured on the WCET Cincinnati High Notes program to air December 20
and December 24.
· Congratulations and best wishes to Superintendent Randy Parsons
who will retire in December after 35 years of service to public
education.
· Congratulations to Tim Ovia, Danielle Chatman, and Rachel
Sauer for being selected to perform with some pretty amazing ensembles! Tim has been selected for the second year in a row to perform with
the OMEA All-State Choir, while Danielle joins him in her first year
with the ensemble. Both students will represent Finneytown alongside
students from across the state of Ohio at the OMEA Professional
Development Conference being held in Cincinnati January 28-30, 2010.
· Congratulations to Men's Varsity Assistant Soccer Coach on being
named Boy's Assistant Coach of the Year for Division II by the Ohio
Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association.
· Congratulations to Junior Zack Stump who made the All-State Orchestra. Each year, the
top three players in the clarinet section are placed in the All-State
Orchestra. This year, Zack is one of the top three clarinetists in the
state of Ohio.
MT. HEALTHY:
Congratulations to Lana Gerber, a math teacher at Mt. Healthy Junior
High School who received the Southwest Region Ohio Council of Teacher's
of Mathematics Teacher of the Year award!
Congratulations to
Board member Carole Ellis who was presented with the Ohio School Board
Association's Veteran Board Member Award at the association's 54th
Capital Conference Nov. 11 in Columbus, Ohio!
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Mt. Healthy City Schools, in partnership with the City of Mt. Healthy, will provide food and toys for nearly 128 families in the district. Staff and students districtwide donate food and toys to give 400 children a brighter holiday through an annual program called the Sharing Tree. Distributions take place in December at the Mt. Healthy Community Center.
NORTHWEST:
Congratulations to Preston Brown for earning 2nd Team All-State for Division II football season. For his career, Preston was All-FAVC three times, All-City and All-District two times. Preston is the first Northwest Football player since 1987 (Brian Townsend) to receive a Division I football scholarship.
Northwest High School was acknowledged as one of the top 30 High Schools in the Greater Cincinnati area for academic programs.
WINTON WOODS:
Congratulations to The Winton Woods Warriors football team- 2009 State Champs!!!
ST. VIVIAN:
· Congratulations to the students and staff of St. Vivian for a the GREAT Thanksgiving Collection!
· Congratulations to the fourth grade, two seventh grades, and the eighth grade teams that won the recent basketball tournament! Grades three and five were runners-up!
· Congratulations to third grader Amanda Hagedorn who won the annual Christmas Card Coloring Contest. Her depiction of the Manger Scene was created into a Christmas Card.
ST. XAVIER:
· Congratulations to St. Xavier students for their ongoing efforts to provide over 125,000 lbs of food
to feed about 450 Greater Cincinnati families, stock the shelves at more than a dozen local food pantries, as well as the food pantries in three Appalachian communities.
· Congratulations to the varsity bowling team - ranked #1 in the preseason poll and opened the season with a tri-match win against McNicholas and Dayton Carroll.
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Scratch & Win on Winton!
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Members of the Finneytown Business Network have an exciting promotion to encourage holiday shopping along Winton Road. Visit local retailers, shop, and receive a scratch-off card! Every card is a winner and five cards will reveal a much larger "gold-level" prize. The promotion going on now will run through January 31st - or while supplies last.
Participating businesses include:
Burke Hardware
Donatos Pizza
Dr. Jahnke, D.C.
Finneytown Skyline Chili
Godfather's Tavern & Grill
Hairline I
Hill Hear Better Audiology
LaRosa's Pizza
Lee Stults Electric
Meals To Go
Powel Crosley YMCA
Sibcy Cline
TMcClure Photography
Woody's Express Car Wash
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Upcoming Community Events
See event details and more events here
December 14
Winton Woods High School Orchestra Winter Concert
December 14
Our Lady of Grace Living Nativity
December 17
Holiday Choir and Orchestra Concert at 7:00 at North West High School
January 8
Winter Entertainment Series Featuring Zak Morgan
January 12
Trustee Meeting - Will include a public hearing on the 2010 budget - 5:30 p.m.
January 17
Finneytown Civic Association Meeting - Senior Center 7 p.m.
January 28
Pleasant Run Farms Civic Association Meeting
January 30
Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours at St. Xavier HS
February 5
Winter Entertainment Series Presents Madcap Puppets
February 20
Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance
February 28
State of the Township Address
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Pass it on!
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Many residents are not signed up to receive e-news from the Township. Pass this email along to your neighbors and encourage them to register for news and event updates.
If you are interested in volunteering for special events, let us know! Email your name, address, phone number and areas of interest.
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