Wednesday, October 6, 2010

CLEAN-UP DAY IN NEW BOSTON A GREAT SUCCESS

A great thanks goes out to all who participated in this year's Clean-Up Day in New Boston.

The very successful day was Saturday, October 2, 2010. The weather was fantastic and it seemed everyone had a great time.

The Lawrence-Scioto Waste Management Board sponsored the event again this year, providing four huge dumpsters and volunteers from local businesses, the high school honor society, Daymar College and individual citizens took garbage sacks in hand and roamed throughout the village picking up trash.

A special thanks also goes to the Village Service Department. Trucks were available all day to go to various homes of elderly citizens to make pickups.

Pride in the community is what it is all about and once again Tiger Pride prevailed all through New Boston in the annual Clean-Up Day.

Again, my thanks to all.

Mike Payton
10-06-2010

Friday, September 17, 2010

NEW BOSTON SCHOOLS PREP SHOULD GO TO BID IN OCTOBER

According to reports from the New Boston School District, bids for the early site preparation work should go out in October for the new K-12 school building. The district expects to award the bid contract on November 12.

This project has been met with one frustration after another since 2008 when residents of New Boston voted to accept a tax levy to build the $21 million K-12 school building on Lakeview Avenue.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission has been putting obstacles in front of the district almost since the inception of the project involving site location, costs, and redesign of the building. It has caused what was hoped to be a opening for the 2011-12 school year to a projected opening in 2012-2013.

Early site preparation will prepare the land for construction. Jobs to initially be needed include tearing out the old Sun and Funland Pool, cutting down trees and removing a gas line from the property.

Before actual construction can begin, the architects first have to complete recent changes to the building plans which cut $2.9 million from the project and move the placement of the building. After that, building plans will need to be approved by the Ohio School Facilities Commission, the New Boston School District and the Village of New Boston.

Mike Payton
09-17-2010

Sunday, September 12, 2010

ABANDONED HOUSES CONCERN NEW BOSTON VILLAGE

New Boston is having a major issue with abandoned houses. As of now there are six abandoned properties on Stanton Avenue and others throughout the village. Most of these houses are easily entered as windows are broken, doors are either unlocked or dont have locks and grass and various varments are throughout the properties. Additionally, children are getting in and can easily be injured. We also have had situations where vagrants have been living in some of these dwellings.

Because of the condition of these houses, the New Boston Service Department is forced to cut grass and provide safety precautions at each. Not only does this create additional work for the service employees but these houses bring down the property values for surrounding properties.

Another major concern this coming winter is if vagrants get into these houses and try to build fires they could not only burn the houses up but other homes in the area as well.

The village has tried continuously to contact owners of these houses but many are out of state and just don't respond. There are bank mortgages on some and back taxes owed as well.

We are trying hard to work out a mechanism whereby some of these properties can be purchased by developers but that is taking some time. If you know of anyone interested in acquiring any of these properties, please contact me or Village Administrator Steve Hamilton at the New Boston Community Center.

Mike Payton
9-12-2010

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

NEW BOSTON'S KAYLA MCDANIEL CROWNED 2010 MISS RIVER DAYS QUEEN

With great pleasure I want to congratulate Glenwood High School's Kayla McDaniel on being crowned the 2010 Miss River Days Queen at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts on the campus of Shawnee State University.

At the September 7 meeting, New Boston Village Council unanimously voted a resolution of congratulations to Miss McDaniel on her accomplishment.

The entire New Boston community is extremely proud of Kayla. She represented her school, community and parents with pride and dignity.

I wish Kaya the best throughout her high school and college career.

Mike Payton
09-08-2010

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

CHALLENGER LEAGUE GOES TO ALL-STARS IN TOLEDO

Little League Baseball has created a division for children who suffer from physical and/or mental disabilities to experience the fun and fellowship of baseball, regardless of limitations.

In our immediate area, a Challenger League is played throughout the spring at the Wheelersburg Little League park. Children throughout Scioto County play in this league which is sanctioned under Little League Baseball in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Each year children from New Boston play in the league and have lifetime memories of playing baseball, running the bases, hitting the ball, catching the ball and just having great fun with their friends.

The Challenger League has fantastic volunteers in Scioto County, several from New Boston. I have had the privilege of meeting many of the players and coaches of this wonderful league. These people give unselfishly of themselves throughout the spring and summer doing not only coaching, but field work, fund raising and anything else that may be needed.

This year, the Challenger League participated in the Challenger League All-Star Tournament in Toledo, Ohio. Some of the players and parents told me what a wonderful time they had in the weekend tournament.

I am so very proud of these young people. To all the parents and other volunteers that made this trip to Toledo possible I can say you have my total respect and admiration. New Boston is very proud to have some of their children participate in this league. Newville Little League has had each team from the league in its opening day parade each year and looks forward to seeing them in future years.

To all the players in the various teams of the Challenger League, whether from New Boston or anywhere else in the county, I say congratulations on a great season! Can't wait to see you again next year.

Mike Payton
08-17-2010

Saturday, July 17, 2010

CEDAR STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST IN CHRISTIAN UNION ONCE AGAIN GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

I would like to personally express my thanks to the members of the New Boston Cedar Street Church of Christ in Christian Union for their tireless dedication to the community.

For the second year in a row, the church has dedicated a week to working throughout New Boston painting houses, working in the parks and doing general maintenance wherever needed.

All expenses for this great project are totally covered by the church as is all labor. It is a tremendous gift to our village and words alone will never be able to express the appreciation of all those who were helped due to this great generosity.

The church also delivered 95 flowers around the New Boston area just to brighten peoples' days and let them know the church loves them.

Again my thanks to Pastor Gary Heimbach and the members of the New Boston Cedar Street Church of Christ in Christian Union for their great unselfish gift to all our citizens.

Mike Payton
07-17-2010

Sunday, June 13, 2010

SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR NEW BOSTON CHILDREN PROVIDES MEALS AND JOBS

This summer I have been asked to be part of a new program which is providing nourishing meals for children in New Boston and throughout the Portsmouth area. The Ephphatha Outreach Center's Summer Food Program will continue to serve dinners to children Monday through Friday until August 20, ending just in time for most students to return to school on August 21.

The Ephphatha Outreach Center is a local satellite location of the Ephphatha Church, in Columbus and sponsored by the House of God on Second Street in Portsmouth.

Hot meals are provided and each meal has four components of the four food groups. Then it has to be a certain portion. All meals must meet USDA standards.

In addition to the meals, the summer program also is providing summer jobs to high school students in New Boston and Portsmouth. In New Boston, there is two sites: Millbrook Park and Village Square. Glenwood High School students help staff both sites and also work at the sites in North Moreland and in Sciotoville. All meals for the program are prepared at the kitchen in Stanton Elementary School.

I would like to mention that all children, ages 1-18 are eligible. There is no need for proof of age at the sites. In general, the program benefits include providing nutritious meals to needy children; gives children the food they need to learn, play and grow; helps families stretch their food-buying dollar; keeps children mentally engaged so they return to school ready to learn and provides summer jobs for our high school young people.

The New Boston Village Council and the New Boston Local School Board of Education have wholeheartedly supported this program. Thanks go the cooks from New Boston schools, the Village service department which is picking up trash at the local sites and to the local churches which are helping get the message out to children all over the New Boston area.

The Summer Food Service Program is locally administered by Pastor Sandra Latimore, of the House of God and also Harry Wadlington. For more information about the Ephphatha Outreach Center Summer Food Program, call (740) 285-4691 0r (740) 456-4640 or contact me at (740) 250-8319.

Mike Payton
6-14-2010