The Three Rivers News Dispatch issued its first edition on August 17, 2021. Since then, it has reported on area events and government meetings in North Bend, Addyston, Cleves, and Miami Township. The subscriptions are free, and the number of registered subscribers has grown to over 1,000. The TRND also accepts no advertising fees. It encourages local businesses to submit advertisements by email.

March 29, 2023

Cleves Waterworks- March Billing Is Late

Residents Have until April 30, 2023, to Pay

The Three Rivers News Dispatch questioned why Coleman Woods residents had yet to receive their quarterly bills for March. We confirmed yesterday via the phone that residents who have not received their bills have until April 30, 2023, to pay them. There will be no late charges, according to a waterworks employee who cited Waterworks Superintendent Eric Winhusen.

The report was also confirmed on the Village Website. See the message below:

Addyston Mayor Gives State of the Village Address

Addyston Mayor Lisa Mear gave her "State of the Village Address" during the March 6, 2023, Council meeting. Ms. Mear thanked the citizens of Addyston for allowing her to serve the Village citizens.

The "Mayor" outlined a busy agenda for the Village, citing the pier wall built to stabilize First Street. In addition, the project may take longer than anticipated due to the MSD notifying the Village that they will not complete their part of the project until 2026. Ms. Mear said, "that is not good for the Village of Addyston, and the work that has been done, was completed because MSD was to have completed the project much earlier." However, she told the audience she plans to continue discussions with MSD to move the project along as planned.

The Sekitan stabilization project is moving forward. Waterlines and drain lines will be replaced as the project moves forward. Mear also told the audience that the Village of Addyston had received a $60,000 Hamilton County Planning Grant to create a new intersection at Church Street and U.S. 50. The Village will seek funding to create a new left lane to turn into the Village. In addition, the Dining Street intersection at U.S. 50 will be converted to a right turn in and a right turn out to reduce the number of accidents at that intersection.

The Mayor also thanked the Addyston VFW for donating the funds to pay for concrete pads poured in the park to support the new exercise equipment to be installed this year. The equipment was purchased with funds from last year's We Thrive Grant. In addition, the park also has concrete pads supporting park benches purchased by Addyston citizens and donated to the Village.

Mayor Mears also recognized Councilmember Dan Pillow for completing and receiving another We Thrive Grant for $15,000 while he was out of town. That money will be used to purchase equipment for the new basketball and pickleball courts scheduled to be built in the park.

Ms. Mear also invited citizens and area businesses to sponsor yearly community events in addition to those sponsored by the Village. She said," We stand ready to work with and beside you to make your event successful." Area residents can learn more about other projects, including how the Village has addressed police coverage in the Village of Addyston, by clicking on the arrow below

Addyston Shorts

Ohio Records and Sunshine Law: Members of the Addyston Village Council attended an annual in-service concerning local government, finance, and budgeting community and economic development, complying with the Ohio Sunshine Law, and records retention. The lunch and learn topics were held on March 13, 14, 15, and 16, 2023, from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. The cost to the Village was $120.00.

Addyston Board of Appeals: The Addyston Village Council voted 6-0 to create the Addyston Zoning Appeals Board. The Board will work with the Zoning Code Enforcer for the Village. The Council voted to have two Addyston residents serve on the Board of Appeals. They are Linda Martin and Angela Dairfield. Council member Pam Jackson will be the chairperson of the Board.

Park Maintenance: Dan Pillow asked Addyston Village Council to approve $2500 for the park's topsoil, grass seed, and playground chips. The Council voted 6-0 at its March 6, 2023, meeting to purchase soil and grass seed to finish landscaping in the park. In addition, playground chips are needed to fill in the low spots to maintain a safe playground for the children of Addyston. Mayor Mear also continues to work with Duke Energy to bring in planned lighting for the park.

During the Addyston Council meeting held on March 20, 2023, Mr. Pillow told the council that he hoped to have received a proposal to pour the concrete for the new basketball and pickleball courts. The total project is estimated to cost $72,000. He had contacted Nicole Key at We Thrive to see if the $15,000 they received for their grant could be combined with other grant money to do the larger project. The Hamilton County Game Changer said they could pour the concrete for about $40,000. This topic will be discussed again next month.

Addyston Classic Car Show: Area residents should mark their calendars for the annual classic car show. It will be held on April 29, 2023, from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. The Addyston Police Department will have an officer on duty to help with traffic.

Addyston Easter Egg Hunt- The Village of Addyston will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt for children in the village on Saturday, April 1, 2023. There is a planned visit from the Easter Bunny. The fun will start at 2 p.m. The Council voted 6-0 to spend up to $600 for the event.

Surveillance Signs to Be Posted: Addyston residents may not be aware of it, but the park has surveillance cameras that monitor and record video at the Village park. The "Council" at the request of Addyston Police Chief Eric Pennekamp, has authorized the purchase of surveillance signs to be posted throughout the park.

Mayor Mear Addresses Sidewalk Damage on 2nd Street: The sidewalk damage near 119 2nd street will be repaired soon. Mayor Mear spoke to Duke Energy and they have agreed to repair the sidewalk at no cost to the Village.

No Sheriff's Contract for North Bend, Cleves, and Miami Township

Why?

Before October 1, 2020, the Village of Cleves had its police department. Miami Township, with the Village of North Bend, had signed a contract with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department to provide police services. However, that all changed when the Cleves Village Council decided to go it alone with a 6-month contract with the Sheriff's Department to provide 2-24 hour cars to patrol the village 24 hours a day.

Before Cleves ended its police department, the Village of North Bend notified the Miami Township Trustees that they intended to end their shared services contract when it expired on March 31, 2023. The Sheriff at the time was Jim Neil, but Charmaine Mc Guffey replaced him on January 1, 2021. When the calendar hit April 1, 2021, no contract for police services existed for Cleves, North Bend, or Miami Township.

The Three Rivers News Dispatch sent a public record request in December 2021 to Sheriff McGuffey and Hamilton County Commissioners Dumas, Driehaus, and Reese for emails between the County Commissioners and the Sheriff's department related to the negotiations for police contract services with North Bend, Cleves, and Miami Township. Unfortunately, the public records request was ignored. As a result, the information we requested has yet to be received from the Sheriff's Department or the Commissioners, except for details about the negotiations received from Miami Township and other sources.

ORC Spells out Policing Requirements for Incorporated Areas vs. Unincorporated Areas

Villages like North Bend and Cleves are legally required to have their own police departments or town marshal. They may also enter into a shared services contract with another police agency, such as the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department. However, legally they cannot exist without one of the three being in place.

Unincorporated areas like Miami, Crosby, Whitewater, and Harrison Townships receive police services from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department. Residents pay for those services when they pay their property taxes. However, the ORC does not require residents to pay additional taxes for their protection unless the township trustees vote to sign a contract for a dedicated car to be based within their township.

Miami Township is the only township in our region that has elected to provide a contract car. They pay for that service through a safety levy that yields approximately $500,000 in additional revenue. Unfortunately, that levy will expire in November 2024 unless there is a vote to renew it.

The Difference Between A County Car and a Dedicated Car

Miami Township residents must understand the difference between a county car and a dedicated car. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department assigns county cars in a specific area. They are not on patrol. They only respond when a resident calls dispatch for help. Therefore, there is no guarantee that a car will be in the vicinity, and a deputy could take up to twenty minutes to show up.

When a township pays for a dedicated car as Miami Township does, that is considered a contract car. A contract car is assigned to Miami Township and patrols within Miami Township. Its response time for a call for service is generally between three and nine minutes.

Policing in the Villages Is Different

Villages in Ohio are incorporated areas that are required to pay for their police services. Each town's Village Council determines the level of police services. The minimum level required is having a town marshall. However, most villages in Ohio do not have a marshall because he could provide only about 8 hours of coverage per day.

Since villages have higher population densities than unincorporated areas, they generally fund their own departments or contract with another police agency like the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department. However, the Village Council still determines the level of service, and the taxpayers must pay for those services within a Village.

Commissioners Assign Alutto to Negotiate Contract

Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto was assigned the responsibility for negotiating a police services contract for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department with the Village of Cleves, the Village of North Bend, and Miami Township after the contract expired on March 31, 2020.

The Commissioners wanted Administrator Aluotto to include Whitewater, Crosby, and Harrison Townships in those contract discussions. They hoped to create a "Western County District" with those townships agreeing to pay for services not required by the ORC.

(Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto is pictured on the left.)

Western District A Conceptual Failure

While creating a Western District may have sounded like a good financial idea to the Village of Cleves and the Village of North Bend by lowering their costs, it did not make economic sense to the Trustees in Crosby, Whitewater, and Harrison Townships.

Residents there already received police protection from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department paid through property taxes. Therefore, their trustees needed a valid reason for their citizens to pay more taxes. Had they agreed to Aluotto's plan, Whitewater Township would have had to increase taxes paid by its citizens in 2023 by $305,963, Harrison Township residents would have paid $143,418, and Crosby Township residents would have paid an additional $117,865 in 2023.

Mr. Aluotto offered the plan shown below in February 2022. It would have saved the Village of Cleves $145,884, the Village of North Bend $42,781, and Miami Township $483,861 when compared to November's offer after the far western townships rejected the Western District plan. (See the section on Beating a Dead Horse to make a comparison for 2023.)

The Township Trustees Decide- Not the Hamilton County Commissioners

As badly as the Hamilton County Commissioners may have wanted Mt. Aluotto to succeed

to get the western townships to agree to pay for police protection, neither the "Commissioners" nor Mr. Aluotto had a legitimate role in the decision.

Crosby, Whitewater, Harrison, and Miami Township residents elect township trustees to decide for them. Each township has its government and makes its own decisions about the types of services that its citizens want and need. The fact that the Miami Township Trustees decided to put a safety levy on the ballot for their citizens has no relevance or influence on what the western townships choose about their citizen's needs.

Additionally, the Hamilton County Commissioners have no say about whether or not a township places a safety services levy on the ballot. However, the Hamilton County Commissioners have the authority to establish a police levy on the countywide ballot to raise taxes to operate the Sheriff's Department. That levy, if passed, would be added to every taxpayer's bill in Hamilton County. However, they have yet to make that decision.

Aluotto Drops Western Region Plan-

Mr. Aluotto stopped beating a dead horse last November when he sent a proposal to the Miami Township, North Bend, and the Village of Cleves that did not include Crosby, Whitewater, or Harrison Township.

The proposal highlighted in green is the one closest to the coverage of police cars in 2020 for a 24-hour shift when the Village of Cleves had its police department and North Bend and Miami Township's shared cost agreement. However, even with the three cars provided, the plan offers less patrol coverage for the area than in August 2020.

Aluotto's cost proposal below is based on road miles, population, and calls for services per 24-hour car. The Village of North Bend has a safety services levy that brings in $78,000 per year. The proposal for 2023 would be $145,900. If North Bend's Village Council would accept their bid, they would have to take $71,900 from its general fund, or they would have to ask North Residents for a new levy. By 2027, the proposal will increase to $177,000.

The Village of Cleves also has a safety services levy passed in 2017. That levy brings in approximately $195,652 per year. According to the plan in green, the Village of Cleves would be charged $444,000 in 2023. That figure also grows to $539,700 in 2027. The shortfall that would be paid from the general fund in 2027 is $344,048. Since the Village of Cleves 2021 renewal levy failed after it decided to disband its police force, the general fund has lost $312,000 from its general fund; this proposal presents a significant financial challenge for the Village due to its loss in tax revenue.

Miami Township residents face a significant challenge too. By Ohio law, Miami Township residents are not required to pay a dime more than they currently pay through their property taxes. The extra taxes they pay for police services through a safety services levy exists because voters made that decision; it is not mandatory. The safety services levy brings in about $500,000. Based on the chart below, the current cost of $551,287 means that $51,287 would have to be subsidized by the township's general fund.

The projected cost to Miami Township for 2023 is $1,146,000, and in 2027 will grow to $ 1,393,700. Therefore, if the Miami Township Trustees would approve the contract below, it would mean that either the general fund would have to cover the shortfalls of $606,000 in 2023 and $893,700 in 2027, or they would have to ask for voters to raise taxes to cover contract's increased cost each year.

Negotiations Stalemate

By any standard, Mr. Aluotto has failed to negotiate a contract. If he were playing chess, he would be in a stalemate. Having no leverage to force Miami Township taxpayers to pay millions of dollars more for police services and the Village of Cleves and North Bend not being able to afford to pay what it would cost them to go it alone, he is between a rock and a hard place.

From 2003 until March 31, 2021, the Village of North Bend contracted with Miami Township for its police protection from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department. That contract provided 1 1/2 cars to cover both areas. As a result, North Bend has few options other than to reject Aluotto's proposal and counter with an offer to pay $78,000 to the Sheriff's Department for its police protection. But, according to North Bend Mayor Doug Sammons, that offer has been submitted multiple times and met with silence.

Miami Township Trustee Jack Rininger had Township Administrator Dan Reid contact Mr. Aluotto's office last January with a counteroffer. The proposal included one 24-hour dedicated contract car for $525,000 per year. The township will accept an additional non-contract county car at no cost if the Sheriff's department insists that two cars are needed in the township. Just like in North Bend, there has yet to be a response from Mr. Aluotto. That became an extended topic of discussion at March's trustees' meeting. Subscribers can watch that discussion by clicking on the arrow below:

The Village of Cleves Council has yet to discuss the details of the contract in a public session. They have yet to offer any counter-offers the Village may have made. Unlike North Bend or Miami Township, the Village of Cleves has yet to debate or publicly discuss any offer they made by Mr. Alutto.

Friday, March 31, 2023, marks exactly two years that Cleves, North Bend, and Miami Township have been without a contract. Miami Township is okay because it doesn't need a contract to exist, but Cleves and North Bend do. They also need it to plan their budget and define what services they can count on from the Sheriff's Department.

Aluotto's Silence

The Three Rivers News Dispatch contacted Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto by email about the status of contract negotiations, what ORC allows for the Sheriff's Department to charge, the counter offers made by North Bend and Miami Township, and asked for him to provide his commentary for this article. Our request was made ten days ago, and to date, Mr. Aluotto has not responded.

Mr. Aluotto's silence does not answer why there is no contract after two years. Area citizens have the right to know.

This is the end No Sheriff's Contract article:

North Bend Masonic Temple Sponsors Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

The North Bend Masonic Temple will host a breakfast with the Easter Bunny this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Don't miss the fun. The North Bend Masonic Lodge 346 is located at the intersection of East Stat and S. Miami in downtown Cleves, Ohio.

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum

Display Celebrates National Women's Month

The All- American Girls Professional Baseball League

The Cincinnati Reds Museum celebrates National Women's History Month by displaying the women who played in the All-American Girls Professional League. The league's creation was the brainchild of Chicago Cubs owner Phillip K. Wrigley and was designed to keep the public interested in baseball during World War II.

The All-American Girls Baseball League operated from 1943 until 1954. It gave over 600 women the opportunity to play professional baseball when the league started in 1943 and used softball rules. The attendance that year was 176,612 fans. Attendance reached its pinnacle in 1948, with 910,000 fans entering the gates of the ten-team league. When the league disbanded at the end of the 1954 season because of declining attendance, only five teams were left. Those teams were Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, South Bend, and Rockford.

Listed below are the names of the teams that played in the All-American Girls Baseball League, including teams like the Chicago Colleens, which served as an all-rookie development team.

The Cincinnati Hall of Fame Museum also has a 10-minute movie that highlights women's history in professional baseball. The pictures below are some of the other displays celebrating Women's History month.

The Colorado Silver Bullets 1994-1997

Professional Women's Baseball Team

The display above is part of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum's celebration of Women's History Month. The Colorado Silver Bullets operated from 1994 until 1997. Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro managed the team. The team competed against all-male collegiate, semi-pro, and minor league teams.\

The video below contains an interview with Hall of Fame Baseball player and manager of the Colorado Silver Bullets, Phil Niekro. ( 3minutes in length)

Shirley Burkovitch- Baseball's Original Charley Hustle

Long before Pete Rose earned the name Charley Hustle with the "Big Red Machine," there was another major professional league ballplayer named Shirley Burkovitch. Burkovitch, just like Pete Rose, learned baseball from her father.

The Swissvale, Pennsylvania native attended home games at Forbes Field, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. During each game, they would concentrate on one position per inning. So, instead of focusing on player statistics, Shirley and her father watched the footwork and plays made by a different position player each inning. By doing that, she learned how players played their respective positions and, over a season, could see where each player positioned himself based on every play possible.

In the 1930s and 40s, girls had few opportunities to play competitive sports. For example, there were no softball leagues, so Shirley played with her older brother in a sandlot league against other boys.

Then in 1949, her brother saw that the Muskegon Lassies were holding tryouts. Only sixteen at the time, Shirley was not going to until her brother took off work and convinced her to watch. So watch she did, but decided from the stands to try it. That decision was just the beginning. The next thing she knew, she was going to West Baden, Indiana, to participate in spring training. But she didn't go alone! Her mother felt it could be a scam and traveled to West Baden, Indiana, to ensure it was a legitimate offer. (Pictured on the right is Helen Hanah in her US Marine uniform served as the "Lassies') chaperone.)

Pictured below are the members of the 1949 Muskegon Lassies. Burkovitch is in the center back row. Shown in the same row far left was team chaperone Helen Hannah. Each All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team had a chaperone responsible for the women on their team. Helen was exceptionally qualified for the position. Her father played on the New York Yankees with Babe Ruth and was a Mastery Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps.

Burkovitch earned her name "Hustle" because she constantly hustled! And just like Pete Rose, even ran full speed to first base after a walk. During the 1949 season, Buckovitch earned $55.00 a week to play professional baseball, more than her father made in the steel mills.

Shirley played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for three years. Her best season was in 1950, when she batted .286.

A Three Rivers News Dispatch Editorial Opinion

North Bend Can Count on Mayor and Council

There are very few things that we can count on these days. Assuming nothing crazy happens, the only things we can count on is the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, we must file our taxes each year on or about April 15th, and our national debt continues to increase regardless of which party controls the White House. But that is about it!

The Village of North Bend may be the only exception. Village residents can count on the Mayor, and council members are committed to improving the quality of life in North Bend. They want their village to be clean, safe, and beautiful and enjoy the amenities its citizens deserve.

Anyone who has lived in the area knows that it will be soon that area residents will see beautiful flower boxes and hanging baskets adorning the streets of North Bend. They will stay beautiful all summer because maintenance supervisor Nate Redding and his crew will meticulously care for them through the hottest summer days.

Another thing North Benders can count on is that their Mayor and council members will find additional ways to demonstrate patriotism and to make their village more attractive. One of those ideas materialized last month when Mayor Sammons challenged the council to provide additional funds to recognize North Bend citizens who have defended their country in foreign conflicts by placing their names and pictures on a flag to be displayed throughout the village.

Village residents can also count on their leaders to do the heavy lifting required to keep those in North Bend who do not obey zoning laws in line.

Most recently, Council member Bev Bolser began removing the junk cars and trash that populated the property last summer. It wasn't an easy process! Besides doing all of the paperwork and notifications required, Bolser had to maintain the contacts' records and report back to the council on the progress.

Mayor Sammons followed that with an on-site visit to the property with Hamilton County Sergeant Mike Carney in October. Soon afterward, a condemnation order was issued by the Hamilton County Health Department, citing the tenant with open discharge violations. Other code violations included structures built on the property without permits, accumulated garbage, and inoperable vehicles. John Tisch, the property owner, worked with the Village by filing multiple eviction notices that the tenant fought. Ultimately, Mayor Sammons appeared in court to help close the deal.

North Benders can also count on Village Officials to raise money to pay for the beautification projects. To help attract more visitors to North Bend Council member Fran Romweber and Deputy Clerk Marilyn Kramer wrote grants, sought out private donations, and secured $10,000 in private and corporate contributions and permission to remove trees that blocked the view of the Harrison Monument. The Village's maintenance department also removed brush and scrub trees that populated the bank along Harbour Drive, enhancing the monument's view.

The picture above shows the area cleared on Harbor Drive with the Harrison Memorial Tomb in the distance.

The picture above shows US 50 eastbound. The railroad tracks here used to have trees blocking the view of the monument.

Most recently, council member Max Morgan added to the Village's record of raining money to provide more amenities for their citizens by securing a $15,000 competitive grant through "We Thrive." The grant will pay for new garbage cans for Presidential Park and can be used to help pay for proposed renovations that include a new surface and pickleball courts.

Saving North Bend taxpayers money is another thing residents can count on! Council members Joe Bonner, Dave Moorman, and Bill Deters have found ways to save residents money on electricity, garbage, recycling, and repairing North Bend's streets. These three men spend countless hours researching, attending meetings, negotiating contracts, and traveling in the village to ensure that the services North Bend residents receive are accomplished at the lowest cost possible to North Bend taxpayers. What a blessing!

Every action taken by Mayor Sammons and the North Bend Village Council has made North Bend better. By doing the required work, they earned a $400,000 Hamilton County Community Grant last year to purchase the acreage needed to build a park on the Ohio River. In addition, they continue to work with Congressman Warren Davidson to acquire federal funding to construct a Harrison Presidential Interpretive Center, an outdoor arena designed for summer concerts, and to provide boat access to the Ohio River.

If Mayor Sammons successfully secures the funding required to complete the project on the Ohio River, the best is yet to come to North Bend. The economic impact will be a boon to area restaurants and businesses. Tourism will increase prosperity resulting in new companies entering the Village of North Bend, and it can also help existing restaurants and businesses along the U.S. 50 corridor. North Bend residents can count on a bright future for many years if that happens.