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Aquilla Council Chooses Not To Put Levy On Ballot Dissolution to Be Only Issue Before Village
Video Puts Spotlight on Racism at Kenston Community Seeks to Create Non-Hostile Environment By Allison Wilson editor@karlovecmedia.com
By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com The results of an informal poll of Aquilla Village residents helped officials decide July 17 against placing a levy on the Nov. 5 ballot. “It seems everyone is all about lowering taxes,” said Village Mayor Rich Wolfe in a phone interview July 19. Aquilla Village Council members, two of whom were recently appointed, discussed the issue during the meeting, the mayor said. “We are not going to put a levy on. The consensus from residents — we talked to 75 or 80 residents — is that everybody is pretty much on board with going to Claridon Township,” he said. Village voters number around 100 in an average election, Wolfe said previously. In related business, council passed an emergency resolution Friday to place the village dissolution issue on the ballot. See Aquilla • Page 4
SCREENSHOT
Kenston parent Holly Rondo-Burge spoke during the Kenston Schools Board of Education meeting July 16 about her and her family’s experience with racism in the school district.
A video of a Kenston Schools student saying racial slurs and making threatening remarks on social media recently sparked community outrage. “The administration and board of education at Kenston Schools are aware of an off-campus incident involving students using threatening language and racial slurs on social media,” the district said in a press release July 16. Safety is the school district’s top priority and discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated, officials said in the release, adding Kenston is committed to ensuring students are protected from harassment based on protected characteristics, and feel welcome, safe and respected. “We are currently gathering information about the incident and will continue to do so. In addition, the Bainbridge Police Department is aware of the incident and investigating. The district will continue See Racism• Page 5
Troy Township
Interim Fire Chief Resigns, Rescinds in Same Meeting Bushek: ‘I’m Not Being Your Puppet Anymore’ By Allison Wilson editor@karlovecmedia.com Tensions between the Troy Volunteer Fire Department and Troy Township Trustees came to a head July 16 when Interim Fire Chief Nick Bushek quit, then reneged his decision during the same meeting. “I’m not being your puppet anymore. I’m done with it,” Bushek said at the beginning of the meeting, as
he handed his letter of resignation to trustees. “You (Trustee and fire department liaison Sharon Simms) want to threaten me with executive session because ‘the guys (trustees Donn Breckenridge and Len Barcikoski) don’t agree with the policies’ I’ve asked for three or four times now as far as staffing hours,” he said. “I am not going to be the one that tells anyone’s family in this room about why the squad didn’t show up
or why their property is burning down — anything like that.” Bushek provided the trustees with a copy of the Ohio Revised Bushek Code, adding he had given it to them multiple times. “Your last response was, ‘You do as you’re told’ and that you had not read these,” he said. “No, I did not say that,” Simms
replied. “I said we have to go by what the attorneys told us.” Regarding staffing hours, Barcikoski said he did not recall putting a weekly limit on them. “I remember putting an annual limit on the hours,” he said. “It’s 1,500 hours,” Bushek responded. “She’s (Simms) the one that put the weekly limit.” Simms replied she did not limit weekly hours, the attorney did. See Chief • Page 4
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