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.

October 5, 2023

Disclosure Statement: Cleves Mayoral Candidate Chuck Birkholtz is the Editor and Author of all articles in the Three Rivers News Dispatch unless otherwise identified. The reader subscriber should view the videos to determine the accuracy of the information presented.

Harrison-Symmes Foundation 's Cleves Historical Walk Set for Sunday

The Harrison Symmes Foundation's 2023 Celebration of the 250th birthday of President William Henry Harrison is set for this Sunday. Area residents should assemble at the old Cleves Presbyterian Church by 5:30 p.m. The tour begins at 6 p.m. Cleves resident and Harrison Symmes Foundation President Bev Meyers stated in an interview with the TRND, "We want everyone to attend, so while it is primarily a walking tour, the "Foundation" has paid for the Savanah Tolley to be on location to assist those who have limited mobility or health issues can participate.

Residents will be entertained by tour guides dressed in costumes of the era. Your tour guides include students from the Taylor High School Theater and Drama Department, Tom Ratterman at the Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal Tunnel, Mrs. Meyers will speak from the Trolley, and Elizabeth Rosenaker will make an appearance as Anna Harrison, daughter of John Cleves Symmes and wife of President Harrison.

The tour will also include a tour of William Henry Harrison's tomb and the Congress Green Cemetery. This free event is a chance for young and old to learn about our history. The Harrison Symmes Memorial Museum Foundation hopes to make this annual event.

Pictured below on the left is the Congress Green Cemetery, and on the right is an artist's version of a canal boat used in the Cincinnati-Whitewater Canal.

Village Governments Upgrade Parks for Their Citizens

Elected officials in Addyston, North Bend, and Cleves have upgraded their parks in 2023. The Village of North Bend, under the leadership of former Council person Max Morgan, wrote a We Thrive Grant for over $ 15,000 from the Hamilton County Board of Health to upgrade its Presidential Park by covering its asphalt surface with a safer and more durable surface. The basketball court can easily be converted into a paddle ball court with portable nets.

Pictured below is a large picture showing the variety of activities that can be held on the new surface. Citizens can play paddle ball, basketball, hopscotch, or tennis, depending on the desired activity. The pictures below the court show their outdoor fitness lab and playground.

Max Morgan is pictured on the left.

Cleves Community Park

The Village of Cleves Parks Committee, which current Council person Kevin Burns leads, also spearheaded significant upgrades to the Cleves Community Park. Federal grant money awarded to the Village by the Federal Government paid for a new basketball court,

paddle ball court, and playground equipment. Below is a video of Cleves residents using the Village's new paddle ball court.

Burns spent countless hours during the pandemic gathering citizen input through surveys and conducting Zoom community meetings. The feedback received from the community was used to narrow the list of items the residents submitted. This year, the parks committee has been working on fencing and adding shade trees to the park.

Pictured below is the playground and new basketball court.

Addyston Village Park

Took Blood, Sweat and Tears To Build

Those who have lived in the area long enough remember the closing of Meredith Hitchins Elementary School in 2005. You need to grow up in Addyston and attend the school to understand the loss of identity it was to the community. The building was demolished, and it took many years of hard work, writing grants, and planning for that area to be developed into the community park it is today.

The work of building Addyston Park took the blood, sweat, and tears of every member of the Village Council to plan, create, fund, and install the playground, walking paths, and fitness stations that are now available to the public. (Pictured below is

Meredith Hitchens Elementary School.)

Councilpersons Dan Pillow and Ann Pillow have led the way in rebuilding a sense of community and pride through the park development, but they have plenty of help, too. That help included former Meredith Hitchen Principal Don Larrick. In an interview this morning with the Three Rivers News Dispatch, Mr. Larrick described the closing of Meredith Hitches School and its impact on his staff, students, and the community.

Larrick said, " The speed at which we had to close the building did not leave us any time to reconcile our loss. We had 100% support from the community. If we needed help maintaining the grounds, our parents were there. They got us a backhoe if we needed a backhoe to dig a hole for new playground equipment. The citizens of Addyston gave us value! The parents may have had little money, but as a PTA, they worked hard to raise $10,000 for the school. The loss of the school to the community was devasting! Our building was a showcase for the Village, especially at Christmas time."

Larrick continued, "There was a primary group of five who have always been there to do the work, but many others gave their time to do the physical work required to make the park what it is today. Dan and Ann Pillow were a force to make it happen. They did the planning and scheduling. But much of the heavy lifting was done by council members Pam Jackson and Al Glick. A community member, Linda Martin was always available to do the work needed too."

Addyston Councilperson Dan Pillow, also interviewed for this article, added, "Mr. Larrick helped us complete this park. He physically worked alongside us to install all of our equipment. It was a labor of love and a team effort to make the park a reality. Mayor Lisa Mears and her husband helped us install the swing sets. Others who helped us build our part were Jackie Ledbetter, Chip Brinkman, Flem Stafford.Bill Nixon, Howard Jackson, Lamar Pillow, Andre Jackson, Dustan Struckman, Anthony Wenger, Greg Juenge, and the late Booby Cross."

The pictures below show residents' labor of love for the Village of Addyston. It also shows what members of a Village Council can do to support their community if they are willing to dedicate their blood, sweat, and tears to make it happen!

A separate article on Addyston Park in the next edition of the Three Rivers News Dispatch will comprehensively explain how Addyston. Accompanying that article will also be a separate one on the investment made by former Miami Township Trustee Paul Beck, and current trustees Dan Dan B;anton in the Miami West Park.

OHIO' S DISTRACTED DRIVER"S LAW BEGINS ENFORCEMENT TODAY

Subscribers can read the full text of the law by clicking https://codes.ohio.gov/assets/laws/revised-code/authenticated/45/4511/4511.204/4-4-2023/4511.204-4-4-2023.pdf

November 2023 Election Information from the Hamilton County Board of Elections

Voting information is contained in the chart below. Area citizens who are not registered to vote must complete their registration by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, October 10, 2023. Early voting begins on October 11, 2023. Early voting takes place at the Board of Elections. Citizens must be aware that the dates and hours to do so change.

Area Residents to Vote on Two Ohio Constitutional Amendments on November 7, 2023

The Three Rivers News Dispatch Informs- You Decide!

Issue 1

Issue 2

Hamilton County Levy Issues on the November Ballot

Cleves A and B to Vote on New Revenue for the Village. Issue 3

The Village of Cleves Council voted to place a levy before residents this November. Issue 3, if passed, is projected to bring in $423,000 annually to pay for current expenses. The Village lost $320,000 when its renewal levy failed by four votes in 2021.

Miami Township Residents living in the Unincorporated Areas to Vote on Issue 16

Miami Township residents in unincorporated do not pay monthly garbage bills like North Bend, Cleves, and Addyston citizens. In the Village of Cleves, for example, residents currently pay $45.00 per quarter. Each incorporated Village does not have a separate levy to pay for garbage pick up.

Issue 16 is a renewal and an additional levy. The increase of .5 mil will raise the total mils for resident garbage pick up. This levy is projected to cost residents $79 per $100,000 of taxable value. A resident who owns a house worth $300,000 would pay a total of $237.00.

ZOO LEVY RENEWAL Issue 19

The Zoo Levy is a five-year renewal levy. It will NOT raise taxes. A property owner will pay $9 per $100,000. A property owner who has a property valued at $300,000 will pay only $27.00 a year.

All Miami Township residents, including those who live in the incorporated Villages of North Bend, Addyston, and Cleves, will vote on Issue 19.

Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library (Renewal and Increase) Issue 20

Every Hamilton County resident will vote on Issue 20. Voters will decide to approve a 1 mil renewal levy plus an additional .5 mil levy. This levy is projected to raise taxes to a level not to exceed $43.00 per $100,000 property value listed on the Auditor's site.

The money will be used for operating expenses and capital improvements.