WOODSTOCK – Village Council on Monday learned a new organization stepped up to bring a fireworks show to the area in celebration of the Fourth of July.
Speaking on behalf of the North Lewisburg Firemen’s Association, Bart Stokes said the nonprofit organization will be handling this year’s fireworks scheduled to take place at dusk on Saturday, July 11, at the North Lewisburg Park. Last year, the Triad Junior Baseball/Softball Association was in charge of the fireworks show.
“We got a late start on it because they couldn’t decide if they were going to let us have it or not,” Stokes said. “At the last minute, they decided to let us have it.
“What we want to do is get our foot in the door this year and next year try to make the fireworks bigger and better. We want to bring back some of the old things like the cake auction and 50/50 drawing,” he added.
Stokes asked council to consider donating to this year’s fireworks show as it has done in the past. To date, Stokes said, donations have been received from the village of North Lewisburg ($1,300), the Triad Junior Baseball/Softball Association ($1,000) and the North Lewisburg Firemen’s Association ($300).
Village Administrator Bradley Herron said that last year the village of Woodstock donated an amount to the fireworks show equal to one-fifth the amount donated by North Lewisburg since Woodstock’s total population is one-fifth of North Lewisburg’s total population.
During discussion on the matter, several council members expressed a desire to donate more money, but Mayor Jackie Hayes said only $250 had been appropriated in this year’s budget for this specific use. With that in mind, council passed a motion donating $250 to the North Lewisburg Firemen’s Association for the July 11 fireworks show.
New member sought
Council member Melissa Thompson officially resigned from her position after the meeting. Earlier this year, Thompson announced she was relinquishing her seat on council due to her pending move from the village.
“It’s been a pleasure working with all of you,” she said. “It’s been very enlightening, and I got to know a lot of people.”
Any village residents interested in finishing Thompson’s term on council, which expires at the end of 2017, is asked to contact a council member or call the municipal building at 937-826-3024.
According to section 731.43 of the Ohio Revised Code, council has 30 days following a resignation to approve an individual to fill the vacant seat for the remainder of the unexpired term. If council is unable to fill the vacancy, the mayor is to appoint a replacement.
In other business:
•A motion issuing two new addresses to properties within village limits on West Bennett Street was approved by council.
Following Herron’s recommendations, the new home recently built on the south side of the street will have an address of 371 W. Bennett St., while a house trailer on the north side of the street, near Woodstock Cemetery, will have an address of 376 W. Bennett St.
Hayes said the house trailer previously had an Urbana Woodstock Pike address, but following the village’s annexation of land out to the cemetery, the address was never changed to a village address.
•Council approved an ordinance allowing for additional appropriations in an amount not to exceed $3,500 for repairs to the overhead lighting conduit at the Woodstock Ball Park.
“It’s becoming unsafe,” Herron said.
•A resolution appointing village representatives to the Northeast Champaign County Fire District Board was approved by council.
Under the resolution, Hayes will serve as the village’s voting member on the NECCFD Board, while Herron will serve as the alternate representative, meaning he’s a nonpaid, nonvoting member of the board. Council member Tony Groves will serve as the village’s reserve alternate on the board.
•The village’s annual community cleanup event will take place June 26-28. During the event, residents may dispose of household waste at the municipal building.
Items prohibited from being tossed into the dumpster include propane and helium tanks, tires, paint and other flammable liquids, chemicals, computer monitors, televisions, fluorescent light bulbs and batteries.
