The New Boston community held their first Party in the Park on Saturday. The Party took place at Millbrook Park and featured live music by Shane Runion Band, Bobby Hall and the Floodwalls, Frank Grasso and Karis Blanton, a petting zoo, pony rides, a cartoonist, games, prizes, inflatables, kiddie train rides, a knockerball event, and a corn hole tournament. The party also had community and local business booths and concessions.

“We’re about community,” New Boston Mayor William Williams said. “We have a beautiful park here and we wanted to share it with surrounding neighborhoods. Everything was sponsored by the village itself and local sponsors, and volunteers. We just wanted to share our community and show what a wonderful park we have here.

The party featured many different musical acts

Free entertainment, which was offered throughout the afternoon, lasted from 12 to 5 p.m. Many children, adults, and community leaders came out to express support for a splendid afternoon of fun.

We wanted to invite everyone to enjoy free entertainment and games, and have affordable concession prices,” Williams said. “It’s been a tremendous hit. Everybody is excited, we’ve had a lot of people expressing their thanks. I’m certain we’ll be doing this in the future and continuing on next year.”

Party goers swarm the booths and concessions.

Between all of the aforementioned activities, along with the various bands that performed throughout the day on the historic Millbrook Park grounds, Williams sees great potential in the event going forward.

”It’s surpassed our expectations,” Williams said. “We’re just thrilled. We couldn’t have had better weather. It’s great to see all the smiling faces and people of the community together. We couldn’t be more pleased with the turn out.”

A wide variety of kids activities were offered, like inflatables and pony rides.

The New Boston Party in the Park concluded with a brilliant fireworks display and left community members looking forward to next year’s fesitivities.

Reach: Ivy Potter (740) 353-3101 Extension 1932

On September 20, Rural King held its grand opening and ribbon cutting. Mayor Williams, Councilmen Mike Payton, Ralph Imes and Don Raike, Police Chief Steve Goins and Village Administrator Steve Hamilton joined the Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce in conducting the ceremony.

New Boston Village Council issued a resolution Tuesday night recognizing Peggy Kindinger for her success as a marathon runner, who has ran marathons in all seven continents of the world. The Village congratulated Kindinger for accomplishments and stated that she was inspiration to all those in the community.

Mayor William Williams also asked council to consider sick leave sharing. Sick leave sharing allows Village employees to share some of their sick time with fellow co-workers who have already used all of their allotted time off but are presented with a situation that would require them to take leave from work.

Williams explained that several employees were interested in being able to give some of their sick time to another employee; however, the Village did not have a policy for doing so.

“I did not feel I had the authority to grant or deny the request without a policy in place,” Williams stated.

“Anytime an employee would want to step up and help another employee in this situation, I would be totally in favor of it. We just need to establish guidelines,” Councilman Dan Fetty stated.

Council agreed to move forward with the development of policy for sick time sharing, which will be added to the Council agenda for the next meeting.

Williams also asked Council to consider the hiring of a handicapped or disabled individual who would work three to four hours a week assisting with shredding documents. Williams explained that the difficulty would be that the individual would be hired as a part-time employee and would have costs associated with doing so, including the paying into worker’s compensations.

Village Solicitor Justin Blume explained that he knows some individuals have been hired under the program to shred documents for judges at the Common Pleas Court. He was able to confirm that Domestic Relations Court Judge Jerry Buckler currently employees an individual who does the shredding for his office. Council voted to approve the item for the next Council agenda.

Williams also informed Council that he has heard several concerns over the increased sewer rates coming from the City of Portsmouth.

The Village of New Boston entered into a 30 year contract with the City of Portsmouth in 1991 for Portsmouth to treat all of New Boston’s sewage and for all of New Boston’s sewage to be transported to the Portsmouth treatment plant. Thus, New Boston utility users are included in the Portsmouth rate increase.

Williams explained that the contract with Portsmouth will not be up until 2021 and only stipulates as far as rates that Portsmouth can not charge the Village residents more than the City residents, which is not happening.

He added that the only way he can see to get out of that agreement would be for the Village to have their own treatment plant.

Williams explained that the Village will be working with the EPA and revisiting to contract in order to consider options. However, they are seeing little other options. He also encouraged Council to consider any options they can come up with.

For Portsmouth residents, the current monthly charges are:

$11 for the base fee and first 1,000 gallons

$5 for 2,000 gallons usage

$5 for every 1,000 gallons above 3,000

$5.13 for every 1,000 gallons above 13,000

$5.54 for every 1,000 gallons after 33,000 gallons

Under the new rate, Portsmouth residents will pay:

$15 for the base fee and first 1,000 gallons (an increase of $4 for residents only using 1,000 of water a month)

$6.80 for 2,000 gallons usage (an increase of $1.80)

$6.50 for every 1,000 gallons above 3,000 (an increase of $1.50)

$6.75 for every 1,000 gallons above 13,000 (an increase of $1.62)

$7 for every 1,000 gallons after 33,000 gallons (an increase of $1.46)

For New Boston residents, the current monthly charges are:

$7.01 for the base fee and first 1,000 gallons

$6.28 for 2,000 gallons usage

$5 for every 1,000 gallons above 3,000

$5.13 for every 1,000 gallons above 13,000

$5.54 for every 1,000 gallons after 33,000 gallons

Under the new rate, New Boston residents will pay:

$10.01 for the base fee and first 1,000 gallons

$7.35 for 2,000 gallons usage

$6.50 for every 1,000 gallons above 3,000

$6.75 for every 1,000 gallons above 13,000

$7 for every 1,000 gallons after 33,000 gallons

New Boston Village Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the New Boston Community Center.

Reach PDT writer Nikki Blankenship at 740-353-3101 ext. 1931.

Thunderstorms could not stop Saturday’s 15th Annual Autism Walk held at Milbrook Park in New Boston. Autism Project of Southern Ohio President Mike Bell explained that when he first arrived Saturday morning, storms had blown through the night and pretty much destroyed everything. However, a determined group of volunteers made sure guests would have never known there was an issue, saving the day and saving what turned into a busy event.

“Today has been fantastic. It started out a little slow because of the weather,” Bell stated. “It turned out to be a beautiful day. Many people came out and supported the Autism Project.”

Proclamation by New Boston Mayor William Williams, Jr. proclaiming April 29 as Autism Day in New Boston presented to Mike Bell, President of Autism Project of Southern Ohio, Kim Copas, Vice-President, and New Boston Councilman Mike Payton who is the President of the Governing Board for the Autism Project of Southern Ohio. The presentation was made at the annual Autism Walk held April 29 at Millbrook Park in New Boston.

Bell explained that throughout the day, somewhere between 500-700 joined in for the festivities.

Activities included a poker walk, live music, inflatables, auctions, games, Autism information and a variety of vendors.

“It has grown,” Bell confirmed, saying that each year people seem to really enjoy the auction, but this year more people got involved.

All money raised from the event goes back into the community by providing services to autistic individuals and their families. Though the total is still be tallied, the Autism Project had $1,000 donations from Aarons, of New Boston and the Ernie West AMVETS Post 95/Post 95 Ladies Auxiliary, of Greenup, Kentucky.

Such funding will help the Autism Project be able to offer additional services to the Autistic community by allowing them to expand upon their current operations.

“Our goal before the end of the year is to open an autism service center here in Scioto County,” Bell commented. “We want to get a building, we want to be able to join in with the Adult Autism Cooperative Organization and we want to supply services such as job training, life skills — maybe they need to learn how to do their laundry. We want to have a garden, where they grow their own stuff and take it to the Farmers Market and the learn the trade of making money. The main objective at the end is being able to help them become more self-sufficient.”

A crowd gathers, despite a little mud, for the annual Autism auction, held Saturday in connection with the 15th Annual Walk for Autism.

Bell explained that people with Autism have difficulties with social skills. As a result, the Autism Project focuses on taking these individuals out to the movies or to community events where they can become engaged in community activities, develop a unity with their community and work on those social skills. Additionally, the Autism Project brings in guest speakers that help education parents, families and even schools. They assist individuals with autism by doing things such as going in front of the Social Security Administration with them, putting funding into developmentally handicap classrooms in local schools and providing college scholarships. Last year, the Autism Project gave out seven college scholarships for $700 each.

Reach Nikki Blankenship at 740-353-3101 ext. 1930.

Long-time law enforcement officer Steve Goins is now officially the Chief of Police for the Village of New Boston, replacing Darrold Clark who recently retired. Wednesday at the stroke of noon, Goins was sworn in by New Boston Mayor William “Junior” Williams at the New Boston Community Building.

Steve Goins (left) is sworn in as New Boston Chief of Police by New Boston Mayor Junior Williams

“Over 20 years with the school board and Council, he has always been accessible and helpful – I know he has helped Darrold in the past – he has just been a true leader,” Williams said. “He has gotten us going with our body cameras in place. We just got certified by the State of Ohio. He was instrumental in all those things. He is technologically advanced.”

Clark was on hand for support and told the Daily Times retirement is working well for him.

“I feel good not getting up in the morning, but I miss everybody especially when I need something done. There’s nobody around but me,” Clark said.

Clark was complimentary of his former captain.

“He’s a fine man,” Clark said.”That sort of explains it. He’s one of the greatest. I’m proud of him.”

Goins, who has been in law enforcement for 34 years, over 30 with the New Boston Police Department, was reflective of the occasion.

“It’s a good day,” Goins said. “When you’re hired in law enforcement you always look as a career to eventually reaching the top spot which is the Chief of Police. It has been a long time coming. I’m very appreciative of the Council, the mayor, they have always been good to me. They have always been good to the police department. I’ve always had the support of the officers in the police department, people I work with in the community.”

Goins said it is likely someone on the force will be promoted to fill his position as captain.

“The mayor and I will talk about that,” Goins said. “So there will probably be some promotions from within.”

With the current drug problem in Scioto County, Goins said he will hit the ground running.

“It’s a countywide problem, not just here in New Boston,” Goins said. “We have always worked together with other departments. We still will, but it is something that we have to tackle as a law enforcement community.”

Those in attendance, including former chiefs Clark and Gary Stone, enjoyed cake and ice cream and took the time to shake Goins’ hand.

“I think the people of New Boston are very lucky to have him as a police chief,” Williams said.

Reach Frank Lewis at 740-353-3101, ext. 1928, or on Twitter @franklewisPDT.