With October barely two weeks away, the West Liberty Village Council wants to turn the town pink to raise awareness of breast cancer and to celebrate area survivors as part of a county-wide recognition.
A Paint LoCo Pink kickoff event is planned for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the West Liberty Town Hall.
The same evening, Paint LoCo Pink also hosts a gathering in Bellefontaine at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate the lighting of the Logan County Courthouse fountain, continuing a tradition that began last year.
To show their support, West Liberty will light up Christmas trees, the town hall building and the gazebo with pink bulbs.
In addition, residents can pre-order specially made T-shirts by calling (937) 465-2716 by Friday, Sept. 16.
“They are so cool,” town clerk and event organizer Cindee Boyd said as she described the white T-shirts with a pink breast cancer ribbon over a black Ohio state shape. “I love them.”
Pink light bulbs and decals as well as the t-shirts are all available for sale to anyone wanting to participate in the Pink Out. You can also make a $100 donation to sponsor a pink flag through this Friday, September 16, which will be displayed in downtown West Liberty. All money donated will go to the Logan County Cancer Society. Though the flags will belong to the village, donors will receive a tag to represent their support.
Breast cancer survivors can order T-shirts by calling (937) 599-7021. They’re also invited to sign the banner at the clerk’s office before Sept. 29.
In other Monday night action:
• The saga of the chickens continues. The council decided to seek more community feedback about allowing the birds in backyards through a public meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 6 p.m. in the Opera House. They hope focused participation from residents will give them a better idea regarding how to move forward.
• After some discussion over confusing wording, the council passed the second reading of the registration of contractors ordinance.
• Legal advisor Chris Moell presented a possible solution to the request for a variance from Kevin Stiltner and Tammy Vigar at the Aug. 22 meeting. “I offered another alternative—to detach the property from the village,” he said. “It’s the reverse of an annexation.” Though he hasn’t done one previously, he suspects it’s a similar procedure.
• About $500 was raised for the Columbus Street bridge project over Labor Day weekend. Councilwoman Jayne Griffith also reported they still have raffle tickets for dinner at the Flying Pepper with the McKelveys available. They will sell 100 tickets and the money will go toward the bridge project. Contact the clerk’s office if you’re interested in purchasing one.
• An apartment above the library was successfully cleaned out on Aug. 29. Next, the council will discuss what to do with that space. They also need to decide about the future of the area at the back of the community room, which was mostly cleaned out thanks to the United Way Community Care Volunteer Day. Unfortunately, it is in bad shape.
• After only three summers, the current paper-thin surface of the Splash Pad needs redone. Two options were presented—a company from Troy offered to do a stronger safety surface, which was thousands of dollars more than the local bid. Since the Splash Pad is closed for the season, they’ll look into it for next summer and, in the meantime, research the pricier option and, specifically, find out how long it would last.
• West Liberty’s Halloween Spooktacular will take place October 27, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will include contests for pumpkin carving (ages 11-18) and painting (ages 0-10) along with coloring/costume contests for all ages. First- and second-place prizes will be handed out to all age categories. Trick-or-Treat is from 6 to 7:30. In addition, there will be free face painting and hotdogs, food trucks and Trunk-or-Treat at the First Church of God and Bethel Mennonite Church.
The next West Liberty Village Council meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Country Friends, where they will talk with business owner Tami Cox before moving to their regular location.
