The Daily Chief-Union

Daily Chief-Union/Aaron Korte
Twin spin
Jim "Basketball" Jones spun the balls, including this trick using ink pens and the willing participation of Kamryn Huston (left) and Chelsea Hecht, during the message Friday afternoon for students from St. Peter and South schools. Jones told students never to give up.
Jones spins message to students
By AARON KORTE
Editor
While he may have been spinning basketballs for the students Friday morning in the St. Peter School gymnasium, one thing Jim "Basketball" Jones was not doing was spinning yarns.
The Toledo man entertained students from St. Peter and South schools with a number of basketball tricks but underneath it all was a message of encouragement and hope.
Anna Massara, 12, a sixth-grader at St. Peter School, said she learned a lot.
"Life skills are important. You have to be honest and you have to practice to be good at what you’re trying to do," Massara said of what she learned.
Jones said when he was in grade school, his first grade teacher informed him he was learning disabled. As it turns out, he also was dyslexic. He struggled with why his classmates were moving on while he was learning with a different teacher.
He said it was the encouragement of people like his mom that pushed him.
(Refer to page 1 of today's Daily Chief-Union)

FRIDAY MAY 9, 2008

Miller creating chilling sounds on new TV show
By BRANDON DRAKE
Staff writer
Over the past six years, composer and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Miller has written hundreds of pieces for television shows.
His most recent works appear on the Discovery Channel's newest series, "Verminators," which follows a team of pest-busters around Los Angeles as they battle infestations of all varieties.
Miller, 37, of Pasadena, Calif. and formerly Upper Sandusky, said he started creating music for the show last October by relying on unusual sounds he played on instruments and found around his home.
"On the show, I use computers of course, but I also play a lot of different percussion things on there," he said. "I play the drums and guitar and there's a ton of synthesizers. I recorded a lot of bizarre things, things around my kitchen, things in my backyard, and I use those as the structure of the sound. Things like putting drum sticks and guitar strings together and striking them.
"We want it to amplify the drama. We want it to be creepy. We want it to be if the sounds are gross, it's gross, because the show is gross. We toyed along with it for a long time, the producers, the editors and I.
(Refer to page 1 of today's Daily Chief-Union)

Zoning process begins for county
By AARON KORTE
Editor
The first step in the process to establish a countywide zoning plan took plan Thursday afternoon with the Wyandot County Board of Commissioners approving a resolution to initiate zoning in unincorporated areas.
It was nothing more than resolution to get the ball rolling to get the matter on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Jackson Township already has zoning within its township so this matter would not apply to it. However, voters in the remaining townships will have the opportunity to vote on whether to enact zoning in their respective townships. Only the townships that pass the issue will be affected by the zoning laws.
"People have the right to decide," commissioner Mike Wheeler said.
"We do feel as a board there should be zoning," commissioner Ed Kuenzli said.
Wheeler said the new U.S. 30 coming is what started the investigation process 18 months ago.
"We've seen problems existing in other places. Let the people of Wyandot County control their own destiny," Wheeler said.
If approved, the zoning would not go into affect until Jan. 1. A preliminary zoning commission of five members and a zoning map needs to be created. Then the commissioners will hold public meetings in the other 12 townships outside of Jackson.
(Refer to page 1 of today's Daily Chief-Union)

THURSDAY MAY 8, 2008

Daily Chief-Union/Alissa Paolella
Growing family
Becky Greene (right) of the children's services unit of the Wyandot County Department of Job and Family Services presents the Lucky Ducks Award to Mandi and John Baldwin for opening their home and hearts to children and taking "lost ducklings" into the nest to give them a permanent home. The couple later was surprised by being named the foster parents of the year.
Baldwins honored as county's foster parents of the year
By ALISSA PAOLELLA
Staff writer
Even in hard times, many people in Wyandot County have made sacrifices for the betterment of the lives of abused, neglected and needy children in the county. Many of them were recognized Wednesday evening at the annual foster parent recognition dinner at Special Occasions Catering.
This year's foster parents of the year, Mandi and John Baldwin, were given a special tribute by Court Appointed Special Advocates supervisor Luanne Hufford after they inspired her to write a story entitled "There's No Days Like Snow Days."
The couple was surprised with the award after Hufford read the story, which happened last October at the Baldwins' home.
The couple has legal custody of two foster children, 16-year-old Veronica and 13-year-old Tyler. They also have two biological children, ages 4 and 1, and another one on the way, expected Aug. 2.
Hufford said she went to the Baldwins' home for a visit and was met at the car by the children, laughing and saying, "Hurry!"
(Refer to page 1 of today's Daily Chief-Union)

Daily Chief-Union/Aaron Korte

The bridge to nowhere
It took some rearranging of some street signs and some nifty driving to manuever the bicycle bridge around the corner of Third Street at Bigelow Street. The route caused some traffic to be diverted for about two hours as a plan of attack to get the two sections of the 129-foot-long bridge into Stepping Stones Park.
Bridge connecting parks installed
By AARON KORTE
Editor
Upper Sandusky Mayor Scott Washburn took his first day off Wednesday since taking office Jan. 2, joining his son Isaiah and the rest of the first grade class on a field trip to the Columbus Zoo.
Little did he know he was going to return to a zoo when he came back to town around 3 p.m.
On Wednesday, the controversial walking bridge connecting Stepping Stones Park to River's Edge Park was installed but not without some problems.
Originally, the 129-foot-long bridge, which was constructed in two pieces, was going to be brought in from the River's Edge Park side.
"Our original plan on was to bring it on East side, but with the way the weather's been, we couldn't rely on the weather conditions to get the crane and the bridge in on the East side.

Area job-seekers look for work at county job expo
By BRANDON DRAKE
Staff writer
Leeann Keister was one of many local residents strolling through the Bingo Hall on Wednesday looking for work.
Like many of those who visited the Wyandot County Career Expo, Keister, of Wyandot, knows the hardships of being without a job in today's tightening job market. She has been unemployed now for two months and has become frustrated with filling out applications and searching for jobs.
"I bet I've put in ... over 50 applications (in the last two months), and there's nothing," said Keister, who left her position with Pilot Travel Center after six months because of medical conditions. "The Dollar General store in Bucyrus is taking applications. They're hiring for four hours a week. That's four hours a week. That tells you how hard (it is)."
And as the days continue to pass, things only get tougher for Keister and her husband.
"I was telling (a person here) this is the first time in my life that I never had a job, and I've been off two months now, and things are getting really tight," she said. "I had to go get food stamps. ... I mean, it's not that it's a bad thing that you had to do that. There's a lot of people just like me."