Meeting Notes 11/19/11

View Place Civic Association (VPCA)


Meeting of the Membership and Board- 11/19/11

2:00 pm – Gracepoint Church, View Place Drive

Meeting Minutes



Presentation of Issues before the membership:



Donna Saul, President, VPCA

Jeff Dean – Treasurer and Past President, VPCA

Jim Golan, Finneytown Civic Association (FCA)

Dick Meyer, FCA



Attendees – see attached sign-in sheet



Background:



Jeff Dean presented the issues and the proposal before the membership to have the VPCA join with the FCA. The View Place Civic Association has been struggling over the past few years with keeping a sufficient number of board members, with keeping up with having regular board meetings, approving expenditures (board approval needed) and with the business end of running a civic association in general. Donna Saul has handed in her resignation as President effective today. By contrast, the FCA has a robust set of operating rules, steady board participation, and a larger membership.



At the same time, Donna Saul has been maintaining a very effective and popular blog site for View Place residents to air concerns, share positive stories, and stay in communication. Donna has also been ensuring that the flower boxes are maintained, the Easter Egg hunt is conducted, and that View Place area residents have the 4th of July parade with the ST Police and Fire Department. The View Place neighborhood remains a vital and connected community.



Jeff Dean has continued to work on land use issues such as preventing the cell tower lights from becoming a nuisance, ensuring that clear-cutting and land filling activities comply with environmental regulations, and participating in the Township land use planning committees. He has also recently joined the FCA and has begun to share his interest in these types of issues with them, and vice versa.



The Proposal before the membership:



Given the above, it was proposed by the VPCA board that the VPCA dissolve as an official civic association by joining with FCA. The funds in the VPCA treasury (approximately $998) would be transferred to the FCA, but all of the funds would be earmarked for VPCA activities only, such as the flower boxes and Easter egg hunt. The FCA would assist View Place residents with civic issues with the strength of organization and a larger membership. When the VPCA funds run out, FCA funds could be used for View Place residents, but would need to be prioritized along with all other FCA needs. The View Place area would retain a strong identity as a separate neighborhood with its unique needs. It was acknowledged that there was still some work to be done to finalize the details, but that a vote in favor of the proposal would essentially move the proposal forward and move the funds.



Of the members in attendance (see attached sign-in), the vote was in favor of the proposal with 23 yeah and 1 abstention.


Ken Carrillo
Rhonda Closson
Allan Beach
Lyn Dean
Sylvia Mersfelder
Robert Mersfelder
Fran Wooledge
Louis Lessure
David Stephens
Rex Van Alstine
Duane Lewis
Karen Hug
Sheila & David Helliwell
Terri Chad
Donna & Fred Lippencott
Bob and Carol Schuber
Howard Bost
Donna Saul
Jeff Dean
Roger & Jeanne Fleckenstein

Also in attendance:
Jim Golan (FCA)
Dick Meyer (FCA)

Neighborhood Meeting

It was a pretty decent turnout for our neighborhood meeting at Gracepoint Church. In attendance from Finneytown Civic Association was Jim Golan and Dick Meyer letting us know that we were in good hands. Jeff Dean presided and gave his treasurer's report. He will write the final check from the View Place bank account as soon as he gets the last statement.  A big thanks goes out to Jeff for keeping tabs on the banks and the fees they were charging our neighborhood account. Not only did Jeff get them to waive the fees, he asked them for more time.  He saved us considerable money that would have been swallowed up in fees by asking the bank for more time to settle our accounts.



Like many other banks, Key Bank was charging monthly fees because our account was considered inactive even though we deposited membership which flowed  infrequently.  The only checks he wrote were for reimbursement for the flowers and neighborhood activities.

Jeff reported we  had $1,013.00 in the account since August, and rather than losing $60 plus  in annual fees, we thought it was good idea to merge into the Finneytown Civic Association where they have free checking. It's an efficient use of our time and very good way to pool our resources. FCA assured us that they will keep aside our money for the upkeep of the flowers.

We will continue to keep our View Place designation as a neighborhood like they do with Hollyhock Farms. We'll also continue the traditions of the parade, egg hunt, directory, and weblog. I'll try to keep everyone connected through the email and copy everything to Jim Golan.

In the meantime, visit the Finneytown Civic Association webpage and send in your membership. They do a lot of work in the community and will represent our concerns even better then when we had VPCA. I did mention the issues and concerns that were currently on the slate:

1) Concerns we had about being blocked in from St. X traffic and the high volume of traffic accidents

2) Current petition for sewers

One thing we're hearing is "rumors" about the church building a recreation center or gym on their property. Our relationship with the church has been very good so we know that the neighbors impacted by any plans will be involved in the planning stage.

Getting Ready for the Parade at Deanview & Keats

Did You Live in Springfield Township in the 1930's, 40's or 50's? If So, We Want to Talk to You!

(SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Hamilton County Ohio, June 16, 2011) Springfield Township is working on a Fall and Winter Community Activity Guide Book with a spotlight on the Township's history. The 1 to 2 page spotlight will be focused on growing up in Springfield Township during the 1930's, 40's and 50's. We would like to highlight living in the various neighborhoods and your memories of calling Springfield Township home.



If you are interested in being interviewed for this story by a Community Press reporter, please send your name, phone number, how long you have lived in Springfield Township and your neighborhood affiliation to kflamm@springfieldtwp.org. A list of interested residents will be compiled and sent to the Community Press for interview scheduling. We will take contact information for interviews until Wednesday, June 22, 2011. The story and your photos will be published in the guide book this August.



We are also looking for recent photos of fall and winter in Springfield Township for the cover. Submit your photo today!



To view the current Spring and Summer Community Activity Guide Book, visit the Township's homepage at www.springfieldtwp.org. There, you can download a pdf copy of the guide. Inside you will find information on summer camps, local pools, recreational activities and events from all over Springfield Township. 23,000 guide books were distributed through the Hilltop and Northwest Press. Finneytown Kroger also carried copies in the lobby. (Sorry, we do not have any more copies left.)





About Springfield Township



Springfield Township is a first ring suburb in the Greater Cincinnati area consisting of approximately 16 ½ square miles and 39,755 residents. The Township is governed by an elected Board of Township Trustees who is dedicated to delivering reliable and superior services to create a sense of community, enhance property values and improve the quality of life for residents and businesses in the Township.

Links:


4th of July neighborhood parades



July 5 - 9 Kids Fire Academy (Ages 8-12)

July 12: Next Trustee Meeting

July 11-15 Junior Fire Academy (Ages 13-17)

July 11 - 16 - Kids Police Academy (Ages 8-13)

July 13 - Touch A Truck Event

July 21 - Cincinnati Civic Orchestra Concert

August 4 - Ohio Military Band Concert

Egg Hunt & Decorating Eggs

Rainbow Over View Place 2011

History of Finneytown by David Bean

Finneytown Origin and First Families





Finneytown, A Town of the Mind

By: David Bean



It is on the maps. People all over the area can find it, but few people know its secret. Finneytown isn’t a town at all. All that legally exists of Finneytown is a local school district. The image of a town is a mirage. Though the area is simply a neighborhood of Springfield Township it is, to its residents, much more. In the minds of most who live here it is a community, which has a long and storied past. From the time of the Hopewell Indians it has been a place of residence. Today it is viewed as a residential neighborhood with its center at the crossing of Winton and Galbraith Roads. For most of the two hundred years since the Battle of Fallen Timbers it has been a small rural agricultural community peacefully located on the hilltop above the Millcreek. Its center at the intersection of Northbend and Winton.



On the first day of April 1795, an 87-year-old preacher purchased a Section of land (640 acres) from John Cleves Symmes for $426 and 2/3 located in Township #3 (Springfield). It is with this purchase that the story of Finneytown begins. The old Preacher, Rev. Ebenezer Ward, was traveling through the area and visiting his friend, Rev. John Smith (who later would become one of Ohio’s first two Senators), at the settlement of Columbia. A few months later the Reverend David Barrows who was on his way to the signing of the Treaty of Greenville reported the preacher quite ill. Reverend Barrows helped the dying man write his Last Will and Testament (June 18,1795). In it Rev. Ward left his wife Phoebe all the household possessions they had shared (cooking pots, sidesaddles, etc.).



The section of land just purchased; he left to his namesake grandson, Ebenezer Ward Finney. Finney had been orphaned at the age of 5 and had grown up in his grandfather's home. He was, in 1795, 41 years old, a husband, a father of 4, a successful farmer in Rensselaer County, New York, and a Revolutionary War veteran. Finney could trace his ancestry back to Peter Finney who died in Greenwich England in1620 Peter’s widow, “Mother Finney” emigrated with three children in 1631 coming to Plymouth in Massachusetts Bay Colony.



After learning of his inheritance and after the crops were in, Finney traveled the frontier in the winter of 1798 to inspect the land. What he found had been called the “Miami Slaughterhouse” by residents of the Kentucky settlement called “Limestone” (now Maysville)until Wayne’s victory three years before. It was a heavily wooded hillside and valley close to the Millcreek River, not far from the Ludlow Station (one of the early blockhouses). A wagon road crossed the north edge of his land (The North Bend to Carthage Trace... today known as Northbend Road). An Indian trail bisected his land north to south and the General Quarter Sessions for Hamilton County had just agreed to widen the path from Goudy’s Mill northward to Winton’s Plantation. (Which was located somewhere near the current Winton Woods High School). There were other neighbors in the area. Col. Oliver Spencer had started a farm in 1795 near the current Finneytown High School. Isaac Spinning settled near the present St. Nicholas Greek Church and the McCash family who lived near present day St. Bartholomew Church. He returned to New York and set about selling his farm. When he returned in 1800 he led a party of 14 which included his wife Rachel, their children Abby, Betsy, John, and their oldest daughter Lois and her husband David Sprong and their 3 sons. (Lois and David would eventually produce 11 sons). Rachel’s brother Samuel Raymond, his wife and two daughters. They arrived on the muddy landing at Cincinnati on a flatboat after negotiating the Ohio from Pittsburgh along with their wagons, oxen, and household possessions in September 1800. They made an unusual party because there were so many women and small children in the group.



Rev. John Smith was executor of Rev. Ward’s will and instructed to solve a conflicting claim to the land In exchange he was given the Northwest quarter of the section which he later sold. Brother- in- law Sam Raymond and Son- in -law David Sprong each bought 80 acres at the bottom of the hill (today’s Wooden Shoe Hollow and Winton Terrace). The Southwest corner of the section was sold to David Gray ( Gray Road) Ebenezer Finney himself kept the Northeast corner, a hilltop location for his farmstead located near the intersection of the Northbend to Cartage road and the road to Winton’s Plantation. Finney, faithful to the upbringing in a preacher’s home, donated a plot of land for the construction of a small church of the New Light order and not far away gave the Township Trustees 1/2 acre of land to be used as a Public Cemetery. It is known now of course as God’s Half Acre



The 1/2-acre included a mound, which was thought to be a burial mound of the earlier Hopewell tribe. The small cemetery remains today (though somewhat overgrown and in need of care) next to the Winton Road water reservoir. Buried here are the remains of some 59 early pioneers. There are numerous burials of infants who did not survive the first year and one mother and daughter who both died in birth. The average age at death was 41, but 60 % of the burials were of people under the age of 20. However it appears if you made it to adulthood long lives could be expected as about 38% of the burials were of people over 60. The largest number of burials occurred between 1835 and 1850, which coincides with outbreaks of cholera in the county. There are three Revolutionary War Veterans here ( E.B. Finney, John Dodson and David Sprong). Five veterans of the War of 1812 are here as well.



Rachel Finney died at 66 years of age in 1821 and Ebenezer followed her the next year at age 67. The last adult from the original pioneer group to die was Samuel Raymond who passed away at 87 years in 1861. The last burial was 86 year old Mary Bruen (1882).



Samuel Raymond sold his farm at the bottom of the hill to William Cummings and moved to the intersection of the Road to Winton’s Plantation and the Northbend to Carthage road in 1803 building his home and blacksmith shop there and that gave rise to the development of the economic community. Four of his descendants would follow in the trade and the shop would remain until the 20th century.



A school was started in the basement of the Church (much needed as the census of 1800 showed that 3 out of 5 persons in Hamilton Co. were under the age of 16) with a school marm hired by the local citizens instead of a school master. They must have chosen well because a story has been passed down about a young boy who carried his lunch pail to school and placed it on the windowsill beside his desk, a neighbors hog came by and rooted the pail out the window. The school marm showed great wisdom in face of crisis and dismissed the entire class to pursue the renegade and save as much as possible of the lad’s lunch. That seems to me to be a great form of physical education. The first building to be used exclusively as a school was built in 1860. Where kids went to school between the demise of the New Light Church and this one room school is unknown. William Cummings built the frame structure (or was it log?) on a foundation of bricks fired locally. At one point over 60 children were served by this one room structure. In 1875 a new frame building was constructed and enlarged in 1880 to two rooms.



In 1905 A petition was filed to create Special District School #10 and the first Board of Education was elected. It included Barney Sprong (a grandson of David Sprong, husband of Ebenezer Finney’s daughter Lois) as Treasurer. Two teachers were employed, Mr. T.G. McCalmont ($750) and Miss Menerva Harris ($500). Miss Harris remained at the school for 27 years. A new brick structure of two rooms a gymnasium/auditorium and basement lunchroom and furnace room were built in 1915. That structure is of course surrounded by many additions and still serves as the heart of today’s Whitaker Elementary that you all made famous (or infamous as the case may be.) Do any of you remember the “Sauerkraut dinners” which served as a major fundraiser in those days? The meat was butchered locally and the ladies of the Finneytown Social Club (precursor of the PTA stuffed the sausage casings and made their own Kraut. Reportedly Mr. Wright then the Principal, took part in this preparation as part of his community relations program.



Tremendous change occurred around the hilltop community during these early years. Four years after Finney’s party arrived, not only were there enough people to create a county but enough to allow Ohio to become a state (with Rev. Smith being elected one of the two State Senators) After the burning of Washington in the War of 1812, a Bill was passed by the House of Representatives to make it the National Capital.



Cincinnati became a major river port and came to be known as the Queen City of the West. Proctor and Gamble parlayed $7500.00 and pig fat into floating soap millions. The Civil War raged and John Morgan and his raiders scared everyone from Harrison to Lockland with a raid through the northern part of the county. One local resident reportedly moved his prize mare into the living room and drew the drapes as word of the raid spread. (It may be that the horse owner or storyteller also had a lot of the wooden matches that were sold at the tavern, which would be known as the Finneytown Inn. If you do not know that story, check with Tom Whitaker as I understand that is where he got his early training.)



The Roeblings built their bridge across the Ohio then moved on to Brooklyn. The Century turned, Doughboys marched off to war in Europe and truck farms began to appear in Wooden Shoe hollow where Sam Raymond had originally settled. Autos appeared and the roads changed from dirt to gravel but still churned into dust in the summer or mud and frozen ruts in the winter. The township finally paved Winton in 1926.



In 1930 the Depression had begun and a new face appeared in Finneytown belonging to a man who was to direct the schools through a most remarkable period.



There were 50 families in Finneytown and 41 children attending District School #10 when Telford Whitaker was hired to serve as teacher and acting principal. The children went to the local school until they completed the 8th grade and then went as tuition students to Mt. Healthy, or Hughes, or Wyoming. Following the second world war a remarkable transition occurred.



Between 1948 and 1958 the school population increased by 368%. Suddenly the sleepy agricultural region was jarred by the return of veterans with the GI Bill, a baby boom and industry in the Valley that was desperately trying to satisfy the demand for consumer goods that had been postponed by the war.



Farms gave way to subdivisions. Fields became shopping centers and new shops appeared daily. During this 10-year period the residents were presented with 9 tax levies and bond issues as the school district struggled to keep up. Finneytown School had addition after addition added but it still wasn’t enough. In 1953 the State of Ohio passed a law saying any school district not operating a K-12 program would have to merge with another which did have such organization.



As you well know Finneytowners went off to Mt. Healthy, or Wyoming or Hughes after the 8th grade. After protracted discussion a decision was reached in 1955 that a high school should be built and a bond issue was passed to buy land for it and again expand the elementary building. Because of limited bonding power the new secondary campus was built in stages and by the time the school was partly ready in 1958, the first class of Finneytown 9th grade students populated the classrooms and site also hosted grade school students as well.



By 1959 the population of the district was 8194 and forty-four percent were under the age of 19. The pressure was finally reduced when Cottonwood School opened in 1962 and all elementary students were housed in elementary buildings. The first graduating class marched proudly to its ceremony following the Superintendent and Class Sponsor, Telford Whitaker.



A Bond issue provided for third elementary school (Brent) in 1964. Telford Whitaker retired in 1965 two years after hiring me and that probably meant he had seen enough. Just think, he supervised the growth of a school with 41 kids and two rooms to over 3000 and 4 school sites. The peak enrollment was 3200 in 1967 - 1968 and the largest class graduated in 1976 with 301 members.



Just 10 years later the class of 1986 graduated with just 149 members. Brent school was leased to the Township. Your building, now known as Whitaker Elementary was recognized as one to the top elementary schools in the state and was named the Elementary Hall of Fame in 1986.



A second growth spurt has occurred in the community and it has become necessary to reopen Brent School. In fact it was necessary to hold Kindergarten classes at the secondary site for two years until Brent became available again. Additions have been made at Brent School, Whitaker School, and the Secondary Schools in 1999.



While the schools and suburban community of today is different than the agrarian nature of its first 150 years the residents seem to share many of the same values as those early residents. Most are hardworking practical people who see quality education for their children as the best way for them to succeed and that education is a good investment even if it means sacrifice.



The people of today are also people who put down roots and who have made a commitment to one another that they will do what is necessary to pass on a little better place to their children. These are people who know and love. They are the ones who make Finneytown, A Town of the Mind.



The above has been extrapolated and borrowed from many sources including oral histories conducted by community residents, scout groups, women’s clubs, school officials and historical records by David Bean a teacher (retired) from Finneytown High School. He is currently working on an expanded version of this article.

Phone Directories are underway!

A 15 minute neighborhood meeting was held before the septic information &  petition meeting. 


1) New phone directories are underway

2) New leadership is needed since the President will be resigning after the new directory is completed hopefully after June 2011.

3) Money from the treasury will be used to pay for the flower boxes, Easter Egg hunt, and 4th of July parade.

Residuals from Our Septic to Sewer Meeting

There were over 140 people in attendance. Petitioner addressed  the group about the challenges they are facing with  failing system and why they are petitioning.   Petitioner was informed that the county is offering to install sewers for costs that will not exceed $12,000 with minimal costs for hook up.  Loans for this can be paid over 20 years.  Cost of repairing the current system might not be good investment if health department will be enforcing new sewers in the future.

MSD stated  that residents would be responsible for costs not exceeding  $12k -- county finds money for low interest  20 years loans per resident  to put in a new sewer.  The process could take longer than 38 months and blue prints are drawn up after the resident's vote.   The home owner is  required to pay for the hook up from the house.  Cost here will  vary depending on location of home.

Concerns that were shared:

• Old septics  recently replaced with a county approved septics
• New homebuyers
• Homes currently passing inspection
• Gravity sewers are cost prohibitive for some residents.
• Interest on loan from county
• Homes that  had failed and are currently in compliance 
• Service contracts
• Violation of environmental laws impacting Caldwell
• Watershed - location of new sewer lines
• Economy
• Trees and natural areas in View Place
• Neighbors abandoning homes
• Unknown costs to neighbors and unknown design
• Intepretation of legislation and environmental laws
• Risks vs. Benefits of sewers in some areas
• Back up of raw-untreated sewage into basement from "cut and paste" sewers in hilly area
• Easement issues
• Petitions collected in one area of View Place determining outcome for other area
• Fairness of petition going to homes where hook ups will be easier.
• Trust
• Lost investment in landscaping, driveways
• Law of diminishing returns

Toward the end of the meeting Health department representative stated a directive is more likely to be enforced to convert to sewers  in the future but did  not address how it would be enforced.

March Madness in Finneytown!

Just a reminder about the meetings if I can get them straight here:

The Springfield Township Master plan open house is Tuesday - but at two available times (10am-noon and 6-8pm) It will be a very informal walk thorough and you can spend as little time as you wish to view the concepts.  (Allen Room in main administrative building, NOT THE GROVE.)

Neighborhood Meeting is Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. at the Apostolic Covenant Church

Public Hearing on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. about Master plan.

Arlene Norris of Beechtree Passed Away

Just heard that Arlene Norris passed away this month.  Some of the neighbors in View Place remember Mrs. Arlene Norris who was endeared  as one of the "originals" of the neighborhood -- someone who found time for gardening, parenting, and coordinating schedules that would run rings around most of us today.

Rest In Peace, Douglas J. Lippincott

We just heard the news about Fred and Donna's son who died on Tuesday.   Our hearts and prayers go out to the Lippincott family and friends.

What is the View Place Civic Association?

For the new neighbors here in View Place, the View Place Civic Association goes back to about 1958 or so and was at one time a very active neighborhood group that offered neighborhood social events while also serving as a liaison to Springfield Township government.

The point of continuing this tradition in View Place is to keep in touch with each other about changes within the township and right here in the neighborhood. For example, it was brought to our attention recently that the Apostolic Covenant Church is selling their church and property which may or may not impact the neighborhood depending on how you look at it. As a "neighborhood association," we'll have plenty time to rally in the event the impact is greater than what a single neighbor can handle.

Currently, we have a President (Donna Saul), Vice President (Bill Merusi), Treasurer (Jeff Dean), and Secretary (Sue Hummer)continuing several VPCA traditions of attending township meetings, updating the neighborhood phone directory, having an Egg Hunt every Spring, inviting the police and fire departments to our small parade every 4th of July, maintaining two-season flower boxes at designated intersections, and collecting annual dues of $10.00 per residence every few years.

We also take requests, positions needed, and "help wanted" for yard work, snow removal, leaf raking, and babysitting. We also have a resident handyman, Roland Arrowood, who is available on call for emergencies.


As always, suggestions and ideas are accepted as long as people are willing to follow through on their own suggestion and ideas. Right now, we are looking for someone to manage this web blog and we are looking for street captains to update information in the directory last printed in 2002. (Most of the kids who were listed as babysitters and snow shovellers in that last directory have moved on and are probably raising a family of their own by now.)

The View Place Civic Association is not a replacement for the responsibility individual residents have to stay informed and keep in touch with the township officials and administrators. Even though Springfield Township makes every attempt providing current information and updates in the community through their meetings and web page, our job as a neighborhood civic association should be looking out for our neighborhood and neighbors.

July 4th Parade in View Place

Results from Township Survey:

Results of Neighborhood Meetings


Positives:

Location
Excellent Services (Police, Fire & Service)
Leadership
Good Neighbors
Low Crime
Good Place to Raise Kids
Greenspace (Parks & Trees)
Quiet
Road Conditions
Results of Neighborhood Meetings
Weakness
Barking Dogs – Pit Bulls
Property Maintenance – Vacant Housing
Section 8 – Rental Property
Speeding
Deer
Streetlights
Noise
Drugs
Youth Activities
Litter
Brush
School Issues – taxes
Street Maintenance – Repairs – Sidewalks
Economic Development
High Taxes
Diversity


Weakness:
Barking Dogs – Pit Bulls
Property Maintenance – Vacant Housing
Section 8 – Rental Property
Speeding
Deer
Streetlights
Noise
Drugs
Youth Activities
Litter
Brush
School Issues – taxes
Street Maintenance – Repairs – Sidewalks
Economic Development
High Taxes

Bob Dewar Passes Away ...

David Stephens sent this to me Jan. 21st, I'm sorry I'm so late here...

Bob Dewar of Beechtree Dr. suffered a fatal heart attack at his home We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his wife, Barb and children Richard, Sharon, David and their families.

Mrs. Mary Badger Passed Away Last Night ...

Mary Badger's sister called this morning with very sad news. Mrs. Badger slipped away last night, Wednesday, October 3, around midnight. A visitation for Mrs. Badger is planned at Hodapp in Carthage this Sunday, October 7th from 3 to 5 p.m.

Recently, Mrs. Badger was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer. Late in September, she received her first chemo treatment and due to complications from pneumonia, she was rushed to the hospital on Saturday, Sept. 29th and remained until Wednesday, when her family decided to bring her home for respite.

Mrs. Badger will always be remembered by family, friends, and neighbors as being a kindred spirit, a naturalist, and a devoted wife. The neighborhood children growing up in View Place will always remember the Badger home to be a safe haven; a place to discover important values that would help shape their true character and help define their purpose in life which is always to serve others.



For Mr. and Mrs. Badger:

"The present flowed by them like a stream. The tree rustled. It had made music before they were born, and would continue after their deaths, but its song was of the moment. The moment had passed. The tree rustled again. Their senses were sharpened, and they seemed to apprehend life. Life passed. The tree rustled again."- E.M. Forster

Thanks to our neighbors on Colorama!

VPCA President would like to thank Larry and Janet on Colorama for the use of their 1968 Malibu Chevy! Talk about a "Presidential Perk!"
Life can't get any better when your in a 1968 Chevy!
Thanks again for your kindness, trust, and support!

View Place Through the Ages

At the southern end of Springfield Township is a quiet residential community called the View Place Area. Its name was derived from View Place Drive which runs off North Bend Road and affords the only accessibility to the community.

The area encompasses one-half square mile and is comprised of 263 homes located on fifteen streets. The land is quite hilly with elevations ranging between 750 and 960 feet above sea level. It is basically located on a hillside overlooking Millcreek Valley to the east.

Early records indicate the land was once owned by Clara Ingersoll and Harold Anderson. In 1953 Ms. Ingersoll sold her portion of the area to Frank L. Jackson and Walter Tiemeyer who began dividing up the land into lots for houses. In 1963, Mr. Tiemeyer sold his protion to Morton Bruce. As the developers, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Bruce had the streets paved and the area surveyed so they could divide up the land into five areas known as Beacon Heights, Brookhill, Jill's Hill, Valley View Acres, and View Place Subdivisions.

In the beginning the area was not served by utilities. After building their homes, early residents banned together to form the View Place Civic Association and petitioned The Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company to install electric and gas service. Subsequently water mains and telephone lines were extended in the area. One of the early settlers who still resides in the area is Mrs. Arlene Norris. She and her husband built their home on Beechtree in 1955. Theirs was the fourth residence built in the area.

In 1959, St. Xavier High School was constructed at the corner of North Bend Road and View Place Drive. A sewer line was installed from the school to an interceptor adjacent to Galbraith Road. Any of the residents of View Place that were on the high side of the this new sewer line were invited to tap into it at that time. Some residents took advantage of this opportunity and made the connection.

in 1959, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Cushman purchased 12 acres of land and several houses at the north end of the area from Harold Anderson. Mr. Cushman owned a business in Reading and in his spare time he planted and cultivated a peony farm on this land. Each year thousands of blooms could be seen on this farm before they were cut and taken to market. After retiring, Mr. Cushman sold his property to the Covenant Apostolic Church. In 1980, the church-school building was constructed on this land.

In 1993 a section of Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway was constructed on the north end of the community after many years of delay. This construction required the demolition of 5 housed in the area with subsequent loss of one street and shortening of another. There is no access to this highway from this community.

The View Place Civic Association is very active in civic affairs and organizes a number of activities for adults plus parades and parties for children during the various holidays.

- Submitted by Art Badger