It’s Tax Time Again

							It’s Tax Time Again
Village staff wants to remind all residents and anyone who works in South Charleston
that he/she must file a Village of South Charleston income tax return whether or not any
income tax is owed. The filing date for income tax is April 15, 2006, and there is a 10%
penalty for non-payment of any taxes that are due by this date. Since Tax Day, April 15,
falls on a Saturday this year, you will have a little extra time to complete your taxes;
returns will not be marked “late” until after midnight on Monday, April 17. You can
deposit your return at the front door of Town Hall in the slot marked “water bills.” If you
remain unsure whether or not you need to file, check with Bonnie White or Barb
McNally in the Village Clerk’s office; they will be happy to answer questions and help
you complete the forms.

While the Village of South Charleston always tries to send forms to individuals who
should file, it is, nevertheless, the responsibility of the taxpayer to file; failure to receive a
form in the mail is not a valid reason for not filing. Village of South Charleston tax
forms are available at the Houston Library, the US Post Office, and at Town Hall.

ALL-OUT, VILLAGE-WIDE GARAGE SALE
Saturday, June 9th, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Once again, the Village-wide garage sale will be the second weekend in June. We will
continue to promote the event for Friday and Saturday since these seem to be the most
generally accepted garage sale days. You do not have to participate both days and you do
not have to follow our exact times. The Village will place the signs at the corporation
limits on Routes 41 and 42 and also will run a community announcement in the
newspaper; no fees or contributions requested. We will not try to publish a list of
participating “home retailers”. So you are on your own to start the spring cleaning you
have been putting off, finalize your marketing strategy, and get your trash and treasures
out on display. Buff-up your bartering skills and get ready to comb the streets looking
for the best “stuff” to replace the great “stuff” you are selling from your own yard!

THE BULLETIN BOARD

Hydrant flushing:
We will flush hydrants on Tuesday, April 17, 2007.

Brush chipping:
Village staff will be out with the chipper the week of April 23 – 27, 2007 to chip limbs,
twigs, etc., from your yard. Please put only woody refuse at the edge of your drive along
the street. We will chip all that week and will continue into the following week until we
no longer see refuse sitting curbside. The resulting natural, untreated, uncolored wood
chips make excellent mulch. If you would like to have some for your yard or garden,
please call Village Manager Sarah Wildman at 462-7167.

POLICE BLOTTER

Be Careful…
With nicer weather and Daylight Savings Time come people of all ages enjoying the out
of doors. If you are a driver, remember that children will be outside playing and riding
bicycles; please be vigilant because small children will not. If you are a pedestrian,
please stay alert to all kinds of vehicular traffic.

Take Responsibility and be a Good Neighbor…
Ordinance #98-2 requires pet owners to clean up after their domestic animals. If you
walk your dog, please take along a plastic bag so that you can pick up the dog’s
“business” and dispose of it properly when you return home. Owners of cats have the
same responsibility; please provide a litter box for your cats outside the house as well as
inside so that they do not use the neighbor’s flower garden or sandbox. People who do
not have pets or who are commercial property owners become particularly frustrated with
irresponsible pet owners. Be a considerate neighbor/pet owner wherever you are and at
all times. Refusal to do so constitutes a minor misdemeanor.

Ordinance #70-5 prohibits property owners from allowing animals and dogs to run at
large, dogs to howl and bark or create offensive odors and unsanitary conditions, and
from allowing animals of any kind to graze on their own property or on another’s
property. Do not let your dogs run free. Keep them chained or fenced in your own yard
and clean up after them. If you leave your dog out at night, listen to see if it is barking.
You may be sleeping peacefully with your windows down and the air conditioner
cranked up while your neighbor suffers through another hot, sleepless night because of
your barking dog. Be a considerate neighbor/pet owner. Any individual refusing to do
so will be fined a maximum of $200 and/or imprisoned a maximum of 30 days.

Nuisance Abatement
Year-round – but especially during the warmer months – our police officers check local
properties to make sure owners are taking proper care of several basic but critical
property maintenance issues. When we find violations, we contact the property owners
to make sure they address these issues. This is known as “nuisance abatement.”
Nuisances include grass and weeds that are not cut regularly, unlicensed or inoperable
automobiles, campers, boats or other similar items parked in the open, and trash or refuse
that is not cleaned-up. Our nuisance abatement officers will cite into Mayor’s Court any
property owners who are in non-compliance. Our nuisance abatement officer gives only
one warning before issuing this citation.

If you received a notice last year for inadequately caring for your grass, vehicles or trash,
you will be receiving a friendly reminder this spring to address these potential problems
before they get out of hand. Please be a responsible property owner and do not create a
need for Village police officers to site you into mayor’s court.


THE NEWEST NEWS IN TOWN
There are many reasons our readers might know long-time South Charleston resident
George Berkhofer: He has been an active member of St. Charles Catholic Church. He
was a police officer with the South Charleston Police Department. He and his wonderful
wife, Karen, have three children who graduated from Southeastern. Finally, George has
led the Heritage Commission through countless projects, most notably the restoration of
the Opera House, the Depot and the log cabin. But today, we introduce George
Berkhofer, author.

When he was just 12 years old, George developed an interest in a special photographic
process and, specifically, in printing a kind of daguerreotype photograph in the darkroom.
The name of the process, the resulting photographs and, now, the book is Wet Collodion
Photography; A Short Manual. The book includes a detailed explanation of how to
accomplish the process, samples of the photographs and helpful information for anyone
desiring to work in the photographic medium.


While artists in the far corners of the world exploring this photographic medium will
welcome this manual, others have already benefited from Georges tutoring and
mentoring. Thanks to the Internet, George has already connected with others who share
his interest in photography and have been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book.

Also called the 'collodion' process, some scholars and historians insist this wet plate
process was, to date, the greatest leap forward in photography – even more revolutionary
than the current change from film to digital.

The process produced prints which are arguably finer than anything from more recent
photography, highly detailed and with superb tonality. It dominated photography from its
introduction in 1851 until the arrival of gelatine dry plates in the 1880s. Even the first
underwater photographs were made using it.

George’s photographs are, indeed, remarkable owing to the richness and depth of the
darkest darks, the straightforward and sometimes disarming directness of the subject
matter, and the underlying ingenuity of a young man. Several are on display at Circa
Designs. I encourage our readers to visit Julia Berkhofer’s charming new shop and enjoy
George Berkhofer’s photographs first hand.

BOSS! BOSS! DE PLAY! DE PLAY!
Aficionados of histrionic art (folks who enjoy plays) already are feverishly anticipating
the Opera House Players’ annual spring harlequinade (mischievous antics and comic
pranks) production. This year witnesses the return of a former favorite of South
Charleston audiences, “Deadwood Dick.” Several of your Opera House Players favorites
will reprise their original roles in this epic drama and a cast of thousands more will
provide new actorial depth and perspective to characters whose psyches and motivations
have heretofore defied full understanding.

Once again, friends, relatives, neighbors, and theater critics from around the globe will be
allowed a chance to laugh at – and with – these dedicated thespians on the stage of the
beautifully restored Opera House in South Charleston’s Town Hall.
Scheduled to premier on Friday night, May 11th and closing all too soon on Saturday
night, May 12th, 8:00 pm, this year’s melodramatic revue will tear at the heartstrings of
even the most hardened and critical theater-goers.

Adapted from dime novels published around the turn of the century, “Deadwood Dick” is
a period piece set in the Old West. In the beginning, we learn that tragedy befalls
helpless women (an oxymoronic statement if ever there was one) and in the end,
handsome heroes -- with guns blazing -- save the day. In between saloon girl floozies, a
blind & homeless girl, a dastardly villain, and a host of hapless bar-flies -- all peppered
with a handful of ethnic stereotypes -- keep the action lively, or at least…well…you get
the drift.

If this sounds compelling (or better yet, hysterical), you won’t want to miss South
Charleston’s favorite event of the year! Interested in becoming a part of next year’s cast?
You, too, can partake in the roar of the greasepaint and smell of the crowd and have a
great time with your friends and neighbors. Call Rick Burton at 462-7417 for more
details.

Tickets will be available at the Charleston Pharmacy and at the door the night of the
performance.


                        Upcoming Events at the Houston Library

Visit the Houston Branch of the Clark County Public Library during Southeastern School
District’s spring break week. Daily activities will be offered Monday, April 2nd –
Thursday, April 5th.

Monday, April 2, 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 6:00 pm.
Movies & Popcorn

Tuesday, April 3, anytime all day
Spring & Easter Crafts

Tuesday, April 3, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Euchre Program for Teens
Come for round robin play and refreshments.

Wednesday, April 4, 10:00 a.m.
Breakfast With the Easter Bunny
Hop on down to the library for a light breakfast with a special furry guest! Play “Bunny,
Bunny, Where’s Your Carrot,” do the Bunny Hop and go on an Easter egg hunt with the
Easter Bunny. Parents, bring your cameras.

Thursday, April 5, anytime all day
Contests, Puzzles, Brainteasers
Thursday, April 5, 1:00p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Scrapbooking for Teens
Bring enough pictures to make one or two scrapbook pages and ideas to share. We’ll
provide supplies, although you may want to bring your own cutter for cropping.

Saturday, April 7 & 14, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Yugioh
Trading & dueling for 2nd – 12th graders. No cash sales, please!

Fridays, April 13, 20, & 27, 10:00 a.m.
Storytime
Storytime continues for 2 year olds & older. Parent and child interaction is encouraged.
Enjoy stories, action finger rhymes and songs, magnetic boards & crafts together. There
will be no Storytime session on Good Friday, April 6.

Saturday, April 14, 1:00 p.m.
The Big Read – Adult Reading Discussion
Adults are invited to gather and discuss the memoir, THE GLASS CASTLE, by Jeannette
Walls. The author tells the story of her dysfunctional childhood…one that no child should
have to endure. Copies are available now to check out for 3 weeks. Please call 937 462-
8047 by April 12 if you plan to attend.

April 15 – 21
Come Together at Your Library”
Celebrate National Library Week!

Monday, April 16, 12:00 noon
Lunch at the Library
We’re having a party…a Crock Pot party that is! Bring your favorite, mouth watering
recipe in a crock pot and join the lunch bunch at the library. Please bring a written or
typed copy of the recipe to share, also. Invite a friend to come along!

Wednesday, April 18, 3:30 p.m.
Storytelling
All ages are invited for a half hour of high energy, interactive storytelling fun with Lisa
Holmes.

Tuesday, April 24, 3:30p.m.
Incredible Insects
Come and see the world from a bug’s point of view. Make and take home a glowing
firefly and participate in other buggy activities. All ages are welcome.

Friday, April 27, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Teen Dance Dance Revolution
Teens are invited to come to compete or just have fun, after-hours at the library. DDR is
played on a dance mat with arrows that correspond to the arrows projected on the big
screen, using a Play Station or X-Box. We’ll have food, too. So if you plan to come,
please give us a call at 462-8047 by April 26.

Saturday, April 28, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Tween Dance Dance Revolution
Kids ages 9 – 12 are invited to come and test their footwork skills, also. DDR is not only
a lot of fun and great exercise, but it improves your level of concentration and
coordination, too.

Monday, April 30, 6:30 p.m.
Men’s & Kid’s Chess Night
Kids, ages 10 and up, come and mentor with, or challenge the men at chess. We have a
few chess boards, or you may bring your own if you’d like.