West Liberty Council discusses Purple Heart Ceremony and Labor Day Festival

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The West Liberty Council met in regular session Monday evening.

The newest officer for the West Liberty Police Department, Jason Fishbaugh, was introduced.

Jack Reser, Logan County Auditor, discussed a continuous renewal levy for 2.5 mills for five years starting in 2024 and going through 2029. This levy will be for $100,000 annually and current expenses will never go up. Council approved it, and it will go on the November ballot.

On Monday, August 7th, a Purple Heart Ceremony will take place at 7 pm at Veterans Park. Chief Shane will be the emcee and make a few remarks as the Village of West Liberty honors two more Purple Heart Veterans. Their families and the public are invited to attend. It is recommended to bring lawn chairs.

A Lions Club presentation was held by Jake Vitt. The Lion of the Year honoree was awarded to Judy Legge. Legge was voted on by the Lions Club members, and she has gone above and beyond in serving the community. The Labor Day Festival Grand Marshals will be Richard and Linda LeVan. Richard has been a longtime firefighter for West Liberty. Linda was a sexton for the Fairview Cemetary for 20 years.

The Labor Day Festival (dawn to dusk daily) will be held on September 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. The parade is Saturday at 10:30 am, Classic Car Cruise is Friday from 4-8 pm (registration starts at 3:30 pm), Country Legends Concert is Saturday with gates opening at 2 pm with tickets being required, and the Rise FM Christian Concert is Sunday which will be a free concert.

Mayor Jill McKelvey explains the Purple Heart event, the Lions Club presentations (Lion of the Year honoree and Labor Day Festival Grand Marshals), and the 2023 Labor Day Festival schedule:

The Logan County Pink Out will be held on October 6th. That Friday evening, survivors be recognized at the football game. Shirts will be sold to raise and donate money to the Logan County Cancer Society. A meal with survivors and the West Liberty-Salem Football Team, Cheerleaders, and the Little Tiger Cheerleaders will occur on Thursday, October 5th. More details will come on these events soon.

The Business of the Month for August is Liberty Chiropractic and will be recognized on Tuesday, August 1st at 11:45 am.

A Flood Plain ordinance or resolution (in line with new FEMA regulations) and Flood Mitigation Plan was discussed. A public meeting will be held on August 28 at 6 pm in the Town Hall Opera House to review the new maps and answer questions from experts Allison Fowler, Alicia Silverio, and Helen Norris. The public is invited to attend this meeting. The council meeting will follow at 7 pm.

The Total Solar Eclipse will take place on April 8, 2024. Events start on Saturday, April 6. The Lions Club will have camping at the park. The Logan County Health Department said all temporary camping must meet sanitary sewer, fresh water, and trash receptacle guidelines and must be approved by them in advance. The village ordinance does not allow campers to be parked on the streets. On Saturday, the village will have the unveiling of the Andy Detwiler statue and the showcasing of the inspiration videos (OSU and YouTube) during the afternoon. More details will be released about the Total Solar Eclipse in West Liberty event at a later date.

The downtown street lights are painted and look very good. There has been great feedback from people driving through the village and from business owners.

The village will be repainting lines from Columbus Street to Marie’s Candies shortly.

The Logan Trick or Treat will be on Thursday, October 26 from 6-7:30 pm. The WL Spooktacular will be from 5-8 pm.

The following Reapportionment of Zoning Appeals Board individuals for five-year terms was approved:

Steve Godwin – 2023 appointed until 2028 (Godwin will be the chairperson)
Andy Smith – 2020 appointed until 2025
Brenda Coy – 2022 appointed until 2027
Bev Yoder – 2023 appointed until 2028

The Logan County Health Department is requiring the rabies vaccine for all animals (dogs, cats and ferrets) in public places and will begin Tuesday, August 1st.

The next West Liberty Council meeting will be Monday, August 14th at 7:00 pm.

Other important dates include:

August 3rd: Logan County First Thursday at Sweetie Pie’s, 8 am

September 2nd: Commercial and Residential Beautification Award winners announced at the Labor Day Festival, noon

September 11th: Commercial and Residential Beautification Award winners’ presentation at the council meeting, 7 pm