Home > Blogs > Mason and Deerfield Township News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > April
April 2008
Do you want an icon in the downtown plaza?
It appears as if the icon for the downtown plaza in Mason is on the shelf for now. With changeover on the Mason City Council and an expected higher than budgeted cost, the city has severed its relationship with artist Edward Casagrande. The budget for the icon was $300,000. He designed a “story tower” that would celebrate Mason’s past, present and future. Former Mayor Char Pelfrey and other downtown committee members were thrilled with the design. The current council has said they aren’t sure they want an icon. Plaza workers have created a planter to fill the space where the icon was supposed to be constructed. Would you like to see an icon built? If so, how much should the city spend?
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Has justice been served now that Michel Veillette is dead?
People are talking a lot about whether justice was served or not, now that Michel Veillette is dead. The police and firefighters who were very upset about this case, now do not have to relive the horrible fire that killed four children, in court. Taxpayers will be saved a lot of money now that the trial will not take place. How do you feel about this?
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Could you sentence Michel Veillette to death?
This week I interviewed the prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Michel Veillette death penalty case. Defense attorneys Greg Howard and Tim McKenna are concentrating much of their efforts on the mitigation phase - in case he is found guilty - of the trial to save his life. If you were a juror and prosecutors Rachel Hutzel and Andy Sievers convinced you he killed his family, could you sentence him to death, or could you be persuaded to give him a life sentence instead. What would it take to convince you?
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Should Mason and Deerfield Twp. cooperate on emergency services?
The Mason Safety Committee will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. tonight, April 7 to explain the fire levy ballot question and they will also explain why three new fire stations are needed, regardless of how much the city and Deerfield Twp. collaborate on emergency services. Mason City Council had first readings on resolutions Monday, March 17, to put an additional fire levy question before voters in a special election Aug. 5. The current 5-mill levy expired in 2007 and the city has determined it needs a renewal, plus an additional two mills, to build and staff three new stations in order to meet National Fire Protection Association standards. If the referendum passes, taxpayers with property valued at $100,000 would pay approximately $70 more per year, or $210 total. Deerfield Twp. and Mason have been working on joint solutions to better serve the entire region. They have discussed automatic response by Mason to the northern part of the township and township emergency crews responding to the area around the Beach first. Elected officials have held back on making such a move, some have said they want to be able to reach their own residents first. Others have said it doesn’t matter what uniform an emergency worker is wearing, just so they get there quickly. How do you think Mason and Deerfield Twp. should cooperate on emergency services?
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Can Michel Veillette get a fair trial?
Michel Veillette faces the death penalty for killing his wife and four children in Mason. His defense team wants the trial moved to another county because of all the publicity. Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel says the residents of Warren County are invested in this case and should be able to serve as jurors. Could you be fair and impartial if you were picked as a juror? Can Veillette get a fair trial in Warren County?
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Deerfield Twp. zoning issues
Residents in Deerfield Twp. have questioned proposed zoning decisions in several cases recently. The township has proposed several zoning changes along the Fields Ertel corridor. Commercial developers have said the changes severely restrict their ability to redevelop existing vacant properties. Residents have complained changes to the residential sector in that area are unnecessary. Township officials wanted to get the changes in place before the year-long moratorium was set to lift in May. With the changes on hold for the moment, the township extended the moratorium another four months. The latest zoning issue involves an administrative appeal filed in the Warren County Common Pleas Court. A group of residents want the court to overturn a Zoning Board of Appeals decision approving the construction of a new Russian Church in the Woodfield subdivision on Columbia Road. I’d like to hear your thoughts on both of these zoning matters. Click here to view the pending Deerfield Twp. Zoning Amendments
