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Dirty Dawg’s BBQ!
Is coming to Alexandria sometime this August! They will have a wide range of sandwiches with all the traditional sides plus a few of their own, as well as ICE CREAM! They will initially serve from their food truck while they build deck for patio seating around the existing building (formerly The Village Taco) at 7 East Main St. Their 3-year plan is to build a sit-down restaurant next to the former Village Taco on the corner of S Liberty and E Main St and turn the original Taco building into an ice cream stand. I will see you there for the Grand Opening! Water Project As you can see the water distribution repair is nearly completed. They have a few more meters to install and some landscaping to finish up on and that phase of the work will be complete. We had originally hoped to run water to our park as part of the project, but the bid was so tight we didn’t think we would be able to do that. TLV Services managed to complete the main part of the project with enough money left to complete the water line to the park. This will make it possible sometime in the future to construct a modern concession stand with all the amenities at Parkers Park! We are finishing up the program phase of the system and hope to begin actual billing July 1 for the August bill. Hopefully there will never again be an estimated bill. Regular Scheduled Council Meetings and Village Office Hours Resume June 15th at 7:PM in the Village Building at 4 West Main Street and will continue the third Tuesday of each month. The public is welcome, face coverings are up to everyone’s discretion. The village office will be open to the public Monday’s from 1:30-4:30 beginning August 16, 2021. Help Wanted, Maintenance The Village of Alexandria is looking for a part-time multi skilled maintenance person. Plumbing and electrical experience is a plus, snow plowing, and leaf removal will be required. As well as standard building maintenance, painting, drywall, and such. Any street maintenance experience would be a definite asset. Must be able to lift and carry 50 lb. bags of salt or cold patch. Must have a valid driver license and be able to pass a criminal background check as well as drug and alcohol test. This will be a 10 hour a week position at $18.00 per hour. The Village of Alexandria is an equal opportunity employer. Alexandria Fun Days July 15, 16 & 17 Thursday July 15 4:00PM Sparkling up for Little Miss Fun Days @ The Village Spa 5:00-10:PM Inflatables/Games/Rides Senior Citizen activities under the tent 4-H Band 6:30 PM Little Miss Fun Days check in @ Main Stage 8:00-10:00 PM Barefoot McCoy @ Main Stage 8:00 PM Kids Demo Derby @ Church Lawn Friday July 16 4:00 PM Tractor weigh-ins 5:00-10:PM Inflatables/Games/Rides 6:PM Tractor Pull @ Main Stage 6:00-8:PM Gene Perrine under the tent 9:PM Karaoke under the tent Saturday July 17 10:AM Parade Line-up @ Reeves Farms and Martin Trucking 11:AM Parade will travel East on Main Street and end on Granville St at Depot St. 1:PM Ice Cream Eating Contest under the tent 2:PM Still in the planning 4:PM Kids Pedal Pull @ Main Stage 5:00-10:PM Inflatables/Games/Rides 5:PM Cornhole behind Alexandria Primary 6:PM Jersey Pullers @ Main Stage 6:PM Egg Toss @ Church Lawn 8:00-11:00 PM These Guys Live @ Main Stage Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
1 Comment
Memorial Day Service With this being the last year for the primary school in Alexandria, I am very excited to share that we are working on having the memorial service in the cemetery this year. It is always a moving service, with the veterans providing a flag ceremony and the school children placing flags on the graves of the veterans no longer with us. Thinking about this being the last year for the school I came to realize that I had the honor of being the first one to turn on the school zone lights when we installed them during my 2004 term as mayor. It’s kind of sad to know that I will be the last one to turn them off during my current term. |
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| alexandria_news_april__2021.docx |
ORC 737.15 Appointment of Village Marshal.
Each village shall have a marshal, designated chief of police, appointed by the mayor…
The preceding is a direct quote from the Ohio Revised Code. It is in fact one of a Village Mayor’s first obligations. I know most of our residents are hoping that this appointment grows into a working Police Department and I promised 3 years ago to do my best to make that happen. Given the fact that my father helped create the Village’s first Police Department back in the 60’s, I felt duty bound to help create the Village’s last one. As with everything else Council and I have worked to implement, it is our intention to set up a police department in a manner that should insure its continued existence. There is a lot of groundwork to create a new police department in a Village that has never had one or has disbanded one. The trick has been to work towards establishing a police department with minimal public funds. Dan Bunting, our Chief, purchased a cruiser and donated it to the Village to help towards that goal. It doesn’t have a radar or radio in it, however, it can be used for traffic control and other emergencies and the Village provides insurance to make that possible. Other than that, and a portable radio, it has been our intention not to expend Village funds until we could begin patrolling. We knew this would be a challenge with equipment needs, a magistrate, clerk of courts and police personnel. It is my hope that when we do our annual appropriations in the near future, Council will be able to appropriate the necessary funds to launch a Police Department. I need to make very clear, “this is my hope”. I can’t promise anything until Council puts pen to paper and crunches the numbers. However, the Boy Scout in me always strives to be prepared and hope for the best. I am very proud to share with you that last week I swore in Chief Bunting’s first recruit, Sergeant Josh Weaver. Josh retired recently from the Ohio Highway Patrol with over twenty years of service, most recently as a motorcycle officer. Josh and I actually led our Fundays parade on motorcycles in 2006 during my former Mayor term. Josh brings a lot of expertise, skill and experience to our department! We are currently looking at another recruitment that will probably be sworn in by the time this letter reaches you. This leaves the equipment dilemma - to control the speed of traffic we must have a calibrated and certified radar. The solution to the dilemma came from the Village of Kirkersville! A couple of weeks ago Kirkersville Mayor, Terry Ashcraft, called to see if we were still trying to reinstate a police department and if we could use a police cruiser? He called again as I was typing this letter to let me know that Kirkersville Council agreed unanimously to donate a fully equipped police cruiser to the Village of Alexandria! Kirkersville Police Chief Jason Harget (formerly an Alexandria Police Officer) is planning to personally deliver the cruiser. I can’t wait to reunite with Chief Jason Harget and accept Kirkersville’s generous donation!
The car has been well maintained, the radar recently calibrated and certified, so we need only put our name on it, a radio in it and we are ready to patrol! Marshall Bunting and Sergeant Weaver intend to build this department from scratch and go back to the basics. Protect and Serve “everyone,” high visibility and community interaction. The new department’s uniforms will be a lot less tactical and a little more country. Not to imply that our officers won’t have the equipment and the training to protect themselves and us, because they will. We plan to introduce our department (again if we have the resources to fund it) softly. That is plenty of notice, high visibility and warnings, if reasonable.
Alexandria Mayor, Warren Young (Bud)
After 27 years in the Village, most of it in service of the Village, Bud and Betsy Young have decided to move into a country home just outside of the Village. I got to know Betsy and Bud for the wonderful people they are when Bud served as Mayor of the Village from 2000 to 2004. Betsy has managed the Village’s oldest hair salon, Hair Remedies, for as long as I can remember, and I believe will continue to do so. Bud has served as Mayor, council person, park board, planning and zoning commission, to name a few. He also found time to remodel a couple of houses in the Village as well as build, manage and operate the world-renowned Ragamuffin’s Coffee. Bud and his family will be missed, even though they are right outside of town. No longer being a resident, Bud has resigned his council seat. Anyone that would like an opportunity to fill the empty council seat should submit a letter of interest to any council member. To be a council member you must be a registered voter and have been a resident of the Village for at least one year.
Save our School
I enjoyed a very promising meeting this evening with Northridge Superintendent Scott Schmidt, Ed Bohren from the Buckeye Valley Family YMCA, Dave Bibler from The Licking County Aging program, Jean Morrison, St. Albans Township Trustee and the head of our committee Jeff Mitchell. There was a tour of the Alexandria Primary School followed by a round table discussion (socially distanced and masked of course). A lot of interest was expressed in forming a partnership between this group to maintain the new portion of the building for the use of the community. Thanks to everyone that took the time to fill out and return the survey expressing the community’s desire to preserve the school building. I also need to thank Jeff Mitchell; he has put a lot of time and energy into bringing us to this point and if we are successful in saving the building it will be due to Jeff’s hard work. Also, a huge thank you to Superintend Scott Schmidt who also put an incredible amount of time and effort into the project. In addition, I would like to welcome Scott and his wife Erin to our Village. They purchased Bud and Betsy’s West Main Street home and are currently in the process of moving in!
Santa Claus
Special thanks to the St. Albans Fire Department, the Fire Association and Mike Smith for bringing Santa Claus to town! You were very much appreciated by young and old alike!
Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
Each village shall have a marshal, designated chief of police, appointed by the mayor…
The preceding is a direct quote from the Ohio Revised Code. It is in fact one of a Village Mayor’s first obligations. I know most of our residents are hoping that this appointment grows into a working Police Department and I promised 3 years ago to do my best to make that happen. Given the fact that my father helped create the Village’s first Police Department back in the 60’s, I felt duty bound to help create the Village’s last one. As with everything else Council and I have worked to implement, it is our intention to set up a police department in a manner that should insure its continued existence. There is a lot of groundwork to create a new police department in a Village that has never had one or has disbanded one. The trick has been to work towards establishing a police department with minimal public funds. Dan Bunting, our Chief, purchased a cruiser and donated it to the Village to help towards that goal. It doesn’t have a radar or radio in it, however, it can be used for traffic control and other emergencies and the Village provides insurance to make that possible. Other than that, and a portable radio, it has been our intention not to expend Village funds until we could begin patrolling. We knew this would be a challenge with equipment needs, a magistrate, clerk of courts and police personnel. It is my hope that when we do our annual appropriations in the near future, Council will be able to appropriate the necessary funds to launch a Police Department. I need to make very clear, “this is my hope”. I can’t promise anything until Council puts pen to paper and crunches the numbers. However, the Boy Scout in me always strives to be prepared and hope for the best. I am very proud to share with you that last week I swore in Chief Bunting’s first recruit, Sergeant Josh Weaver. Josh retired recently from the Ohio Highway Patrol with over twenty years of service, most recently as a motorcycle officer. Josh and I actually led our Fundays parade on motorcycles in 2006 during my former Mayor term. Josh brings a lot of expertise, skill and experience to our department! We are currently looking at another recruitment that will probably be sworn in by the time this letter reaches you. This leaves the equipment dilemma - to control the speed of traffic we must have a calibrated and certified radar. The solution to the dilemma came from the Village of Kirkersville! A couple of weeks ago Kirkersville Mayor, Terry Ashcraft, called to see if we were still trying to reinstate a police department and if we could use a police cruiser? He called again as I was typing this letter to let me know that Kirkersville Council agreed unanimously to donate a fully equipped police cruiser to the Village of Alexandria! Kirkersville Police Chief Jason Harget (formerly an Alexandria Police Officer) is planning to personally deliver the cruiser. I can’t wait to reunite with Chief Jason Harget and accept Kirkersville’s generous donation!
The car has been well maintained, the radar recently calibrated and certified, so we need only put our name on it, a radio in it and we are ready to patrol! Marshall Bunting and Sergeant Weaver intend to build this department from scratch and go back to the basics. Protect and Serve “everyone,” high visibility and community interaction. The new department’s uniforms will be a lot less tactical and a little more country. Not to imply that our officers won’t have the equipment and the training to protect themselves and us, because they will. We plan to introduce our department (again if we have the resources to fund it) softly. That is plenty of notice, high visibility and warnings, if reasonable.
Alexandria Mayor, Warren Young (Bud)
After 27 years in the Village, most of it in service of the Village, Bud and Betsy Young have decided to move into a country home just outside of the Village. I got to know Betsy and Bud for the wonderful people they are when Bud served as Mayor of the Village from 2000 to 2004. Betsy has managed the Village’s oldest hair salon, Hair Remedies, for as long as I can remember, and I believe will continue to do so. Bud has served as Mayor, council person, park board, planning and zoning commission, to name a few. He also found time to remodel a couple of houses in the Village as well as build, manage and operate the world-renowned Ragamuffin’s Coffee. Bud and his family will be missed, even though they are right outside of town. No longer being a resident, Bud has resigned his council seat. Anyone that would like an opportunity to fill the empty council seat should submit a letter of interest to any council member. To be a council member you must be a registered voter and have been a resident of the Village for at least one year.
Save our School
I enjoyed a very promising meeting this evening with Northridge Superintendent Scott Schmidt, Ed Bohren from the Buckeye Valley Family YMCA, Dave Bibler from The Licking County Aging program, Jean Morrison, St. Albans Township Trustee and the head of our committee Jeff Mitchell. There was a tour of the Alexandria Primary School followed by a round table discussion (socially distanced and masked of course). A lot of interest was expressed in forming a partnership between this group to maintain the new portion of the building for the use of the community. Thanks to everyone that took the time to fill out and return the survey expressing the community’s desire to preserve the school building. I also need to thank Jeff Mitchell; he has put a lot of time and energy into bringing us to this point and if we are successful in saving the building it will be due to Jeff’s hard work. Also, a huge thank you to Superintend Scott Schmidt who also put an incredible amount of time and effort into the project. In addition, I would like to welcome Scott and his wife Erin to our Village. They purchased Bud and Betsy’s West Main Street home and are currently in the process of moving in!
Santa Claus
Special thanks to the St. Albans Fire Department, the Fire Association and Mike Smith for bringing Santa Claus to town! You were very much appreciated by young and old alike!
Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
Watch for Santa on the Fire Truck from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. on December 19th.
Local Business/Water Project
I am sure most people have seen TLV Services in town doing repairs to our water system
over the years, however I am not sure if everyone realizes that they are in fact a “Local Business”.
Their business is located at 4240 Morse Rd. Alexandria Ohio, 43001. In fact, if they were not a local
business with Alexandria ties and employees, they probably would not be doing this project. We
bid this project extremely tight; we wanted first-class long-lasting material installed at a fair price.
At least in our eyes we bid at a fair price, however we were so frugal no one would bid the project
at all. We met again with the engineers to figure out a way get our repairs finished without
changing our specifications or raising the cost of the project - I think everyone agrees that our
water bill is high enough. After meeting with the engineers and talking with the contractors that
picked up bid packets, we removed everything that wasn’t specifically repairs to the distribution
system, such as replacing the valves at the water tower, running water to the park - anything that
wasn’t a possible water leak was removed from the job description and then we resent the big
packets. Only TLV came to the bid meeting, they expressed that the work was going to be so close
to the maximum allowable bid that a contractor could lose money on the project. However, with
us having a long-term working relationship with TLV and being so close they were willing to try it.
I am sharing this again in response to some of the questions people have asked about the project.
They are trying to get as much work done as quickly as they can with as few workers as possible.
When you use public funds for a project you are required to pay prevailing wage to the workers. So
just by not using flaggers, it can save a tremendous amount of money. Doing as many as they can
as quickly as they can has also been good for the village. They have already found and repaired at
least a half dozen major leaks that we would possibly have never found. In addition to the repairs
they are running tracer wire so that in the future we will be able to find the service taps without all
of the digging. There is money in the project for asphalt repair rather than cold patch, I know the
speed bumps up main street are noisy, but it will get better. However, it will not be as good as it
was until the state paves again. There is also money in the project for landscape restoration - the
gravel around the pits protects the water lines and after it’s settled, they will fill the rest of the hole
with topsoil, seed and straw it.
Everyone should be prepared to be without water for a few hours during the work. TLV has been
doing this kind of work for a long time however when you are working close to a plastic water line
with big equipment there is always the possibility of a break in the main water line We should also
be prepared for a 24 to 48 hour boil alert in the event of an accident.
Floodplain Insurance
I know this is a major concern to our residents on Granville Street. Brett DeCenzo has spent
years trying to find a way to lower the cost and finally came across a company called Floodsmart
that saved him a considerable amount of money, and signing up was easy. They will only sign up
new customers as your current policy expires, so this is probably the time to start checking prices.
You can find them online at Floodsmart.com or 866-277-0055.
Creekstone Benefits
Another great local business that I only recently realized how helpful they truly are is
Creekstone Benefits. If you are lucky enough to make it to 65 years old you find yourself
bombarded with mail and email from Medicare, Medicaid, WellCare, Supplements A thru Z and I
don’t know what else. My solution was to throw it all way and plan not to get sick. That worked for
about a month before my wife found out and drug me (virtually) to Creekstone Benefits. They took
it from there, they treated me like they deal with grumpy stubborn old men every day, calm and
professional and signed me up for everything I needed. I do mean they signed me up for everything
I needed! I didn’t talk to anyone else; I didn’t fill anything out, Creekstone did everything. At which
point the grumpy old guy asked how much such an incredible service was going to cost? To my
total disbelief it was my favorite price, free! I literally did nothing, paid nothing and feel very secure
in my insurance coverage. Creekstone Benefits, 1400 Tharp Road Alexandria Ohio 43001,
(740) 967-0210. Tell them the grumpy old man sent you!
Notice to those of you who pay your water/sewer bills with a debit or credit card:
The process has not changed, but the name of the company has. The company name has
been changed from GovPay to AllPaid. I believe that for now the GovPay site is still working, but
you can go to allpaid.com to make payments going forward.
Covid 19
I have already lost two friends to the virus and fear I am losing another as I write this.
Others in town have lost friends and relatives. Please don’t let your guard down, the end is in sight.
Wear your mask, maintain a safe social distance and wash your hands. It isn’t expensive or difficult
and it makes people feel safer. After all it is the season of giving - have a great and safe Holiday
Season!
Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
Local Business/Water Project
I am sure most people have seen TLV Services in town doing repairs to our water system
over the years, however I am not sure if everyone realizes that they are in fact a “Local Business”.
Their business is located at 4240 Morse Rd. Alexandria Ohio, 43001. In fact, if they were not a local
business with Alexandria ties and employees, they probably would not be doing this project. We
bid this project extremely tight; we wanted first-class long-lasting material installed at a fair price.
At least in our eyes we bid at a fair price, however we were so frugal no one would bid the project
at all. We met again with the engineers to figure out a way get our repairs finished without
changing our specifications or raising the cost of the project - I think everyone agrees that our
water bill is high enough. After meeting with the engineers and talking with the contractors that
picked up bid packets, we removed everything that wasn’t specifically repairs to the distribution
system, such as replacing the valves at the water tower, running water to the park - anything that
wasn’t a possible water leak was removed from the job description and then we resent the big
packets. Only TLV came to the bid meeting, they expressed that the work was going to be so close
to the maximum allowable bid that a contractor could lose money on the project. However, with
us having a long-term working relationship with TLV and being so close they were willing to try it.
I am sharing this again in response to some of the questions people have asked about the project.
They are trying to get as much work done as quickly as they can with as few workers as possible.
When you use public funds for a project you are required to pay prevailing wage to the workers. So
just by not using flaggers, it can save a tremendous amount of money. Doing as many as they can
as quickly as they can has also been good for the village. They have already found and repaired at
least a half dozen major leaks that we would possibly have never found. In addition to the repairs
they are running tracer wire so that in the future we will be able to find the service taps without all
of the digging. There is money in the project for asphalt repair rather than cold patch, I know the
speed bumps up main street are noisy, but it will get better. However, it will not be as good as it
was until the state paves again. There is also money in the project for landscape restoration - the
gravel around the pits protects the water lines and after it’s settled, they will fill the rest of the hole
with topsoil, seed and straw it.
Everyone should be prepared to be without water for a few hours during the work. TLV has been
doing this kind of work for a long time however when you are working close to a plastic water line
with big equipment there is always the possibility of a break in the main water line We should also
be prepared for a 24 to 48 hour boil alert in the event of an accident.
Floodplain Insurance
I know this is a major concern to our residents on Granville Street. Brett DeCenzo has spent
years trying to find a way to lower the cost and finally came across a company called Floodsmart
that saved him a considerable amount of money, and signing up was easy. They will only sign up
new customers as your current policy expires, so this is probably the time to start checking prices.
You can find them online at Floodsmart.com or 866-277-0055.
Creekstone Benefits
Another great local business that I only recently realized how helpful they truly are is
Creekstone Benefits. If you are lucky enough to make it to 65 years old you find yourself
bombarded with mail and email from Medicare, Medicaid, WellCare, Supplements A thru Z and I
don’t know what else. My solution was to throw it all way and plan not to get sick. That worked for
about a month before my wife found out and drug me (virtually) to Creekstone Benefits. They took
it from there, they treated me like they deal with grumpy stubborn old men every day, calm and
professional and signed me up for everything I needed. I do mean they signed me up for everything
I needed! I didn’t talk to anyone else; I didn’t fill anything out, Creekstone did everything. At which
point the grumpy old guy asked how much such an incredible service was going to cost? To my
total disbelief it was my favorite price, free! I literally did nothing, paid nothing and feel very secure
in my insurance coverage. Creekstone Benefits, 1400 Tharp Road Alexandria Ohio 43001,
(740) 967-0210. Tell them the grumpy old man sent you!
Notice to those of you who pay your water/sewer bills with a debit or credit card:
The process has not changed, but the name of the company has. The company name has
been changed from GovPay to AllPaid. I believe that for now the GovPay site is still working, but
you can go to allpaid.com to make payments going forward.
Covid 19
I have already lost two friends to the virus and fear I am losing another as I write this.
Others in town have lost friends and relatives. Please don’t let your guard down, the end is in sight.
Wear your mask, maintain a safe social distance and wash your hands. It isn’t expensive or difficult
and it makes people feel safer. After all it is the season of giving - have a great and safe Holiday
Season!
Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
We have officially began picking up leaves, please rake your leaves as close to the curb as possible. There is no schedule, whenever you put them out, we will try to pick them up within a few days. Please try to keep the piles ”leaves only”, grass, rocks and sticks plug up the machine and wear out the old guy running it. : )
I will let you know when it is time to get the truck ready for winter and the pickup will be over.
I will let you know when it is time to get the truck ready for winter and the pickup will be over.
The water service repair project has finally begun and is moving well, we will be continuing up South Liberty Street tomorrow and then Mill Street.
Brookside Material’s donated a ton of gravel, well actually 50 TONS OF GRAVEL to fill in all our gravel street parking areas along Church and College Street. We hope to finish hauling that this week and begin picking up leaves beginning Monday October 19.
Beggars Night 2020
Goodness knows 2020 has not been a very kind year so far, aside from the illness and worse caused by the virus, I believe it has been particularly hard on our young people. In agreement with that sentiment a group of Mayors and Village managers met with the Licking County Health Department (LCHD) to find a way to safely offer Beggars Night (Trick or Treat). It was agreed that if possible, we would hold the event countywide on Thursday, October 29th from 5:30pm to 7pm.
Aligning the event in each community will reduce the comingling of communities, which may lead to an increase of COVID-19 cases. In addition, LCHD recommends:
More on the Water Project
Hopefully by the time this letter is received we will have updated some water service connections and have a good feel for how long the project will take and how it will go. We are starting on Church and College Street. I am not sure at this time where we will go from there - the best way to keep informed is to receive email updates. To be added to the list, email me at voa.mayor@outlook.com. Be prepared to be without water for a few hours when they get to your house. You will know they are getting close when you see OOPS marking gas lines in your area. I had mentioned in a previous letter that this might be a good time to update the water service line into your home. I have since realized that TLV does not do inside residential work. They could pull in the new water line; however, you would have to have a plumber at your house to make the inside connection. We have a couple local people that have done service replacements in the village. They did good work at a fair price. Robert Stiers 740-817-4343 and Donnie Scott 614-207-9777
Melvin De Vilbiss
I was honored last month with a visit from our Village’s founder Alexander Devilbiss “Great, Great, Great Grandson” Melvin De Vilbiss. We had originally planned for Melvin and his father, along
with other family members, to be here for our Alexandria Day celebration. However, like so many other events, the Covid made that impossible. The following is Melvin’s excellent notes on the day’s visit:
Had a terrific day today! I met some fascinating people in the town my great great great grandfather founded back in 1830 – Alexandria, OH. Of course, my great (x3) grandfather’s name was Alexander Devilbiss.
First, I met the town mayor, the Honorable Jim Jasper, who promptly took me to the nearest coffee shop where we would sit outside on the back porch getting acquainted while indulging in a delicious egg and sausage croissant.
I gave him a handmade book outlining the “Descendants of Alexander Devilbiss” using my direct lineage through William, Edson, Vern, Don and me. This book included the family tree beginning with Samuel Teuffelbess through Alexander to me. It included the family profile for each individual in the tree, i.e. showing father, mother, spouse, and all children. In the back was a section on George, Alexander’s father and our patriot ancestor, complete with my certification as a Son of the American Revolution (SAR).
Also included was the 1880’s photograph of the four surviving brothers, sons of William who was the son of Alexander. These brothers were all sons of Alexandria, Oh – their birthplace.
From the coffee shop Jim took me to the old Devilbiss cemetery where last year Barbara Sammons (my 4th cousin once removed – through Lewis, son of William) told them the one remaining piece of headstone from the four that were demolished sometime after 1906 was significant in that two of Williams children were said to have been two of the graves. The writing was undiscernible however.
Greg Sturgill, the Alexandria Museum curator, had secured the piece of headstone and would meet up with us later in the day. It was there I introduced them to the “white chalk” method of lightly highlighting the shallow divots. The lettering shown through: “died ** June 1841 aged 12 days”. This would be the marker for one of William’s children born earlier than Lewis, who was born Jan 1845. Sadly, it also leaves sufficient time for yet another lost child before Lewis would be born.
The three of us would return to the Alexandria Museum and go over some old paper files, among them were the speech notes from Thomas Dills DeVilbiss at the Centennial celebration in 1930. Greg will provide me a copy. I offered to donate a copy of Thomas Dills book on the DeVilbiss Family as well as the biography of John Wesley DeVilbiss, youngest son of Alexander and the reason we all use the large “V” in our name.
Not to be outdone, Greg offered me a copy of the historical book about “Alexandria and St. Albans Township.” I immediately recognized the format and remembered, down to the page number, where I had previously read, but did not have in my possession (until now), the following statement: Thomas D. DeVilbiss of Ft. Wayne, a grandson, visited the burial lot in 1906 and found at that time four well preserved markers, those of Alexander Devilbiss, his wife, and two children of his son William.” There it was, second to last paragraph on page 31.
Oh yes, while looking for any other Devilbiss or DeVilbiss in the Maple Grove Cemetery we came across Joey Rhodeback with a wealth of local knowledge – but alas no graves marked so. It was still a very pleasant visit the three of us had together about the history of Alexandria.
Kindest Regards,
Mel
Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
voa.mayor@outlook.com
740-739-0698
Brookside Material’s donated a ton of gravel, well actually 50 TONS OF GRAVEL to fill in all our gravel street parking areas along Church and College Street. We hope to finish hauling that this week and begin picking up leaves beginning Monday October 19.
Beggars Night 2020
Goodness knows 2020 has not been a very kind year so far, aside from the illness and worse caused by the virus, I believe it has been particularly hard on our young people. In agreement with that sentiment a group of Mayors and Village managers met with the Licking County Health Department (LCHD) to find a way to safely offer Beggars Night (Trick or Treat). It was agreed that if possible, we would hold the event countywide on Thursday, October 29th from 5:30pm to 7pm.
Aligning the event in each community will reduce the comingling of communities, which may lead to an increase of COVID-19 cases. In addition, LCHD recommends:
- Participants stay in family groups
- Children be accompanied by an adult
- All participants wear a face covering
- All candy be handed out by an adult (do not grab candy directly from a bowl)
- That you stay at home if you do not feel well
- Do not pass out candy if you do not feel well
- Wash hands or sanitize often
- Observe social distancing and do not gather with other family groups
More on the Water Project
Hopefully by the time this letter is received we will have updated some water service connections and have a good feel for how long the project will take and how it will go. We are starting on Church and College Street. I am not sure at this time where we will go from there - the best way to keep informed is to receive email updates. To be added to the list, email me at voa.mayor@outlook.com. Be prepared to be without water for a few hours when they get to your house. You will know they are getting close when you see OOPS marking gas lines in your area. I had mentioned in a previous letter that this might be a good time to update the water service line into your home. I have since realized that TLV does not do inside residential work. They could pull in the new water line; however, you would have to have a plumber at your house to make the inside connection. We have a couple local people that have done service replacements in the village. They did good work at a fair price. Robert Stiers 740-817-4343 and Donnie Scott 614-207-9777
Melvin De Vilbiss
I was honored last month with a visit from our Village’s founder Alexander Devilbiss “Great, Great, Great Grandson” Melvin De Vilbiss. We had originally planned for Melvin and his father, along
with other family members, to be here for our Alexandria Day celebration. However, like so many other events, the Covid made that impossible. The following is Melvin’s excellent notes on the day’s visit:
Had a terrific day today! I met some fascinating people in the town my great great great grandfather founded back in 1830 – Alexandria, OH. Of course, my great (x3) grandfather’s name was Alexander Devilbiss.
First, I met the town mayor, the Honorable Jim Jasper, who promptly took me to the nearest coffee shop where we would sit outside on the back porch getting acquainted while indulging in a delicious egg and sausage croissant.
I gave him a handmade book outlining the “Descendants of Alexander Devilbiss” using my direct lineage through William, Edson, Vern, Don and me. This book included the family tree beginning with Samuel Teuffelbess through Alexander to me. It included the family profile for each individual in the tree, i.e. showing father, mother, spouse, and all children. In the back was a section on George, Alexander’s father and our patriot ancestor, complete with my certification as a Son of the American Revolution (SAR).
Also included was the 1880’s photograph of the four surviving brothers, sons of William who was the son of Alexander. These brothers were all sons of Alexandria, Oh – their birthplace.
From the coffee shop Jim took me to the old Devilbiss cemetery where last year Barbara Sammons (my 4th cousin once removed – through Lewis, son of William) told them the one remaining piece of headstone from the four that were demolished sometime after 1906 was significant in that two of Williams children were said to have been two of the graves. The writing was undiscernible however.
Greg Sturgill, the Alexandria Museum curator, had secured the piece of headstone and would meet up with us later in the day. It was there I introduced them to the “white chalk” method of lightly highlighting the shallow divots. The lettering shown through: “died ** June 1841 aged 12 days”. This would be the marker for one of William’s children born earlier than Lewis, who was born Jan 1845. Sadly, it also leaves sufficient time for yet another lost child before Lewis would be born.
The three of us would return to the Alexandria Museum and go over some old paper files, among them were the speech notes from Thomas Dills DeVilbiss at the Centennial celebration in 1930. Greg will provide me a copy. I offered to donate a copy of Thomas Dills book on the DeVilbiss Family as well as the biography of John Wesley DeVilbiss, youngest son of Alexander and the reason we all use the large “V” in our name.
Not to be outdone, Greg offered me a copy of the historical book about “Alexandria and St. Albans Township.” I immediately recognized the format and remembered, down to the page number, where I had previously read, but did not have in my possession (until now), the following statement: Thomas D. DeVilbiss of Ft. Wayne, a grandson, visited the burial lot in 1906 and found at that time four well preserved markers, those of Alexander Devilbiss, his wife, and two children of his son William.” There it was, second to last paragraph on page 31.
Oh yes, while looking for any other Devilbiss or DeVilbiss in the Maple Grove Cemetery we came across Joey Rhodeback with a wealth of local knowledge – but alas no graves marked so. It was still a very pleasant visit the three of us had together about the history of Alexandria.
Kindest Regards,
Mel
Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
voa.mayor@outlook.com
740-739-0698
| alexandria_news_october__2020.docx |
Goodness knows 2020 has not been a very kind year so far, aside from the illness and worse caused by the virus, I believe it has been particularly hard on our young people. In agreement with that sentiment a group of Mayors and Village managers met with the Licking County Health Department (LCHD) to find a way to safely offer Beggars Night (Trick or Treat). It was agreed that if possible, we would hold the event countywide on Thursday, October 29th from 5:30pm to 7pm.
Aligning the event in each community will reduce the comingling of communities, which may lead to an increase of COVID-19 cases. In addition, LCHD recommends:
In addition, LCHD asks that participants:
Lastly, I would ask:
People handing out candy to do so from their porch weather permitting or turn on a porch light.
People trick or treating not to knock on doors if there is not a light on.
Mayor, Jim Jasper.
Village of Alexandria
740-739-0698
Aligning the event in each community will reduce the comingling of communities, which may lead to an increase of COVID-19 cases. In addition, LCHD recommends:
- Participants stay in family groups
- Children be accompanied by an adult
- All participants wear a face-covering (or mask for those dressing up) in accordance with the current face covering order
- All candy be handed out by an adult (do not grab candy directly from bowl)
In addition, LCHD asks that participants:
- Stay home if they feel sick
- Do not pass out candy if you feel sick
- Wash hands (or sanitize) often
- Observe social distancing and do not gather with other family groups
Lastly, I would ask:
People handing out candy to do so from their porch weather permitting or turn on a porch light.
People trick or treating not to knock on doors if there is not a light on.
Mayor, Jim Jasper.
Village of Alexandria
740-739-0698
August 4, 2020
The Not so Good News First
We know that some of you have had a tough time financially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the restrictions began, we have not charged late fees or shut off anyone’s water for non-payment. The governor has lifted those restrictions as of last week, so beginning this month, if bills are received after the due date (and we do make sure we have all the bills received through that time, and usually the next business day as well, posted before late fees are applied), you will receive a 10% penalty on your next bill. Additionally, it is likely that if you are delinquent, you will receive a shut-off notice in September. If you are already committed to a payment plan, or would like to set one up to avoid shut-off, please call the Village Office at 740/924-2539 and leave a message or email Linda Propster at voa.manager@outlook.com. In order to avoid late fees and/or shut-off while on the payment plan, you must remain compliant (i.e. pay the required amount plus your current bill by the due date) every month. It would help the Village greatly to have the arrearages paid up to date as we are still operating the water system at a deficit, at least until the water project is completed. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
More on the Water Project
The Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) approved the last of our loans July 30th and we are finally signing the construction agreements and preparing to start digging. Thank goodness, as we are again leaking as much water as we are using again, which in English means Granville charges us $10,000 a month for water they deliver to us, and the Village collects $6,000 from us residents for the water we actually use. Therefore, the Village budget continues to spiral down. We have repaired one leak recently that turned out to be a relatively small leak and have identified another with help from a resident. Fortunately, the end is in sight. We plan to replace the known leak first, as well as the school’s water line so that we do not interrupt a school day. School begins August 31st if you haven’t already heard.
We will follow with the side streets and outside of town, saving Main Street for last. We will put up temporary traffic control lights and Main Street will be one lane for that part of the project.
I think I have mentioned before that we will be replacing each service tap. The water main generally runs under the edge of the road so we will dig a hole at the edge of the street in front of each house for the tap replacement. We will then install a meter pit in front of every house that will take the place of the meter in our basements, which will stay in the basement but not be used. These pits are about 10 inches in diameter and 3-foot-deep, (picture a tall kitchen trash can buried in the yard with the lid being level with the ground). Our hope is to place these pits all in a row so that they will be easy to locate and maintain. On Main Street they should go in the tree lawn between the road and the sidewalk. On Church and College Street where there is parking beside the sidewalk they will probably be on the resident side of the sidewalk. While they are durable, mowing over them and such isn’t a problem, however they are not made to withstand traffic. We will not be replacing saddle taps in Alex Ridge or any that have been replaced in the last 15 years. In those cases, we will just install the new meter pit. All of this information is best guess and estimates and is subject to change as our nearly 50-year-old water system never fails to bring us new surprises and we will have to adapt as we find them.
Customer upgrades
Generally, the plastic water lines coming in our homes and businesses is in pretty good shape, it’s the fittings that corrode and leak. However, if you are concerned about your water line coming into your home, now is the time to replace it.
While they have a hole dug and the equipment there, it will never be cheaper to have a new line installed into your home than now. TLV has agreed to contract with any home or business owner that would like to take advantage of the opportunity. We as homeowners are responsible for that line from the meter pit to the house. Maybe to put it in perspective, unless mine is found to be leaking when they dig it up, I probably won’t have it replaced. If I had moisture in the basement where it comes through the wall or any other concern, then I probably would replace it while they are here. However, if I owned a downtown business or apartment building where the water line runs under concrete and asphalt, I would replace the service line into the building at this time. The hole will already be dug in the street and sidewalk, so you would only have to pay to pull a few feet of water line into your building and connect it.
Again, unless you have your service line replaced into your basement, no one will need to come inside your home, all work will be done in the Village right-of-way. You will want to be prepared to be without water for a few hours when they get to your house. While we will take every precaution to prevent it, there is always the possibility that we might have to shut off a section of the Village water for a repair and then issue a boil alert. I would recommend everyone try to keep a 24-hour supply of drinking water on hand, just in case. As always check the website or call or email me for details or with questions.
No news
With the pandemic having eliminated every event and activity, there will be times when there just isn’t anything to share with you in a newsletter. So, on those occasions when I don’t have anything to say I will save a tree and some money and omit the newsletter from your water bill. We are doing a great job in our community staying healthy, but don’t let your guard down. Keep up the social distancing and hand washing. Wear a face covering when you can’t and anytime you enter a business, hopefully we can get back to “old” normal soon.
Sad news
I regret to share with you that we have lost former Mayor Richard Hammond to a heart attack last Saturday August 08, 2020. I wouldn’t dare attempt an obituary for Richard as it will take a team of family members and friends to document all his achievements in his short 73 years of life. However, I would like to share just a little of what I know of Richard’s active life growing up in the Village just a few years younger than him. I know Richard served our country in military service after graduating from Northridge High School however I think my earliest memory of Ritchie (as his friends knew him) was has a teller in the Alexandria Bank, the building is now the Village office building. I know Mr. Hammond operated several successful businesses outside of the Village after the bank closed. Yet he was never not actively involved in making our Village a better place to live. In addition to being elected and serving a full term as Mayor, for as long as I can remember Richard took an active role in beautifying Parkers Park. He served as either a member of the park board or a volunteer groundskeeper until the day he died. He worked many years as Village Administrator, it was during this time that Mr. Hammond put the flower beds and flag post in the tree lawns throughout the Village. His friend and park board member Harold Lee recently said the park is Ritchie, I agreed. If you didn’t know Ritchie and would like to get a glimpse of his life, or if you knew him and want to reconnect take a walk through the park. You will find him there in the flower beds, the memorial trees and walkways, the park wouldn’t be what it is today without Mr. Hammonds hard work. The Park Board members and family of Mr. Hammond are planning a memorial for Richard Hammond to be permanently erected at the park, I will let you know when the service takes place. Richard Hammond devoted his life to our Village, and he will be missed.
Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
voa.mayor@outlook.com
740-739-0698
| alexandria_news_august_2020.docx |
Alexandria Fundays
Always optimistic we continued planning and hoping to hold our annual street fair, until it became obvious that there was no way to do it safely under the Stay Safe Ohio guidelines. We will now begin hoping and planning, probably against the odds, for a fall event, or hopefully the Santa Brunch. We won’t give up and we will be able to get together again, we just have to stay healthy in the meanwhile.
Thanks, so much to the Fundays committee for all their hard work and continuing to plan for the future!
Alexandria Garden Club
Special thanks to the Alexandria Garden Club for planing those beautiful flowers in the Flower Boxes downtown, as well as carrying water during this unusual hot, dry wether to keep them looking great! They make our village a nicer place to live and I love and appreciate them all!!
Proper Flag Retirement
The United Stages Flag Code, Title 4, Section 8k, states, "When the flag is in such a condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning".
To make that easy for us, Howard Kern, a member of The American Legion Post 805, has placed a box at the Alexandria Library, where we can drop off old flags to be properly retired. Thanks so much to Howard and The American Legion Post 805 for providing this valuable service to us for our nation's flag!
Adkins Waste Disposal
With so many people staying at home now due to the pandemic, Adkins has had to add some employees and change some procedures to keep up with waste pickups. The most relevant to us is that, regardless of holidays, our trash pickup day will always be Wednesday, no later than Thursday. They intend to always pick up on Wednesday; however, there could be occasions when they must come back Thursday to finish. They extend a warm thank you for your understanding and for your business.
Water Service Project
We are on the agenda for the July 16 meeting of the Ohio Water Envelopment Authority, for final approval of our water service connection project. Hopefully work on the project will begin the first of August to replace the water connection and meter in front of every house. No one will need to come inside our home, all work will be done in the Village right-of-way. You will want to be prepared to be without water for a few hours when they get to your house. While we will take every precaution to prevent it, there is always the possibility that we might have to shut off a section of the Village water for a repair and then issue a boil alert. I would recommend everyone try to keep a 24-hours supply of drinking water on hand, just in case. As always, check the website or call or email for details or questions.
Sincerely,
Mayor Jim Jasper
voa.mayor@outlook.com
740-739-0698
Always optimistic we continued planning and hoping to hold our annual street fair, until it became obvious that there was no way to do it safely under the Stay Safe Ohio guidelines. We will now begin hoping and planning, probably against the odds, for a fall event, or hopefully the Santa Brunch. We won’t give up and we will be able to get together again, we just have to stay healthy in the meanwhile.
Thanks, so much to the Fundays committee for all their hard work and continuing to plan for the future!
Alexandria Garden Club
Special thanks to the Alexandria Garden Club for planing those beautiful flowers in the Flower Boxes downtown, as well as carrying water during this unusual hot, dry wether to keep them looking great! They make our village a nicer place to live and I love and appreciate them all!!
Proper Flag Retirement
The United Stages Flag Code, Title 4, Section 8k, states, "When the flag is in such a condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning".
To make that easy for us, Howard Kern, a member of The American Legion Post 805, has placed a box at the Alexandria Library, where we can drop off old flags to be properly retired. Thanks so much to Howard and The American Legion Post 805 for providing this valuable service to us for our nation's flag!
Adkins Waste Disposal
With so many people staying at home now due to the pandemic, Adkins has had to add some employees and change some procedures to keep up with waste pickups. The most relevant to us is that, regardless of holidays, our trash pickup day will always be Wednesday, no later than Thursday. They intend to always pick up on Wednesday; however, there could be occasions when they must come back Thursday to finish. They extend a warm thank you for your understanding and for your business.
Water Service Project
We are on the agenda for the July 16 meeting of the Ohio Water Envelopment Authority, for final approval of our water service connection project. Hopefully work on the project will begin the first of August to replace the water connection and meter in front of every house. No one will need to come inside our home, all work will be done in the Village right-of-way. You will want to be prepared to be without water for a few hours when they get to your house. While we will take every precaution to prevent it, there is always the possibility that we might have to shut off a section of the Village water for a repair and then issue a boil alert. I would recommend everyone try to keep a 24-hours supply of drinking water on hand, just in case. As always, check the website or call or email for details or questions.
Sincerely,
Mayor Jim Jasper
voa.mayor@outlook.com
740-739-0698
Alexandria News
FUN DAYS 2020
Fun really hasn’t been the theme for 2020 so far! However, in Alexandria when life gives us lemons, we make lemonade, and this has been a great year for lemonade! Our Fun Days committee has worked hard in the face of a lot of challenges to bring some fun to our summer, while following CDC guidelines to keep us safe and healthy. I think they have done an outstanding job and I know they have put in a lot of time and effort to make it possible. The rest will be up to us, we will need to maintain a safe social distance of at least 6 feet whenever possible or wear face coverings. Below is a tentative schedule of events, the parade for example is not allowed under the current mandates; however there
is talk that the mandates could change in time for Fundays. All of the schedules are subject to change, to stay up-to-date check the Village website, http://www.AlexandriaOh.com or the Alexandria Fundays’ Facebook page often.
Friday July 17th
4:00 pm Tractor Weigh-ins.
5:30 pm 4-H band performs 6:30 pm
Little Miss Fun Days Pageant 7:00 pm Antique Tractor Pull
8:00 pm Sugar Creek Band
Saturday July 18th
10:00 am Parade line-up (tentative) 11:00 am Parade (tentative)
12:00 pm 4-H band 1:00 pm Barefoot McCoy
4:00 pm Kid’s Pedal Pull 5:00 pm Egg Toss
6:00 pm Corn Hole 6:00 pm Jersey Pullers
7:00 pm Senior Bingo 8:00 pm Demo Derby
Alexandria Garden Club
Special thanks to the Alexandria Garden Club for planting those beautiful flowers in the Flower Boxes downtown, as well as carrying water during this unusual hot dry weather to keep them looking great! They make our Village a nicer place to live and I love and appreciate them all!
Proper Flag Retirement
The United States Flag Code, Title 4, Section 8k states When the flag, is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. To make that easy for us Howard Kern, a member of The American Legion
Post 805 has placed a box at the Alexandria Library where we can drop off old flags to be properly retired. Thanks so much, to Howard and American Legion Post 805 for providing this valuable service to us for our Nations Flag!
Adkins Waste Disposal Service
With so many people staying at home now due to the pandemic, Adkins has had to add some employees and change some procedures to keep up with waste pickups. The most relevant to us is that regardless of Holidays, our trash pickup day will always be Wednesday, no later than Thursday. They intend to always pick up on Wednesday however there could be occasions when they must come back Thursday to finish. They extend a warm thank you for your understanding and for your business.
Water Service Project
We are on the agenda for the July 16 meeting of the Ohio Water Development Authority, for final approval of our water service connection
project. Hopefully work on the project will begin the first of August to replace the water connection and meter in front of every house. No one will need to come inside your home, all work will be done in the Village right-of-way. You will want to be prepared to be without water for a few hours when they get to your house. While we will take every precaution to prevent it, there is always the possibility that we might have to shut off a section of the Village water for a repair and then issue a boil alert. I would recommend everyone try to keep a 24- hour supply of drinking water on hand, just in case. As always check the website or call or email for details or questions.
Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
voa.mayor@outlook.com
740-739-0698
FUN DAYS 2020
Fun really hasn’t been the theme for 2020 so far! However, in Alexandria when life gives us lemons, we make lemonade, and this has been a great year for lemonade! Our Fun Days committee has worked hard in the face of a lot of challenges to bring some fun to our summer, while following CDC guidelines to keep us safe and healthy. I think they have done an outstanding job and I know they have put in a lot of time and effort to make it possible. The rest will be up to us, we will need to maintain a safe social distance of at least 6 feet whenever possible or wear face coverings. Below is a tentative schedule of events, the parade for example is not allowed under the current mandates; however there
is talk that the mandates could change in time for Fundays. All of the schedules are subject to change, to stay up-to-date check the Village website, http://www.AlexandriaOh.com or the Alexandria Fundays’ Facebook page often.
Friday July 17th
4:00 pm Tractor Weigh-ins.
5:30 pm 4-H band performs 6:30 pm
Little Miss Fun Days Pageant 7:00 pm Antique Tractor Pull
8:00 pm Sugar Creek Band
Saturday July 18th
10:00 am Parade line-up (tentative) 11:00 am Parade (tentative)
12:00 pm 4-H band 1:00 pm Barefoot McCoy
4:00 pm Kid’s Pedal Pull 5:00 pm Egg Toss
6:00 pm Corn Hole 6:00 pm Jersey Pullers
7:00 pm Senior Bingo 8:00 pm Demo Derby
Alexandria Garden Club
Special thanks to the Alexandria Garden Club for planting those beautiful flowers in the Flower Boxes downtown, as well as carrying water during this unusual hot dry weather to keep them looking great! They make our Village a nicer place to live and I love and appreciate them all!
Proper Flag Retirement
The United States Flag Code, Title 4, Section 8k states When the flag, is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. To make that easy for us Howard Kern, a member of The American Legion
Post 805 has placed a box at the Alexandria Library where we can drop off old flags to be properly retired. Thanks so much, to Howard and American Legion Post 805 for providing this valuable service to us for our Nations Flag!
Adkins Waste Disposal Service
With so many people staying at home now due to the pandemic, Adkins has had to add some employees and change some procedures to keep up with waste pickups. The most relevant to us is that regardless of Holidays, our trash pickup day will always be Wednesday, no later than Thursday. They intend to always pick up on Wednesday however there could be occasions when they must come back Thursday to finish. They extend a warm thank you for your understanding and for your business.
Water Service Project
We are on the agenda for the July 16 meeting of the Ohio Water Development Authority, for final approval of our water service connection
project. Hopefully work on the project will begin the first of August to replace the water connection and meter in front of every house. No one will need to come inside your home, all work will be done in the Village right-of-way. You will want to be prepared to be without water for a few hours when they get to your house. While we will take every precaution to prevent it, there is always the possibility that we might have to shut off a section of the Village water for a repair and then issue a boil alert. I would recommend everyone try to keep a 24- hour supply of drinking water on hand, just in case. As always check the website or call or email for details or questions.
Sincerely, Mayor Jim Jasper
voa.mayor@outlook.com
740-739-0698
Author
Jim Jasper, Mayor
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