Category Archives: Yellow Springs

Reflection of a Pregnant Pro-Lifer

The above title originates from an article posted on the Canadian Centre For Bio-Ethical Reform. It is the personal story of an pro-life advocate about see her pre-born child in her own womb. As she reflects about this life-changing moment, Ruth Shaw realized two important things: (1) The use of pictures and photographs by pro-life advocates is the best evidence that a fetus is not a blob but a unique person in development, and (2) it is this reason why women contemplating abortion will not likely have an ultrasound.

The following is a excerpt of her story.

As many people know, the work that I do with CCBR is often considered to be controversial because of our constant use of imagery, both of fetal development and abortion. We have often been accused of making women feel guilty about their abortions and have been encouraged to use slogans instead of pictures as though there is no greater merit to using the latter.

As someone who has been using CCBR’s methods for a few years, I first became convicted of their effectiveness while doing pro-life activism on campus. But, once again, the overall effectiveness of imagery was clarified for me when I saw photos of our baby up close.

I now more fully understand why ultrasound technicians are less likely to show abortion-minded women ultrasound imagery before their abortion. There is no way that a woman could in good conscience choose to kill her child after seeing his/her spine, legs, head, eyes, and mouth and after each body part is described to her in detail. There is no way she could justifiably continue to say that her child is just a blob, or a cancerous growth, or simply an extension of herself. Ultrasound imagery shatters the pro-choice perspective of pre-born children into a million pieces.

Yellow Springs Artist Roger Smith at Express Yourself Gallery

Here is an aging hippie who has done his share of time in the Glen and the Pine Forest. It is evident that he has spent untold hours taking in the changing character of the seasons and the land when you look into the depths of Yellow Springs native Roger Smith’s semi-Expressionist paintings of his hometown’s famous woodlands.

The paintings in this exhibit are primarily oils that lean towards forest landscapes and outdoor scenes. Smith calls them, “etheric landscapes of a spiritual nature.” Also included in the show are a few abstract and Eastern religious works which add an unexpected dimension to the collection. Unique to this artist is the range of sizes he works with. “The paintings range in size from minitures of 5×7 inches to as large as 36×40 inches,” he says. As a working artist who frequents nearly all of the art fairs in the region, Smith has specialized in affordable miniatures which are more accessible to the average casual art buyer. The prices range from $35.00 for the miniature canvases to several hundred dollars for the larger works.

Smith’ paintings are on display through the end of March at Express Yourself Coffeehouse and Art Gallery, 78 E. Main St. in downtown Xenia. Exhibit hours are 7 AM to 2 PM, Monday through Saturday and 6 to 9 PM on Friday and Saturday evenings. Stop in and enjoy a latte and an inexpensive lunch while you enjoy the art. For more information call (937) 372-7446, email xeniacoffee@sbcglobal.net or visit www.ExpressYourselfCoffeehouse.com.

Cost of Government in Xenia, Greene County and Dayton Area

A study of the cost of government was recently published by the City of Fairborn. The total cost of government included real estate taxes, income taxes, school district taxes, plus water and sewer services. The study compared the cost of government in 24 cities and villages in both Montgomery and Greene Counties. Each place was ranked from highest to lowest according to total costs.

The study used current tax rates as well as the water and sewer costs from a 2007 Water & Sewer Rate Survey prepared by Oakwood. Comparisons were based on a home valued at $144,896 for real estate taxes and $57,959 Earned Income for city income taxes. School District Taxable Income was
based on $53,609 with one personal, one spouse, and one dependent exemption.

The chart below represents only the study findings for places in Greene County. Continue reading