News
COLERAIN TOWNSHIP ANNOUNCES
NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL UNNEEDED, OBSOLETE OR UNFIT-FOR-USE PERSONAL PROPERTY
BY INTERNET AUCTION
The Colerain Township Board of Trustees passed Resolution No. 09-08 "Declaring Intent to Conduct an Internet Auction for the Sale of Unneeded, Obsolete, or Unfit-for-Use Township Personal property Effective Until December 31, 2008" during its regularly scheduled meeting of January 22, 2008. The Internet Auction will be conducted in a manner and under the general terms and conditions adopted by the Board in said Resolution. The Resolution is on file and available at the Township Administrative offices, 4200 Springdale Road, Colerain Township, Ohio 45251. In addition, the Resolution can be viewed at http://www.egovlink.com/public_documents300/colerain/published_documents/Resolutions/2008/09-08%20Internet%20Auction.pdf .
The Board has an agreement with Hamilton County to conduct the Internet Auction on the Township's behalf. The Hamilton County contact is Shelly Walls, Hamilton County Surplus Asset Program Manager, 138 East Court Street, Room 507, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, (513) 946-4345.
Greg Snyder
A leader, friend, active community member and family man
August 30, 1950
August 3, 2007
It is with tremendous sorrow that we announce the passing of a great man, Greg Snyder.
Greg Snyder, Director of Colerain Township Parks & Services, has been a strong part of the Colerain Township community for most of his life. He even has a strong family history of being involved in the Township with a grandfather that was a trustee, and his father having been the first full-time fire chief for the Township. Greg has touched the lives of many people over the years through his involvement in countless community groups, organizations and projects. He has served as president of the Coleraine Historical Society, Chairman of Coleranie Heritage Memorial, Chairman of Colerain Bicentennial, Co-chair of the Colerain Megaland project, Ad Hoc Committee on House Bill 503, Chairman of the Colerain Township Greenspace Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Memorial Wall committee, Miles Greenwood Historical Fire Aparatus Society, Event Chairman of the Taste of Colerain and 4th of July Spectacular, to name just a few, and all of this after starting his involvement as a volunteer firefighter.
Greg is loved and respected beyond what any words can describe. However, Lt. Dan Meloy did an excellent job summing up what Greg meant to so many in his speach at Greg's funeral. Please read his speach below.
"I must admit when Linda asked me to speak today, I was a bit surprised. Now I am just plain nervous! Greg and Linda have so much family and so many good friends. I accepted Linda's request to speak today as a tremendous opportunity to honor such a good man. I am able to present a man that means so many things to so many people as well as an opportunity to recognize a friend, a co-worker, a husband, father and grandfather.
What did Greg mean to you? Maybe one of those titles represents your relationship with him, maybe more than one works for you. For me Greg was several. I looked at Greg as a Co-Worker, Friend and Leader but most importantly, I believe that I represent the many people in the audience today that call themselves a "friend" of Greg Snyder. Yet, what exactly does that mean?
There are so many definitions and levels of friendship. I, personally, never had dinner with Greg and Linda at their home, I never traveled with Greg on any of his antiquing "adventures," I never just stopped in on Greg and Linda when they lived on Driftwood and ate bacon and tomato sandwiches, or to talk or just spend time sitting with them. But, that is why Greg Snyder is a special person to so many of us in this community. Greg had a special ability to make people feel as though you were welcome to do any of things and much more. You were always welcome. Greg made you feel as though you were his friend and you were important to him. He did that by being there in so many ways for many of us. Isn't that what friends do for one another? No matter the time or circumstance?
I'm going to tell you just a couple little stories that represented to me how good of a person Greg Snyder was: Now remember, these are only a small sampling of the many times he did something for all of us, so much so that each one of us could stand up here and speak about him.
The first of several instances that came to mind when I was preparing for today was from 1996. Denny Deaton also spoke of this instance and that was when I realized that I wasn't the only person to see him in this way. Denny and I had just started working on the Bike Patrol and Greg approached us and gave us a key to the "old" Police Department, and in 1996 it was the Parks Office. He told us we may need shelter from the weather and that we were welcome to use his office whenever we needed. A simple gesture of kindness, but a demonstration of how he cared for others.
This second demonstrates his willingness to help others that he does not know. Our current Chief of Police, Steven Sarver believes … "Are we "doing the right thing" or is it the "right thing to do." Greg Snyder believed in the philosophy "it's just the right thing to do." In one circumstance, Colerain Police Neighborhood Resource Officer, Jennifer Sharp received a number of calls from residents about an extremely large amount of trash left on the streets edge; the trash was leftover from an eviction of a home in the neighborhood. The complaint was, the neighborhood trash day was the day prior, so the trash would sit on the street for six more days. You can understand the neighborhood concern. That is a problem no community would want to deal with. In attempts to resolve the complaint, Jennifer made calls, another Neighborhood Resource Officer, Kevin Sevier made calls for assistance as well. I called one person. And we all know who I called. That's right, I called Greg. Why? I knew if he couldn't help, he would know who I could call and the person he suggested would be someone that we could count on to get the job done. But, in this particular case Greg only asked me what neighborhood the trash was in and what street. He told me not to worry about it and that he would "take care of the problem." To give credit where credit is due, Dave Lauer, a second parks employee, Jennifer, and Kevin went down and picked up all the trash. Not the normal government response to a problem. We as a Police Department, employ a philosophy of "thinking outside the box" and allowing employees to figure out resolutions to the many issues that face us on a daily basis. Greg also believed in that philosophy. In this particular situation, the problem was solved and the community was very happy. Simple and swift. Is that not what Greg always did? Didn't he show us at times to look through all the issues and see the heart of the issue and move to complete the task? Greg had a gift of seeing through the bureaucracy of government and just made things happen: the evolution of the "Taste of Colerain", the 4th of July Spectacular, Colerain Park and most recently, Heritage Park. I cannot or will not attend, stop in, or drive past any of those events, or locations without thinking of Greg Snyder.
I end this very soon, but I will take just another minute to remember just a couple images of Greg that I will not forget. For those of us that worked the Township Summer events, most certainly remember a "4th of July Spectacular," just a few years ago. We all remember the unbelievable winds and rainstorm that struck the event causing a cancellation of the fireworks show. People were everywhere, they were not happy, and they were wet from the rain. We were soaked from the rain. But what I remember most from that evening was Greg. Someone (later found to be a citizen) but we never found out exactly who, had "stolen" his golf cart! Now many of us paint a picture of Greg at these events driving his golf cart drinking his Diet Pepsi, and checking with the weather guys at Channel 9. So, Greg without a golf cart…Greg was MAD! Now, that was not a side of Greg that I had ever seen. Just an update…We did find that golf cart. It was located on Yellowwood Drive, near Thimbleglen. But, now as I reflect back on the events in the years since, I don't think I ever saw Greg leave his golf cart unattended again.
I also remember helping an extremely nervous Greg trying to fix his necktie before he spoke to a "State of the Township" meeting for the Colerain Township Business Association. He did not like wearing ties and he did not like to public speaking, in fact, I believe we would all agree that Greg "hated" to get up and speak in front of people. Greg was a "work out of his truck, drink out his 2-liter bottle of soda, write it on a "post-it note" and "work" kind of guy.
Greg was a leader. But, he was a human being. Not all bosses figure out that balance of leadership and learn that the proper use of people is the avenue to success and they our employees are assets that make things go. He was smart enough to understand it was not about Greg Snyder. Greg was the facilitator to all this success. He knew how to push the right buttons. Greg had the uncanny ability to make you enjoy "working your butt off" for whatever needed to be done. For me, working for Greg meant the summer events. We all volunteered our time, no one got paid for all the hard work and long hours. Remember that these people worked long days at other jobs before coming to give 10-12 more hours a day for Greg. But, each year, everyone would be back on the job, actually looking forward to the events, mostly because we didn't want to let Greg down. I know that is how I felt.
Greg was respected and appreciated by many and we were privileged to be part of his team, no matter the cause and privileged to call him a "friend." I often heard a statement made during the years. That statement was "I am here because of Greg Snyder" or "I am involved because of Greg Snyder." That statement reflects the positive influence Greg had on many people. Look at all that has been accomplished because of Greg Snyder's vision, will, determination and influence. Today I repeat the words I often heard… "I am here because of Greg Snyder" and I am proud to represent all the people that call ourselves a "friend" of Greg and Linda.
I leave you with a Bible verse so appropriately reflected in the memorial guestbook by Police Officer Joe Hendricks and his wife Laura:
Matthew Chapter 25, verse 21 says:
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Well done good friend, well done Greg Snyder…"
Greg - Center of bottom row
Click on the icon above to view the latest issue of the Colerain Township Newsletter!
2008 Historical Calendars Now On Sale!
Enjoy an abundance of historical facts, stories and pictures of Colerain Township, along with current Township information, in Colerain Township's Historical Calendars. Assembled, published and sold by the LaSalle Knights of Columbus, the 2007 calendars can be purchased for $5 at Colerain Township Administration Department, Stehlin's Meats, and the Information Booth in Northgate Mall. If you cannot make it to one of these locations, call Frank Scholle at (513)385-6110 to have one shipped to you. You can also call Mr. Scholle if you are interested in purchasing discounted back issues, or if you have pictures or information that could be included in future issues.
Recycling Bin Available
Colerain Township now has a recycling bin available for residents to recycle. Located in the back parking lot behind the Senior & Community Center at 4300 Springdale Road (west of Northgate Mall), the bin is available 24 hours a day for residents. Items accepted include: newspaper, residential mixed paper, brown paper bags, magazines, No. 1 and No. 2 plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars. Plastic grocery bags are not accepted.
Call 385-7500 for additional information on Colerain Township's recycling bins.
For additional information on recycling, please visit Hamilton County Environmental Services web site or click here for information on Colerain Township's Residential Recycling Day.
For information on Homeland Security, please visit: www.ready.gov
Scout Tour
Do you have a Scout Troop that is currently working on a government badge? Do you just want to learn more about your local government? Informational tours of the Township Administration Complex are available by calling (513)385-7500.