Madison Messenger - December 25th, 2022

PAGE 2 - MADISON MESSENGER - December 25, 2022
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City approves two zoning changes
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Self-storage facility and
bed & breakfast planned
By Kristy Zurbrick
Madison Editor
London city council has approved zoning
changes for two pieces of property, one destined
to house a bed and breakfast and the
other a self-storage business.
London resident Alan Knowles plans to
build a four-room bed and breakfast at the
corner of East Center and Maple streets,
across from M&M Diner and along the
Roberts Pass portion of the Ohio To Erie
Trail.
By Kristy Zurbrick
Madison Editor
For the third straight year, Battelle has
awarded grant funding to Hurt/Battelle Memorial
Library in West Jefferson for STEM
(science, technology, engineering and math)
programming.
The library will put the $20,000 toward
supplies and staffing for programs in 2023
for youths up to age 18. The basic goal of
“Full STEM Ahead” is to nurture a love of
science and related fields among young
learners.
“The ultimate goal of this program is to
provide valuable contributions to a wellrounded
education so the participants have
the desire, confidence, knowledge, and skills
to succeed in STEM-related studies and professions,”
according to Battelle.
In the short term, the programs are designed
to help young students make up for
learning deficits in science and math caused
by the pandemic.
“The library is a source of information
and activities to help bridge that gap and
help students make up for lost time during
COVID. Battelle has been a great resource
to provide money for us to do that,” said
Chris Siscoe, library director.
In 2023, the library will present STEM
programs like “Graphing for the Future”
during which a STEM-credentialed teacher
guides teens through the basics of using a
programmable calculator. Participants will
get to keep the calculators which are recommended
for student use at the middle
school, high school, and college levels.
The library also plans to purchase STEM
kits for use during storytimes for children
in pre-kindergarten through third grade.
The kits focus on a variety of topics. One example
is “Things That Fly,” a kit that covers
the lifecycle of butterflies and includes a
backyard birding game and butterfly matching
games. Magnets and gardening are
other examples of kit topics. All of the
STEM kits come with age-appropriate
books, lessons, and supplies.
These are a few of the STEM activities
Following a public hearing on Dec. 15,
council approved changing the zoning on the
one-acre property from manufacturing to
business.
Knowles said the bed and breakfast will
cater to trail traffic and bike tourism but
will be open to everyone. An avid cyclist,
Knowles is a longtime member of Friends of
Madison County Parks and Trails
(FMCPT), the non-profit group that helps to
maintain and improve the portion of the
Ohio to Erie Trail that runs through Madison
County. Knowles currently serves on
FMCPT’s advisory board.
The bed and breakfast will have a railroad
theme. Knowles said he hopes to have
the business up and running by next fall.
Also on Dec. 15, council approved a zoning
switch from manufacturing to planned
unit development for the property at 130W.
High St. The property once was home to
Shaw Elevator but has sat vacant for many
years.
London resident Robert Minner purchased
the property 2.5 years ago. He plans
to build self-storage units on half of the
property. Plans for the other half are yet to
be determined. Minner has previously
owned a self-storage business and currently
manages one. He said there’s a need for
more public storage in London.
“With the expansion of London’s residential,
I think (the need) is only going to grow,”
he said.
Grant keeps STEM momentum going
Children listen intently during a “Science and the Sea” presentation at Hurt/Battelle Memorial
Library. Thanks to a new “Full STEM Ahead” grant from Battelle, the West Jefferson
library is planning more science, technology, engineering, and math programs for
2023.
Hurt/Battelle is lining up for next year to
continue the momentum toward building
youths’ research and study skills. Last year,
more than 2,000 children and teens took
part in the library’s STEM programs.
Siscoe said the library’s board has been
very supportive, as well, increasing the library’s
overall programming budget to
$15,000 for 2023. A large part of that budget
will go toward STEM programming.