The Newark Advocate from Newark, Ohio • 1

A GANNETT COMPANY SUNDAY Nov. 6, 2011 vvr'J Tim, I Ira mm mm a CO Mi TELLING I ITTI WHITF I IFS TO YOI IR lnside illMlj DOCTOR COULD HURT LATER ON RUNNING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TODAY? Daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m.; clocks were set back one hour AV JtH) nH, Blackhand Gorge land records not easy to decipher it comiulicatei Economic upswing more than just talk Foreclosures, bankruptcies, unemployment down By Kent Mallett Advocate Reporter 1 mm -J -J Jm, -W 1. Richard Burkholder holds his dog. Jib, on Friday as he looks over a cliff at the Licking River in Blackhand Gorge. He shares ownership of part of the area with other Rock Haven Park residents near Toboso.

zach graythe advocate BLACKHAND GORGE NEWARK Local economic indicators finally are beginning to reflect the positive views expressed by some government and business leaders throughout the year. Foreclosures, which four years ago might have provided the first sign of an oncoming recession, now reveal one of the most heartening trends in Licking County. During the first three quarters of the year, foreclosures have declined 17 percent from 2010, dropping from 903 to 747. Bankruptcy filings are down 18 percent this year, new car sales have jumped 17 percent, and the unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent. Heath Mayor Mark Johns, who is chairman of the Licking County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee and active with the chamber's manufacturer's council, said 2012 looks promising.

"Companies (that) weren't paying profit tax last year are paying it this year," Johns said. "A number of employers in the city have added employees. "My perspective is things seem to be on an upswing, but not back to 2007, where we were before the recession began." Income tax collections are up this year in Heath and Newark, while county sales tax collections have topped 2010 in each of the 10 months for an increase of more than $1 million. "We're on track to hit about $5.3 or $5.4 million, and we budgeted for $5 million," Johns said of Heath's revenue. "It's encouraging to see tax revenue coming in, and going up.

"What's driving it is the employers that have been in the city, not local road projects." Licking County has passed the $20 million mark in sales tax receipts collected through October. In fact, the last three months of sales tax receipts provided $6.5 million, topping the August through October totals since 2006. See ECONOMY, Page 7 A Rock Haven a d.i. 1" Trail 0.1 mi. rai iv ri wfjci iy Lines blurred between public areas, private property in scenic area By Seth Roy Advocate Reporter Main Parking Lot Vpcfc Havcr Interurban A lyJ Blackhand I Rock I ichard Burkholder has noticed more peo Interurban Tunnel A Trail X- Jf ple venturing onto the private property portion of Blackhand Gorge during the past few weeks.

Toboso JfDeep Cut Quarry Rim Trail 1 mi. 5 The increased traffic, he said, is because of an Oct. 16 Advocate article about the efforts to open up the area which is next to state property for more people to see sites that have been closed off for years, including a tunnel and the top of Blackhand Rock. "We're really just charged with the responsibility of taking care of this place," Burkholder said. "I will fight to preserve it." See GORGE, Page 6A Michael LehmkuhleThe Advocate SOURCE: Licking County Engineers Office LEARN MORE Gorge access advocates steadfast.

Page 7A Read our previous Blackhand Gorge story at NewarkAdvocate.com. The election cycle: Endure campaigns, cast ballot, repeat Statewide issues Issue 1 would allow judges to serve on the bench until they are 75. Currently, they can serve until age 70. Issue 2 would revise Ohio's collective bargaining laws for public employees, limiting what can be negotiated in contracts. Issue 3 would prohibit the state from requiring Ohioans to buy health care, contrary to what is required under the federal health care law passed in 2010.

Election Day Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Voters unsure of where to vote can find out at www.sos.state.oh.us. Voters must bring photo identification or a piece of mail proving their address.

Those who forget one of these items may cast a provisional ballot that will be held aside until their information can be verified. Anyone who registered before Oct. 1 1 can vote in the election. Those unsure if they are registered can check on the Ohio Secretary of State's website. In-person early voting via absentee ballots has ended.

Voters had until noon Saturday to mail absentee ballots. What's next The 2012 cycle has already commenced, with politicians lining up to run for various offices up for re-election and missives already flying back and forth. However, there are uncertainties to the election, as well. The biggest, by far, is what the state's congressional districts will look like. Lawmakers passed one map that Democrats are threatening to take to referendum.

The Republican majority attempted to pass another map Thursday but did not have enough votes. If a compromise cannot be reached and the current map does go to referendum, either the Ohio Legislature or the federal courts would draw a new, temporary map to be used in the 2012 election cycle. Tied to the maps is a haggle over when the primary will be. After a contention that a March primary would not leave enough time for lawmakers to complete the congressional map, two dates emerged one for state races and the U.S. Senate, the other for presidential and congressional races.

The bill that failed Thursday would have combined both primaries into just one in March. Five Republican candidates have already emerged to challenge U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat State Treasurer Josh Mandel will face off against four other Republicans. Candidates who want to run in these elections have until Dec.

7 to file. June 12 voters will go back to the polls to pick candidates for president and the U.S. House. Presidential and congressional candidates have until March 14 to file to run for office. By Jessica Alaimo CentralOhio.com Elections are a constant cycle.

As one ends Tuesday, campaigning for the next long since has started, and 2012 will be a big year. To complete this year's cycle, Ohioans head to the polls Tuesday to vote on three statewide issues. They also will decide on local candidates and issues specific to where they live. The new voting rules passed by the Legislature earlier this year will not take effect because signatures were filed for a referendum campaign to repeal them. LEARN MORE See a list of candidates and read about the issues that will be on Tuesday's ballot 3A.

Visit our online voter guide at NewarkAdvocate.com VoterGuide. November 2012 Whoever wins the primaries will be up for election one year from today. Also, if the congressional lines go through to referendum, they will appear on this ballot as well. There is another petition drive under way. Earlier this year the Ohio Legislature passed sweeping election reforms, which narrow the early voting window, change the way provisional ballots are counted, require all precincts to have 500 voters, forbid counties from automatically mailing out absentee ballots and allow voters to update their registration information online.The Ohio Secretary of State's office is reviewing signatures submitted by the campaign.

It either will verify there are enough signatures by Nov. 1 0, or give the petitioners 1 0 more days to collect the remaining amount needed. $2.00 Serving Licking County for 111 1 SUNNY AND CLEAR High in the lower 60s. Low in the upper 30s. Forecast 8A Advice 3C Local 1B Classifieds 5B, 6C Nation, World Comics Inside Obituaries 2B Community 2C Opinion 4A 190 years ii losor'soeoz' ir (c ivii lr.