When you point one finger: Deerfield Township Trustee Randy Kuvin was not amused about a jab by Warren County Commissioner Mike Kilburn during a recent discussion of Middletown Regional Hospital's planned move to Turtlecreek Township.

        Mr. Kilburn's offending quote: “Our fear is that we will end up with another Deerfield Township, with all these cars and no one can move.”

        Mr. Kuvin, however, noted that much of the development of the Fields Ertel interchange off Interstate 71 occurred while the county was handling zoning for the township.

        “That was one of the reasons we took control of our zoning,” Mr. Kuvin said.

        As for the controversy over Middletown Regional's plans, Mr. Kuvin said, “We'd certainly love to have a hospital in Deerfield Township.”

        Courting business: Real estate agent Daryl Dunn, who is challenging Mr. Kilburn for commissioner in the GOP primary, also came out in support of the Middletown Regional project last week.

        “As commissioner, I would embrace the positive impact it would mean for all Warren Countians, including the promise of high- paying jobs, interfacing opportunities and no smoke stacks,” Mr. Dunn said in a letter to members of the pro-business Area Progress Council.

        Vote-stuffing, part II?: The City of Fairfield's new Web design downloaded some comic relief at a recent City Council meeting.

        Council members carefully questioned two staff members in charge of the project about an informal poll that will be posted weekly on the Web site. Council wanted to ensure someone couldn't repeatedly vote on the poll, slanting its outcome.

        “It's not as if we haven't had experience with someone trying to stuff the ballot box,” Councilman Mark Scharringhausen noted, drawing laughter. Jon Sayler pleaded guilty to 58 counts of voter fraud after being accused of stuffing ballots in the November 1999 council race. Mike Snyder, who lost the race for the 1st Ward seat to Mr. Sayler, was later appointed to it.

        — Jennifer Edwards

        A political stink: In West Chester, last week's trustee meeting turned tense when officials overseeing the cleanup of the Skinner Landfill updated trustees.

        Right after the officials, including an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency project manager, assured trustees the job was 99 percent complete and done according to federal requirements, a resident, Fred Carroll, unveiled photos that raised many concerns.

        The photos showed what appears to be water leaking out from underneath the landfill's cap and into a nearby creek, among other things.

        As questions were fired, Trustee Catherine Stoker admitted knowing of the photos last fall.

        She didn't say anything publicly about them — or even to Administrator Dave Gully — until last week, she said, because she was waiting for a chance to probe the EPA and other cleanup officials with the other trustees, and the officials didn't come to West Chester until last week. She said she feared they may “lie and cover up” unless she called them on it publicly.

        Her fellow trustees, however, were not mollified. Dave Tacosik called Ms. Stoker's actions “grandstanding” and Jose Alvarez chalked them up to a stunt.

— Jennifer Edwards

        Tips and comments on suburban politics may be relayed to reporter Cindi Andrews via phone, 755-4157, or e-mail, candrews@enquirer.com

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