It’s been a week since I started writing about the clusterduck at the Huber Heights YWCA. (see my last 3 posts). Today, the Dayton Daily “news” wrote “the professional version.” You’re welcome. They don’t ask the hard questions like why did the Y abandon so much brand new stuff? And why is ADAMHS not doing anything smart with it either.

Here’s their take. Sue me.

Future life of abandoned former YWCA Huber Heights campus unclear

SD

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The Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board is working to determine the future of the YWCA’s Huber Heights campus that shut down not long after it opened.

Board officials are looking to transfer or sell the property in the coming weeks, according to ADAMHS director of strategic initiatives and communication Tina Rezash.

The 19-acre property, located at 7650 Timbercrest Drive, reverted back to the Montgomery County ADAMHS Board this summer after YWCA Dayton vacated it, officials confirmed.

YWCA Dayton executive director Terra Fox Williams, who joined the local YWCA in June 2023, said the decision to step away from the Huber Heights property was difficult.

“As is the case with many businesses and non-profit organizations, it is no secret that the YWCA Dayton has struggled through COVID and in this post-COVID environment,” she said in a statement to Dayton Daily News.

Fox Williams said the ongoing management costs of the campus exceeded the organization’s short- and long-term revenues.

“Although difficult, this decision will allow our organization to support the women, children, and families we serve for the long term,” she said. “We take very seriously our fiduciary responsibility and the impact it has on our community, and we are excited to look to the future and work with the community to create the next chapter for YWCA Dayton.”

YWCA Dayton took over the lease of the Huber Heights campus in June 2019. In 2022, YWCA was slated to receive $500,000 of state capital dollars to go toward renovation costs for the campus, but it never received the state funding.

The property is valued at $5.6 million, according to Montgomery County property records, and has 11 buildings and a 20,000-square-foot administrative building.

YWCA Dayton is based in downtown Dayton with an additional location in Preble County. Some of the organization’s core work includes its domestic violence shelter, permanent supportive housing program and other related services for survivors.

Rezash said after the campus came back to ADAMHS, the ADAMHS Board became aware of some individuals entering the buildings on the property and damage done on-site, but the buildings are now secure.

Cleaning crews were on site Wednesday, and scrap metal was piled outside the YWCA Huber Heights administrative office. Dumpsters were also scattered throughout the campus.

The Huber Heights campus formerly served as the Montgomery County Developmental Center, which was built in 1980 and closed in 2018.

About the Author

SD covers news in Montgomery County for Dayton Daily News. She previously worked as a reporter for the Springfield News-Sun, and prior to then, she served as the editor of The Athens NEWS and the Vinton-Jackson Courier. D has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University.

Follow up stories sure to include why so many people left the YWCA staff and is it even a viable organization. Stuff my readers are already clued in on.

Normal journalistic crediting policy:

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE

SPJ NC Chapter President Annick Joseph says their code of ethics is simple and clear: “News outlets should always give credit/attribution to the author and the organization of the original work.” 

“As a journalist, credibility is everything, it’s important to never do anything that can put a journalist’s credibility in jeopardy,” said Joseph. “Once journalistic integrity is questioned or lost, it is nearly impossible to get it back. As journalists we are held to a higher standard, and must act accordingly.”  

Beyond ethics and a professional courtesy, UNC Journalism Professor Ryan Thornburg says it’s important for your audience to understand how stories develop. 

“Something I teach my students — you’ve got to look at the work of others and build on the work of others,” said Thornburg. “It’s important for young journalists who haven’t built sources to spend time in the community, to look as rigorously as they can at what has been reported about the topic.”

A failure to credit the stories that came before yours raises another issue, says Thornburg. It doesn’t acknowledge the time, energy and resources invested by another news outlet. But he adds, if another news organization starts to poke more holes, ferret out additional facts and move the original story forward, that’s something that also benefits the local community. 

“There’s no shortage of stories to be told and voices to be heard,” said Thornburg. “The more collaborative news organizations can be, the better. There are so many stories where if everybody did a little piece of it, the people of North Carolina would be served better. Building on each other and celebrating each other’s success is a better look in general.”

Maybe they don’t teach that at Ohio Universities J-school. It’s a shame, because SD has talent. Her story on Montgomery County Clerk Mike Foley’s attempt at self-enrichment via bribery is excellent.