Letters to Editor
Civic Spirit
The West Geauga class of 2015 matriculated at the school’s football field for the first time since 1980. This year, however, was a bit different from the event of 35 years ago.
This year, the Board of Education sponsored a reception after the graduation ceremonies to provide what for many might be the last opportunity to socialize with friends, fellow parents and teachers and staff who they have known for years.
Hundreds of attendees enjoyed food and beverages donated by West Geauga businesses and clubs in comfort under a large tent made possible by the generosity of Chester Rentals. Patterson Fruit Farm provided doughnuts, Bada-Bing was there to serve their hot pizza and Danny Boy’s, Guido’s and Georgio’s also donated pizza.
Arabica served coffee and iced tea, and they didn’t forget the flavorings.
Giant Eagle of Chesterland donated cases of water they chilled beforehand in their store’s walk-in coolers.
Congratulatory sheet cakes were provided by the Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) of West Geauga high school and middle school, and Lindsey and Westwood elementary schools as well as West Geauga Band Boosters, Drama Club, Choral, Athletic Booster Club and Wolverine Gridiron Club, and the school board and individual members.
The generosity of these groups and, in particular, the businesses who participated, are an embodiment of the civic spirit of West Geauga.
Please don’t forget to patronize the businesses that make this community special and made possible what I hope will be a new post-commencement tradition for West Geauga.
Ben Kotowski, Member
West Geauga Board of Education
Unpleasant Experience
For the past two months I’ve had the unpleasant experience of attending the board meetings of the Geauga Park District and witnessed the board deal with the problem of what to do about the construction of recreational facilities at Bass Lake Preserve.
These facilities were constructed last year in violation of the preservation covenant that governs that property. The district hastily installed these facilities without approval from the Ohio EPA and without regard to the contractual obligations of the park district with the Bass Lake property owners.
Interim park district Director John Oros described the situation as “an oversight.” In fact, it is a monumental waste of taxpayer funds.
Nearly $50,000 was invested in these facilities, which the board finally voted to have removed at the meeting of June 9. There has been no official estimate offered regarding the cost of removal, but it is certain to be substantial.
I don’t know of many businesses that would tolerate such financial waste. Surely those who approved the project and those who failed to carry it out within the confines of legal agreements and regulatory obligations would be dismissed and possibly held liable for the loss.
But our park district board discussed this situation as though it were as simple and ordinary as filling a pothole. Then, to top it off, at the end of the June meeting, the board appointed Oros to the position of executive director — having made only the most feeble attempt to search for qualified candidates for that position and having failed to interview a single candidate.
It’s obvious that at least one the current board members, and the management of the Geauga Park District, view the parks as a reservoir of cash to be siphoned off to their benefit rather than as the great community asset that it was created to be.
Frank Gwirtz
Parkman Township
Let’s Take a Look
What a couple of weeks!
First, Mary Ruth Shumway, Geauga Park District board president, scores another big contract with her Geauga Park District boss Judge Timothy Grendell, this time to organize Grendell’s judicial cases — of course, we can’t expect him to keep up with his own work. This is after scoring three other payments totaling $9,999 from Grendell for a report no one can see.
And, remember, this is is from Judge Grendell who said he had to fire five qualified court employees because he isn’t getting the 70 percent increase in his county court budget in one year that he demands from the county (let them print the money?).
What other changes have happened during last week or two? Take a look:
After calling for a national search for the Geauga Park District’s new executive director in early 2015 and receiving 26 applications — at least 5-7 were very qualified — the very same Mary Ruth Shumway asked the Geauga Park District to declare that John Oros was their man without interviewing a single person, including Oros, even those who might be more qualified than Oros.
Are you truly surprised? Don’t look too far, including the recent hunting permits fiasco and other actions by the park in regards to Oros and Grendell. Grendell has always supported his hunting friend Oros.
Then, just this past week, we see Shumway’s sudden change of heart (and attitude) toward public discussion at park board meetings, from being conciliatory to the public to her sudden declaration that there will not be presentations and the public can only speak for three minutes at beginning of a meeting.
Don’t forget that at the May 2015 Geauga Park Board meeting Ed Buckles was promised a spot by Shumway in the June 9 Geauga Park meeting to discuss bylaw changes. But then, Ed Buckles is told by Shumway just days before the June 9 meeting he can only meet with Shumway privately.
And no, no one else could be there at that sit-down meeting, including no one from the press and no one from Protect Geauga Park steering committee.
After all, Shumway states that she doesn’t recognize that Protect Geauga Park exists, though the state of Ohio and the federal government do acknowledge the group exists.
Of course, this is the very similar tactic that Judge Grendell used this past winter asking to meet with concerned Geauga Park District members only “one at a time” individually.
Note that the only time Judge Grendell ever did meet with concerned Geauga Park District constituents in an actual group was with the Geauga Tea Party at The West Woods county park. But that is another letter to editor and another day for those who declare Grendell and Shumway have no connection to the Tea Party.
Katherine Malmquist
South Russell Village
True or False
I was inspired to write a letter to the editor after reading a letter in the June 11 Maple Leaf.
Funny Mr. Allen should question Judge Grendell’s connection with the tea party. One of the first meetings where I met the judge was a meeting at The West Woods park. The audience was 95 percent tea party, I think.
The one thing I remember most was the judge doing a chicken dance where he was trying to say saving one of the wild endangered birds was ridiculous. Sort of like his dance. All the tea party people clapped their hand and laughed.
Think about this! If no one stopped the killing of the great American Eagle, where would we be today? Simple. There would be no majestic eagles flying free in our skies.
I also know the budget at the Geauga Park District was never set up by the new park board commissioners, so, therefore, when Judge Grendell was at the meeting with the county budget commission there was extra money that was not set aside as it should have been for unknown expenses and for the purchase of new park property.
Once land is sold to developers, the land is gone forever from use for education in nature.
The judge also was instrumental in having the tax levy for the park rescinded. This was a tax levy that the people of Geauga County approved.
Bass Lake is a place with a pristine lake that everyone can enjoy. We are very lucky these residents donated land to the park years ago. Usually a lake community is very private, but in this case we can all enjoy the tranquility of Bass Lake.
While Judge Grendell has cut the budget greatly at Geauga Park District, he has hired Kim Laurie in a new position in his office. This is a position the judge has made as no judge before has needed this position.
The judge also hired Ms. Shumway for a position in his office. Earlier this year, Ms. Shumway was paid $9,999.99 for a job she did for the judge.
The judge appointed her this winter to the Geauga Park District board of commissioners. Ms. Shumway is presently the president of the board. When asked if the Judge in any way influences her, she said no.
I will leave that up to you to make your own decision.
Joy Keco
Bainbridge Township
‘Big Government’
The curious case of Geauga County Commissioner Skip Claypool attacking property owners’ rights at a recent Geauga Park District board meeting has me wondering.
Certainly he understands the development rights of any landowner have monetary value, just like the mineral or drilling rights of a parcel of land. As such, those rights may be bought, sold or donated by the landowner.
County government has no business interfering, and should not trample on the free exercise of the landowners’ liberty, even if it means lower government tax collections in the future.
If one chooses to preserve and protect their land from future development, one absolutely has that right.
But let us consider, for a moment, the budget implications of this economic equation, as any smart elected official should. If the Nature Nazis, or Eco-Commies, or Socialists, could somehow force a landowner to conserve their family’s lands, and confiscate their development rights, how might that hurt government budgets? Maybe conservation of farms and woodlands is a serious problem.
Let me ask a few questions.
How many school buses and snow plows must the government purchase to cover the needs of undeveloped lands, with no streets or houses? How many teachers, firefighters and sheriff deputies are needed for vacant lands? How many new fire trucks, ambulances, streetlights and road salt must a local government pay for to cover the service needs created by hay fields and forests?
How many septic system inspectors, water treatment plant operators and road department truck drivers are needed for undeveloped lands? OK, now add those numbers up. Double the total for every 30 years, as far out as you wish to project. It’s a crazy number, isn’t it?
It seems that undeveloped lands, protected by conservation easements, are really a tool to limit the size of government. Even publicly held, undeveloped park lands cost very little in government services compared to private residential development.
Many county residents might think Commissioner Claypool, by attacking these landowners rights, is actually attacking our park system again. But what if he is really working to build “Big Government” in Geauga, hoping to assure the future tax collection potential of undeveloped lands, so that the government can grow?
Perhaps “Big Government” Claypool is one of those dreaded “RINOs,” or, worse yet, a closet Democrat. Perhaps he should also focus on stopping the proliferation of churches, mosques and synagogues in Geauga County, as these actually shrink local government revenues.
In any case, Big Government can come and take our conservation easement only when they pry my cold, dead fingers from the legal paper on which it is written.
Todd Ray
Munson Township
‘Power-mongers’
The current Board of Commissioners of the Geauga Park District must be stopped. They must not be allowed to blatantly disregard taxpayers’ concerns by limiting their comments and banning their presentations at board meetings.
It is wrong and reprehensible that they are attempting to change the bylaws and officially limit public input regarding the parks management.
I have responded to their survey, but have yet to hear the real, unedited results of it.
We are paying their salaries and deserve to be treated better by these power-mongers.
Diana Rogers
Bainbridge Township
