Letters to Editor
Halt Fracking
On Jan. 3, we read in the Maple Leaf about a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plan to study fracking impacts on drinking water, projected completion date sometime in 2014.
It seems prudent and conservative to call for a moratorium on the drilling of production and injection wells for fracking until the U.S. EPA completes and releases this report.
On Jan. 17, state Sen. John Eklund was one of the presenters at a panel presentation on the topic of fracking at Notre Dame Educational Center. He explained why the State of Ohio is in a better position than local communities to govern fracking, because the state has access to more and better resources and information, and is in a better position to monitor, regulate and enforce the fracking process, and handle any problems.
Also, Sen. Eklund explained that fracking is a statewide issue, and each local community would have merely its own interests in mind, not the big picture.
Following the senator’s own logic, it seems that the U.S. EPA would therefore be in a better position than the State of Ohio to evaluate fracking, because of access to more and better resources and information at the national level, and because energy production is a national issue, with each state playing a part but not necessarily having the larger national interest in view.
Therefore, Sen. Eklund, please speak up and call for an immediate halt on fracking activities throughout Ohio until the U.S. EPA releases its findings. Decisions can then be made based on scientific evidence and a clear understanding of the costs, risks and benefits.
If oil and gas companies are allowed to proceed with fracking with many questions still unasked and unanswered, it will look like our elected officials care more for private profit than public health and welfare and that can’t be true, can it?
Kathleen O. Webb
Munson Township
Terrible Job Plowing
I have been a Chesterland resident for over eight years and have seen some pretty bad weather here.
Up until the last couple of years, the highway department has done a wonderful job of plowing the roads. Lately, however, they are terrible.
In early fall, they have driven down the road with their plow down; it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but the problem is … there’s no snow to plow.
The latest was on Jan. 31, about 4:45 a.m.; no snow but the plows were down.
When there is snow, the crews get out late and do a terrible job of plowing.
Pat Boettcher
Chester Township
Groomed XC Trails
Im sure that many classic cross country skiers are unaware of the magnificant grooming and tracking job that John Oros and his people at Geauga Park District do on the Maple Highlands Trail from Route 44 just south of Chardon Square to Claridon-Troy Road, and from U.S. 322 to the end of the bike path at East Branch Reservoir.
The terrain is gentle and great for new skiers with no steep hills to negotiate. The trail is well-protected with trees on both sides and there arent big crowds of people.
Walkers with snow shoes are encouraged to walk down the center of the trail to avoid stepping into the groomed ski tracks.
The trail is groomed when there is ample snow cover. Please come out and enjoy it.
Bill Salmon
City of Chardon
Arm Teachers?
From a teacher in St. Paul, Minn.
You want to arm me? Good. Then arm me with a school psychologist at my school who has time to do more than test and sit in meetings about testing.
Arm me with enough counselors so we can build skills to prevent violence, have meaningful discussions with students about their future and… not merely frantically adjust student schedules like a Jenga game.
Arm me with social workers who can thoughtfully attend to a student’s and her family’s needs so I. Can. Teach.
Arm me with enough school nurses so that they are accessible to every child and can work as a team with me rather than operate their offices as de facto urgent care centers.
Arm me with more days on the calendar for teaching and learning and fewer days for standardized testing.
Arm me with class sizes that allow my colleagues and I to know both our students and their families well.
Arm my colleagues and I with the time it takes to improve together and the time it takes to give great feedback to students about their work and progress.
Until you arm me to the hilt with what it will take to meet the needs of an increasingly vulnerable student population, I respectfully request you keep your opinions on schools and our safety to yourself NRA. Knock it off.
Mary Cathryn Ricker
President, St. Paul Federation of Teachers
Editors Note: This letter was sent to Chester Township resident Elliott Berenson by his daughter, who lives in Madison, Wisc.
