Starbucks
Chardon finally has a chance to get a decent national franchise in town. Hope city council paves the way with a decent proposal and doesn’t scare off this wonderful opportunity.
Joe Clark
Chardon Township
Parkside Benches Refurbished
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following persons for providing the labor, materials and funds for the refurbishing of the 26 benches in Parkside Park.
The persons to be recognized are:
- Ruth and Bill Philbrick for managing the project.
- Recent West Geauga High School graduates Henry Burkhardt and Wyatt Lupon for providing the labor.
- Mike and Maureen Kilroy for providing the funding for the project.
- Trustee Joe Mazzurco for his support of the project.
This work could not have been completed without the combined effort of these people.
Also, I would like to thank the Chesterland Kiwanis for their sponsorship of the band concerts held in Parkside. We have had record crowds in attendance this year.
Do not miss the remaining scheduled concerts. Music has a way of wiping away one’s problems, especially in these difficult times.
Al Parker, Chairman
Chester Township Park Commission
Is More Coercion the Answer?
We are told it’s our “patriotic duty” to wear the mask today and take the vaccine tomorrow to protect the “weak and vulnerable” among us. (Glenn Beck radio.) If we don’t social distance, stay home and shutter schools, we will be responsible for killing others. But who are the “weak and vulnerable?”
Is the “big problem” right now the 20- to 40-year-olds who are “unknowingly spreading it?” (USA Today News). Do we need DeWine’s “site inspectors” to ensure social distancing at high school athletic events, or a “morality pill” to chemically coerce citizens into “pro-social” behavior as an ethics professor, Parker Crutchfield, suggested recently?
Actually, despite the rising numbers of newly discovered cases, COVID deaths in Ohio have just about stopped since July 8, probably because the virus in almost every instance runs a six- to eight-week cycle, and then burns out once 15% percent to 20% develop antibodies. (“All Data Now Shows Humans Cannot Stop the Spread of the Virus,” Aug.18 podcast, Conservative Review.)
Most of the rest of the population already have partial immunity. For example, both Sweden and N.Y. contracted the virus and reached near zero deaths at the same time, both achieving herd immunity in about 12 weeks. In New York, that occurred at 21.6% with antibodies, but in Sweden it only took 16% of the population. (Yinon Weiss @ yinonw, Twitter, Aug. 16). Most of the major population centers already have 15-20% of the population with antibodies, according to the above podcast.
Herd immunity, not masks, is controlling the spread. Masks don’t stop the 0.1 micron virus particles, and the asymptomatic aren’t spreading the virus anyway. (A recent Chinese contact tracing study found just .06% of the spread was actually from asymptomatic carriers and requires more than a passing social contact.) (Annnals of Internal Medicine Journal, Aug.13).
However, despite being ineffective at controlling the virus, our masking and social distancing has had a huge effect. A recent CDC report, “Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the Covid-19 Pandemic” found 25.5% of 18- to 24-year-olds surveyed in late June had serious thoughts of committing suicide. Yes, the age bracket more likely to die in a car accident than from COVID are so depressed from the isolation and panic that the number committing suicide has nearly quadrupled since 2018, not to mention the drug overdoses, violence and alcohol abuse.
The above report found 24.7% of that age group “started or increased substance use to cope with pandemic related stress or emotions.”
A study published in thehill.com on May 29 estimated 65,000 lives lost per month of lockdown, besides the $1.1 trillion of monthly lost economic output. According to the CDC, just 241 people aged 15 to 24 died of COVID. To put that in perspective, 696,000 students that age were assaulted by another student who had been drinking. (2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health).
Is it really our patriotic duty to force behaviors which have the opposite of their intended effect, or would it be more “patriotic” to return to the faith of our founders, which reminds us that each individual will give an account “”for every careless word,” they speak (Matt. 12:26) and which empowers us, changing hearts so that everyone can truly love his brother as himself?
As William Penn once said, “Those people who will not be ruled by God will be ruled by tyrants!”
Heidi Ferg
Chester Township
Protestors Take Over Our Cities
For the past six months we have watched the protestors burn and loot our major cities with no response from the authorities who could stop these acts. The mayors, city councils and governors of these cities take no responsibility for the actions of these criminals.
All of these cities have laws and regulations to control peaceful demonstrations.
- Any demonstration should require a permit from the city which would include the following:
- Purpose of the demonstration (unlawful events would be denied)
- Who is in charge of the demonstration
- When is the demonstration to be held
- How long will demonstration go on (time to start and end)
- Where will the event start and end, and on what streets
- Will there be leaders stationed within the demonstration
Based upon the answers to these questions, the leaders of the event should be told that the city would provide protection for the demonstration, but they would have to agree to the following:
- Should there be any vandalism or damage to any property the leaders within the group would immediately end the demonstration and leave the area so the authorities can deal with the people who are causing the problem.
- The leaders in the group must be identifiable to the authorities in order to control any disturbance.
By doing this up front, the cities would show they respect the right to have peaceful demonstrations, but still be able to protect the properties of businesses and allow the authorities a safer way to control the crowds.
While this procedure would work, but only if the administrations of these cities show they are not afraid of offending some of these so-called social improvement groups.
Charles Gates
Newbury Township
Why No Masks?
I am an 11th grade student at the West Geauga High School, where I remain active in my community and school. I’d like to bring attention to a recent event in our community that left me concerned, puzzled and worried.
I visited the Chester Township Facebook Page and saw a post congratulating our police department. They were recognized for their “great service” by WTAM 1100. The event was catered by a barbecue truck and attended by local media and community members. The event looked like a great way to show our appreciation for our local law enforcement and all they do to keep the residents of Chester Township safe.
However, when I viewed photos of the event I began to question. While an exact number of attendees was not disclosed, I counted upwards of 50 people in attendance. Social distancing was not being practiced whatsoever and I counted a single mask out of everyone in attendance. Among those not wearing a mask was Mark Purchase, the Chester Township police chief, and at least four other uniformed police officials.
When I examined these photos I decided to perform some of my own, external research. My research led me to the website of the office of the governor. I reviewed a document explaining the statewide mask mandate in further detail. The document read that, “All individuals in Ohio must wear facial coverings in public at all times when outdoors, but unable to maintain six-foot social distance from people who are not household members.”
Breaking this down I realized that, first, the police department is a publicly-funded, publicly-accessible location. Second, 6-foot social distancing was certainly not maintained between non-family members. Our police chief and Mike Trivisonno as a perfect example.
The mandate also explained that “exclusions include those who are actively eating or drinking.” I counted more individuals holding political flags and taking pictures than those eating or drinking. So, this is certainly not an excuse for not wearing a mask.
Last, the mandate excluded those “actively involved in public safety.” This is the only gray area in the event. However, I have a hard time believing our police chief was “actively involved in public safety” as he was being interviewed by a radio host. The only individuals who may have an excuse for not wearing a mask were the uniformed officers present at the event. Even then, how would a mask hinder those officers from performing their duties?
So my question stands. Why were mask mandates not enforced? Was there a valid reason most attendees were not wearing a mask?
Aiden B. Bindokas, Junior
West Geauga High School
I Have a Suggestion
Don’t worry Newbury, the school property you already paid for is in good hands. It’s hard to even type that sentence with a straight face.
Wednesday night was the Newbury Trustees board meeting at the town hall. At this meeting, Maggie Zock represented the task force and once again asked for suggestions. Why? What purpose does it serve? If the task force wanted a wide range of opinions on uses for the property, it would have been comprised of five people that have differing opinions in the community.
Instead, we received the majority members of the prior Newbury school board. The same people who gave away the school, the property and millions of dollars for, what appears to be now, a very short tax reduction. The same school board that divided this community forever.
My question is: Why do they need our suggestions? Wasn’t the Task Force put together specifically for the purpose of coming up with a plan to use the property for community purposes? Aren’t they the chosen experts that represent the community?
Considering over 1,200 citizens in the community they represent signed a referendum to not transfer the school, are these five on the committee really a true representation of those that live here? I don’t think so.
I wonder how much she (or any of the past) board members have enjoyed the 22-minute drive to Lindsey Elementary School. I wonder how much they will like it in the winter. I don’t think it matters. In fact, for at least three of the former board members, I know it doesn’t matter because they don’t have kids in the West Geauga school district. That’s right. Those that worked so hard to close the school and convince everyone how “many opportunities,” and how “great” the new school would be, do not even have children in the school district they “sold” to everyone. I guess the education it will provide was good enough for our kids but not theirs.
However, having said that, Maggie, Kimya, Dave and Mr. Skomrock want ideas. They want suggestions on what “will benefit the community” on this property. They only want “positive input” on what to do with it.
OK, I will give them a suggestion: How about a school? A nice, small school where kids are treated with respect and teachers really care about the well-being and growth of the children in it. Where you can attend parties and plays, and no matter where you live in the township, you can get there in five minutes. Where class sizes are small, like family units, and people “hang out together” on a Friday night at the local football game.
Could we get something like that? Oh yeah, we had something like that, exactly like that, and it was taken away. Thanks a lot.
Phil Paradise Jr.
Newbury Township
