Letters to the Editor
Public Records are Open to the Public
Thank you to the Ohio Court of Claims Special Master for making it clear that information used in a public meeting by a public board must be made available to the public.
One would think that this is common sense, but evidently Judge Grendell’s handpicked Geauga Park Board did not. Instead of being properly and reasonably chastised by the ruling, GPD board member Andreij Lah took the opportunity to once again introduce false and defamatory statements about a group of peaceful concerned citizens into the record of the park board meeting. This was a repeat of the assertions he made at a meeting in August 2017, which he attributed to a letter he received from a person who will remain nameless here.
Oddly enough, when the letter was dragged into the light, it showed little of the fear mongering that Mr. Lah expounded upon from his bully pulpit. This “gaslighting” about Protect Geauga Parks has been going on for a few years now with the same refrain and without one shred of truth.
If there are people who are truly afraid to use the parks, could it be that this ridiculous, deceitful refrain is the cause rather than a group of concerned citizens?
Kathryn Hanratty
President, Protect Geauga Parks
Chardon Township
Open Dialogue is Needed
In regards to the Geauga Park District, its board of trustees and the probate judge, it would appear that the lack of transparency that has permeated its relationship with the citizens of Geauga County since 2011 continues.
Why in the world does a special master of the Ohio Court of Claims need to recommend that the court issue an order for a copy of a letter from a board meeting from last Aug. 8, 2017. So much time, energy and monies expended by the park board and private citizens on this exercise instead of simply “opening up meetings for public questions and comments.” Open dialogue is needed!
The closed manner in which monthly meetings are now conducted insults not only the board, but also any one attending. The citizens of the county clearly have a right to ask questions in a civil manner and expect answers in a reciprocal manner.
We owe a huge “thank you” to Shelley Chernin and Protect Geauga Parks for their continued effort to “shine the light” of transparency on the GPD board, director and probate judge.
Bill Franz
Bainbridge Township
Right Investment, Right Time
Occasionally there is an outstanding, high impact community project that deserves a special expression of support and commendation.
As a lifelong resident of Geauga County and having grown up in Burton Village, I was a student in the Berkshire School System from nursery school, through my graduation from the original high school building, prior to its expanded form of today. My teachers were dedicated professionals who challenged me to do my best.
That is why I am delighted to share my personal perspectives about the Berkshire-Kent State University Geauga Campus “PRIME” (Partners in Rural Innovative Model for Education) project.
I enthusiastically support the PRIME project with its transformative initiatives that usher in a modern model of education for the next generation of students. Begone the traditional, factory model of the 1890’s. Embrace a model of education that emphasizes collaboration, team building and teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking and moving past theory and onto practical application.
With public and private support, our children will have the benefits of major “state-of-the-art” Pre-K through 12 and 16 years of congruous and comprehensive educational opportunities in new facilities located on the Kent Sate University Campus filled with the most current technology and learning environment.
The student will have the opportunity to graduate from high school with two years of free college credits. Furthermore, this student can complete their college degrees at any KSU Campus at a reduced cost in student fees.
This unique educational model will ensure the kind of education for tomorrow’s jobs yet to be discovered. It will transform education toward the best results, judged by value and successful outcomes and a model that others will emulate.
I applaud the Berkshire School District Board and the leadership of John Stoddard, School Superintendent, for their courage and conviction to move on this new journey. They truly see the possible and will be witnesses of validation with success of this venture.
In conclusion, the PRIME project can only help our kids by giving them the excellent learning environment that positions them for future success.
Vote Yes on May 8, vote Yes for the Berkshire School Levy. It is the right investment at the right time.
Christie A. Frenchie
Auburn Township
Ten Reasons to Vote for Issue 3
- $1,000,000 … Yearly loss of this state revenue is an indisputable fact.
- $600,000 … Yearly cost for Charter School enrollment.
- Significant cost-saving measures have been implemented by committed Administrators and Board Members. I have seen firsthand their tireless efforts to control costs and minimize the levy dollars needed.
- Levy failure will result in the need for additional cuts in critical programs and staff.
- I frequently hear that Chardon has too many administrators. This is absolutely false. Chardon has the fewest administrators per pupil in the area.
- Unfortunately, levy opponents too often communicate incorrect or misleading information: teachers are overpaid, we spend more per pupil than other districts, our resources are mismanaged. Don’t believe everything you hear; search out the facts. Vague comments like “our resources are mismanaged” are tougher to refute but are equally untrue. Get involved, understand the management team and processes and then decide. Don’t rely on rumors.
- Be selfish! Strong schools draw people to the area and increase property values.
- I am gainfully unemployed (retired) and no longer have children in school. When I did, others voted “yes” to make Chardon the excellent school district that educated my kids. Let’s all “Pay it Forward.”
- Private school parents have made a conscious decision to send their kids to private schools and have a stake in this levy as well. Busing and support services are funded through our real estate taxes. Please help support our schools and our kids.
- Our kids didn’t ask to be brought into this world — we made that decision. It is our responsibility to care for them and to provide the best education possible to enable their success.
Do the right thing. Vote for the levy!
Mike Royle
Munson Township
Dvorak Part of Veterans Memorial
This letter is in reference to Jim Dvorak, a candidate for County Commissioner, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Geauga County Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc.
The veterans group lasted 12 years before it was finished. Jim was a participant of the group every which way. It cost over $500,000 in hard costs and another $150,000 in donated costs. It was quite project in itself.
The fundraisers put on by the Sheriff (the motorcycle runs), Pat Preston Chevrolet (a car auction which he donated to the fund) and Jim, himself, by coordinating the miscellaneous people to pile bricks on top of one another for a fundraiser. He conducted at least 10 of these outings himself. That, in itself, was amazing.
Jim was the one non-veteran to attempt to join, and did join, the group with a vote of the total Board of Trustees. They went out of their way to get him on the board at his insistence to make a way for the veterans.
The memorial is a Veterans Memorial. Jim was a part of the planning for it, funding for it, and the execution of it.
We thank him personally and hope to belie the statements about his involvement with the memorial.
Paul A Newman, President
Geauga County Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc.
City of Chardon
Civic Responsibility to Support Schools
I am writing regarding Issue 3 for the upcoming election on May 8. This levy is not for new buildings. It is operational and intended to keep further reductions in services to our young people.
Our way of life and all that we enjoy has been passed down to us from those who have gone before us — we are their legacy. Those folks paid a price over time so we could benefit both socially and financially from a healthy school system.
If you reside in the school district (Chardon Village, Chardon Township, Hambden or Munson), then it’s important to realize our obligation to “pass it on.”
We live in the finest small city in Ohio. I call Chardon the “Heartland of America” and am proud to be a Hilltopper. We enjoy an environment of safety with professional police, fire and sheriff departments. Our road crews and public services are first class.
But when it comes to supporting our schools, we have really slipped. As a voter and resident of Chardon Village since 1973, with grandchildren in Chardon Schools, I often visit new schools for various sporting events and am saddened to see how far Chardon Schools have fallen behind these other communities.
If Issue 3 fails, there will be increased cuts in employees, including teachers. All school sports will see increases by approximately 45 percent in what an athlete must pay to play. For example, it will cost my son over $2,000 to have his three daughters compete in basketball, swimming and softball. I didn’t have to pay anything when I played football in the 60’s.
By refusing to support the schools for whatever reason, you will have a hand in the slow death of a great community.
Let me close with a quote from famed Ohio State Buckeye coach, Woody Hayes; “You can never pay back, so you should always try to pay forward.” In other words, you make it better for those who follow in our steps.
I believe it’s our civic responsibility to support our school system in order to keep Chardon the great city it is.
Keith J. Landies
City of Chardon
‘Cheesy’ Situation in Berkshire
Reference the article “Berkshire BOE Agrees to 15-Year Tax Abatement,” dated April 12, 2018.
The BOE doesn’t seem to have a problem with letting some people off the hook with paying school taxes. Yet they want to come to the residents of the school district and say we need money, “Please pass our levy it is so important to us and to the children of the district.”
I remember back a few years ago, we had a school board president who stated, “Pass the income tax and we won’t be asking for a property tax levy.”
With a 15-year abatement, we could have a student start kindergarten and graduate from high school, and some company wouldn’t have to pay a cent for his education. Sounds pretty “cheesy” to me. They want to increase our property taxes, which will fall on the backs of all the people who are retired and can afford it the least.
I know, I can just hear the response now: “We will be adding 265 new jobs and they will be adding to the tax base” and adding salaries of over $100,000 a year. Is that a guarantee? If all those 265 employees do not make $100,000 a year will the abatement be immediately null and void?
It goes on to say that the parcel of land that GLC started in 1997, according to the records at the Geauga County Auditor, is valued at $14.5 million in 2008, and additional value of 2.5 million in 2010. With all these additional tax dollars we still need more money?
To me it sounds like there are a bunch of holes in this cheesy situation that our tax money is being dumped into. When is enough going to be enough.
Deanna Ferritto
Claridon Township
Claypool Understands UN Agenda 21 Threat
Skip Claypool is my choice for Commissioner. I am a professional soil scientist and feel like I know about half the people in Geauga County, having worked on many lots to describe soil profiles for purposes of designing septic systems.
I know Jim Dvorak from The Red Tulip project, where we are both directors of the Red Tulip Project of Geauga.
I also know Walter “Skip” Claypool. I find Skip to be a very forthright, honest and hard working Commissioner, who is very aware of the potential threats that exist relative to Geauga County issues.
One is the UN Agenda 21 (which has morphed into many other titles since its inception in 1972). It is an insidious plan to control the worldwide population by controlling our water supply. The plan is one that in my opinion is the “Covenant made with many for one week” mentioned in Daniel 9:27. One week is the equivelant of 49 years, being 7 periods of 7 years. The Covenant will cause “The overspreading of Abomintions that make Desolate.”
Controlling our water supply has the potential to make desolation all around us. If, in fact, this is Dan 9 prophecy, 1972 plus 49 years means the Agenda 21 plan matures in 2021.
Skip is very well informed of this threat and he and the other Commissioners are doing all they can to protect our county from the abuses posed by NEOWACA, the agency that wants to take our tax dollars and spend them for the benefit of Cuyahoga and other counties.
I have challenged Jim Dvorak to educate himself on this very important issue. He promised he would, just like he promised to attend every commissioners meeting since the beginning of the year to educate himself on the issues facing our county.
To my knowledge, Jim only attended two commissioners meetings and at last we talked he knew next to nothing about UN Agenda 21.
Skip has a track record of working tirelessly in the role of Commissioner of Geauga County. He is very well informed as to the issues and in my opinion is far better qualified and prepared to represent out county for the next several years.
Jim is a very capable individual also, who seems to be involved in many, many public organizations. So many, in fact, he has not had time to prepare to be an informed Commissioner.
My vote is to sustain Skip Claypool in the position of Commissioner of Geauga County.
Jim Fincham
Claridon Township
Let’s Build Berkshire’s Future Together
As a Berkshire parent, teacher and taxpayer, I am excited about the direction in which Berkshire Schools are headed.
District leadership is currently redirecting the way instruction is delivered. This new model of teaching includes a project-based approach to teaching and learning that will engage and challenge our kids.
At the same time, district voters have the opportunity to pass a great new initiative in the form of PRIME (Issue 2 on the May 8 ballot for Berkshire voters).
Prior to the PRIME initiative the state was willing to provide 7 percent funding for new facilities. Since the recent passage of two house bills, Berkshire now meets the criteria for obtaining 55 percent state funding for the building project.
The benefits of the new facility are numerous: college and local business partnerships which allow more opportunities for our kids; state-of-the-art security features; and areas to support project-based learning and the latest technologies, just to name a few.
The financial benefits of the initiative for taxpayers are remarkable. The OFCC (Ohio Facilities Construction Commission) reports the cost of bringing all Berkshire buildings up to standard over the next 38 years is $38.8 million. The cost of the new PRIME facility for Berkshire taxpayers over the same time span is $28 million. For Berkshire taxpayers, the cost of maintaining less adequate facilities will cost $10 million more over the next 38 years than building new facilities. These numbers have been independently verified.
We currently have the lowest school taxes in Geauga County. Even with the passage of Issue 2 we will be third from the bottom in the County.
The more I learn about this great initiative the more excited I am for Berkshire’s future. Information is available and speaks for itself. If you have questions or are in need of information, it’s not too late to attend a community meeting. The website buildingberkshiresfuture.com is a great source for information as well.
Vote Yes on Issue 2 and we’ll build Berkshire’s future together.
Lisa Starr
Claridon Township
When Opportunity Knocks May 8
When opportunity knocks what should we do? Most of us would walk to the door and open it.
Residents, voters, parents, teachers and the students in and around the Berkshire School District face such an opportunity. Look what’s waiting for our community on the other side of the door:
- Ohio wants to give the Berkshire School District approximately $28,000,000 to build a state-of-the-art campus for students grade pre-K thru 12— a total of 55 percent of the cost of the new facility.
- Land cost: $1-per-year lease for 99 years on the Kent State Geauga campus.
- Up to two years of college credits free for each college bound student enrolled in classes offered at our Kent State Geauga Campus.
- Tuition costs range from $10,000 to $60,000 for the first two years depending on the college or university a student ultimately attends. Our students and their parents can avoid that cost.
- State-of-the-art classrooms and learning laboratories.
- State-of-the-art athletic facilities to accommodate both students and the community in general ($2,000,000 gift from Great Lakes Cheese).
- Skill set educational courses based on employment opportunities in Northeast Ohio.
- Cutting edge interactive technology classroom “tools” and equipment.
- Training for today and tomorrows tech driven jobs.
- Highly competitive recruiting platform for the next generation of Berkshire educators.
- Enhanced art, music and extracurricular academic facilities.
- Continuing education opportunities for our current Berkshire faculty within walking distance.
- A countywide learning center for students of all aptitudes.
This $10’s of millions opportunity comes at a cost of less than a $0.35 a day (on average).
On second thought, don’t walk but run to your polling place on May 8 and open the doors of opportunity for our children, our community and the generations of children to follow.
Vote Yes on the Berkshire School District Levy. We simply can’t afford to close this door.
Dan Demko
Burton Township
Dvorak Provides Leadership
Recent events of misconduct in Geauga County government make it clear that our county needs meaningful and effective leadership.
Commissioners Spidalieri and Lennon provide that leadership. Geauga residents need to ensure that the third County Commissioner also provides that leadership.
Jim Dvorak is the person to elect to the third County Commissioner’s seat. He has a proven track record of highly effective public service. He is centered, collaborative and level headed in governing decisions.
He has the strong character and integrity that Geauga residents expect and deserve.
Skip Claypool is not what Geauga County needs. Claypool’s wholly unimpressive tenure has been one of petty and pointless argument as well as alienating others.
Jim Dvorak is the right choice for Geauga County Commissioner.
Justin Madden
Russell Township
Please Support Issue 3
On April 12, Chardon City Council unanimously voted to pass a Resolution of Support for the 3.9-mill operating levy for the Chardon Local School District.
May I take a moment to share my personal reasons for supporting Issue 3.
I am a firm believer that a financially strong city and a financially strong school district are an absolute necessity in order to have a thriving community that families want to be a part of. One without the other will just not work.
As the former Finance Director for the City of Chardon, I understand how devastating state budget cuts can be. The State Legislature cut $1,000,000 in funding to Chardon Schools in 2017-2018 and the district will continue to lose that funding every year thereafter.
Passage of Issue 3 is needed to replace this lost funding from the State and prevent cuts that will eliminate programs and services to students.
Funds from Issue 3 will not be used for construction of new buildings or other capital improvements. It will only be use for the day-to-day operating costs of educating our children and grandchildren.
It was stated in the Resolution of Support from Chardon City Council that Chardon Schools are ranked in the top 10 percent of Ohio schools. This is an outstanding achievement and something we should all be proud of.
Please join me in support of Issue 3 on May 8 which is essential to the continued excellence and success of the Chardon Schools.
Mayor Jeff Smock
City of Chardon
Turn It Over!
Turn it Over! If you are voting for the Chardon School Levy, turn over the ballot. Issue 3 is on the back. Do not miss it!
The ‘issues only’ ballot has Issue 3 on the front, but all other ballots have Issue 3 on the back, so turn these over.
Turn it over! Chardon Schools are turning over a new educational redistricting that will issue in a strengthening of an already solid school system. Help us do just that.
Turn it over! The Chardon administration and staff are turning over the space we educate our children in to more fully meet the demands of declining enrollment. Help us make this needed move.
Turn it over! The Ohio legislative and executive branches do not seek to turn over more local control to local school districts. The Chardon electorate need to turn over and turn out Ohio legislators that do not seek to turn over financial and operating standards to school systems in Ohio. Help us turn them out.
Turn it over! Give us your support for your children and the Chardon Schools’ educational community by voting ‘Yes’ on May 8 or by voting early at the Geauga Board of Elections.
Turn over the ballot and vote in support of Issue 3.
Sheldon Firem
Hambden Township
‘Keep the Hope – Vote for Pope’
Attention Republican primary voters: I urge you to re-elect Melissa Pope to the position of State Central Committeewoman for the 32nd District of the Ohio Republican Party.
Melissa is seeking her fourth term aggressively representing the interests of Republican voters in Ashtabula, Trumbull and northeast Geauga counties.
As a wife, mother, grandmother and longtime active member of the Ashtabula County Republican Party Executive Committee and Women’s Club, Melissa has worked tirelessly to bring prominent state and national party leaders to the area to present their platforms and hear the concerns of their constituents.
Melissa is not the stage center persona at the event; she prefers to roll up her sleeves and attend to the grass roots functions needed for successful party functioning at all levels, including circulating petitions, making phone calls, campaigning door to door and facilitating fundraising activities and efforts on behalf of Republican candidates at the local, state and national level.
Melissa and her family have opened their Saybrook home on multiple occasions to candidates such as Congressman Dave Joyce, state Sen. Frank LaRose and state Rep. Robert Sprague. Melissa believes in keeping the strong connection between elected officials and the community and is committed to continuing this strategy as long as she holds this position.
Fellow Republicans, be sure to vote for Melissa Pope for your 32nd District State Central Committeewoman on May 8. Keep us connected; keep the hope – vote for Pope.
Michele Schroeder
Harpersfield Township
