Letters to the Editor
What Message Are We Sending Youth
Recreational marijuana is now legal in 10 states. Reports from Colorado and Oregon are available for viewing.
Emergency room weed related visits, traffic fatalities and impaired driving rates rose significantly in Colorado. As of June 2017, there were 491 retail marijuana stores compared to 392 Starbucks and 208 McDonald’s.
Marijuana use doubled in the last month in the states where it is legal according to the SAM report. Average potency of this drug has soared over the past years as has the social harm.
I urge Ohioans to consider what message we want to send to our youth. Please read the reports from the nonpartisan and nonprofit alliance, Smart Approaches to Marijuana, for more facts.
Mary Alice Bell, Prevention Consultant
Ravenwood Mental Health
Claridon Township
‘So Sad’
It’s clear that most of the folks in Geauga County are rather conservative in nature. Typically that means they don’t want their hard earned tax dollars wasted by government agencies.
Strange then that they have given the good Judge Grendell as much support as they have over the years. He’s currently sending out a newsletter to county residents apparently at taxpayer expense to the tune of likely $20,000 or so a crack. Likely no other probate judges in the entire country do this — what an innovative guy.
The park commissioners the good judge has appointed to the 1545 Russell Park District have spent about $60,000 in the last six months on attorney and accountant fees. Bear in mind these are the park district commissioners that claimed they had no money so they had to lease most of their land to the Geauga Park District.
Could it be that they are doing the judge’s bidding and trying to bankrupt the 1545 Russell parks so the good judge can then declare the system bankrupt and transfer all of that park system to the ownership of the Geauga Parks? Another power/land grab? Another waste of our tax dollars?
The good judge claims it’s up to the commissioners how they run the parks. Ha! He’s likely fired or not renewed the appointments of more park commissioners than any probate judge in history.
A freedom of information request to the Geauga Parks showed that he even requires the park newsletter to be approved by him before it is allowed to go out to the public.
Now, there is an effort to increase the number of Geauga park commissioners from three to five members. Some might say this will increase the diversity of views on the board and be a good thing. Likely not so in this case, as the good judge will likely appoint more of this friends who have shown no interest in natural areas in the past, have had no involvement with parks in the past and will continue to not allow public comment and questions at public park commissioners meetings.
Public comment would be a real way to add a diversity of views on issues before the board.
In the words of the Donald, “So sad.”
John G. Augustine
Parkman Township
Park Board Does Not Need Five Members
The Grendell-appointed Geauga County Park Board does not need to expand to five members, from its current slate of three.
Just because one commissioner forgets to attend, one commissioner misses two meetings in a row and one has, in my opinion, an appearance of conflict of interest, does not mean the whole wheel needs to be re-invented.
The Park Board has operated just fine for many, many years. Perhaps it is time to replace the commissioners who do not see the monthly meeting as a priority with residents who would make as a priority their dedication to spending their time advocating for preservation, conservation and protection of the parks with integrity and transparency.
Barb Partington
Munson Township
Vaping is Dangerous
Do you know that our young people are at great risk of becoming addicted to nicotine by the current epidemic of “vaping?”
Vaping is using e-cigarettes, originally an alternative choice for tobacco smokers. A “juul” is a brand of e-cigarette, and one juul equals one pack of cigarettes.
You may not know if your student is vaping. Some kids vape during class or in the school bathroom. It is easy to buy e-cigs from older (age 18) students or, illegally, from stores, gas stations, etc.
Although illegal under the age of 18, e-cigs promote use to youth with flavors of mango, mint, cotton candy, etc., on TV, radio, YouTube, store displays. It’s big business to lure today’s youth into addiction and future profits.
There are 60 chemical compounds in e-liquids and more in aerosol, associated with several different cancers, etc. Nicotine affects key brain receptors in youth, limiting memory and learning.
The schools are trying to educate our kids through health class and poorly-attended parent/student programs. They suspend students caught vaping, hoping to alert students and parents to this dangerous epidemic. It’s up to us as parents to be informed and talk often to our kids about the risks.
Pat and John Leech
Munson Township
Vote ‘Yes’ for Next Generation
I’m writing in support of the upcoming West Geauga schools renewal levy on May 7. I’ll spare you the fact-filled “giant mom lecture” as my 8-year-old calls it – you’re an adult and you’re going to decide how to engage this issue on your own terms.
But I’d ask you to consider the things we tell kids in our giant adult lectures. We tell them about what it takes to be a good friend, teammate, neighbor and citizen. It means supporting others in our community, especially when it isn’t easy for us individually. It seems simple, right? Then we get back to our messy adult lives and the reality feels more complicated.
Here are some things that could be said against the levy, maybe you’ve heard or thought some: “I don’t have children in the schools, so this doesn’t matter to me.” “I’m not going to sell my house any time soon, so I won’t benefit from the value that a high quality school district adds.” “I’m upset about Newbury/school consolidation/open enrollment and I want my disapproval to be known.”
All of these can be countered to some extent with facts, but not entirely. They’re harmful because they all put the interests of individual adults ahead of the whole community of kids who need us to behave better than those self-interests would otherwise lead us to. The kids are watching and learning from us how to be those good friends, teammates, neighbors and citizens.
We were the young ones once. Sometimes the adults were what we needed – they raised us up through their investment of effort and attention and, yes, money — and sometimes they weren’t. I hope as a community we show up for this next generation and I’m asking you to be part of that by voting “yes” on May 7 on the renewal levy.
Karen Wright
Russell Township
‘Yes’ for West G is Wise Vote
On May 7 the community will be asked to renew a big piece of the West Geauga Schools’ funding. Here’s why we believe a yes vote is the wise vote:
- The levy is a renewal, so it means no new taxes (it has been approved twice before and is now expiring).
- About 10 percent of the cost will be paid for by the State of Ohio. Since it is a 10 year levy, that’s like getting a year for free.
- Only these older levy renewals get that state funding. The state has eliminated the matching funding for new levies.
- This levy pays for running the schools: books, teachers and staff, heating the buildings — all the things it takes to educate our children.It has nothing to do with building new schools or the proposed territory transfer of Newbury.
- Most importantly, your investment is paying off. The reputation and the ranking of West Geauga (in the top 5 percent out of 610 school districts state wide) have never been higher. Our students are accomplishing more academically than ever before — and this is the test that really counts.
Public schools are a unique grass-roots form of democracy, one in which the community has the ultimate say because voters control the power of the purse. That means that the success of West Geauga Schools is not just an accomplishment of our fine students and parents, or of our dedicated teachers and staff, it is also a tribute to the community which chooses to fund it.
Call any of us if you have any questions and, if we don’t have answers, we will get them for you.
Ben Kotowski, President
West Geauga Board of Education
Bill Beers, Vice President
West Geauga Board of Education
Kathy Leavenworth
West Geauga Board of Education
Dan Thoreson
West Geauga Board of Education
Chet Ramey
West Geauga Board of Education
