VIEWPOINTS A6 • BETHEL JOURNAL • MARCH 12, 2015
BETHEL
Editor: Richard Maloney, rmaloney@communitypress.com, 248-7134
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EDITORIALS | LETTERS | COLUMNS | CH@TROOM
March is problem gambling awareness month Gambling is all fun and games, until you borrow money; until you lie about it; until you hurt friends and family. March is Ohio and National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The term problem gambling may not mean anything to you, Melissa E. Kaetzel-Cole but for the COMMUNITY PRESS small percentGUEST COLUMNIST age of people who develop a problem from gambling too much – problem gambling can mean lost paychecks, lost rent or house payments, a repossessed car and even worse – lost jobs and personal relationships. Ohio’s 2012 Gambling Survey showed that about 3 percent of Ohioans have a gam-
bling problem, and 1 percent could be diagnosed with gambling disorder. It’s important to know what gambling problems look like and who is most at risk. Anyone can develop a problem with gambling, but many people who do tend to match one or more common characteristics: aged 18-25 year-old white males; Asian or African-American adults; have a parent with a gambling problem; have a substance abuse problem. Some common signs of a gambling problem include: » borrowing money to gamble; » lying about how much time or money spent gambling; » hiding bills or unpaid debts; » spending a lot of time gambling and thinking about gambling; » being restless or irritable
CH@TROOM March 5 question What TV show from your youth would you like to see remade, or rebroadcast? Why?
“Well I’d have to say ‘BJ and the Bear,’ mostly because there aren’t enough shows on TV that show smart primates being taken on the road as 18-wheeler travel companions. “I think that is a genre that is sadly missing in today’s world of reality TV.” C.S.
“I would love to see ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ remade because it was an exciting show to watch with good plots (for the time), cool gadgets and intelligent scripts. It would be OK to update it as long as they stay with the basic premise and feel and don't make it goofy. Too many remakes go that route and fail miserably.” M.J.F.
“There was a show titled ‘Watch Mr Wizard.’ It showed the science behind ordinary things in life. It was intended
when not gambling; » bragging about wins, but minimizing losses. How do you get help for yourself or a friend/family member who needs it? Ohio has funding set aside to pay for treatment for gambling addiction. Not having insurance or being broke are not barriers to getting help. For a referral to help anywhere in Ohio, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 800-589-9966. The helpline can also assist with other living needs like housing, food, clothing or legal issues. For help in Clermont County call Clermont Recovery Center, Inc. a division of Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services at 735-8100. Ohio has an organization of state agencies working together to ensure that quality services are available to help anyone with a gambling prob-
lem. Ohio for Responsible Gambling (www.org.ohio.gov/) includes the Ohio Commissions of Casino Control, Lottery and Racing, along with Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services. Safe gambling and awareness campaigns are made available through the ORG partners. To gamble safely, experts suggest the following: » Don’t think of gambling as a way to make money. » Set a limit on how much money and time will be spent gambling. » Spend only what you can afford to lose. » Gambling and drinking are a dangerous combination. » Don’t gamble when depressed or upset. » Call 800-589-9966 or 7358100 for help for yourself or a loved one. Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services is the
most comprehensive mental health provider in Southwest Ohio serving people with mental illness and related barriers. GCB is a fully certified, nationally accredited 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to assist persons with mental illness and related barriers to lead productive and fulfilling lives. www.gcbhs.com. Through proven programs delivered by supportive and dedicated professionals, Clermont Recovery Center offers a path to wellness for the prevention of and recovery from substance abuse and related issues for individuals and families in our community. www.recoveryctr.org. Melissa E. Kaetzel-Cole is a prevention specialist/counselor with Clermont Recovery Center.
CARING & SHARING
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION A bill to allow cities to create open-container districts much like those in New Orleans or Memphis, Tennessee, appears likely to pass the Ohio Legislature this year, and Cincinnati officials hope the bill becomes law by Opening Day, April 6. Is this a good idea or a bad idea? Why or why not? Every week we ask readers a question they can reply to via email. Send your answers to rmaloney @communitypress.com with Ch@troom in the subject line.
for grade school age kids. I think the concept would work today on the History or Discovery Channel. The great comedy shows of Dean Martin, Sid Caesar and Jackie Gleason et al might also work today. “Most other shows from that era would be stuck in that time warp and not accepted by today’s audiences. Go Figure!” T.D.T.
Take precautions to protect yourself during tax season In my recent column warning readers that tax season also brings even more scammers and con artists out of the proverbial woodwork than usual, I shared ways in which you can avoid tax identity theft by mailing tax returns as early in the tax season as possible before the cons beat you to it; never giving out personal inCindy Gramke formation unless you know COMMUNITY PRESS GUEST COLUMNIST who’s asking for it and why they need it, always shredding personal and financial documents, knowing your tax preparer; and remembering to check the status of your refund after filing at irs.gov/Refunds. To learn more about ways that you can protect yourself and get your specific questions answered, you may want to plan to attend a free program being offered in the Springdale/Tri-County area. Pro Seniors and the Ohio SMP (Empowering Seniors to Prevent Healthcare Fraud) is presenting its annual Consumer Protection/
Fraud Forum, “It’s Tax Season Beware of Scams” from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, at the Maple Knoll Village Retirement Community Auditorium, 11100 Springfield Pike. According to Anne Fredrickson, project manager of Pro Seniors Ohio SMP and host of WMKV 89.3 FM’s “Medicare Moment” show, this “Ask the Experts” Forum will feature the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit special agentin-charge from the Office of the Ohio Attorney General, Sue Denny from the Social Security Administration and experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Ohio Department of Insurance, Office of the Inspector General, the HHS Special Agent-inCharge of Medicare Fraud from Cleveland, Ohio, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles Criminal Investigation division and legal expert William E. Hesch Esq. This free event will also provide free parking and a free light supper. For more information please contact Mary Day at Pro Seniors by calling 458-5515, or George Zahn of WMKV radio at 782-2753. Doing your homework and researching as much information
as you can will save you, and those you love, in the long run. Phone scams and email phishing schemes are among the “Dirty Dozen” tax scams the IRS targets, and they continue to warn that taxpayers need to watch out for identity theft, especially around tax time. Moreover, the IRS is aggressively pursuing the criminals that file fraudulent returns using someone else’s Social Security number. Although it is making progress on this front, as a taxpayer, you must be extremely careful and do everything you can to avoid becoming a victim. “We are doing everything we can to help taxpayers avoid scams as the tax season continues,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “Whether it’s a phone scam or scheme to steal a taxpayer’s identity, there are simple steps to take to help stop these con artists. We urge taxpayers to visit IRS.gov for more information and to be wary of these dozen tax scams.” Cindy Gramke is the Executive Director/ CEO of Clermont Senior Services. Ideas and comments can be directed to Cindy at cgramke@clermontseniors.com or contact the agency at 724-1255.
Letter gives glimpse of Civil War horrors Civil War soldiers were great letter writers. They sent home millions of letters describing the weather, the land, food and battles. These letters are still being redisGary covered in Knepp attics and COMMUNITY PRESS closets, 150 GUEST COLUMNIST years later. Their quality ranged from the barely literate to the grandiloquent. They were written on scraps of paper and expensive stationary with embossed patriotic illustrations. They were often written on the fly, using tin
plates or cracker boxes for desks. Daniel Byrant was a 23year-old Clermont County musician who had enlisted in the 12th Ohio Infantry band. Regimental bands, until they were discontinued in March of 1862, were morale boosters. They played marital music such as “The Battle Cry of Freedom” and “Yankee Doodle Dandee” and popular tunes like “The Girl I left behind me” and “Johnny fill up the Bowl.” Byrant was among thousands of Ohio soldiers who had poured into western Virginia during the summer of 1861 in support of loyal mountaineers who wanted to secede from the Confederacy. They fought a series of battles that became
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the North’s first successful campaign, leading to West Virginia being admitted to the Union in 1863. Byrant wrote a seven-page letter in September to his aunt and uncle in Batavia. The stationary was imprinted with an image of Lady Liberty with the caption of “Liberty and Union, Now and Forever.” He described a three-week, 93-mile march through the rugged mountains from Clarksburg to Summersville. He carried his belongings in a rucksack and slept outside at times with only a blanket for cover. One day the trail was so meandering he crossed the Elk River three times. As they closed in on Summersville, contact with the
enemy picked up. Byrant heard musket fire in the distance. On the next day, he heard heavy artillery fire – 376 shots by his reckoning – coming from the battlefield at Carnifex Ferry. Byrant came upon the battlefield the next day. He saw a captured rebel battle flag with the motto of “the Price of Liberty is the Blood of the Brave.” “The trees,” he wrote, “were all shot to pieces.” One eighteen inch oak tree had a hole in the center where a cannonball “went right through it.” He picked up a piece of canister as a souvenir. As Civil War battles go, Carnifex Ferry was a small affair – just 7,000 men engaged. It was a decisive battle in the Western Virginia cam-
394 Wards Corner Road Loveland, Ohio 45140 phone: 248-8600 email: clermont@communitypress.com web site: www.communitypress.com
paign. Byrant’s commanding officer, Col. John Lowe – Batavia’s former mayor – died a hero’s death after being struck in the head by a minie ball. Col. William Lytle, grandson of Clermont’s founder, was severely wounded. He was killed in action at the Battle of Chickamauga two years later. Byrant didn’t know how long he was going to be in Summersville or where he was going to be next. He closed his letter by urging his aunt and uncle to “give my love to all my enquiring friends” and to “write as soon as you get this.” Gary Knepp is an attorney who teaches history and political science at Clermont College. He lives with his family in Miami Township.
Bethel Journal Editor Richard Maloney rmaloney@communitypress.com, 248-7134 Office hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday See page A2 for additional contact information.