VIEWPOINTS 6A • LOVELAND HERALD • JUNE 1, 2016
LOVELAND
EDITORIALS | LETTERS | COLUMNS | CH@TROOM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Loveland litter clean-up Have you noticed Loveland sparkle lately? What a super litter clean-up Saturday, April 30, all part of Loveland’s participation in the annual Great American Clean-up . In all, we had 92 volunteers (a record turnout of all time) due to help from Ohio Crossover Athletics (basketball association). Ohio Crossover turned out 65 young men from many surrounding areas as part of their personal development training. Many other local families also participated. Seventy-four bags of trash were collected along with two tires, a giant fan blade, a tent, a usable bicycle and open motor oil. One volunteer found a $100 bill. Fifteen bags were discovered already prepared (not from our effort) and lined up along the Little Miami at the fishing bend (and collected by us). Dunkin’ Donuts saw the boys collecting the trash behind their store and brought them in for donuts and hot chocolate . Areas cleaned included up West Loveland to Cherokee, and
continuing behind the Post Office, the hill beside Goodwill, down Lebanon Road hill and into the field at the bottom, behind city hall railroad tracks to other side of O’Bannon Creek, along the tracks in the Chester area (off Riverside), Park Ave. hill and Nisbet Park. There were areas that stayed clean from last year; along LovelandMadeira, the high school, middle school and elementary school areas. An additional 37 bags were also collected several weeks before and one month before by the Loveland Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association. They worked along Riverside Drive to Twighttwee and Loveland-Madeira past Kroger to Lebanon Road (difficult areas we can’t usually get to with just family participation). Many thanks for the support the City of Loveland and Little Miami Inc. has given us to make this happen. The event is every year at the end of April, so please plan on joining us next year (call the city for details). Gary Benesh Chairman Tree & Environment Committee
CH@TROOM May 25 question What is your all-time favorite movie - the one that you will always watch if you come across it while channel-surfing? Why do you like it?
“Really tough call. For spectacular scenery and weak acting, it’s ‘The Eiger Sanction.’ For the most intensity, ‘Argo.’ Best portrayal of Jack Nicholson by Jack Nicholson, ‘As Good As It Gets.’ Reasons are all personal. Wife and I engaged on the Eiger Glacier while skiing. I took many trips to Tehran before the Ayatholla and as the unrest grew to gunfire in the alley where I was staying. Jack Nicholson has played so many ‘Jack Nicholson’ roles, he has become my favorite. Yet, I despised ‘Anger Management’ and ‘Chinatown.’ ‘You can’t handle the truth!’ is even more iconic than ‘Heeere’s Johnnnie.’” D.B.
“My favorite, all-time, No. 1, most awesome, incredibly meaningful, deep and amazing movie is the ‘70s classic ‘Harold and Maude,’ which tells the quirky story of a love affair (but mostly relationship) between an 18-year-old over-privileged young man with a death obsession (not what you may think) and a 79-year-old concentration camp survivor with a spunk for life. If you have never seen this powerful movie you must. If you have seen it over 100 times, as someone I know, it’s past due time to immerse one’s self in it yet again. This movie is quirky, no doubt, but it holds so many deeper philosophical insights and positions on life that have been permanently woven into the fabric of my life. “Although not asked, you must be wondering what other movies round out my all-time Top 5 and they are: ‘Pay It Forward,’ ‘Out Of Time,’ ‘My Cousin Vinny’ and ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’ Rush out to Netflix or the library and enjoy all of these gems soon.” M.J.F.
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION Describe your “brush with greatness.” 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.
“My all time favorite movie is ‘Step Brothers’ with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. It is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. I find myself laughing just thinking about the interactions of the two step brothers in the film.” C.S.
“Easy A!”
Dalmesha Sloss
“Jaws.”
Patrick Hijduk
“Apocalypse Now.”
Jim Longano
“The Spitfire Grill.”
Debra Higgins Robertson
“My Cousin Vinny.” Because it makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it.” Susan-Mkac Gilmore Fultz
“Tombstone,” Saints.”
Boonedock Steven Leicht
“The Italian Job.” love the mini’s.”
Barbara Brown
“Eight Men Out.”
Ryan Sainola
“Steel Magnolias.”
Cassandra Jane
“Twister.”
Molly Miller
“Urban Cowboy.”
Nicole Stewart
“Pleasantville!”
LOVELAND HERALD
Stephanie Collins
A publication of
HERALD
Editor: Richard Maloney, rmaloney@communitypress.com, 248-7134
Cincinnati.com/communities
Symmes property maintenance code is unclear I read the draft “Property Maintence Code” proposed by Symmes Township, and spoke at the public hearing April 7. I’ve investigated further, and have additional comments for the trustees and township residents. I understand the board’s “intent” is to develop the code as a tool to assist residents with deteriorating or poorly maintained properties near them, and identify property owners needing help in maintaining their homes. Trustees advised (at the April 7 hearing) that at any one time there are approximately 12 properties with maintenance issues before the board. Through Public Records request I received the Nuisance Complaint Log dating from 2001 and found this statement is not true. 1. For 2016 the log shows three nuisance complaints, five in 2015, and zero in 2014. That’s a total of eight complaints within three years when the board claimed they deal with 12 problem properties at a time. The scope of nuisance properties has been greatly overstated. 2. The proposed code states that gravel driveways must be upgraded to a solid surface. Since 2001 there has
been zero, nada, zip complaints about gravel driveways. Why is this prohibition included in Karen the code? Diehl 3. The COMMUNITY PRESS proposed GUEST COLUMNIST code includes a list of “noxious weeds” which seems pulled from thin air. Included is milk weed - promoted by the gardening industry as beneficial to Monarch Butterflies. Plants on the national and state noxious weeds list are not included in the Symmes list. So, according to the township I can plant kudzu, but not milk weed. Complaints filed since 2001 have zero mentions of any specific plant. Vegetation complaints are limited to “tall grass and weeds.” Simplifying the code to require that grass and vegetation be maintained seems like a smarter requirement than listing specific plants. 4. The code states that “foundations must support the building at all points.” In 15 years there were zero complaints about buildings with open foundations. (just general complaints about
building disrepair.) There are many buildings in the township with open foundations including garden/tool sheds on block and sand foundations, mobile homes and properties built on stilts or pilings along the Little Miami River to comply with flood zone building rules. A productive code would state that foundations must be in good repair - allowing both solid and open foundation types in the township. Many other areas of the code are unclear, undefined or unnecessary. How did we get this code? Township trustees took an outdated, over reaching document from another township and threw it out to the public without considering that the proposed code could create more problems than it solves. To properly address real problems in Symmes, a better process would be to study actual complaints received over the past ten years, identify problem areas, and develop a code targeted and limited to solving those issues. Until that real work happens I will continue to oppose this ill devised code. Karen Diehl is a resident of Camp Dennison.
LCPAAA recently embarked on community service project On recent Saturday mornings you may have noticed folks with bright yellow vests along the sides of Riverside Drive or Loveland-Madeira Road. Thanks for slowing down as you passed by and waved to us. You may have wondered, who are these folks and what are they doing? The Loveland Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association has been around since 2007 assisting the Loveland Police at various events around town such as parades and festivals. On some Saturday mornings during February, March and April we set out to rid our streets and public spaces of unsightly litter - you know, those ugly cans, bottles, plastic bags, drink cups, fast food Peggy wrappers and other assorted Goodwin “treasures” that seem to magCOMMUNITY PRESS ically appear overnight. GUEST COLUMNIST On a beautiful crisp, sunny day in February, alumni members cleared 12 huge bags of litter from Phillips Park and the hiking trail; in March, on a cold, dreary, drizzly morning, we collected 25 bags of trash from the shoulders of Riverside Drive, and in April, 12 bags of litter were pulled from the sides of Loveland-Madeira Road. Wow! These clean-up results are great, and the Alumni members are happy to be of service to the community, but it is appalling to see Loveland’s streets and parks used as dumping grounds. That is why we are committed to continuing these clean-up projects, maintaining Loveland’s curb appeal as a beautiful, welcoming neighborhood. Membership in the LCPAAA is open to anyone who has completed the Loveland Citizens Police Academy course or is a resident who completed a similar course elsewhere. The Alumni Association provides administrative and functional support to the Loveland Police Division where appropriate as well as adopting community service projects such as litter clean-up. The Loveland Citizens Police Academy is a program designed to acquaint individuals
7700 Service Center Drive, West Chester, Ohio, 45069 phone: 248-8600 email: loveland@communitypress.com web site: Cincinnati.com/communities
Dawn Desko, Lisa Craig, Gabbie Rohdenburg and Sheila Wheatley cleared a wealth of cans and bottles from the parking lot and sports fields in Phillips Park.
with the activities of the Loveland Police Division. The fast-paced, eight to 10-week course covers a wide variety of topics related to law enforcement. The course is open to adults (age 18 and up) who reside or work in the city of Loveland. The next Academy will be this fall. This year the Loveland Police Division is collaborating with the Miami Township Police Department and the Milford Police Department on a joint citizen’s academy. Participants will get the opportunity to learn about police work in the three different communities. Classes typically include participation in a tour of the county jail, video use-of-force simulator, traffic stops, firearms and more. If you want to know more about the Loveland Citizens Police Academy or the alumni association call 583-3000. Peggy Goodwin is secretary of the Loveland Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association.
Loveland Herald 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.