THE PRESS
Your Voice on the Street: by Stephanie Szozda
APRIL 7, 2014
9
The Press Poll
Who do you think will be in the college basketball finals and who will win?
How many ſrearms do you own? 0 1-2 3-5 6-8 10 -15 20 or more Mike Wade Floyds Knobs, IN "I think it will be Florida and Wisconsin, with Florida winning it all because they have a more dominant post presence and have been the better team all year defensively and offensively."
Sam Warner Perrysburg "Florida and Kentucky make the title game. Florida wins because their experienced seniors stay cool down the stretch versus a very talented, but very young Kentucky team."
Outpouring of support To the editor: In the face of tragedy, one does not know how people will react. The early morning hours of March 9 brought with them an unimaginable and terrible tragedy. Jose Andy Chavez, a husband, father, son, brother and vibrant family member to so many, was shot and killed as he celebrated his 26th birthday with his family. They will forever feel their loss. Another family is also mourning its loss. Andy was a full-time Elmore police officer and his dedication to his job was exemplary. His happy attitude and big smile are not only missed every day by the police department but also by the whole Elmore community. Never facing such a tragedy and not knowing what to expect, the events that took place in the following hours and days still overwhelm me as I think of the dedication and teamwork of so many different factions coming together and working as one with a single goal – to honor Andy Chavez in the very best way they could. Our strong community showed its strength and even got stronger in the face of such adversity. It is time to say “thank you” to all that worked so tirelessly and unselfishly during this terrible time. The hundreds of phone calls, the meetings, the hours of planning and the all-out effort put out by so many to synchronize a chain of events in such a short period of time could only be accomplished by so many working as one to make it happen. First and foremost, I would like to thank Police Chief George Hayes and Sgt. Jeff Harrison who were extraordinary in the planning and their coordination efforts. I would also like to thank Sheriff Steve Levorchick and the entire Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department for all of their help and continued support; the Clay Township Police Department for covering the village the day of the service; the Fraternal Order of Police Association of Port Clinton and the Toledo Police Department for their help and advice on protocols for the funeral, and to Chaplain Vriezelaar for officiating
Matt Persinger Perrysburg "I think Florida will play Kentucky in the championship, with Florida winning the tournament. The reasoning behind this prediction is simple: It's what I don't want to happen, therefore it will."
Letters
Teddy Ogdahl Oregon "Kentucky and Connecticut. I don't know who will win but I want Connecticut to win but only because if they do then Holly will win our company pool and that will make her husband very mad."
Chris McKinnon Perrysburg "Florida and Kentucky. Florida has an experienced team and other than Kentucky, has had the best tournament so far. Experience over youth."
To cast your ballot, go to www.presspublications.com
Last Week's Results Will the closing of the High Level Bridge affect you?
Letters should be about 350 words. Deadline Wed. Noon. Send to news@presspublications.com
the services. I would also like to thank the Harris-Elmore Fire Department for all their help before, during and after the day of the service, and the Elmore Historical Society. I would also like to say a special “thank you” to the Woodmore staff, the students and the Woodmore parents for all their efforts they put forth to honor Andy and his family. It is impossible to thank everyone by name. The list is, indeed, very long. At this time, I would just like to say thank you, everyone for everything you did following this tragic loss. Matt Damschroder, Mayor, Village of Elmore
Progressive thinking? To the editor: This is in response to the letter by Cynthia Campbell. She asserts discrimination is always wrong and many Christians are medieval thinking hypocrites for their views on same-sex relations. The issue has been topical because of events like the photographer who refused to shoot a same-sex couple’s ceremony and a florist who refused to provide services to a same-sex couple’s union. I guess if everyone was a secular progressive thinker, all discrimination would cease. Let’s test a few hypothetical examples. I guess since religion represents medieval thinking, I’ll use examples that represent progressive thinking. A vegetarian opens a restaurant and approaches a forhire food critic who happens to be vegan to try all of her dishes. The vegan refuses because of his personal beliefs and the vegetarian sues him. This will be tough for the courts because on one hand, the vegetarian is a woman and the vegan is a man. On the other hand the male food critic is more progressive in his thinking because he is vegan. Maybe the court will rule that her restaurant should give up the medieval thinking of vegetarianism and serve only
vegan dishes. Michelle Obama will praise the decision. A female couple approaches a woman to take pictures for their union. The photographer specializes in serving male couples only and is not comfortable photographing female couples despite being in a samesex relationship herself. I guess she’s a secular progressive hypocrite so the courts will rule against her on behalf of women’s rights. That makes sense. An environmentalist runs an ecofriendly carwash for compact cars. Another environmentalist drives up in his SUV. He only drives the SUV because he needed the space to house the seven species of bugs he just saved from extinction in the rainforest. The SUV won’t fit through the car wash so the driver sues. The courts rule that the car wash is wrong for not putting the health of the bugs first and the SUV driver is wrong for not driving a hybrid SUV made by GM. Everybody wins. Hopefully I’ve made my point. Adam Swartz Walbridge
70% Yes 30% No with, so get over it.” Rufus Wallace Millbury Editor’s note: A Mexican man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the death of Brian Terry. Others believed to be involved are at large or in custody in Mexico.
Fundraiser support To the editor: We wish to thank everyone for their support for donations to the Kyler Hammer Chicken Barbecue Benefit. The benefit was held March 30 at the Eagle’s Nest Hall in Oak Harbor to benefit Kyler, who was born June 3, 2013 with a genetic disorder. We especially want to thank Batdorff Real Estate and all associates and spouses for all their help in selling tickets, as well as their help in serving and making it a successful day and event. It was very much appreciated. Kyler is working very hard with his therapy to make us proud and he is such a blessing. We need extra prayers for his surgery to be successful and for quick recovery in May. He definitely is a fighter. Nick, Megan and Kyler Hammer Dean Hammer Bernie and Gene Hammer
Nothing was done To the editor: I question just why Congress and the Justice Department are looking into the ignition problem General Motors is having, and the deaths of 12 people. When thousands of guns were allowed to go into Mexico and were used to kill Mexican citizens and Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, nothing was done. When our ambassador to Libya and three others were killed, nothing was done. The gun-runners were promoted and the Justice Department is stonewalling. The woman who was in charge of the IRS retired and is taking the Fifth before congress. Hillary Clinton said, when questioned by Congress about the death of U.S. Ambassador to Libya, “It is over and done
A Good Samaritan To the editor: I had the good fortune on Sunday, March 20 of having a stranger help, and I never even had the ability to thank him or her. An unknown person returned my purse intact to the Service Desk at the Oregon Meijer from an outside cart corral. There is an endless stream of negative news and I realized that honest, decent citizens often are overlooked for their kindness. To this Good Samaritan – thank you. You have restored my faith in humanity and I intend to pay your good deed forward. K. Ackerman Gibsonburg
Time and effort, if used wisely equals success Dare to Live
by Bryan Golden
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Now is the time to start down your chosen path. You will never be as young as you are today.
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Time affects virtually every aspect of your life. Time only moves forward. There is no going back. Time can’t be saved or made up. Time seems to go by faster each year. Times goes by like a flash when you are happy and having fun and drags endlessly when you are not. A big time trap is waiting for things to happen. Although circumstances can change over time, passively waiting for this to occur is very ineffective. A more successful strategy is taking action now in order to make things happen. Although you decide how proactive you are, there is no way to know how much time it will take to accomplish any particular objective. Patience is as essential as action. Since there is no way to know how close you are to your goal, you must keep persevering. Always remember that failure only occurs when you give up. The effect of water on stone is a great illustration of the cumulative effects of action over time. A single drop of water has no impact whatsoever on a rock. Yet billions of drops of water over eons create landscapes as stunning as the Grand Canyon. Success takes both time and effort.
The key is being persistent and consistent. It really doesn’t matter how long a journey takes because time goes by anyway. So you may as well be spending your time working
toward something you want. Just as time is required to build, time is as needed to maintain. For example, once a house is constructed, it takes time and effort to keep it in good shape. Any structure that is ignored will collapse over time. Achieving a goal is wonderful. You must then devote enough time to maintaining your goal. Landing your dream job is certainly a great accomplishment. In order to keep your job you need to spend enough time doing everything expected of you. It’s common to hear time used as an excuse. There is not enough time. It will take too much time. I’m too young. I’m too old. Excuses prevent accomplishments. Stop making them. Now is the time to start down your chosen path. You will never be as young as you are today. Those people with lots of time on their hands, who don’t have a specific direction, easily become bored. The statement, “I have some time to kill,” indicates someone is in this situation. Your life can be as rich and exciting as you make it. It’s a shame to drift along without any meaningful goals. Unfortunately we encounter adverse circumstances we have to deal with. These cause negative emotions such as grief, sad-
ness, stress, and worry. These feelings can fade in intensity over time. Healing is a process that cannot be rushed. Each person is different in how much time they require. Time only moves forward, and you should also. The most important time is the present. What you do with your time is up to you. Lamenting the past or worrying about the future is a waste of time. Learn from the past while taking action to prepare for the future. Action is essential to moving in your desired direction or reaching a specific goal. Treat each day as the gift it is. Rather than waiting for opportunity, create opportunity. Each day is a brand new opportunity to assess where you are, decide where you want to go, and then do whatever is necessary to get there. Life is not a practice run. Use the time you have to create the life you want. NOW AVAILABLE: “Dare to Live Without Limits,” the book. Visit www.BryanGolden. com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. Email Bryan at bryan@columnist.com or write him c/o this paper. © 2014 Bryan Golden