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People in action
To the editor: National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, is a time to celebrate our local American Red Cross volunteers.
This year’s theme, “Celebrating People in Action,” aptly describes Red Cross volunteers as they are doers, people in action.
The American Red Cross of Ottawa County has over 100 volunteers from all walks of life. They come together with one common purpose—to provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Red Cross volunteers are always ready to turn compassion into action and help people down the street, across the nation and around the world. They teach lifesaving safety courses such as first aid, CPR, babysitting and care giving. Volunteers serve veterans, members of the military, and their families; work at blood drives; respond to large and small disasters; and provide international tracing services.
During National Volunteer Week, the American Red Cross wants to thank each volunteer. We take this time to recognize the selfless gifts of time, money and blood the Red Cross has received from the citizens of our local communities.
National Volunteer Week is also a time to invite you to join us. If you are not a volunteer, give the Red Cross a try. Red Crossers are people who are trained to perform extraordinary acts in the face of emergencies. Right now, we especially need people who are interested in becoming a first aid and CPR instructor or a Disaster Services volunteer responder.
To volunteer, call Beth Leggett or Deena Camerato at 419-734-1100.
Tim Yenrick
Regional Director, Red Cross NW Ohio
A friend in need
To the editor: Most of us are aware of what Ohio’s financial problems have done to local libraries across Ohio. I would like to comment on a local level.
Birchard Library in Fremont, Gibsonburg, Green Springs and Woodville has given so much to our communities since the 1870s. They have never asked us (the public) for anything. They have only “given.” Book lending is free, room usage is free and computer usage is free. If we need tax forms, newspapers, phone directories, advice on beginning a business, or information in general, it is free.
We have learned to take for granted that the library is always available most days of the week. If we want to reserve or renew a book, we can do so easily online through their website. If we return a book late, the fine is very small. The employees are the kindest and most knowledgeable you will find anywhere.
The library has served us selflessly for all these years and it is now in trouble. Funding has already been cut 30 percent and further cuts are quickly coming. Birchard Library will not be able to continue all of the free services that we assumed would always be available to us.
Despite all of these serious financial difficulties the library is still asking very little of the public. In May, a library tax levy will for the first time be on our ballot. A homeowner of a $100,000.00 home would pay only about $2.55 per month to preserve this wonderful asset to our community.
Personally, I cannot imagine living in any of the four Birchard Library communities without the library and its many services. Birchard Library is one of our community’s proudest assets. I do hope we can support it in the May election.
Dennis Newman
Fremont
Do the right thing
To the editor:
To the great citizens of Curtice:
Last night, someone had the nerve to break into my daughter’s garage on the corner of N. Curtice and Brown in the early evening hours and stole my grandson’s mini quad.
This is a young couple that has struggled over the last year with a lost job, health issues and just making sure they keep their house. And then some slimy, sneaky, low-life, and you know who you are, and if not someone reading this does, had the nerve to take something that was a great sense of fun for my grandkids.
I hope whatever you get out of this be it money or use, that it is worth what you have taken from them. And maybe not today, but someday you will have to atone for the things you have done in life.
Do the right thing – return the item. Just leave it in the driveway – no questions asked. Prove you can be decent.
Sally Slomka
Via e-mail
Support appreciated
To the editor: On behalf of the Ottawa County Holiday Bureau, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our supportive community in Allen-Clay-Harris townships for their generous donations of money, food, toys and volunteering. We simply could not have helped our local families without this support.
We understand the holiday season is a difficult time for families but it is also difficult for many businesses and organizations to prosper during this economical time. With that being said, it is amazing to see how generously our community thinks of others in a time of need and gives to so many.
This year, we raised a total of $5,518.05 for Allen-Clay-Harris Townships and $46,395.14 for the entire Ottawa County Holiday Bureau. We served 164 families (255 adults and 226 children) in Allen-Clay-Harris Townships and 843 families (1436 adults and 1193 children) for the entire county.
We would like to personally thank the following businesses and organizations for their continued support over the years.
Genoa Public Schools, with special thanks to Mrs. Shope and Mr. Stacklin; Genoa PTO; Millers Market; Our Lady Of Lourdes Catholic Church; St. John’s UCC; St. John Lutheran Church; Trinity United Methodist Church; Salvation Army; Terry Paul with Genoa Chevy & Genoa Ford; Brush Wellman; Moore Orchards; Samsen Furniture; Dollar General; Genoa Chamber of Commerce; Genoa Library; Curves; Marco’s Pizza; St. John’s Nurturing Center; Village Early Childhood; Genoa Custom Interiors; Genoa Retirement Village; Rayz Café; Genoa Scouts Pack 342; Brownie Troop #11048; Sprouse Insurance; National Bank of Oak Harbor; Cimmaron; Harris-Elmore Library; Elmore Conservation Club; Elmore Lions Club; Woodmore High School National Honor Society; Elmore Boy Scout Troop and Trinity Lutheran Church.
Also, a special thanks to the numerous individual volunteers and students for their time helping to sort, pack and distribute the food and toys.
Again, we thank all of you for your help and look forward to working with you again next year.
Ottawa County Holiday Bureau Committee Allen-Clay-Harris Unit
Kathy Mapes, Chairman
Esteban Reyes, Co-Chairman/County Vice President
Diane Huss, Treasurer
Catherine Aldrich, Toy Chairman
Necessary?
To the editor: Was it really necessary to put the full details in the paper why the Northwood firefighters were dismissed from the department?
If people really wanted to know, they could search the files at the courthouse website via the Internet.
They failed. They did something wrong, so why publish all that? Consider the families and what they went through. Why open a can of worms again?
If it needed to be published, it could have been simple, such as, “A meeting with two Northwood firefighters proved they maintained inappropriate actions and they have resigned from the fire department.”
Carol Hanely
Walbridge
On the right track?
To the editor: I have been a resident of Walbridge for many years. The town that is supposed to be on the right track, in my opinion, is not on the right track.
In the last few years, this town has changed a few things for the better but there are still a lot of important things that should be addressed. They have been brought up several times at meetings over the years. WE have some alleys in town that need work. They have potholes that need to be fixed right, not just grated with a backhoe every few months.
Some people’s yards look bad with junk all over them. If the town says anything to them, they clean it up but in a few weeks, it is back to the same condition.
Some of these homes need a paint job or repairs. This brings down the value of the surrounding homes. If they want to sell their home, they won’t have much of a chance to do that.
In my opinion and in the opinions of people I talk to, it is starting to look like East Toledo or North Toledo.
We need these things taken care of and not put on the back burner and forgotten. In my opinion, if the people that run this town cannot get these things done at a reasonable cost, it is time to replace them. Some of these jobs are coming up in November.
Now is the time to get Walbridge to again be the town on the right track.
Erwin Frohlich
Walbridge
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