Re-Elect Claypool County Commissioner
On May 8, please cast your vote for Walter “Skip” Claypool, Geauga County Commissioner. His tireless and exemplary service to our county should be rewarded with the opportunity to continue his fine work.
In addition to being a keen-eyed fiscal watchdog, fighting against wasteful spending, he has helped modernize our veterans’ offices, is implementing new approaches to support Geauga businesses, is aggressively advocating to improve road safety and is working to improve waste management and recycling services, just to mention a few of his achievements and ongoing projects while in office.
Mr. Claypool’s outstanding record as a commissioner speaks for itself. His opponent, a lifelong Democrat (until just recently), is someone who seems to me to be only posing as a Republican and is someone who has neither the experience nor the successful record as a commissioner that Mr. Claypool has.
As I see it, the choice is clear.
Join me in voting for Skip Claypool on May 8 so he can continue making Geauga County an exceptional place to live.
Stephanie Snook
Bainbridge Township
Who is Jim Dvorak?
Who is Jim Dvorak is a question I’ve heard a lot lately and sometimes attempt to answer.
About 14 months ago Jim called me seeking information about the Red Tulip Project of Geauga. He had just lost his daughter Jamie, to multiple health issues related to opiates. Jim thought the family might suggest donations to Red Tulip’s home for recovery in lieu of flowers, which they did.
Three weeks later I met Jim in person and realized I’d known him for years as just “Jim.” He was at our East Geauga Kiwanis Fish Fries next to me – breading fish or on the serving line, even though he was wearing his Rotary apron. The Red Tulip Board welcomed Jim as a new board member March 2017.
The memorial donations in memory of Jamie Marie Dvorak and the “Pasta with a Purpose” organized by the Friends of Red Tulip/Dvorak Family have generated over $40,000. When Jim joined the board he brought enthusiasm, a network of trades and contractors volunteering to help (do it on a dime not a dollar), leadership and fortitude to persevere from vision to now “Permits in Hand.”
There are many more projects Jim Dvorak has done well, from Kent-Geauga-GCTA sustainable scholarship fund founders, to coaching recreational softball and basketball, 4-H advisor, starting an annual fishing derby for special needs children from Geauga County.
Service is a choice we make when we want to make a difference, so I guess Jim Dvorak is always one of the ones in the apron, elbow deep in making positive things happen in Geauga.
Jim Dvorak is a dependable, organized, extremely hardworking, community-minded individual and, contrary to his gender, a very good listener. My husband says that if you want to get it done, call Jim.
It’s gut wrenching to think of losing Jim as a board member, but Geauga deserves his kind of budgetary management and knowledge of the many facets and facilities of Geauga, and he will make an excellent County Commissioner.
Dianne Kellogg
Claridon Township
Cacophony of Support for Dvorak
I am pleased to add my voice to the cacophony of support for Jim Dvorak as County Commissioner.
Jim has served as my township trustee for 10 years. He has actively demonstrated a clear vision of fiscal responsibility and a genuine concern for the quality of Geauga‘s water resources.
Jim is a leader in the sharing of community assets for the preservation and maintenance of our roadways.
Jim Dvorak is a well-qualified candidate to represent the interests of Geauga County’s residents.
Jay Giles
Burton Township
O’Toole Upholds the Constitution
On May 8, voters will have the opportunity to vote for a judge who has served us with integrity, upholding the conservative values we all cherish.
Judge Colleen Mary O’Toole is running for reelection in the Republican Primary for the 11th District Court of Appeals, which includes Geauga, Lake, Ashtabula, Portage and Trumbull counties.
Judge O’Toole has faithfully served these communities for 11 years, upholding the Constitution. She has heard over 2,000 cases and written more than 900 decisions. She adheres to strict conservative values in her interpretation of the Constitution.
Judge O’Toole’s opponent is running a negative campaign against her. He has no judicial experience to promote, so he is resorting to false attacks on Judge O’Toole’s civic and volunteer activities. This shows a lack of integrity and I hope everyone recognizes this fact.
We need an experienced, proven judge with integrity in the 11th District Court of Appeals. We need Judge Colleen Mary O’Toole. Please join me in voting for Judge O’Toole in the May 8 Republican Primary.
Gary Broska
Bainbridge Township
O’Toole Violates Sign Rules
I am appalled by the apparent disregard by Colleen O’Toole and/or her campaign workers for not following sign placement rules.
It is a violation of traffic safety rules to place signs within the right-of-way of any road intersection. Yet, in all four corners of virtually every intersection throughout her campaign territory one can find pink O’Toole signs at the edge of the roads.
Personally, I am outraged that anyone could be so noncompliant of the rules that exist for our own and other people’s safety. I find it even more troubling that a person who is already a judge in our court system and wants to be re-elected would demonstrate such laxity toward the law.
Based on the above as well as other considerations, I will be voting for Matt Lynch in the upcoming primary election for 11th District appellate judge on May 8.
Ron Cotman
Chester Township
Strong Schools = Strong Communities
As a mother of two children in the Chardon school district, an employee at a local non-profit that works to strengthen communities and the co-chair of the Citizens for Chardon Schools levy campaign, I am asking the voters of Chardon and Chardon, Munson and Hambden townships to come together and Vote Yes on Issue 3.
We are fortunate to have a district ranked in the Top 10 percent in the state of Ohio, a fact we should all be very proud of. Our teachers, administrators and staff work tireless to educate and mentor our young people. They will not be able to continue to provide this excellent learning environment if not funded properly.
Our community is viewed by the state legislature as a wealthy district, and thus that same legislature has cut $1 million annually. We cannot count on Columbus! We must do that ourselves as a concerned, supportive and proud community. Our kids deserve it. Our school district staff deserves it. Our community deserves it.
Please go to the polls on May 8 (or sooner and vote early) and Vote Yes for our kids and Yes for Issue 3. Strong schools = strong communities.
Jodi Clute
Chardon Township
To Build Berkshire’s Future
A lot can change in 38 years. Thirty-eight years from now, my generation will be approaching retirement; we will be entering the year 2056 and the current Berkshire High School building will be 120 years old.
I am a current senior at Berkshire High School and look forward to voting “Yes” for Issue 2 on May 8.
Berkshire has afforded my classmates and me many opportunities. We received a valuable education that will hopefully carry us all to reach our maximum potential. The environment is warm and teachers genuinely care about the well being of their students.
That being said, the chance of a new school building is too fantastic to pass up. Although the spirit of the student body is strong, the state of the buildings is concerning. Both the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission and an architectural firm assessed that Ledgemont Elementary, Burton Elementary and Berkshire High School are in need of substantial repairs. Furthermore, the expense of improving these buildings is excessive with diminishing returns due to high operating costs.
The PRIME initiative proposes a partnership between Berkshire, KSU-Geauga, Geauga Growth Partnership and Auburn Career Center to build one K-12 facility on Kent State University’s Geauga Campus. This endeavor already has the backing of various businesses such as Great Lakes Cheese, KeyBank and University Hospitals.
The school will focus on project-based learning, host state-of-the-art athletic and performance areas, and new technology to help the student body flourish.
In regards to the financial aspect, it will cost more in the long run to keep all three buildings open than to initiate PRIME. The state is only going to pay 55 percent of the total cost for the new building, not for renovations to the current ones.
My classmates and I will not experience this opportunity ourselves, but we are excited about the possibilities for our community. New businesses and increased revenue will bolster the economy and, someday, I plan for my children to attend.
I hope you all will vote “Yes” with me on May 8 for the school, the community and the future.
Dayna Rakoczy
Burton Township
Claypool Deserves Re-Election
The reason that Skip Claypool is so effective as a Geauga County Commissioner is simple: Being a commissioner is his only job and he works at it every day.
The other commissioners have day jobs that require at least eight hours per day, but Skip spends his days researching the issues and speaking with people involved with those issues. He knows the viewpoints of the people in the many county departments, and he learns directly from them what is going on in the county. He actually reads budget requests and asks questions about various expenses.
The purpose of the Geauga County Commissioners is to spend taxpayer money wisely. Skip has done an outstanding job in this regard and deserves to be re-elected.
Peg Hunt
Chester Township
West G Investing in the Future
Many of us, like the writer of a recent Letter to the Editor, “Disappointed in West Geauga Schools,” fondly remember our old industrial arts classes. We used rasps and bandsaws to make wooden trays for our mothers and sheet metal breaks and spot welders to construct metal boxes for our fathers.
Many bird houses, peg board games and other bric-a-brac can still be found in spare rooms and closets across Northeast Ohio, but technical education has moved on.
As West Geauga changes to meet the needs of our students in a new era, it is worth remembering that over 90 percent of our students go on to higher education or the military. West Geauga is focusing efforts on the needs of these students with more rigorous academics, including more Advanced Placement classes and Honors offerings. We are investing in early education reading tutors and math coaches to ensure a path for success for every student, right from the start.
Excel TECC, which West Geauga vocational students attend, prepares those students who don’t necessarily want to go on to college (although many do) for the great, often overlooked careers that are so important to our economy. And, contrary to “Disappointed’s” assertion, we strongly support the vocational track, which trains students for good jobs in business, marketing, medicine, horticulture, commercial and performing arts, automotive maintenance and the full array of the building trades. This year, 56 West Geauga students are participating in Excel TECC programs.
What we don’t have today are schools that put bright girls in “business classes” where they learn to support themselves as secretaries until they get married, or teach black and white film photography because it is a critical component of the Saturday Evening Post. Most computer courses are gone because computers are now integrated into every class and, for non-professional users, many once complicated programs, like web design and 3-D home design are now drag and drop, easily mastered and available for free online. Where once components were painstakingly machined, students can use 3-D printers to test their ideas in art, engineering and science.
Technology education at West Geauga, like technology in today’s economy, has evolved. The Board of Education, the Administration and West Geauga’s teachers are committed to keeping our students on the cutting edge by investing in the future.
West Geauga Schools Board of Education
Kathy Leavenworth, President
Ben Kotowski, Vice President
Dan Thoreson
Bill Beers
Chet Ramey
Support Chardon School Levy – Issue 3
Passing our school levy is one of the most important things we need to do for the health of our community. Here are a few reasons why I believe this with all my heart.
Here are some finance facts:
- Chardon Schools have lost $1 million in State Funding – this will be a yearly loss.
- The State of Ohio considers us a wealthy district and we believe we will not see any new funding from them. If anything, we will continue to lose funding.
- Chardon Schools have made significant cuts in spending to deal with this loss. We have reconfigured our buildings, cut teachers and administration.
We will still be out of money by 2020. If the levy does not pass, we will have to start cutting more teachers and raising pay-to-participate fees in the 2018-19 school year.
- Failure to pass this levy will significantly impact our students. It will mean larger class sizes, higher pay to participate fees and loss of programming.
- Chardon Schools did not receive extra funds after the property tax reevaluation.
Here are some bragging facts:
- Chardon Schools are in the top 10 percent of schools in our state.
- After the levy passage in 2013, we have fulfilled our promises to rebuild programming, curriculum and technology. We also cut pay-to-participate fees.
- Homes in districts with strong schools have values 77 percent higher than homes in zip codes without strong schools.
- Our students raise thousands of dollars for charity every year and are constantly being taught the values of strong citizenship and caring for others.
- Our students consistently make us proud in arts activities and sports as well as academics.
- Our community gets much of its identity from them as they represent us through the schools.
Madelon Horvath, Member
Chardon Schools Board of Education
Claypool Has Done Great Job
I first got to know Skip Claypool when I went to a meeting of NOACA (Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency). NOACA is a transportation and environmental planning governmental agency serving Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties. The board of NOACA is made up of elected and appointed officials from these five counties.
The challenge for the counties with smaller populations (and, Geauga is the smallest by far) is to get their fair share of funds. That is no easy task given how representatives from Cuyahoga dominate NOACA.
When I first got into the meeting, you could just get the feeling you had entered a lions’ den. While polite and respectful, Skip was not going to be intimidated by the board members from the predominantly urban areas. Skip came to the meeting prepared and he was eager to hear others. But, he also came to be heard. I walked out of the meeting knowing that despite the odds against us, Skip was going to fight for us. He made us all proud.
Over the following years, I have encountered Skip several times and he has always stood for his principles: Faith, Family and Country. He is one of the most hardworking people I know, having accomplished a lot of things in his life from serving many years in the Air Force to being a businessman to serving Geauga as a County Commissioner to being a family man – he is a father and grandfather many times over and his family “rocks.”
As a Geauga County Commissioner, Skip is accessible and a frugal steward of the taxpayers’ money. You always know where he stands and he does what he promises.
To me, it is a simple decision. Skip has done a great job and will continue to be a great Commissioner. I’ll be proud to vote for him on the Republican ballot on May 8.
Neville A. Arjani
South Russell Village
Shut Claypool Down May 8
Walter Claypool is neither a Republican nor a Conservative. He belongs to the Tea Party, our far left government that now controls everything in Geauga County. At their meetings they ridicule every citizen that loves the pristine beauty of where we live. They have attacked both Republican and Democrats running for office.
Nor is Walter “Skip” Claypool a conservative. The recent theft of over $2 million by the county IT department head falls under the auspices of the commissioners. Where the auditor resigned over this, Claypool should have followed suit.
Recently a former female senior county employee resigned over harassment for submitting complaints that another county department head had allegedly “violated ethics” by not taking bids for several jobs. So much for the #metoo movement in Geauga as well. Walter Claypool did nothing to investigate or remove that department head and complicity is far from being accountable.
Skip also tried to shut down the local senior center in Chesterland. Thank God for the many seniors who turned out to shut down his plans to do that. The Chester Senior Center provides meals on wheels, exercise classes and recreation/arts to hundreds of our local seniors.
As a Republican voter in Geauga, I hope that all seniors, women and especially young people who don’t want to see this “good ‘ole boy” government continue, will get out and vote on May 8 and make Geauga County Free Again.
I will be voting for Jim Dvorak. Given the choices and belief he will be both a conservative and transparent, which Walter Claypool has proven he knows nothing and cares little about, let’s shut Skip Claypool down on May 8.
The Tea Party doesn’t want me to write letters like this. Please vote on May 8. Our future is in your hands.
Gary Paoletto
Chester Township
At Last, It’s Our Turn
Over the years, the citizens of the Berkshire School District have voted for various school levies and bond issues, always trying to “catch up” with building repairs and maintenance of the aging structures that comprise our school community.
And always, we admired other districts that were able to get state or federal funds for new construction and up-to-date facilities. We waited for our district to come to the top of the list of those districts scheduled for additional state aid.
Well, we finally made it! It’s almost unbelievable that we now have a one-shot opportunity to bring our district and its students into the 21st century. The State of Ohio will fund more than half (yes, 55 percent) of the cost of building a K-12 school on the Burton campus of Kent State University. Further, in the event that later on, additions are made to these structures, the state will also fund 55 percent of that cost.
Now we have the opportunity for our students to not only attend K-12 in a new, safe facility, but also be able to take classes at Kent State and/or Auburn Career Center, graduating from high school with an Associate’s Degree — a $12,000 value — at no additional expense to students or parents. I can’t think of a greater legacy to leave our young people — all of them, regardless of their career goals. (It goes without saying that the new structures will be SAFE and will be a factor in attracting quality professionals to our already superior staff.)
And, it’s a fact that one of the major considerations of families moving into the area is the quality of the school system.
Updating the existing buildings to state requirements would also require additional millage, yet we would still have old buildings, and no state assistance.
I believe that a 3.65-mill increase in taxes is worth it, but we need to pass the bond issue on May 8 or our opportunity will go elsewhere. In this day of BOGO (Buy One, Get One Free), surely supporting this issue is a no-brainer.
See you at the polls and be proud, knowing what a gift you have given to the children and young adults in the community, both now and in the future. Vote Yes on May 8.
Joyce Imhof
Troy Township
Passage of Issue 3 Will Prevent Cuts
Nearly six years ago, Chardon Schools were experiencing a financial crisis. Cuts to our state funding had resulted in large cuts to our operating budget. The education of our students was being affected. Art, music, gifted and business programs saw reductions or were gone altogether. High school students had few options and sat in study halls. In late 2013, we were able to pass a levy.
The last levy allowed us to restore some educational programs. Now our high school students do not sit in study halls. We have updated courses and purchased new educational materials to replace those that were years out of date.
But the state has continued to cut and we have lost nearly another $1 million from our funding due to loss of the Tangible Personal Property Tax. We also must pay for local students in privately operated Charter Schools and this currently costs the district about $600,000 per year.
As part of the response, we are undergoing a reconfiguration of the district that will require closing two elementary schools and reductions in staff and administration. This will result in a more cost-effective use of facilities and staff but with some additional educational opportunities for our students.
This will not be enough. To prevent cutting programs as in the past additional funding is still needed.
Therefore, I am asking you to support Issue 3. We are asking for only what is necessary to counter the state reductions along with a small increase in additional operating millage. This will allow us to stretch our resources without disruption to our children’s education.
My focus is on not returning to the days when we eliminated educational opportunities for our students. If Issue 3 fails, there will be plans for increases in fees and reductions in programs, services and personnel.
Guy Wilson, Member
Chardon Schools Board of Education
Don’t Vote Claypool
I’m a senior citizen Republican voter. Next month I will vote to prevent GOP fringe candidates – which includes most incumbents and a few retreads – from advancing to the general election or to the state central committee.
Candidates like commissioner Walter “just-askin’-innocent-questions” Claypool and the perennial bedbug Matt Lynch bleat shallow “I’m-a-five-star-constitutional-conservative!” campaign slogans while they hide destructive philosophies and agendas from voters.
An April 5 pro-Claypool letter in the Maple Leaf accurately tied “Skip” Claypool to inept, toxic, and racist president Trump. It was an astute observation.
Then on April 12, the Maple Leaf reported on the county’s new Rube Goldberg department of development, and its inexperienced new director. Claypool said he approved of this all-around mismatch.
The new development department will administer our very technical building code, our federal community development block grant, our Ohio community reinvestment area tax incentives, the county’s revolving business loan fund, plus the new director will glad-hand existing businesses.
But the new director has no local or state government experience, and no experience with government grants, loans or building codes. “Skip” likes that a lot.
The logical place to put those important and sensitive county programs, supervised by an experienced new employee, would have been a reinvigorated county planning commission – the one agency that should understand and plan in detail for the entire county’s growth, infrastructure, conservation and redevelopment. But that would’ve required a few perceptive commissioners.
“Skip’s” politics is governed by the supremacy of private property rights – a feudalistic philosophy. “Skip” is thus obliged to disbelieve professional, data-backed explanations about the various impacts of, for example, Geauga’s pervasive low-density sprawl, and why our sprawl reduces the bang of state and federal grants and local matching funds.
To keep his plates spinning, Claypool needs an array of foils: “those people” in Cleveland, NOACA, the U.N. (really, son? the U.N.?), township trustees, the USGS, park district land purchases, the museum of natural history, our own emasculated planning commission, and others. So, to deflect inconvenient realities, “Skip” keeps telling us his earnest “questions.”
“Skip” has a great 1990s-era shtick, but it’s way past its sell-by date.
On May 8, vote against Republican extremism. Vote for Jim Dvorak.
Bill Miller
Burton Village
Dvorak Keeps His Word
We met Jim Dvorak years ago when he was running for Burton Township Trustee. He told us of his ideas and plans of how he could serve our community.
At that time, Jim was a Democrat. Although we are Republican, we liked his ideas and we crossed party lines and voted for him. He has done everything he had told us he was going to do and then some. This is what we look for in any candidate, regardless of party.
Jim (now running under the Republican ticket) is running for Geauga County Commissioner and we had the opportunity to set down face to face with Jim in our own home for over an hour. We wanted to hear what his plans are for our future.
Not only did we discuss the future, but the past and all that he has accomplished as a township trustee. He has come up with logical and realistic plans and ideas that have served to be fiscally responsible.
When we met with Jim, this was a perfect opportunity, as well, for him to do some mudslinging against his opponent, which we abhor. He did none of that (which in our opinion, any candidate who focuses on mudslinging has no ideas or a platform on which they are running), but we only discussed plans of the future and Jim took the time to answer some questions on current issues as well.
If you would like to see someone who thinks outside of the box and has a proven record of making sound, fiscally responsible decisions that affect all of us as a community, our recommendation would be to vote for Jim Dvorak for Geauga County Commissioner.
Micheal and Amy Kalal
Burton
Dvorak Cares About Geauga
A very important issue will be on the ballot in next month’s election: the election of a county commissioner.
This position, the oldest form of county government in America going back to colonial times, has the responsibility to serve in certain executive and legislative duties such as approve budgets, oversee spending, hire county employees and many other responsibilities.
County commissioners are responsible to the voters, but their duties are defined and controlled by the state constitution.
In order to be fair and effective, each of the three county commissioners should be familiar with the county and with each of its agency’s financial needs. And no agency or political ideology should get special treatment from any commissioner.
Jim Dvorak does know and understand these county agency’s needs very well from the experiences he has gained working with them over the years while serving Geauga County in such roles as: Executive Committee, Geauga County Republican Party; Burton Township Trustee, three terms; Geauga Township Association President, three terms; President of Burton-Middlefield Rotary; Director, Red Tulip project, combatting the countywide opioid and alcohol epidemic.
Jim Dvorak knows Geauga County.
But Jim doesn’t just excel in his roles in elected office positions. For years he has been laboring in the trenches, dedicating his time and efforts to keep Geauga County the desirable place to live that it is. Some examples of his wide-ranging and generous contributions to Geauga County include the following:
You might see Jim working at Rotary pancake breakfasts or hear about his volunteering to coordinate the Special Needs Children’s fishing activities program, or his volunteering to work at the hugely successful Burton “Chautauqua” event last summer.
He helped build the county Veterans Memorial Monument and serves as a trustee to this project.
He was a 4-H advisor and is a director of the Lake/Geauga Realtors Association.
Yes, if you want someone who realty knows Geauga County and has the proven skills to understand and resolve complex issues, to keep it a desirable place to live, vote for Jim Dvorak.
Mike Fath
Burton Township
Support Berkshire Students and their Future
My name is Richard “Dick” Dean and I support the Berkshire PRIME School District Levy on the May 8 ballot.
I was born and raised in Burton. I started school in the “old gym” back of the Burton Library and my four children attended Burton Schools. I’ve lived in Burton my entire adult life.
I started on the Board of Education in 1969 and acted as president of the board along with four dedicated residents over a period of 20 years. We successfully passed levies to modernize the high school facilities and constructed the building.
Passing today’s school levy on May 8, I believe, is our chance to support our students and their future.
I feel that one of the most important items that was true in 1969 and is true today — many of our teachers were so accomplished that they could have continued their instruction on the college level. This is a plus for the students going to Berkshire. They will have a tremendous advantage, not only in facilities, but also in available courses through Kent State University and Auburn Career Center.
This opportunity will probably not happen again in your lifetime. So please, pass the Berkshire PRIME School Levy that will support our children for many years to come.
Richard A. Dean
Former Berkshire School Board President
Ft. Myers, Fla.
