I’m saying this, because I’ve lived other places where there was much less affection for the past, and historic buildings were razed without thought. However, I gave the razing thought, and finally I thought: once a building is gone, it can’t be retrieved, and future citizens are left with a hole in their community or a laughably modern and shoddy structure plugging that hole to remind them of something precious lost.
I also want to say, in the time I’ve been back I haven’t had any trouble finding parking—on the square; at the courthouse; at the Hayner; and so on. And even if I did, it would be worth it for the sake of old Troy’s preservation.
Troy (I’m addressing you), losing that building will be losing a little bit of your collective historical soul.
- Mitch Lear, Bethel Twp.
Please wake up, people. The Ohio legislature is considering laws that would radically change the way our kids are taught. The sponsor of a major piece of that plan wants Ohio to adopt the American Birthright social studies curriculum.
That curriculum was developed by the National Association of Scholars, whose research director David Randall told NBC News, “It is terribly important to be a disengaged citizen, and indeed, a disengaged student.”
Say what?! The curriculum materials say teachers should not encourage things like voting or petitioning local lawmakers on issues important to them. I don’t care what political party you back, do you want your kids being told NOT to vote?
Please let your representatives know that this isn’t education. It’s brainwashing worthy of a totalitarian state, not a vibrant democracy like the one this country has fought so hard to become. Please wake up and speak up.
- Charla Hatton, Middletown
Ohio has some of the most complicated and burdensome school funding laws and regulations in the nation. In 1976, almost 50 years ago, Ohio passed House Bill 920. This law freezes the income from a voted school property tax to the amount raised at the time the levy is passed. This puts the school on a fixed income with no cost-of-living increases.
In addition to this reduction factor, there is inside millage, outside millage, tax abatement for businesses, State funding formulas, etc. The Ohio Senate’s recently passed budget has Ed Choice vouchers of $6,200 for K-8 students and $8,400 for high school students. This is more than what many public schools receive from their per pupil State funding formula.
Ohio legislators need to thoroughly research and untangle these existing laws and regulations for school funding.
- Jill Norton, Dayton