Community Journal-Press North from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page A6

IEWPOINTS IEWPOINTS OMMUNITY PRESS Editor: Richard Maloney, 248-7134 6A JOURNAL NORTH 2015 OMMUNITY OURNAL NORTH LERMONT Community Journal Editor Richard Maloney 248-7134 Office hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday See page A2 for additional contact information. 394 Wards Corner Road Loveland, Ohio 45140 hone: 248-8600 mail: eb site: www.communitypress.com Apublication of Library thoughts As a resident of Miami Towns hip, I was excited to hear that our Clermont County Public Library is planning to build a of the new branch library in our area Iunderstand that the current plan is to build on Buckwheat Road, where we happen to have some leftover land that the chool district swapped with he I think this community asset is too important to simply be placed on land that happens to be available. I ave two suggestions 1, Old Milford. My family and I have lived in Miami Township for seven years.

In the years hat we have lived here, we have seen Old Milford continue to row and change into a really wonderful place to spend time. enjoy the shops, eateries, small businesses, park, bike has begun to rival some of our other favorite walkable a reas nearby, such as Mariemont and Blue Ash. The public ibrary branches in Mariemont and Blue Ash are true assets to hose areas, drawing residents and enhancing community life. The new library could be built into an already existing open storefront, or it could be a beautiful community center on the site of the old Milford Main school building (perhaps next to aYMCA or a small number of An opportunity to further improve our Old Milford business district with a library seems to me an opportunity not to be missed. 2, Old 28 (Business Route 28).

This area has been hurt by the a ddition of the 28 Bypass The ecent addition of places like ecreations Outlet and Scene 75 are steps in the right direction toward reinvigorating this area. Abranch of the Public Library would fit in well with hese family-centered busi- esses coming to Business oute 28, and the added traffic that a library brings may entice other quality businesses to consider this location. lease take the time to think a nd act before we build! Allison Dumont Milford LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Sept. 9 question If you could meet Pope Francis when he visits the United States this month, what would you ask him or say to him? would thank Pope Francis for finally bringing the message of Jesus into Christianity and taking it away from the message of hate and exclusion. I would also encourage im to keep speaking truth to power, because eventually the truth of God will win out over he current state of unfettered, Godless C.S.

Father, Obama does not want the poor to work, he just wants them to count on him so he can be the king of the United States of America, but I am sure will try to change the name our M.A.M. would ask the Pope his view on why the church allowed such a massive pedophile dis- ase to fester in the church for so long and why they swept it all under the carpet instead of end- i ng it many, many years ago. M.J.F. like to ask the pope if he is a coward or just the repre- entative of millions of Christ ian cowards hiding behind false prayers while thousands of their brothers and sisters are being raped, tortured, beheaded, burned to death or drowned in Syria and Iraq. I would like to ask, does he just consider the destruction of Christian churches that have been standing since the fifth century erely urban renewal by ISIL? ISIL now is the representative Islam on Earth the perpetual nemy of Christianity for the last 2,015 years? Or is the pope more interested in helping his lock have easy marriage annulments and helping Obama in promoting gay marriages and ree late term T.D.

THIS QUESTION Is the Iran nuclear deal good for the United States and the world? Why or why not? Every week we ask readers a question they can reply to via email. Send your answers to with in the subject line. Four years before Labor Day became a national holiday, legislature established a day of celebration to honor workers throughout Ohio. When this legislation was enacted in 1890, a combination of abundant natural resources and access to interstate transportation through its network of canals and railroads made Ohio the ideal location for industry. Labor Day is about more han retail discounts and a ong weekend; it is a tribute to ur ability to continue to adapt successfully to ever changing industries and technology.

Today, college graduates often find it difficult to comp ete for jobs while employers hroughout Ohio struggle to ind qualified workers to fill the in-demand and high paying jobs they have available. In order to continue to thrive, must create and promote ore training opportunities or new workers while also providing programs to enhance the skills of existing workers. Shaping workforce for the 21st century requires our partners in higher education and work- orce training to work togeth- with state government and rivate sector leaders so that more Ohioans are able to succeed in the workforce. This is why the Ohio Senate has made jobs and opportunity our highest priority. hanks to the collaborative fforts of Gov.

Kasich and eaders in the Ohio General Assembly, Ohio has created more than 360,000 new private sector jobs since 2010. A ccording to the Ohio Depart- ent of Jobs and Family Ser- ices, unemployment rate is less than 5 percent, outperforming the national average of 5.3 percent. We have come a long way but jobs and opportunity must remain our primary focus in order to ensure that Ohio remains an excellent place to live, work and raise a family. Ohio is fortunate to have so many talented workers who contribute to the growing economy. As your state enator, I will continue to ight for a strong, safe and rosperous workforce.

I hope that you and your family enjoy a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Senator Joe Uecker represents the 14th District in the Ohio Senate, which encompasses all of Adams, Brown, Clermont, and Scioto Counties as well as a portion of Lawrence County. Learn more at www.OhioSenate.gov/Uecker. Celebrating workforce Sen. Joe Uecker COMMUNITY PRESS GUEST COLUMNIST Just call me Jose, as in Jose Altuve, American League All-Star second baseman from the Houston Astros.

I have not lost my mind, nor do I have some trange obsession for the slick-fielding infielder who earned his first selection as a starter for the July 14 All- tar Game at Great American Ball Park here in Cincin- ati. For two days I was the volunteer stand-in for Altuve during pre-game rehearsals. I had nothing to do with playing the game of baseball. Iwas lucky enough to be chosen as an All-Star volunteer (along with a couple thousand others) by Major League Baseball and the Cincinnati Reds. It did place me directly in the American League dugout dug- ut) and on the field lining up along the third-base line at GABP.

he perfectly trimmed green playing field was all the wonder I ever imagined a a wide-eyed youth dreaming of standing in the box, or chasing down a fly all at the warning track in deep center field. For a couple hours on two different days including game day I was a Major League all-star. I stood in the dugout, I walked out onto the field, I eaned on the dugout steps just like Sparky Anderson did it when I was a id. Goose- umps popped up as a feeling of honor and pride washed over me when the television amera focused on me standing-in during rehearsal for the pre-game introductions. I smiled, tipped my All-Star Game cap, and waved to the crowd just the way I imagined Altuve would as my image appeared on the giant scoreboards.

While waiting in the dug- ut, I also had the privilege of meeting the Navy F-18 flight team which would execute he pre-game flyover following our National Anthem. Wow! Those men and woman a re impressive. Had fun talking with and who shared stories where those nicknames sewn on their flight suits originate. It all just fun in the sun at the GABP. My volun- teer assignments also included the VIP pre-game celebration at Cove Park game day afternoon.

Whew! It was hot, the torm came with heavy wind and rain sending volunteers a nd staff sprinting for safe cover. Chaos reigned. The invitation guests had to ait. Order was restored, guests welcomed, food erved, live music filled the air, and fun ensued right up until game time. he most important thing Isaw, heard, and felt was the pride in Cincinnati as the national and even global spotlight shined upon us.

Yes people came from all around the nation and world for the MLB All-Star extravaganza in Cincinnati. Imet and talked to people rom nearly every major league city in the U.S. England, Europe, and Israel. heir overwhelming response? Cincinnati is a great city! Thank you MLB, Cincin- ati Reds and City of Cincinnati. It truly was an All-Star experience for this All-Star olunteer.

Chuck Gibson is a resident of Miami Township and freelance writer for The Community Press. An All-Star experience Chuck ibson COMMUNITY PRESS GUEST COLUMNIST Over the past several years, thanks to the generous donation of land and funds by Kathryn Stagge Marr, our park district has worked tirelessly to provide ur community with a wonder- ul park. With no funding source, the past and present ark commissioners, and volun- eers, have worked miracles. The Goshen Lions Club provided a beautiful shelter and the Goshen Horse Thief Detectives are building a second shelter (the Hide-Out) on the remote side of the park. With the disc golf course gaining notoriety, our park is becoming quite a regional feature.

Now Marr Park is facing a ime deadline. Ohio is requiring he park to have bathroom facil- i ties by next April. Without the bathrooms, the shelter may be closed. over the ext several months the ark District ill be working to develop a plan to keep the shelter open. Application for another permit extension is also a possibility.

Last month, the trustees were faced with a controversial decision: do we authorize a park district levy? Lois Pappas Swift a nd I voted No. Lisa Allen voted es. As you might expect, park upporters were disappointed. Because many Facebook comments were factually incorrect, Ithough it important to provide an explanation. uring the 2015 budget hear- i ngs (and for several previous years) it has been apparent that oshen has had inadequate olice protection.

Most nights we were unable to provide two officers on duty. The Clermont County sheriff and from neighboring communities were frequently needed to respond to calls. Residents (and our police officers) were increasingly at risk. In addition to that, the department suffered from low moral a nd a controversy over missing roperty room funds. Jan.

1, we hired former Chief Deputy Sheriff Rick Combs as our new full-time police chief. In just a few months, our police department as made significant improve- ents. Thanks to Chief Combs, our police are more profession- a and better trained. But, the rgently needed additional manpower requires additional funding. In 2015 we were forced to increase the police share of the safety service levy that is divided between police and We hope to maintain the current percentages shared by the two departments in the 2016 budget.

However, as all of us realize, drug crime is inc reasing and logically, drug elated crime (theft) increases a lso. Goshen must act. To state the obvious, passing a police levy in the future would be very unlikely should a park levy pass this year. Chief Combs and A dministrator Lou Ethridge ecommended we resolve the police funding issue before we esolve the park funding issue. ois and I agreed.

Our park has been able to continue without a levy for several years. I realize it is a lot to ask. Police protection must come first. Only after resolving the police funding issue does it make sense to consider placing a park levy on the ballot. Claire Corcoran is a Goshen Township trustee.

Marr Park is facing a time deadline to upgrade Claire orcoran COMMUNITY PRESS GUEST COLUMNIST.