Sex Offenders, Fun and some Positives
Bits ‘n Pieces
By Bob Robinson
We had some fun and games at the commissioners meeting Monday. They were late… 1:30… 1:33… finally at 1:35 (plus or minus) I looked around and saw that three commissioner candidates were there: Keith Smith, David Niley and Mike Stegall.
So I said that since our commissioners were no-shows (so far), the three of you might as well take their places.
They did. Guess who took the president’s position at the table. Mike, of course. But he insisted he didn’t know. Yeah, yeah… he seems to know more about the commissioners than any of the rest of us…
Oh well. I’ll give it to him if he insists. Mike Rhoades was the first to come in. Big grin. He sat in the audience. Diane Delaplane was next… big grin… but I guess wasn’t quite sure what to do next. She didn’t sit.
Grudgingly, the candidates gave up their seats, but not before Tony MacKenzie of the Advocate snapped a photo. He promised to send it but I haven’t seen it yet.
Terry Haworth, the last to arrive, missed the whole thing.
I keep hearing about the Town Hall meeting. If they wanted publicity, they got it. Everyone is talking about it. The question is, who will show up? Just those in the neighborhood? Or concerned citizens everywhere? We’ll find out Saturday.
The concern seems to be from all over the county. Versailles, Arcanum… It’s happening in Greenville but it sets the tone for possibilities in their communities. We also have to acknowledge that whatever happens in Greenville affects the entire county.
The big question seems to be, exactly who are the residents at Fitzpatrick House? It seems there are two “parts” to it… one side is designated for homeless and the other side has registered sex offenders in it. Are families with children occasionally housed on one side with sex offenders on the other?
People keep questioning but they don’t ask the one person who can answer the question. I plan to ask.
I talked with someone who confirmed John Graham’s statement about the crack house at Ludlow before he bought it. It opened a whole new avenue of discussion. Drugs vs sex offenders in the county. We have both. They are everywhere. The only difference is that drug house addresses aren’t on the Darke County Sheriff’s web site. The drug epidemic – and believe me, it IS an epidemic – doesn’t seem to attract anyone’s attention.
If we got all the sex offenders together and ran them out of the county, would our children be any safer? I think we need to address that question.
By the way, also confirmed is the tough standards that Graham enforces on his residents, sex offenders or otherwise. And confirmed is another homeless shelter sponsored by CAP with similar tough standards. Both are often full. So do we need more facilities, or do we need to find another approach to the problem? More on that, and my comments on the Town Hall meeting, coming soon.
Citizens for Change will meet at Shelter No. 3, Greenville Park, 10 a.m. Saturday.
Speaking of our young people, let’s give them (and us) some positive things to think about. Rural young people have been occupied for generations with FFA, 4H and other farming activities. How about the kids who live in Greenville and surrounding communities who are not agriculturally inclined?
Greenville High School Key Club is a community service club, jointly sponsored by Greenville Kiwanis and Greenville High School. Membership is open to all GHS students and they are on a “growth” path. Among their scheduled activities are having an entry in the Annie Oakley Days parade, two township cemetery cleanups, a fundraiser car wash and working with Kiwanis at Gate 5 during the Great Darke County Fair.
Do you know a GHS student who would like to get involved this summer? Have him or her contact me at robinsonbob615@gmail.com.
Youth in Politics will be meeting a couple of times this summer to learn about the political process and plan for the fall term. This is a countywide group with high school and junior high students from all districts invited. We are excited to hear about the experiences of a GHS student who was a House Page for John Boehner in Washington, D.C., this spring. Especially since his political leanings are on the other side of the fence.
Do you know a young adult who is interested in politics and the political process? Have him or her contact me at opinionsbybob@gmail.com or go on facebook and search: Youth In Politics Darke County.
Guess that’s it for today. Coming soon, my weekly opinion, “Where are the candidates?” and a hard-hitting “Verity”… don’t forget the Kleenex.
Watch for more Bits ‘n Pieces as they occur. Good stuff? Bad stuff? You decide.
Bob Robinson is the retired editor of The Daily Advocate, Greenville, Ohio. If you wish to be notified when a blog is posted, send your email address to: opinionsbybob@gmail.com. You may also request to receive his That’s My Opinion and Verities or Balderdash columns by direct email.
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