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Letters to the Editor

Bullies are everywhere

Bullying in schools has been at the forefront of education issues for quite some time. We often hear about this being a major problem and wonder how to prevent it. Parents are usually appalled that little Billy or Susie could do such a thing and wonder why their own children could behave that way. The parents are often blamed for the child’s actions. This may be true in some cases, but I would suggest a much larger problem that we all fail to see and have all been guilty of. Our children are learning to be bullies from society as a whole. When we see something, we don’t like or ...

Support Empty Bowls

During this time of year the Empty Bowls organization normally conducts a fundraiser for the good work they perform in assisting with the relief of hunger in our area. As chair of the Matamoras Area Food Pantry I am appreciative for their contributions to our organization. They have been a faithful donor in our efforts to help alleviate hunger in the Grandview Township area. The fact is that 1 in 4 children struggle with hunger in Southeast Ohio. A report by the food banks of this area reveal this unacceptable statistic. For all age groups the numbers who are without reliable access to ...

Safe route to school

Hart Street beside 756 Greene is a “Safe Route to School” to the city’s largest elementary school. Is it any wonder less than 10 percent of our students pre-pandemic walk or ride bicycles to school? Why? Because in most areas of the city, it is too dangerous to walk even 2-10 blocks to school. The collapsing wall at 637 Phillips, vehicle blocked sidewalks everywhere except Fifth Street, trash containers perpetually blocking walks, such as 915 Front, and the city’s illegal 8-month blockage of Seventh at Putnam. Everyday violations of city and state law that impact everyone. As ...

Gun laws don’t solve the problem

It is a sad day in America when gun violence takes many lives. However, to continue to blame the implement used makes no sense. It is the fault of a person, not the weapon. Tighter gun legislation only makes it difficult for law abiding citizens to exercise their rights under the constitution. Law abiding Americans will be treated like criminals, who by the way are not influenced by gun laws. These persons will do what they want regardless of the law. I read the police reports all the time and notice quite frequently that a person who is prohibited from possessing or owning a firearm ...

Admit you’re wrong

Since the November election I have contacted Representative Bill Johnson’s office numerous times asking for evidence of widespread election fraud that he and many other Republicans have complained about. Mr Johnson voted to disenfranchise millions of voters following the insurrection at the Capital. His vote was precisely what the rioters had hoped their attack on the Capital would produce. Yet Johnson’s office has not shared with me any evidence detailing the widespread fraud and irregularities he spoke about. Bill Johnson needs to level with his constituents and admit that he was ...

Marietta River Trail needs improvements

The city of Marietta has the perfect opportunity to use some of the $9-10 million in pandemic/stimulus funding to improve pedestrian and bicyclists safety, particularly on Marietta River Trail. Early trail use during the pandemic double or tripled. The Multiuse trail provided safe access for walking, bicycling, grocery shopping, access to minimum wage jobs without previously required travel on Ohio 7 a cross I-77 entry points. Then seven months after the 10-year, $2.7 million Phase 5 opened across Duck Creek, it was barricaded after catastrophic collapse. Basic design flaws in the ...