Letters to the editor

July is

parks month

To the Editor,

July is National Parks and Recreation Month. Unlike most early July celebrations, there's no parade or fireworks to commemorate the occasion.

However, everyone in Sandusky County (whether they know it or not) gets to celebrate the benefits of parks and recreation each and every day -- just by driving past or picnicking in the numerous community parks, camping at Wolf Creek Park, cooling off at White Star Park Beach, walking or biking on the North Coast Inland Bike Trail.

But parks and recreation is really about the people behind the parks and programs. An army of volunteers who serve you and your children in countless ways supporting professional staff.

These generous men and women, boys and girls, pick up trash in our parks, coach area teams, even fill water balloons for the Beach Party activities.

They are the unsung heroes who assist at area day camps and summer programs, help your kids meet new friends, explore their creativity and feel good about themselves.

On behalf of the Sandusky County Park District, I pay tribute to the volunteers who contribute more than 2,000 hours annually to the Park District, not to mention the countless hours volunteers give to other area organizations.

Together, park and recreation staff and volunteers ensure that our community is, indeed, a wonderful place to live, work and play ... today and for generations to come. I salute you all!

With gratitude,

Steve Gruner

Director

Sandusky County Park District

Stop State

from this

budget cut

To the editor:

"That kid's gonna kill himself one of these days." "It's so sad; he's drinking himself to death." Who hasn't heard that said? Who hasn't said it at some point? Sadly, we all know someone who has lost someone to suicide; and we all know someone who is killing themselves bit by bit through alcohol or other drug use.

Two cures exist for addiction - recovery and death - nothing in between. The proposed cuts to Ohio's funding for addiction prevention and treatment services translates into nothing being in between the addict and the grave.

As taxpayers, we should be confident that a bit of our hard earned money goes to fund services for those Ohioans who earn too little or are too disabled to pay for the behavioral healthcare they so desperately need.

We are paying extra costs everywhere we turn so that untreated people who are mentally ill, substance abusing and/or addicted can get emergency room care and fill up homeless shelters, jails and prisons. We are paying for foster care when the parent(s) can't parent their children because of an untreated addiction. I don't get it. Wouldn't it be simpler to help people receive the care they need to get better? In Ohio, for every $1 spent on treatment - $11 is saved in other costs (homeless shelters, jails and prisons, lost productivity).

In Seneca, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties, we've lost about $350,000 in funding from the state of Ohio for behavioral health services during Fiscal Year 2009. Seneca and Wyandot counties were able to sustain services because the citizens in these two counties passed levies in which funds were recently issued. However, in Sandusky County, we had to ask our provider to cease the intake process for any new individuals seeking mental health services in March. That meant that for a four month period of time, a person who needed to be seen for behavioral health problems had to wait.

On behalf of the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties, I ask that Ohio invest wisely and fully fund healthcare services so that people who are drug addicted can get better and get to work. We all deserve the freedom to recover!

Nancy A. Cochran

Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Sandusky and Wyandot Counties

City leaders should take cuts too

To the editor,

Council and mayor continue cutting - police, spring cleanup, services - but still are collecting their $100 each per meeting and accepting their perks.

Council, mayor and city manager asked union employees to pay more of their insurance. While we operate the police department short-staffed, the recreation department continues to provide full-time benefits to a part-time director, who earns close to $30,000 annually.

At $100 per meeting for three meetings monthly, each member of Council averages $3,600 annually plus benefits.

That's $18,000 annually - plus benefits - that could be cut from the budget if we returned to the original provision of the Charter that members of Council serve without pay.

It doesn't have to be forever and thus would not require another amendment to Charter. Mayor and Council could cut administrative salaries 10 percent across the board and vote to decline their salaries - while keeping their benefits - for the rest of the year.

That would be a strong gesture, especially by the Mayor and two members of Council up for re-election in November.

John Brewer

Clyde