Letters to the editor, Oct. 20
Move was right, more needed
To the editor:
In January, 2008, Oberlin city council voted to remove the city from further participation with the AMP-Ohio coal plant proposed for Meigs County. This was a wise, if somewhat contentious, decision. Since May, 2006, estimated costs for the plant have doubled from $1.5 billion to approximately $3.05 billion. Financing costs for the proposed plant are estimated to add another $400 to $500 million above construction costs. Our involvement with the Meigs County facility would have committed Oberlin for a half-century to an obsolete, increasingly expensive, and problematic energy source. (Imagine being stuck with the telephone, television, or computer you had even 30 years ago.)
The plant was described to council as "capture ready," meaning the CO2 emissions could be captured on site and stored deep underground. But no one has done it yet at that scale and it is otherwise unlikely that large volumes of CO2 can be held permanently underground at a price that would compete with improved efficiency and better technology now available.
The Meigs County project is part of the "clean coal" campaign sponsored by the coal industry. But nothing about coal is clean from mining (including the practice of removing entire mountain tops), to washing out impurities which leaves behind large impoundments filled with a slurry of heavy metals and chemicals, to combustion, and the storage of the waste ashes which are toxic. Neither is mining coal a major job creator in places like Appalachia where the number of miners is one-tenth of what it was in 1950. And burning coal is a major source of greenhouse gases which threaten to permanently change climate for the worse.
While AMP-Ohio has been planning the Meigs Plant, a revolution in efficiency and renewable energy has been gathering momentum. In the past decade efficiency improvements plus renewable energy in the form of wind, solar, and biomass added several times more energy supply than coal and nuclear combined. McKinsey and Co. estimates that the U.S. could eliminate 23 percent of its energy consumption by 2020 at no net cost. Other studies show similarly that by deployment of currently available technology we could profitably eliminate half our electrical use. Refrigerators, for example, once used 1,750 kWh per year, but now range between 200-400 kWh. A 100 W incandescent light can be replaced by a compact fluorescent bulb that uses 12-20 W and lasts nine times longer and LED lighting in a few years will cut that to 4-5 Watts per year.
Council took the first step from weaning Oberlin off a fuel source that is dirty, dangerous, and economically unnecessary. But there are other steps to take. Council should quickly request OMLPS to create a city-wide program to make efficiency and renewable energy available to every business, building owner, and resident that chooses to participate as well as help customers finance energy improvements from the savings. Doing so would save money, create jobs, reduce our vulnerability to supply interruptions and sudden price increases, while eliminating pollution.
The future of electrical power in the US is with rapidly improving technology, greater efficiency, and renewable and distributed sources of power.
David W. Orr
Oberlin
Candidates have green records
To the editor:
It is a sign of societal progress that in this city council election all candidates for city council view themselves as highly committed to environmental sustainability. Oberlin is lucky to have such a slate of candidates from which to choose. However, a close examination of the records and public statements of the candidates makes clear that not all candidates are equally committed to sustainability. Five candidates in particular rise to the top as having a demonstrated commitment to moving Oberlin toward a sustainable green economy.
First, incumbents David Sonner, Charles Peterson, and David Ashenhurst have stellar records for moving Oberlin toward sustainability. Most notably, they all voted against committing Oberlin to 50 years of coal-fired electricity. While the proposal was alluring at first glance for the promise of cheap electricity, deeper analysis made clear that in addition to the ecological and ethical problems with coal, it would have been an economic disaster. Coal will not be cheaper than other sources in the long run, and it is not a certain thing that the plant will be built. Those who signed on to the plant will share in costs incurred, whether or not the plant ever generates electricity.
Two other candidates with a demonstrated commitment to environmental issues stand head and shoulders above the other candidates running. Bryan Burgess owns and runs Burgess Electric; he understands the needs of small business owners in Oberlin. He also has a deep professional understanding of energy issues, and a long-standing commitment to using his expertise to serve the city of Oberlin. He chairs both the Public Utilities Commission and Resource Conservation and Recovery Committee, and has been tireless in looking for sustainable sources of electricity for Oberlin. His company is the only one in the area that installs solar arrays. He has truly made sustainability his life's work.
Kate Pilacky has also clearly made sustainability her life's work, and done so in the service of Oberlin. Kate founded the Firelands Land Conservancy, and is now the associate director of Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Firelands. Earlier in her career, she was the executive director of Citizen League of Lorain County, working on topics such as a living wage and homelessness. Kate understands that transforming Oberlin into a green economy will benefit all residents, and has shown a commitment to making sure the economically disadvantaged receive those benefits first.
Some may argue that environmental sustainability is only one small factor among many that should be weighed when choosing a candidate. I disagree. Environmental issues are tied to virtually every other major issue facing Oberlin today. Further, climate change is happening faster than anyone predicted; if this earth becomes uninhabitable for future generations, nothing else matters. Oberlin is positioned to be a world-wide leader in creating a sustainable, green economy. I encourage all readers to use their votes to help make that happen.
Cindy Frantz
Oberlin
League supports Issue 35
To the editor:
The League of Women Voters Oberlin Area (LWVOA) Board of Directors has endorsed Issue 35, and encourages all Oberlin voters to cast their vote in support of the Oberlin Public Library and The Bridge. As many others have noted, the library is a mainstay of our community, and its staff, services and collections enable thousands of residents.
The LWVOA is a non-partisan organization, and we do not, as an organization, endorse candidates for any office. We do, however, give careful consideration to all of the ballot issues and may endorse local issues that are in accord with the League's principles. Please vote yes for Issue 35. We also encourage voters to consult the League web site for explanations of other ballot issues (www.lwvoa.com), and note that the LWV Ohio Board of Directors has stated opposition of Issue 2 and Issue 3.
Alison Ricker
President, LWVOA
Criticism necessary for voters
To the editor:
I have read with interest and concern your editorial for Oct. 13. I would like to respond to it briefly and, perhaps, add to my thoughts following the Nov. 3 election.
You seem to suggest that "criticism" of a "candidate's character" by an opponent in letters to the editor should be stopped.
Does this mean, then, that character is not important in civic leadership? that representatives whom we elect need not be personally honest, law-abiding, and fiscally-responsible individuals? and that newcomers in Oberlin do not need to know if this is or is not? And how does one become informed if not by one's local paper?
I believe that a thoughtful voter ought to weigh the pros and cons of issues and the strengths and weaknesses of candidates appearing on a ballot. I add only that I would rather bear with a negative letter than forfeit my right to information.
Eleanor Owen
Oberlin
No argument against Issue 35
To the editor:
No one should argue against supporting Issue 35, the Oberlin Public Library levy. Letter after letter has stated the case for a strong Oberlin Public Library and The Bridge. Both are a large part of what makes Oberlin a healthy, innovative, effective community.
Oberlin residents currently spend about $35/year (per $100,000 of property value) to pay off a 1990 library bond levy. By the end of this year, that bond will be paid.
But in this time of shrinking state funding because of the uncertain economy and Governor Strickland using the State Public Library Fund to balance the Ohio budget, we need to fill financial gaps. In addition, local tax revenues are expected to take a hit because of property revaluation, making money even tighter.
If we wish to keep our current excellent library staff in place, our generous hours intact, and our up-to-date materials on the cutting edge of Oberlin's needs, we need to vote yes on Issue 35. We are going to need the money.
This levy is expected to produce about $295,000 over the next five years, the life of the proposed levy. The cost to residents of this new levy will be about $46/year -- or $11 more than now. Depending on where you shop, that is probably the equivalent of four bags of potato chips (on sale), two 12-packs of Coke (maybe on sale), or a Sunday roast (not on sale).
Some of us may miss that $11 more than others. All of us would miss the wonderful services of the Oberlin Public Library if it is forced to make drastic cuts.
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, I urge voters to vote yes on Issue 35, a new operating levy for the Oberlin Public Library and The Bridge. Let's keep Oberlin a model of what a good small community should be.
Maxine W. Houck
Oberlin
Soucy vote was not 'green'
To the editor:
You need not call yourself green or be committed to only renewable energy to take issue with councilwoman Soucy's decision to commit the city of Oberlin's baseload power for more than 40 years to a coal plant. I would be hard-pressed to want to commit for 40 years to any technology (including many renewable ones) given how rapid the changes in energy markets have been. The equivalent action would be investing 80 percent of your computing needs in Ataris 20 years ago and being unable today to go ahead and buy PCs or Macs. I would even argue that you could deny global warming in its entirety and still believe for long-term economic reasons and for flexibility's sake that the AMP Ohio deal was not in Oberlin's long-term strategic interests.
More then councilwoman Soucy crying wolf over how "green" she is (all of the compact fluorescent bulbs in Ohio don't equal giving away Oberlin's energy independence), we need council members who bring expertise to the table on this and other economic and energy issues facing Oberlin.
Robert Lacey
Oberlin
Correct historic drainage woes
To the editor:
I am recommending a letter be enclosed with the next utilities billing stating: "Oberlin was built on a swamp, but that does not mean that sewers should back up. Please report any basement drain backup associated with heavy rainfall. This would indicate sanitary sewer backup which represents a health hazard. Action will be taken by the city to identify and correct the problem and you will be advised as to the expected date of completion. This letter is sent in the hope that it will stop others of the community having to contend with the problem which plagued Hollywood street for decades."
It is a tale as long as "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner," so readers who are inclined to read, have a comfortable seat. My part began after assurances at the time of purchase that our home on Hollywood Street had no water problems in the basement. That was in 1991. It was only after the basement drain backed up on a bright summer day that I sensed a problem. The fire hydrant at Union and Hollywood was flushed and the backup began. A fire hydrant should not be able to put out enough water to cause a problem, but it turned out the sanitary sewer was nearly completely plugged. An immediate plea to Mr. Sigg resulted in, after a time, controlled flooding at that location. A camera showed a beautiful spray of water into the sanitary line at every joint in the clay tile which had been there for almost a hundred years.
Twenty feet of six-inch plastic pipe replacing the broken storm line would have kept storm water in the storm water system. The problem would have been solved. If the plastic pipe had been put in, it would immediately have shown that the main line to Herrick ditch was plugged. Repairing that break would have eliminated any possible need for a liner in the sanitary line. The liner project which, in 2000, cost the city nearly a million, serves no useful purpose. When Mr. Sigg took no action, I started to ask my new neighbors about their experience. I soon found that the Shuberts, McCormicks and Langler had been putting up with this problem for years. When they complained, they were told that Oberlin was built on a swamp so this is what they should expect.
Those making that statement, and it is often repeated, ignore the geology that allows a dump at the side of town. Oberlin was a swamp when Pease arrived because glaciers left an impermeable layer in the area. When it rains, water runs off it, but in flat areas must stay there until it evaporates.
Repeated pleas to put in that 20 feet of pipe were ignored through most of the nineties. Then in 1997 the storm water catchbasin at Hollywood and Union, along with 87 others, was replaced, but not attached to the storm line. Attachment to the existing line was not apparent until the basin was dug up as a part of an unrelated project. That unrelated activity was a very expensive project -- putting a liner in the sanitary sewer from the north end of Prospect street, east along Union and down Hollywood to Lorain Street. This was to keep the sanitary sewer from leaking into the impermeable soil that made Oberlin a swamp in the first place. Did they ever ask, "Where could the water go if the line leaked?"
As a part of this elaborate project, the line carrying storm water across Hollywood Street on the south side of the intersection was abandoned. That is, partially abandoned. The eastern half of that line was broken and left open. It was still connected to the line built a hundred years ago to carry the storm water under the college athletic field to Professor Street and then to Herrick Ditch north of town. With a new, and tight storm line to carry the water first north then east to the Herrick line, all should be well.
But the Herrick ditch line was broken and plugged at the north foot of Oberlin Mountain -- probably broken by heavy equipment moving dirt to build Phillips Gym. The net effect was to dump all the storm water through the abandoned, but open, storm line directly over the sanitary. This resulted in the worst sewer backup ever. Note that I had long since decided to operate my house as if it were a boat. With some notable exceptions this generally kept things dry.
The abandoned line was plugged with a tapered plastic container installed, which works great when the pressure is in the right direction. This kept the storm water from escaping into the sanitary sewer, and showed that the Herrick line was plugged. After city-college negotiations, the line north of Oberlin Mountain was repaired in the spring of 2009, and after repeated requests, the abandoned line was properly plugged with concrete. Storm water at the north end of Prospect and Hollywood now flows to Herrick ditch and from there into Lake Erie -- no longer via the Oberlin treatment plant and Plum Creek. The water is free and the folks on Hollywood Street will be happy to see it go. It only took the DiSpirito-Sigg team a decade, and a million dollar project, to address what could have been done with 20 feet of plastic pipe. For some reason the contract for the liner has not been found by city staff.
Floyd Ramp
Oberlin
Renewable record gets his vote
To the editor:
I drove down to North Carolina the other week, and on my way home again, spinning along I-77 through West Virginia, I had an epiphany.
The hills and hollows were lovely, but tucked among them were huge billboards urging me to think coal was lovely, too, and even clean. West Virginia's got a lot of it, of course, and has already let mining companies strip its land and explode its hilltops to get it out. "It's not enough," I thought, "that the view from I-77 has to be polluted with signs. The coal, itself, sold and burning there and here and everywhere, pollutes the air I breathe and the very greenery I'm looking at."
By the time I reached Oberlin I had decided, personally, to make the city council election about coal and chose David Sonner, David Ashenhurst and Charles Peterson as candidates I'll support. Some others, in or out of office, have claimed recently to be "green" or at least some percent green, but councilmen Sonner, Ashenhurst and Peterson have long been in the forefront of the movement and, indeed, had vision and courage early on to reject a burnt-coal future for Oberlin.
Among the challengers, looking at, among other things, their energy statements in the League of Women Voters Guide for 2009, my best bets are Bryan L. Burgess and Kate Pilacky.
Robert Stinson
Oberlin
Sloane lives sustainable record
To the editor:
When I was a little girl I just loved going to West Virginia to visit Granny and Papa. The town of Junior was about the same size of Oberlin and everyone had a vegetable garden planted in their yard. Once we arrived there we never again had to get inside the car; we walked everywhere. I begged to go "fetch" the mail from the town post office so that I could walk across the bridge and walk the railroad tracks. People waved at me as if I were part of a parade when I walked by.
Well, I could go on and on with my fond memories for it's just these memories that brought me to love Oberlin so much. I can walk or ride my bike any and everywhere. The town is at best only one by three miles (perfect exercise for all ages). To mention only a few, I smile when I see people like Joe (from the Feve) hustling somewhere; Dina Schoonmaker every day riding in from Kendal to town; Andy Bertoni walking to the Con to work (and the whole Bertoni clan walks to town); Marianne Cochrane walking the sidewalks; Steve Toth; Clyde Hohn going to The Woodshed, guitar strapped on back; Robert Murphy (usually with son Teddy in tow) coming into town; Sam Merritt and most all the crew at Full Circle Fuels; and -- last but not least -- there is, of course, my Ken Sloane (did I mention he is running for council?).
He has been such an inspiration to me to be more "green" and respectful of our earth. He has influenced me so greatly on our impact and what we can do to change it. Walking downtown is also such a great opportunity to see people; it is very much a social affair, many times (and I say this with affection) delaying my planned schedule.
This makes me wonder, and an academic I am not, why are we paving paradise to put up more parking lots? This only encourages more incoming freshmen to bring more unwanted cars to our downtown. I have inquired many times about parking meters and, to this day, have not been given a good reason why there are not any downtown. It saddens me to sit in the Velvet Turtle and listen to older residents speak of having to ride around and around to find a place to park. This is simply unconscionable. It goes against what I thought Oberlin is: Green. Using a car is somewhat like smoking used to be for me...a stupid habit; you opt to do it before you even think of the alternative (the healthy alternative).
Speaking of healthy -- and what is more healthy than fresh vegetables? -- why is council/city staff dragging their "legs" on a potential community garden at Legion Field? So many want it, there is nothing there, and it would be a wonderful addition. Why is a $15,000 recreation study -- which I doubt we needed in the first place -- holding up a decision on this project? I have personally viewed plans from Zion Development Corporation for the site that were stunning. Ken and I pedal pass a beautiful community garden on Spring Street that, I assume, is attributed to members of Zion Church, and the space is just too small.
Time to move. That $15,000 could have been better utilized by putting it directly into the development of the garden. Perhaps I think simply...but I heard someone say just recently, "Common sense isn't so common anymore."
Lisa Shomo
Oberlin
Yarber the easy choice for BOE
To the editor:
Sometimes it is difficult to decide who to vote for in an election. My vote for school board member is an easy choice in this election. I am going to vote for Ian Yarber because he is an incumbent who knows how the board is supposed to operate.
Ian Yarber is honest, not afraid to ask questions, stands up for what he believes, and admits when he is wrong. Ian has lived in Oberlin all his life and he has made a lifelong commitment to all the students of Oberlin.
As a retired Oberlin teacher, I urge the citizens of Oberlin and New Russia Township to also vote to reelect Ian Yarber to the Oberlin board of education.
Walter Thompson
Oberlin
Trust Brubaker with your vote
To the editor:
The word "trustee" means entrusting something of value to someone's care. There is much of value in New Russia Township, not only of a monetary kind. And the future, no doubt, will present more valuable challenges.
The most important dynamic which has been lost between the township residents and some of their elected representatives is trust. Unfortunately those persons who supposedly represent us on the national and local levels have increasingly become inattentive to their constituencies. Thus, they believe they own what has been entrusted to them which allows them to act unilaterally without apology.
The candidate whom this letter endorses, Patti Brubaker, has the personal abilities and professional experiences in the township essential for a trustworthy New Russia Township trustee. Her longevity as a township resident, her integrity, her honesty, intelligence, and trustworthiness will allow, no, propel her, to act in the best interests of the township.
Regardless of her ideology, she will listen to all opinions and strive to achieve an acceptable compromise. However, she may also "stick to her guns" after evaluating all the facts.
Patti Brubaker will not disregard whom she represents.
Can you trust a trustee? Yes, if it is Patti Brubaker. I urge residents to entrust her with their vote for New Russia Township trustee.
Martha M. Verda
New Russia Township
Soucy is up to the challenge
To the editor:
Sharon Fairchild Soucy, who has served as a member of the Oberlin city council for the past four years, is a candidate for re-election this fall. She has served Oberlin well, and we look forward to the continuation of her service.
Oberlin faces some difficult and important issues -- among them, the local manifestation of global problems like generating energy wholesomely; the need to grapple with such chronic civic problems as the management of development within the village; and the obligation strenuously at all times to foster social justice within our town and within our world.
Sharon's lifelong ties to this place, her professional experience as a teacher in the public schools, and her campaign slogan -- "to listen, to learn, to serve" -- all bear witness to her readiness to confront those and other challenges that may come. We know from personal experience that she is a good listener who makes herself generously available to citizens and who takes their concerns seriously.
We are confident that we and our fellow-citizens will be well served by voting for Sharon Fairchild Soucy on (or by absentee ballot before) Nov. 3.
Carol Longsworth
Bob Longsworth
Oberlin
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