Liz Cooper, College Sophomore
November 3, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
More than a month has passed since Isabella Moreno resigned as the interim director of Oberlin College’s Office of Disability Resources, and we have still seen no significant structural changes planned for the critically understaffed and underfunded ODR. There is no plan to hire a sufficient, full-time staff trained in disability support and there is no plan to provide a committed, accessible safe space designated specifically to provide support for disabled people. Every Band-Aid solution presented by the administration so far has been thinly-veiled efforts to mollify student concerns without spending the money to substantially impact the office’s critical situation. As events have unfolded, it has...
Martha Ferrazza, Oberlin Resident
November 3, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
On Tuesday, Nov. 7, I will have the distinct pleasure of voting for Kelley Singleton for Oberlin City Council. I urge you to do the same — not because of Kelley’s experience in management, or because of his already outstanding service as an Oberlin Rotarian and city councilman. It won’t be because he grew up here, or even because he shares my passionate advocacy for renewable energy, Oberlin’s status as a sanctuary city, and LGBTQ rights.
I’m so excited to vote for Kelley because he is full of ideas: He’s paving the way for food trucks to draw people outside on summer nights; he has sounded out local growers to plant cherry trees on a dreary corner for a blossom festival in some future spri...
Jeremy Poe, Double-degree Fifth-year, Student Senator 2015–2016
November 3, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
In the Oct. 27 edition of The Oberlin Review, it was implied that I began the student representatives initiative recently rejected by the board (“Trustees Reject Proposal for Student Representative,” Oct. 27, 2017). This narrative is understandable, given the time and word-count restraints on student reporters, but is unintentionally misleading. It is incorrect to credit me with initiating the pursuit of student representation at the highest level of Oberlin governance, or for coming up with the idea. Student representation was a demand developed internally by Defending Oberlin Financial Accessibility during their 2014–2015 organizing against proposed financial aid changes. In July 2015, after a tru...
Booker C. Peek, Emeritus Associate Professor of Africana Studies
November 3, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
We on earth have our problems. The first is that in a second, comets, asteroids, or an all-out unleashing of the world’s nuclear stockpiles could wipe us all out. More slowly, it could be the effects of global warming. If none of these occurs to eliminate all life, then surely the best scientific evidence is that in a few billion years our sun will shine no more, forever extinguishing all of us humans and all other life.
The first thought of this bleak picture is that we are doomed, left solely with our seeking to get as much pleasure as we possibly can out of our brief stay on this Earth — still brief even if it’s 90-plus years — without regard to whom or what we destroy. Thus, “Make America...
Joe Bialek, Cleveland Resident
November 3, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Obviously, the need for a state militia has been replaced by the National Guard and Coast Guard, whereby trained military personnel are entrusted with the defense of this country against domestic enemies. Their weapons are tightly controlled and safeguarded.
The only two reasons for a citizen to own a firearm are for hunting or for defense of the household from intruders. In either case, ownership of a handgun, shotgun, or rifle is more than adequate to satisfy these purposes. There is abso...
Jim Walsh, Professor of Mathematics
November 3, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
I am writing to express strong support for School Board candidates Sandra Redd and Jason Williams. I believe it is important that we elect School Board candidates that will move the district forward, bringing in diverse thoughts and opinions. As a registered nurse and an Oberlin High School graduate who has been involved in Oberlin schools for over 30 years as a student, parent, and advocate, Redd will bring a new voice to board deliberations and decision-making. Williams is a Lorain County native, parent of two Oberlin school children, and an Oberlin College graduate who founded a program that promotes STEM literacy among school-age children. I am confident Redd and Williams will each make important contri...
A.G. Miller, Pastor, Oberlin House of The Lord Fellowship
October 27, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
I am writing in response to “Sergeants Oppose Oberlin Police Chief Hire” by Jodi Weinberger that appeared in The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram on Oct. 7, 2017 about three sergeants’ opposition to the Oberlin City Manager’s choice of Clarence “Ryan” Warfield as the police chief of the Oberlin Police Department.
I serve as pastor for Ryan Warfield and his family. Ryan and his family have been active members of our congregation for the past 15 years. I and others encouraged him to apply for the position of police chief. Ryan, born and raised in Lorain, is a 24-year officer in the Elyria Police Department and has a stellar reputation in the Lorain County community. He is clearly committed to reac...
Sharon Fairchild Soucy, Member, Oberlin City Council
October 27, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
It is important to return Kelley Singleton to Oberlin’s City Council for a second term. I have never seen a first-term councilmember work as hard as Kelley to understand the issues and to make good decisions.
Kelley very quickly established relationships with the administrative experts in the city, meeting frequently with the city manager, finance director, and law director. He is widely known as someone who wants to learn and to gather information pertinent to a discussion or voting.
Before council meetings, Kelley not only had asked questions of city leaders, but also had carefully read the packet of ordinances and background materials provided by the city clerk. He was always prepared and abl...
David Snyder, Linda Gates, Carol Longsworth, and Robert Longsworth
October 27, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
When you vote in Oberlin in the upcoming election, please cast one of your votes for Linda Slocum for City Council. Here’s why.
During her first term on council, Linda has demonstrated her ability to build solutions across differences of opinion. She listens well to her council colleagues and to people from each slice of the Oberlin population. She actively seeks out ideas that build on Oberlin’s many strengths, while also challenging our ready assumptions.
In her second term on council, Linda plans to improve our aging housing stock by making homes comfortable, efficient, and affordable. She will attract new business and industry, while increasing job and housing opportunities. She anticipates wo...
Fran Baumann and Jack Baumann
October 27, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
We urge Oberlin voters to support Bill Jindra and Ronnie Rimbert in this year’s council race. Both candidates bring a wealth of experience, knowledge of city needs, and concern for others to the table. Both candidates work well with the city’s administration and staff and appreciate quality work at all levels. They support necessary maintenance of infrastructure and back Oberlin’s aggressive pursuit of sustainable energy. Fran served on council with Jindra and both of us with Rimbert; we can attest to their commitment to our town.
– Fran and Jack Baumann
Oberlin Residents
Carl McDaniel, Linda Slocum, and Tony Mealy
October 27, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
The letter from Steve Hammond and John Elder on Sept. 22, 2017 in The Oberlin Review, “Voters Can Correct City Council’s Mistakes,” provides solid reasons for voting “Yes” on City Issue 16 and “No” on City Issue 17. Critical to their recommendations are two letters from city law director, Jon Clark, who responded to questions from the City’s Public Utilities Commission.
In response to a request for a legal review of a proposed recommendation to City Council from PUC on the disposition of net Renewable Energy Credits revenues, Clark’s letter from April 13, 2015 stated, “Based on the authority of the decision in Union Ice, I conclude that the City has no legal obligation to electr...
Cindy Frantz and Dina Schoonmaker
October 27, 2017
Filed under Letters to the Editors, OPINIONS
To the Editors:
The City of Oberlin is blessed to have a number of excellent candidates for City Council this year. Two candidates in particular may be less familiar to many but merit special attention: Heather Adelman and Linda Slocum.
Heather Adelman’s leadership in Oberlin revolves around three themes: economic development, building collaborations among stakeholders, and sustainability. She is the market manager for the Oberlin Farmer’s Market and co-founder of the Oberlin Food Hub, two efforts that provide economic opportunities for small and medium-sized farms in the area. As vice chair of the City’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Commission and former assistant director of the Oberlin Project, she has...
