CLEAN IT UP CLEVELAND-NORTH EAST OHIO!

LITTER, TRASH, ILLEGAL DUMPING ISSUES NEED TO BE COVERED MORE BY THE LOCAL PAPERS—AND THE CITY NEEDS TO BE ASSERTIVE IN ADDRESSING AND BEING PRO-ACTIVE ABOUT SOLVING THE PROBLEM.

I have a story idea that needs attention drawn to it:

How about the litter/trash/debris problem all over all the corridors into the city on the highways. In ditches, under embankments, bridges, waterways, along shoulders, in medians, and the list could go on. This cost Ohio 3 to 4 million last year to clean up—mostly because people have still not learned what a trash/recycling can is for. Should have learned that 38 years ago when the Indian cried on the commercial.

If we have not even learned how the above situation leads to a declining quality of life, property value, bad images, etc. then its hopeless. The burning river cast a grim shadow on our city in the past—we know the struggle it has been to take years to shed this image, as much of it still exists—so why are we inviting, and leaving go unabated, yet another legacy of community and environmental abuse that will secure another 50 plus years of Cleveland bad mouthing?

C’mon people, pitch in and get with it! C’mon PD…ADDRESS this issue and offer solutions. All those who participate in clean-ups once a year is not enough. To make this problem better, we need to make keeping after it a lifestyle–and maybe start reminding people that dumping/littering in OHIO is illegal–and Cleveland is not exempt. While the problem is pervasive, can we spare the complacent comments like “Weeelll.. its everywhere” and at least do OUR part to clean up our corner of the state?

This problem is among the first things people will notice when coming into our region/city… and it casts a strong message about where the civic pride has gone and a lack of respect for the environment as well–at a time when we should darn well know better to at least be able to curb this very preventable problem. It is quite embarrassing.

Is this the image we want to project of ourselves to all who come here—especially during the Rock Hall inductions? It is bad enough we have to continually clean up after people in neighborhoods who find it convenient to pull up along a curb and dump their McDonald’s trash onto someone’s tree strip, let alone all the crap that does not adequately get cleaned up on the main streams into the city.

Just because times are tough, just because there is poverty, and just because people may be stupid……does not mean we have to look as though we play the part perfectly; being slobs! Hey Cleveland… Get this.. CIVIC PRIDE is FREE!!! Doesn’t cost a DIME to embrace it and start using it, no matter what walk of life you come from—but it costs all of us millions when we DON’T exercise this pride!

Adopting such pride again means we foster a populous that will not allow the kinds of things to happen that end up tearing down a city and region in the first place; the kinds of things people spend all day winging about on these posts, but offer to do NOTHING about, and instead become a part of the problem by telling everyone how they cannot wait to take the next train out of here!

Please cover the trash/litter, illegal dumping issues, PD.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 8:39 AM

Warren Ohio City School Board Responsible For Bombarding Residents With Cannonfire

Saturday, August 30, 2008

The following letter was submitted to the Warren, Ohio City School Board after the home opening “cannon fire” attack on residents courtesy of Warren G. Harding High School.

Dear Superintendent/Warren City Schools,

I am extremely appalled by the decision of the city school board to approve and allow the excessive use of fireworks at the football games. Excusing this activity by wrapping it up in warm and cozy words like ‘tradition’, ‘school spirit’ and so forth is absolutely no excuse to impose the war-type sounds of cannon fire which continued for nearly 3 hours on a helpless public at the home opener. There is a silent majority out here that refrains from speaking up on this issue for apathetic reasons—-and which does not wish to have this kind of excessive noise pollution assault unleashed upon them.

While you may still want to drape this activity in whatever cloak that sounds good and satisfies you, the reality is you are causing a great deal of stress for people who need to rest to function properly on their job… and are acoustically assaulting people, young and old alike. Animals in particular are severely traumatized by this noise. What’s more, you’re also being very disrespectful to those who have served in war combat and suffer from shell shock by imposing excessive noise on these individuals.

I do not understand what making excessive cannon fire noise has to do with raising school spirit—instead, it merely raises adrenaline in an unhealthy way, and has many of us not wanting to support the schools for anything. As it was when I attended the same school in 1987, tolerable are of a couple ‘kabooms’ when the team scores–followed by the powerful sound of the high school band which, by the way, appears to be absent from the soundscape you created—BUT what you are doing is imposing a kind of noise assault above and beyond what is socially acceptable. No focus is on the talent of the band anymore because the focus is on setting off bombs. While this may appeal to the lowest common denominator in society, it is not appealing the vast majority of residents nearby this stadium. Additionally, these fireworks are louder than anything ever used while I attended this school.

The above problem you have created makes me wonder where the priorities are here. Education or sports related hype? Listen to this: Not everyone wishes to follow or attend sporting events! You do not have a right to impose on these residents the bomb blasts you apparently associate with your sporting events—or assume that everyone thinks the KIND of unnecessary cannon noise at these events is ok with the majority of the population not at the game!

Quite frankly, I find it alarming to come to the conclusion by the examples you are setting, that you have failed to expose your students to any other wonderful aspect of life such as art, history, nature—or world culture—that would help to foster and promote some of these students getting involved in more than just sports. Isn’t that a part of the social responsibility of the educational system?

Tell me, is this town so starved for some sort of identity that you decided to play up on the sports theme to attain one? If so, how sad is that! I believe in our students more than that and feel we can turn out more than just athletes or those addicted to noise. It is shameful that an institution of education of such does not even take the time to stop and think for a moment just what kind of harm you may be inflicting on many….from this belief that you have to set bombs off at games. We pay taxes to support schools, and education—not to be assaulted with cannon bombs. Please find a better and more creative, entertaining way to arouse enthusiasm instead of making those who profit from the sale of gun powder, rich!

As an avid activist in the arena of educating people about the ill-effects of excessive noise pollution on the community, I am well aware of the fact The City of Warren struggles with enforcement of its codified ordinance on noise—while at the same time, excessive and unnecessary noise is the number one complaint by residents to the city safety director! Excessive and unnecessary noise ranging from illegally modified, or deteriorating exhaust systems on cars or motorcycles, to incessant obsessive abuse of gas powered leaf blowers…to boom cars… is the under-recognized plague that is robbing this community of its right to reasonable peace affecting its property values in an negative way—-AND, now you are part of a growing problem! With a plague of deafness and hearing damage occurring in this country, who do you suppose will pay the price for it in society when disabilities reach epidemic proportions?

It is time to educate the educators: To educate yourselves as to the problems you are contributing to in this community, I would suggest you visit the website www.noiseoff.org and read about the dark side of excessive noise and what it does to the body, our quality of life, and property values. I would hope that after reviewing this material, you, an institution of education, will make the choice to be a more socially responsible neighbor. Please try and see the picture from the outside in for a change to understand why this is a problem so you will try and be a more respectful neighbor and member of the community from now on. I will also follow up with you to request a sit down meeting to discuss this problem

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 6:58 PM