City Council Has Late Night Meeting

Members of the Grove City Council took action Wednesday night on a number of proposed budget items, including delaying action on city police department requests pending further information.

Council also went into Executive Session for more than two hours to discuss the open city manager position. A source said council has narrowed down the list to eight persons and Wednesday night's meeting was to listen to telephone interviews recorded earlier with the eight candidates. No action was taken from the session, which adjourned around 10:50 p.m., according to City Clerk Bonnie Buzzard.

Council addressed the following budget items:

--In the City General budget, $8820.00 was approved 4-1 with Larry Parham voting against, for family insurance increases for seven employees of the city, and $2250.00 for two employees of GMSA.

--Passed 5-0 the addition of one fireman at $40,000.

--Postponed until next Tuesday night's Council meeting action on four additional policemen at $42,000 each, an additional full-time animal control officer at $30,000, three additional full-time dispatchers at $30,000 each; and two four-wheel drive vehicles at $31,000 each, which were moved to the City Capital budget. There was no vote on these items. Council indicated they wanted the full costs of each additional person to include uniforms, benefits, etc.

--approved 5-0 a new floor for the Senior Citizen Center Craft Room at $6,000 and denied $30,000 for a new sign for the center, under City Capital budget.

--denied 5-0 the transfer of $150,000 to the Grove Industrial Development Authority board for future land purchases for industrial development.

--approved purchase of a new generator at the city's water intake which will cost $67,800, paid for by moving $50,000 previously authorized for a bike trail, and transferring $17,800 from the city's Capital Budget to GMSA.

--removed from the current budget a traffic light for a crosswalk, and purchase of tasers for the police department.

Council will meet in regular session at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Room 5, City Hall, to further discuss budget items and other posted agenda issues.

Observations...the new Casino

A new $68 million casino may be coming to Grove but protesters have been out on Highway 59 urging the Seneca-Cayuga tribe to take it elsewhere, not within the Grove city limits. The protesters say the casino will bring on increased prostitution and crime.
So we went to Miami up thar in Ottawa County, home to no less than 11 casinos of various Indian tribes, some within blocks of each other, to test the local climate. We talked to the 'man on the street' and local businessmen to see if their county had encountered such evils spilled over from casinos.

Well, no, they hadn't noticed any increased prostitution. They said it was difficult to sell what was being given away free and no, crime had not increased either. They stated that the casinos had been good for local employment, except for the fast food businesses, which pay minimum wage. A blackjack dealer can make $20 an hour just dealing cards and smiling. A burger flipper makes far less and doesn't smile. The mushroom farm was also hurt, they said. Too bad they aren't smokable.

But overall they had no problems with the casinos and felt they were good for the city. One mentioned that several people had lost their homes since they couldn't pay the mortgage after investing heavily in casino business.

There does not seem to be any variance in the number of criminal charges filed, between Ottawa and Delaware counties. On our last trip out of town, we did notice a druggie shooting up just outside Grove, right on highway 59 near the cable company tower.

Frankly, we are neutral on a new casino, except for the new restaurants it might bring, and eventually a convention center. We would look forward to eating a good steak without having to travel to Monkey Island or Miami. But we can't stand the smoke in the casino itself so we don't go there. The smokers may have the right idea…they will die of lung cancer before they lose all their money.

A Matter of Faith...

The Gift of Friendship

By Carol Round

“If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV)
Can you recall your first best friend? I can. Her name is Gwen.
I have not seen nor talked to Gwen in more than 30 years but I still remember her. Several months before my 16th birthday, my family relocated from Louisiana to Oklahoma, where my parents grew up. At first, I stayed in touch via snail mail. In the late 60s, hand-written letters were the common form of long-distance communication.
Times have changed but not our need for friendships. Each new chapter in my life has included new friends. As the pages turn, my life is enriched by this circle of friends.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, one friend showed up on my doorstep with a white rose of hope. Other friends drove me to pre- and post-op doctor visits.
Visiting with a friend over lunch recently, I had to laugh when she crumbled her chips into her tortilla soup. Because my friend teaches etiquette classes, I found it humorous when she explained that you really shouldn’t do that in public. However, since we are friends, she felt comfortable enough to ignore that tip.
Friends come in all shapes and sizes. Some offer their big heart. Others offer a shoulder on which to cry. Some bring sunshine and some listen to you whine. Others will speak the truth, even when it hurts. Pals will compliment us, hug us, send birthday cards, and encourage us to keep putting one foot in front of the other when we want to give up. Yet, we may only hear once a year from another friend.
I receive a Christmas card each December from my college roommate. We rarely talk on the phone. Occasionally, we e-mail each other, but each time we communicate, it seems as if it has been only a day or two since we last visited. Our relationship has lasted for more than 30 years.
Renewing old friendships that have ended on a less than pleasant note are also heart-warming. Several months ago, I had a dream about a friend with whom I had not spoken in almost two years. Our relationship had become strained due to circumstances at work. When I retired and moved to a new community, we lost touch. After my dream, I felt led by God to contact her. I picked up the phone one evening and said, “Judy, this is Carol. How are you doing?”
Our long-distance conversation was a time for catching up on each other’s lives and a time for healing. Before she hung up the phone, she said, “Carol, I think of you often and I just want to say, ‘I love you.’”
One thing we should never ignore is our need for friends. We were created for relationships. When those relationships enhance our life and help us to grow into the person that God created us to be, then we can be assured that it is truly His gift.

A collection of Carol Round’s most popular faith-based columns is now available in book form. For more information, readers can reach her at carolaround@yahoo.com.

GRDA Lake Patrolman Derrick Bidleman hands out t-shirts to young boaters on Grand Lake who were “caught” wearing their life jackets by the GRDA Lake Patrol during the recent Memorial Day weekend. The t-shirt campaign is designed to promote life jacket safety and remind boaters that “there’s no reason not to wear it.” The patrol kicked off the campaign last week, in conjunction with National Safe Boating Week (May 19-25) and it will continue throughout the summer. The patrol urges boaters to practice safe and responsible boating, always wear your life jacket, and be alert and aware while on the water. Simple steps like these can save your life as well as the lives of the people boating with you.

Women on Weights is Back at YMCA

“Women on Weights (WOW)” is back and better in June at the Grand Lake Family YMCA.
WOW is a launching pad for womens’ fitness goals, teaching the basics of balanced muscular development just for women. During the four week program, participants will learn a variety of exercises intended to target each muscle group.
Space is limited for the one hour class which runs from June 4 through June 28, every Monday and Thursday, 10 to 11 am; 11 am to noon; 3 to 4 pm, and 4 to 5 pm .
Cost for the program is $15 for YMCA members and $70 for non-members per four-week class.
For more information and to pre-register, call 786-5774 or visit the YMCA at 206 Elk in Grove, right behind Pizza Hut.