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Bob Dyer: Recognition not always a big bonus
West Akron homeowners in rough spot
Newsletter inexpensive, gives news
DYER: This newsletter inexpensive, gives news
Legislator: Leeway OK in late fine
High tech helps police in Youngstown
New TWC boss stressing the basics
A hot topic to thaw out frigid days
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Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
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Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Citizens United v. F.E.C. (Part 4): Kennedy's and O'Connor's Basic Approaches to Constitutional Decisionmaking – Top Down and Bottom Up
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
Track HR Research
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
By Bob Dyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 08:14 p.m. EDT, Oct 21, 2009
We have entered that glorious season when citizens all across this great land stand up and exercise their constitutional right to ruin the aesthetics of their own neighborhood.
Ever seen a really, really attractive campaign sign?
Several area communities have taken a shot at limiting the litter.
Hudson once had a law that prohibited signs bigger than 8 square feet. But Summit County Republican Party boss Alex Arshinkoff and his wife, Karen, pushed the issue and got the law overturned in court — with help from the American Civil Liberties Union. (Talk about strange bedfellows.)
Bath, Fairlawn, Silver Lake and Barberton are among a slew of area communities that have had a variety of rules covering the size, number and timing of political signs. Many towns have required deposits to encourage postelection cleanup.
But whenever the ACLU wants to push the matter, a community inevitably winds up losing in court on First Amendment grounds.
Too bad. It's not as if we have total freedom of sign expression. You can't put up a big yard sign that says, ''Eat McDonald's hamburgers.'' We should be able to put reasonable regulations on political signs, too.
Deal breaker
Business owner James Althouse of Hudson received a resume with a cover letter that included this sentence:
''I'm seeking a company whom takes quality serious.''
Ironic timing
Monday night: Summit County Council outlaws texting while driving.
Tuesday morning: Norton Police Department issues news release saying the department will begin sending text messages about accidents, road closings and traffic conditions.
Shoddy journalism
Monday morning: Headline on the Web site of Cleveland television station WOIO (Channel 19): ''Akron Mayor DUI.''
Monday evening: Prime-time tease for WOIO's 11 p.m. newscast: ''Framed?''
Yeah, he was framed. Framed by WOIO — which slapped up the ''DUI'' allegation based on anonymous phone calls — before even talking to the man in question or asking for a police report.
Refund update
This might be the worst 30 bucks anyone has ever spent.
The Summit County Board of Elections mulled things over some more and decided it will not return the filing fee paid by a candidate for a race that didn't exist.
As we noted earlier, Mark Hilbish of Mogadore wanted to run for an unexpired term on his village council. He went to the elections board, took out petitions, collected 49 signatures and turned them in. A day later, the elections board called and said Mogadore's charter calls for an appointee to fill the entire unexpired term. No race after all.
Now, wouldn't you think the guy would get his money back?
Nay. The Summit County prosecutor's office said the state law is ironclad — ''In no case shall a filing fee be returned'' — and a second opinion from the state attorney general backed that up.
As board member Brian Daley noted during a meeting, this is ''unfortunate, since it appears to be a mistake made by the board.''
Bob Dyer can be reached at 330-996-3580 or bdyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
We have entered that glorious season when citizens all across this great land stand up and exercise their constitutional right to ruin the aesthetics of their own neighborhood.
Ever seen a really, really attractive campaign sign?
Several area communities have taken a shot at limiting the litter.
Hudson once had a law that prohibited signs bigger than 8 square feet. But Summit County Republican Party boss Alex Arshinkoff and his wife, Karen, pushed the issue and got the law overturned in court — with help from the American Civil Liberties Union. (Talk about strange bedfellows.)
Bath, Fairlawn, Silver Lake and Barberton are among a slew of area communities that have had a variety of rules covering the size, number and timing of political signs. Many towns have required deposits to encourage postelection cleanup.
But whenever the ACLU wants to push the matter, a community inevitably winds up losing in court on First Amendment grounds.
Too bad. It's not as if we have total freedom of sign expression. You can't put up a big yard sign that says, ''Eat McDonald's hamburgers.'' We should be able to put reasonable regulations on political signs, too.
Deal breaker
Business owner James Althouse of Hudson received a resume with a cover letter that included this sentence:
''I'm seeking a company whom takes quality serious.''
Ironic timing
Monday night: Summit County Council outlaws texting while driving.
Tuesday morning: Norton Police Department issues news release saying the department will begin sending text messages about accidents, road closings and traffic conditions.
Shoddy journalism
Monday morning: Headline on the Web site of Cleveland television station WOIO (Channel 19): ''Akron Mayor DUI.''
Monday evening: Prime-time tease for WOIO's 11 p.m. newscast: ''Framed?''
Yeah, he was framed. Framed by WOIO — which slapped up the ''DUI'' allegation based on anonymous phone calls — before even talking to the man in question or asking for a police report.
Refund update
This might be the worst 30 bucks anyone has ever spent.
The Summit County Board of Elections mulled things over some more and decided it will not return the filing fee paid by a candidate for a race that didn't exist.
As we noted earlier, Mark Hilbish of Mogadore wanted to run for an unexpired term on his village council. He went to the elections board, took out petitions, collected 49 signatures and turned them in. A day later, the elections board called and said Mogadore's charter calls for an appointee to fill the entire unexpired term. No race after all.
Now, wouldn't you think the guy would get his money back?
Nay. The Summit County prosecutor's office said the state law is ironclad — ''In no case shall a filing fee be returned'' — and a second opinion from the state attorney general backed that up.
As board member Brian Daley noted during a meeting, this is ''unfortunate, since it appears to be a mistake made by the board.''
Bob Dyer can be reached at 330-996-3580 or bdyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Akron, Oh
Posted 07:36 AM, 10/22/2009
Summit BOE, sometimes you just have to do whats right. Don't you?
akron, oh
Posted 07:47 AM, 10/22/2009
Gee, I would have thought that you would have questioned why the police didn't give a sobriety test of some sort to the mayor Bob.
The mayor did admit to having several drinks during the evening.
Mark Hilbish should get his money back, even if the powers in charge had to pool their personal resources to do it.
I like the fee for the signs. Isn't there some anti recall one still up around town??
Akron, Oh
Posted 08:30 AM, 10/22/2009
I will vote for the person that pushes to ban yard signs.
akron, oh
Posted 10:18 AM, 10/22/2009
"Bath, Fairlawn, Silver Lake and Barberton are among a slew of area communities ..."
Talk about strange bedfellows.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 10:29 AM, 10/22/2009
Well, at least you didn't see Heather Nagel for Council signs all over Akron.
Why is that, Bubblehead?
It is because she had to save money for her zoning code violation fine and for her impending Akron Municipal Court trial.
akron, oh
Posted 10:55 AM, 10/22/2009
That guy who is looking for a job in Hudson will have to improve his grammar if he expects to get a job with a company "that" takes quality seriously.
rmk/akron
Akron, OH
Posted 03:58 PM, 10/22/2009
===============
Monday evening: Prime-time tease for WOIO's 11 p.m. newscast: ''Framed?''
Yeah, he was framed. Framed by WOIO — which slapped up the ''DUI'' allegation based on anonymous phone calls — before even talking to the man in question or asking for a police report.
===============
Wasn't it reported in the 'more legitimate' media that the 911 operator classified the call as 'a suspected drunk driver'?
What does the 911 records (not the audio recording of 'Melanie', but the information that was sent to officers via their terminals in their cruisers) show?
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 04:02 PM, 10/22/2009
Can't leave a message under the story, so I'll put it here about the following...
"The mayor's vehicle is specially equipped to ensure he has instant and direct communications with safety forces in the event of an emergency or disaster. As mayor, he is required to be on call and must be able to respond directly to emergency matters 24 hours each day, seven days per week, 365 days every year. His city vehicle is considered an essential tool for his job. "
Really? An emergency here? Free gas baby...free gas
clinton, oh
Posted 10:30 PM, 10/22/2009
Too many "For Sale" signs in Akron's Landscape also
cluttering the scenery.
-------------------------------------------
On Refund update
As board member Brian Daley noted during a meeting, this is ''unfortunate, since it appears to be a mistake made by the board.''
Write a check to the Guy Brian,its the appropriate and ethical thing to do. Rise above the rest of your constituents ans set an example of goodwill
clinton, oh
Posted 10:31 PM, 10/22/2009
and set an example of goodwill
akron, oh
Posted 02:09 PM, 10/23/2009
There probably is a case for a lawsuit of some sort. It would seem that the election board committed fraud or accepted money under false pretenses.
One could perhaps also argue that since there was no position to file for, that he did not pay for a filing fee.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 10:45 PM, 10/23/2009
Oh, I see ds has reared her ugly head.
And, just how is the World's Greatest christian?
