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Dyer Streets: Metro ads honk off area drivers

At least cancer prevention campaign that irked some is over

By Bob Dyer
Beacon Journal columnist

The Metro Regional Transit Authority has lost some fans by accepting an advertising campaign that's a little over the top.

Throughout the area, buses have been driving around with big placards reading, ''Prostate Cancer Sucks.''

Among the disgruntled is Green resident David Golkiewicz. Actually, he is more than disgruntled. He is livid.

''How humiliating!'' he says. ''How about 'Breast Cancer Sucks'?

''All cancer is terrible. I've lost friends to prostate cancer.''

Golkiewicz had it, too. His is in remission.

So he knows that prostate cancer is not good. But he believes the S-word is totally inappropriate on a public bus, regardless of the context.

''I chastise my grandson for using 'sucks,' '' he says.

Metro hasn't backed down.

''We have had a few complaints,'' says Metro spokeswoman Molly Becker. ''However, most people realize it is effective in getting an important message across.''

The good news for folks like Golkiewicz is that the campaign ended last weekend. Some signs are still in place, but those will vanish once the space is sold.

EDGE OF DOOM

Speaking of signs, what kind of return on the dollar are we getting from those big orange signs posted in highway construction zones that scream out: ''NO EDGE LINES.''

No edge lines?!?! God help us all!!!

Hey, we can plainly see there are no edge lines. Tell us something we don't know — or just save us some sign money.

CRATER SCHOOL

Bob: I work for the Akron Public School System's Adult Vocational Services, a wonderful program that helps older adults get their GEDs and learn a variety of vocational trades. It's at Park Street and Osage Alley, next to Trinity Church.

The program provides a great opportunity for people — except Osage Alley is quickly crumbling into one big pothole. The birds like to bathe in the water that collects there, but it's a hazard to our students and their cars.

We have tried to alert the city to fix the brick pavement or re-pave, but to no avail. We need intervention from the ''beacon'' of light.Irene Isabella
Cuyahoga Falls

Irene: Because you didn't refer to us as the ''Beacon of Blight,'' I will work my magic.

Ready?

Done.

Joe Asher, the guy in charge of maintaining 900 miles of Akron streets and expressways, says crews are working in that area and will strip-patch your alley early next week.

LATE BUT GOOD

A reader who got his vehicle registration renewal in the mail a few weeks ago wanted to know why the state of Ohio still is putting Social Security numbers on letters that sit around in millions of mailboxes.

Excellent question. In this age of identity theft, the renewal notices have been a thief's bonanza: name, address, license plate number and, in a box at the bottom of the page, the Magic Number.

Well, that changed — finally — 17 days ago.

''We have been working on the process for removing them for a while,'' says Lindsay Kromlanc of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

''It was a lengthy process because it required a lot of programming in how the forms are processed, but we are happy to report that it's complete.''

Tectonic plates move faster.


Bob Dyer's Streets column appears each Friday. He can be reached at 330-996-3580 or bdyer@thebeaconjournal.com

The Metro Regional Transit Authority has lost some fans by accepting an advertising campaign that's a little over the top.

Throughout the area, buses have been driving around with big placards reading, ''Prostate Cancer Sucks.''

Among the disgruntled is Green resident David Golkiewicz. Actually, he is more than disgruntled. He is livid.

''How humiliating!'' he says. ''How about 'Breast Cancer Sucks'?

''All cancer is terrible. I've lost friends to prostate cancer.''

Golkiewicz had it, too. His is in remission.

So he knows that prostate cancer is not good. But he believes the S-word is totally inappropriate on a public bus, regardless of the context.

''I chastise my grandson for using 'sucks,' '' he says.

Metro hasn't backed down.

''We have had a few complaints,'' says Metro spokeswoman Molly Becker. ''However, most people realize it is effective in getting an important message across.''

The good news for folks like Golkiewicz is that the campaign ended last weekend. Some signs are still in place, but those will vanish once the space is sold.

EDGE OF DOOM

Speaking of signs, what kind of return on the dollar are we getting from those big orange signs posted in highway construction zones that scream out: ''NO EDGE LINES.''

No edge lines?!?! God help us all!!!

Hey, we can plainly see there are no edge lines. Tell us something we don't know — or just save us some sign money.

CRATER SCHOOL

Bob: I work for the Akron Public School System's Adult Vocational Services, a wonderful program that helps older adults get their GEDs and learn a variety of vocational trades. It's at Park Street and Osage Alley, next to Trinity Church.

The program provides a great opportunity for people — except Osage Alley is quickly crumbling into one big pothole. The birds like to bathe in the water that collects there, but it's a hazard to our students and their cars.

We have tried to alert the city to fix the brick pavement or re-pave, but to no avail. We need intervention from the ''beacon'' of light.Irene Isabella
Cuyahoga Falls

Irene: Because you didn't refer to us as the ''Beacon of Blight,'' I will work my magic.

Ready?

Done.

Joe Asher, the guy in charge of maintaining 900 miles of Akron streets and expressways, says crews are working in that area and will strip-patch your alley early next week.

LATE BUT GOOD

A reader who got his vehicle registration renewal in the mail a few weeks ago wanted to know why the state of Ohio still is putting Social Security numbers on letters that sit around in millions of mailboxes.

Excellent question. In this age of identity theft, the renewal notices have been a thief's bonanza: name, address, license plate number and, in a box at the bottom of the page, the Magic Number.

Well, that changed — finally — 17 days ago.

''We have been working on the process for removing them for a while,'' says Lindsay Kromlanc of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

''It was a lengthy process because it required a lot of programming in how the forms are processed, but we are happy to report that it's complete.''

Tectonic plates move faster.


Bob Dyer's Streets column appears each Friday. He can be reached at 330-996-3580 or bdyer@thebeaconjournal.com



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Betamax
Akron, OH

Posted 05:39 PM, 09/05/2008

Dyer, no matter how the comment section is changed, y'all will always be an award winnin' traffic reporter to all of y'alls fans.


KC

Posted 10:38 AM, 09/12/2008

Bob what happened to the dyer streets article about white pond. I can't seem to locate it. Looks like it was deleted


KC

Posted 11:24 AM, 09/12/2008

What happened to my question? Where is the article.
















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