The Swanton Bulldogs opened their home golf schedule by hosting the Bulldog Invitational on Monday, 8/8/22, at Swanton’s Valleywood Golf Club and finished third overall out of nine teams. The Bulldog golfers, led by senior Ryan O’Shea’s round of 78, fired a 324 to place behind the champion Anthony Wayne Generals’ score of 309 and the runner-up Ottawa Hills Green Bears’ score of 312.
Rounding out the rest of the field were the Otsego Knights (361), the Emmanuel Christian Warriors (398), the Delta Panthers (453), the Evergreen Vikings (457), the Springfield Blue Devils (506) and the Northwood Rangers (DNF). Medalist Honors went to Avery Watson of Anthony Wayne who shot a three under par 70.
In addition to O’Shea’s 78 which earned him a spot on the All-Invitational Team, other Bulldog golfers factoring in the team scoring were Lucas Bloom (80), Mazin Rukieh (81) and Adam Lemon (85). Ethan Bonifas shot a 100 and Brady O’Shea had a 119.
Team total scores for the Panthers were Adam Mattin (100), Slade Young (106), Walter Hallet (109) and Logan Ringle (138). Drew Smith shot a 139 and Ashton Alig had a 154.
Team total scores for the Vikings were Adam Schmidt (104), Caden Beier (114), Logan Peebles (114) and Ayden Gleckler (125). Mike Laver shot a 125.
Click on the link above to access photos from the Invitational. Photos are inn the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of fultoncountymedia.com.
The Delta Chamber of Commerce held their Dancing in the Street event in a new venue this year, the Delta Community Park. Traditionally held on the lot on the corner of Main and Madison Streets, the new location provided much more space for the food and drink set-ups and more room for people to mingle or sit and listen to music or even to dance. There was also for more parking and no need to block off any streets.
Click on the link above to access photos from the evening. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for no charge courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Following an executive session during the August 1st Delta Village Council meeting, Council members unanimously (6-0) approved the sending of a letter to officials of Pike Township, York Township, Pike-Delta-York School District and the Fulton County Commissioners regarding the annexation of property for the Nova Steel & Tube manufacturing facility and the property’s initial tax obligations. The letter read as follows:
Recently, 11 out of 12 property owners representing approximately 538 acres, signed a petition requesting to be annexed to the Village of Delta.
Village Council recognizes economic development for this community has new challenges which are important to the continued growth and development of our village, school district, townships and county.
Respecting the position of all public agencies, we understand that new and additional revenues are needed. With the anticipated approval of the annexation petition being considered, Delta Village Council is prepared to alter its position regarding the expansion of the pre 1994 Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) to address these concerns.
The Village of Delta will amend its pre 1994 CRA one last time incorporating the Nova Steel & Tube property, understanding this commitment was made during their search for a location. The Village will create a new CRA under the post 1994 status for the properties requesting to be annexed. Currently, this reduces the percentage of abatement that can be approved solely by the Village from 100% to 50%. The Village also plans to extend the term of abatements for the post 1994 program from the current 10 years to the maximum allowable 15 years.
Please know that the Delta Village Council sincerely looks forward to partnering with each of your agencies as we all work toward the betterment and mutual benefit of our region.
Should there be questions, please address them to Village Council in writing so they can be reviewed, understood and appropriately responded to.
The letter was signed by Mayor Frank Wilton and Council President Mike Tanner.
The Village of Delta recently sent out a survey questionnaire regarding the Delta Community Park asking for input on the pool (replace, fix or eliminate), sports fields (soccer, baseball and softball) and other various amenities (tennis/pickleball courts and others). In response to the survey, Delta resident and former Pike-Delta-York Schools Superintendent, Jay LeFevre, sent an e-mail to members of the Village Council, Mayor Frank Wilton and Administrator Brad Peebles with concerns about the content of the survey and the park itself. Below are excerpts from Mr. LeFevre’s correspondence:
My main reason for reaching out is regarding the park survey. I found the survey to be very minimal, narrow and limited in scope. Half of the survey is about the pool, with no supporting data for the high costs of the two “options,” and with nothing at all about many other aspects of the park. Other than the narrow pool “question,” the survey only asks about athletic fields and courts, with no mention of shelter houses, playground equipment, trees/beautification, etc.
Many trees have been removed, for good cause I am told (maintenance, structures, etc.), but I am concerned that it appears we only remove trees (in the park and in the village). I am not aware of any efforts or plans to add trees where deemed appropriate for shade and/or other attempts to maintain and improve the “beautification” of the parks. Do we have any long term “tree program” to help both with ease of park maintenance and the beauty of the park? If not, perhaps we need to bring back the park committee, tree board, and other committees that used to facilitate these processes.
I worry that we are at risk of a lack of consistency and efficacy as council, mayor and administrators change over the years. While more time consuming, committees certainly provide more in-depth research, better awareness for council members, and more thorough decision making. They are common to effective councils, school boards, and other governing bodies.
Not mentioned in the survey, we also have shelter houses, play grounds, restrooms, concession stands, sidewalks/paths, rules (like no alcohol in the park), for which council should be seeking input. A valid survey would include all aspects of the park and then is most helpful if followed up with a more focused survey based on the initial feedback. A well formulated survey does take extra effort, but it certainly provides better guidance that one with few questions and vague references. If council is genuinely working to create a long term, meaningful plan, I suggest seeking much more information and input that this limited survey will provide.
Regarding the pool, the projected costs for a new pool or repair, the two “options” presented, seem exorbitant. Both options seem high to me and without any supporting information. And there is not mention of current millage and how it impacts these options. I would like have a copy of the estimates for repairs with projected costs. (I assume there are multiple estimates and would like to see what exactly the problem is and the associated costs.) While I’ve never been a regular pool user, I am aware that many similar size and smaller towns have local pools and manage the costs, so I’m skeptical to be told we in Delta cannot manage the same. I’m proud that we have a pool, and have always been glad to support it with tax dollars. But I find it difficult to understand how we’ve managed for all these years, and suddenly we need 6.5 mills for twenty years. I assume council, the mayor, or the administrator have “compared notes” with other villages and towns to see how they are functioning in regards to a community pool. I would be interested to see that data.
And in the mindset of not just “complaining” but more-so about helping positively, I would be happy to join an informal group of community members to assist in this process if council found value in creating some sort of advisory committee.
The mayor and council are there to fully represent the best interests of the community, and well-developed surveys, along with committees (council and citizen advisory) are critical in that process, as I see it.
To be clear, I appreciate the idea of the survey. I am not intending to overlook any efforts to improve the overall park and the village, and I realize things are getting done and you all are taking things on with the intent to better this community. I genuinely appreciate the public service of members of council. Perhaps some of my questions can be answered simply by meeting with the mayor? I look forward getting copies of documents as requested above pertaining the pool, and to being better informed about the questions and concerns I’ve raised.
At the Monday , August 1st, Council meeting, Mr. LeFevre, who was in attendance, was asked by Mayor Wilton if he would like to address the Council regarding his email. Mr. LeFevre declined. The Mayor then addressed the email and told Mr. LeFevre that a response was in progress.
“I just wanted to bring that up so you’re aware of it,” said Mr. Wilton. “There are more questions than what was in the survey and we’re looking at several different things. We don’t want to just throw it together. You’re addressing some of the questions that we’re addressing also. We will put together a committee and actually have a meeting in the future about the park and everything that goes on with that. There is more coming out on that than what was in the survey. We just wanted to get an idea on that.”
There was no further discussion on the email, but Mr. Peebles reported that the Village had received 108 responses from the 1,350 surveys delivered to the post office by the July 29th deadline. “We’ll start to tabulate those and Council will hopefully see a report as to the findings at the next meeting,” said the Administrator.
Click on the link above to access almost 500 photos from the parade. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
These photos are from Friday night and can be accessed by clicking on the link above. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for free courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
At the July 18th Village Council meeting, Council members approved the following personnel moves:
Offered employment to Brice Nemire with the Swanton Public Service Department, Public Works and Utilities Division, as a Public Works and Utilities Laborer at a rate of $18.00 per hour. Mr. Nemire is subject to a 12-month introductory period and a continuation of his leave, should he have any remaining from his previous employment with the Village.
Offer employment to Dustin Makula with the Swanton Water Treatment Plant as a Water Treatment Plant Operator at a rate of $20.00 per hour, contingent upon the successful completion of a drug screening and background check. Mr. Makula is subject to a 12-month introductory period and a proration of his leave.
Offered part-time employment to Wendy Waisner with the Swanton Fire and Rescue Department as a Paramedic and Firefighter at a rate of $17.00 per hour, contingent upon the successful completion of a drug screening, background check, and physical examination. Ms. Waisner is subject to a 6-month introductory period.
Offered part-time employment to Abigail Zunk with the Swanton Fire and Rescue Department as a Paramedic and Firefighter at a rate of $17.00 per hour, contingent upon the successful completion of a drug screening, background check, and physical examination. Ms. Zunk is subject to a 6-month introductory period.
Offered part-time employment to Bruce Barnes with the Swanton Fire and Rescue Department as an EMT and Firefighter at a rate of $15.50 per hour, contingent upon the successful completion of a drug screening, background check, and physical examination. Mr. Barnes is subject to a 6-month introductory period.
Accepted the reclassification of Nicholas Rohrs, from part-time to full-time member of the Swanton Fire and Rescue Department. Mr. Rohrs will have prorated leave, but no change to his 6-month introductory period.
Accepted the resignation of Shawn Bowman, from the Swanton Fire and Rescue Department, effective July 22, 2022.
Offered employment to Claire Smith with the Swanton Village Administration as the Community Development Assistant at a rate of $15.70 per hour, contingent upon the successful completion of a drug screening and background check. Ms. Smith is subject to a 12-month introductory period and a proration of her leave.
Delta Ohio – July 19, 2022: The Pike-Delta-York Local School District will welcome Walter Steele to the administrative team as the next athletic director, pending board approval. Steele will replace Mr. Andrew Hange, who served the district as AD for five years.
Mr. Steele is a Delta High School graduate from the Class of 2001, who attended The Ohio State University where he graduated with a degree in Communications before attending Defiance College. Steele completed his Master of Business Administration at Defiance, focusing on Sports Management while working inside the college’s recreational sports department. He later joined the coaching staff at PDY before accepting a leadership position in the athletic department of a neighboring district. He brings a solid background of experience with high school athletic program supervision and development at area districts within the NWOAL. Steele states “It is my belief that extracurricular activities are a part of the wholistic student experience. It is my goal to ensure that our PDY students have a positive experience throughout their time competing as a student athlete. I will help foster that positive environment in any way that I can.”
Steele’s background and experience with high school athletic programs combined with a strong work ethic will help him make a positive and smooth transition to Pike-Delta-York this summer. When asked what drew him to apply for the position, Steele stated, “It was an opportunity to come home. As an alum and former coach in the district, it was a chance to come back and be a part of something special.” He is looking forward to having the opportunity to work with great people and help make an impact in the district as well as the community. Steele goes on to say, “working in collaboration with tremendous leaders is very exciting to me and I can’t wait to get started.”
“I am excited to add Mr. Steele to our district leadership team,” Superintendent Dr. Ted Haselman stated. He goes on to add, “I believe his enthusiasm and leadership skills will continue the forward progress of the District. He has a unique skillset and a passion for high school athletics.”
Mr. Steele was selected from a competitive pool of applicants. The district hiring committee interviewed seven applicants from a pool that included representatives of the district’s coaching staff, area administrators, and community members.
Americans did not devise the concept of protesting against perceived injustices, but we have been using this method of standing up for ourselves and communicating our grievances for several hundred years, often with great effectiveness. Violent protest aside, the right of peaceful protest is written into the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and fully engrained into our social consciousness.
That being said, peaceful and occasionally subtle protest to bring attention to an issue can be completely obscured, misconstrued or create a powerful backlash if the wrong tools of communication are used. The American Flag, the National Anthem and even the fictional Uncle Sam are iconic symbols of the American way of life or at least what our country, overall, strives to be. They encompass our values, our morals and our codes of conduct that gives our society a sense of direction to be better people and a better country.
Obviously, we are far from perfect and I believe, as a country, we have recently slipped back to some degree in regards to equal rights. But when someone uses the Flag or the Anthem to convey their objection to one issue, the message that gets received is that they object to all that is American, including all the good. The objections, no matter how relevant, are treated as an attack on our country. Most Americans are very passionate about their country and do not have the patience nor the inclination to sort through a blanket condemnation to find the real message. Desecrating the American Flag or kneeling during the National Anthem immediately aligns them with leaders and citizens of adversarial countries who burn our Flag, hang our leaders or Uncle Sam in effigy and shout “Death to America”.
Let me cite two examples of what mindset develops when one of these American icons is involved in a protest. In the final preseason game of the 2016 NFL season, Colin Kaepernick, an African-American member of the San Francisco 49ers, knelt down during the playing of the National Anthem to protest police brutality against the Black community. He continued to take a knee before each game for the rest of the season.
Was Kaepernick’s grievance valid? Evidence not only suggested it was, it screamed it. What was the overall response by the American public? Outrage. He was accused of hating his country, not appreciating his privileged social and economic status provided by the opportunities he was given in this country and disrespecting the US military who had long fought to ensure his Constitutional right to protest.
Unfortunately, despite the legitimacy of Kaepernick’s message, it was virtually silenced by the blowback. The spotlight was placed almost directly on his kneeled stance and not his stance on the issue. He did receive some support but many did not hear of did not want to hear what he was trying to say. Ultimately, the general public chose to rally around the flag rather than find a solution for the problem.
On April 25, 1976, during a game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field between the Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers, two people ran onto the outfield grass in the fourth inning and attempted to burn the American Flag as a protest. Cub centerfielder Rick Monday swooped in and grabbed the Flag before they could light the match and carried it to the Dodger dugout, all to a thunderous applause and standing ovation.
In those few moments, Monday became a national hero and remains one still today. He did not save a life or right an egregious wrong or make the world a better place to live and yet, that single “patriotic” act became his legacy, far beyond anything else he did in his 19-year MLB career. Whatever those two individuals were protesting that day had no impact on the country and they, along with their names and their cause, were quickly lost to obscurity.
America needs activists, like Colin Kaepernick still is to this day, to highlight and speak out against social injustice. However, you don’t tear down your house when you see rats running around. Your message is destroyed in the process. You find another way to rid your home of rats and keep the house standing. In the late 1960’s, young men burned their draft cards to protest the war in Vietnam. We got the message. In that same decade, a few women burned their bras in protests demanding equal rights. Again, we understood. Whether we agreed or not, their issues were clear and specific.
There is no denying that Kaepernick’s actions destroyed his football career. He has been blackballed by the NFL and its owners despite having very credible statistics as an NFL starting quarterback. I firmly believe the owners do not want to risk damaging their brand by signing the controversial player.
It makes me wonder if Kaepernick and his cause would have been better served if he had chosen a less controversial way to express his message. If he had kept playing football and used his financial resources to promote better awareness and push for substantive change, the results may have been different. His cause was just, his approach, misguided.
Many individuals in American history have followed the same path as Kaepernick and have rarely been successful. Societal change does not come easy but will not come at all if every aspect of it is condemned by those seeking change. Often times, it is all in the delivery.
Fulton County Ohio Media 