geezer bumper stickers
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/29/2019 Geezer Bumper Stickers
1/1
Professional organiza-
tions of lawyers are
beginning an effort
to curb bad behavior in the
courtroom beyond the usual
disciplinary procedures. The
goal is plain old civility or
courtly conduct becauserudeness may not be action-
able but it is unprofessional.
The American Board of
TrialAdvocates now has a
committee on professional-
ism, ethics and civility,
according to a report in the
Wall Street Journal. Someof
the stories of what some
lawyers have called their
opponents are astonishing
because the popular view of
courtrooms is that attorneys
and judges are supposed to
set an example for the rest of
the world. But perhaps not.
The dominance of the
legal profession amongpoliticians could account for
some recent instances of inci-
vility, notably the uncharita-
ble characterizations
exchanged by Senate
Majority leader Harry Reid
and House Speaker John
Boehner. Perhaps there is
hope that the work of the
lawyers civility police will
eventually extend into poli-
tics. The trial lawyers are tak-
ing their classes to the law
schools and even advocating
that oaths for admission to
the bar include fidelity to
civility.
Itmay be too early to cele-
brate the apparent bipartisan
agreement on immigration
reform recently announced,
but it looks like a step toward
the kind of civil debate
that can produce real legisla-
tive progress. If civility is
infectious enough it might
even spread to the media
which, mostly sympathetic to
President Obama and todays
Democratic agenda, tend to
write off Republicans as the
disloyal opposition. Maybe
we can get civility classes
into the journalism schools.
Some people believe that
criticizing President Obama
as a socialist in all but name,
a liberal spender, advocate of
big government, and some-
one unsympathetic to what
are regarded as traditional
freedoms is unfair and unciv-
il.Yet how does that comparewith the characterization of
Republicans as nativists,
racists, dictators of morality,
and hate-mongers?
Columnist Robert Reich
recently described all the
would-be GOP presidential
candidates as a Star Wars
barroom of oddball charac-
ters with Mitt Romney
synthetic and unauthentic.
Who cares about ideas when
the opposition belongs in the
crazy house?
Perhaps the civility police
could extend a friendly and
remedial hand to CBS news
director John Dickersonwho said that the president
can only cement his legacy
if he destroys the GOP. So
there would be no
misunderstanding of his
meaning, Mr. Dickerson
added that Obama must go
for the throat and delegit-
imize his opponents. This
makes sense if Mr. Dickerson
regards Republicans the way
one of the uncivil lawyers
described his opponents
fools, idiots and slimeballs,
to use some of the mildest
epithets.The country could stand a
good civil debate about sev-
eral recent instances of media
bias. Pro-life marches by the
thousands are ignored while
a few hundred pro-gay
marchers get headlines. The
post-Katrina pictures of New
Orleans was a Bush scan-
dal, but the post-Sandy
problems get no criticism
unless its all the fault of
Republicans in Congress. By
the way, the Senates Sandy
aid bill included some inter-
esting unrelated earmarks,
including a favor to a med-
ical products company closeto Harry Reid. And the media
disinterest in the Benghazi
tragedy is remarkable, too.
But maybe its uncivil to
even raise such issues. Better
to destroy the GOP than try
to debate with fools and
idiots. Right?
OPINIONCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
- The First Amendment to the United States Constitution
4 Thursday, February 7, 2013 Springboro Sun
The Springboro Sunencour-
ages readers to write letters to
the editor: Letters should be typed, or
printed legibly, signed andinclude current address anddaytime phone number of theauthor. We will publish only the
name of the author and city, ororganization. Full addresses willnot be published. Form letters
will not be accepted.Anonymous letters will not beprinted.
Letters to the editor mustbe 350 words or less. Deadline
for letters is 9 a.m. The Friday
before publication. Letter writ-
ers have a limit of one pub-lished letter every 30 days.
Letters will be verified bythe newspaper via telephone.The newspaper reserves theright to edit for length, style and
grammar and to limit the num-ber of letters on a specifictopic.
If content is libelous or mis-leading, letters will not be print-ed. For letters that include
claims that are not a matter ofpublic record, the burden of
proof of the claim(s) fall upon
the letter writer.
Election letters will be pub-lished prior to the election, but
not the week before the elec-tion, that issue is reserved forthe newspapers endorsements.
Opinions of letter writers or
columnists are those of theauthor only. They do not repre-sent the opinion of the staff and
management of the TimesCommunity Newspaper Group.Send letters to 1836 West Park
Square, Xenia, OH 45385 [email protected].
Letter to the Editor Policy 1836 West Park Square, Xenia, OH 45385 - 937-294-7000www.SpringboroSun.com.
.ng
To contact the Springboro Suncall the extensions or
numbers listed below.
LOUISE D. PHELPS
Acting Group Publisher, Ext. 101
DOUG SKINNER - Editor, Ext. [email protected]
BILL DUFFIELD
Managing Editor, Ext. [email protected]
LINDA SKINNERBusiness Manager, Ext. 157
ADVERTISING POLICYNo responsibility is assumed by the publisher for
omission or errors occurring in advertisements, but
correction will be made in the next issue following
when attention is directed to them.
JOYCE KIRBY
Advertising, Ext. [email protected]
TAMMY TOOTLE
Classified Advertising Director866-212-7355 or 937-372-4444 press 2
CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICECirculation department hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday. Ciculation is
located at 1836 W. Park Sq. Xenia.
Call 937-294-7000.
Home deliveryYear - $40, 26 Weeks - $24
13 Weeks EZ Pay - $10
*EZ Pay is automatic withdraw from
credit or debit card. Minimum of 3 months.
Yearly mail out of county - $50Yearly online only - $20Monthly online - $3
Ohio Community Media, LLC a division of Civitas
Media, LLC
Copyright 2012, all rights reserved
Published every Thursday 50 weeks a year, except New
Years and Christmas days.
Periodicals postage paid at Dayton, Ohio. Postmaster:
Send address changes to Xenia Gazette, 1836 W. Park
Square, Xenia, Ohio 45385.
The publisher shall not be liable for damages out of
errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for
space actually occupied by that portion of the advertise-
ment in which the error occurs, and there shall be no lia-
bility for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the
amount paid in advance for such advertisement.
This newspaper is environmentally friendly. It
is printed in recycled fibers and soy-basedinks, with the exception of some supplements.
Geezer bumper stickers
Iknow many of us enjoy reading
vanity license plates and often try-ing to figure out what theyre say-
ing or mean. Some are simple, some dif-
ficult. Bumper stickers are not as popu-
lar today as they once were is another
story. Theyre more popular nowadays
on Facebook than on bumpers. Easier to
remove on Facebook (delete), I guess,
then trying to scrape them off your
bumper six months from now when
youve found a new one that has a better
meaning. A special thank you to a faith-
ful reader down in the Ceasers Creek
Lake region for sending me her list of
many. I have selected my favorite seven
under the category Geezer Bumper
Snickers. My comments follow each.
Im so old, I dont ever buy green
bananas (Why? Cause you cant take the
bananas with ya.)
Cremation, thinking outside the box
(too claustrophobic in the box)
Florida, Gods waiting room (Id be
inviting the person behind to be next over
and over all year long.)
Im Reti red. I was ti red yesterday,
and Im tired again today (and Ill be
tired again tomorrow)
I was always taught to respect my
elders, now I dont have anyone to
respect(except the Sequios in California)
I asked my wifeif old men wear box-
ers or briefs. She said, Depends (So,
what do I wear?)
Senior Campbells Soup, new larger
24 font alphabet soup (now I can read
what Im eating)
Springboros 13th Annual Hometown
Expo is coming up in just 30 days on
Saturday, March 9 from 10 a.m. till 4
p.m.. at Springboro High School. This
will be my 13th year on the committee.
Please take a few minutes to view our
five-minute promotional video on You
Tube go to You Tube and type in:
Hometown Expo 2013 and then click on
f ive-minute promo. It wil l give you a
great idea of what to expect this year and
what it was like from some of last years
customers and vendors. All 190 booths,
30 non profit booths, entertainment, 15
food booths have been sold out s ince
back in January.You can get on a waiting
list by calling the chamber of commerce
at 748-0074 and talk to Adam Hughes.
Over 250 door prizes, including a super
screen 50-inch flat screen TV, await you.
Attendance last year was over 8,000 with
more expected this year. Plan to attend.
Watch the video now to get more infor-
mation. Did I mention its family friend-
ly and free?
One week from this Saturday, Feb. 16
is Heatherwoodes third annual
Valentines dinner dance. Great food,
awesome music and dancing. Call Amyat 937-748-3222 and make your reserva-
tions now. Dont miss out on this beauti-
ful evening of love, fun, dancing and sur-prises. Celebrate your anniversary early
this year at the Valentines Dinner Dance
at Heatherwoode.
Lucy loves snow and complained all
winter last year when we had none,nada,
zero of the white fluffy. Shes somewhat
happy with this years snowfall,but want-
ing moreto makeup for lastyear. One or
two measly inches every now and then is
not cutting it for her. Bring on some
heavy snow,: she says, I want to see
eight inches or more, build a snow fort,
throw snow balls and make snow angels.
I used to be that way, but quit skiing a
few decades back andgot over it. So how
does one get their wishes? Whats the
secret to more snow? Well , we got the
plan the other day while lunching at
Wendys here in Springboro. A lady that
works there that we talk to often when
visiting told us that her little daughter,
Alisha, is, like Lucy, always wanting lots
of snow. Heres the formula she uses and
i t works. Before going to bed at night ,
put your pajamas on inside out, put a
spoon under your pil low and flush the
toilet once before getting in bed. When
you get up theres always more snow.
Sometimes it even works for extra days.
Yup, you guessed it . I turned over the
other night and accidently gota spoon in
my rib.Thank heavens I had my pajamas
on inside out so it d idnt hur t too bad,
.and yes there was new snow a couple
inches in the morning. See you at
Farmers Hil l around noon bring your
sleds.
MERGE WRIGHT
By Don W
r
ight
Times
Columnist
The educational needs of our children must be a
board of educations f irst priority. The purpose of
public education i s to create educated citizens
capable of thinking critically and standing on their own for
the sake of all our futures.
Twice a year, every school district in Ohio prepares a
Five-Year Financial Forecast. The forecast tell the district
whether a financial surplus
or deficit exists, as well as
serve as a guide for deci-
sions, such as new tax levies
and strategic investments.
These financial forecasts are
buil t throu gh a set of
assumptions, so the assump-
tions are critical and must be
thoroughly reviewed.
To assure teachers have what they need to be successful,
we asked principals to prepare budgets for their buildings
another innovation and a first in Springboro. As a result, the
principals purchased more smart boards , laptop car ts, IPads,
and supplies. Everything requested was approved because it
was said adding these tools were needed to accelerate stu-
dent achievement. As a board this past year, our policies
have focused on many innovative areas to advance student
achievement. We put technology in the classroom and
recently bought every teacher a new laptop computer. We
invested in new curriculum for our elementary students and
added AP classes at the high school. We are building com-
puter network infrastructure that will enable teaching with
technology, and we approved new investments in our bus
fleet and facilities. Through policy, our administrators are
preparing our teachers for the changes ahead. Most impor-tantly, weve developed a unanimously approved budget that
prioritizes the learning requirements of our children.
In the past, some of these investments above have been
neglected. Most district computers are over 6-8 years old.
The average age of our bus fleet is such that buses are often
permanently removed from service. It has also been severa l
years since the district adopted new textbooks, and even
longer since our high school program of studies courses and
descriptions have been evaluated or overhauled to keep pace
with the 21 century needs of our youth.
Through a very diligent and innovative budgeting effort,
a solid financial forecast was recommended to the board by
the Budget and Finance Committee last October, then certi-
fied by Tracy Jarvis, our Treasurer. Simply stated, when we
understand our budget, we can be confident in what invest-
ments and improvements we can afford. You might ask how
can a school district do all of this if we havent had the
money to do it in the past. Lets start by saying that we did-nt do all of it alone. Parents, PTOs, and private donors have
played a role. However, this is also possible because we have
a better understanding of our budget forecast.
Since last August, our new administration is working hard
to catch our faculty up so they are prepared for the imple-
mentation of the Common Core. Our teachers have been
provided ongoing professional development to accelerate
their knowledge of all of these new standards. Our new
Superintendent, Todd Petrey, has brought a renewed focus
on academics as well as innovative approaches to education.
The new central office team is staffed with four former prin-
cipals, and our building principals are now the educational
leader of their building. Dennis and 5-points elementary
schools were reorganized into single schools to improve
academics and efficiency. Improvement plans have been
developed by every principal to raise the bar for teachers
and students with emphasis on data. Now more than ever,
principals and teachers are using test data to identify stu-dents who need additional help, and to accelerate learning
for all students. This is on the heels of new principal and
teacher evaluations of which a component will be based on
student achievement. With all that has just been said, it has
been a very busy, rewarding year, and there has been a l ot of
change. At times, this change has not come easy. For me to
do less would be self-serving. To do less, would hurt our
childrens future. Challenges lie ahead. One of our biggest
for 2013 is successful negotiation with our unions. In addi-
tion, our forecast assumptions reflect the need to pass a
renewal levy that expires December 31, 2013. These two
challenges are a cause of stress among the board, adminis-
tration, and district staff. A few weeks ago the Board sent a
letter to our teachers union asking to open negotiations.
While theres no obligation to begin negotiations early, the
board initiated this request because we understand the stress
it can cause. In doing so, we can explain our financial situ-
ation to taxpayers with firm knowledge and confidence. Ifeel it is a board members fiduciary responsibility to under-
stand all costs before going to the taxpayers for any levy. I
know there are people questioning the School Board. My
colleagues and I are working for the benefit of children.
While theres always going to be somebody questioning our
actions, I want you to know our motives are to provide every
opportunity possible for Springboros children. We are put-
ting these words into action through our deeds and this past
years accomplishments.
Accelerating student
achievement through
innovation and policy
David
PetroniSpringboroBoard of
Educatoin
Civility could be the key to genuine bipartisanship
William
H. Wild
GuestColumnist
Now that the Super Bowl is
over, its time to turn our
attention to other sports.
Im a big Dayton Flyer basketball fan.
In fact, Ive had season tickets since
1984. But with the way the Flyers are
playing right now, only a dramatic turn
around will create excitement from them.
Because of this, Im especially excited
that the Cincinnati Reds start spring train-
ing next week. I know the Reds finish last
season was disappointing. The finished
with the second-best record in the majorleagues, but after winning the first two
playoff games in San Francisco, the Reds
lost three straight to the Giants in
Cincinnati to end their season.
Despite that fact, I think 2013 could be
a very exciting season for Reds fans.
With another year of experience under
their belts, the Reds should have a better
season this year. Their roster is prettymuch set. The starting eight should con-
sist of first baseman Joey Votto, second
baseman Brandon Phillips, shorts top
Zack Cozart, third baseman Todd Frazier,
outfielders Shin-Soo Choo, Ryan
Ludwick and Jay Bruce and catcher Ryan
Hanigan.
Votto, who was out with a knee injury
much of last season, should be healthy
this season, which should allow him to
regain his power, which he lost after he
was hurt.
Four of the Reds five starting pitchers
are set with Johnny Cueto, Bronson
Aroyo, Mat Latos and Homer Bailey tak-
ing their turns on the mound. The only
uncertainty in the rotation is whether
Aroldis Chapman last years closer
will take Mike Leakes starting spot.Hopefully, the Reds will grow from
last years experience in the playoffs and
they will be able to advance in the play-
offs. Maybe they can win the World
Series for the first time since 1990.
Doug
Skinner
Editor
With NFL finished, baseball takes over