To the editor:

When I was carrying my third child more than 22 years ago, I met Sarah Lemmer. You can usually find Sarah working hard as a waitress at The Place to Be. Everyone knows Sarah. Chances are she knows your name and everyone else in the restaurant. Sarah has been serving good, hot food seven days a week to make ends meet. That was, up until about six weeks ago.

Regina Brett’s outrageous column in the Aug. 10 Plain Dealer, which comes out against Lakewood’s dog park and slanders the entire canine species, might merely be consigned to the annals of journalistic atrocities were it not for the fact that it provides ammunition for Rocky River’s legal aggression.

William George presented an extremely skewed analysis comparing the City of Lakewood’s income tax collections to the City of Parma’s in his August 7, 2007 Lakewood Observer opinion article, “Don’t Raise Taxes, Just Collect Them.” You have heard of making an apples-to-oranges comparison; well, Mr. George compared apples-to-cannon balls.

To the editor:

Many thanks to the wonderful people who put together the Jerry Gruss Baseball Marathon Tribute on Aug. 11. Words cannot say how grateful my family and I are to have such an honor.

I would like to thank all of the citizens and business owners of Ward 3 (south of Madison) who attended our August 8th Block Watch meeting at Roosevelt School. Despite the heat, over 100 people attended the meeting from a variety of streets and most signed up to initiate a Block Watch Program on their street. You are to be congratulated on taking the first step towards being part of the solution to our neighborhood problems.

Susan Kelley

Neighbor

A few months ago we noticed we had no song birds feeding from our birdfeeder outside our picture window. After finding dead sparrows and chipmunks in our driveway, we discovered that some Cooper's Hawks had decided to nest in our backyard.

Dear Dele Balogun,

Following the tragedy of 9/11, evidence was slowly uncovered explaining the causes and effects of the events that took place. Following this period of scantily documented speculation, the 9/11 Commission published its report. Some time after that event, various theories which contradicted this explanation began to emerge. And, following that, several groups, including the magazine “Popular Mechanics,” began publishing counterarguments to these contradictory claims. Unless I’m mistaken, that is where we stand today. And, if you recall, that was the initial nature of my inquiry. My question stands: “Do you have anything new to add or anything that refutes the scientific evidence that has been used to disprove your theories?” The ball is in your court.

I would like to respond to the article, “I Protest Your Protest” by Bret Callentine. I am a student of astrophysics, classical guitar performance, and history of science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. I also pursue interests in radical political theory, cultural studies, and continental philosophy. I graduated Lakewood High School in 2004 and I am here for the summer. I think it is important that a voice be heard in this paper from what Mr. Callentine may consider to be on the ‘other’ side of his own position.

As a member of the Cleveland 911 campaign, I am appalled to have read your article. I remember our encounter well. I would say it started off well; unfortunately it felt like you had no wish to understand our points of interest. You had stated you read Popular Mechanics books and that it answered all your questions. I felt you had failed to research some of the most troubling topics as we spoke. You said to me, "what is the strongest argument you can produce?" I replied "thermite and sulfur found in the steel of the wreckage." You asked if that could be a natural composition of its chemical makeup. I told you that it was not. I asked you if you had ever seen WTC 7 come down and you said you would like to see that. At this point I felt confident that I would have you researching again.

I suppose everyone has heard about the "clusters." You know, the Catholic Church's answer to the 21st century. I don't know--I guess it is a good idea. We have to do something for sure.

Dear Readers of the Observer:When our president, George W. Bush, ordered our air force to drop bombs on innocent children, men & women in northern Iraq, it was the most cowardly, utterly inhuman, most brutal act in the history of our earth.

I love Lakewood. It's a great city. We have an honest mayor who has the welfare of the town in his heart; kind of a phenom, isn't it?

Our police, fire and EMS departments are all second to none and we have a congressman, Dennis Kucinich, who chose Lakewood for his Congressional district office site with a staff whose reason for being is constituent service.

Dear Lakewood,

Often, during my weekly call to my mother, the conversation turns to some aspect of Lakewood that is missing in her community an hour to the west. After St. Patrick’s Day we chatted about the special fried green tomato and havarti sandwiches from Melt (her town is more of a Bob Evans type of place). On numerous occasions she’s talked about moving to the bottom floor of a Lakewood duplex once she retires, and while I’m sure she looks forward to truffled corn bisque from Souper Market, it is Lakewood’s services that she really admires and that I consider a keystone of this community.

Dear Lakewood,

Why do we live in Lakewood? I can honestly say, as a native to upstate New York and having lived in several other states, that Ohio – specifically Lakewood – has some of the friendliest, kindest, best people I have met. It was definitely a good choice for my wife and me to purchase a house in Lakewood and start a family. The schools are great; the teachers are caring and kind.

Having attended Lakewood City Schools since kindergarten, I have benefited much from the overwhelming support Lakewood residents provide their schools. On May 8th, residents have the opportunity to continue this encouraging tradition by voting “Yes” on Issue 4, and investing further in the future of their community.

The Lakewood Schools are about to embark on the next phase of their building plan. With completion of new Harrison and Hayes Elementary schools and new middle schools on the Harding and Garfield sites, the project will renovate and modernize the western half of Lakewood High School and convert Emerson and Horace Mann Middle Schools into state-of-the-art elementary schools.

A quarter millennia before the birth of Christ, the Roman Republic was not much older than ours was on that fateful Tuesday morning six years ago. In 264 BC, a century-long struggle between Rome and Carthage began due to a local dispute over a small parcel of land on the Mediterranean: not Israel, but Sicily. Replete with sweeping naval battles, war elephants, legendary generals, and the two great powers of the day, the three Punic Wars were destined to reverberate across the ages--and they have not disappointed.

Recently, I have had several friends that grew up in Lakewood decide to move to another suburb, or are currently looking to move. Along with their stated intentions came claims of degradation of our wonderful city. In the famous words of Howard Beale “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore”. It seems as though the media, uninformed individuals and forgetfulness have inappropriately clouded the thought process of some individuals with respect to real life.

I'd like to begin by commending the staff of the Lakewood Observer for the fine publication they produce. As a Lakewood resident, I look forward to reading the Lakewood Observer, and always appreciate the information provided in this publication.

 Although I enjoy the publication, I was dismayed with some issues related to the articles on the Fry Avenue stand off. 

Thursday, January 25, I witnessed the truly amazing skills of the Lakewood Police and Fire Departments. With this being the second potentially disastrous event in as many weeks, Lakewood came forth to prevent a person from doing harm to himself or others. Working in unison and utilizing every possible means at their disposal, the departments joined together to secure my street and keep bystanders from harm. I believe this was the result of exemplary training and the aid of Mayor George's office.

We would like to thank the individual(s) who is responsible for realizing what a death trap the "new" cross-walk signals were at the intersection of Detroit and Arthur. Let me explain that they changed the walk signal from going with the flow of the traffic light to having exclusive crossing (all ways) while traffic was stopped on all sides.

Just a few weeks until the beginning of the school year. I write to encourage the residents of our city to rise up and demand action on a problem that is right in front of us all. The problem: cigarettes and our minor children. Drive past the Taco Bell on Detroit; there they sit. Across the street at the Library - same thing.

Dear Viewers,

On many occasions, you have pulled into a parking lot in Lakewood, Ohio and come back to find out that Bakers Towing has nabbed your car again.

Dear Lakewood Observer:
On Oct.18, 2004 Harry Buffalo located at 18605 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood filed to expand their liquor license. Councilperson Corrigan requested a C.R.I.S report (it’s a report that keeps track of how many times police respond to an address). On Nov.1, 2004 Lakewood City Council passed the motion to grant the license. In the meeting Police Chief Malley stated “that since the new owner had taken over he didn't think there were any complaints and the report was not currently available". In fact this was all untrue.