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'Grins and groans' worthy of note
WINDOW ON MAIN STREET, BY BARBARA CHRISTIAN
'Grins and groans' worthy of note
A lot of newspapers and bloggers do it so why not us? Talking about those "pat and pans" features which, in a brief sentence or two, give praise and poison-pen remarks on whatever is bugging the writer that day.
What should we name ours? How about just "the good and the bad"? That says it all without being too cute. But it's too basic, not enough pizzazz for our readers. We could try "props and chops" or "kisses and spanks." Or not.
So after extended deliberations, we have decided our entry into this particular field of journalism should be -- drum roll, please -- "grins and groans." That seems descriptive, don't you think? All right then, get ready, set, here we go.
GRINS
to the Valley Art Center, which has now completed its inside-out renovation after raising a hefty $390,000 to do it and right in the heart of the worst recession in memory.
GROANS
to the Chagrin Falls board of zoning appeals, which refused a variance for an exterior mural on the very same VAC building when they bent over backwards, forwards and sideways to see that the West Orange Street townhome development got variances galore. It was just a mural, guys.
GROANS
to Chagrin Falls leaders, who absolutely had to do it and, for reasons still unclear, rushed to sell that same West Orange Street property at a financial loss when holding onto it posed no emergency and little downside.
GRINS
to the Chagrin Falls elected leaders for seeing to it village employees don't lose their village-funded pension payments, should Ohio's public employee damaging SB 5 ever become law.
GRINS
to the Patriots for Change organization and its members, who are under way with the local portion of an all-state referendum petition drive to bring SB 5 to a vote of the people in November.
GROANS
to North Main Street jaywalkers, who are doubling up on their reasons to scoff at the law and defy traffic. Jaywalking is not just for Starbucks anymore. Add to those reasons Jeni's ice cream shop next door.
GRINS
to the Chagrin Valley Jaycees, who are adding warm and fuzzies to their already warm and fuzzy Blossom Time festival by undertaking a toy drive for kids in need of playthings our kids take as a matter of course.
GROANS
to the deluded apologists in the gun lobby, who see absolutely nothing wrong with mixing booze and bullets, should a new conceal-carry law be passed, thus allowing them in bars and restaurants.
GRINS
to the Chagrin Falls Historical Society and current President John Bourisseau for seeing to it the graves of Civil War, War of 1812 and Indian War veterans are duly honored with more than 100 commemorative flag holders.
GROANS
to the rain and cool temperatures that persist in this merry month of May.
GRINS
to Your Home Town Chagrin Falls and its beautification committee, led by Connie DeGood, who have been out and about in said persistent rain and cold preparing the village's downtown flower beds and planters, and the Kathy Watterson, who continues to take care of the gardens around Township Hall.
GRINS
to the Chagrin Falls School Board, which says the district's finances look so good they can stretch the current four-year levy to five.
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