Welcome to the Oakwood Register

Correction

Editor’s Note: In the Oct. 30 issue of the Oakwood Register, we erroneously left candidate Steve Byington out of our “Meet the candidates” page, outlining the various stances taken by the record seven candidates with regard to upcoming issues and reasons for them seeking one of three seats open on the Oakwood City Council. Below is Mr. Byington’s position statement:

Steve Byington

Reason for Running

Simply put, I love this city and believe strongly in the concepts of civic participation and community service. Since moving here I have committed myself to getting involved and using my experience and knowledge to benefit the city. I believe that the citizens of Oakwood are looking for leadership that can bring a positive spirit of collaboration to Oakwood and allow for the building of real consensus on issues. Oakwood will continue to face a multitude of challenges as we move into the city’s next century, but by working together, we can maintain and enhance our unique sense of community, support our exemplary tradition of education and see that our city services remain strong and consistent.

Upcoming Issues

Fiscal Responsibility

I believe that it is vital that our city leaders always be mindful of the value of our tax dollars and work to protect and enhance our tax base. I will ensure that Oakwood’s financial resources are responsibly managed and that diligence, responsiveness and accountability are factored into every Council decision.

Long and Short Term Strategic Planning

With input from the city’s responsible citizenry, I will continually strive to make Oakwood’s Comprehensive Plan a current reflection of the needs, values and aspirations of all of our citizens. This will provide us with the guidelines we need to maintain and enhance the traditional composition, character and uniqueness of Oakwood, while also promoting sensible economic development.

Community Collaboration

As seen in recent months, there are many challenging issues facing our community. Whether it is Hawthorn Hill, Section 8 Housing or the merits of Regional Dispatch, all of these can be successfully dealt with if we just collaborate with one another on finding the best solutions. I will promote a culture of inclusion that values and actively encourages citizens to establish the community standards that will preserve the quality of the Oakwood experience. Along with this, I will work toward providing more convenient and timely ways for our citizens to receive accurate community information and for them to participate in the process using today’s technology.

Pruitt has issues-oriented campagn

Andy Pruitt has run a thoughtful, issues-oriented campaign. He has put more effort into his website (www.keepoakwoodsintegrity.com) than all the other candidates combined. He understands the issues and is the only candidate that has articulated a clear vision for the future of Oakwood.

It was really sad to see the incumbent camp resorting to personal attacks against him and the other challengers in the Oakwood Register last week, but it just shows how weak their position really is.

Pruitt is not on Council yet, and already he seems to be taking the lead on all the important issues. Last summer he led the only organized opposition to the consolidated 911 dispatch—and I believe his efforts ultimately led to the City’s decision to keep our 911 local. He was the first to advocate not renewing the City tax levy—and now both Duncan and Castleman are finally in agreement.

So when Pruitt says that the City Council has mishandled the Sugar Camp development I think we should all listen!

No, he is not a polished politician, nor is he a resume builder. He is just an ordinary citizen with a deep concern for the future of Oakwood. His motto “Keep Oakwood’s Integrity” says it all.

Joann Scofield

Today, once again, my son and his three football buddies (each of whom are 9 and 10 years of age) came home early from an anticipated, all-day football game. Since my son and I have moved to Acorn Drive, the boys have enjoyed playing football on the triangle located at the Acorn /Spirea/ Delanie intersection. It also appears that it is a favorite spot for dog walkers as well. Unfortunately the dogs owners lack manners that are inter fearing with the rest of the community’s ability to enjoy that particular section of Oakwood. Specifically, my son and his friends have returned from their games early - no less than five times, and we have only resided at this address since October first of this year.

I phoned the Oakwood City Zoning Commissioner, Jay Weiskircher, on November 1st to report this situation. His response was one of concern, however he stated that there was really nothing that he could do about it. He stated that the City of Oakwood would not be willing to place signs up to remind dog owners to carry bags in order to pick up after their pets; that that was their responsibility as a pet owner. I asked him if I could make a few signs and place them around the park. His response was, “No.”

So, I ask this simple question, “How do we keep our children safe from irresponsible pet owners?” Do we call the police and report them? Should we make them carry bright orange bags to identify them? Do we put invisible fences around parks so dogs can’t get in?

I understand as a parent that it is my responsibility to protect my child from unsafe people, places, and things - I just never imagined one of them would be dog feces in an Oakwood park.

I would like to respond to the letter to the editor from Jeffrey Holmes on 10-16-07…

Dear Mr. Holmes, get your facts straight. We have managed the apartments on Shadowlawn for 15 to 20 years. In that time frame, we have never had more than two Section Eight tenants at one time. We presently have one tenant that has been with us for over seven years, the other for one year.

I am sure that these two people are of equal or better character than you and are not responsible for your crime wave. Almost all of our residents are working or retired people. We are not drug-infested, I am not afraid to walk the neighborhood at night and I take offense in you suggestion that we are.

I have always felt that we should be especially thankful for combat veterans. These brave men and women put their lives at risk to preserve our freedom. Although we are thankful all year, I call these veterans up on the phone on Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Three friends come to mind. Hank is a Purple Heart veteran. He was in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. He says that he was “scared to death” at the time of battle. Bob is also a Purple Heart veteran who served as a medical corpsman in the Pacific during WWII. Finally, there is Al, who was in the Air Force during WWII. He flew many missions over Germany. Although never shot down, his plane malfunctioned and made a forced landing on a farm in Belgium. Some young girls came out to the plane to see how they could help. Many years later Al re-visited Belgium and looked up the girls who by that time were young ladies with families. I call his widow Liz to thank her for Al’s contribution.

I want to encourage Oakwood Register readers to call their veteran relatives and friends who were in combat and thank them for their contributions and service to our Country…