YOUR INFORMATION NEWSLETTER FROM
NORTHFIELD CENTER TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE
PAUL G. BUESCHER
~ KEEPING NCT RESIDENTS INFORMED SINCE 2005 ~
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#471 MONDAY JANUARY 30, 2017
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NORTHFIELD CENTER UPGRADES
BUILDING SECURITY
~16-CAMERA HD VIDEO SYSTEM “Up and Running”~
A resident asked a question (see below) regarding video security for our Township buildings after seeing that Sagamore Hills was ordering a system not to exceed $14,000. I brought up the same subject prior to the vandalism that occurred at our fire station back in September of last year. After some procrastination and then after the vandalism, building and employee security became a priority.
Based on my prior experience with video security systems I engineered a system for our Township buildings and presented the system to my fellow Trustees for their approval. Once I received their unanimous approval we ordered the components and received them within a week.
I am happy to announce that some of our buildings have had video security systems up and running for over a week. These systems include a total of 16 color HD video cameras and two 24-hour digital video recorders and three video monitors. The cameras are high definition and feature infrared night vision! They are strategically placed both inside and outside of the buildings.
My fellow Trustees and the Road Department personnel worked together to implement this system and saved the Township many thousands of dollars. After determining the camera locations, I worked side by side with the Road Department in running some of the wiring and programming the system. Rich Reville donated the three used monitors from his business and John Romanik assisted in the preliminary camera placement determination.
Working together, we planned and implemented this highly reliable and proven system “IN HOUSE” for only around $1,200! Compare that to the many thousands of dollars that other communities have spent or are planning to spend on their systems!
SIGNS & LETTERING COMPLETED
FOR SAFETY BUILDING & VEHICLES
Even prior to the installation of the Township’s video surveillance system, many more thousands of dollars were saved by earlier, yet under-reported, “In House” work and donations by your Board of Trustees and Township employees.
Once the Macedonia Fire Department assumed fire and EMS operations at our fire station, the signage on both the building and our vehicles had to be changed. The Sheriff’s Office also moved into the building and the signage had to reflect their new home as well.
Once we determined that the fire station would now be known as the “Northfield Center Safety Building” our work was just beginning, especially for John Romanik.
John is a graphic arts specialist and ended up designing and actually producing all of the new signs on and in front of the safety building. He donated everything, including materials and labor. Then, a few months later we had to change all of the lettering on the fire and EMS vehicles. We requested quotes from area businesses, which ranged from a few thousand dollars to as high as $10,000 to do the work. Once again, John Romanik came through. After the Road Department removed the old lettering John got to work.
For a mere $550 for materials, John spent several weeks in January designing, producing and finally installing the classic gold lettering that you now see on all of our vehicles.
PHONE SCAM ALERT!
National news media are reporting on a rather nasty phone scam. The scam works like this…. You receive a phone call from the scammer who first asks “Can you hear me?” When you answer “yes” they save your recorded answer. They then ‘edit’ your answer to an order for goods or service. Sometime later you receive another phone call asking why you haven’t paid for those goods or service. When you tell them that you made no such order, they play back your “yes” answer.
I’ve warned about phone scams many times on this newsletter both from myself and from the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office. The best way to protect yourself is to use your caller id. If you do not recognize the calling party, simply let the call go to voicemail. If you don’t have caller id simply hang up when you hear the scammer begin to talk.
And here is another little hint I would like to share when it comes to those annoying robocalls …. When you answer, your phone say “Hello” only once. If you do not hear an immediate reply just hang up. These robo systems usually wait for the second hello to activate!
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q >>> – In reading the Newsleader I saw that Sagamore Hills is buying security cameras for there fire station and service areas. They said that it is due to the vandalism that happened at the Northfield Center fire station. I think this is a good idea. When will Northfield Center enter the 21st century and do the same?
A >>> – It’s already done! Your question prompted the above article (“NORTHFIELD CENTER UPGRADES BUILDING SECURITY”) on the security cameras.
Q >>> – $60,000 is not a small amount that our former fire chief Frank Risko is demanding for overtime. The newspaper said that the hours that he said he is owed are not documented. Sagamore trustees stated many other allegations yet you declined comment. Shouldn’t we know more about this? Why aren’t we hearing more from Northfield Center’s side?
A >>> – I cannot speak for Sagamore Hills nor would I be inclined to do so if I could. We have been advised by legal counsel not to discuss this case in public. Although no lawsuit has been filed, the case is being treated as possible PENDING litigation. The lawyers are working on this and until they determine what can be released we will have no comment. The last thing that we need is to conduct any litigation in the newspaper or the local rumor mills.
Q >>> – How do we go about polling residents to see if they’d like to pay for recycling weekly instead of biweekly? I find my recycle bin fills every week and my trash collection is much smaller now.
A >>> – I suppose we can look for feedback from the readers. I have to say however, that including yourself, I have only heard from two people about this. The whole idea behind the biweekly collection of recyclables was to reduce the cost of our contract with Kimble. If you have more items than your container can hold, Kimble will pick up your bagged excess if the bag is either positioned close to your container and/or marked “Recycle.”
Q >>> – I was walking the dog the other day and noticed how many giant gaps surrounded so many of the drains in the neighborhood. Since not all were like that, I suspect the ground around them has just settled over the years and now the space is quite significant. (See pictures to illustrate). Though it might seem silly, my mind drifted to the story of Baby Jessica, who as a toddler in the 80’s, fell down a well and remained trapped for more than two days. Please take a drive around Charter Lake Estates and make note for yourself just how many of these hazards are present. It’s quite alarming. What steps can be taken to make our neighborhood more safe?
A >>> – Those “Catch Basins” are designed with the gaps that are of concern to you and meet all applicable standards. Some of the basins, as shown in one of your photos, are purposely installed below the surrounding ground level to allow storm water to properly drain. Regardless of standards and in the name of safety, I have asked our Road Department supervisor to have a look around and get back to me.
YOUR GENERAL COMMENTS
I would love to see Macedonia condemn a couple of the Route 8 and Highland motels. These places creep me out and are around the corner from our high school and my house! I am constantly reading in the paper about the drug dealings at the hotels near Route 8 and Highland. I can’t even imagine how many people have been caught or arrested with drug deals in that area…Thanks for all you do Paul!!!
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Well, I guess I have heard it all. The way I figure, Narcan is nothing more than a legal companion drug to Heroin. Why should a drug user attempt to kick the habit if he/she can carry an antidote in his/her back pocket which will counteract the result of their idiotic behavior. I see the drug companies making a heap of money on Narcan and it’s equivalents because this drug is simply making it safer to overdose. My twisted mind looks at this as rewarding the user. Now we can look forward to it being kept available for emergency use, just line the EpiPen and we the taxpayers will foot the bill, especially as the price of this drug keep increasing.
Everybody has their shorts in a uproar because President Rodrigo Duterte is doing something Horrific to deal with the Horrific drug problem in the Philippines. The only reaction he gets is criticism. Criticism from the impotent United Nations to almost every country in the world. It is my belief that these anti Duterte forces, if they try to end the drug trade, are extremely afraid that they are going to miss out on the residual monies they are making off of this drug trade, legal or illegal. For example, the tremendous amounts of money spent “policing?” the drug trade, as well as the money to be made by the rehab centers, etc.
Like you mentioned in your Newsletter, how is this epidemic going to be dealt with when a dealer gets out of jail on a signature bond and/or many dealers simply get their hand slapped. If you really want to see how serious the United States is about drug addiction, simply take a look at the number of pardons that our wonderful ex-president-to-be handed out, not only in the waning days of his term, but over his two terms as president. Saying there is a war on drugs is a lie. The only war going on is between the drug cartels, and they own a major part of the police powers in this world.
Thanks for hearing me out, Paul.
Signed, Henry Harff
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I think that our system has a problem when someone can get out of jail for a cheap $10,000 bond.
He will be back to work doing his thing and he can make that money up in no time. He should have had a $1,000,000 cash bond. Our judges need to be looked at.
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remember,that those who take the drugs are also criminals. let them have their withdrawals in the comfort and confines of a jail cell. no more wasting precious time and effort of local law enforcement to revive their stupid ass. the people do not want their tax money going to a bunch of ingrates. there is still plenty of room in cemetaries for them to reside. addiction is caused by a weakness of the soul. let god sort it out the so called drug crisis. do I care–not.
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Thank you,
Paul G. Buescher
Northfield Center Twp. Trustee – Chairman
330-467-9451
This newsletter was produced through my 5-kilowatt SOLAR power system!
