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THE EARLY
BIRD NEWSPAPER
THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER PAPER O OF THE GREAT DARKE COUNTY FAIR!
Online at earlybirdpaper.com
Weekend edition
Sunday, October 27, 2019 • $1
Democrats enjoy Fall Fest Ryan Berry | DarkeCountyMedia.com
Justice Sharon Kennedy was the featured speaker at the 2019 Republican Hog Roast.
Justice Kennedy speaks to GOP GREENVILLE – The 2019 election is only a couple weeks away, but the Darke County Republican Party is already looking forward to the 2020 election. Although it will be a presidential election, local party leaders are showing concern for a statewide election that sometimes goes unnoticed. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon Kennedy addressed the annual Republican Hog Roast on Sunday afternoon to share why the race for the court is important. Before introducing Justice Kennedy, Ohio Senator Matt Huffman explained Ohio Supreme Court justices are elected through a statewide election. Republicans currently have a 5-2 majority in the court. Two Republicans, Kennedy and Judith French, will be on the ballot in 2020. “What happens if we lose these two elections next November?” asked Huffman. He answered his question by pointing out the Democrats will have a 4-3 majority on the court. “Even though we have a Republican governor, even though we have 60 out of 99 seats in the House of Representatives, and even though we have 24 Republicans out of 33 in the Senate, even though we have worked hard and won because we have better ideas and better policies, whatever we do as a legislature and whatever Governor DeWine signs into law or executive order, those things are all threatened by a Democrat controlled Supreme Court.” Justice Kennedy gave a passionate plea to local voters to spread the word about the importance of the election in 2020 and putting Kennedy and French back on the court.
She said that in 2018, Republicans “dropped the ball.” Kennedy explained, “Two members, endorsed Republicans, were on that statewide ballot and you elected a governor, attorney general, secretary of state and auditor with more than five percent and our Supreme Court candidates failed by more than five percent.” The margins of gain in counties where Republicans did well were miniscule and couldn’t overcome the counties where Republicans were destined to lose. “We lost our way,” she said. She continued, “There is not a cheat sheet at the end of the ballot. At the end of the ballot the R’s and D’s fall off because I do not represent a political platform. I present our ideology of what judges should be.” Kennedy explained she believes in judicial restraint. “We believe that members of the judiciary have a limited role in government and that limited role in government is judicial restraint. We believe that in order for the Republic to live, judges must only honor their role in government, not rewrite the law or legislate from the bench – putting their thumb on the scale, erasing words they don’t want, filling in words that don’t exist to achieve an outcome.” The justice said we want our Republic to live. “Our Republic lives when judges don’t usurp your voice. Our Republic lives when we honor our limited role in government.” She blamed Republicans for not doing their job in 2018 and losing two seats on the court. “Every day I will crisscross Ohio and seek to move my name. What will you be doing in the next 381 days to make sure the Ohio Supreme Court does not change its philosophical make up?”
GREENVILLE – The Darke County Democrats gathered Tuesday for their Fall Fest at the Greenville American Legion. Welcomed by Jim Surber, executive committee chairman, approximately 100 who attended gave a round of applause for the veterans in attendance, drawing special attention to J. Byron Davis, a 96-year-old Navy Veteran of World War II. Also participating in the event were members of the Greenville High School NJROTC, who presented the colors. The special speaker for the evening was Darke County Municipal Court Judge Julie Monnin, who shared some of her experiences during the nearly 15 years she’s served on the bench. Monnin said she often uses her “mom skills just as much as my judge skills” in dealing with offenders. She also mentioned how recent changes in Ohio’s court system included working to provide needed assistance
Courtesy Photo
Pictured above is J. Byron Davis, 96, a World War II Navy veteran who was personally honored during Tuesday’s Democrat Fall Fest.
for low-level offenders. “We’re trying to become part of the solution instead of part of the problem,” Monnin said. Also as part of the program, Darke County Board of Elections Director Paul Schlecty and assistant director Jason Schmidt, gave a demonstration of the county’s new electronic voting machines. According to Schlecty, the county has purchased 126 new units, which will be used for the upcoming Nov. 5 election. The state, he said, kicked in $650,000 to purchase the voting machines, with the
Susan Hartley | DarkeCountyMedia.com
Jim Surber, Darke County Democrat Party Executive Committee Chairman, speaks during the party’s Fall Fest on Tuesday. Also pictured are county treasurer and Democrat committee vice-chairman Scott Zumbrink and municipal court judge Julie Monnin.
county paying $64,000. So far, around 200 voters have used the new equipment during early voting. The last time the county purchased voting equipment was in 2005. Schlecty explained the new machines were ADA compliant, complete with headphones for those with hearing issues as well as a magnifier and a Braille pad for those with impaired vision. Surber also took a few minutes to share his concerns with the upcoming 2020 election season, which he called “possibly the most contentious election” in quite some time.
He also warned of the “pure hatred, partisan politics” coming from the nation’s elected officials and urged those in attendance to exercise their right to vote for change. The evening included a straw poll of Democratic presidential hopefuls, with Joe Biden earning the top spot and Elizabeth Warren coming in second. The results of the poll will be sent to both the Ohio and National Democratic Party organizations, who are requesting such information from across the country. Reach Managing Editor Susan Hartley at shartley@aimmediamidwest.com
Little Turtle Island dedicated GREENVILLE - The Greenville City Park is proof that a group of people wanting to make a difference can do just that. On Sunday, the Friends of the Greenville City Park gathered to dedicate the improvements made at the little island in the park now known as Little Turtle Island. The total cost of the renovation project was $127,090. The Friends formed in 2016 under the leadership of Jenny Clark. She said the mission of the group is to “raise funds and awareness to help maintain, protect and preserve the Greenville City Parks at the highest level possible and to work together to ensure that it remains that way for future generations to enjoy.” The group was able to raise funds and complete two island projects over the past three years. Treasured Island, the large island in the park, was dedicated in 2017. Clark shared there wasn’t
Ryan Berry | DarkeCountyMedia.com
Ohio Senator Matt Huffman helped dedicate the completion of Little Turtle Island in the Greenville City Park.
a name for the island when they initially announced the renovation project and decided to open it up to the public for suggestions. The winning name, Little Turtle Island, was submitted by one of the Friends, Roberta Crawford. The current project was completed this past summer and the key components included a detailed statue of Little Turtle and a new waterfall. Not only was the project
made possible through local donations and grants, the group also received a sizable grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Clark credited Darryl Mehaffie for giving guidance in getting the grant. The $98,000 state grant allowed the Friends to commission the Chief Little Turtle statue and bronze plaque with history about Little Turtle. The grant also provided funds for the cement base for the statue, as well as the removal of all dead shrubs, trees, plants and debris, additional new soil, trees, perennials and grass, mulch and stone landscaping, irrigation system, lighting and much more. Over $29,000 was raised locally and allowed for the installation of 250 tons of rip rap stone and the removal of the old waterfall. The funds were also used to install a base for the sign giving the history of Chief Little Turtle. State Senator Matt Huffman praised the Friends for preserving history. “Sometimes this is the best and only history that people will know because these things
are written down in a beautiful park like this,” he said. “Having this here for many years to come is going to allow the great history of this community to survive.” He named some of the other legislatures involved with making the grant possible - Senator Steve Huffman, former senator and current State Auditor Keith Faber, State Representative Susan Manchester, and former Senator Bill Beagle. Clark thanked park board members and the park manager, as well as Greenville City Council, Safety Service Director Curt Garrison, Street Department Superintendent Ryan Delk and his crew, and Mayor Steve Willman for their assistance in making this project possible. Mayor Willman said, “Through their efforts we will continue to have a special place to enjoy the past down through the generations. I’m sure this was the intent of those that created this beautiful sanctuary. Thank you to all of you that accomplished this and renewed this island.”