Geauga record. [volume] (Chardon, Geauga County, Ohio) 1952-1962, 1958-07-03
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Child Center

Geauga County Commission
erS Monday instructed propon-
ents of a Geauga Child Care
Center to obtain specific fig
ureS as to maintenance and op-
irrational costs before commits
SlonerS will approve a Novem-
Der bond issue for the center.
Members of the steering COM
mlttee proposing the new cen
ter this week urged support of
1t and the jail issue in a pub
lie letter signed by nine COM
mlttee members.
The letter reads:
Everybody wants a fine coun-
ty, but all too often everybody
wants someone else to build it.
AS citizens, we would like to
call upon the people Of Geauga
. County to begin and then carry
to completion a peoples move
ment, an "Operation bootstrap"
to provide not only schools but
/ the other public building and re
| Creational needs of Geauga.
| Of immediate Importance are
| two matters under consideration
| by our County Commissioner
First, is the Geauga County Jail
| issue. If the fact were recOgniz-
! ed that many, if not a majority
! of the people lodged in jail are
later found to be innocent OF
any crime or guilty of only min
or offenseS, the need of a decent
jail is easily demonstrated Add
| to this number the mentally
i'll, those persons who are mat
erial witnesses for the State, the
INDECENT persons who is unable
! to raise his bail, and you have a
/ jail often populated totally by
people who are entirely innO-
Il cent or presumed innocent!
/ We ask you-have you seen
our jail? You should, Even those
who are convicted Of crimes
should not be treated like ami
mails. If human is treated as
such by throwing him into a
poorly lighted, dungeon type
cage-and this is what Geauga
County does-hoW when he re-
turns to society can we expect
him to act like anything bu t
an animal?
People talk lot and do a lot
of phraSe-making about delinq-
uentS, criminals, and drunks 1t
is time to start doing and stop
talking. It is time to work in
some positive manner for the
betterment of the community,
and get new jail.
The second issue of import
ance in Geuaga is the Geauga
Child Care Center, a facility re-
commended and proposed by the
/ county'S Juvenile Court and the
! Welfare Department. The need
is urgent, and should have been
met years ago. Every enlight-
! Iened group in the county, in
lcluding among others the Coun-
Ity Welfare Advisory Board, the
Eservice organizations, the Minis
Iterial Association, the united
c h ur h women, the Junior
| chambers, the League of Wo-
| men oters, the Nurses AS
Isociation, is aware Of the prob
lem and has supported the idea
I Wonder-have you ever seen
an innocent youngSter beaten be-
cause he shared the same cell
| with a hardened delinquent?
/ Have you seen the bewildered
girl, in her first difficulty with
1.-The law, placed in a cell ada
scent to drunken and immoral
EWomen?
Nh We cannot blame our Sheriff
Enor our Juvenile Court; both Of
Efices have for years asked for
7 Ebetter facilities We accuse and
blame every citizen of Geauga
County, including ourselves, for
EalloWing such outrageous condi-
StiOnS to exist.
/ However, it is not the duty of
Che active members of such
groups as we have mentioned to
do this job. It is the duty of
every citizen to become inform
ed and to do actively work fol
and participate in the passage
Of both these issues in Novem-
Ger. The Geauga County Com
niSSionerS want and welcome
your advice, support, and en-
couragement. AS citizens anC
parents in a county which We
would like to see as the fines
n Ohio, we urge you to supper,
;hese programs and supper
hem now.
The letter was signed by the
steering committee, including
Or. Louis Berta, ChardOn; Rev
Osborne Grove, Claridon; Rev
James Walsh, Chardon; Mrs
Telen Macdonald, Chardon
.Irs Hans Zachman, NeWburJ
)r. Norman Harris, Novelty
Irs. Kothera, Middlefield; Mrs
lice Osborne, Chardon; Mr.
burton