Elections, Birthdays, and more Rains....

Cleared up for awhile yesterday afternoon, too late to save my game at Van Wert...but the partial clearing brought hope for today...NOT!  I awoke at 6:30 this morning to the sound of more heavy rain hitting the windows...how many days in a row, how many overnights in a row?  Too many to count it seems, as the Spring from Hell continues.  The weather gerbils called it "An Upper Air Disturbance"  I say it's another wrong prediction for those folks...not to worry though, one good day for tomorrow, then, back to another 4 or 5 days of downpours....

The rain might have canceled my game at Convoy Crestview tonight anyway...but that was already ditched because the opponent from Lima Bath has to make up a WBL league contest.  That is going to be a recurring theme for the next couple of weeks...trying to push league games into a few dry days(any?) while tournaments are in full swing, won't be easy.  Tomorrow a long trip to Kalida, then more rains for Friday, Saturday, and beyond....my Sectional Tournament double headed back at Crestview Saturday morning and afternoon are looking "iffy" to say the least.

 A Big Happy Birthday to my wife Patricia....we have been hanging around together since late 1973....I'm sure it hasn't been easy for her...but she seldom complains....numb to it all I guess?  Won't give her age, but suffice to say, she is a few years younger than me....

Her Birthday happens to fall on the same day of the year as the anniversary of the Kent State "Massacre".... Which occurred May 4, 1970  .I was in Vietnam, stationed for my final couple of months, working "C" Flight(Overnights) on Blue Patrol...where we guarded the inter compounds of Tan Son Nhut Air Base...seems we were protecting the base from thieves from both the civilian and military ranks, who had a case or two of "lite fingers".   It was a pretty easy way to finish off my war tour.  As far as Kent State,  I remember vaguely hearing the news of the shootings on ARVN Radio...and thinking to myself, "So?  Guys are dying here everyday, and I'm supposed to give a damn about college kids in my home state, protesting us, and getting shot?"  I didn't then...and really don't know.  I consider them a casualty of war....cold as it seems.  Those people didn't give a damn about us, the left still doesn't today...I found it then and find it now,  hard to worry or care about them.

Primary Elections____

Yesterday was primary election day in Ohio...School levies, local races, etc, were on the agenda....

A small turnout was reported locally.  I'm sure the lack of interest, and the lousy weather,  had much to do with that...the results, at least here in Mercer County were interesting, and telling.

In the race for Mayor of Celina...the Republican incumbent, Sharon LaRue, was challenged by her former Safety Director, Jeff Hazel...with the lies and BS, coming out of City Hall these days...the election wasn't close.  The ousted SD easily defeated the Mayor, by a 2 to 1 count for the GOP nomination.  He out polled all 3 candidates, including the two Democrats.  One Dem, my high school classmate, who was Mayor a few years back, as a Republican, easily won that primary.  Given the fact he not only changed party affiliations, but was a slave like worshiper of Barack Obama in the last Presidential Election...Mr Party Switcher, has about a snow balls chance in Hell of winning in this conservative town, come November.

Meanwhile in the GOP battle for City Law Director.  A young lawyer, George Erik Moore, challenged the sitting LD for the post....Kevin McKirnan has been in office since 1977...residents thought it was time for a change, as "Erik" won easily, by a 2-1 margin.  "Moore" was the only yard sings I had on my property...not so much for the dislike of McKirnan, but because in addition to wanting some new blood in city government, Moore's dad and I, the late George Moore Sr...coached baseball together for several years...and Erik and Sam were classmates, and I coached them both through Little League and Pony League years.  So, Congratulations to George "Erik" Moore...you done good.  He will be the next Law Director, as the Democrats didn't bother with a candidate.

On the levy side...The Celina School renewal "plus" levy passed by a couple hundred votes...I held my nose and voted "Yes"...property taxes will go up slightly as they revert back to 2006 levels.  The wife's school levy in St. Henry passed much easier....while the folks across Grand Lake in St. Marys, with brand new school just opened, said "NO" by a resounding 3-1 margin.  The Cheryl Ann Mental Retardation levy here in Mercer County, passed with 70% of the votes...daughter Anissa is served well by CA, and a yes vote was a given from this household.. 

All-in-all...one thing for sure, the voters in Celina are not happy with the tax increases and priorities of the current administration.  They want side streets and alleys repaired, and really don't care about $Million Firetrucks and making Main Street and the Lake Shore Pretty....if they don't wake up, more incumbents are going to be tossed out...and tax levies overturned.

Looking out the Window...still cloudy, still wet, what else is new?

back later>>>>

Photos-Voted Yesterday...at least I can say I did, not that much will change, either locally or come the next State and National Elections....Patrica turns  ___ today, back in 1976 on our wedding day in Wisconsin, and last year at the VSPA Mini-Reunion at the Air Force Museum with me in front of our VSPA/Defender Statue..and again the overnight rains plague western Ohio and the Midwest....when will this end?  Not anytime soon it appears....