Athens Voice 12-27-12

ODOT accomplishments: "I just saw the press release from the Ohio Department of Transportation publicity person. It brags about the terrific accomplishments of the ODOT Office 10 in Marietta this year. In 2012, they completed the Nelsonville bypass. Were you aware of this? It's really great, including photos of the overpass and the roadway being seeded in grass. Oh, wait a minute, I thought they said they'd finished it! Why didn't they finish it like they say they have? Seems like ODOT is dragging their feet."

Recycling: "I have clothes too good to throw away, too bad to donate. Isn't this a resource worthy of a recycle bin?"

Dog warden: "Wow, after reading the story in Monday's Athens NEWS about Jeff Koons, Athens County dog warden, you would have thought he robbed a Brinks armored car. I think it was a mistake or it was lost myself, because he stepped up to the plate and paid it back out of his own pocket. Why does the Athens County prosecutor treat $234 as if it seems like a bank robbery? Back when Keller and the sheriff first wanted to open up outside accounts for FOJ funds and county Auditor Jill Thompson refused, I can recall her saying that there was $3,000 missing and was never accounted for in one instance. I don't know if this was under Kelly or the previous sheriff. Anyway, I think Keller would have been working in the prosecutor's office at that time. I don't remember anybody being called on the carpet for that one. For all the work the dog warden does for the county, I think he at least deserves a $70 steak dinner!"

Semester switch: "Anyone else notice how well the semester system seemed to whip OU students into good behavior? Hardly any fall quarter hijinks on a par with past years, and the shift of the block party season to autumn was a big non-story. The extra work piled upon students by opportunistic professors apparently ended up improving both academic rigor and non-academic behavior."