The view from the Idea Center
Lorain’s new mayor, police chief and interim leader of the city’s schools look pretty solemn in the photo ideastream’s Annie Wu took Saturday at a Lorain community forum.
The three are facing big challenges as they begin their tenures.
One of those tenures will be brief. Interim Lorain City Schools CEO Greg Ring expects the Academic Distress Commission overseeing reforms will hire a full-time CEO this spring. He told the audience at the 20 th annual Speak Up & Speak Out event he wouldn’t make any major changes in the meantime.
But he will embark on a staffing audit as the school district wrestles with a $2.5 million deficit.
“I think inevitably it will end up in some reductions,” Ring said. That could mean layoffs.
Lorain’s new police chief, James McCann, described a growing gang presence but said his department can’t do much because of a shortage of police officers.
“All we can do now is answer calls, respond to emergencies,” McCann said. While nine new officers are in training, he would like to add 13 more officers by mid-2021.
Regardless of the hard work ahead, Mayor Jack Bradley wants his administration to stay positive, friendly and courteous, emulating the employees of a certain popular purveyor of fried chicken sandwiches.
“I told them that we need to be more like Chick-fil-A,” he said. “When we talk to our citizens, our final word to them should be, ‘my pleasure.’”
I’ve never been to a Chick-fil-A, so I didn’t know “my pleasure” is a thing there. I have seen Chick-fil-A’s other slogan, “Eat Mor Chikin,” on billboards around town. I think that would really make a city employee stand out and lighten things up a bit at Lorain City Hall.
“Here’s the receipt for your water bill payment, Ms. Eddings. Eat more chicken!”
“Um, okay. Thank you.”
“My pleasure!”
See you bright and early tomorrow morning on the radio,
Amy Eddings
Need to KnOH
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Your ideas
There were some newcomers on this morning’s list of Oscar nominations – six nominations for Bong Joon-ho's “Parasite” and two best picture nods for Netflix with “Marriage Story” and “The Irishman” – but there were a lot of familiar names as well (think Martin Scorsese, Sam Mendes, Quentin Tarantino and more). How many of the nominees did you see and did any (or all!) of your favorite films make the cut? Call us at (216) 916-6476, comment on our Facebook page or join the conversation in Public Square. We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.
