Thu, Nov 26 2009
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Quit your belly aching Leaders says high-profile bickering hurting area By CARL E. FEATHER - Lifestyle Editor - cfeather@starbeacon.comStar Beacon “It’s the only way it’s going to improve,” he says.
Dr. Jerome Brockway, superintendent of the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School, says companies are looking for amenities in schools, culture, amenities and the overall positive atmosphere of the county, something that’s sorely missing here. “The squabbling between political entities is not helping,” he says. “You are sending a perception, an image to the companies.” Brockway says the county also needs infrastructure. The county’s purchase of Plant C could help make the area more attractive by providing water and, hopefully, electricty at a lower cost to industries. Brockway says the community also needs more sewage treatment capacity and buildings that are ready for occupancy. “We don’t have the buildings available for companies to move into right now,” Brockway says. Back to school Cantagallo sums up the solution in one word: Education. Only 12.3 percent of county residents 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, compared to 27 percent for the United States. “I am of the belief that to make the county work better, we are going to have to move up our education level,” Cantagallo says. “People pay higher wages when they need someone to do something more difficult. It’s as simple as that.” Cantagallo says Ashtabula City is ignoring two great resources, the Ashtabula campus of Kent State University and the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School, in developing the education level of citizens. But Cantagallo also feels the basic skill level of many adult residents is so low, there needs to be an effort to get them back into the classroom, as well. Specifically, he’d like to see a program whereby the courts would levy classroom time in lieu of fines. Drug-related crimes, in particular, occur out of economic frustration – drugs are a convenient and lucrative way to make a living when basic skills are lacking. For others, it will mean moving from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s, and from a bachelor’s to a master’s or doctorate. There’s a need to teach our young people about work, as well, says Saybrook Township Trustee Bob Brobst and a small business owner. “Education is the number one thing,” Brobst says. “You need to develop a workforce so when people come here the young people are ready to work.” 
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