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Stark County reviews Lake Twp. levy error

Admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:47:19 +0000

By Nancy Molnar

CANTON: A state official alerted the Stark County Board of Elections in July about flawed ballot language in a Lake Township police levy that was approved in November but successfully challenged in court.

Gretchen Quinn, elections counsel for Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, pinpointed the error in the statement about the cost of the levy that caused Common Pleas Judge John G. Haas to void the election results Wednesday.

“(B)allot language states tax will be levied ‘at a rate not exceeding four and one-half (4.50) mills per dollar of taxable valuation, which amounts to forty-five cents per one thousand dollars in taxable valuation.

“A 4.5 mill levy yields $0.45 per $100, but $4.50 per $1,000,’’ she continued in a handwritten note. “BOE may want to confirm millage with taxing authority.”

The July 27 communication to an election board employee included approved ballot language reflecting the correct cost.

What happened after that is in dispute.

Jeffrey Matthews, deputy director of the county board of elections, said an elections worker said she told township attorney Charles D. Hall III about the problem over the phone.

“That did not happen,” Hall said Monday.

He said township officials first learned of the matter when Uniontown police Chief Harold Britt went to the board of elections to get a list of township voters. The information then was relayed to township Fiscal Officer Ben Sommers on Oct. 13. Sommers then told Hall.

But by then absentee ballots already had been mailed and others had been prepared.

Hall said local elections officials missed the chance to attach the memo from the Secretary of State’s Office on Aug. 25, when Stark elections Director Jeannette Mullane sent the township a notice saying the police levy would be Issue 6 on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The letter, received at the township office Aug. 26, says in part, “You will receive a copy of the ballot language once it is approved by the Ohio Secretary of State.”

“If that attachment had been delivered to the Board of Lake Township Trustees on Aug. 25, the Lake Township Board of Trustees would still have had the opportunity to correct the ballot language,” Hall said.

Matthews acknowledged the mistake in the ballot wording should have been communicated to the township in writing.

“It’s clear there were errors made in procedure, but ultimately what was submitted to the voters matched the resolution that was passed by the township trustees,” Matthews said.

A similar mistake recently occurred in ballot language Hall submitted to the Board of Elections for Perry Township, where he serves as law director.

The resolution to put the issue in the March primary election said the 0.5-mill police renewal levy would cost 50 cents for each $100 of property valuation.

Matthews and Mullane sent a letter to Hall on Dec. 21, telling him, “One-half mill should be five cents for each one hundred dollars of valuation.”

Hall said he fixed the error promptly, as he would have done if notified in a timely manner of the problem in Lake.

Lake Township trustees are appealing to the Ohio Supreme Court the ruling that negated the results of the November police levy vote. The county Board of Elections decided Monday not to join the appeal.

The ballot issue expanded the territory and taxing authority of the former Uniontown Police Department to all parts of Lake Township not served by the Hartville Police Department.

Judge Haas’ order has been stayed by Stark County Common Pleas Judge Frank Forchione, and Lake Township police cruisers are still patrolling the newly created district.

Lexington ministry helps former adult entertainers find their way to better lives

Admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:58:00 +0000

By Karla Ward

Kim Paschall’s life as a prostitute was filled with horrors.”I’ve been pistol whipped. I’ve been thrown out of a moving car. I’ve been robbed. I’ve been raped. I’ve disappeared for two days and no one on the earth knew I was gone,” she said.Paschall said her pimp — also the father of her 2-year-old son — would “spit on me, would leave me places with no food, no money, no car. “He made me crave his attention and his love,” she said.

That was everyday life for Paschall, 28, until July 11, when she moved from Dallas to the Refuge for Women, a 50-acre farm in Central Kentucky that helps women find their way out of careers as strippers, prostitutes, escorts or working in the porn industry. The Refuge, which has been open for a year and a half, provides free room and board.Refuge founder Ked Frank has several success stories to tell, including that of a former strip club dancer from inner city Detroit who now works full-time at the Toyota plant in Georgetown.

There’s a former prostitute from Toledo, Ohio, who is now working with an organization that helps other young women in similar circumstances. And a former stripper from Indiana who went to the Refuge for Women straight from jail is on track to regain full custody of the children she lost and is working two jobs, neither in the adult entertainment industry.

The faith-based non-profit uses what it calls a “mentoring approach” to help the women learn life skills, deal with past traumas, overcome financial concerns and develop a plan for a new life. But underlying all that are the organization’s spiritual values.”The foundation of what we’ve built this ministry on is faith,” Frank said. Finding RefugeFrank said he unknowingly became prepared to form the Refuge for Women during the three years he and his wife spent working at an Ohio facility called The Refuge, which is for men struggling with substance abuse and other issues.

The couple previously had lived in Lexington from 2000 to 2003, and they moved back in 2006, when Frank took a job as pastoral care minister at Southland Christian Church. While working there, he learned about a local ministry in which women regularly take meals to the dancers at area strip clubs as an expression of God’s love for them.”I had never heard of anything like that before,” Frank said. “They started talking about a next step for girls that wanted to get out.”Then, Frank said, his best friend bought a 50-acre farm and “made the mistake of telling me one day that it had an old farmhouse.

“So he formed a non-profit organization, started raising money, and gutted and renovated the five-bedroom house. The location of the home is a closely kept secret because of concerns about the women’s safety. Meetings with outsiders are arranged at the organization’s offices on Waller Avenue.The farmhouse has room for eight women, but Frank wants to expand the organization’s capacity to help others.”There’s a hope in my heart that what we’re doing is just kind of getting started,” he said.Paschall said she’s just getting started in her own way.

“I’ve looked back,” she admitted. “I do have that rebellion in me. I do.”She said she feels some guilt about having lured other young women into the world of prostitution.”I ultimately feel responsible,” she said, “but I can’t dwell on it, because I know God’s going to bring redemption to it.”She said she’s already starting to see good results from her decision to leave her former life behind.She said one of the women she influenced to become a prostitute is considering coming to the Refuge, too.She is working on a business plan for a café she hopes to open some day. And Paschall said she has developed a close bond with the others at the farmhouse.

“We’re not used to that family closeness,” she said. “The Refuge becomes that family for us.”Making a changeWhile most of the women in the program are former strippers, Frank said escorts, prostitutes and workers in the porn industry have been through the program.The Refuge has served 25 women, including seven now in residence. The women have come from 10 states.The Refuge takes referrals from all over the country, having formed partnerships with 49 other organizations across the nation that are reaching out to women working in strip clubs.

“There’s not a lot of other places in the country that are doing this kind of work for this population of people,” he said of the residential nature of the program. Women at the Refuge stay at least three months, but they can stay for up to a year if they wish. The women must attend church weekly.”One of the first things we try to offer the ladies is a place to find some rest,” Frank said, noting that many come to the house exhausted from stress, non-stop working and a lifestyle of late nights, drinking and drugs.Many women at the Refuge had chemical dependency issues. Frank said they must go through detoxification before they arrive.After 90 days at the Refuge, the women are expected to begin working part-time jobs that will help them begin exploring new kinds of employment.

Frank says a local Christian-run temporary service helps provide those opportunities for the women, many of whom have criminal records.”It does help to have relationships with people that want to help,” Frank said.There is no fee to the women for the services they receive.Many of the women have left behind children to be cared for by others while they work to put their lives back together, although the Refuge does have some children staying there from time to time. Frank said one woman recently gave birth to a boy, who is now staying at the Refuge with her and a 4-year-old sibling. Another woman is pregnant and will deliver her baby soon.Paschall’s little boy is staying with a host family.

“Most of these girls, their biggest motivator for getting help is their kids,” Frank said. The organization has nine staff members, three of whom are full-time, who help facilitate group activities, hold Bible studies and help the women develop life skills.Frank said many people do not realize the devastation wreaked on the lives of women who get involved in such work.”People think they’re making all this money, they’re there by choice, it’s all in good fun,” Frank said.

“They have no idea the trauma that these girls suffer.”A whole new lifeJen Lasko of Uniontown, Ohio, said the Refuge “completely and totally saved my life.”Lasko grew up in a stable home, where her father was a fire chief. She was a cheerleader in high school, participated in 4-H, and enjoyed riding and showing horses.She said her journey into the adult entertainment industry began when she was 18 and dropped out of high school to be with an older boyfriend.”I started dancing at a topless club to pay the bills” while attending cosmetology school, she said, adding that the glittering outfits she wore “made me feel beautiful and powerful.

“But soon, Lasko, now 34, said a regular customer introduced her to a fully nude club.Over the years, she said, she had relationships with men who beat and raped her, she struggled with drugs and alcohol, and she attempted suicide twice.”Just being in the clubs, there’s so much drugs and violence,” Lasko said. “To get up there and do what you have to do in a sound mind, I wouldn’t have been able to do it sober. Sex had no value to me.”She said she might have been beaten black and blue at home, but when she was onstage she “felt almost powerful over men, no longer being the one controlled.”While Lasko stopped working at strip clubs some time ago and went through a detox program, she said she still carried the emotional baggage with her.”Even after being sober I had an emptiness inside me,” she said.

“I didn’t know I could ask God to forgive me. I didn’t know how to pray.”It doesn’t heal you when you walk out those doors.”With the help of her sister, she found the Refuge, and, Lasko said, a new hope.She came to the Refuge last summer and was baptized Oct. 2. When she leaves next year, she said she wants to start a ministry of her own, reaching out to women working in the clubs.”Now I have such a relationship with Christ,” she said. “It’s a whole new life. … Now I can look in the mirror and look at myself and be proud of the person I am.”

Lake township residents sue over police levy

Admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:24:47 +0000

LAKE TWP., Ohio (AP) – Residents of an Ohio township are suing to block a police levy narrowly passed by voters in November.

The Repository newspaper in Canton reports (http://bit.ly/v0JyEn ) that a lawsuit filed by residents of Lake Township in northeast Ohio claims incorrect ballot language misled voters.

The ballot told voters that the levy would cost residents $0.45 more in property tax for every $1,000 their home is worth. In reality, the levy would cost taxpayers an extra $4.50 for every $1,000 of value.

County officials ruled last week that the levy should move forward because the ballot language reflected the intention to raise taxes, even if it listed the wrong amount.

The levy would generate $2.59 million each year and cover the cost of expanding the Uniontown Police Department.

Information from: The Repository, http://www.cantonrep.com

Stark County’s Uniontown first ‘fracking’ target

Admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:13:44 +0000

Story from WKYC Report

Ohio’s oil and gas energy rush is taking off and one Stark County community with a dark industrial history is listed to be one of the first fracking sites in our area.

Where the well is going and who is drilling it may surprise you.

WKYC Photojournalist Carl Bachtel brings you the story.

Uniontown is a small community nestled between Akron and Canton in Stark County.

It’s also the location of the federally monitored toxic waste site, the Industrial Excess Landfill.

Soon the property across busy Cleveland Avenue from the EPA Superfund site could have drilling.

Hydrofracture drilling is on its way and some residents who know the area’s environmental history are fearful.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources already approved the permit to allow Ohio Valley Energy System to drill right under the homes along Route 619.

Ohio Valley Energy has a history of residential drilling, most notably in Bainbridge Township in Geauga County. In December 2007, the results there were contaminated well water and exploding homes.

Industry videos posted on YouTube tout the safety and environmentally friendly aspects of gas drilling.

But one resident thinks the poor economy is clouding people’s judgement.

Jackson Lions host district meeting

Admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:15:38 +0000

The Jackson Township Lions Club hosted the District 13-D Cabinet Meeting at John Knox Presbyterian Church on Nov. 13. The district is comprised of five counties: Columbiana, Mahoning, Portage, Stark and Trumbull. Within this District are 57 clubs, which include the Stark County clubs of Canton, East Canton, Jackson Township, Magnolia, North Canton and Sandy Valley Leos Club. Delegates of this executive body meet quarterly to review activities of the Ohio Lions and the International Association of Lions Clubs that are passed on to the individual Clubs.

District Governor David Gauch, a member of the Crestwood Lions Club in Mantua, Ohio, was the presiding officer of this meeting. Others accepting reports at this meeting were First Vice District Governor John Woodside of the Jackson Township Lions Club, Second Vice District Governor Tom Zickefoose of the Girard Lions Club and Cabinet Secretary Treasurer Paul Metrovich of the East Liverpool Lions Club. Reports from the zone chairmen, state committees, district committees, governor’s advisory committee and governor’s honorary committee were entered with information to be passed on to Clubs at visits in the coming months.

Accepted at this meeting was a letter from the Jackson Township Lions Club to place John Woodside’s name in nomination for the office of district governor for the 2012 – 2013 fiscal year. First Vice District Governor John Woodside has been a Lion for 48 years. He served as president of the Jackson Township club in 2004-2005, club secretary for six years and served on the district cabinet in various capacities since 1999. He currently is treasurer of the Melvin Jones District 13-D Lions Eye Care Foundation.

Lake Township trustees, Nov. 28 meeting

Admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:36:51 +0000

KEY ACTION Authorized buying a John Deere four-wheel-drive utility vehicle and a snowplow for use with the vehicle.

DISCUSSION The vehicle and plow will be used by the cemetery maintenance department. Sam Miller, supervisor of the department, said the items also will be available for use by the police and road departments. The Gator vehicle will cost $16,650 from Hartville Hardware. The cost for the purchase and installation of the snowplow is $2,400 from Terry’s Truck and Trailer Center of North Canton.

OTHER ACTION

• Authorized the distribution of the 2012 fire and EMS funds for the Uniontown, Greentown and Hartville fire departments. The estimated totals are $1.85 million for the fire fund and $651,805 for the EMS fund.

• Rescheduled the final meeting of the year for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 27 at Township Hall.

UP NEXT Meet at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Township Hall.

Lake man sentenced to seven years and says he’ll testify against Mr. Football, Erick Howard

Admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:51:12 +0000

A man who pleaded guilty to taking part in a home invasion and robbery of a North Canton couple in August was sentenced to seven years in prison Monday, as part of a plea agreement where he’s expected to testify against former Hoover High School football star Erick M. Howard.

Stark County Common Pleas Judge Taryn Heath accepted the prosecutors’ sentencing recommendation for Seth R. Obermiller, 20, 2321 Comet Circle NW in Lake Township. He pleaded guilty Nov. 3 to felony charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping with two counts of firearm specifications.

Heath sentenced Obermiller to three four-year concurrent sentences for the burglary, robbery and kidnapping charges and two three-year concurrent sentences for the gun specifications. By law, the sentences for the original charges and gun specifications must be separate.

Obermiller’s attorney Rick Pitinii said he instructed his client not to make a statement at sentencing because he’s still involved in the pending criminal case regarding Howard.

A female family member of Obermiller broke out in tears as Obermiller was led away from the courtroom in his jail jumpsuit. She and other family members left the courtroom and declined to comment.

Pitinii said Obermiller will be held at the Stark County Jail until he testifies at Howard’s trial, before he’s transferred to a state prison.

Last week, Michael A. Taylor, 20, of 837 W. Maple St. in North Canton, whom prosecutors called a lookout during the robbery, was sentenced to three years of probation. He had pleaded guilty to one count of attempted burglary and avoided a prison term. Taylor has also agreed to testify against Howard.

On Aug. 20, a 23-year-old man and his 20-year-old girlfriend told police that they awoke that morning to find two men in ski masks pointing handguns at their heads.

Police accused Howard and Obermiller of tying up the couple with duct tape, and police accused Howard of sexually assaulting the woman.

Howard, 20, of 5155 Portage St. NW in Jackson Township, was indicted this month on charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, rape and kidnapping with firearm specifications. Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Chryssa Hartnett said if convicted, he faces a potential 41-year prison sentence.

Howard has pleaded not guilty. He is being held at the Stark County Jail on bond of $250,000.

Heath told Obermiller that he would be supervised for up to five years after his release from prison.

Hartnett said Obermiller could seek early release from prison after serving 3 1/2 years, but there was no indication his request would be granted.

Police levy causes stir among Lake Township Residents

Admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:40:45 +0000

By Tracy Valentine | The Suburbanite

LAKE Residents voiced their objections to the passage of Issue 6 in a Nov. 14 standing-room-only Lake Township Trustee meeting.Issue 6 is a 4.5 mill levy that expands the Uniontown Police Department to cover all of Lake Township, except Hartville.
“Why does the rest of Lake have to pay for it? We don’t need it,” resident Vito Spano said.Residents Donald Tuck and Ken Kurtz agreed. The men said they will going to have to pay for the increased taxes on fixed incomes.
The two major issues the residents also addressed regarding Issue 6 were the cost of the levy and the typographical error on the ballot.Other residents supported the levy.

“The voters decided this issue. So if you’re mad, that’s who you should be mad at,” LeeAnn Ramirez said.

Resident Tim Davis wasn’t sure about the levy. “I don’t have the money either. But you don’t appreciate it until you need it. If the community is going to move forward it’s something we need.”

Lake Township’s attorney Charles Hall addressed the ballot typographical error. The ballot incorrectly stated the levy was at a rate of 45 cents per $1,000 per tax valuation. The levy was actually for $4.50 per $1,000 per tax valuation. Hall explained that he and the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, the Stark County Board of Elections and the Ohio Secretary of State all failed to catch the mistake.

Resident Dan Robinson asked Hall if the error voided the ballot. Hall said it did not. He added that he reviewed all the material residents saw prior to the election, and that information was correct.

Hall also said the Ohio Supreme Court has previously upheld votes on other ballot issues.

Two residents asked about drilling approved on land near the former Industrial Excess Landfill (IEL). Norma Bolt and Elizabeth Dixon asked several questions regarding the rules for hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.” The women wanted to know what requirement exist for fracking pipes, a possible holding pond and truck routes for the drilling companies.

Trustee President John Arnold said that the township does not have the expertise to answer her questions. He referred them to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency EPA.
Dixon asked if the Township could file an injunction to have drilling stopped next to the landfill. Arnold arranged a meeting with Dixon and the Township attorney to discuss the possibility of a lawsuit.
Other business:
*Approved — the reappointment of Dr. Ronald Weisel III to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a five-year term.
* Accepted – The resignation of Harold Thompson, effective Dec. 31. Thompson is retiring after 32 years of service as an operator/laborer with the Road Department.

The next Lake Township Trustee meeting is scheduled for Monday Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at 12360 Market Ave. N, Hartville.

Here’s a list holiday highway construction zones

Admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:23:38 +0000

You are far more likely to be involved in a crash the evening before Thanksgiving and the Sunday evening after, according to an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) analysis of Thanksgiving weekend crash data.

The study says vehicular crashes happen more often on those days because more people are traveling for the holiday weekend.

Traffic volumes typically spike nearly 70 percent in Ohio over the five-day holiday travel weekend, said a news release from ODOT.

Last year, Ohio had 3,229 collisions starting Thanksgiving eve through the Sunday evening after the holiday, with 83 injuries and 16 fatalities. The total crashes for the holiday in 2010 rose from the 2009 total.

“Notably, when looking at the total collisions during Thanksgivings from 2006 to 2010, more than half were caused by driver behavior, such as becoming distracted or following too closely,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray.

To reduce injuries and fatalities, ODOT advises travelers to wear seat belts, leave plenty of room between vehicles, allow extra time for traffic delays, and plan ahead.

Visit www.BuckeyeTraffic.org for up-to-the-minute information and a user-friendly map showing work zone locations, traffic congestion alerts, road closures, weather conditions, and Ohio Highway Patrol crash updates. The site updates all day, seven days a week.

Where are the construction projects?

Here is ODOT’s list of major highway construction projects with various lane restrictions across the state:

CENTRAL OHIO

• Interstate 270, Franklin County

Major reconstruction is underway on the southwest side of Franklin County. Three lanes will be maintained in each direction between Roberts Road and Broad Street. One of the three southbound lanes will be a contraflow lane.

For the I-270 project, the contraflow lane begins just south of Roberts and means the left lane of southbound traffic will cross over to the northbound side of the road. A portable barrier wall will separate the southbound contraflow lane and the three northbound lanes.

Motorists traveling southbound who wish to exit at I-70 or Broad Street should stay in the right two lanes of I-270 south. The contraflow lane can be used as an express lane for those who do not wish to exit at I-70 or Broad.

Two lanes will be maintained in each direction between Broad and U.S. Route 62. All ramps will remain open.

The speed limit through the work zone will be reduced to 55 mph so drivers should allow for extra time for their commute and remain alert since this is a seven mile construction zone.

• Interstate 670/71, Franklin County

Major construction is underway on Interstates 71 and 670 just north of downtown Columbus. Two lanes maintained on I-670 and I-71. The speed limit has been reduced to 45 mph through the zone. A number of exits to downtown are closed but you can still access I-670 and I-71. Detours are less than three miles and detour and re-routes are signed both on the interstates and city streets. Visit www.odot71670.org for more information.

WESTERN OHIO

• Interstate 75, West Carrollton, Montgomery County

I-75 in the area of the East Central Avenue and Dixie Drive interchange is under renovation. Motorists will encounter a construction zone in both directions on I-75. Three lanes of traffic will remain open to motorists in each direction during holiday travel.

• Interstate 70, Clark County

I-70 between state Route 72 and U.S. Route 40 is undergoing a lane addition. Motorists will encounter construction zones in both directions on I-70. Two lanes of traffic will remain open to motorists in each direction during holiday travel.

• Interstate 75, Dayton, Montgomery County

I-75 from Main Street to Stanley Avenue and from Edwin C. Moses Blvd. to Fifth Street has construction zones due to the modernization of the interstate through the city of Dayton. Two lanes of traffic will remain open to motorists in each direction during holiday travel.

NORTHERN OHIO

• State Route 2, Lorain County

State Route 2 between Baumhart Road and Oak Point Road is restricted to one lane of traffic in each direction as part of a bridge repair project. All lanes of Route 2 are expected to reopen in late Nov. 2011.

NORTHEASTERN OHIO

• Interstate 90, Lake County

Traffic on I-90 between Paine Road and the Ashtabula County line is shifted utilizing temporary crossovers. One lane of I-90 eastbound traffic will be using I-90 westbound.

• State Route 2, Lake County

Several projects along state Route 2 are currently underway. Route 2 between Newell Street and the Grand River is restricted to one lane in each direction.

• Interstate 90, Cuyahoga County

The I-90 innerbelt bridge through downtown Cleveland remains open; however, multiple entrance and exit ramps along the downtown corridor are closed or restricted as crews work to construct a new westbound I-90 Innerbelt Bridge. Visit www.Innerbelt.org for more information.

NORTHWESTERN OHIO

• Interstate 475, Lucas County

Expect lane restrictions in both directions on I-475, from I-75 to Monroe Street for reconstruction. Various ramps are closed within the project. Detours are posted.

• U.S. Route 24, Lucas and Henry counties

U.S. Route 24, from I-475 to Dutch Road is reduced to one lane in each direction. Various roads are closed in Lucas and Henry counties along the new alignment. Detours are posted.

SOUTHERN OHIO

• U.S. Route 52, Scioto County

U.S. 52 is reduced to one lane in each direction from Portsmouth/New Boston to state Route 522 at Wheelersburg, as well as between the state Route 253/Greenup Dam exit and the Lawrence County line for a series of four-lane resurfacing projects. Traffic is being maintained in a minimum of one, 11-foot lane in each direction.

SOUTHWESTERN OHIO

• Interstate 74, Hamilton County

Replace and widen I-74 structure over state Route 128. While three lanes of traffic are open in each direction, two lanes of westbound I-74 are switched to the eastbound side of the work zone with one lane remaining on the westbound shoulder. While the permanent work zone restrictions remain in place, work is suspended over the holiday and there will be no additional lane closures.

Source: www.transportation.ohio.gov

Don Cockroft showcases book at Hartville Marketplace

Admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:01:50 +0000

By Keno Sultan

Those words can still ruin the day of longtime Cleveland Browns fans. The infamous play of that name ended the season of the 1980 Cleveland Browns, known as the Kardiac Kids.

One of the central figures of that game remains a Northeast Ohio resident. Browns kicker Don Cockroft is the author of “The 1980 Kardiac Kids: Our Untold Stories.”
The book is the story of the haunting 14-12 playoff loss to the Oakland Raiders that ended the chaotic 1980 season for a Browns team, viewed by many as a Super Bowl contender. It’s also the story of the rest of the season, 300-page ode to the season complete with interviews with every living member of the team and a large collection of pictures from the year.

Here’s the obvious question: Why would dig up memories from a season that ended in such painful and bitter fashion?

“The book really started four years ago at an autograph signing at the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame,” Cockroft explained. “A friend of mine’s girlfriend, her mother was a huge Ohio sports fan. After I signed an autograph for her, I think it sunk in for her who I was and she asked me, ‘Sonny, why didn’t you kick in that game against the Raiders?’”

The woman was referring to coach Sam Rutigliano’s decision to have quarterback
Brian Sipe throw a pass into the end zone on a play known as Red Right 88 rather than have Cockroft, who had missed two field goals on the day, try another kick. The Browns trailed by two points near the end of a last-minute drive; the pass was intercepted by Oakland’s Mike Davis and tens of thousands of distraught Browns fans filed out of the stadium. Cockroft recalled the hushed silence as “deafening.”
The process of writing the book was challenging for a number of reasons, mostly because of its scope. Cockroft set out determined to speak to every living member of the 1980 team. That list includesthe member who is probably the best-known in today’s NFL: former Pittsburgh Steelers coach and current CBS studio analyst Bill Cowher, who was a rookie linebacker on the 1980 team.

“I sent out an email to all of my teammates letting them know I was doing the book and here’s what I wanted to talk about,” Cockroft said. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to get to talk to Bill Cowher, but I did.”

The sheer size of the undertaking came as a surprise even to Cockroft. He started selling the idea for the book in late 2009, anticipating that he would finish it in the spring of 2010. Instead, the project grew and grew. He finally finished the book in the late spring of 2011.

Cockroft compiled more than 140 hours of recorded interviews as each member of the team shared his recollections of the Red Right 88 game and the season.
Even with the book written, the process was not complete. The book still needed a title.
“Initially I wanted to call it ‘A Season of Destiny and Despair,’” Cockroft said. “But the more I thought about it, it sounded too negative. My wife Barb and I began to talk and we came up with the title that had some of those words in it, but wasn’t so negative.”
The book’s subtitle now contains the tagline, “A Season of Destiny. A Moment of Despair. A Lifetime of Memories.”

The book was a family affair, as Cockroft’s son Matt drew on his work as a graphic designer to come up with a cover design that features two images Cockroft knew early on needed to appear on the front of the book: a team photo of the Kardiac Kids and a picture of their home venue, Cleveland Stadium.

“I was adamant that the book had to have a picture of all of these great guys on it,” Cockroft said, gesturing to a copy of the book. “And it absolutely had to have old Cleveland Stadium on it.”

The book was officially published in October. To celebrate its release, the Akron Browns Backers will host a mini-reunion of the 1980 team at the Hartville Marketplace from 3p.m. to 5p.m. Nov. 26 p.m. Members of the team, including Cockroft, Greg Pruitt, Cleo Miller, and Judson Flint will be on hand to sign autographs along with Coach Rutigliano. Cockroft will personalize copies of the book, which will be sold at the event. Autographs are free with a donation of one canned food item, All donations go to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, courtesy of the Lake Township FISH organization.

For more information and to order the book go to: http://thekardiackids.com/home.php