An editorial by John Estridge
With the announcement there will be no charges against Brookville Town Council President Curtis Ward and Brookville Town Council Member Chuck Campbell, I have decided to retire my blog.
I believe this is another example of all that matters in Brookville and Franklin County is who you are and how much money you and/or your friends have. It is probably like that everywhere, and I have just been too naïve to fully understand how powerful that can be.
When I crusaded against tax money being used to purchase a probably failing golf course — since the public has never seen the books from what they purchased — and an annexation that is mostly just about making a few people very wealthy or wealthier in several instances, while we – the taxpayers – again subsidize their riches, I found many people read my words but only a few were motivated enough to act on them.
A voice in the wilderness as the Good Book says although I am not preparing the way for another Savior but just trying to tell people about the evil among and around us. And as in that time of Isaiah’s prophecy, few heed the words.
Few attended the BTC meetings, few called the town council members or went to the town hall and told them how they felt. And I may have been incorrect in judging the community’s reaction to all this. Maybe more people than I thought are OK with their tax money going to purchase a golf course where we cannot see the books, seemingly just to prop up land values around the 18 holes, and an annexation that seems to be anything but voluntary but seems to be manufactured by people of wealth who want to become wealthier at the expense of a lot of taxpayers who will never derive any benefit from all of this.
But, everyone is going to reap what has been sewn. And good luck with that. Pick your idiom: the die is cast, what has been done cannot be undone. It is too late now and probably was too late before it was even made public.
Think about whether or not ANY of these projects will improve your quality of life. ALL of them will certainly increase your cost of living.
And this is not limited to Brookville, but the politicians – many I considered friends – kept quiet the entire time as they apparently believe any means justify the ends they seek. Those I considered friends, some of them good friends, I no longer look at them that way. If they would ignore their moral compass for this, then they would ignore their moral compass for other things, also.
If I were younger, I would move. I no longer like Brookville or Franklin County.
After saying that, it is incorrect. Brookville and Franklin County are beautiful. We have always pulled in artists like metallic shavings to a magnet due to the beauty around us. But the politicians and those who wield power due to their name, their position, their wealth, corrupt this beauty.
However, I fear everywhere is the same. Maybe it has always been this way, and I have ignored it because I try to find the positive in everything.
I want to thank everyone for the nearly half million views I received in not quite 18 months. I enjoyed doing this.
However, it was like tilting at windmills. Instead of writing on a blog, I intend to finish some long prose I have been working on. It is about corruption and the title is Franklin County. I will probably write a sequel, the Good Lord willing, and call it Brookville.
Once again, thank you and good luck. We are all going to need it.
If you quit, they win!!!!!
People are scared to stand up not that they don’t care.
I concur. Please remember all the little things and all the big things and everything in between..Remember the time you posted my letter to the editor and my dad’s Jazzy was returned? Through the power of words and raising the public consciousness, we were able to give my dad his mobility back.
I applaud your bravery and of all my living journalists, you rank right under Michael Moore for me. Truth is imperative, transparency is essential in local politics. The saddest part is…it is like that everywhere. Everytime a Rittenhouse is sprung, Everytime 6 insurrectionists gain public office…it is rarer to see real justice. George Floyd RIP. Please don’t leave and let the Orwellian Dept of Truth, become our truth.
Sad to see you go. Sometimes all one can do is save themselves.
John why not just say “I’m sorry for calling the town board members and other local businessmen crooks, thieves and other negative comments in my blog”.
Was this not your own hand picked investigator that found no laws to be broken?
The way you handled yourself and the way you talked so negative about people is the reason you find your self unemployed from our local papers.
John I would rather read you column then anything. You were honest and was trying to do the best thing by showing the Brookville people the way it was. I was always told that in the town of Brookville if you didn’t belong to a click. Well you were nothing and with what is going in the town of Brookville they have prove that saying is right. So I hate to see you not write your column. Because you have successfully succeeded exposing the fifth of this county . Thank you for all that you have done. Jim and Diane Reese
Go forth and dream your dreams John “Quixote” E. You’ve given a Sisyphusian effort to bring journalistic integrity to a community that would prefer to keep it’s light under a basket. Much respect for your effort and may God bless your next quest and writings!
I do hope you will keep your blog up and running. The only two objective and impartial news sources we have in Brookville for local news are the Franklin County Observer and your blog. Please keep up the excellent local reporting!
Objective and impartial? Are you kidding? This was entirely subjective and partial to his own opinion.
Based on how Curtis acted growing up, I wouldn’t put it past him to continue to weasel his way around and make a buck at the expense of taxpayers. No surprises his friends are on the town council as well. More cronies helps make money off of all of us.
Whoever voted him to counsil president must feel great about the county buying a sinking(literally) golf course. All of the country club members around the tri-state refuse to play in Brookville. Funny how when an actual decent person steps up to ask important questions to the town council, they shut him out. Kolb is a good man and it shows how corrupt Curtis is. Would he have pushed BTC to buy the golf course if he didn’t make millions off of placing condos there? Absolutely not. It makes his company money and that’s it. Having expensive condos does what to help our citizens? How much tourism are these condos expected to bring in? None.
Shame on Curtis. Shows his true colors here.(If you didn’t see what kind of person he was growing up, you’re seeing it now.) What these council members need to realize is they are small fish. They need to remedy their ways before they end up like McMillin….or Trumpf…
I will miss your stories. I agree that that corruption is everywhere, not just Brookville and it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed about it. But there are good people around us too. In fact, I would bet there are a lot more good people than we realize. It’s just hard to face conflict so we hope someone else will do it for us. Take care John. I think you are one of the best.
John, you have nothing to apologize for! Keep writing (the people of Brookville need to know what the local paper won’t tell because it doesn’t fit the agenda). Cold hearted people and greed will someday face judgment. Keep doing you!! BTC and a few others are sheep who seem to be following the wrong Sheppard.. (as Paul said) and he is 100% right!!