You know your response is anonymous. Go for it!

Was it simply the fear of being held liable for the contents of his web site that chased this young man away? That kind of fear, being completely understandable in this murderously litigious world, is completely understandable. And fortunately, the same legal system that provides the weapons for destruction also provides a few shields. How to protect yourself is information you could have found.

The originator of this guestbook is no longer able to maintain it. Archives of this site, and a topical discussion forum are now available at www.bereatownforum.com.

Berea is in a bad way. It's not a secret anymore. It has to be stopped. I think there is enough of us. We have to get together. Everyone come to the Berea Town Forum meeting this Wednesday.

It may be my age but I do not think that the old needs to be torn down.

--T. Martin

It seems to me that the concerns of the Forum would most definitely be more effectively served if the Forum used the Berea's Sun Paper in a more positive and less belligerant fashion to communicate. I am talking from the perspective of what I would consider the average reader of that paper, who learns about the news affecting Berea through its trusted columnists. Instead of writing letters to the Editor to counter the oppinion given by a particular individual, which gives the Forum its feisty reputation, why not put out a section in the paper entitled The Forum and use it as a medium to express the Forum's views? I believe reporting events such as the vigil to protest the auction of the Theater's contents would be more readily accepted by this conservative (due to older population) community if the people learned about it as a tru community event announced by the person who writes DateLine Berea. On another note, let me congratulate the Forum for what it intends to accomplish and for hanging in there.

I'm sorry that you are so paranoid about the current administration, at least I put my name to my words. Unlike you. I probably understand the vital importance of trees and natural settings more than most people you may talk to, I don't need biology class to learn things my people have known for centurys. It saddens me to see what man does to the earth and her resources. If you wish to see decimation, drive down where West turns into Lewis. I wasn't around when the "founding fathers" set up thier plan for Berea, but as back as I can remember, there was Kay's Furniture on the corner, and the ice cream shop further down, that whole side was buildings. Various stores and shops put out of business by shopping centers and malls, and a so called urban renewal project that ran out of federal money before it was completed. Leaving Berea with the ill-concieved mess called "the commons", and a side of the triangle devoid of the old buildings that gave this city it's old-time, small town character.

I hope enough of us show up to make a Berea Theater demonstration effective. Publicity is the key. By the way, did anyone else get this Newsletter from Berea Town Forum in the mail today? I'd like to know who else gopt it. I think it's pretty nifty. They are doing a good job. I think I will go to their meeting on Wednesday. I didn't know they also have a website. I'm going to check it out now...

The demonstration won't keep them from tearing the theater down, but it will contribute to the rising tide of concerned citizens. Who knows what long-term effect it will have? Maybe (if it is publicized) it will get a few more people thinking. Maybe it will give someone the courage to run for public office in November. No single event will significantly reverse the overwhelming urbanization that is occurring, but, little by little, people are talking. This will encourage them to not be afraid to keep talking. Come to the demonstration; stand and be counted! Can someone write a letter to the News Sun (let's hope they print it)? Can someone print and distribute handbills (like the neighbors in Ward 1 did so successfully in stopping the waste transfer station). Can someone go to the Berea Town Forum meeting (next Wednesday, January 13 at 7:30 in the BHS cafeteria) and ask those good folks to show up?

Sorry Mr. Papp (sign your E-Mail, or how will we know it's not the Administration???), but the side across the Triangle wasn't VACANT, it had woods there, it had trees and even an ecosystem, learn about this in Biology class why these areas are important. Also go to the Berea Historical Society and read how our town's founders said that area by the River should always have trees as a symbol of the health of Berea. I know all about it, they flipped a coin to name it either Berea or Tabor. Well now it's Tabor's time!!!!

This web should not be called "Berea Town Forum," it should be called, "Berea Town Folly." Or how about "The Greg Miller Fan Club Page?" The city of Berea is by no means dead, but it seems your brains are. I have lived in this city for over thirty-five years and have seen the changes that have taken place. The current administration had nothing to do with the so-called "urban renewal" of long ago when the triangle area was literally destroyed. Finally someone comes along with plans to rebuild the vacant side of the triangle with buildings that somewhat reflect what was originally there, and you people have a hissy fit. If it's not Greg's idea, then it's not worth your time to even think about. If he doesn't like it, it's just no good. Chances are that the reason Greg is the only council member to show up at Forum meetings is because the other council members are busy doing what they were elected to do. Greg Miller is the most uninformed, disorganized, disruptive person I have ever known.

John A. Harmon

All I have to say is, Tacky. Tacky, Tacky. That is what I think of the concrete "Grindstones" on Front Street and East Bagley they put up this year. How ugly, why not a real one, of Berea sandstone? The city threw some of those out two years ago. I feel the same about the new train tressel on Bennett, there by the Metroparks. It's ugly! The old ones of stone, is it Berea standstone maybe? The old ones look nice. Next to them, the new one is soooo... Tacky! Anyone who had pride in this town would not allow that to be built. Unless.... they were friends with the contractors.....hmmm......

this is a very cool site...and i am all for public expression of possibilities other than over development of our town!!!!!!

Any of my goods not sold at the aution, will be destroyed by a trash compacter. per order of the mayor. Read the council minutes jan4,1998.

Last night at the council meeting Mayor Trupo Declared that I am not a historical landmark. On Jan. 23, 1999 my goods and furnishments will be auctioned of in the parking lot. The deal with the mayor's cronies hasn't been consumated. No monies have been paid nor a site plan been presented to the city or the public. By stripping my guts and selling the things that make me a theater will prohibit me ever being used as a theater again. I will be tore down and made into a Blvd, as the building will sit in the north west corner of the parking lot. My piece of history will be lost forever, i will no longer greet visitors to our. No its no longer ours its Trupo and friends city.

I don't live in Berea, but my grandma does. I just want you to know that, as a 72 year old resident of Berea Lake Towers, she said some of the folks there are fooled by the Coe Lake "bridge to nowhere," but she isn't. She knows that bridge is a symbol of old Berea dying. Well I just want you to know that she never used a computer before, but I brought my laptop up last time we visited and this was the first WEB page she ever saw. She loved it.

If you want to get a group to demonstrate, it will take work. People don't want the mayor to put them in his dog house, because he can use his power in nasty ways. So you will have to put time and energy into finding those with the guts to show their faces in public. As far as Plain Dealer reporters--try Ron Rutti or Dave Sartin at 216/999-4815.

Can't you be persuaded to maintain this site? I have found the comments in the guestbooks heartening. And not many people know about you yet. Imagine how much energy you may create when the word gradually gets out. Your function has been different from Town Forum because they encourage people to talk. Athough there's a lot of discontent expressed by people who come to the meetings, the group is basically nonpartison. I'm impressed that your guestbook has already been signed 400-some times. If you dont have time to maintain the Save Berea page, maybe you can find someone who will.

Members of the Berea Town Forum have been letting everyone know about your web page. Looks good and has lots of passion. I hope you can keep it going in some form to keep young people interested in protecting the good things about Berea, while still promoting managed development that will make (well, almost) everyone feel good about this charming town. I think the high school and college students have a great deal to contribute to this. It sounds corny, but the future DOES belong to you, and progress does not have to mean bulldozing everything.

Sorry, it got cut off. I was saying, maybe we should be calling reporters at the Plain Dealer - that's better coverage. Let's all call one, and if we do that we'll have a landslide. Trupo, your days are over - there's no way in hell you're getting re-elected (but we have to watch out for what he does from now until November). The rest of you I'll see you at the Town Forum. My kids don't go to it - they are dead set on leaving Berea and I don't blame them. While they will never settle here, I DID - and I won't let Trupo take it all away so easily. You too, Fulimeni, I'm not going to vote for you either.

To Hometownguy, we need to show up. And more than that we need to get the media in on this. I corresponded with the owner of this site and he said a vigil for the Berea Theater was planned. Does anyone know any more about this? If we can get TV down here, it might make developers leery to come in. (I'm not sure it will work, but it's worth a try.) I know the husband of a certain person on council, and believe me they don't care about the Town Forum and how Berea is in an uproar - they laugh about it! We need to organize a letter writing campaign to Finast and to Giant Eagle, since we know it's ridiculous that this city should have two supermarkets expanding - only one can win, and then what? For years the town was fine with the smaller ones! Sorry to be rambling on this, but we HAVE to stop this before Finast and Giant Eagle take out most of old Berea. That Sun News is so one-sided. They made the story last week look like GOOD NEWS for Berea! I hear they don't print critical letters - maybe we

This a reply to Charles. If the city would have not bought the theater it would have been collecting taxes the whole time. We do not know if they are giving tax abatement to whoever these lawyers are fronting for. This outfit is getting an open door and the public is getting no actual information about what the development plans are. We will be told after the fact as usual!

What is going on? If Giant Eagle expands, will they take out 12 stores? If Finast expands, how many will they take out? Does anyoine have any info on this? Can this be addressed at Town Forum on 1/13 (Wed.) at 7:30 at BHS?

Speaking of "...what's going on?", what's going on with Giant Eagle and Finast? If Giant Eagle expands, will 12 stores be lost? How many will be lost if Finast expands? Does anyone have any up-to-date info on this? Maybe the good folks at Town Forum can help us all to find out what's going on at their next meeting on Wednesday, 1/13 at 7:30 at BHS.

I agree that Dick Mallot didn't share much at that meeting. He was a nice guy, but he didn't seem to know a lot (or at least he was being careful not to share roo much) about what was going on. I hope the next councilperson at large is as involved as Greg. So Mallot would be the wrong guy to invite. But who besides Greg Miller is not afraid to tell us what is going on? Anyways, I hope you or someone "in the know" can talk intelligently about this at the next TF mtg. Also, how many businesses will Finast take out when they expand? And if Giant Eagle expands, I think they will take out about 12 businesses. Like Charlotte the barber and Pete the barber. I heard Pete has been cutting hair for 62 years--really! And most of that time in Berea.

The only information Dick Mallot had at that meeting was he didn't know. I will vote for a council person that knows in November.

To the person who wrote on Jan 1 re: what are their plans for the future medical building area? I'd very much like to know. If you find out, could you let the people at the next Berea Town Forum mtg know? And if you cant find out, maybe you can ask your questions at that Town Forum meeting. Maybe you could ask Dick Mallot or the councilwoman from Ward One to return (they were at a TF mtg a few months ago) to explain. There must be someone who is willing to share the answers. The next Town Forum meeting is at 7:30 on Wednesday, January 13 in the Berea High cafeteria.

CHARLES, You say you despair the intelligence of Bereans, and I could spend a long time arguing the various issues with you. But it boils down to one question: Do you favor the continuing urbanization of Berea, or do you prefer Berea to be a community-oriented college town? The logistics (the size and number of our supermarkets and drugstores, whether to work together for a community center or to build a medical building, whether to build a waste transfer facility, etc.) are obviously important, but they are secondary. You question the number of people who are angry with the current state of affairs. Is is a few loud voices, or is it a groundswell? Stay tuned...

Charles we will see in November. Until then it's damage control!

Tom, Trupo has won many battles, but he doesn't have to win the war. Remember, elections are in November. If you really care, put all your energy into the elections.

Does anyone have information about who really is behind the theater project. The building is ti be located in the northwestern corner of the parking lot. The area where the theater sits is going to be a parking lot. The city wants to purchase the Cushing Property, where Lilian Cushing now lives. Also its rumored Medico is in talks of selling, what parts I don't know. So what is going on here. If the building is built in the location mentioned it will devalue the properties around it by creating traffic on all sides of the parcels next to it. Devalue the property then buy it cheap, the city won't alow zoning changes to retail, it will be to noisy for other uses. Someone is trying to buy the block cheap. I wonder who?

WHAT CAN YOU DO? IT LOOKS LIKE TRUPO WON

Other than as propaganda (and false at that) where do you justify claiming you folks are in the majority? Certaily not by # od visitors to this site!

I lived in Berea for four years when I went to B-W. I left about five years ago, haven't been back since... used to think it was a nice enough town, if somewhat lacking (nearest music clubs were Lakewood and Cleve Hts, not much in culture).... but its sad to see that the "historic" element of Berea is going away, too. I did think Berea could go either way, either turn good or turn really bad. Sad to see it went bad.... shame on your Administration, and probably B-W too!

No, we have to stop Giant Eagle! I HATE THIS TOWN! I grew up here, and I saw the changes go from bad to worse. Now these two past years have been the worst I've ever seen. We can thank our current Administration, namely Stan Trupo, for that. Let's get together, all of us. WE CAN STOP THIS! Let's keep Giant Eagle in its place, and keep Marc's out, for Pete's sake this isn't Strongsville it's Berea!

WOW! Whoever constructed this webpage has done us a wonderful service. And now Town Forum has created a page, too. The people of Berea have a voice!

Jodee

I don't live in Berea (Broadview Hts). I haven't been out there in a while but I remember that it used to be nice. Guess that was a while ago. Low income housing where the Triangle was? Yiiiick!

New administration, for sure it's time. Who wants to run for Council, or for Mayor, or for Director of Economic Development of Berea? I see only one Councilman, and that would be Greg Miller, at the Berea Town Forum meetings. That should tell you what the current administration thinks of all of you. When they're money is made on Berea and the low-income housing is finally all built, they'll move out and do it to the next town. I think most of "Old" Berea has been fooled by this admin. for far too long.

Maybe its time to get a new administration.

I don't live in Berea anymore, but I grew up there and consider it my home. I would like to be able to recognize it when I visit. I currently live in Huron, a town that was ruined by overdevelopment in the late 60s. Rite-Aid recently expressed interest in buying up a whole block. The city's leaders, however, decided that they had learned their lesson about urban development. Berea has a unique charm that I hope is never lost.

WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON IN THIS TOWN???? EVERY TIME I LOOK AROUND, I SEE ANOTHER LOCAL BUSINESS BEING SHUT DOWN, ANOTHER BIG CHAIN BEING BROUGHT IN, MORE AND MORE OVER-DEVELOPMENT. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE, AND SOON!!!!

For the first time in the history of the City of Berea, Bereans will have access to the Riverfront downtown with the pedestrian bridge from Park Street to the back of the Riverfront Development on Front Street. With the MetroParks 500 acres of parks/lakes/recreation, currently in Berea, this 2 acre parcel will be a nice addition to the walking/jogging paths that the MetroParks offers now. We were unable to even see the river from the sidewalk before. The only place you could see the river was from the bridges at either end.

I am against what is happening in Berea, especially the Triangle development project and the Berea Theater razing. How are decisions made in this town, anyways? I asked that question in a letter to the Sun paper two months ago, and they never printed it. It's about time we (the people) have a voice in this town. I plan to attend the next Council meeting too.

i don't like what they did to the triangle. its a crime! it breaks my heart every time i go downtown. all the trees are gone. it was the best thing about berea, that little "island of trees" right in its heart, and they killed it..