In 2003, each county of the great state of Ohio established a bicentennial project.

Lawrence County declared that the Old Burlington Jail was its project celebrating Ohio’s 200th birthday.

The “old jail,” the last standing structure of our first county seat, is a large sandstone building.

After an initial flurry of work everything has come to a crashing halt and has not been worked on for several years.

The jail was to become the future home of a museum celebrating the Underground Railroad. Here it is eight years since and our county’s project sits in limbo.

I feel that our community leaders and politicians are willing to let this historic building, and the dream of a bicentennial project, slip into oblivion.

Apparently it was a worthwhile project back in 2003. However, it has lost any and all interest and the idea of a bicentennial project has turned into a nightmare.

What will it take to bring this project back into the spotlight and for Lawrence County to complete its obligation to Ohio’s bicentennial?

Ed Moellendick

South Point

Handicapped parking is there for good reasons

I would like to apologize to the motorists who were traveling on South Fifth Street on a recent Wednesday around 5 p.m.

They were delayed by an ambulance that had been called to pick up my grandmother. The ambulance was blocking traffic for more than 10 minutes.

This should have been avoided. She has a handicapped parking sign directly in front of her house. Some of the neighbors take it on themselves to park in the spot.

They have their “visitors” park there also.

Of course the police department won’t enforce the parking permit. The mayor says to call him but does nothing.

I guess when all the decent people of Ironton move out of town and the lowlifes are left paying the taxes, then the mayor and the police will do something or … nothing.

If this is the way the city treats its senior citizens, then may God have mercy on them.

As for holding up traffic, it might only happen one more time.

Randy Jones

Ironton