KSU, city leaders discuss relations, party patrol

Jessica Sprowl

Opening the city council committee meeting last night with words of remorse and sympathy for the tragedy at Virginia Tech, council members and individuals present at the meeting took a moment of silence in respect for all those affected.

“It can happen on any campus,” Mayor John Fender said. “It is a very tragic situation.”

Council member John Kuhar added to Fender’s remarks about Virginia Tech and said people need to change the way they think about violence.

“It’s not good to want to watch violence,” he said.

He also said people should take an extra moment to talk to someone who seems troubled because it might make a difference.

Moving on from the Virginia Tech remarks, Jonathan Bey, Undergraduate Student Senate senator for community affairs, and Justin Jeffery, the former senator for community affairs, spoke about the party patrol group they have been working on with Fender, other city council members and students.

Jeffery said the group acts as a resource for students, and does not wish to work against students.

Patrolling the streets during parties and letting party-goers and party-throwers know if things are getting out of hand is one of the main purposes, Jeffery said.

“We want more interaction with the city, and we want to help relations between students and citizens,” Bey said.

Kuhar said students should be able to have some fun and turn the music up a little without constantly getting into trouble with neighbors and police, he said.

On a lighter side of the meeting, an ordinance was passed for the city to move forward on buying land located near Crain Avenue. This land will link together the final area needed to connect Kent with Ravenna on the Portage County Hike and Bike Trail at the Crain Avenue segment, said John Idone, director of Kent Parks and Recreation Department.

The department is also planning to build a mountain bike trail in that area.

Contact public affairs reporter Jessica Sprowl at [email protected].