Sunday, April 23, 2000
Games proposed to lessen tensions
Mason, Deerfield at odds
By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — Holding true to her campaign promise to try to ease friction, newly elected Councilwoman Charlene Pelfrey wants to organize a series of “goodwill games” between Mason and Deerfield Township.
The games would pit city and township officials against one another in sports competitions such as softball, vol leyball or basketball.
The event would take place at a park in either Mason or Deerfield Township sometime during the summer, Mrs. Pelfrey said.
“Because our communities' recent past has lent itself to strained relations between some of its elected officials, I would like to ask council to consider a special combined community day of fun ... based on the theory that laughter is the best sort of medicine,” Mrs. Pelfrey said.
For almost a decade, Mason and Deerfield have fought over a number of issues such as annexations of tax-rich township land, and cemetery plot rates.
Tensions between the county's largest communities were exacerbated by Mason's annexations of Paramount's Kings Island and Procter & Gamble Co.'s multimillion-dollar health-care research center on Mason-Montgomery Road. Bad blood led to the dissolution of the Mason-Deerfield Joint Fire District as well.
The proposal is the latest effort by Mrs. Pelfrey designed to mend fences between Mason and Deerfield Township. In January, she called for a six-month “cease-fire” between city and township officials, who were waging a war of words in local newspapers. She has also met with township trustees to discuss issues and concerns in both communities.
Mrs. Pelfrey said the event, which would be open to the public, is intended to foster and promote a healthy, family-oriented relationship between the communities.
Although no plans for the event have been completed, township officials said they would be willing to help plan and participate in a day of fun and activities.
“I think there should be some event, whether it's an all-day or one (game) type of thing that brings the two sides together,” said Dan Theno, Deerfield's administrator of development and community relations.
“Maybe we could start out small and then build on the event each year,” he said. “Perhaps we could even hold it in conjunction with some of the larger community festivals like our Deerfield Day or Mason's Heritage Festival.”
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