Wait until next year. Seriously.

Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs.

Now that I have that off my chest, I have a couple of observations.

--I’m not sure Game 7 of the 2016 World Series was the greatest baseball game ever played as subjective pundits are saying repeatedly. If you’re an Indians fan, maybe the best game was Game 6 of the 1948 World Series, which the Indians won 4-3 over the Boston Braves, capturing its first championship since 1920. (Incidentally, the game’s duration was two hours and 16 minutes. 

Remember those days? Maybe if we could shorten the length of the games, the kids could watch.)

--If I were the owner of the Chicago White Sox, who won the World Series in 2005, I might ponder moving the team to Nashville. No one in Chicago seems to care about the White Sox with the exception of its South Side neighbors.

--How did all those darn Cubs fans get tickets to Game 7 in Cleveland? I don’t mind a couple of visiting fans but filling half the stadium with the enemy doesn’t bode well for the good guys.

--LeBron James really has become the king of Cleveland sports. When he talks, people listen. He provided the Indians words of encouragement after the game. Meanwhile, Charlie Sheen (“Wild Thing”) was a bust. Did anyone even notice him?

--The Indians won the “Best National Anthem” award. I mean the Cleveland Orchestra playing and the fans singing? How cool is that?

--If the Tribe can get Michael Brantley back and hold on to most of the players in 2017, I think they’ll be back. I really believe that. Really. (And Dover’s own Perci Garner needs to be on the active roster, too.)

***

When I first drafted this post, I discussed the nuances of letters to the editor by Dover Mayor Rick Homrighausen and City Councilman DonMaurer.

After reconsidering, I decided to thank both public officials for their support of the very important Dover High project proposal and move on to other things. I’m glad – the community is glad – to have their “yes” votes.

***

Also writing a letter to the editor – this is the season, you know – was April Angel-Yoder of Dover, whose family owns the Dairy Queen in the footprint of the Dover High project.

Angel-Yoder’s point was the school district under Ohio Facilities Commission rules could opt for renovation rather than new construction.

“I’m not ashamed to voice my opinion that demolishing our historic high school is not the best option for our community,” she wrote.

It’s true that the current facility could be renovated, but the taxpayers would be responsible for any costs above and beyond what the commission is willing to pay for new construction. In other words, renovation would cost taxpayers more money. Most, if not all, contractors do a lot of head shaking when asked the renovation question. I know. I’ve asked them.

In addition, I would debate Angel-Yoder that Dover High is somehow worth keeping because of its aesthetics. It looks like every other Ohio school building built shortly after the automobile was invented. It’s decrepit.

And one more point: Sources tell me that the Dover Board of Education has never discussed using its power of eminent domain to acquire Angel-Yoder’s Dairy Queen property. I’d be surprised if its owners weren’t fairly compensated.

***

Ever hear of ECOT?

ECOT is the state’s largest online charter school that siphons millions of taxpayer money from our public schools into the pockets of its for-profit owners.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the school handed diplomas to 2,374 students last spring.

“The one thing we do at ECOT is we graduate kids,” the Dispatch quoted Superintendent Rick Teeters as saying.

Yeah, right.

One out of every six high school dropouts in Ohio attended ECOT, or 3,252 students.

Our ruling political class in Columbus needs to be held accountable for the laughable performance of many of the state’s charter schools, including ECOT.

Next time you see Republicans state Rep. Al Landis and/or state Sen. Jay Hottinger ask them how they plan on solving this mess.

***

To all my New Philadelphia friends, it is not my fault the traffic lights in Dover still are not synchronized, to wit: “Your city sucks to drive through.”

I know, I know. It’s slow going out there.

And this week, the street department decided to paint new crosswalk lines on S. Wooster Ave. forcing two lanes of traffic into one. That also is not my fault.

I know it’s been since 1962, but the powers have promised a new traffic light system that eventually will make our lives easier. Patience, fellow motorists. Patience.

***

OK, I’m all for beautification projects, but I’m thinking our riverfront will never return to those simpler, more elegant times when courted ladies in long dresses would walk by the river with their beaus, using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun and being coy about their intentions.

Among the aesthetic problems is the presence of 69-kilovolt transmission line poles in the neighborhood. Not sure a Gibson Girl ever came across one of those.

Meanwhile, I’ve been asking people I know if they’ve visited the riverfront since the city cleared the area along Front St.

They look at me like I’m crazy. For the record, I’m not crazy.

***

Repeat after me…

Just a few more days… Just a few more days … Just a few more days.