by David Miller
Loveland, Ohio – Jamie Smith has lived her entire life in Loveland and raised five sons here. She said she has a “very deep connection” to this place, and her family’s favorite place is Grailville.
She testified during the May 4 meeting when the Planning and Zoning Commission was deciding whether or not to allow 209 Drees homes on the 111-acre Graville site.
She speaks of her very stressful lifestyle, most of the time as a single mother, and living with the father of her children who struggled with an opioid addiction his entire adult life. She added that he has been “clean” for the past ten years however the experience of dealing with the addiction within her family was traumatizing.
She defined her financial situation as havoc and how she has maintained a full-time job and two or three additional part-time jobs for her sons’ entire lives. To be able to be a contributing member of society and a good mom, she designed their lives around something she could afford, spending time in nature. “Not only because it was all we could afford, but because it was healthy and fulfilling,” Smith added. “And it brought joy to a mentally and emotionally exhausted family.”
She took listeners on a journey with her boys down the Grailville path to the respite of the cool waters of the O’Bannon Creek.
