Letters to the Editor 01-21-2005

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By -

- Exchange Program - Fine Music - Hunting Facts - Accident Help - Elections


Exchange Program

Editor, Times-Union:
How big is your heart?
I am a local community representative for an exchange program called ASA International. Our organization helps in assisting exchange students from 45 different countries and placing them in American host families. It is our mission to promote understanding, respect and peace among people of the world. I have a story to tell that I felt was so heart-wrenching that I needed to share with other people.

Every year our organization plans a trip to Chicago in November in which we take the South Shore train. This trip is for host families and their exchange students to experience Chicago for the day. They can plan and see things that each family is interested in. Upon returning home that evening, I asked one of our local families that host, the Bowers, and their exchange student from Germany, "What did they enjoy most about Chicago?" They named the places and museums that they visited. Then they mentioned the best time they had was passing out money to the homeless. Just watching the faces of the homeless was pure joy and more satisfaction than the words thank you from them.

Wow! When I heard that story I was truly amazed. What a caring family. That is the kind of family that our organization is looking for to host. It made me think how selfish as people some of us become. How many times do we turn our heads and walk away from people in dire need of help or spreading just a little bit of kindness? Actually there is more to this story.

In December, I called this family back just to see how things were going. Mrs. Bowers proceeded to tell me that their youngest children really had nothing in particular that they wanted for Chirstmas but desired to give things they had to the homeless in Chicago. So the Bowers and more of their relatives, the Hackworths and the Andersons, gathered and bought more supplies to make up gift boxes. They accumulated 21 gift boxes; each box was stuffed full with 30 different items ranging from hat, gloves, socks, hot cocoa, coffee, cups, crackers, cookies and a list of all kinds of foods. All three of these families took the train back up to Chicago. They proceeded to walk the streets of Chicago and passed out the gift boxes to the homeless. My first question I asked her is what did the homeless do when they received the care package? She said some opened them up as fast as they could and stuffed everything in their pockets as if someone was going to take it away from them. Others were so humble but yet so grateful.

Double wow! My heart sunk. How many of us take extra time, money and effort to give? Yes, there are people out there that truly care about others. Most of us are more worried about our own well-being than about others.

I truly thank all the families in the world that host. Thank you for opening up your heart and home. The experience and knowledge you gain is cherished forever. You gain a new exchange son or daughter in which you have a life-long friendship. You family learns about other countries and their exchange son's or daughter's cultures.

Interested in hosting, call our toll free number or log onto our Web sites.

Indiana office is at 877-283-5470.

www.asainternational.com (nationwide Web site)

www.asaicrossroads.com (local Web site)

Danita Keirn
Warsaw

Fine Music

Editor, Times-Union:
This response is written in reply to the letter to the editor by Joe Conlon, 1-18-05.

I happen to be a fan of most all types of fine music including the fine performance you mentioned in your letter. What is fine music? To me, Box Car Willie playing his harmonica singing the "Wabash Cannonball," or Hank Williams playing his guitar singing "Your Cheating Heart" is fine music. For 35 years, I have attended the fine concerts put on by Grace College, can you match that record? What kind of music would you expect to hear at a Sports Complex, Johannes Brahms?

Joe, get real! Who are you to define fine music, it is only in the ears of the beholder.

May I suggest that if you do not like the music at the Gordon Sports Center, you go elsewhere.

Dick Leaf
Winona Lake

Hunting Facts

Editor, Times-Union:
I find myself, once again, correcting information that Barbara Kintzel has printed in the Times-Union Opinion section concerning hunting facts.

Ms. Kintzel, you have said on a number of occasions that for non-species elk "according to Tri-County Fish and Wildlife area there is no limit as to the caliber of gun that can be used" you failed to mention that the property manager at Tri-County suggested that you contact IDNR law enforcement to confirm. If you had done as was suggested you would have been told by Region 1 law enforcement personnel that the only guns that are legal to kill elk in Indiana are the guns that are legal to kill a whitetail deer. and the same guns are also legal to shoot some native species such as squirrel, rabbit and groundhog. And according to the 2004/2005 DNR hunting guide there is no caliber requirements for shooting coyotes. Also should a farmer have sufficient crop damage he can apply for a damage control permit, get up to 10 permits that allow up to five hunters to bag whitetail deer with no caliber restrictions.

Please do yourself a favor and call Region 1 Law Enforcement, phone number 574-457-8092 and/or 812-334-1137 and confirm that I am correct, again.

Also Ms. Kintzel, you mistakenly assumed you knew who I was referring to when I said you didn't put signs up protesting when one of your neighbors hunted the same parcel before the present owner purchased it.

And your mistaken assumption prompted a response from Lisa Rector concerning her grandfather, Delmar Gilbert. Ms. Rector I assure you I do not know your grandfather, though I'm certain he was a decent caring person. The person I referred to is one of the close neighbors now. He wrote a letter to the Cervid Council stating that he hunted the land before the present owner purchased it. There is record of that fact though I do not intend to publish his name. anyone who wants information on this issue is free contact me at [email protected] or call me at 574-267-5608. Hopefully we can put this issue to rest soon.

Jack Hyden
Indiana Beagler's Alliance

via e-mail

Accident Help

Editor, Times-Union:
It was a terrible icy morning on January 5th and I was on my way to work, but I didn't make it that morning.

As I approached the curves on CR 175E, the black ice took control of my SUV and myself. In an instant I was flying through the air and landed driver's side down in the dirt and mud.

I searched to find my cell phone to call 911 and as I was speaking with the 911 dispatcher, I heard a voice outside and I knew someone had found me and I am so grateful to two wonderful guys who stayed with me and kept me warm until emergency personnel arrived.

I would like to thank Alec Cruz and Wayne Henderson for being my guardian angels. I will never forget your kindness to me.

I would also like to thank the Leesburg Fire Department, Plain Township EMS & EMTs, Multi-Township EMS, Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department and 911 Dispatcher.

A great big thank-you to my fellow colleagues and friends at KCH Emergency Room and Radiology departments for their loving care. And to my wonderful KCH volunteers for taking care of business in my absence.

Thanks for all the love and caring from my family and friends and for all who called, sent cards and e-mail and stopped by to see me.

I am truly blessed to be alive and there aren't enough words to express my gratitude to all those who helped me that morning. May God bless all of you.

Brenda Foster
Warsaw
via e-mail

Elections

Editor, Times-Union:
Iraq is having elections. Traffic is being banned three days prior and polling places are being kept secret. Sixty percent of Iraqis don't know what they're voting for and think they're expecting a "president."

Gee, sounds a lot like the last two presidential "elections" in the U.S.

Janet Collins
Etna Green

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- Exchange Program - Fine Music - Hunting Facts - Accident Help - Elections


Exchange Program

Editor, Times-Union:
How big is your heart?
I am a local community representative for an exchange program called ASA International. Our organization helps in assisting exchange students from 45 different countries and placing them in American host families. It is our mission to promote understanding, respect and peace among people of the world. I have a story to tell that I felt was so heart-wrenching that I needed to share with other people.

Every year our organization plans a trip to Chicago in November in which we take the South Shore train. This trip is for host families and their exchange students to experience Chicago for the day. They can plan and see things that each family is interested in. Upon returning home that evening, I asked one of our local families that host, the Bowers, and their exchange student from Germany, "What did they enjoy most about Chicago?" They named the places and museums that they visited. Then they mentioned the best time they had was passing out money to the homeless. Just watching the faces of the homeless was pure joy and more satisfaction than the words thank you from them.

Wow! When I heard that story I was truly amazed. What a caring family. That is the kind of family that our organization is looking for to host. It made me think how selfish as people some of us become. How many times do we turn our heads and walk away from people in dire need of help or spreading just a little bit of kindness? Actually there is more to this story.

In December, I called this family back just to see how things were going. Mrs. Bowers proceeded to tell me that their youngest children really had nothing in particular that they wanted for Chirstmas but desired to give things they had to the homeless in Chicago. So the Bowers and more of their relatives, the Hackworths and the Andersons, gathered and bought more supplies to make up gift boxes. They accumulated 21 gift boxes; each box was stuffed full with 30 different items ranging from hat, gloves, socks, hot cocoa, coffee, cups, crackers, cookies and a list of all kinds of foods. All three of these families took the train back up to Chicago. They proceeded to walk the streets of Chicago and passed out the gift boxes to the homeless. My first question I asked her is what did the homeless do when they received the care package? She said some opened them up as fast as they could and stuffed everything in their pockets as if someone was going to take it away from them. Others were so humble but yet so grateful.

Double wow! My heart sunk. How many of us take extra time, money and effort to give? Yes, there are people out there that truly care about others. Most of us are more worried about our own well-being than about others.

I truly thank all the families in the world that host. Thank you for opening up your heart and home. The experience and knowledge you gain is cherished forever. You gain a new exchange son or daughter in which you have a life-long friendship. You family learns about other countries and their exchange son's or daughter's cultures.

Interested in hosting, call our toll free number or log onto our Web sites.

Indiana office is at 877-283-5470.

www.asainternational.com (nationwide Web site)

www.asaicrossroads.com (local Web site)

Danita Keirn
Warsaw

Fine Music

Editor, Times-Union:
This response is written in reply to the letter to the editor by Joe Conlon, 1-18-05.

I happen to be a fan of most all types of fine music including the fine performance you mentioned in your letter. What is fine music? To me, Box Car Willie playing his harmonica singing the "Wabash Cannonball," or Hank Williams playing his guitar singing "Your Cheating Heart" is fine music. For 35 years, I have attended the fine concerts put on by Grace College, can you match that record? What kind of music would you expect to hear at a Sports Complex, Johannes Brahms?

Joe, get real! Who are you to define fine music, it is only in the ears of the beholder.

May I suggest that if you do not like the music at the Gordon Sports Center, you go elsewhere.

Dick Leaf
Winona Lake

Hunting Facts

Editor, Times-Union:
I find myself, once again, correcting information that Barbara Kintzel has printed in the Times-Union Opinion section concerning hunting facts.

Ms. Kintzel, you have said on a number of occasions that for non-species elk "according to Tri-County Fish and Wildlife area there is no limit as to the caliber of gun that can be used" you failed to mention that the property manager at Tri-County suggested that you contact IDNR law enforcement to confirm. If you had done as was suggested you would have been told by Region 1 law enforcement personnel that the only guns that are legal to kill elk in Indiana are the guns that are legal to kill a whitetail deer. and the same guns are also legal to shoot some native species such as squirrel, rabbit and groundhog. And according to the 2004/2005 DNR hunting guide there is no caliber requirements for shooting coyotes. Also should a farmer have sufficient crop damage he can apply for a damage control permit, get up to 10 permits that allow up to five hunters to bag whitetail deer with no caliber restrictions.

Please do yourself a favor and call Region 1 Law Enforcement, phone number 574-457-8092 and/or 812-334-1137 and confirm that I am correct, again.

Also Ms. Kintzel, you mistakenly assumed you knew who I was referring to when I said you didn't put signs up protesting when one of your neighbors hunted the same parcel before the present owner purchased it.

And your mistaken assumption prompted a response from Lisa Rector concerning her grandfather, Delmar Gilbert. Ms. Rector I assure you I do not know your grandfather, though I'm certain he was a decent caring person. The person I referred to is one of the close neighbors now. He wrote a letter to the Cervid Council stating that he hunted the land before the present owner purchased it. There is record of that fact though I do not intend to publish his name. anyone who wants information on this issue is free contact me at [email protected] or call me at 574-267-5608. Hopefully we can put this issue to rest soon.

Jack Hyden
Indiana Beagler's Alliance

via e-mail

Accident Help

Editor, Times-Union:
It was a terrible icy morning on January 5th and I was on my way to work, but I didn't make it that morning.

As I approached the curves on CR 175E, the black ice took control of my SUV and myself. In an instant I was flying through the air and landed driver's side down in the dirt and mud.

I searched to find my cell phone to call 911 and as I was speaking with the 911 dispatcher, I heard a voice outside and I knew someone had found me and I am so grateful to two wonderful guys who stayed with me and kept me warm until emergency personnel arrived.

I would like to thank Alec Cruz and Wayne Henderson for being my guardian angels. I will never forget your kindness to me.

I would also like to thank the Leesburg Fire Department, Plain Township EMS & EMTs, Multi-Township EMS, Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department and 911 Dispatcher.

A great big thank-you to my fellow colleagues and friends at KCH Emergency Room and Radiology departments for their loving care. And to my wonderful KCH volunteers for taking care of business in my absence.

Thanks for all the love and caring from my family and friends and for all who called, sent cards and e-mail and stopped by to see me.

I am truly blessed to be alive and there aren't enough words to express my gratitude to all those who helped me that morning. May God bless all of you.

Brenda Foster
Warsaw
via e-mail

Elections

Editor, Times-Union:
Iraq is having elections. Traffic is being banned three days prior and polling places are being kept secret. Sixty percent of Iraqis don't know what they're voting for and think they're expecting a "president."

Gee, sounds a lot like the last two presidential "elections" in the U.S.

Janet Collins
Etna Green

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