Letters to the Editor 05-09-2006
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Recycle Right - Preserving Nature - Funny Play
Recycle Right
Editor, Times-Union:The Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District has provided recycling bins for area residents for more than 10 years. While most residents appreciate this service and use the bins to reduce their daily trash and to extend the life of many natural resources, a few abuse the program. We have done our best to provide this service at a reasonable cost to area residents. I know that personally I will be paying a little over $4 for this service this year.
In order to keep the cost low, the district must have the help of area residents in reducing the abuse of the bins. Just this morning, May 4, our recycler reported that some abusive residents left a washer, dryer and refrigerator at the Syracuse station. We also have had repeated stealing at Syracuse. At Leesburg, trash, mattresses, box springs, etc. recently have been left. At Pierceton, bags of trash were hidden in the cardboard bin and a stack of chairs were left. Even though all glass bins specifically state "no window or auto glass", a whole bin at Mentone had to be disposed of because of window glass. Each time the recycler has to collect these thing and takes them to the landfill, it increases his cost dramatically.
In order for recycling to work, all residents must follow the rules. We are not your trash service. The district paid $75.72 per ton to have the recycling picked up. If you want recycling to continue, please help the District by reporting the license plate number to our office (574-372-3087) or to your local police department. There are laws and fines requiring open dumping and littering. These laws and fines will be enforced!
Trash disposal does cost, it is not free - but what is? Why do a few try to ruin a great program for everyone? I don't have the answer, I just know that the district wants to provide these services, but we need everyone's cooperation. We do not have the funds to hire someone to police the sites, we need your help. The alternative would be to close down the sites of the most abuse! Stop the abuse - please only recycle glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, steel cans, aluminum cans, cardboard, mixed paper, newspaper!
Recycle right. If you don't, who will?
Sue Studebaker, via e-mail
Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District Director
Warsaw
Preserving Nature
Editor, Times-Union:Recently my son, who lives near the wildlife preserve, called to tell me that a man had just killed 10 swans on Backwater Lake in North Webster. Approximately 25 property owners called to the man from shore to stop shooting, but to their disbelief the man produced a permit allowing him to shoot as many as he wanted.
I called the DNR to see if it is true that a permit has been issued to kill the Mute Swans on Backwater Lake with no limit and was informed that indeed it is true. This turn of events sickens me. People move to these rural areas to experience nature, then when nature gets a little too close, they complain about it. Perhaps they should move to the urban areas where the wildlife is smaller and less in abundance. Furthermore, swans are in nesting season, making them very easy prey. Our family waited 25 years to have a swan come back to our lake (not Backwater), and were happy to see them finally return. Our grandkids now love to watch them. We love to see them flying gracefully over the lake, and to watch throughout the summer as they raise their families. We know that they are not native to our area. However, as land developers keep developing more and more of wildlifes' territory, they have to find other places to live. Give them a break! Why are wetlands preserved, if not to protect the wildlife and give them a habitat where they can nest and raise their young safely?
Our family has enjoyed living on water, near wildlife, for almost 40 years. During this time, we have learned that nature controls how many critters (both land and air) that any given area can support. The problems occur when caring people start feeding these animals. It throws off the balance of nature, and we end up with too many. No one should be feeding these birds, they are not pets; they are wild and meant to be admired from a distance. The end result of these feedings is that the wildlife pays for our mistakes. How sad. How is it that the DNR can enforce laws to keep people from fishing without a license, but not to keep people from feeding wildlife?
No one likes ducks, geese and swans coming into their manicured lawns and relieving themselves, and may I suggest a solution that has worked for us and many of our neighbors for years: run a kite string between two poles about 1 foot from the ground across your yard, where land meets water. Waterfowl will not cross this line, and it encourages them to go to the wetlands where they belong.
We could learn lessons from these Mute Swans. They not only mate for life, both mom and dad take care of their young until they can fly. Too bad some humans don't do as well. Can't something be done before they are all gone again? Open season on these beautiful waterfowl should be reconsidered. Instead, laws should be passed, carrying steep fines forbidding people to feed them. And they should not be allowed to be killed during nesting season. At the very least, a controlled number of permits should be issued, and a limit made to the number of birds that can be taken, not carte blanche for a hunter to go out and shoot every Mute Swan he can find.
My sympathy to the responsible nature lovers on Backwater Lake. It would seem that one person has been allowed to destroy the harmony there.
Linda Rapp, via e-mail
Leesburg
Funny Play
Editor, Times-Union:I escaped my house to see a very funny play ("Fools") at the middle school Friday night. Not a simple guffaw but a real belly laugh. The cast members were all good, but my great hero of years ago was Snidely Whiplash of "Dudley Doright" fame and Skyler Scott brought it all back. I have recently had some business in Hollywood. Watch out for this guy.
I assume the dedication to the Baker Youth Club is honoring an old Warsaw Junior High School teacher of mine. Bob Lichenwalter is a person I will never forget. He had an eye problem and, believe me, if you tried anything funny in his class, it was suicide. Good teacher though!
I see the Democrats are up tight about the picture I.D. for voting. It appears the Democrat party is continuing to shoot themselves in the foot no matter what the cost.
I am still a registered Democrat, having won the nomination in the 43rd congressional district in 1980 and a run for U. S. senate in '82. 55,000 votes for congress in '80, 90,000 votes for U.S. senate in '82. Running on the issue of "no" to illegal aliens. Come on, Democrats, its the best issue you can run with. Or is the party here just as suicidal as in Southern California?
Tom Metzger, via e-mail
Warsaw
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- Recycle Right - Preserving Nature - Funny Play
Recycle Right
Editor, Times-Union:The Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District has provided recycling bins for area residents for more than 10 years. While most residents appreciate this service and use the bins to reduce their daily trash and to extend the life of many natural resources, a few abuse the program. We have done our best to provide this service at a reasonable cost to area residents. I know that personally I will be paying a little over $4 for this service this year.
In order to keep the cost low, the district must have the help of area residents in reducing the abuse of the bins. Just this morning, May 4, our recycler reported that some abusive residents left a washer, dryer and refrigerator at the Syracuse station. We also have had repeated stealing at Syracuse. At Leesburg, trash, mattresses, box springs, etc. recently have been left. At Pierceton, bags of trash were hidden in the cardboard bin and a stack of chairs were left. Even though all glass bins specifically state "no window or auto glass", a whole bin at Mentone had to be disposed of because of window glass. Each time the recycler has to collect these thing and takes them to the landfill, it increases his cost dramatically.
In order for recycling to work, all residents must follow the rules. We are not your trash service. The district paid $75.72 per ton to have the recycling picked up. If you want recycling to continue, please help the District by reporting the license plate number to our office (574-372-3087) or to your local police department. There are laws and fines requiring open dumping and littering. These laws and fines will be enforced!
Trash disposal does cost, it is not free - but what is? Why do a few try to ruin a great program for everyone? I don't have the answer, I just know that the district wants to provide these services, but we need everyone's cooperation. We do not have the funds to hire someone to police the sites, we need your help. The alternative would be to close down the sites of the most abuse! Stop the abuse - please only recycle glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, steel cans, aluminum cans, cardboard, mixed paper, newspaper!
Recycle right. If you don't, who will?
Sue Studebaker, via e-mail
Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District Director
Warsaw
Preserving Nature
Editor, Times-Union:Recently my son, who lives near the wildlife preserve, called to tell me that a man had just killed 10 swans on Backwater Lake in North Webster. Approximately 25 property owners called to the man from shore to stop shooting, but to their disbelief the man produced a permit allowing him to shoot as many as he wanted.
I called the DNR to see if it is true that a permit has been issued to kill the Mute Swans on Backwater Lake with no limit and was informed that indeed it is true. This turn of events sickens me. People move to these rural areas to experience nature, then when nature gets a little too close, they complain about it. Perhaps they should move to the urban areas where the wildlife is smaller and less in abundance. Furthermore, swans are in nesting season, making them very easy prey. Our family waited 25 years to have a swan come back to our lake (not Backwater), and were happy to see them finally return. Our grandkids now love to watch them. We love to see them flying gracefully over the lake, and to watch throughout the summer as they raise their families. We know that they are not native to our area. However, as land developers keep developing more and more of wildlifes' territory, they have to find other places to live. Give them a break! Why are wetlands preserved, if not to protect the wildlife and give them a habitat where they can nest and raise their young safely?
Our family has enjoyed living on water, near wildlife, for almost 40 years. During this time, we have learned that nature controls how many critters (both land and air) that any given area can support. The problems occur when caring people start feeding these animals. It throws off the balance of nature, and we end up with too many. No one should be feeding these birds, they are not pets; they are wild and meant to be admired from a distance. The end result of these feedings is that the wildlife pays for our mistakes. How sad. How is it that the DNR can enforce laws to keep people from fishing without a license, but not to keep people from feeding wildlife?
No one likes ducks, geese and swans coming into their manicured lawns and relieving themselves, and may I suggest a solution that has worked for us and many of our neighbors for years: run a kite string between two poles about 1 foot from the ground across your yard, where land meets water. Waterfowl will not cross this line, and it encourages them to go to the wetlands where they belong.
We could learn lessons from these Mute Swans. They not only mate for life, both mom and dad take care of their young until they can fly. Too bad some humans don't do as well. Can't something be done before they are all gone again? Open season on these beautiful waterfowl should be reconsidered. Instead, laws should be passed, carrying steep fines forbidding people to feed them. And they should not be allowed to be killed during nesting season. At the very least, a controlled number of permits should be issued, and a limit made to the number of birds that can be taken, not carte blanche for a hunter to go out and shoot every Mute Swan he can find.
My sympathy to the responsible nature lovers on Backwater Lake. It would seem that one person has been allowed to destroy the harmony there.
Linda Rapp, via e-mail
Leesburg
Funny Play
Editor, Times-Union:I escaped my house to see a very funny play ("Fools") at the middle school Friday night. Not a simple guffaw but a real belly laugh. The cast members were all good, but my great hero of years ago was Snidely Whiplash of "Dudley Doright" fame and Skyler Scott brought it all back. I have recently had some business in Hollywood. Watch out for this guy.
I assume the dedication to the Baker Youth Club is honoring an old Warsaw Junior High School teacher of mine. Bob Lichenwalter is a person I will never forget. He had an eye problem and, believe me, if you tried anything funny in his class, it was suicide. Good teacher though!
I see the Democrats are up tight about the picture I.D. for voting. It appears the Democrat party is continuing to shoot themselves in the foot no matter what the cost.
I am still a registered Democrat, having won the nomination in the 43rd congressional district in 1980 and a run for U. S. senate in '82. 55,000 votes for congress in '80, 90,000 votes for U.S. senate in '82. Running on the issue of "no" to illegal aliens. Come on, Democrats, its the best issue you can run with. Or is the party here just as suicidal as in Southern California?
Tom Metzger, via e-mail
Warsaw
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