Letters to the Editor 08-26-2005
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Jail System Inhumane - Roving Chef Project - Truth And Daylight - Heads On Backward - Time Zone Frivolity - Central Time Better - Feels Misquoted - Bad, Dog, Bad - Keep It Clean - Time Choice
Jail System Inhumane
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to say I am outraged at our county jail system. I understand that if you do a crime there are consequences. One thing I do not understand is how they can get away locking up a person for 39 hours straight in their cell. I thought they were only allowed to do that for 23 hours and one hour a day had to be allowed for exercise. I feel that 39 hours is inhumane.
Could someone explain this to me?
Michelle Knapp
Warsaw
Roving Chef Project
Editor, Times-Union:The Roving Chef started a project this summer. I have adopted two families from Kenya, Africa, and after talking to them, I have found out that people in Kenya have a great need for t-shirts in child size 3 to XXX adult as well as dried food and G.I.-type bagged meals. I have been informed that most of the foods sent over there by our government are put on the black market and only the wealthy can get it. On Nov. 5, there is a group of Christians going to Kenya on a mission trip and I would like to ask the public for help with these much-needed items.
It costs 20 cents a pound to send these with the group. To help deflate that expense, I have been canning all types of food products to sell to the public, so I can also use canning lids and jars of all sizes as well as any left-over gardening or meat products. I will be setting up a table at Kmart Saturdays starting the fourth Saturday of August and Big Lots Fridays during that same time until all items are sold.
For more information, please contact Charlie at [email protected] or phone 260-839-5480. Other donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 705, Pierceton, IN 46562. Monetary donations should be memoed to Kenya Project.
Thank you very much for your help in this matter.
Charlie Johnson-Parker
The Roving Chef
Pierceton
Truth And Daylight
Editor, Times-Union:In reply to Dixie Syndram, in Tuesday's paper you implied that I was not telling the truth about it being dark on Aug. 15 and 16 at 5:30 a.m.
Madame, I was up and driving through Warsaw on both of those mornings. I observed how dark it was at that time because I wanted to use it in my letter. It was dark on both days at that time. Every streetlight I observed was burning. Looking at the eastern horizon, one could only see the slightest hint of it beginning to lighten. And if you go to the Web site of the U.S. Naval observatory (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html), you will see that sunrise was not until 5:53 a.m. on the 15th and a minute later on the 16th. In fact, if you read on in the table you see that on Oct. 31st the sun does not rise until 7:14 a.m., that would be 8:14 a.m. eastern time.
I suggest that it is you, madame, who has difficulty with the truth.
Jim Martin
Leesburg, via e-mail
Heads On Backward
Editor, Times-Union:I really believe the people of this country have their heads screwed on backward.
We scream and holler and jump up and down about canned hunts and at the same time murder a million unborn babies a year.
Gotta be something wrong with all this.
Harold L. Kitson
Warsaw
Time Zone Frivolity
Editor, Times-Union:What time is it? Time zones were man made to try to match the movement of the earth in relation to our position with the sun. As a kid, my grandfather used sun time. He would look at the sun's position at a certain time of the day and set his clock accordingly. Our regular time for Indiana at the time was Central Standard. He set his clock 20 minutes ahead of this based on his findings of the sun. So, if this is the true time, all of us would be having different times based on the location of the sun where we live. We have been using a time zone method that has been serving its purpose and not all people will be pleased should change be made. Whatever time zone I am in, I'll just look at the clock and proceed accordingly.
We have truly serious problems and we're wasting our effort for what time to set our clocks? We are at war and young men and women are paying the supreme sacrifice, but most of all the people are just going on doing our own good-times thing. We need to spend our efforts for truly important things and quit the frivolity.
Fred R. Yohey
Warsaw
Central Time Better
Editor, Times-Union:This writer is a retiree with 51 years of experience as a pastor in Michigan, Indiana, St. Louis, Cleveland and now "back home again in Indiana." My wife and I have lived both in Eastern Time and Central Time, besides "Indiana Time." During these years, I've noticed something that no one to my knowledge has mentioned regarding the differences between living in Central versus Eastern Time. Now that Indiana is supposed to go on Daylight Saving (?) Time "like the rest of the county," I've concluded that it's time to bring out the following facts.
1) Sleep heals, refreshes and enables people in general to face life more objectively, thus causing people to think more clearly and to function more rationally and effectively both at home and at work.
2) Therefore, one hour less sleep the year round adds up to more cause for people to require professional counseling on the average.
3) In the Eastern Time Zone, people tend more to lose that hour of sleep than in the Central Time Zone, since televised sports (baseball, basketball and especially Monday and Thursday night football) plus the late-night news and talk shows are usually broadcast one hour later, thus causing a one-hour loss of precious time for refreshing, objectifying sleep.
Of course, there are many exceptions to the above, but in general people in the Central Time Zone get an hour more sleep than those who live in the Eastern Time Zone. And this fact generally tends to produce less objectivity and more reliance on frayed emotions in decision making in the Eastern Time Zone. (This may also have something to do with the red-state/blue-state phenomenon as well, but I don't want to get into that right now!)
For the general welfare and for clearer, more objective thinking among Hoosiers, therefore, I plead that as many counties as possible in Indiana should opt for Central Time.
Raymond A. Mueller
North Webster
Feels Misquoted
Editor, Times-Union:In reference to an article printed in Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005's paper "Winona Resident Miffed By Citation."
After reading the article in tonight's paper, and seeing the misquotes as to what I said, I would like to properly represent myself as to what I said at the board meeting.
I was not miffed at getting the citation ... for I did see the sign, and knew I was wrong. What I was miffed at, was as I was getting the citation, there was a gentlemen doing a brake job on his car right there beside us, also a citable offense ... obviously having a boat trailer in the parking lot was worse I guess.
Also, I had only been warned once, before, as the other boats in the park that the police came to me about previously, belonged to someone else, and I notified them to remove them ASAP. I do feel there is an overexuberance to the use of citations, when, for most of us ... a friendly warning would suffice.
I want to reiterate, I believe the police in Winona Lake are doing a very good job, and want them keep up the good work. I am just curious and concerned as to what seems like selective ticketing.
Robert Hudson
Winona Lake, via e-mail
Editor's Note: A review of a tape of the meeting shows Hudson was accurately quoted.
Bad, Dog, Bad
Editor, Times-Union:I have finally had it! It's time to vent! Maybe, just maybe, I'll reach at least one person out there and make a slight change in their thinking.
I am an avid cyclist and runner. I love to ride, and run, in the country. It's great exercise, it makes me more healthy, and it feels great. What I'm tired of is: dogs that chase you, and their owners that could care less, and drivers that are in such a hurry that they can't wait a few seconds to pass you when the traffic is heavy.
My run tonight prompted this letter. I had a dog come out to chase me, barking and teeth showing. I'm yelling for the owners to call their dog. They finally come out and the dog goes back. But you know, a dog coming at you barking, with teeth showing is scary. That doesn't look like a dog that wants to "run along with me" as the owner yelled. I yelled at the owner to please control their dog. I don't want to tangle with a dog. I won't win. Then what made me even more mad was the owner's response to my request that they control their dog. "Nobody's listening to you", was what they said. Well, you should.
You know, I love dogs. I've always had a dog, but you must either teach your dog to not chase runners, walkers and cyclists or keep it confined. I have had so many dogs chase me this summer that it's getting ridiculous and very dangerous. I would think that if a dog causes bodily injury to someone, while they're on a public road, that the owner is responsible for medical bills, etc., resulting from the tangle with the dog. Please, control your dog.
Also, when you're driving and you come up behind a cyclist, please wait until the oncoming traffic clears before you pass. Most of the time you will only wait 30 seconds or less. Everybody seems to be in such a hurry anymore and waiting a few seconds isn't very long and it's so much safer for everyone.
Thank you for reading this and I hope some of you give it some thought. Those of us who cycle, run and walk on country roads aren't going away. If anything, there will be more of us out there as people find out how good exercising makes you feel. Go for a bike ride and see how beautiful it is to see the country from a bike. Except for the dogs that chase you.
Steve Knouff
Warsaw, via e-mail
Keep It Clean
Editor, Times-Union:We have a beautiful - and for the most part clean - downtown. We love to see people casually walking and enjoying the streets and shops. We even welcome your pets to come and enjoy the downtown area as well.
However, we have noticed that some people have been allowing their animals to do their "duty" on the city sidewalks and in our beautiful flower beds. Please do what you can to clean up after your animal and keep them from killing off the flowers that add color to our downtown.
Carmen Lock
Executive Director, WCDC
Warsaw, via e-mail
Time Choice
Editor, Times-Union:Who needs a watch?
If I'm in a county that's near a time demarcation line, who outside that area will vote my way?
If they are nearer Chicago, they'll vote for Central time, and if near Detroit, vote for Eastern Standard time. The choice is up to the numbers in that state, or so we are told. Either way the public loses the daily daylight hour that is perceived so precious by folks that own businesses, at the expense of their workers in those businesses because of global economies or greed for power.
The workers may say that they spend that daily hour indifferent to the natural weather anyway, forgetting about the light not heat in the winter. I have to wonder how fitting it is to use Chicago's time, for half the year and then to use Detroit's for the rest. That's what we do now, and it seems to be right. The argument we used to get is: how backward the "Hoosiers" would be, not keeping a daylight saving plan with the rest of the nation. The State of Indiana may be in an unusual geometric location compared to the other states.
But if you throw the gauntlet down enough times, sooner or later the public picks it up. How many times did our government listen to that argument or suggestion before it became a law the recent governor championed?
R. E. Snizek
Warsaw, via e-mail
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- Jail System Inhumane - Roving Chef Project - Truth And Daylight - Heads On Backward - Time Zone Frivolity - Central Time Better - Feels Misquoted - Bad, Dog, Bad - Keep It Clean - Time Choice
Jail System Inhumane
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to say I am outraged at our county jail system. I understand that if you do a crime there are consequences. One thing I do not understand is how they can get away locking up a person for 39 hours straight in their cell. I thought they were only allowed to do that for 23 hours and one hour a day had to be allowed for exercise. I feel that 39 hours is inhumane.
Could someone explain this to me?
Michelle Knapp
Warsaw
Roving Chef Project
Editor, Times-Union:The Roving Chef started a project this summer. I have adopted two families from Kenya, Africa, and after talking to them, I have found out that people in Kenya have a great need for t-shirts in child size 3 to XXX adult as well as dried food and G.I.-type bagged meals. I have been informed that most of the foods sent over there by our government are put on the black market and only the wealthy can get it. On Nov. 5, there is a group of Christians going to Kenya on a mission trip and I would like to ask the public for help with these much-needed items.
It costs 20 cents a pound to send these with the group. To help deflate that expense, I have been canning all types of food products to sell to the public, so I can also use canning lids and jars of all sizes as well as any left-over gardening or meat products. I will be setting up a table at Kmart Saturdays starting the fourth Saturday of August and Big Lots Fridays during that same time until all items are sold.
For more information, please contact Charlie at [email protected] or phone 260-839-5480. Other donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 705, Pierceton, IN 46562. Monetary donations should be memoed to Kenya Project.
Thank you very much for your help in this matter.
Charlie Johnson-Parker
The Roving Chef
Pierceton
Truth And Daylight
Editor, Times-Union:In reply to Dixie Syndram, in Tuesday's paper you implied that I was not telling the truth about it being dark on Aug. 15 and 16 at 5:30 a.m.
Madame, I was up and driving through Warsaw on both of those mornings. I observed how dark it was at that time because I wanted to use it in my letter. It was dark on both days at that time. Every streetlight I observed was burning. Looking at the eastern horizon, one could only see the slightest hint of it beginning to lighten. And if you go to the Web site of the U.S. Naval observatory (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html), you will see that sunrise was not until 5:53 a.m. on the 15th and a minute later on the 16th. In fact, if you read on in the table you see that on Oct. 31st the sun does not rise until 7:14 a.m., that would be 8:14 a.m. eastern time.
I suggest that it is you, madame, who has difficulty with the truth.
Jim Martin
Leesburg, via e-mail
Heads On Backward
Editor, Times-Union:I really believe the people of this country have their heads screwed on backward.
We scream and holler and jump up and down about canned hunts and at the same time murder a million unborn babies a year.
Gotta be something wrong with all this.
Harold L. Kitson
Warsaw
Time Zone Frivolity
Editor, Times-Union:What time is it? Time zones were man made to try to match the movement of the earth in relation to our position with the sun. As a kid, my grandfather used sun time. He would look at the sun's position at a certain time of the day and set his clock accordingly. Our regular time for Indiana at the time was Central Standard. He set his clock 20 minutes ahead of this based on his findings of the sun. So, if this is the true time, all of us would be having different times based on the location of the sun where we live. We have been using a time zone method that has been serving its purpose and not all people will be pleased should change be made. Whatever time zone I am in, I'll just look at the clock and proceed accordingly.
We have truly serious problems and we're wasting our effort for what time to set our clocks? We are at war and young men and women are paying the supreme sacrifice, but most of all the people are just going on doing our own good-times thing. We need to spend our efforts for truly important things and quit the frivolity.
Fred R. Yohey
Warsaw
Central Time Better
Editor, Times-Union:This writer is a retiree with 51 years of experience as a pastor in Michigan, Indiana, St. Louis, Cleveland and now "back home again in Indiana." My wife and I have lived both in Eastern Time and Central Time, besides "Indiana Time." During these years, I've noticed something that no one to my knowledge has mentioned regarding the differences between living in Central versus Eastern Time. Now that Indiana is supposed to go on Daylight Saving (?) Time "like the rest of the county," I've concluded that it's time to bring out the following facts.
1) Sleep heals, refreshes and enables people in general to face life more objectively, thus causing people to think more clearly and to function more rationally and effectively both at home and at work.
2) Therefore, one hour less sleep the year round adds up to more cause for people to require professional counseling on the average.
3) In the Eastern Time Zone, people tend more to lose that hour of sleep than in the Central Time Zone, since televised sports (baseball, basketball and especially Monday and Thursday night football) plus the late-night news and talk shows are usually broadcast one hour later, thus causing a one-hour loss of precious time for refreshing, objectifying sleep.
Of course, there are many exceptions to the above, but in general people in the Central Time Zone get an hour more sleep than those who live in the Eastern Time Zone. And this fact generally tends to produce less objectivity and more reliance on frayed emotions in decision making in the Eastern Time Zone. (This may also have something to do with the red-state/blue-state phenomenon as well, but I don't want to get into that right now!)
For the general welfare and for clearer, more objective thinking among Hoosiers, therefore, I plead that as many counties as possible in Indiana should opt for Central Time.
Raymond A. Mueller
North Webster
Feels Misquoted
Editor, Times-Union:In reference to an article printed in Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005's paper "Winona Resident Miffed By Citation."
After reading the article in tonight's paper, and seeing the misquotes as to what I said, I would like to properly represent myself as to what I said at the board meeting.
I was not miffed at getting the citation ... for I did see the sign, and knew I was wrong. What I was miffed at, was as I was getting the citation, there was a gentlemen doing a brake job on his car right there beside us, also a citable offense ... obviously having a boat trailer in the parking lot was worse I guess.
Also, I had only been warned once, before, as the other boats in the park that the police came to me about previously, belonged to someone else, and I notified them to remove them ASAP. I do feel there is an overexuberance to the use of citations, when, for most of us ... a friendly warning would suffice.
I want to reiterate, I believe the police in Winona Lake are doing a very good job, and want them keep up the good work. I am just curious and concerned as to what seems like selective ticketing.
Robert Hudson
Winona Lake, via e-mail
Editor's Note: A review of a tape of the meeting shows Hudson was accurately quoted.
Bad, Dog, Bad
Editor, Times-Union:I have finally had it! It's time to vent! Maybe, just maybe, I'll reach at least one person out there and make a slight change in their thinking.
I am an avid cyclist and runner. I love to ride, and run, in the country. It's great exercise, it makes me more healthy, and it feels great. What I'm tired of is: dogs that chase you, and their owners that could care less, and drivers that are in such a hurry that they can't wait a few seconds to pass you when the traffic is heavy.
My run tonight prompted this letter. I had a dog come out to chase me, barking and teeth showing. I'm yelling for the owners to call their dog. They finally come out and the dog goes back. But you know, a dog coming at you barking, with teeth showing is scary. That doesn't look like a dog that wants to "run along with me" as the owner yelled. I yelled at the owner to please control their dog. I don't want to tangle with a dog. I won't win. Then what made me even more mad was the owner's response to my request that they control their dog. "Nobody's listening to you", was what they said. Well, you should.
You know, I love dogs. I've always had a dog, but you must either teach your dog to not chase runners, walkers and cyclists or keep it confined. I have had so many dogs chase me this summer that it's getting ridiculous and very dangerous. I would think that if a dog causes bodily injury to someone, while they're on a public road, that the owner is responsible for medical bills, etc., resulting from the tangle with the dog. Please, control your dog.
Also, when you're driving and you come up behind a cyclist, please wait until the oncoming traffic clears before you pass. Most of the time you will only wait 30 seconds or less. Everybody seems to be in such a hurry anymore and waiting a few seconds isn't very long and it's so much safer for everyone.
Thank you for reading this and I hope some of you give it some thought. Those of us who cycle, run and walk on country roads aren't going away. If anything, there will be more of us out there as people find out how good exercising makes you feel. Go for a bike ride and see how beautiful it is to see the country from a bike. Except for the dogs that chase you.
Steve Knouff
Warsaw, via e-mail
Keep It Clean
Editor, Times-Union:We have a beautiful - and for the most part clean - downtown. We love to see people casually walking and enjoying the streets and shops. We even welcome your pets to come and enjoy the downtown area as well.
However, we have noticed that some people have been allowing their animals to do their "duty" on the city sidewalks and in our beautiful flower beds. Please do what you can to clean up after your animal and keep them from killing off the flowers that add color to our downtown.
Carmen Lock
Executive Director, WCDC
Warsaw, via e-mail
Time Choice
Editor, Times-Union:Who needs a watch?
If I'm in a county that's near a time demarcation line, who outside that area will vote my way?
If they are nearer Chicago, they'll vote for Central time, and if near Detroit, vote for Eastern Standard time. The choice is up to the numbers in that state, or so we are told. Either way the public loses the daily daylight hour that is perceived so precious by folks that own businesses, at the expense of their workers in those businesses because of global economies or greed for power.
The workers may say that they spend that daily hour indifferent to the natural weather anyway, forgetting about the light not heat in the winter. I have to wonder how fitting it is to use Chicago's time, for half the year and then to use Detroit's for the rest. That's what we do now, and it seems to be right. The argument we used to get is: how backward the "Hoosiers" would be, not keeping a daylight saving plan with the rest of the nation. The State of Indiana may be in an unusual geometric location compared to the other states.
But if you throw the gauntlet down enough times, sooner or later the public picks it up. How many times did our government listen to that argument or suggestion before it became a law the recent governor championed?
R. E. Snizek
Warsaw, via e-mail
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