Letters to the Editor 11-06-2002
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Cemetery Defended - Heartline - Opening Day - Exchange Students
Cemetery Defended
Editor, Times-Union:We are appalled! The sexton, Dave Shaw, runs the cemetery by the book! He has always been sensitive and considerate of our families feelings. Our father, John Dove, was buried in Oakwood December 1998 and overnight all of his flowers were eaten by the deer. At first we were upset and went to the office to complain that vandals had cut off all our father's flowers, that's what it had looked like, after they explained that it wasn't vandals that in fact the deer love the fresh flowers, we were fine. There isn't anyone who can control those deer from nibbling on the flowers or bushes that are planted there. It's a chance you take anywhere you plant something.
Furthermore, those cemetery workers work hard every day to provide the beauty you see there. Oakwood is one of, if not the nicest cemeteries around the county. For the last four years my mother and my siblings and I have visited Oakwood on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day. The sexton and the employees of Oakwood are constantly out there working, these men who you are complaining about are out in the hot blistering sun all summer long doing their job of trimming and mowing grass, weed-eating, burying our loved ones or whatever is needed to be done. Also, in below zero conditions you can find these same men out there digging graves and plowing the roads for us to be able to visit our loved one's gravesite. These men are out there maintaining these graves, even those graves that don't have visitors, to make sure that they all look nice. At any time you can stop and ask these men for help or ask a questions and they do help you, including the sexton. They go beyond their "job" and the John Dove family wants them to know that we appreciate them.
About your dogwood tree; I can't believe you are complaining about removing a dead tree. This is how and why Oakwood is such a beautiful cemetery. They clean it up, period. Replace the tree and take your chances if you want a tree there. The sexton nor any of the employees there would have removed that tree if it was not an eyesore, they were doing their job. They did, however, bring your stand to the office to save for when a visitor came and asked about it, and I quote you, "he did so two months ago."
Why wait so long to go there? I thought you had family keeping you informed on what was going on. And if I am not mistaken, I believe Oakwood runs an ad in the Times-Union newspaper two to three times a year about cleanup in the cemetery, so people have a chance to remove things such as dead flowers, dead trees and bushes or leftover holiday flowers, if they are not removed, then they remove them. Also, I do not agree that the city should provide tree guards or anything else. Planting trees at Oakwood is an option, with permission, so the protective guards should be purchased at your own expense.
I can see you being upset your tree died, but please do not take it out on the sexton. He's not a vandal. He's just doing his job.
The Dove Family
Mrs. John Dove Sr., Beverly Holloway, John Dove,
Terry Dove, Debbie Camden, Suzie Dove, Jim Dove,
Bobbi Hursey, Katrina Byrer, Norma Dove
Warsaw
via e-mail
Heartline
Editor, Times-Union:We at Heartline Pregnancy Center were saddened to learn of the recent death of a Kosciusko County newborn at one of our local industries. We want everyone in our community to know that we are here to help anyone who finds they are overwhelmed with the prospect of having a baby. We will provide the support needed, whether it is emotional or physical. It breaks our hearts that this tragedy occurred when we have the resources and people to help those in need.
Please help us spread the word that we can help with emotional support, maternity clothing, prenatal referrals, baby formula and baby items for an infant from conception to 2 years of age. We have bilingual volunteers to help us overcome language barriers that may occur. We also provide information and referrals for those who may wish to investigate adoption for their child.
It is our prayer that we prevent a tragedy like this from occurring again, by letting families know they can depend on Heartline Pregnancy Center and the other agencies in our community to help.
Jo Faulkner
Executive Director
via e-mail
Opening Day
Editor, Times-Union:If you exclude all of the exquisite wonderments occasioned by matters marital, familial and parochial, there are only two things that really get my juices jumping; Lee Greenwood's spin on American pride and, you guessed it, opening day of deer season. In fact, I'm such a devout enthusiast of both notions that I contrived for years at ways to combine the thrills. I had in mind a mid-November mega-rush. But like my mom used to say of my schooling, it just didn't take. Turns out, deer aren't much for patriotism - or loud music. Though the results were markedly better when I stopped singing along, they'd hardly ever stay put past "where at least I know I'm free!" Something about freedom must have struck something instinctive, I guess. At any rate, ghetto blasters don't figure into my deer stand repertoire nowadays.
But like every other certifiable whitetail nut in North America, the simple phrase "opening day" still holds something wild and wonderful for me. It means hot coffee around a rickety cabin table, long johns, wool socks and distant, lonely train whistles in the eerie stills of predawn. It means fathers, sons, grandfathers and huntin' buddies whispering departing good lucks where the trail parts. It means corn stubble, frost covered fields, the smell of autumn leaf cover and the piercing, silent solitude of a flashlight pointing the way. It means absorbing the unique chill of a November sunrise from a deer stand and the privileged view of nature's awakening: birds first, then critters big and small. It means glimpsing that first deer; wary, beautifully made and regal. It means the hope, but somehow not really the need, to take the storied buck. One clean shot.
I emphasize the "hope" of harvesting a deer over what some might misjudge as some sort of bloodlust bravado so that I might make a critical point. Opening day and the deer hunting tradition it epitomizes is not about blood, bullets and carcasses. It is about men being men, together, and in a measure and means that God meant for us. In woods and field, we reconnect with each other, with our creator and with his wondrous creation as stewards, comrades and image bearers. There, I become more the "man's man" of my father and grandfather. To this I aspire not by wantonly slinging lead at hapless creatures, but by recognizing my own humble station in the quiet reaches and splendor of God's great artistry. And when that experience from time to time yields sustenance for the family table, it comes not with the triumphant bellow of a conqueror, but with the somber thanksgiving of a conservator. When men are men in this way, I'm convinced, they become better equipped as husbands, fathers and grandfathers. To me, this is the "hope" of "opening day."
Inasmuch as I've captured any of the essence of "opening day" with these sentiments - borne out not so much by deliberative word choice as by inherently inadequate relations of permanently inscribed mental pictures of the thing - I know that much remains missing. For all of us incurably entranced by the mystique of opening day, there is as much to engender our excitement and furnish our tradition troves in the days and weeks before opening day as on it. The myriad rituals of scouting stands, clearing shooting lanes, readying gear, planning meals, sighting in and strategizing the hunt are as part and parcel to opening day as a shotgun is to a Kentucky wedding. The reality of opening day is nothing without the prospect of opening day.
"Opening day," then, is not merely descriptive of an isolated event, but embodies a collective tradition of hunting, friendship and stewardship. It is shared, passed on and protected by men bonded together in a love of the outdoors and the God that crafted it for his, and our, solemn pleasure. Amen and happy hunting, friends.
W. Douglas Lemon
Warsaw
via e-mail
Exchange Students
Editor, Times-Union:I wonder how many people understand the courage it takes for young teens to come to the United States as exchange students? It takes a lot of courage and a lot of trust on their parents' part, too. Can you imagine letting your 16-year-old spend a year in someone's home, in a different country, for a whole school year? These students and their families make the commitment to come to the USA to stay in homes with people they've never met. They live a way of life they've only read about (and which often paints a rose-colored world of dreams). Why do they come? They come to improve their English and to see and experience life in the United States. It is imperative to know English if these students want to have "the good life" in their own countries.
So what is in it for us? As host families, we can experience another country through our exchange students. We can establish relationships that will span miles and time. We can learn more about ourselves as a country through the eyes of someone from another country. We can learn more about ourselves as individuals when we live with someone that comes from a different culture. Hosting an exchange student can enrich your lives immensely.
There is so much more potential for students to come to Michiana to find out what rural mid-America is about, but we need more responsible coordinators and host families to make this happen. A host family can be a single parent, "empty-nesters," a traditional family with teenagers or younger children. You can host if you have no children; everyone has something to share. Hosting is a life-changing experience, a real blessing in your lives.
Log on to arcyp.com or call the ARC office toll free at 800-637-5859 for more information and to find the coordinator nearest you. Change some lives next semester or next school year!
Carole Conrad
Goshen
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- Cemetery Defended - Heartline - Opening Day - Exchange Students
Cemetery Defended
Editor, Times-Union:We are appalled! The sexton, Dave Shaw, runs the cemetery by the book! He has always been sensitive and considerate of our families feelings. Our father, John Dove, was buried in Oakwood December 1998 and overnight all of his flowers were eaten by the deer. At first we were upset and went to the office to complain that vandals had cut off all our father's flowers, that's what it had looked like, after they explained that it wasn't vandals that in fact the deer love the fresh flowers, we were fine. There isn't anyone who can control those deer from nibbling on the flowers or bushes that are planted there. It's a chance you take anywhere you plant something.
Furthermore, those cemetery workers work hard every day to provide the beauty you see there. Oakwood is one of, if not the nicest cemeteries around the county. For the last four years my mother and my siblings and I have visited Oakwood on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day. The sexton and the employees of Oakwood are constantly out there working, these men who you are complaining about are out in the hot blistering sun all summer long doing their job of trimming and mowing grass, weed-eating, burying our loved ones or whatever is needed to be done. Also, in below zero conditions you can find these same men out there digging graves and plowing the roads for us to be able to visit our loved one's gravesite. These men are out there maintaining these graves, even those graves that don't have visitors, to make sure that they all look nice. At any time you can stop and ask these men for help or ask a questions and they do help you, including the sexton. They go beyond their "job" and the John Dove family wants them to know that we appreciate them.
About your dogwood tree; I can't believe you are complaining about removing a dead tree. This is how and why Oakwood is such a beautiful cemetery. They clean it up, period. Replace the tree and take your chances if you want a tree there. The sexton nor any of the employees there would have removed that tree if it was not an eyesore, they were doing their job. They did, however, bring your stand to the office to save for when a visitor came and asked about it, and I quote you, "he did so two months ago."
Why wait so long to go there? I thought you had family keeping you informed on what was going on. And if I am not mistaken, I believe Oakwood runs an ad in the Times-Union newspaper two to three times a year about cleanup in the cemetery, so people have a chance to remove things such as dead flowers, dead trees and bushes or leftover holiday flowers, if they are not removed, then they remove them. Also, I do not agree that the city should provide tree guards or anything else. Planting trees at Oakwood is an option, with permission, so the protective guards should be purchased at your own expense.
I can see you being upset your tree died, but please do not take it out on the sexton. He's not a vandal. He's just doing his job.
The Dove Family
Mrs. John Dove Sr., Beverly Holloway, John Dove,
Terry Dove, Debbie Camden, Suzie Dove, Jim Dove,
Bobbi Hursey, Katrina Byrer, Norma Dove
Warsaw
via e-mail
Heartline
Editor, Times-Union:We at Heartline Pregnancy Center were saddened to learn of the recent death of a Kosciusko County newborn at one of our local industries. We want everyone in our community to know that we are here to help anyone who finds they are overwhelmed with the prospect of having a baby. We will provide the support needed, whether it is emotional or physical. It breaks our hearts that this tragedy occurred when we have the resources and people to help those in need.
Please help us spread the word that we can help with emotional support, maternity clothing, prenatal referrals, baby formula and baby items for an infant from conception to 2 years of age. We have bilingual volunteers to help us overcome language barriers that may occur. We also provide information and referrals for those who may wish to investigate adoption for their child.
It is our prayer that we prevent a tragedy like this from occurring again, by letting families know they can depend on Heartline Pregnancy Center and the other agencies in our community to help.
Jo Faulkner
Executive Director
via e-mail
Opening Day
Editor, Times-Union:If you exclude all of the exquisite wonderments occasioned by matters marital, familial and parochial, there are only two things that really get my juices jumping; Lee Greenwood's spin on American pride and, you guessed it, opening day of deer season. In fact, I'm such a devout enthusiast of both notions that I contrived for years at ways to combine the thrills. I had in mind a mid-November mega-rush. But like my mom used to say of my schooling, it just didn't take. Turns out, deer aren't much for patriotism - or loud music. Though the results were markedly better when I stopped singing along, they'd hardly ever stay put past "where at least I know I'm free!" Something about freedom must have struck something instinctive, I guess. At any rate, ghetto blasters don't figure into my deer stand repertoire nowadays.
But like every other certifiable whitetail nut in North America, the simple phrase "opening day" still holds something wild and wonderful for me. It means hot coffee around a rickety cabin table, long johns, wool socks and distant, lonely train whistles in the eerie stills of predawn. It means fathers, sons, grandfathers and huntin' buddies whispering departing good lucks where the trail parts. It means corn stubble, frost covered fields, the smell of autumn leaf cover and the piercing, silent solitude of a flashlight pointing the way. It means absorbing the unique chill of a November sunrise from a deer stand and the privileged view of nature's awakening: birds first, then critters big and small. It means glimpsing that first deer; wary, beautifully made and regal. It means the hope, but somehow not really the need, to take the storied buck. One clean shot.
I emphasize the "hope" of harvesting a deer over what some might misjudge as some sort of bloodlust bravado so that I might make a critical point. Opening day and the deer hunting tradition it epitomizes is not about blood, bullets and carcasses. It is about men being men, together, and in a measure and means that God meant for us. In woods and field, we reconnect with each other, with our creator and with his wondrous creation as stewards, comrades and image bearers. There, I become more the "man's man" of my father and grandfather. To this I aspire not by wantonly slinging lead at hapless creatures, but by recognizing my own humble station in the quiet reaches and splendor of God's great artistry. And when that experience from time to time yields sustenance for the family table, it comes not with the triumphant bellow of a conqueror, but with the somber thanksgiving of a conservator. When men are men in this way, I'm convinced, they become better equipped as husbands, fathers and grandfathers. To me, this is the "hope" of "opening day."
Inasmuch as I've captured any of the essence of "opening day" with these sentiments - borne out not so much by deliberative word choice as by inherently inadequate relations of permanently inscribed mental pictures of the thing - I know that much remains missing. For all of us incurably entranced by the mystique of opening day, there is as much to engender our excitement and furnish our tradition troves in the days and weeks before opening day as on it. The myriad rituals of scouting stands, clearing shooting lanes, readying gear, planning meals, sighting in and strategizing the hunt are as part and parcel to opening day as a shotgun is to a Kentucky wedding. The reality of opening day is nothing without the prospect of opening day.
"Opening day," then, is not merely descriptive of an isolated event, but embodies a collective tradition of hunting, friendship and stewardship. It is shared, passed on and protected by men bonded together in a love of the outdoors and the God that crafted it for his, and our, solemn pleasure. Amen and happy hunting, friends.
W. Douglas Lemon
Warsaw
via e-mail
Exchange Students
Editor, Times-Union:I wonder how many people understand the courage it takes for young teens to come to the United States as exchange students? It takes a lot of courage and a lot of trust on their parents' part, too. Can you imagine letting your 16-year-old spend a year in someone's home, in a different country, for a whole school year? These students and their families make the commitment to come to the USA to stay in homes with people they've never met. They live a way of life they've only read about (and which often paints a rose-colored world of dreams). Why do they come? They come to improve their English and to see and experience life in the United States. It is imperative to know English if these students want to have "the good life" in their own countries.
So what is in it for us? As host families, we can experience another country through our exchange students. We can establish relationships that will span miles and time. We can learn more about ourselves as a country through the eyes of someone from another country. We can learn more about ourselves as individuals when we live with someone that comes from a different culture. Hosting an exchange student can enrich your lives immensely.
There is so much more potential for students to come to Michiana to find out what rural mid-America is about, but we need more responsible coordinators and host families to make this happen. A host family can be a single parent, "empty-nesters," a traditional family with teenagers or younger children. You can host if you have no children; everyone has something to share. Hosting is a life-changing experience, a real blessing in your lives.
Log on to arcyp.com or call the ARC office toll free at 800-637-5859 for more information and to find the coordinator nearest you. Change some lives next semester or next school year!
Carole Conrad
Goshen
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