Letters to the Editor 12-19-2006
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Deer Ordinance - News Views - Developers - Assistance - Letter Writers - Section 8 - Ethanol, Biodiesel - Pierceton Skaters - Hate
Deer Ordinance
Editor, Times-Union:Concerning the article of 12/14 "Winona Amends Deer Hunt Ordinance." In it you state "The ordinance also includes a prohibition of firearms in the town."
I assume you meant to say the "discharging of" as it is illegal for a city, town or community in the state of Indiana to pass any sort of firearm prohibition due to the state's Firearm Pre-emption Law.
You also state "the provisions do not apply to any police officer while in the discharge of their police duties." You failed to mention, however, that such a provision also applies to any person in the act of self-defense. The state of Indiana passed "Stand Your Ground" legislation a year or so ago which protects individuals from any form of prosecution for legitimately defending themselves or someone else with a firearm.
On the side, I would remind the people complaining about the in-town deer hunts that the city agreed to do this at the request of individuals living in the affected areas. If you live in one of those areas but are opposed to the action being taken you must have done a poor job of making your opposition known. If you don't live in one of those areas then it's really none of your business.
Harold Kitson
Warsaw
News Views
Editor, Times-Union:Anyone who missed reading Gary Gerard's News Views in Saturday's paper should look it up and do so. I agree entirely with his view and have since the Meijer's proposal in 2000.
It seems a shame to me that a small vocal minority can cause the defeat of projects for the common good of the city and taxpayers while the silent majority sit back, shake our heads and grimace.
I thought it was the city officials' place to recognize these situations and act for the improvement of trade, competition and growth.
Improvement and growth can only be postponed for so long. To the "Not in my backyarders" I would like to mention that maybe the next proposal might be done by local power and money. You might end up with an "outdoor rock stadium" instead of Menards.
Bob Ferverda
Leesburg
Developers
Editor, Times-Union:May I take this opportunity to step into Gary Gerard's shoes and give my own free advice to the Warsaw Plan Commission and Warsaw City Council. (See Mr. Gerard's advice in Saturday's Times-Union.)
When any large retailer comes to you and proposes development at Husky Trail and Parker Streets, tell them there are 20 (not 40) acres available for commercial development at that location and we will be glad to support your interests in that 20 acres.
Tell them, if they require more land, we have plenty of commercially zoned land in Warsaw and will be more than happy to help them find the land that will suit their requirements.
Also, tell them that the main reason we might like for them to pursue the Husky Trail/Parker Street site is we want them to fund taking care of our nagging traffic problem for us. Thank you very much!
Tell them we're anxious to expand our tax base and we're here to help them find the right location, just as we've done with Kohl's, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Walgreen's, CVS, to name a few.
Tell them that we're all thinking about the people who live near the proposed development and their opinions are crucial because they will endure the most impact.
Tell them that we're concerned about the elementary school/businesses/communities to the north of the Parker/Husky intersection and we're not sure this is the proper place for a business that will increase traffic on this already heavily traveled road.
Tell them that we, the plan commission and city council, have a duty to our constituents to make the best possible decisions.
And, Mr. Developer, we want you and we will do all we can to find the right location for you.
Now, as for me, I can't help but wonder who/what is behind the initiative to entice big box companies to be even remotely interested in the Parker/Husky/Patterson intersection. I just can't see Menards coming to town and saying I want that property or none at all. Maybe, if we know who/what is behind the initiative, and why, the picture will become clearer.
L. A. Hillegas
Warsaw, via e-mail
Assistance
Editor, Times-Union:This is my first year working at Combined Community Services and my first year working on the Adopt-A-Family Christmas Program.
I am distraught and amazed at the same time. It distresses me that there are so many families in Kosciusko County that need our help, but it completely amazes me how this community has come together and taken care of our own. CCS took over 275 applications from families this year, starting in early November. We still have 21 families left that need adopted and only seven days until Christmas.
I have heard stories about people abusing the system, but I also recently got to witness the smiles it brings. We had an adopter drop her gifts off here, so we called the mom to come in and get her gifts. She brought her daughter, maybe age 5 or 6 with her. If you could have seen the smile on this little girl's face when she saw the bag of gifts you would have been overwhelmed. It lit up the room.
To know that someone would take some extra time out and spend some extra money so that this little girl would have a good Christmas thrills my very soul. If God has blessed you this year and you can help one of the families that still needs to be adopted, please come see us at Combined Community Services.
Thank you again, Kosciusko County, for everything you've already done.
Merry Christmas!
Jennifer Cobb-Hayes
Intake Coordinator
Combined Community Services, via e-mail
Letter Writers
Editor, Times-Union:I don't think I'd miss deer if they were extinct. Where's Sara Lowe, Harold Kitson, Don Guard or Matt Perry. I miss contributors that know how to shake the bush. You take Tom Metzger, I appreciate him, he takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. Hate on, Mr. Metzger, it helps jazz up an otherwise mundane existence. Free speech? Use it or lose it.
The last time Mr. Perry wrote, he sent along some credible facts about the Katrina disaster. These were in response to one Travis Adams from Akron. He was right about the Amish rebuilding so fast after disasters, but I figure any Amishman building a barn inside the city limits of New Orleans would be the subject of ridicule at barn raisings 'til the cows came home. Yes, young Travis fired that e-mail out without thinking. You owe us one, Zippy. Did you have a date with Barbie? If you don't slow your roll, the next time you pedal your Huffy downtown you're going to zip past the five and dime and forget to pick up your goobers.
I could probably spend more time on this submission if I didn't have this deer to gut, but a fella hates to rush into that when they're still kickin'.
Those sexy eyelashes must effect their night vision. It didn't hurt my quarter panel a bit. That's what's nice about those cute little baby deer.
Steven R. Frantz
Warsaw
Section 8
Editor, Times-Union:In response to David Williams:
I wanted to write to clear some things up with you. First, not everyone who is receiving food stamps, SS disability, or the Section 8 program is non-productive. You ask me how I would know for sure? Well, I am one who is receiving food stamps, and Section 8 assistance and guess what? I work full time! I am trying to support my two children on what income I make and it isn't enough to pay bills even with the assistance I receive! I would challenge you and anyone who frowns on anyone who is actually trying to make ends meet that are on assistance to walk a day in their shoes before you judge them. I agree that there should be something passed that says if you are just using the system to not have to contribute to society then there should be a limit. But for those of us who are actually trying to better our lives, why penalize us? Do you realize how many innocent people would be on the streets? Men, women, children, elderly, mentally and physically disabled?
If we want to make life easier on the many and many people on assistance, why don't we check and see if they are single parents and if they are getting their child support or if they are fighting the state to help collect it? I am one of those parents also! My ex will pay when he wants; what he wants and the state doesn't seem to help. There have been times where the attitude from the local prosecuting attorney's office is, "He's paying something so that's good enough."
Have you ever had to chose between paying a bill, buying food for your family, buying clothes for your children or yourself? I do all the time. Does that make me feel good? No. Does it make my credit suffer? Yes. Do I wish I could be without the assistance and pay everything on my own? Yes.
Here we are at Christmas time and I have to choose whether I want to pay some bills or get some extra things for my kids. Well, there are a few times a year my kids win and Christmas happens to be one major time. Thank goodness for the Adopt-A-Family through the local assistance or my kids would have nearly nothing for Christmas.
So, as I end this e-mail for the evening, I say, look with open eyes before you judge because you may actually see the whole picture the next time and realize some of the clients that are on the assistance programs are good hard-working Americans.
Melissa Francis
Warsaw, via e-mail
Ethanol, Biodiesel
Editor, Times-Union:Darin Tudor: Yes, my terminology was wrong. The point I was trying to make was that the Claypool facility is said to be for production of biodiesel and the Milford plant is for the production of ethanol which are obviously different. Some people were comparing the two fuels and their emissions to be the same. It was getting to the point where the arguments were confusing, hence my comment about getting the facts straight. I myself got caught up in the arguments and distorted opinions of some readers. I hope an agreement by all partys concerned can be reached because I feel the use of alternative fuels will be beneficial for this country.
Phil Albert
Pierceton, via e-mail
Pierceton Skaters
Editor, Times-Union:I remember a time when peer pressure was a bad thing. Teenagers weren't suppose to listen to their friends and do what they were doing. Now, the teenagers in Pierceton are suppose to watch everyone that comes in to town and see what they're doing? Isn't that a job for the police? Not every kid that is in town, is from town. Sometimes kids from other towns come to Pierceton. The Pierceton kids may or may not know them.
Although I agree that vandalism is wrong, I don't believe that our skateboarders should be blamed for everything that happens. I'm sure some people remember being a teenager and having nothing to do. How many of us went out and got in trouble? I also believe that if someone does something wrong, they should be punished for it. But our teenagers are being punished for what unknown kids are doing. Do the police have any kind of relationship with our teenagers? Do they know them by name? If the police saw one of them skating at the school, would they know which kid it was?
We're trying to build a skate park in Pierceton so our kids have someplace to go that is just for skating. They don't have any other place to go. People complain if they're skating on the streets, or anywhere else. And just because we have a group of mothers and kids that are trying to build a park, doesn't mean that every kid in town is involved. Some of the kids don't hang out with the others. If someone is caught skating where they aren't suppose to be, the police should take care of it. We have teenagers who are trying to become adults. Not all of them listen to their parents and think the sun sets and rises on them. Most teenagers think their parents are dumb and don't know what they're talking about. Does any of this sound familiar to parents of teenagers?
If the vandalizing was witnessed by someone that recognized the kids that did it as regulars, then why haven't those kids been arrested? It is not up to the skateboarders and their parents to police the town. Will these teenagers have respect for the local police if they keep getting blamed for everything that happens just because they can be seen? This is a small town, there is no reason for the police not to know the kids by name or to have some kind of a relationship with them. It is not up to a couple of parents and some skateboarders to police anything. It is up to the police. And peer pressure usually only works in a bad way, not the way you want it to.
Something that I think is more newsworthy happened this week to my child, and it wasn't in the newspaper, and there weren't townspeople trying to figure out why it happened or even thinking about it. My child had a knife put to his throat at school. As far as I'm concerned, that takes complete precedence over a couple signs being vandalized. The signs can be replaced at a minimal expense. Can my son? Is everyone more worried about a couple of signs than what happens at school? I'm not saying that what happened with the signs should be forgotten, but should more effort be put into prevention than blaming the ones that are around? Whoever did the vandalizing should be punished, but they are innocent until proven guilty, right?
It is my opinion that most of the kids in town are good kids. If you get to know some of them, you'll see that. I have.
Nancy Sommers
Pierceton, via e-mail
Hate
Editor, Times-Union:I really am sorry to see the hate and belittling attitudes allowed to air from Tom Metzger. I am sorry for his narrow-minded views that make up his black-and-white world. I hold much pity and sorrow for a man who has had an opportunity to live in different parts of a great nation, famous for its "melting pot" of ethnicities, religions, and creeds and squandered that chance.
I am sorry he has failed to take in the wonderful experiences to know people from all cultures and ways of life. However, beside all of this sorrow, I am confused.
It seems to me the "Anglos" Mr. Metzger refers to, did their fair share of illegal immigration. Of course, that could just be my little liberal mind, and I am certain any Native American would set me straight. In fact, I bet if I asked Mr. Metzger he could probably show me where in history the Native Americans asked us to leave England and create settlements here in America. I bet Mr. Metzger, too, could show me where the Native Americans begged and pleaded the Anglos to break treaties, encroach on land, create reservations and force Christianity on them. Why, with all this I have no doubt Mr. Metzger has every right to speak out against other ethnicities intruding on "his" Anglo land.
It really makes me wonder where foreign nations get the idea America is so full of hate.
Jama Brown
Syracuse, via e-mail
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- Deer Ordinance - News Views - Developers - Assistance - Letter Writers - Section 8 - Ethanol, Biodiesel - Pierceton Skaters - Hate
Deer Ordinance
Editor, Times-Union:Concerning the article of 12/14 "Winona Amends Deer Hunt Ordinance." In it you state "The ordinance also includes a prohibition of firearms in the town."
I assume you meant to say the "discharging of" as it is illegal for a city, town or community in the state of Indiana to pass any sort of firearm prohibition due to the state's Firearm Pre-emption Law.
You also state "the provisions do not apply to any police officer while in the discharge of their police duties." You failed to mention, however, that such a provision also applies to any person in the act of self-defense. The state of Indiana passed "Stand Your Ground" legislation a year or so ago which protects individuals from any form of prosecution for legitimately defending themselves or someone else with a firearm.
On the side, I would remind the people complaining about the in-town deer hunts that the city agreed to do this at the request of individuals living in the affected areas. If you live in one of those areas but are opposed to the action being taken you must have done a poor job of making your opposition known. If you don't live in one of those areas then it's really none of your business.
Harold Kitson
Warsaw
News Views
Editor, Times-Union:Anyone who missed reading Gary Gerard's News Views in Saturday's paper should look it up and do so. I agree entirely with his view and have since the Meijer's proposal in 2000.
It seems a shame to me that a small vocal minority can cause the defeat of projects for the common good of the city and taxpayers while the silent majority sit back, shake our heads and grimace.
I thought it was the city officials' place to recognize these situations and act for the improvement of trade, competition and growth.
Improvement and growth can only be postponed for so long. To the "Not in my backyarders" I would like to mention that maybe the next proposal might be done by local power and money. You might end up with an "outdoor rock stadium" instead of Menards.
Bob Ferverda
Leesburg
Developers
Editor, Times-Union:May I take this opportunity to step into Gary Gerard's shoes and give my own free advice to the Warsaw Plan Commission and Warsaw City Council. (See Mr. Gerard's advice in Saturday's Times-Union.)
When any large retailer comes to you and proposes development at Husky Trail and Parker Streets, tell them there are 20 (not 40) acres available for commercial development at that location and we will be glad to support your interests in that 20 acres.
Tell them, if they require more land, we have plenty of commercially zoned land in Warsaw and will be more than happy to help them find the land that will suit their requirements.
Also, tell them that the main reason we might like for them to pursue the Husky Trail/Parker Street site is we want them to fund taking care of our nagging traffic problem for us. Thank you very much!
Tell them we're anxious to expand our tax base and we're here to help them find the right location, just as we've done with Kohl's, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Walgreen's, CVS, to name a few.
Tell them that we're all thinking about the people who live near the proposed development and their opinions are crucial because they will endure the most impact.
Tell them that we're concerned about the elementary school/businesses/communities to the north of the Parker/Husky intersection and we're not sure this is the proper place for a business that will increase traffic on this already heavily traveled road.
Tell them that we, the plan commission and city council, have a duty to our constituents to make the best possible decisions.
And, Mr. Developer, we want you and we will do all we can to find the right location for you.
Now, as for me, I can't help but wonder who/what is behind the initiative to entice big box companies to be even remotely interested in the Parker/Husky/Patterson intersection. I just can't see Menards coming to town and saying I want that property or none at all. Maybe, if we know who/what is behind the initiative, and why, the picture will become clearer.
L. A. Hillegas
Warsaw, via e-mail
Assistance
Editor, Times-Union:This is my first year working at Combined Community Services and my first year working on the Adopt-A-Family Christmas Program.
I am distraught and amazed at the same time. It distresses me that there are so many families in Kosciusko County that need our help, but it completely amazes me how this community has come together and taken care of our own. CCS took over 275 applications from families this year, starting in early November. We still have 21 families left that need adopted and only seven days until Christmas.
I have heard stories about people abusing the system, but I also recently got to witness the smiles it brings. We had an adopter drop her gifts off here, so we called the mom to come in and get her gifts. She brought her daughter, maybe age 5 or 6 with her. If you could have seen the smile on this little girl's face when she saw the bag of gifts you would have been overwhelmed. It lit up the room.
To know that someone would take some extra time out and spend some extra money so that this little girl would have a good Christmas thrills my very soul. If God has blessed you this year and you can help one of the families that still needs to be adopted, please come see us at Combined Community Services.
Thank you again, Kosciusko County, for everything you've already done.
Merry Christmas!
Jennifer Cobb-Hayes
Intake Coordinator
Combined Community Services, via e-mail
Letter Writers
Editor, Times-Union:I don't think I'd miss deer if they were extinct. Where's Sara Lowe, Harold Kitson, Don Guard or Matt Perry. I miss contributors that know how to shake the bush. You take Tom Metzger, I appreciate him, he takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. Hate on, Mr. Metzger, it helps jazz up an otherwise mundane existence. Free speech? Use it or lose it.
The last time Mr. Perry wrote, he sent along some credible facts about the Katrina disaster. These were in response to one Travis Adams from Akron. He was right about the Amish rebuilding so fast after disasters, but I figure any Amishman building a barn inside the city limits of New Orleans would be the subject of ridicule at barn raisings 'til the cows came home. Yes, young Travis fired that e-mail out without thinking. You owe us one, Zippy. Did you have a date with Barbie? If you don't slow your roll, the next time you pedal your Huffy downtown you're going to zip past the five and dime and forget to pick up your goobers.
I could probably spend more time on this submission if I didn't have this deer to gut, but a fella hates to rush into that when they're still kickin'.
Those sexy eyelashes must effect their night vision. It didn't hurt my quarter panel a bit. That's what's nice about those cute little baby deer.
Steven R. Frantz
Warsaw
Section 8
Editor, Times-Union:In response to David Williams:
I wanted to write to clear some things up with you. First, not everyone who is receiving food stamps, SS disability, or the Section 8 program is non-productive. You ask me how I would know for sure? Well, I am one who is receiving food stamps, and Section 8 assistance and guess what? I work full time! I am trying to support my two children on what income I make and it isn't enough to pay bills even with the assistance I receive! I would challenge you and anyone who frowns on anyone who is actually trying to make ends meet that are on assistance to walk a day in their shoes before you judge them. I agree that there should be something passed that says if you are just using the system to not have to contribute to society then there should be a limit. But for those of us who are actually trying to better our lives, why penalize us? Do you realize how many innocent people would be on the streets? Men, women, children, elderly, mentally and physically disabled?
If we want to make life easier on the many and many people on assistance, why don't we check and see if they are single parents and if they are getting their child support or if they are fighting the state to help collect it? I am one of those parents also! My ex will pay when he wants; what he wants and the state doesn't seem to help. There have been times where the attitude from the local prosecuting attorney's office is, "He's paying something so that's good enough."
Have you ever had to chose between paying a bill, buying food for your family, buying clothes for your children or yourself? I do all the time. Does that make me feel good? No. Does it make my credit suffer? Yes. Do I wish I could be without the assistance and pay everything on my own? Yes.
Here we are at Christmas time and I have to choose whether I want to pay some bills or get some extra things for my kids. Well, there are a few times a year my kids win and Christmas happens to be one major time. Thank goodness for the Adopt-A-Family through the local assistance or my kids would have nearly nothing for Christmas.
So, as I end this e-mail for the evening, I say, look with open eyes before you judge because you may actually see the whole picture the next time and realize some of the clients that are on the assistance programs are good hard-working Americans.
Melissa Francis
Warsaw, via e-mail
Ethanol, Biodiesel
Editor, Times-Union:Darin Tudor: Yes, my terminology was wrong. The point I was trying to make was that the Claypool facility is said to be for production of biodiesel and the Milford plant is for the production of ethanol which are obviously different. Some people were comparing the two fuels and their emissions to be the same. It was getting to the point where the arguments were confusing, hence my comment about getting the facts straight. I myself got caught up in the arguments and distorted opinions of some readers. I hope an agreement by all partys concerned can be reached because I feel the use of alternative fuels will be beneficial for this country.
Phil Albert
Pierceton, via e-mail
Pierceton Skaters
Editor, Times-Union:I remember a time when peer pressure was a bad thing. Teenagers weren't suppose to listen to their friends and do what they were doing. Now, the teenagers in Pierceton are suppose to watch everyone that comes in to town and see what they're doing? Isn't that a job for the police? Not every kid that is in town, is from town. Sometimes kids from other towns come to Pierceton. The Pierceton kids may or may not know them.
Although I agree that vandalism is wrong, I don't believe that our skateboarders should be blamed for everything that happens. I'm sure some people remember being a teenager and having nothing to do. How many of us went out and got in trouble? I also believe that if someone does something wrong, they should be punished for it. But our teenagers are being punished for what unknown kids are doing. Do the police have any kind of relationship with our teenagers? Do they know them by name? If the police saw one of them skating at the school, would they know which kid it was?
We're trying to build a skate park in Pierceton so our kids have someplace to go that is just for skating. They don't have any other place to go. People complain if they're skating on the streets, or anywhere else. And just because we have a group of mothers and kids that are trying to build a park, doesn't mean that every kid in town is involved. Some of the kids don't hang out with the others. If someone is caught skating where they aren't suppose to be, the police should take care of it. We have teenagers who are trying to become adults. Not all of them listen to their parents and think the sun sets and rises on them. Most teenagers think their parents are dumb and don't know what they're talking about. Does any of this sound familiar to parents of teenagers?
If the vandalizing was witnessed by someone that recognized the kids that did it as regulars, then why haven't those kids been arrested? It is not up to the skateboarders and their parents to police the town. Will these teenagers have respect for the local police if they keep getting blamed for everything that happens just because they can be seen? This is a small town, there is no reason for the police not to know the kids by name or to have some kind of a relationship with them. It is not up to a couple of parents and some skateboarders to police anything. It is up to the police. And peer pressure usually only works in a bad way, not the way you want it to.
Something that I think is more newsworthy happened this week to my child, and it wasn't in the newspaper, and there weren't townspeople trying to figure out why it happened or even thinking about it. My child had a knife put to his throat at school. As far as I'm concerned, that takes complete precedence over a couple signs being vandalized. The signs can be replaced at a minimal expense. Can my son? Is everyone more worried about a couple of signs than what happens at school? I'm not saying that what happened with the signs should be forgotten, but should more effort be put into prevention than blaming the ones that are around? Whoever did the vandalizing should be punished, but they are innocent until proven guilty, right?
It is my opinion that most of the kids in town are good kids. If you get to know some of them, you'll see that. I have.
Nancy Sommers
Pierceton, via e-mail
Hate
Editor, Times-Union:I really am sorry to see the hate and belittling attitudes allowed to air from Tom Metzger. I am sorry for his narrow-minded views that make up his black-and-white world. I hold much pity and sorrow for a man who has had an opportunity to live in different parts of a great nation, famous for its "melting pot" of ethnicities, religions, and creeds and squandered that chance.
I am sorry he has failed to take in the wonderful experiences to know people from all cultures and ways of life. However, beside all of this sorrow, I am confused.
It seems to me the "Anglos" Mr. Metzger refers to, did their fair share of illegal immigration. Of course, that could just be my little liberal mind, and I am certain any Native American would set me straight. In fact, I bet if I asked Mr. Metzger he could probably show me where in history the Native Americans asked us to leave England and create settlements here in America. I bet Mr. Metzger, too, could show me where the Native Americans begged and pleaded the Anglos to break treaties, encroach on land, create reservations and force Christianity on them. Why, with all this I have no doubt Mr. Metzger has every right to speak out against other ethnicities intruding on "his" Anglo land.
It really makes me wonder where foreign nations get the idea America is so full of hate.
Jama Brown
Syracuse, via e-mail
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