The Kosciusko County Cattlemen and Warsaw Kiwanis Club thank the community and everyone else involved in making our ribeye steak sandwich project a success. This partnership of the Cattlemen and Kiwanis Club at our county fair was a new venture in serving our fair attenders a wholesome, delicious agricultural product.
James Amsden, President Kosciusko County Cattlemen Tom Flora, President Warsaw Kiwanis Club
Saddened By Loss Of Schoolmate
Editor, Times-Union:
He will be missed.
Yesterday I received my copy of the paper containing the obituary of Robert C. Nottingham. I am saddened, partly because we were schoolmates at Mentone more than six decades ago. But I am more saddened because I will never again read one of his letters to the editor. They contained a little humor and a lot of wisdom and so were good complements to your editorials, which I also enjoy.
Justin Long Monroe, Ga.
Packerton Cemetery
Editor, Times-Union:
In response to Dot Sponseller and her letter about Oakwood Cemetery, I'd like to say I do sympathize with you, but my dear, when you hear my tale of woe, I'm sure you will be glad your family plots are in Oakwood.
All my family members on both sides are buried in Packerton Cemetery, which is in such bad shape and has been ever since the families could no longer (healthwise) personally do the work. I go every year to decorate the graves and it's so grown up with weeds and bushes you can't see the names or in some cases, the stone. I go home and wish I could move them all out of there. It gets worse each year.
So Dot, please go easy on them. They have a big area to cover. I would love to have mine (all of them) in Oakwood.
Lillian Vogt Warsaw
Oakwood Cemetery
Editor, Times-Union:
In response to Dot Sponseller's letter "Cemetery" - I am also very disappointed with the way Oakwood Cemetery operates lately.
I visit Oakwood once a week, sometimes more, to pay respect to my daughter and parents. It's hard enough to lose your loved one, but to go and find out the wind-chimes and the shepherd's rod were taken down, flowers that were planted and starting to come up were cut down to the ground - that's very upsetting to me and my family.
We try to do things that we know they would have liked. Also, I have a 6-year-old granddaughter who I have to answer questions like "What happened to Mommy's wind-chime I got her?" So why can't we keep it the way it was, or why didn't someone let us know of the change?
Wanda Cooper Warsaw
Campaign Financing Abuses
Editor, Times-Union:
Citizens concerned about the purchasing of favor from elected federal officials should act now to correct campaign financing abuses.
Current Senate Governmental Affairs Committee hearings are revealing large-scale improprieties in campaign fund raising and the related granting of favors. Such improprieties often result in officials granting benefits to large businesses, organizations and even foreign governments at the expense of the monetary and intangible interests of U.S. citizens.
Those who contend that limiting campaign funding is equivalent to limiting free speech should remember that no constitutional right is absolute. The extent to which one may exercise his constitutional rights is always limited by the extent to which the exercise of those rights imposes on the constitutional rights of another. Put another way, one's right to swing his arm ends where another's nose begins.
At all levels of government, those who make large contributions to elected officials often have a disproportionately strong voice in public policy making - often gaining materially. Those so gaining do so at the loss of all other citizens. Thus, the "right" of large-moneyed interests to make campaign contributions of unlimited size impinges upon the rights of citizens to be equitably and responsibly represented and served.
To promote ethical campaign financing, contact your federal legislators to urge them to:
1. Recommend prosecution of violators of existing campaign finance laws.
2. Impose disciplinary sanctions of their legislative bodies against those violators.
3. Make any changes or additions to existing campaign finance laws that are necessary.
Additionally, sign and circulate a petition seeking campaign finance reform. Contact Project Independence at 800-454-2634 or at http://www.commoncause.org to obtain a petition and other materials.
Finally, you may promote ethical campaign financing with your vote. Remember and reject candidates who have financed their campaigns unethically and who have granted large contributors unreasonably or unlawfully favorable treatment. Instead, support candidates who pledge to finance their campaigns ethically. These candidates are least likely to be bought.
Prevent future elections from being auctions. Contact your legislators and circulate petitions while the nation focuses its attention on this serious, perennial problem.
Mark Venzke Hammond
Discoveries Of Sojourner
Editor, Times-Union:
I just have to vent my frustration, publicly renounce this scam and allow opportunity for some truth to hit a nerve. For the last week I have watched, listened and read as the TV, radio and newsprint have lauded the glorious billion-dollar discoveries of Sojourner. I have been taught that an ultra billion-year-old planet has evolved by nature.
Noah said it was gonna rain and nobody would listen. But Sojourner said a billion years ago Mars had a flood, and we hope to find more evidence of "how the planet evolved and what forces of nature were at work on Mars" (Times-Union No. 161). This pseudoscience is insulting to not only the Christian reader, but also to the natural knowledge of all men.
I find it offensive that such itching ear philosophy should be passed on, especially to our young people, as knowledge or science or anything else disguised as truth. No, not even a possibility.
Pat Kyler Pierceton
Downtown Is Busy!
Editor, Times-Union:
What a trip down memory lane was the letter to the editor by Don Kaiser of July 15, Times-Union.
I'm not certain about all Saturday nights in downtown Warsaw being "dead," but the daytimes and many evenings I find the place is bustling and hard to find a parking place.
Saturday nights are not the onliest time to do our trading. Groceries stay open 24 hours all week long to accomodate us and lug our bags to our cars. Our Lake Theatre offers two movies for our enjoyment or we can go to the ones just north of town. For ice cream goodies, there's Baskin Robbins. For coffee, candies and snacks, the new Courthouse Coffee House and Le Gourmet chocolate Shoppe. For men's clothing, there's Beam and Beam which also sells shoes. Ladies wear, Fox Vog, florists, restaurants, drugstores, beauty and barber shops. Thorntree Furniture, Hall Hardware - the list goes on and on.
And of course I'd be remiss had I not mentioned the Lakeland Art Center, open Tuesday though Saturday afternoons and other special times for classes and receptions.
To reminiscence myself - I remember a Saturday afternoon movie I attended in my hometown of Peru when I was a young gal. It was about a werewolf. Upon leaving, I discovered it was almost dark and quite shadowy. So I ran all the way home. I can't help but wonder if Mr. Kaiser frequents these establishments very often.
