Editor, Times-Union: "Surprised By What's Considered Important." Good article, Mr. Gerard. Many of us feel and share in your frustration.
Do you remember the old Grit magazine? Children sold them door to door to win prizes. The man that started it had a son. When he took it over, his editor wanted to change a few things. The son said, "Hey, if it was good enough for Dad it's good enough for me."
Today the old Grit headquarters in Athens, Ga., is a vegan restaurant.
As an avid reader of opinions (educated, researched, controversial ones) I have never spent much time reading the ones that start out with the words, "I would like to thank ..."
I enjoy the ones that start like this:
The Post Corporate World Life after Capitalism When Corporations Rule the World
We Are the Capitalists, You Will Be Assimilated, Resistance Is Futile.
When they start with these words I'm riveted to my chair.
When I order prime rib, I don't want a BLT, and small-town politics just doesn't float my boat.
Would you believe there are worse crimes out there than murder? Oh yes! We've got some real educated wizards out there that believe common men are blind. They too, just like terrorists, lurk in the shadows of some of the world's most prestigious institutions.
They're not creating bombs with chemicals. They're busy inventing new words and phrases. That way they believe they can hide what they pay and push what it is they're trying to sell. Let's examine some of the devious, deceitful vernacular:
World trade organization International Monetary Fund
Multilateral Agreement on Investment
Free trade Trade liberalization None of these is synonymous with a kinder, gentler nation.
None of this has anything to do with your article. Your article exhibited a lot of spine once I got through all that nauseating sugar coating!
You sure are doing a great job inside that straight jacket.
We feel ya, baby! We feel ya!
Steve Frantz Warsaw
WRSW Says Thanks
Editor, Times-Union: The staff of Combined Community Services and WRSW 107.3 would like to thank everyone who participated in Food-a-Thon 2002. From the people who manned the phones, picked up the food, brought in food and cash donations, called to challenge others to donate, to the wonderful children from Warsaw Christian School, Madison Elementary and Alexis and Chelsea, our hats are off to you for making a difference. As winter approaches, we encourage you to continue to remember the less fortunate residents of Kosciusko County in your giving and prayers.
Darlene Redinger Director of Development, Combined Community Services
Patrick Brown General Manager, 107.3 FM
Local Issues
Editor, Times-Union: Thank you! I, too, have been amazed that more people have not commented on the various items that you mentioned in your column of 11/30/02. Since you and I feel these items are important, I will be glad to share some of my views on these various subjects:
1. Wastewater treatment spending: Since I live in Winona Lake and have a septic system, I have not given this a lot of thought. However, if the population continues to grow and new and more businesses and industries come to our community, how can one expect the system to meet the demand and not be upgraded? It seems reasonable and unavoidable that sewer bills are going to have to escalate.
2. $30 million to be spent by WCS: I am wholeheartedly in favor of this project. I went to every away football game this season and Warsaw's facility is by far the least attractive and functional of all the other facilities. I'm not saying that we have to have a keep up with the Joneses mentality, but the citizens of this community and the kids deserve better.
3. Cardinal Center apartment complex: Big deal. Their clients are people first and deserve adequate housing. They can build next door to me if they want.
4.WCHS drug sweep: That is bothersome. Not that it was done, but no report was ever published. I can't even get any info from my child about the results. I'm not paranoid, but it makes me uncomfortable that the police agencies perform these sweeps and then make the reports secret.
5. Sales/property tax: It takes a lot of gall for our state legislators to raise taxes after frittering away a huge surplus and then failing to correct it because of partisan politics.
If people want real tax and spending reform, quit voting for the same people or their clones and take a good look at the Libertarian party or ANYONE who does not affiliate with either the Democrats or Republicans.
Mark A. Clary Winona Lake via e-mail
Positive Experience
Editor, Times-Union: In our society there seems to be a constant barrage of hate that pulls the human experience down into the dark, dungeons of despair. Deviant behavior is broadcast through the media as the norm while examples of wholesome, uplifting behavior are rarely seen. And yet, in this great world, small acts of kindness do still happen; acts that renew faith in humankind and, perhaps, underscore the true purpose of life - to help and not hinder, to give without thought of getting, to love and not hate.
Recently being the recipient of a small act of kindness has renewed my faith in the goodness of people. While taking a trip by train, my car key was lost in Union Station in Chicago, the discovery of which was not made until I was on the train headed for my destination. The Union Station lost and found was contacted with no result. Calling home, a key was sent to my destination (thanks to the kindness of my relatives), which enabled me to get my car out of the parking garage and drive home after my trip.
Unexpectedly, yesterday I received a package from the Kroger Company and inside was my key! Someone had found the key with an Owens's Plus Card hanging on the ring. This kind person sent the key to the Kroger Company, where my name and address were found using the bar code, then it was sent to me.
Yes, my key slid out of that Kroger envelope, but something much more valuable slid out too, something that can't be seen or can't be measured, but can be given and received - kindness. And with kindness came joy, faith, hope and love; all sent to me by someone I do not know.
The sender of my key does not know how much their thoughtfulness affected me, or, perhaps they do. Yes, perhaps they do.
Sally Hogan Warsaw via e-mail
REMC Outage
Editor, Times-Union: Does anyone want to buy my "member ownership share" in Kosciusko County REMC? I doubt if I will get any bids. My (as well as my neighbors') electric service has had six significant outages in the last five months. Most of these interruptions have lasted "hours." Some of these have occurred when no extreme weather was present. Vehicle accidents and extreme weather outages are unavoidable and are expected by all residential electric consumers. However, the time it takes to repair "the common" problem is excessive. Isn't some redundancy built into the distribution system? Is there a shortage of well trained "on call" linemen? What happened to the monthly outage report that was published in the "Electric Consumer" magazine? Many of the poorly served will be "early adopters" of residential fuel cells when they become available in the next decade. Can't wait to get off the grid!
Ken Brehob Dewart Lake via e-mail
Tara's Family Says Thanks
Editor, Times-Union: On behalf of our daughter, Tara Goble, we would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who has shown our family much kindness during this trying time in our daughter's life.
She has gone through five surgeries so far and still has at least four more to go.
She is still going through physical and occupational therapy and is being tutored at home.
Again, we would like to say thank you to each and everyone of you. Hapy holidays and God bless.
