Speakout: June 21, 2009

June 21, 2009 06:19 am

—

• • • • •

DELAYS
Haven't seen your Speakout? There are a few possible reasons.

We won't publish Speakouts that are longer than 100 words or that we consider libelous or inappropriate, including personal attacks, merchant complaints that we can't verify and court matters.

Also, once a topic seems to have run its course, we will cut those for a time. The point has been made, and writers are always welcome to send a signed Letter to the Editor of no more than 300 words for publication on the Editorial page.

Lastly, if you haven't seen your Speakout yet, you might just need a little patience. It has proven hugely popular, and most days, we have hundreds of column inches waiting to get in. News articles have priority, but we try to get in a little Speakout each day.

If you have any questions, call News Editor Lois Clermont at 565-4131.

Trapped
I would like to know, neighbor, who gives you the right to trap innocent animals and take them out and drop them off in the woods somewhere? One of those cats you took was mine. He was a stray that I had finally befriended.

The day that he disappeared, I was making plans to have him neutered. I haven't been able sleep nights, thinking about those poor cats out there, trying to fend for themselves. I fed them every day, and you watched me. They trusted me, and you took and discarded them like a piece of garbage.

Treatment
I was happy to read the letter from the parent whose child was well cared for at CVPH Emergency Room. This was a completely different scenario than my child's experience there. After arriving there with my child (pneumonia), we were pushed into a corner for almost five hours (the center was not at all busy) without so much as a passing glance. The nurses (who by the way are very well compensated for their difficult jobs) were rude, dismissive and harsh. The medical staff at CVPH ER need to step back and re-examine their organization, medical training and their compassion.

Turbines
Picture this: in Redwood National Park, on California's Northern Coast, stands Hyperion, the world's tallest tree at 379 feet (Reader's Digest 8-2008). In Ellenburg, Altona, Churubusco and Chateaugay stand approximately 270 industrial wind turbines at 389 feet, with 100 more coming in 2010, which will stand over 400 feet.

Combustion
I believe that Mayor Kasprzak may be ignoring the possibility of natural combustion concerning the burned portable toilet on the Terry Gordon Memorial Bike Path. All that was left was a "small pile of blue-stained material," clear evidence of spontaneous combustion. Why waste our police force's energy investigating what is likely a natural phenomenon?

Point spread
I realize the "line" and "point spread" has long been a part of the Sports section, but don't you think we send a wrong message to our kids by condemning reckless behavior on the editorial page but then encouraging it in the sports pages? For many boys, the sports pages are what they read first. Let's get the "point spread" out of a family newspaper.