Published: September 05, 2008 02:14 am            

LETTERS: Sept. 5, 2008

Thanks to those that donated



I just want to say thanks to everyone who contributed to the roadblock held recently in Utica and at Port and Middle roads for Jeff-GRC.

Special thanks to the Clark County Casting & Conservation Club and Utica Preservation and to those who helped collect.

Because of your generosity, we were able to give over $1,900 to hep the cause, and show our support to these fine young men and their coaches.

They made us proud!

— Don and Alice Ellis, Utica



Clark Arms resident doubts votes of support



There must have been an error in the voting for Best Apartment Complex which was published with the Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008, publication of The Evening News.

Clark Arms was noted as first place. I am a resident and have been for over five years. Over the past two years, there has been an increase in drug and alcohol abuse and prostitution activity that has basically been ignored despite repeated complaints of various tenants. Within the past six months, there has also been an escalation of vagrancy and housing fraud. We are told by Jeffersonville Police Department and Jeffersonville Housing Authority that (1) we must have proof and (2) someone must be condoning those activities on the premises.

My big question is: Did those who voted look at the recent landscaping or did they come inside with one of the vagrants or drug users who has keys but don't pay rent?

— Hope de Waardt-Jemerson, Jeffersonville





Reader thanks Work Release Program



I’m writing this letter to sincerely thank and to recognize everyone involved in the Work Release Program.

Upon contacting Sheriff Danny Rodden regarding this program, without delay he sent a work crew to Utica. They were hardworking, and most important, respectful young men. Each was a pleasure, and as a team, they worked well together.

Thank you, Sheriff Rodden for sending these hardworking individuals to Utica. Also, thanks to Ham Thompson, Utica Town Marshall, H.M. Rumple, and Bill Hostettler. Also, thanks to Glenn Murphy and his staff at Sampan Screen Printing for the great food provided for everyone involved in the town clean-up. Thanks to Utica Preservation for the use of their building. I will not forget the outstanding job these young men performed.

I encourage the people of Utica to continue what the work release program began. We need volunteers from time to time for different projects in the community. Stop by the Town Hall and see what project is next.

Let’s make our quaint little rivertown a place we can take pride in!

— Joe Ray Broy, Utica



Looking for a ‘real’ energy plan



In response to Mike Sodrel’s recent submission, I believe the entire American public is tired of hearing what won’t work, Mr. Sodrel. Yet, the only thing I read in your piece was how you went to Alaska, how we should drill in ANWR and what we can’t do. Is that your solution? Is that your “All of the above?”

Drilling is only one measure. Drilling won’t yield any usable fuel for at least five years, more realistically it will be 10 years before we see any benefit. Yet that is all you suggest. How exactly do you propose to bring energy independence? And how exactly is traveling the mass expanse of Alaska doing anything? How much fuel did you use to come back to us with the same tired option of drilling?

While you may be able to afford the cost of your trip to Alaska, the rest of us are figuring out how we are going to afford the rising cost of getting to work, heating our homes and buying our groceries. Perhaps you should come back to us when you have a real plan, not the same old rhetoric.

— Genevera Pendroy, Jeffersonville



We have right to clean air



This is an open letter to the Mayor of New Albany, Mr. Doug England.

I have been reading with much interest about the controversy concerning smoking in the public domain and I feel like someone should give you some positive feedback on how to deal with such a controversial issue.

First and foremost, you were elected to do the good will of the people. The council members were elected to do likewise and the tribe has spoken. They voted 5-4 to eliminate tobacco smoking in all public places. Why should an individual surrender to the inalienable rights to a company or entity whose only desire is to seek profit or gain at someone else’s expense?

I for one do believe it is, and should be, a fundamental right to breathe clean air if you can find it. I used to smoke cigarettes when I was young, just like many others who start at an early age, not realizing the damage I was doing to my lungs.

I got older and with age comes wisdom. I was schooled and coerced by a caring relative that cigarettes are a deadly form of recreation and it sunk in after a lot of taunting and verbal abuse: “My cousin is right, cigarette smoking is bad and it is very expensive.” So I asked myself, “Why am I doing this bad habit anyway?”

It was then that I realized the product that I was enjoying was killing me. It was with this revelation I determined that I needed to quit, and so I did.

I realize this decision before you is significant, however, I suggest you do what is in the best interest of the people and remember you are speaking up for the ones who cannot be heard or the ones afraid to speak up for fear of retribution.

I know this ordinance will affect a lot of businesses in a bad way financially, but we can all find ways to adapt to this change.

It is not only happening here but nationally as well, and it is change that is better for the common good of mankind. We should steadfastly embrace it.

What a pleasure it will be to go out in public and not have to worry or be bothered by someone else’s secondhand smoke.

Mr. Mayor, after you put this issue to rest, let’s go after the big dogs, the companies that have their workers operating in unhealthy working environments. The air employees are subjected to breathing within companies should be brought up to healthy standards, enforced by the government. Stiff penalties should be enacted upon to get these companies into compliance.

It is not only cigarette smoke that is ruining our environment; it is all of these gasoline and diesel-burning engines as well as factories polluting our good Earth. We all must try to change it or make it better because, if we don’t, we will not be leaving our children much of an inheritance.

— Michael Nance, New Albany



Reader: NA needs a lot of fixing



I would like to be the first to tell you that second-hand smoke is awful for children and adults.

I, myself, do not smoke and never have. My husband does and the ban upsets him. But face it, there will always be someone out there smoking no matter what we do or say. But I believe we have a lot of bigger problems in our town.

How about the number of break-ins, drugs, sex offenders, gangs, and slumlords?

Even our streets are a mess — potholes, uneven paving.

How about our expensive sewage bills? Or the amount of people out there without jobs and some without homes?

Our children have needs too — someplace to play that is safe? Or the non-help from deadbeat parents?

I’m sorry, but putting a lot of money into our downtown will not bring in a lot of customers. Malls and places like Wal-Mart have ruined us all. Who in their right mind wants to drive around and around a block looking for a place to park?

Not me.

I know some of my family will use the YMCA, but I will never use it, yet our tax dollars go towards it.

Our jails are overcrowded right now from drug users and dealers, gangs, rapists, thieves — what is wrong with this town nowadays? Doesn’t anyone care about things that are going on?

Last year, my brother moved. To get to his house, you have to turn off of Old Ford Road onto Armstrong. You can turn onto Armstrong Bend and drive by cars parked along Silver Creek and see couples having sex, garbage being dumped and, you just know, a few drug deals are going down, yet nothing can be done about it.

My brother pays taxes and so do I. Yet, when we ask for some kind of help, it’s always we don’t have the money.

My brother’s road, Rector Drive, needs paving. Armstrong was paved, but not his.

I live on South Audubon Drive. Every time it rains, I worry about flooding. I already had the city tell me that pipes that hold the rainwater are too small, but the city doesn’t have the money to replace it. I’ve heard this for 35 years.

Maybe a couple of lights along the creek on Armstrong would help, and maybe a police car every now and then too or maybe pave Rector Drive. Neighborhood watches are great too. How about a little help there?

Or better yet, put my grandson’s deadbeat dad in jail along with all the other deadbeat parents who have abandoned their children’s’ needs.

I know I could go on and on, but you know what? No matter what I say or write will ever change things. It seems like so many people voice their opinions and it goes in one ear and out the other.

Wake up, mayor, and our prosecutor! Things are very wrong in our town.

I have lived here for 56 years and in a couple of years my husband plans on retiring an we will be moving from New Albany. I still want things to change. My family and grandchildren will still be here and I would like for things to change and improve for them.

— Debbie Eason, New Albany

        

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