Letters to the Editor
Tuesday, November 6, 2007 10:46 AM PST
Voters lost control of their city
Editor,
If I were a horse-racing fan, I would say that Ontario has hit the trifecta — maybe we are on the way to better times.
There will be many that say that Scott Trainor and Steve Gaschler were driven from their jobs. I think they were at the wheel, and I tend to believe that had there been less “no comment” and more forthcoming answers to questions, they might still have jobs.
And lest some people forget, they were paid employees — no more, no less. We gave them more authority, and we didn’t control our city. We are partially to blame. But, having said that, we, as citizens deserved better from our employees. I do not understand how people can make all the comments, “We’ve lost a good employee,” and, “This will not be good for the city.” I’ll paraphrase Winston Churchill, “Change is unceasing — all things change.” And it was time for a changing of the guard.
A good city manager would have been keeping a close eye on departmental budgets to make sure that city services were not threatened by overspending, such as the pool. The library is still in peril of closure, and the hours are so limited that it is hard to use the facility. How many times were we told that public safety would be affected if more money was not available?
As an insurance agent, I know that it is not the severity of claims/problems — but, rather, the number of incidences. Ontario is on course for the big incident. And I believe it will be found, after these two employees leave — and it will be devastating to our city.
In a small town, customer service is a must. And many of us feel that the customer service emanating from City Hall is at an all time low. Yes, folks, the city deserves citizens and is responsible to us, the tax-paying public. I believe that with the change in employees, maybe we are on the mend.
And, oh yes, Mrs. Trainor, the next time you call me, at home, and suggest that I move out of Ontario if I don’t like what your husband does, remember what I told you, “I’ll be here long after you’re gone, and we’re correcting your husband’s mistakes.” To me, this is home — to you, it was just a stepping stone. Let’s get back to the business of making Ontario a good, friendly place to live ... for all of us.
Ann Fitch-Schiemer
Ontario
Vote down abatement district plan
Editor,
When going to the polls this Tuesday to vote on the proposed mosquito abatement district for Payette County consider several issues. First and foremost, a point that has not been addressed in the least is the damaging potential to you and the environment you live in. As a biologist, I don’t know of any insecticide that is good for you. If aerial-contact spraying is used, you will breathe in residential vapors. Everything exposed to it will carry a certain amount of residue that you come in contact with. Think about it, your garden produce you carefully try to raise without sprays, the handles on your tools, toys, bikes, lawn chairs, swimming pools, everything that you come in contact with outdoors, even the lawn you like to lay on in the summertime. Consider the bats and nighthawks that spend their whole lives eating mosquitoes, what effect will it have on these good, natural predators?
Then think of the aquatic environment, poisoning standing water to kill mosquitoes will also kill beneficial insects and the very predators that eat the mosquito larvae you are trying to kill. Remember your biology teacher telling you about the food chain? Everything that inhabits that water, from the smallest single-celled protozoa to aquatic roundworms that decompose organic sediment on the bottom of the ponds that will come in contact with these pesticides, will either be killed or pass it to the next step on that food chain. Eventually, fish, frogs, toads, tadpoles and dragonflies get a dose of it. The extent of the damage, unfortunately, will never really be known. Mosquitoes are constantly hatching everywhere water is allowed to stagnate, every minute of every day of the summer. They don’t just hatch in 2 or 3 week time periods. The process is continuous; therefore, there is no way to control mosquitoes by spraying, unless you plan on spraying all standing water and the air they breed in continuously!
The mosquito problem in Payette County is caused by people providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Look around you, there are leaky pipes, countless ditches, fields, ponds, buckets and sloughs that have water standing for months during the summer, probably in your own back yard! If everyone took the personal responsibility to regularly dry up the ditches, fix leaking irrigation pipes, drain anything that catches water, nature’s natural cycle would handle our mosquito problem. Additionally, I believe if West Nile were the epidemic the media is playing it up to be we all should be dead by now! Each of us has surely been bitten countless times by West Nile-bearing mosquitoes. So why aren’t we dead yet? My theory is that our bodies are building a natural immune defense system each time we are exposed to it. A far better use of tax dollars would be a comprehensive education program to remind people to eliminate the breeding grounds for mosquitoes. We don’t need another taxing district regardless of how much or little it costs if it is a poor idea.
Kirk Redlin
Fruitland
Commending service of paratrooper
Editor,
As an American and a soldier in The Salvation Army, I am always deeply troubled to learn of the loss of one of our finest sons or daughter in the military. My deepest condolences and regrets to the family and friends of Sgt. Joshua Brennan. Our own son, also a Joshua, safely returned from Iraq this summer. We pray daily for all our military still, knowing the dangers they face daily. With my brother also home from Afghanistan safely, and my sister-in-law, I deeply regret learning that one of their companions has fallen. Sgt. Brennan has completed his mission with honor. His family and friends truly have the thanks of a grateful nation.
The Salvation Army is a part of the universal Christian church. Let us not forget that we have a mission, too. It is to be peacemakers on this earth. That task calls us to perform duties of service and kindness to one another, even our enemies. Inasmuch as we can bring more peace with justice to our local communities, state, region, nation and world, we can honor the sacrifice of the Brennan family. I travel to Ontario often in my work. I love this community. If anyone would like to learn more about The Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission and the work we are seeking to do to promote peace with justice on earth, please let me know.
Bill Olson
Beaverton
Support fire station bond attempt
Editor,
My phone rang on the morning of Oct. 29. The person on the other end wanted to know if mine and my husband’s names could be added to a newspaper advertisement backing the proposed Payette initiative for the new fire station and facility.
I immediately said yes, as my husband is one of our local firefighters with this department, I knew he would approve having his name added as well.
After hanging up, I began to go over in my mind the controversy that is surrounding this vital issue. Council members, business leaders, private citizens, fire and law enforcement officials have all voiced opinions on both sides. Of every issue there are always two sides, but on this particular one, I really think there is only one reasonable answer.
The ballot initiative must go forward and be passed for all of the people of the city and county of Payette. As the wife of a firefighter, I know what it is to be awakened at 3 a.m. when the pager sounds off. I listen intently as my husband flies into his clothes, both of us fearing what may be said over the radio next.
Sometimes the page is less serious, such as a grass fire with no structures threatened. However, there are many times that a horrible announcement arrives.
A car crash needing extrication, a lost child or, God forbid, a house fire fully involved, all send a crush of emotions through my mind and body. I immediately fear for the victim(s) in their awful circumstances. Selfishly, my fear also goes directly to my husband and his fellow responders. All of these people have chosen, by only the goodness in their hearts, to be willing to do this job.
The city and rural fire departments are also in an emergency. Why can’t we also respond in the same nature? Yes, I do understand costs and projected expenses, but at the same time, why are we willing to only build something adequate? We must be able to have functioning fire facilities, not only in the next year, but with all of the growth, in the next five, 10 and even 20-plus years.
The answer is to pass the needed facility the way the fire department needs it, where the fire department needs it because, after all, it may be your car crash, lost child, grass fire or fully-involved house to which they need to respond.
I am very proud to have an association with the men and women of this department.
I encourage all eligible registered voters to vote on Nov. 6.
Denise Rueschhoff
Payette
