Letters to the editor: 09/14/00

Online edition brings back memories'

To the Editor:

I managed a store in Dillsboro called the Mountain Retreat on Haywood Street. Those were the happiest years. My husband used to say we had found heaven, and it was true.

Unfortunately, we had to move back to Florida - my dad was ailing - so we moved back. Joe, my husband, always thought that eventually we would move back, and we had planned to, but as fate would have it, my husband died suddenly last Thanksgiving day from cancer, and he never saw North Carolina again.

His last wish was to have his ashes scattered on the golf course where he was happy. This I did in June with our good friends. He now rests at Holly Hills, and I know he is happy at last.

My dad is still around and has said many times that when he is gone I should go back to North Carolina and be happy with my friends and the wonderful memories I shared with my husband.

Reading The Sylva Herald has brought back some of those memories, and I hope with God's blessing I can once again live in your beautiful mountains.

During my grieving I never thought to send a notice of Joe's death to your newspaper. I realize now that I should have. So many good people touched our lives.

Thank you for the memories.

Sincerely,

Mary Lambriola

Delray Beach, Fla.

SMART choice

To the Editor:

The Smoky Mountain Animal Resource Teams, known as SMART, has a dedicated staff and volunteers who are working hard to provide low-cost and subsidized spay and neuter services throughout the county, and eventually all over Western North Carolina.

They want to reduce the millions of unwanted animals destroyed each year in the country. An unneutered male and unspayed female dog and their offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in six years, and cats reproduce even more.

I have been a recipient of the SMART programs subsidized spay and neuter services for my two cats. I got darling gray and white kittens from the free kittens ad in the paper four months ago. The field mice were eating the insulation off the pipes under the hood of my car and getting into the air conditioning system. The local mechanic suggested to get cats to help keep the mice away. It is working.

The playful kittens are brother and sister, and I knew I needed to get them spayed and neutered soon. I live on a very limited budget and the local vet fees were more than I could afford. Then I learned of SMART. They paid a portion of the costs and took the animals to the Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic in Asheville, which also gave the cats the shots they needed for a nominal fee.

The volunteers are incredible. They met all nine cars full of cats and dogs at 7:30 a.m. at Venture Out in Sylva. Animal carriers were provided for those who did not have one for their pet's transport to Asheville.

After registering the week before, they had each animal's papers, name collars and records ready as they kindly handled each animal. The animals are picked up and returned to Venture Out the next day for owners to pick up their pets. Each owner receives written instructions on how to care for their recovering pet, and any recommendations the vet has for each animal.

My cats are healthy; the surgeons did a wonderful job. No problems, and they gave them rabies tags legally required for each animal, as well. I can't say enough about the kind and professional group of people who are working hard to prevent unnecessary animals being born, only to later be destroyed.

Please get your animals spayed and neutered. It is low cost and they will help you if money is a problem. SMART can use donations and volunteers to continue this service and allow it to grow. Call them at 631-HELP or send donations to SMART, P.O. Box 809, Dillsboro, N.C. 28725.

Deborah Brown

Glenville

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