Letters to the editor: 12/06/01

Little Canada community park update

To the Editor:

This past September, a presentation was made to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners at their work session requesting assistance in removing the old Canada School building, correcting drainage, building a children's playground, a ballfield, a walking track, and a picnic shelter with bathrooms for the use of all of the citizens of our community. The commissioners toured the school building, observing how dilapidated an eye sore it has become since the school was closed.

The commissioners then conducted their regularly scheduled meeting. A large contingent of Canada residents were in attendance in support of a park for our isolated township.

Unfortunately not even our representative saw fit to make a motion in support of our residents. Our new county manager, Mr. Ken Westmoreland, together with Mr. Ira Jones and Mr. Tommy Wheeler, scheduled a meeting at the school property to determine what the county might be able to do now to show good faith toward the Little Canada residents.

Everyone needs to take a moment and drive by the property. It has been cleaned up, brush and trees removed, and windows and doors boarded, making it once again a safe place to go. Exercisers can choose to walk around the building or around the property. Work should start soon on correcting drainage, and with the burn ban removed, the piles of brush will soon disappear.

Mr. Westmoreland has agreed to check into the procedures and costs of removing the building while Mr. Jeff Carpenter, recreation director, has agreed to check into grants from the state recreation authority.

It takes time to transform an eyesore into a park. Perhaps Chairman Denton might agree to building his horse park next to our recreation park. Everyone contacting Westmoreland, Jones, Wheeler and Carpenter should wish them a Merry Christmas and thank them for what they have been able to accomplish so far. Everyone contacting their commissioners should also wish them a Merry Christmas and ask them to step up to the plate for the residents of the Canada township.

Ed Riley

Little Canada

Senior Project help appreciated

To the Editor:

My mentor, Jennifer Baer, and I would like to say "thank you" to all the businesses and volunteers who helped with my Senior Project litter pickup Saturday, Nov. 17.

We would especially like to thank the Waffle House, the Jarrett House, Papa's Pizza, Smokey Mountain Drive-In and McDonald's for their donations. Also, thank you to all the volunteers who collected 25 bags of trash and recyclables from the campus of Smoky Mountain High School.

Once again, thank you for helping make my Senior Project a success.

Jessica Coggins

SMHS Senior

Sylva

Postponing manager decision was wise

To the Editor:

I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to Mayor Brenda Oliver and the standing town board for postponing the very important decision on hiring the town manager until January.

I think that this is a very good decision on your part as it will allow the two new town board members a short time to get comfortable in their new position and also allow them to help make the decision of who they will have to work with for the next two to four years.

I again congratulate the mayor and the town board, Richard McHargue and the SPIR board members, the town employees, both inside the Town Hall, and the outside maintenance crew and most of all Tommy Thompson for his wise budgeting of the town's tax dollars and the ways he was able to stretch it to try to take care of the needs of all of Sylva.

This group working together as a team for the good of Sylva has made much progress in the past four or five years, and I hope they can all continue working together so that both the needs of revitalizing Mill Street and the needs in the rest of Sylva can be accomplished.

Thank you,

Herb Zachmann

Sylva

Cartoon was a 'cheap shot'

To the Editor:

I was very disappointed to see the cartoon in the editorial section concerning Operation Christmas Child and Franklin Graham. You must be unaware of how many people in this community support this endeavor that sends a message of hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes.

This program provides an opportunity for individuals of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands-on mission project that reaches out to suffering children while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus Christ, God's greatest gift. In 2000, more than 4 million shoe boxes were collected worldwide and distributed to children in more than 75 countries.

This is a very worthwhile endeavor that my family and many more in Jackson County have supported for years. I find it hard to believe someone would take such a "cheap shot" at helping children. We may not agree on our religious and political beliefs, but Franklin Graham and Samaritan's Purse have done untold good for millions of people and need to be commended.

Sincerely,

David Stiens

Whittier

School rules frustrate parent

To the Editor:

It has recently come to my attention that our brand new Scotts Creek School has had a few classes exposed to head lice. Not only have the children been exposed, but no flyers or even a common courtesy letter or note was sent home with our children.

Since all of the ages and classes are mixed together in the cafeteria, not to mention the buses and who knows how many other places during the day, I feel that a note to each and every parent should be a demand. Or should I say a law.

It seems to me that every year we parents have to deal with the ludicrous rules and laws the school board makes, such as how many days our children can miss. It seems that after 10 days you will be taken to court because a child is only allowed to miss 10 days during the year.

Well, I've got news for all the school board members and Mr. McCary - my children stay perfectly healthy during the summer and I never have to worry about lice. However, as soon as school starts until it lets out again in the summer, my children are constantly bringing home everything from the common cold to the most horrible monstrosity - lice!

I am sick and tired of receiving these stupid letters threatening me about how many days of school my child can miss. I have already had a visit from Sandy Miller this year, which I guess is supposed to be a warning about one of my children missing too many days.

I feel as a responsible adult and parent that it is high time we as parents take back our rights to raise our children as we see fit. If my child is sick, I keep them at home. Also, don't expect a doctor's note if my child is absent because I don't take my children to the doctor until I see that they are not getting better with their own immune system. I won't give them antibiotics every time they are sick, either. All that does is weaken their immune system.

My point is that I will fight this stupid attendance rule, so school board members should be prepared. I will have petitions for parents to sign at the school and in area businesses. One of the petitions will state that as long as a child is sick and could infect other children, even if it's a virus, they should not attend school, no matter how many days they have missed. Another petition will state that if any child is found to have lice, every parent who has children in that school must be notified by law.

Cindy Murray

Sylva

Solid waste plan lacks vision

To the Editor:

In response to the article "There's no conspiracy" (Nov. 29, 2001), that point of view depends on which side of the issue you are on. First, this solid waste issue isn't a new one. It has been sat on by this current administration for two years now and now it's become an important issue.

We had a vote last year on a non-binding resolution about a county manager. The result was overwhelming in favor of hiring a professional county manager. This should tell the current chairman something.

We have had no development of a long-term plan for future solid waste management. The end result is a list of contracts signed and forgotten until they come due again. Most of these contracts contain enough loopholes you can drive a semi through them.

These contracts also do not provide any measure of waste reduction. They feel that business can handle the problem better than government. While this may be true with the hauling and pickup phase of solid waste, when it comes to reduction the county and the town need to set some goals. Educate the public what these goals are, and I bet you'd find most people lining up to help out.

Mr. Denton's comments about how people get their groceries into their house shows he has no concept of the issue. Some customers of the haulers simply use them for convenience to their busy lives. They (the haulers) are simply hauling garbage from point A to point B.

But most of the people who use haulers are infirm or don't drive also have someone who picks up their groceries and takes them to them. Should we have an ordinance that restricts their movements? What about the housekeeper who takes the garbage with them after completing their task. Are they "private haulers?"

Mr. Denton simply wants to put the blame somewhere. If the haulers went out of business, where does he think that garbage they pickup is going to go? It won't disappear. It is still going to be there. Then who does he want to blame? Quit blaming the haulers, Mr. Denton, for your lack of vision and planning.

What we need is a comprehensive solid waste management plan that calls for the reduction of what we put into the landfill. We need to set some goals and follow through on them. We need to discuss our future with Macon County officials to see where the two counties are going together.

Recently we just opened a C&D facility on Mineral Springs Road. This facility is set up for the hauling of materials out of the county. Is this leading up to another BIG contract that the county will have to pay over the years? I like to call it the giant sucking sound of county government. When are you going to quit picking our pockets, and then shift the blame somewhere else?

Thank you,

Tom Vokes

Dillsboro

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