Letters to the editor: 12/12/02

Contrails are condensation, not conspiracy

To the Editor:

The white trail left behind a plane is not smoke or something being sprayed in the air. Basically, it is the condensation of the moisture in the air the plane flies through. The world is surrounded with layers of air, like strips of dough on an apple pie. Envision a ball of string, wound by hand, each layer crisscrossing the other.

As we look straight up through those layers, each layer or current will have its own temperature and characteristic. Warm temperatures evaporate moisture and cold temperatures cause moisture to condense, forming clouds.

When a plane flies through a cold current of air near a warm current, the heat and vibration from the engines mixes the warm and cold air, causing moisture condensation, squeezing the water out like squeezing the dish cloth. It leaves behind a string of cloud, or a contrail, trapped in the wind currents of the sky.

Do not be alarmed, there's nothing there except air and water. The patterns they form are like a boy drawing in the sand with a stick. Our imagination used to look for the booger-man on the dark walk through the woods. Many still fear the ghosts in the graveyard at night. Those people are not going to bother you, that's the safest place you could be.

I saw contrails in the sky over France during World War II. Anti-aircraft shells exploding high in the sky sent a circle of contrail outward from the blast like dropping a pebble in a pool of still water and the wave rushing to the shore.

If you want to worry about something, think about the exhaust from cars or the smoke from coal burning industry. Spend time on a stream and see the filth carried to our lakes. Think about the earth's water table, where all of our fresh water is stored.

Sweet dreams!

Vernon Hoyle

Sylva

Traffic causes concern during parade

To the Editor:

My daughter and I parked at Eckerds and walked down to the corner of McDonalds to watch it. We stayed on the side of the road closes to P.J.s.

We thought maybe the traffic would of been stopped, but it wasn't. There were small children trying to get the candy that was thrown to them on that side of the street, but cars kept going by and they could not get the candy. I think the traffic should have been stopped.

Also, why could the parade not be on a weekend like other communities in the area?

Margie P. Stephans

Webster

Sheriff's Department house-cleaning was not justified

To the Editor:

As a citizen of Jackson County, it's comforting and uplifting for the new sheriff to make such a statement. I realize with this statement he was referring to the way he and deputies would serve the people of this county.

I would only hope this statement would have applied to the treatment of the officers, as well. However, it is very disturbing and discouraging to know that several of the men and women who served this county in different capacities at the Sheriff's Department were told that their "services are no longer needed."

These individuals worked for the people of this county for years, some longer than others, they put their lives on the line daily, working from the early hours of the morning until the late hours of the night, spending countless hours away from their own families to protect yours and mine.

That kind of devotion and loyalty is admirable. Unfortunately, it appears that the image of loyalty is what cost these individuals their positions with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. It is a shame that just because employees develop a close working relationship with their boss they are punished for it when the next one comes along without even being given a chance to develop that same relationship with the new administration.

Did it ever occur to Mr. Ashe that perhaps these individuals were close to the former sheriff but their loyalty was to the people of this county, to serve and protect them just as they vowed to do when they were sworn in? Did it ever occur to Mr. Ashe that these individuals have a passion for law enforcement and the many elements that come along with it, just as he does? Did it ever occur to Mr. Ashe that these individuals have families to provide for just as he does? As the Christian man Mr. Ashe so adamantly proclaims to be, it seems that he would not have judged these individuals so hastily.

To those of you who unselfishly served this county, I would like to say thank you for those nights you left your homes and families, thank you for those 12- and 15-hour days you worked making this county a safe place for us to raise our children.

To Mr. Ashe, I say good luck. As we all know, promises are easily broken and plans are good while in the making.

Elizabeth A. Brown

Cullowhee

Filing suit was within Smith's rights

To the Editor:

As a teacher, I have heard administrators tell the teachers many times that we are responsible for the students when they are in school during the school day. That is why visitors must go to the office for a visitors pass when they arrive at the schools rather than go directly to a class. Schools want to monitor who is in and out of the school. Why? Could it be that the school administration is responsible for each and every student in that school?

Well, that is the explanation given to teachers, parents and students for a long time. If we use the logic that has been supplied and accepted for years, we can reword Mr. Roland's sentence and say, "If school officials concentrate more on their duties to the community, then there will be no need to worry about protecting their assets and integrity while battling ridiculous civil suits."

Also, I think that taking a pot shot at Mrs. Smith was uncalled for with the question: "Is Smith mad at the defendants or is she mad at herself for failing to take a more active interest and role in her daughter's life?" As parents, when we send our children to school, we are entrusting the school officials with their safety. Mrs. Smith did just that.

It is perfectly understandable that her daughter didn't tell her about what was happening. Most abused children do not tell their families what is happening for fear of being blamed or rejected. This fear is often instilled in the children by the abusers. The fact that she did not know what was happening by no means indicates that she is a bad parent or uninvolved. To me it would indicate that perhaps pressure was placed on the girl not to say anything about what was happening to her.

The thing that amazes me is that anyone can blame Mrs. Smith for filing suit when only one person seems to have been held responsible for what has happened to her child. I do not presume to speak for Mrs. Smith, but perhaps this is the only way that she sees to finally have others who were directly or indirectly involved in this held responsible in any way.

Shelly Sorrell

Schenectady, N.Y.

Back to Archive: 12/12/02.