We welcome letters to the Editor, a chance for members of the community to comment on issues of concern to them. All letters must be original, not duplications of letters addressed to public officials or written by others. The views and opinions expressed are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication, its publishers, Editor, or staff.
To the Editor:
How we care for our earth will surely have an impact on our children. Do we care? Of course we do! But then it’s only logical that we change our behavior in regard to how we care for the only place, the earth, where future generations will live.
How much do we care? Do we care enough to turn off our car engines instead of letting them idle? Do we care enough to take containers along when we get takeout food? Do we care how many plastic bags end up in lakes, streams, and landfills? Do we really need curling irons, toasters, leaf blowers, decorative lights, four wheelers, dryers? Can we limit our fascination with the newest electronics? Can we whip cream by hand, do dishes in the sink? Do we know how to compost food waste? Teach our children how to make soil instead of smelly garbage? Do we need to wear fresh clothes and shower every day? Do we need a V8 engine, to redecorate our houses every few years with new stuff, eradicate the dandelions in our lawns with poison? Can we put on that old wool sweater instead of cranking up the thermostat?
Do we care? Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m guilty, too. So I have to tell myself quite often: We are borrowing the earth from our children, and my footprint has to become lighter and less destructive.
– Susanna Juon-Gilk
Merrill, Wis.
To the Editor:
Dismay, but not surprise resulted from this past April County Board meeting.
Four speakers, and three letters, offered opposing commentary on the wolf resolution cap of 350, sponsored by its promoter who won its support. Just two of us needed a small time extension beyond the five-minute limit in order to counter years of outdated and misleading information.
The Chair by-passed the option, provided by code, of an additional three minutes, but instructed us to wrap up instead.
My commentary centered on the premature nature of that resolution as the state nears completion of a management plan, based on current science and the results of the disastrous February 2021 wolf hunt.
The other opposing commentary stressed the fact that no other state wildlife has population caps, in spite of the fact that they cost the state far more financially and do more damage than wolves.
The worst damage to democracy took place during the morning session where Supervisor Calvin Callahan authored and submitted a code revision that ultimately granted the Board Chair more powers without Board discussion.
All committee chair appointments now fall to the Board Chair. The Board Chair now replaces the Corporation Counsel as Parliamentarian The rewrite transferred new resolution review and recommendation by oversight committees to a new, Chair-appointed committee.
New Board members won their seats with the promise of more transparency, accountability and public input, but I think the voting public will find out that is not going to be the case.
– Diana C. Smith
Tomahawk, Wis.
Letters To The Editor Policy:
*Letters must be 250 words or less. (There will be no exceptions to this. Any letter longer than 250 words will not be printed.)
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Political Letters To The Editor Policy:
All letters submitted as an endorsement for a political candidate, referendum, or political agenda will carry the same guidelines as above; however, they will be charged $40.00 per letter of up to 250 words in length. Longer political letters will be accepted but will be charged $10.00 per additional 50 words. All political letters must be prepaid prior to printing. Letters to the Editor will not be accepted from candidates running for election or representatives of an organization endorsing their own referendum, as these are clearly advertisements and not opinion letters; those submissions will be referred to our Advertising Department to be run as paid ads.