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:
Why is the majority of the Lincoln County Board blindly rushing past its duty to “serve and protect” our heroes by moving to sell Pine Crest? I’ve known residents there including brave combat vets, law enforcement, teachers, people providing goods and services, and others who selflessly served the less fortunate; people who served and protected our community to the very best of their abilities for decades.
It is estimated that a private organization would need about $700,000 in profits annually to run Pine Crest. What would they cut?
My parents had long term insurance coverage and could have gone anywhere. The first three places they entered were for-profit facilities carefully handpicked by my brother and sister, both experienced health care professionals. All three were disasters with inadequate and unhappy staff, resulting in frequent falls, infections, and trips to the ER and rehab facilities.
After Mom died, we found a small town facility like Pine Crest with outstanding care where the staff was fairly compensated, had long time camaraderie, and enjoyed working together. They were far more efficient and productive than what I witnessed in for-profit homes. It was a longer trip to visit Dad there, but well worth it. He loved the place, and was noticeably healthier and happier.
Please contact your County Supervisor by phone asap before bids for a broker are considered next week. Tell them it’s time to invest in Pine Crest, not sell it. Let’s take our time, secure grants and funding, and honor these heroes.
– Mark Mehlos
Merrill, 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.)
*The writer must include their full name, complete address, and a phone number where he/she can be easily reached for verification. Phone numbers and street addresses will not be published, but will be used for verification purposes, if necessary. Letters must be signed and the name, city, and state will be printed.
*Letters may be edited for style, grammar, and length. Form letters or those we determine to be libelous or slanderous will not be accepted. Any letter deemed derogatory, inflammatory, or involving vulgar language will not be published. We reserve all rights to reject material submitted to this publication.
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*In fairness to all, and due to space constraints, there is a limit of two letters per year from an individual writer. Additional letters may be submitted to our Paid Letters to the Editor column and will require payment in full prior to publication at the same rate as Political Letters to the Editor (see policy below).
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 100 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.