Posted: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 12:00 am
May 19 has been designated as "Armed Forces Day," a day to honor the men and women of the past and present who protect us and die for us. About 60 to 65 people attended the ceremony at the Corvallis Armory. I dare say that had the day been called "Red Army Day," the attendance would have been overwhelming.
Eugene T. Wilson, Corvallis
Preserve vanishing wildlands among us
Future generations might wonder why our local government decided to convert 58 acres of vanishing oak savannah into 221 mass-produced houses.
Or they might marvel at the wisdom of preserving such habitat for public education, scientific research and solace for thousands of people within walking distance.
Ever since the controversial annexation of Witham Oaks, the public has been mostly shut out of the decision about which of these two competing visions shall prevail. The views shared by many who support preservation are summarized at the Web site www.keepwithamwild.net.
Mark Knapp, Corvallis
A scurrilous rogue attacked by night
I wish to make known the occurrence of a singularly flagitious act, perpetrated with Machiavellian cunning, under shroud of night, at an hour when decent-minded citizens slept.
On the morning of the 10th, my suspicions were aroused upon discovery that the side door of my van - which I had locked the night previous - had been opened, and left unshut. Upon further investigation, I noticed that the interior had been looted, and that the culprit had absconded with several items. A portion of these items were, to me, of strictly minor importance. The theft of certain other articles, however, caused me, and continues to cause, a profound sense of disappointment, together with an acute feeling that a sort of Babylonian decline is beginning to metastasize in our city.
These last items included a tandem baby stroller, a vehicle booster seat, and numerous articles of baby clothing, all of which belonged to our two sons (ages 1 and 4 months, respectively). Wonder it is that such glaring turpitude and knavery should take hold in a city where the spirit of peace is thought to reign supreme within the bosom of all! And what a shock to every man or woman of virtuous character to think that the contagion of evil has so spread itself that these brigands do not draw the line at violating the property rights of little children!
Now, to the caitiff(s) responsible for this outrage, I have one message: My forgiveness I grant you, but not my trust.
Kevin Taylor. Corvallis
U.S. is bungling illegal immigration
I am getting increasingly concerned about how our country seems to be handling the illegal immigration problem. Although the Bush administration, Congress, many governors and others have all preached the necessity of securing the borders, identifying illegals already here and clamping down on employers of illegals, progress is disappointingly slow and inconsistent.
There appears to be a trend developing that will result in hasty federal legislation that will lead to continuing porous borders and easy citizenship for the millions of illegals and their relatives who already are here.
What appears to be occurring is a campaign for easy citizenship, waged by powerful entities with vested interests. These entities include both Republicans and Democrats who are seeking voters, the Catholic Church and labor unions seeking new members and employers exploiting cheap labor. These entities also seem to be weak on enforcement of existing laws.
The media is bombarding us with politically correct stories extolling the benefits of illegal immigrants and downplaying the negative impacts. What we need is an honest, complete and accurate national discussion based on facts. To date, little of this has occurred. Instead, it appears that the vested interests are winning at the expense of our country's welfare. The chaos we are experiencing is certainly not beneficial and if allowed to continue will be catastrophic.
Charles B. Lane, Blodgett
Be careful when spraying pesticides
It's spring time in Corvallis. The flowers are blooming. The trees are leafing. The grass and weeds are growing. The lawn mowers are going. It's time to care for our yards and gardens.
But we have a note of caution for the folks who must use lawn and garden products, such as Roundup, Weed-n-Feed, 2-4-D products and pesticides on your property. There are people in your neighborhoods who are very sensitive to these products. Also, pets that walk on lawns that have been treated with these products also are at risk.
The health and well-being of our neighbors must be considered.
Tell your neighbors before you use these products, especially if you are aware of their sensitivities. Allergic reactions to these products can be devastating.
Wes and Carol Starr, Corvallis
Please slow down for sake of kids, pets
My uncle, aunt, cousins and friends live near the intersection of 33rd Street and Van Buren Avenue, close to Good Samaritan church and apartments. We would like drivers to slow down. We know that drivers do not know that there are children, cousins and pets living here and people drive too fast.
And if you run over a child, grown-up, dog or anybody on this street - even an old woman or an old man - then we would call the police, ambulance or firefighters. And anybody who drives too fast will end up in jail. But not us that live right here. We've already had Pearly the cat - Aunt Amy and Uncle Abe's pet - die because of drivers going too fast.
Nathaniel Hartman, 5, as told to (Uncle) Abe Drabkin, Corvallis
Use whiff of caution toward natural gas
Yes, it's true, natural gas normally is odorless and nontoxic, i.e., not a poison. But it can painlessly cause death in minutes if it displaces all oxygen in the lungs. And it is highly flammable and explosive.
Thus, the natural gas distributors add a pungent, malodorous odorant to the gas to alert people to the hazard of a gas leak so they will quickly seek fresh air and notify the gas company.
May Heaven help those who have lost their ability to smell. Natural gas can be lethal!
Ken Kidd, Corvallis