Editor: Re: Housing work may begin by February, Jan. 5 Times:
The commissioners' train of thought fails to escape me with reference to giving the okay for the start of construction of the Spring Haven Apartments right now. The two traffic lights that are in dire need on Mariner Boulevard at Quality Drive and Wexford Boulevard should first be in place. This should be their first concern before the start of a project of this size or anything else in this heavily traveled Seven Hills area begins.
The commissioners don't seem too interested in trying to secure the safety of Spring Hill residents (most all taxpayers) already living off of Mariner Boulevard, or should I say, "Mariner Speedway."
I have become a recent resident of The Wellington. Just leaving my development (Wexford Boulevard) to get out on Mariner Boulevard with due safety presents a constant challenge. Also, returning from Mariner Boulevard onto Wexford is just as bad.
Having a traffic light installed now is a necessity, not an afterthought, despite what type of traffic study that can be done. Quality Drive is another important area for a traffic light; deaths have already occurred there.
I hope they are not waiting for the same thing to happen at Wexford, or again at Quality Drive, before action is taken.
What more can we do but appeal to our commissioners for assistance? I can't help but wonder if we would have a traffic light by now if one or more of the commissioners resided in The Wellington.
-- Rita C. De Falco, Spring Hill
Lanes of no consequence for overall bad drivers
Editor: Right lane. Left lane. This dispute has been getting a lot of attention. I say to worry about the drivers who shouldn't be in either lane - those people who don't belong behind the wheel.
We have those who don't remember what a blinker is for. Then there are those who can't read, as they ignore stop signs.
Then we have the bull-headed persons who, when they see a red light, proceed to charge right through it.
Then we have the drifters. These are the ones who like to try to drive on the line. So, they start to drift into the lane next to them.
Last, but not least, are the people who can barely see over the steering wheel and almost have to sit on the dashboard to drive.
These are the drivers who concern me the most, regardless of what lane they drive in.
-- Dorothy Rockwell, Spring Hill
Let Waste Management sort out the recyclables
Editor: Three times I have called Waste Management of Pasco to pick up two extra bins at my house, and three times they have not done so. The third time they did not even pick up the two full bins of recyclables.
A call to their office assured me they would be picked up that day, but three days later, they are still at my curb, along with the two extra bins.
So, what am I going to do? I am dragging all four bins back to my garage and putting all the recyclables into my garbage can and will let them separate the garbage. I plan to continue getting rid of my recyclables this way.
After all, I have been doing the work and paying $4 per quarter. Now they can do the work and earn the money.
-- Edna Watts, Spring Hill
Use of "gadfly' only serves to demean local candidate
Editor: Reporting on the Hernando County Commission meeting following Garth Coller's marriage and Commissioner Diane Rowden's response, staff writer Will Van Sant writes that "several audience members spoke out in support of Coller and expressed anger at Rowden. Among them was Joe Lemieux, gadfly and now a Democratic candidate for District 1 County Commission seat." Not Joe Lemieux, local business owner and candidate. Not Joe Lemieux, long-time Hernando County resident and candidate. Not even Joe Lemieux, peace activist and candidate.
Calling a man a gadfly certainly seems meant to demean. It infers that readers ought not take the man seriously. My dictionary defines "gadfly" as a fly that bites cattle; a horsefly. I think the editor who failed to cut a subjective, denigrating description of a citizen is a horse's something.
The Times used to characterize members of the Hernando County Good Government League as gadflies. About two county administrators ago, their work resulted in the discovery of more than $1-million in tax revenues that had been buried and lost from the county budget. Suddenly, Hernando had money for its road paving program, and GGL members were no longer gadflies.
I'll close with these two questions to the editor: Does it take $1-million to make a gadfly respectable? Can only Democrats be gadflies?
-- Nina Vaznelis, Spring Hill
Cats would solve childish bird droppings problem
Re: Judge rules droppings are nature's call, Jan. 10 Times:
Editor: For heaven's sake! Grown adults acting like children and suing for silly reasons.
The answer is as plain as the nose on Mr. Renna's face: Get two or three cats from the local animal shelter. Leave them outside. Don't feed them. Nature will take its course. Once a natural balance has been restored, he can resume feeding the cats so they do not go hungry.
Of course, the Butlers won't like it, and they will probably want to sue, too. However, if our judges are to remain consistent in their rulings, this lawsuit will be thrown out, too, because, after all, the cats, like the birds, are doing what comes naturally.
The Butlers will then have to accept the fact that Mr. Renna is practicing a version of tough love and will be doing the Butlers a favor by saving them the cost of 40 pounds of bird feed per week, which they can save up to buy a bird cage and their own bird to keep in their home. The Butlers can then share in the responsibility of cleaning its cage and, should they decide to let it fly free in their home, they can partake in the joys of nature by finding and cleaning the spots where the bird does what it does naturally after a good feed.
-- Vilmar Tavares, Spring Hill
[Last modified January 14, 2004, 01:33:12]
