Viewpoints

To the Editor:

Where you live may determine IF you live... This scary thought, becoming a familiar concern proposed to many rural EMS coverage areas, could be the future. What if there was no one available to respond to that ambulance call?

In Allamakee County there are 82 residents who are Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers registered as active with the Iowa Bureau of Emergency and Trauma Services. The population of Allamakee County, according to the 2010 census was 14,330 people. In Allamakee County, we are very proud to say we have six communities with ambulance services equipped to respond and transport; Harpers Ferry, Lansing, New Albin, Postville, Waterville and Waukon.

To the Editor:

How fortunate we are to have one of the largest city parks in Iowa - a well maintained park land for folks to camp, hike, picnic, swim, bird-and-butterfly watch, fish, walk dogs, sit to watch outdoor presentations or play frisbee in a variety of playgrounds. Something for everyone. The south section is especially appealing for hikers and bikers with its mix of prairie plantings, old trees, and stream crossings (dog walkers, please remove your canine’s droppings).

Our country has been a leader in preserving natural areas in counties, states, and throughout the nation. Many of our National Parks are being increasingly threatened with mining, logging and drilling. Do we want these places ruined for our children and grandchildren?

To the Editor:

To the person who threw that book in my van and didn’t have the guts to hand it to me personally or to sign your name, you made me laugh so hard I got the hiccups. That book, a book of fairy tales, was written years before your man jumped into the race and was written by a right wing nut case.

So, I can only presume that you are a person with questionable morals or courage that you would vote for a career sexual predator who brags about it on video. So, you are so proud of your party that you have to sneak around without showing your face, like the person with no courage who sends me nasty lies in the mail but never signs their name.

I fought in combat for this country so you could be and act the way you do, and I’m glad you weren’t in my platoon. Your book ended up in my burn barrel. If you fought for your life in combat, maybe you would have a different outlook on where you are in life and what people really think.

For your meditation: Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-32

The theme of these readings from the word of God is forgiveness. Forgiveness from God to us. Forgiveness we extend to each other.

The Lord forgives the Israelites their terrible idolatry; and Jesus tells us that there is more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than there is over 99 righteous people who have no need to repent.

Being in sin, being in need of forgiveness is compared to being lost. Think of the fear and tension that a man or woman experiences when they are lost in some large city, when they don’t speak the language of that country or in a wilderness where all you see are trees. That person is desperate to be found.

To the Editor:

Whether our neighbors are experiencing a temporary setback or face a continuous challenge to meet their basic needs - too many struggle to achieve a good quality of life. On a national level, nearly 40 million people are still living in poverty and even more are just one missed paycheck away from hardship.

We believe everyone should be able to take care of their families and have an equal opportunity at success. Community Action Agencies serve 99% of all American counties with life-changing services to help families achieve financial stability. All agencies are locally controlled and represented by the private, public and low-income sectors of the community.

To the Editor:

Mayor Monserud’s most recent column entitled “The Definition of a Small Community” left me both perplexed and disappointed.

I will agree that for the past year it has been an extraordinary privilege to serve on Waterville’s School House Development Board (SHDB) committee. For close to 30 years, as a paralegal, I have achieved a considerable amount of experience in commercial transactions and corporate governance areas of law. In addition, I am co-owner of a property management company that specializes in managing multi-family housing communities. Like myself, other members of the committee bring and offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise that informs our collective commitment to repositioning the former school. It is this experience that we each offer and contribute to the SHDB.

THOU SHALT NOT HUNT
How would you view a Sunday hunting ban?

Efforts to overturn Sunday hunting bans in nine
 states have been met with a luke
warm reception 
from, believe   it
 or  not, hunters! A survey recently conducted   in North Carolina found that 53 percent of hunters oppose the idea of Sunday hunting. Sixty-eight percent of those who opposed cited religious reasons ... (article and survey continues).

To the Editor:

We all wear masks in various aspects of our lives to fulfill our daily roles, to be professional, to meet expectations. For people who experience mental health difficulties, including anyone with an eating disorder diagnosis, the mask is one that they often struggle to discard. The idea of being completely honest about who we are, admitting that we have struggles and difficulties is often overwhelming. We all want to fit in; to belong, and exposing ourselves as somebody who is struggling or less than perfect brings significant turmoil, angst, and distress. People may struggle with coming to terms with a diagnosis of mental illness and a journey to recovery which may not be straightforward.

To the Editor:

Inappropriate adult behaviors at high school athletic events across the country have reached epidemic proportion.

When more than 2,000 high school athletic directors were asked in a recent national survey what they like least about their job, 62.3 percent said it was, “dealing with aggressive parents and adult fans.”

And the men and women who referee or umpire those contests agree. In fact, almost 60% of new officials registered in Iowa in 2016-2017 did not return to officiate in 2017-2018, and unruly parents are often cited as a major reason why. As a result, there is a growing shortage of high school officials here in Iowa, and in baseball, football, track and field, and wrestling, the IHSAA is seeing record lows. No officials means no games.

If you are a parent attending a high school athletic event this fall, you can help by following these six guidelines:

To the Editor:

How about some good news? Here’s some! At our own local hospital, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH), anyone can go to the Wellness Clinic, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., for very inexpensive and comprehensive lab tests. It took me 15 minutes last week for a complete package of lab tests. Call 563-568-3411 for more information.

What a great way to help support our small, hometown hospital, instead of “big box” clinics which charge over $1,000 for fewer tests! Of course, Medicare helps pay for us seniors, but isn’t this part of the reason we hear Medicare is having trouble?