Letters to the Editor

Gossipers should get facts straight

To all of those nay-sayers and gossipers who for some odd reason have nothing better to do than pass bad, uninformed, third- maybe 20th-hand gossip, shame, shame on you and your generations.

I am an honorably discharged disabled veteran whom in the time of my country’s needs volunteered my life for 12 long years in protecting your rights. I feel ashamed to call you my countrymen or women.

Yes, I changed my name. It is a part of court record. However, it was not for the reasons purported by you. I am the last of my line. I was given another last name as per the laws of Colorado at my birth. After I found out that my birth father had passed and that I was the last of my line, I had my name changed to what it should have been in the first place, so that my children would not have to go through what I did as a child.

So I see that because of your lack of compassion and your need and greed to be selfish to make yourselves look knowledgeable and important, I have had to resort to this letter. A community should build up one another, not tear it down. Granted, when our elected officials lie to us and do their own thing and fail to listen to the people, then by all means go after them with great zeal.

If you, the ones who are trying to pass all of this bad uniformed information, knew the real truth, you would not be passing this as fact at all.

Another thing — I have never been arrested. I am not a felon. It would be a matter of record.

So I ask you take and put your energies to better use. Help make positive changes in our communities and in our county.

If anyone would have asked me any of these questions prior to passing it as truth, when in fact it was pure gossip and half-truths, then we would not be addressing this. We could then focus on more important issues at hand, such as the city and county.

I am announcing my intentions on running as the next Gem County commissioner. I am seeking to replace Sharon Church Pratt, and I am asking those of you who are putting so much zeal into your efforts to get out and vote, along with those already voting. And then maybe, just maybe, we as a team can make the changes necessary to fix the problems.

As I have always said, it is better to have more people involved to make changes than one.

Richard Z. W. Penrod

Emmett

Stinky water is intolerable

I have lived in this house since 1994 and never had a water problem until this year. Not only does the water smell like a sewer, now the toilet bowl is filled with brown water when flushed. The city council meeting on July 24 didn’t offer solutions, and the water department report sounded helpless.

For the amount of money being charged to customers for water and sewer, we should have the best water in the valley.

Dona Lathbury

Emmett

Why do we not solve problems?

I was raised in Emmett and still have numerous friends in the valley. The Letters to the Editor regarding the city leadership has turned into a hateful shouting match rather than using that effort to help solve the problems.

When I retired from the Air Force, we seriously considered living in Emmett. At that time I knew there was a problem with the infrastructure, the water and the sewer — and the city was doing nothing. This was the (Ron) Morgan era, long before Marilyn (Lorenzen) was involved. Unfortunately, since the problems were ignored, Marilyn was forced to address the issues and solve the problems. Yes, the taxpayers had to pay the increased costs. Not because of Marilyn, but because of the inaction of previous city governments.

One of the areas that concerns me is the totally inaccurate data printed in the paper that are touted as facts when in fact they are simply that person’s personal feelings, whether it be Harris, Ushman or Hunt, and are no way related to reality.

I feel that Marilyn Lorenzen has done a wonderful job getting the city back on its feet in spite of the continuous barbs thrown her way by people more interested in their private agenda, who would rather be a part of the problem than part of the solution.

Keep up the good work, Marilyn.

Gary E. Cox

Colonel, USAF (retired)

Payette

Main Street Antiques to close

Main Street Antiques will be closing on or about Aug. 31. I am closing due to poor support from the town of Emmett including the city, other business owners and the lack of knowledge of the chamber of commerce.

The way to keep stores open in town is to buy from and support them. The saying, “Buy local or bye bye local” holds true for all stores. I hope that the community starts supporting their downtown or other stores will close.

The shop will re-open in Oregon, where the chamber has already started working to find me a new building and help with advertising and moving expenses. The local chamber just wanted me to add to their $40,000 bank account. Maybe they should think about spending money to support the business in town and not the business support the chamber.

Why would a small chamber have that kind of money in the bank in the first place?

Clyde Prince

Emmett

Mayor recall not to be taken lightly

Those brave men who took up their squirrel guns in 1775 against the mightiest army on earth started a revolution that ultimately gave us a government that is the envy of most responsible people on the planet. They gave us a system of government where we can freely choose our leaders, and also, one in which we can remove those who perform un-acceptably.

Recalling a failed official is not an action to approach lightly but entered into with deliberation and fairness.

According to two long-time local political observers, neither Emmett nor Gem County has ever recalled a public official. Does this mean that all of those elected to serve our citizens have flawlessly performed their sworn duties? Probably not. They are only human, and some error can be expected.

We, the people, are today confronted with the question of how much error, and possible wrongdoing, are we willing to accept from a person who raised her hand and swore before Almighty God to protect the interests of those who bestowed upon her the honor and responsibility of mayor.

If you believe the mayor has been honest and effective in the management of her responsibilities, you should not sign the recall petition.

If you think that she has failed in her oversight of that office and ability to maintain the public’s trust, you have no choice but to sign.

Either way, our exercise in democracy would make those founding fathers proud.

I believe that she has lost the trust and confidence of the public essential to good leadership and should be recalled.

Forrest Tevebaugh

Emmett

Grateful out-of-towner

Last week I had to leave my disabled F250 Ford pickup at my mom’s home in Emmett. It was up to her to find a mechanic to do the work.

She had dealt with Mobile Auto Service Center at 402 N. Washington Ave. before, so she called them. I truthfully thought I would have to take out a second mortgage to pay the bill and wait a long time to get the truck back. After only one day at the shop, the truck was fixed, and when my Mom was told the price, she had sticker shock because the price was great.

Years ago, I had a similar thing happen when I was on the road in another state, and since I was from out-of town I was ripped off big time. Not this time. The only things fixed on the truck were the things that needed fixing and not what I thought needed to be done.

Unreal.

What a great, honest place to go to have work done. The whole crew was so polite, honest and sincere it made for a great experience for an out-of-towner.

Leonard Ushman

Fernley, Nevada