Letters to the Editor Policy

Bad Zoning?

When is no zoning bad zoning? Great Bend Township seems to wear the no zoning stance like a badge of honor and it’s time they joined the 21st century. There is a property located on Randolph Road just over the I-81 bridge that is a blight to the entire area. How a group of people can live in such filth is beyond normal rationale. The real issue though is the burning of toxic material on this property. On a regular basis the smoke and smell of rubber and plastic being burned blankets the entire area and makes it impossible to breathe. Several times I have called the fire department only to be told that there is no zoning on burning. The state police tell me that they have more important issues to deal with. Oh, that’s right, we don’t have any police presence or protection in the township either! I think it’s time the township grows a backbone and puts some tools in place to not only protect the esthetics of the town but the health and well being of its residents. Maybe the only way this can be accomplished is through a lawsuit?

Sincerely,
Donna Colwell
Great Bend, PA

Compassionate Citizens

I am sending this letter to say Thank You to a few compassionate citizens of the town of Oakland and Susquehanna. First of all, allow me to explain the reasons. On June 23, my son called me to inform me that there was a kitten crying down in a grate at the end of our bridge, on the Oakland side. He told me that he and his friend tried to get the grate open the night before when they first heard it, however a certain officer told them to get away from it because if it found its way in there, it would find its way out. However, this kitten was extremely young, perhaps 4 weeks old. When my son still heard it crying that afternoon of the 23rd, he called me and told me where it was. I went down there and heard the kitten. I called a relative on mine, Chad Welch, who works for Susquehanna Boro. He told me the state takes care of those grates. I then called 911, explained the situation, who informed me to get in touch with the mayor of Oakland concerning the problem.

When I was on my way to see Mayor Glover, I ran into Officer Sy in Oakland. I explained the situation to him and he went right down to where the kitten was stuck. Officer Sy got in touch with Mayor Glover and Chad also came to help. They got the grate open after approximately a half hour and we sent my son, Anthony Kimble and his friend Brett Metcalf down into the sewer pipe to rescue the kitten, because they were small enough to get into the pipe. (The kitten had gone up into the pipe when scared by the banging of the hammer on the grate).

Mayor Glover and Officer Sy then went up to the next grate, prepared to lift that one in case the kitten got up there. I believe that these people are the kind that make our town a decent place to live. They went out of their way to help rescue this kitten, when another officer tuned his back on it. The kitten, which was very weak when they got it out of the pipe, is doing well; we took it home, washed it up, fed it and it began walking around after a little while. It now has a new home with Brett. So I am sending a very well deserved “Thank You” to Mayor Glover, Officer Sy, Chad Welch, Brett Metcalf, and my son, Anthony Kimble.

Sincerely
Anne Stark
Oakland, PA

Has Been Country

I have been quiet lately because, quite honestly, I am burned out. The relentless attack on our Republic by the current administration is overwhelming me. There are so many insults to our Constitution being done by the Obama administration that I fear for our country even more than I ever thought that I could. The deck is being stacked every day by pandering to the unions, expanding federal hiring, circumventing the Congress, who voted down the “Dream Act,” by using Agencies and Executive Orders, not to mention Libya, and now, over the objections of our highest ranking military officers, he intends drawing down our forces in Afghanistan in the middle of the fighting season. This to please the Left (Liberals). This latest act is going to directly jeopardize our troops. Know any? Obama’s long gone Summer of Recovery is a stark example of the ineptitude of this Administration (except for bankrupting us). Now, in the crassest expression of distain for Americans, he is drawing down the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Sure, it is not much but, consider, it shows to what length, for political purposes, this president will go to garner public approval. The hypocrisy of all of this is that this is the same person who, by Executive Order, stopped all offshore drilling in the Gulf.

Are you still asking “Why is he doing this?” If so, I really don’t know what to say. But, I’ll try one more time. Look at who are his friends and advisors. Start with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, in whose church pew he sat for over twenty years. And that is just the beginning of Obama’s fellow travelers. If you are unwilling or unable to find out who he really is, I don’t think that there is any hope for us.

My elected representatives know that I have already called for the removal of this Cheshire Cat. The man is all smile and no substance. Like the Pied Piper, he has played his flute and led our children away from the village. He continues to play and some of you, like those children, are still following. Clearly, I am speaking to those who still think Obama is a gift from God. Fortunately, there are fewer of you every day. However, to stop following is not enough. We absolutely must demand of our representatives that they remove this man from office. Offenses are not in short supply. So far, we have lacked the guts to stop this assault on our Republic. It doesn’t seem that our representatives are going to do it. So, don’t just sit there and read this. Pick up your phone, turn on your computer, watch something other than MSNBC, email, text, twitter or friend and be a part of saving our country from becoming another failing “has been country,” like most of Europe.

Sincerely,
Joe McCann
Elk Lake, PA

Foods That Kill; Foods That Heal

You're overweight, or have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, or gout. Maybe you're just too tired too often. Chances are you're one of the 65 percent of Americans with metabolic syndrome (MS), an umbrella term for these ailments.

There are three commonly supposed causes of MS. First, lightning strike. This theory is analogous to being hit by a bolt out of the blue. One could be doing everything right, then, for no reason, MS strikes.

The second assumption says MS is the result of aging. In others words, these afflictions are just the natural and unavoidable consequences of getting older.

Lastly, genetics is blamed for being the causative culprit. Here family history determines one's physical problems. “It runs in my family,” is a familiar refrain.

However, each theory is flawed.

The lightning strike explains MS as a result with no cause. It just happens. But everything has a cause. Lightning strike explains nothing; it merely sidesteps causes.

What about aging? MS is relatively unknown among those cultures that have not adopted western dietary and life patterns. Aging and MS are not fellow travelers.

The last theory, genetics, has a veneer of scientific support. But a new science, epigenetics, proves that theory, too, is false. For example, why do identical twins become more distinct as they age? Epigenetics.

Epigenetics has shown that while genes are not malleable their expression is. How one responds to emotional stresses, the environment, physical activity, and diet, are like switches that turn gene expression on or off. You can't change your genes but you can control how they are expressed. In short, lifestyle trumps genes.

The three popular conjectures have this in common: in no case does one bear responsibility for MS symptoms. But the good news is that we shoulder complete responsibility. It's good news because what is self-caused can be self-cured. The question is how?

One solution is drugs. For every manifestation of MS there are a dozen or so drugs, none of which cure; they only suppress symptoms and that at a exorbitant financial and physical price.

All drugs come with a roster of side effects. The package insert for an average drug lists 70 side effects. But only 5 percent of side effects are reported, said the Journal of the American Medicine Association.

Ironically, side effects are often more dangerous than the conditions for which they are prescribed.

The Journal also reported that in an average year 1.6 million people are hospitalized due to adverse reactions to doctor prescribed drugs. And up to 160,000 will die from the side effects of these legally prescribed drugs.

But there is a better way, one with no side effects except better health.

Step No. 1: Educate yourself. The average 60-year old is taking four drugs. Look up the side effects of each on the package insert in the “Warning” section. An apt title. Prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death right below cancer.

Step No. 2: If you decide there is a better way, never go cold turkey on any drug. They must be weaned off very slowly preferable under professional guidance.

Step No. 3: Recognize that diet is the root cause of MS. Improve your diet by cutting out natural and artificial sugars. This includes soda, fruit juice, candy, and alcoholic beverages. White flour digests very quickly to sugar. It and products made from it should not be part of your diet.

Eliminating these food-less foods will not be easy; sugar is highly addictive. In one study, researchers determined that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. Rats habituated to both sugar and cocaine were forced to choose one. They chose sugar 94 per percent of the time.

Step No. 4: Revamp your diet to be composed mainly of fresh vegetables, a little fruit, lean meats, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and yogurt. Substitute virgin olive oil and coconut oil for supermarket oils. Choose certified organic and eat raw as much as possible; cooking destroys vital enzymes.

Foods that kill or foods that heal? Consciously or not, it's a choice we all make.

Sincerely,
Bob Scroggins
New Milford, PA

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