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Saturday, May 18, 2013
Covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and surrounding areas since 1868
February 12, 2013
Students benefit
from local support
I wanted to thank our generous local businesses for their donations making our "What My Mother Means to Me" Fifth-Grade Essay Contest at Whitworth Elementary School a great success.
Dallas Citizens Bank generously donated our top three prizes for our winning writers, Allison Abel (first place), Miriam Johnson (second place), and Sarah Baer (third place). Congratulations to our winners.
Our Dallas Safeway donated the flowers that were given to the mothers of our writers.
We couldn't have done this contest without their help. I appreciate their willingness to help motivate our students as they strive to be better writers as well as to help strengthen our families in this community.
Melissa Jones
Dallas
Prevent accidents,
fix road problems
I also am writing in regards to the dangerous intersection ("Bad intersection needs attention," Feb. 6 Itemizer-Observer Letters to the Editor).
I was raised in Dallas and know several people who have had accidents or near accidents at the intersection of Clow Corner and Riddell roads. It is time to do necessary improvements.
We as a community should band together to get this done.
No more accidents.
Melody Starr Browning
Willamina
I-O staff steps up
to explain issues
The letter to the editor process is a nice feature of any newspaper. The Itemizer-Observer deserves credit for taking the time to help folks with topic's that concern our community and even on a personal level.
I recently submitted a letter and was contacted by Kurt Holland, the editor of the I-O. Because he took the effort to discuss and clarify this issue, my concern was satisfied. The I-O management and staff needs to be acknowledged for not sitting back, even helping clarify issues within our area or even nationally.
I am writing this letter to say thanks for the special effort you folks make each week to report and clarify the issues of our community. Publisher Nancy Adams, Kurt and the rest of the team at our local newspaper deserve to be acknowledged, just as they have done for others all these years.
Jim Harper
Dallas
Ainsworth an asset
for us all in county
I am grateful that the Itemizer-Observer chose to highlight Mike Ainsworth in its Jan. 16 issue ("Local Boy," Page 1A).
I have known Mike since he was elected to the Polk County Board of Commissioners. I have seldom met anyone who is so generous with his time, respectful to county residents, and compassionate and dedicated to his community. He has that magical capacity to make you feel like his best friend.
Go and visit Mike at his office and you'll come away feeling that your issues and concerns are at the top of his to-do list.
Congratulations, Mike.
Dennis Brown
Dallas
Hold accountable
ex-city manager
In the Feb. 6 Itemizer-Observer, the story on Jerry Wyatt ("Wyatt pleads guilty to theft" and "What got Wyatt in trouble with the law") and the amount he was listed as spending on himself and his family did not add up correctly.
The paper had it as $9,661.87, when it should have been $14,270. What happened to the other $4,608.13? He repaid $11,847.91, which still leaves $2,422.09 the city is still out. Why is he not repaying that also?
The city is strapped for funds and he stole that so he should be paying that back, too. We have people being cut from their jobs while he benefited from the money he stole.
Clara Nimmo
Dallas
Editor's note: The Feb. 6 article separated the charges Wyatt pleaded guilty to in court (Counts 2, 3 and 5 of the Nov. 14 indictment, a total of $4,608.97) and those he claimed responsibility for (Counts 1, 4, 6-11, a total of $9,661.87). Wyatt paid back all of the money, either through court imposed restitution or at the time of his resignation.
Immigration issue
must be addressed
On Sunday I watched and listened to an MSNBC personality make a strong pitch for immigration.
I agree with everything he said if he was talking about legal immigration. I don't consider the daily invasion of our southern borders with Mexico by illegally crossing into our country in this manner.
In reality, they are a source of cheap labor doing any job they can get. As a result of being cheap labor they live a very poor life and rely on welfare and free medical care. Some employers like the cheap labor but our border states have to pay the welfare costs.
I hope our lawmakers in Washington will find a way to end this serious problem.
Don Basey
Dallas
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