Published: November 21, 2009 03:01 pm      

Public Forum, Nov. 22

Japanese troops

weren’t separated

It would be nice if some of your regular contributors would spend a little time checking things and then get their facts straight.

In a recent letter, Mr. Smith of Young America said President Franklin D. Roosevelt put all troops of Japanese ancestry in the same unit to prevent them from attacking regular U.S. troops.

He did not.

What Mr. Smith is probably thinking of was that all Hawaiian troops served together. They ended the war as the most highly decorated unit in World War II.

Mr. Smith could be thinking also of FDR’s approval of forcing everyone of Japanese ancestry on the west coast into a series of concentration camps. Even natural-born American citizens of Japanese descent were forced into these camps. It was a sad day for America.

This is all just history now, but it doesn’t hurt to be accurate.

Jack Cotner

Logansport



Writer mistakes

facts for hot air

R.W. Julian (Pharos-Tribune, Nov. 19) attributed several statements and opinions to me in a letter he submitted to the Public Forum in response to mine. I am not sure what article R.W. read or makes reference to, but it was not the one I wrote and the paper published.

In my article, I asked how many of the anti-climate change scientists quoted in an earlier article were climatologists. I then asked how many were paid talking heads of the oil industry.

I fact checked the quoted anti-climate sources given and found that they were neither credible nor unbiased.

Further, I never once mention in my article that humans were responsible for any kind of climate change. I also never once quoted any source or gave any data indicating such.

The biggest point of all is I never once stated or hinted at being an expert of any kind. It does not take an expert to investigate the claims made by someone.

R.W. Julian, on the other hand, gave numerous pieces of data of unknown reference and source. However, later in his letter he rants on not receiving any documentation, source or information from someone else who did the same thing.

There was one real standout bit of information (or rather the lack of) in R.W. Julian’s piece. That being that nowhere in his writing does he deny that Dr. Happer is not a climatologist, nor does R.W. Julian deny that the anti-climate sources are oil industry-funded organizations.

Some people dislike having an issue clouded with facts. Sometimes they call fact-based information “hot air.”

Dennis G. McGee

North Port, Fla.



Thanks for support

of holiday tour

I would like to thank the community for all the support given to Delta Theta Chi for our annual Holiday Home Tour Santa’s Workshop held Nov. 8. First and foremost to our gracious homeowners who opened their beautifully decorated homes on our tour: Bill and Shantel Cuppy, Dale and Kim Emery, Larry Rollin and Michelle, Dennis and Dee Dee Settlemyre and the Dessert First.

Thank you also to the businesses who offered us advertising and ticket sales, to the Church of the Brethren for the cookbooks, the vendors in our Santa’s Workshop and to all my sorority sisters for their hard dedicated work in making this one of the best years ever.

And, oh yes, how can we forget Santa (Myles Gilsinger) who made us laugh and enjoy the holiday spirit. Congratulations to Sheila Anderson on winning our Holiday Basket. We hope to see you all again next year.

Debbie Huddleson

Holiday home tour chairman

Delta Theta Chi



Why no questions

on Chase Road?

On Oct. 27, 2009, a presentation of the $5 million Chase Road Project was conducted. The program consisted of an oral explanation of the job; a plan-view drawing display, and an informational brochure. Four property owners/tenants gave their viewpoints.

However, a question-answer period from the large audience was strictly prohibited. Any such questions were to be sent to the Engineer’s Beech Grove office, which I did.

It seems that the taxpaying public should have been shown the courtesy of a question-answer period thereby presenting some ideas as follows:

On Page 4, Paragraph 6 of the brochure, a statement read, “The need is to correct inadequate capacity of Chase Road, to meet current and future demands, and include refuge for left-turning vehicles.” That is a need for three lanes.

The present plans do not conform to that criteria.

The west 2,800-foot city section shows the three lanes as proposed. The east 1,700-foot county section shows only two lanes, omitting the left turn lane concept. This then reverts the road back into what already exists, two lanes. Shouldn’t there be uniform lanes throughout? Would adding the 1,700-foot third lane be an excessive cost?

Well, you could eliminate the proposed 4,500-foot long, 8-foot wide asphalt hike/bike path shown on the south side of Chase Road and incorporate those funds into a third lane. Remember, the stated purpose was to increase roadway capacity, not build another bike path.

Concerning the roundabout, have our agencies been shown a roundabout using the approximate 50-foot radius to the outer rim, 18-foot roadway and 32-foot inner radius as proposed for Chase Road? These dimensions offer a 257-foot circumferential travel lane. Is the size adequate for two lanes or three lanes?

Having recently investigated, measured and calculated Kokomo’s roundabout, which is only a three-way intersection, it offers a 370-foot circumferential travel lane, and did appear efficient, observing only light vehicles.

However, could a simple four-way traffic signal still be considered for the Chase-Davis Road intersection?

Whatever ensues, let it offer an opportunity for further commercial or residential development in the Chase Road area. Happy motoring.

William H. Whitehead

Logansport





Woman proves

there are angels

This is just a small way of saying thank you to the lady who bought the ’50s Barbie for me. I’m sorry I never got your name, but now I know angels really do walk the earth. You gave me back so many memories! Thank you again.

Diane Brenner

Logansport