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To the editor: The Northern
Logan County Water Authority Steering Committee would like to thank
our elected officials in Logan County.
We recently petitioned the court to place on the April 5, 2005,
ballot the question of whether to form a water authority consisting
of the townships of Prairie Creek, Orvil, Eminence, Atlanta,
Sheridan, Oran, and the portions of East Lincoln and West Lincoln
outside the city limits of Lincoln. In the process of filing the
petition, it was necessary to work with the circuit clerk's office,
the county clerk's office, the state's attorney's office and Judge
Coogan's office.
[to top of second
column in this letter]
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 It was a wonderful experience for the steering committee and our
attorney, Mark McGrath. To work within a system that is sometimes
unfamiliar to us can seem a bit daunting, but our elected officials
were helpful and made it much easier. We often hear people complain
about the system, but for us it was interesting and a pleasure to
see the system work.
We sincerely thank Circuit Clerk Carla Bender, County Clerk Sally
Litterly, State's Attorney Tim Huyett and Circuit Judge David Coogan.
Blair Hoerbert
North Logan County Water Authority Steering Committee, Chairman
(Posted Feb. 15, 2005) |
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To the editor:
I am ashamed that I was another one of
those people who thought that the state would take care of it since
they are entrusted to do the right thing.
Some time ago, when a winter storm
tore up the structure holding the pheasants bred at the James
Helfrich wildlife hatchery near the prisons, I assumed they would be
recaptured. This has not been the case. The Department of
Conservation has not done a thing since its initial effort that
captured less than half of the birds.
Much to my horror, since I rarely
saw a pheasant before this incident, a lot of these creatures have
some kind of hood, stapled (I heard) through their beak that only
allows them to look down. They are flying (sort of) into vehicles,
prison buses, signs, etc. since they can't turn their head left,
right or up. There is considerable traffic along the road leading to
the prisons since Logan is the weekly transfer site for the state
and each prison has three eight-hour shifts. The pheasants stroll
across the road in front of vehicles since they don't have a clue a
vehicle is coming. These creatures can't see the danger and don't
stand a chance.
A call (Monday) to the Helfrich
hatchery revealed that they have no current plans to continue to try
to capture the remaining birds, even those that have been rendered
basically defenseless against the elements. Cited were lack of
staff, funds and even a place to put the recaptured birds.
I guess we should say shame on us,
all of us, for thinking the state bureaucracy would realize that
this circumstance created by man (or department) should be rectified
by man (or department.)
I guess there hasn't been enough
social outcry. We need to be our own conscience.
[to top of second
column in this letter]
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 Creative problem-solving makes one
wonder if volunteers could help corral the birds for recapture.
Local youth groups through church and school, civic organizations
and Boy and/or Girl Scouts known to achieve status by service to the
communities in which they are located may be able to offer
assistance. A concerted effort by the leaders of these groups to
assist in this process would be a welcome sight.
I had a terrible time locating
either the name of the hatchery or phone number to find out what the
long-term plans might be to assist in the recapture of the
pheasants. Perhaps volunteers or groups could contact the office
directly at 732-1552.
I realize it would take the
expertise of people who have worked with pheasants to make any kind
of assistance possible and the creativity and energy of our youth
and the organizations to which they belong to take on such a rescue
effort.
Although not as elegant-sounding as,
perhaps, rescuing beached ocean creatures, we are facing the same
kind of problems in the plains, in which animals sometimes need the
assistance of mankind to survive.
Sincerely,
Mary Rousey
(Posted Feb. 15, 2005)
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