Published: March 03, 2008 10:00 pm            

Letters to the editor - Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Let’s not take any chances

I am writing to express my thoughts and concerns about the Continental Steel site and what to do with it.

There are people who want to use these 80 acres as a park, and others say it should be used for development. Past studies say it can be used for development or a park. These studies were done before changes in the final cleanup.

If changes occurred after the studies, then what do we have? Was the remediation of the ground completed after the last study or was it the study before? We hear there is oozing coming from a source causing contamination. This is confusing.

My point is: New grass has been planted over the 80 acres. The fences that keep everyone from the contaminated area have been taken down. The grass has been mowed, making it look like a park. Children and pets are now playing all over the 80 acres.

Why is the fence down if it is not safe? What part of the ground is safe for our children? Should the unsafe area be fenced off?

We should do what ever it takes to keep this ground from causing any harm to our children.

Let’s get it done.

Joe Pencek

Councilman

Howard County Indiana counties should consider tethering laws

I know a guy who had a dog. He said he loved that dog, but never paid any attention to it except for feeding and watering and kept it tied to a tree, never letting it run or taking it for a walk.

I asked him why, and said he didn’t have time to walk it. He said the one time he let it run, someone shot it, and he didn’t want anymore vet bills.

I guess he never thought about building a pen, or maybe he had other things he needed to buy. But for about $60, you can buy a 50 foot roll of fence and eight T-posts and make a 12-by-12 pen. Anyway, several years later, he went out to feed the dog and found it dead.

In my opinion, this is being cruel to a dog but, unfortunately, a lot of people don’t see it that way, and it’s not against the law. In 2003, a tethering bill was introduced in the Indiana Senate that would have made it illegal to keep a dog tied up for more than eight hours without access to shelter and water. It would have been a good start, but it was apparently defeated.

Dogs left tied up can be at risk from attacks by other animals. In February 2005, near Muncie, a chained dog was killed by a coyote. According to dog experts, chained dogs can become frustrated and angry and become mean, and aggression can increase with every passing day until a mauling occurs, even to a familiar face.

Now, I’m not saying that dogs should be allowed to run free. Owners should keep them on their property, especially if they haven’t been spayed or neutered. If the state won’t pass a tethering law, the counties can.

Meanwhile, when it comes to animal cruelty and neglect, there’s nothing that saves lives more than a tip from a concerned citizen. Each sheriff’s office should have an officer designated to investigate such complaints, so please help these dogs.

Ray Wilson

New Middletown

        

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