Page 4 :[1 -f "ra - May 16, 2012
LETTERS TO Tllr_.. LBITOP.
my daughter and her friend to (
Heights school playground ant
was chained and locked due to v
dalism. I was shocked. What kim
a message are we sending our ki
When I was growing up not one p
was closed due to graffiti or vane
ism - it got cleaned up. Graffiti
a picnic table isn't a reason to cl
the park. Every picnic table in rc
parks across America have carvi:
or graffiti on it...every one wile
was a kid.
They didn't close our parks
graffiti or litter. They don't close
beaches for litter; they have clean
days, which parents of skatebo
ers would and could gladly arra
We are supposed to teach our ki
not ban them.
This will only get worse
a four-day school week (which,
the way, was passed even though
majority of parents said no!) - q
more day for our commttnity yo
Closing play areas
wrong for kids
Editor:
I've read several negative arti-
cles and letters written to the news-
paper in the last several months
about the youth in our community
- in particular the skate park, which,
by the way, is a public park and is
no more littered than the football
stadium area.
My son gets good grades, plays
sports and skates at the skate park.
Skateboarding is not a crime; it's a
sport and a form of exercise.
People complain about how our
youth watch too much TV and play
video games; but when they are too
messy at the park'the town wants to
close everything up?
Closing everything down, in-
cluding the pool. isn't the answer.
Last weekend' I went to take
)ak to be too messy, too costly and too
it loud for the town, apparently.
an- We are telling our kids. "We
L of don't have the money for you, we
is? don't have the staff for you and we
ark don't have time for you."
zl- Yes, kids are noisy. Yes, they
on cuss when their parents aren't around.
)se I did, and I still grew up went to col-
ost lege and work and pay taxes. Yes,
!gs they are messy. Teach them how to
I clean up after themselvesl
We don't close our homes
or and the schools because of it. We
[he shouldn't close our public parks,
• up pools or movie theater to our youth.
rd- It takes a village to raise a kid:
ge. we need to take the time to talk with
ds, them, and teach them.
My husband and I work in this
ith communi'y, and pay taxes for the
by parks and pools but you want to
the close them and lock them up? I want
me a refund?
Jth We need to invest our time and
our money into our kids' future.
What kind of a message are we
sending them?
Kathy Hansen
Sweet Home
Tell local cops
thanks this week
Editor:
In 1962. President John E Ken-
nedy signed a proclamation which
designated May 15th as Peace Of-
ricers Memorial Day and the week
in which that date falls as Police
Week.
National Police Week. May 13-
t9. was established as a way to rec-
ognize the service and sacrifice of
U.S. law enforcement. It's a time to
honor officers both living and fallen
for what they do and have done. I
think it's a week to express thanks
to all of our men and women of
law enforcement for their service to
our communities. Especially to the
sacrifice• and somenmes ultimate
sacrifice, that they've given in the
A locally owned newspaper founded Sept. 2L 1929
Scott and Miriam Swanson, Co-Publishers
.$woothomonews.eom
Office: 1313 MainSt., Sweet Home, Oregon
Mailing address: The New Era, Box 39,
Sweet Home, OR, 97386
Phone: (541) 367-2135 • Fax: (541) 367-2137
WHO WE ARE
Scott Swanson, Editor/Co-P.ublisher scott@sweethomenews.com
Sean C. Morgan, Staff Writer sean@sweethomenews.com
Miriam Swanson. Advertising Manager Co-Publisher miriam@sweethomenews.com
Christy Keeney, Classified Ads classifieds@sweethomenews.com
Firiel Severns. Advertising Sales firiel@sweethomenews.com
The New Era (USPS 379-100)is published each Wednesday•
Periodical postage paid at the Sweet Home, Ore., 97386 Post Office•
Postmaster: Please sen( address cnanges to
The New Era. Box 39. Sweet Home. Oregon 97386
SUBSCRIPTIONS
In Linn County: $32 Elsewhere: $40 Snowbird: $38
NEWS QUESTIONS/TIPS
Call (5411367.2135 or e-ma, news@sweethomenews.com
/
protection of pgace.
Three naes joined the dozens
/
already on the Qregon Law Enforce-
ment Memoria
Public Safety
last week. Eu
Chris Kilcullen
Sweet Home h
wall - we want
This wee
ricers and Offi,
[ Wall at the Oregon
Academy in Salem
gene police Officer
was one on the wall.
as one name on that
to keep it that way.
, Eugene police, of-
fer Chris Kilcullen's
family are traveling to Washington
D.C., where Officer Kilcullen's
name will be added to the National
Law Enforcement Officers Memo-
rial.
Two other Oregon law enforce-
ment officers' names were added to
the memorial wall last week.
Oregon Department of Cor-
rections Officer Buddy Ray Herron
died Nov. 28, 2011 after he stopped
to help a stranded motorist and was
fatally stabbed.
Lake County Sheriff's Office
Deputy Samuel J. Lewis died shortly
after being shot while he was guard-
ing a prisoner in the Klamath Falls
area in 1882.
During this coming week. I en-
courage you to thank a law enforce-
ment officer for their work and to
remember why they are out taere ...
to protect and to Serve!
Gina Riley
Community Services Officer
Sweet Home Police Department
Our
Looking back on more than 80 years of
coverage in east Linn County...
May 17, 1962
Linn County Telephone com-
pany is now offering radio-tele-
phone service in this area.
"Recent developments in elec-
tronics have made possible the ex-
pansion of regular dial telephone
service to automobiles, trucks and
other vehicles," said Lester Scott,
manager for Linn County Tele-
phone company.
Subscribers can make phone
calls over special high-fidelity radio
circuits. They can call or be called
anywhere in the service area. and
they can make long-distance calls.
The equipment is a small radio-tele-
phone set and signalling unit, usu-
ally installed in the trunk of a car or
cab of a truck, and a telephone set
mounted on the dashboard.
Natural gas will now be avail-
able to the residents of Sweet
Home.
Construction will take place
until about June 1. At that time,
there will be about two miles of
pipeline in Sweet Home. After June
1, they will move on to Lebanon.
May 20, 1987
A childhood fantasy for writing
has blossomed into a lifelong hobby
for a Sweet Home woman.
Irene Shrock, director of the
Sunshine Opportunity Center, has
written nine novels, and several arti-
cles for a number of magazines. Her
latest novel, "The Sentinel." has a
Montana setting and she made two
special trips to,the state "just to get
a feel of the location and people."
Her favorite book. "The Mail
Order Bride," is set in the Browns-
ville and HoUey areas. She is work-
mgon two books. "The Sinking of
the Lucinda" with the setting off the
Oregon coast and "The Mocking
Bird Song," taken from the setting
between Pleasant Valley and Scio.
What seemed only a dream be-
came a reality May 1 as the doors
of the Sweet Home Boys and Girls
Club opened officially at 450 Oak
Terrace.
The property was donated by
The Church of Latter Day Saints in
January.
It is open 3 to 6p.m. during the
week, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays,
but closed on Sundays. It is being
run by volunteer adults.
We encourage readers to express their opinions in letters to fe editor
on matters of public interest. Letters should be typed and may be submitted
by mail, e-mail, fax or in person at The New Era office. E-mailed letters may
be sent to news@sweethomenews.com.
Please include a telephone number in case we need to contact you.
Also, we require that you include your name and city of residence or your
letter will not be published.
There is no length restriction, but letters may be edited for length and
all letters will be edited for libelous content. We discourage letters that attack
or complain about private dtizens or businesses on a personal level• Also,
letters containing commen on topics deemed by the editorial staff to have
been exhausted in previous letters wilt be edited accordingly.
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