Published by Denton Publications, Inc.
Times of Ti • December 20, 2014 | 7
www.timesofti.com
Letters to the Editor
Issue with column
Winter pageant says thanks
Sayward supports supers
To the Times of Ti: The PublisherÕ s Column in the Dec. 13, 2014 issue confused and embarrassed me. It was so off the mark that I briefly considered it could be satirical. The key to our all getting along, a most worthy goal, has at its core the need for us to try to empathize with each other, try to understand what anotherÕ s life is all about. You write that you are struggling to understand what is happening in Ferguson. Have you considered the source of the pent up rage that is finally (and sadly) finding release through some destructive actions? (It is worth mentioning that the vast majority of protests have been peaceful and law abiding.) My wife is black. She is more intelligent, and better educated than I, and has lived her entire life honestly and in helping ways. Yet she is always followed in a department store by the plain clothes private security guard. Do you have trouble, Mr. Alexander, understanding her rage? How would you feel in her situation? You resort to a ploy those of us who try to promote justice have seen hundreds of times. You cite something incidental to the issue as justification for it. An armed officer shot and killed an unarmed teenager! What does that have to do with whether or not he robbed a store (something for which he has not stood trialÉ not been found guilty, except by you)? You cite the Adrenalin soaring through both the police officer and the teenager. But the police are supposedly trained to deal with that, one way is by backing off until reinforcements have arrived. In New York City, where Eric Gardner was choked to death by the police, reinforcements were already there, and it was in clear violation of NYPD policy. But no matter because, as you are quick to mention, he was selling cigarettes illegally! I agree that there are people who will sometimes cite race inappropriately. But when you look at the arrest records, and the disparity by color in sentencing, here, too, you can understand the rage; but only if you are willing. Perhaps it would open your mind and heart to watch a short video of a (white) police officer asking a (black) man who is parked at a convenience store to produce his driverÕ s license (he was not suspected of having committed any crime). When he reaches in to get his wallet, the officer shoots him in the back. The Adrenaline did it, right? (huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/25/ sean-groubert-fired-arrested_n_5879694.html). Or the (black) man who was walking down the street on a cold day with his hands in his pockets. He is stopped by a (white) police officer because “he looked suspicious.Ó There are many moreÉ hundreds more. I hope that, as you Ò É struggle to understand the outrage in FergusonÉ Ò you look beyond your own life, look to history and to the civil rights movement, and try to understand what oppression does to a person. And please stop asking the victims to respect their oppressor. Irv West Thurman
To the Times of Ti: I would like to thank the community for supporting the nonprofit Royal Winter Pageant. This is our fourth annual year and I hope to continue the pageant for years to come. The difference in the girls after one year is inspiring. It is changing our girls in such a positive way. Each year every group has a different make up when they first start and by the end all the girls leave with more self - esteem, respectfulness, dedication, and understanding of responsibility. I am honored to be a part of this wonderful opportunity and hope the pageant grows more every year. Next year I will be shaking things up so please come and see the difference. I would like to thank Walmart, the Wagon Wheel Restaurant, Heather Keegan Forand - HeatherÕ s House Keeping, and Mellisa Sharrow - Cakes by Melissa for donating towards the Royal Winter Pageant. I would also like to thank Ed Hargett - DJ - Music Mania for being our DJ this year. Doug Baker, Judges, Stew Baker, Mr. Whitman, Lisa Tyrell, Myuh Bezio, Aj Borho, Sarah Whitman, Bonna Jose, Kelly Whitman for volunteering. I would like to thank Moms, Dads, Ticonderoga Central School, the Community, and Ti Paper for all their support. Stewarts, Walmart, Ticonderoga Federal Credit Union, and McDonalds for allowing us to try and do our community service this year but we were unfortunately not able to do it because of weather. I also want to thank the town for all of its support. I want to congratulate all the girls for raising $2,054.30 of bottle money. Half goes towards the cost of the pageant so we can continue to do it again and again. The other half will was split $513.58 each and was donated to Marge Cross and Carolyn Andersen for their strength, determination, and inspiration they brought to us through their time of loss. Their husbands unfortunately passed away before the show and we hope this allows them a little distressing time in their lives right now. Congratulations to Kathryn Moran who won the community service award for the most amount of bottle money. She raised $321 total and received a $50 gift card donated by Walmart and I canÕ t be prouder. I do want to apologize for some disruption that was caused by a group of students who were attending the show and hope everyone still enjoyed the show and this will be taken care of for next year. All the girls have done a fantastic job! I hope everyone enjoyed the show and see you all next year! Jamie Harrington, Director Hague
To the Times of Ti: This is to support the Essex County Board of SupervisorÕ s efforts to take back the cemetery that was used to inter residents of the former Essex County Home. IÕ m not a proponent of eminent domain but in this case, itÕ s appropriate. People who are buried there were under the care of Essex County the same as those currently residing at Essex Home in Elizabethtown. Those Souls were our neighbors; Veterans, farmers, business people, widows and widowers. There’s no flag to commemorate Veterans buried there. We must allow access to the general public who may wish to visit and fly the flag to honor the Veterans. When Essex County built the Horace Nye Home in Elizabethtown, the entire property was turned over to the Essex County Industrial Agency. The cemetery parcel should not have been sold. For some unknown reason it was included in the final sale. Nothing was done to rectify the situation until approximately five years ago. Randy and Vicki Dickerson brought the issue to the attention of the county. The property owner has allowed access for lawn mowing, but stopped work being done to clear and raise graves so names can be read. In a letter written to the Essex County Board the owner expressed that her attorney has expressed liability concerns with public working at the site. The cemetery property is of no real estate value. It canÕ t be sold; nothing can be done to raise equity. By holding this property the owner accepts liability because New York State guarantees public access to cemeteries. Absent equitable resolution with the property owner, the County has the responsibility to take the property. This taking will assure proper reverence for those buried there, uphold NYS Law and eliminate liability for the owner. Teresa Sayward Willsboro Sayward is the former Willsboro town supervisor and New York State Assemblywoman for the 114th District
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