Letter to the Editor

February 25, 2017 Leave a comment


Nebraska has a bright future in renewable energy

By Lu Nelsen, lucasn@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

 Dear Editor,

Nebraska has a bright future in renewable energy. This cheap and clean energy can serve as a new driver for our local rural economies. When it comes to wind energy potential, Nebraska is fourth in the U.S. – in fact, the state could produce enough energy from wind to meet our needs 118 times over, or enough to power 511,000 average homes.

Despite this great potential, Nebraska continues to lag behind neighboring states in developing our wind energy resources. We are currently ranked 20th for installed wind energy. While Nebraskans work to catch up, local officials and developers should work to identify and address concerns that surround new projects and form standards that will work best for their communities. This local control over zoning has proven to work for many kinds of development, and maintaining it is the best way to ensure communities have a say.

But new legislation in the Nebraska Unicameral would strip some communities of their local control over wind energy. LB 504 would place a two-year moratorium on wind development in the entire Sandhills region, removing the ability of landowners and communities to responsibly develop wind in a large part of our state.

Communities stand to gain a lot from the development of wind energy: development provides new sources of income for landowners through land-lease payments; new temporary and permanent jobs are created to construct or service projects; and wind development adds new tax revenue to small towns and counties. However, to capture these benefits, developers and local officials need to work with community members to determine the best way to build projects to fit local needs.

By working together, Nebraskans can find a way to work toward reaching our renewable energy potential and realize the benefits that renewables like wind can bring to small towns and rural communities across the state.

Sincerely,

Lu Nelsen, Center for Rural Affairs 

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Letter to the Editor from Therese Magill

October 26, 2015 Leave a comment


Dear Editor,
I am writing about the recall of two board members in Decatur. I am encouraging every registered voter to vote yes for the recall. We need all your votes and they do make a difference. In regards to the answers that Loretta Kellogg and Alta Wolf have answered.
#1 The quarterly budget reports have been in place since I started at the Village office in 2000. The budget sheets were in the Board members packets at each meeting.
#2 The reason that the Village has money for now is because we had no police officer for seven months, one of the full time maintenance took another job.
#3 As far as the $200,000.00 loan for the Community Center, Alta Wolf was on the Board when that happened. The Village had a $250,000.00 grant plus the $200,000.00 loan to (fix a building that continues to leak and flood the basement.
#4 The “working” session that Loretta mentioned; is she being sexist by mentioning that the two “male” board members did not show up to, in a working session there can be no decisions made. If the only thing they discussed were the surveys, then why was one of the Village maintenance men let go that day?
#5 As far as Alta Wolf’s authority; she offered me $15.00 an hour to stay with the Village if I would work half of my day at the maintenance shop to make sure they did their job. This all happened before she was voted into office.
#6 As far as Joe Gatto paying for his own schooling at the academy; the Village is now paying for it. Then they hire a part-time police officer that sued the Village. This in no way means that I have anything against the officers.
#7 You let a 15 year dedicated employee go that was only making $12.50 an hour. She worked in the office, cleaned the Community center, helped read meters, cleaned the park bathrooms and anything else that was asked. I have nothing against the two part-time people that were hired at $10.00 each, but that doesn’t make much sense.
#8 You want to take the family insurance away from the two full time employee’s, that is the only benefit they get. Yes they get reduced lights but it is added on their W-2’s at the end of the year.
#9 We had a brand new police car. It was never taken care of. Is the information accurate about the used police car that the Board is considering purchasing from Oakland?
#10 As far as paying the deductible on Joe’s vehicle (I am sorry that someone would do that) we had a police officer a few years ago that he had his vehicle completely destroyed in one of the Village’s buildings and he was not given anything.
#11 As far as Dan Magill not having his certifications. He is certified in water, yes he has taken the test three times, but did anyone ask how many times it took the other maintenance men to pass? For further information he was told by board members not to worry about his sewer certification.
#12 Because we have our own opinions about things does not mean we are fools!!
#13 If you are going to take someone’s pay away for doing something to help the community, you better make sure that it was him. Maybe you should have stopped to see instead of taking it for granted that it was him.
#14 The white truck that you have been seeing at the Green Lantern belongs to John Hightree. Again maybe you should have stopped by!!
#15 One of the Board members did not even know where the sewer plant was.
#16 We have lost our recycling center and dump.
#17 You mentioned employment of Village officials; what about paying a spouse of one of the Board members for fixing a vehicle? The Village is audited every year and they have never had a problem with it and they receive a 1099 for their work.

#18 Infrastructure-the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.
#19 Our power is bought from Burt County Public Power and they take care of the primary lines, we own the lines in town.
#20 One of the Board members writes for the Lyons Mirror- Sun, is that not a conflict of interest?
Sincerely,
Therese Magill

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Letter to the Editor

September 16, 2014 Leave a comment


Friday, September 12, 2014

Ruth, Our ‘Happy Days’ Disciple

The Bible has Ruth in the New Testament. However, we in Lyons have Ruth Cole at Happy Days. Someone came up with the perfect name for our Senior Center as ‘Happy Days’. We probably have one of the best Senior Centers in the country.

Under the Direction of Ruth — and her helpers, Dee and Elaine, we have meals that are excellent, good tasting and healthy. It is an atmosphere of friends enjoying a good meal together and other fun activities. Our Happy Days provide the following:

  • Good healthy meals
  • Fun times with neighbors and friends
  • Card games (like pitch) and bingo
  • Health education tips and Services
  • Exercise programs
  • Valet services — for the older people who have trouble getting around, Ruth helps them into the room; and then parks their car. When they are ready to go home, she retrieves their car and helps them safely to their car.
  • Ruth even checks up on someone if they do not show up for lunch (to make sure they are OK!)
  • Community support — we have fantastic support from the Lyons Community. Contributions and support for our special events, donations of foods from their garden — as well as monetary donations.
  • Story telling by Mary Frittz.
  • Music for birthdays and special times like Saint Patrick’s Day (by Anne Anderson and Dorothy Moore)
  • Meals on Wheels for Lyons and Bancroft
  • Humor by Laurene and others

 

When I moved to Lyons, 2 ½ years ago, I was told that their food was good and the price was very reasonable. That is certainly true. But I never relized, how enjoyable it is living in rural America.

By Bruce Hunkins

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Letter to the Editor

May 5, 2014 Leave a comment


Dear Editor and Readers,                                                                                      May 4, 2014

I have received two very disturbing pieces of mail recently that are so negative against State Senator Lydia Brasch I was truly upset. I can’t understand how a group by the name of “Coalition for Better Government” with just a post office box address has the right to say anything about anyone, much less attempt to annihilate the credibility of our current State Senator.

I did not know Lydia Brasch before she was elected, but since that time she has made more efforts to truly get to know the people of her district than most of her predecessors. She has made time to meet with public groups both large and small. She has volunteered her time more than once every year working in the 4-H Kitchen during the county fair not just to be a public figure, but to truly help when help was needed most. She has attended small church fundraisers and large corporate events never standing on a soapbox and trying to gain attention, but spending time listening to her constituents.

Her genuine interest in the feelings and needs of the people of her district is more than enough reason to keep her in office, despite the smear campaign of a post office box group. Lydia Brasch is a real person who represents real people. She has my support and my vote to make that happen.

Very Sincerely,

Mary Loftis

Mary Loftis

Craig, NE

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