July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
A smoke-free county would prosper (12/20/07)
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
We would like to thank all who have welcomed us back to Portland after 40 years away. You have validated our hopes for what coming home could be.
Aside from the obvious advantages of moving back (family, friends, familiar places and customs, and a feeling of community), we can see there are many wonderful people here dedicated to helping Jay County, as well as Portland, prosper and grow.
There are those who are preserving and sharing the rich history of the community's past and those who are developing educational and cultural opportunities to keep us moving into the future. There are traditionalists who want to revive Portland's downtown to its earlier heyday and those who want to develop an appealing infrastructure in the newer parts of town.
Our schools, the Jay Community Center, and others are doing their best to provide ample opportunities for kids to get plenty of exercise and develop teamwork skills. Many are studying how best to improve the quality of life in order to attract innovative investors who will help raise the standard of living for our families by providing additional employment. Many community leaders and citizens work hard every day to put on events and to make improvements that show the pride we take in our hometown and county while creating a welcoming environment for newcomers.
There's a lot going on, and we are impressed!
It's a fact that companies and institutions looking for places to expand put a high value on a community's efforts to provide parks and recreation, good health care, art and educational opportunities, and an environment where families can grow and prosper without exposure to unhealthy or toxic air and water.
Thus, we are puzzled by the Dec. 3 Commercial Review article on the Jay County Commissioners' latest refusal to accept the health department's recommendation to place restrictions on smoking in public places. If statewide figures quoted in the article apply here, the 27 percent who do smoke seem to be controlling the quality of air in public places for the 73 percent who don't smoke.
What kind of message are we sending when the majority of our community is promoting growth and working to improve our quality of life, while a small but more vocal minority is saying, If you don't like breathing our smoke, stay out.
We appeal to our county commissioners to consider the very positive results of accepting the health department's recommendation to provide smoke-free air to all our citizens, especially the young, thereby rolling out the red carpet to those who want a healthy environment in which to grow their businesses and families. The least we can do as a community for our children and grandchildren is to team up to provide smoke-free air for them to breathe whenever and wherever we can.
We will all benefit.
Tom and Joyce Young
Portland[[In-content Ad]]
We would like to thank all who have welcomed us back to Portland after 40 years away. You have validated our hopes for what coming home could be.
Aside from the obvious advantages of moving back (family, friends, familiar places and customs, and a feeling of community), we can see there are many wonderful people here dedicated to helping Jay County, as well as Portland, prosper and grow.
There are those who are preserving and sharing the rich history of the community's past and those who are developing educational and cultural opportunities to keep us moving into the future. There are traditionalists who want to revive Portland's downtown to its earlier heyday and those who want to develop an appealing infrastructure in the newer parts of town.
Our schools, the Jay Community Center, and others are doing their best to provide ample opportunities for kids to get plenty of exercise and develop teamwork skills. Many are studying how best to improve the quality of life in order to attract innovative investors who will help raise the standard of living for our families by providing additional employment. Many community leaders and citizens work hard every day to put on events and to make improvements that show the pride we take in our hometown and county while creating a welcoming environment for newcomers.
There's a lot going on, and we are impressed!
It's a fact that companies and institutions looking for places to expand put a high value on a community's efforts to provide parks and recreation, good health care, art and educational opportunities, and an environment where families can grow and prosper without exposure to unhealthy or toxic air and water.
Thus, we are puzzled by the Dec. 3 Commercial Review article on the Jay County Commissioners' latest refusal to accept the health department's recommendation to place restrictions on smoking in public places. If statewide figures quoted in the article apply here, the 27 percent who do smoke seem to be controlling the quality of air in public places for the 73 percent who don't smoke.
What kind of message are we sending when the majority of our community is promoting growth and working to improve our quality of life, while a small but more vocal minority is saying, If you don't like breathing our smoke, stay out.
We appeal to our county commissioners to consider the very positive results of accepting the health department's recommendation to provide smoke-free air to all our citizens, especially the young, thereby rolling out the red carpet to those who want a healthy environment in which to grow their businesses and families. The least we can do as a community for our children and grandchildren is to team up to provide smoke-free air for them to breathe whenever and wherever we can.
We will all benefit.
Tom and Joyce Young
Portland[[In-content Ad]]
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD