July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Little to celebrate on Earth Day
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
The title of a recent story was “Indy’s Children’s Museum to Celebrate Earth Day.” Learn how simple changes to your lifestyle can keep the planet green.
Sadly the State of Indiana has little to celebrate today on Earth Day when it comes to our priorities and actions preserving and protecting our God-given natural resources. With our access to an abundance of fresh water, fertile soil and bountiful forests, the Hoosier state has been blessed with a great diversity of natural resources. A few years ago, Forbes Magazine ranked Indiana 49th out of the 50 states in green practices and priorities. When you come in second to last place, there’s obviously a major problem.
A report released a year ago found that Indiana ranked worst in water pollution. The study was based on 2010 data from the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency Toxic Release Inventory. Nationally, a report on an agricultural news radio network said new data from over 2,000 sites in the USA titled “State of the Nation’s Water ways” evaluated waterways from the Mississippi River to small streams and found that over 55 percent were in poor condition for supporting aquatic life. They had high levels of nutrient pollution caused by phosphorus and nitrogen washing into rivers and streams from farms, cities and sewers
The 2013-2014 Indiana Fishing Regulation Guide spends two pages in trying to answer the question “Is it safe to eat fish caught in Indiana lakes and rivers?” It’s sad and unappetizing. You can get a free copy from the Department of Natural Resources.
Last year in Jay County several waterways, including the Salamonie and Wabash Rivers, again, had high, dangerous levels of E. coli bacteria that is caused from animal and human waste. Last summer two dogs died from drinking water from the Salamonie Reservoir.
This session, our state lawmakers decided to honor the man who wrote the song “On the Banks of the Wabash.” His name is Paul Dresser, from Terre Haute, and the Wabash River is our state river which we continue to pollute. It’s sadly ironic, also, that the legacy of author, naturalist and nature photographer Gene Stratton Porter is not being practiced enough in terms of good stewardship of the earth right here in Jay and Adams Counties.
Why is there so much clear cutting of all the trees on the banks of streams big and small? This promotes pollution and erosion. Muddy streams are much more prominent here from clear cutting than when grass filter strips are used to help filter out pesticides, fertilizer and soil sediment. Trees hold the soil on river banks and the offices of the US Soil and Water Conservation District have programs to assist with soil conservation and drainage.
You can’t hide pollution. The honor system does not work. The EPA began during the Republican Administration of President Nixon, and the first administrator was from Indiana. What’s more conservative than conserving our natural resources and protecting our environment?
The first book of the Bible plainly states that God put man in charge of the earth and all life on it. Do we care about the earth or not? Our children, grandchildren and future generations will be the recipients of the earth we leave to them.
Tony Giltner
Portland, IN
Competition
To the editor:
I may have a little insight for Jay County joining the ACAC Conference that the average administrator or fan may not have. I coach a 6th grade AAU girl’s basketball team made up of four West Jay, two Winchester, one Monroe Central and one Delta player. My two Winchester players are in 4th and 5th grade.
Our AAU basketball team played in the Bluffton Shootout on March 16-17. We played in the 6th grade division. Our division was made up of Adams Central, Garrett, Leo, Southern Wells, Whitco and Blufton.
As you may know Adams Central, Garrett, Leo, Southern Wells and Bluffton are in the ACAC Conference.
We played Adams Central, Leo, Southern Wells and Bluffton in this tourney. We won this tourney with an average margin of victory of 38 points. This average was only helped by the fact that we started playing defense with one foot in the “paint” and passing the ball a minimum of 6 times before a shot or it would have been much worse for the opponents.
I also played varsity basketball for Jay County in 1990-1992. Jay County was in the Olympic Conference when I played. My senior year we were 13-10. We won the sectional handily and lost in the first game of the regional to Anderson, which was ranked No. 1 and had Kojak Fuller, who was Mr. Basketball. I truly believe that a schedule filled with Anderson Highland (ranked No. 1 at the time and had five Division players), Carmel at Market Square Arena in front of Bob Knight, Huntington North with a Notre Dame recruit and Muncie Central when they still had a large student body helped us prepare for the tournament.
Losses to great teams in the regular season led to our postseason success. Losing by two to the No. 1 ranked team, at their arena, with the future Mr. Basketball is pretty good I would say.
I know that this letter sounds like I am against joining the ACAC Conference. I am only against playing a majority of the regular season against opponents that will not prepare athletes for the postseason. A great regular season record means nothing without postseason success.
Thank you,
Rickie Caldwell
Redkey, Jay County
High School
Class of 1992[[In-content Ad]]
The title of a recent story was “Indy’s Children’s Museum to Celebrate Earth Day.” Learn how simple changes to your lifestyle can keep the planet green.
Sadly the State of Indiana has little to celebrate today on Earth Day when it comes to our priorities and actions preserving and protecting our God-given natural resources. With our access to an abundance of fresh water, fertile soil and bountiful forests, the Hoosier state has been blessed with a great diversity of natural resources. A few years ago, Forbes Magazine ranked Indiana 49th out of the 50 states in green practices and priorities. When you come in second to last place, there’s obviously a major problem.
A report released a year ago found that Indiana ranked worst in water pollution. The study was based on 2010 data from the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency Toxic Release Inventory. Nationally, a report on an agricultural news radio network said new data from over 2,000 sites in the USA titled “State of the Nation’s Water ways” evaluated waterways from the Mississippi River to small streams and found that over 55 percent were in poor condition for supporting aquatic life. They had high levels of nutrient pollution caused by phosphorus and nitrogen washing into rivers and streams from farms, cities and sewers
The 2013-2014 Indiana Fishing Regulation Guide spends two pages in trying to answer the question “Is it safe to eat fish caught in Indiana lakes and rivers?” It’s sad and unappetizing. You can get a free copy from the Department of Natural Resources.
Last year in Jay County several waterways, including the Salamonie and Wabash Rivers, again, had high, dangerous levels of E. coli bacteria that is caused from animal and human waste. Last summer two dogs died from drinking water from the Salamonie Reservoir.
This session, our state lawmakers decided to honor the man who wrote the song “On the Banks of the Wabash.” His name is Paul Dresser, from Terre Haute, and the Wabash River is our state river which we continue to pollute. It’s sadly ironic, also, that the legacy of author, naturalist and nature photographer Gene Stratton Porter is not being practiced enough in terms of good stewardship of the earth right here in Jay and Adams Counties.
Why is there so much clear cutting of all the trees on the banks of streams big and small? This promotes pollution and erosion. Muddy streams are much more prominent here from clear cutting than when grass filter strips are used to help filter out pesticides, fertilizer and soil sediment. Trees hold the soil on river banks and the offices of the US Soil and Water Conservation District have programs to assist with soil conservation and drainage.
You can’t hide pollution. The honor system does not work. The EPA began during the Republican Administration of President Nixon, and the first administrator was from Indiana. What’s more conservative than conserving our natural resources and protecting our environment?
The first book of the Bible plainly states that God put man in charge of the earth and all life on it. Do we care about the earth or not? Our children, grandchildren and future generations will be the recipients of the earth we leave to them.
Tony Giltner
Portland, IN
Competition
To the editor:
I may have a little insight for Jay County joining the ACAC Conference that the average administrator or fan may not have. I coach a 6th grade AAU girl’s basketball team made up of four West Jay, two Winchester, one Monroe Central and one Delta player. My two Winchester players are in 4th and 5th grade.
Our AAU basketball team played in the Bluffton Shootout on March 16-17. We played in the 6th grade division. Our division was made up of Adams Central, Garrett, Leo, Southern Wells, Whitco and Blufton.
As you may know Adams Central, Garrett, Leo, Southern Wells and Bluffton are in the ACAC Conference.
We played Adams Central, Leo, Southern Wells and Bluffton in this tourney. We won this tourney with an average margin of victory of 38 points. This average was only helped by the fact that we started playing defense with one foot in the “paint” and passing the ball a minimum of 6 times before a shot or it would have been much worse for the opponents.
I also played varsity basketball for Jay County in 1990-1992. Jay County was in the Olympic Conference when I played. My senior year we were 13-10. We won the sectional handily and lost in the first game of the regional to Anderson, which was ranked No. 1 and had Kojak Fuller, who was Mr. Basketball. I truly believe that a schedule filled with Anderson Highland (ranked No. 1 at the time and had five Division players), Carmel at Market Square Arena in front of Bob Knight, Huntington North with a Notre Dame recruit and Muncie Central when they still had a large student body helped us prepare for the tournament.
Losses to great teams in the regular season led to our postseason success. Losing by two to the No. 1 ranked team, at their arena, with the future Mr. Basketball is pretty good I would say.
I know that this letter sounds like I am against joining the ACAC Conference. I am only against playing a majority of the regular season against opponents that will not prepare athletes for the postseason. A great regular season record means nothing without postseason success.
Thank you,
Rickie Caldwell
Redkey, Jay County
High School
Class of 1992[[In-content Ad]]
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