LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Mr. Stark
I believe that you are truly interested in the welfare of the citizens of Waynedale. I hope you will take the time to read this letter and consider printing it, all, or some of it. I live in Waynedale and do enjoy being here for the most part.
What is the basis for this letter is the following: There seems to be an epidemic of teenagers roaming the streets at all hours of the night (I get up before 4am to go to work and I see kids that I know are underage walking the streets at that hour…even on school nights). What am I to think when I see them dressed in dark clothing darting between houses? It is a sad fact that you don’t have to pass a test to be a parent. So…parents when you go to bed and your child isn’t home, ask yourself, where are they? Even if you don’t care, aren’t you even curious? How would you feel if a squad car was in your drive because your child was hurt or hurt someone else? What if your child was going to be facing criminal charges because you didn’t know where they were, what they were doing, or who, they were with? Some parents say, “I can’t do anything, I’ve tried.” Well, if you can’t handle your kid do you think other residents can or should?
My favorite is when a step-father told me (after I complained about the teenagers that moved in with the new wife) her kids are not going to stand in the way of us having a happy life! Well when you two are out having a ‘happy life’ I just came home form working a 12 to 16 hour stint and guess what? I get to listen to your kids yelling and screaming at passing cars. I get cussed at and called names. You won’t let your kids have their friends at your house because you are afraid “something will get torn up.’ Fine! By all means let your kids throw cigarette packs, pop cans, and McDonald sacks in my yard. By golly after teaching my kids to be respectful there is nothing I’d rather do than pick up your kids garbage! If you are afraid of your own kids (you know who you are, and so does everybody else) get help…Don’t think it’s OK to let them run wild until they turn 18 and then, have the police and the court system take care of them!
If you don’t respect yourself or your kids…fine, but have a little respect for your neighbors. Why should we put up with people that should be on the Jerry Springer Show while you are out because you think you deserve a little ‘me time’ or ‘our time?’…Give me a break!
This past summer on two different occasions I had irrate motorists stop and pound on my door because the kids in the street were blocking it and taunting them. This is because the other parents won’t allow the kids in their yard, so the kids stand in the street because it is a public street and this is a free country. I am sure the men who marched off to war were glad to die for these kids to stand in the street.
When I directed these angry people to the correct house…guess what? It must have been ‘me time’ because the rightful parents didn’t (or wouldn’t) answer the door. I was shocked!
So far this past summer the people in this neighborhood have called the police so many times that the dispatcher will often say, “This is the third call.” We have had suspicious cars parked around our house through the night because they know they aren’t allowed to be seen near so-and-so’s house. We have had police jump our fence chasing kids while we were in our front room watching TV only to hear parents of said child lie and say that the suspect was at Grandma’s house. Too bad they can’t press charges for being dumb.
The residents of Waynedale should take a stand. I have made dozens of phone calls only to be told that we can’t do anything until something happens. We have been told that we “have to be careful” when dealing with minors or we could be sued. So the next time we see someone crouching in the darkness of our backyard we should politely ask them to leave. Some of these kids have violent criminal records but you wouldn’t know it because the cases are sealed to protect them because they are underage and they have rights (excuse me while I choke). I know of a few because we were witnesses and we had to take time off to give statements. What fun.
The good news is I know for a fact there are police officers who do care but they need the help of the community. They come on their own time without pay.
Be a responsible citizen. Like I said, I made dozens of calls, which ultimately led me to the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. I was instructed that if these underage kids are out unsupervised, drunk and fighting, etc. that they (even though they are criminals) are considered to be endangered and that a call to Child Protective Agency at 449-7138 is the route to go. The call and all information is anonymous. The call will generate a visit from a CPS caseworker that will visit the home and will take action. When it starts cutting into ‘me time’ or into the ‘beer and good-time money,’ you will be surprised at how fast people become responsible parents.
I hope you will consider this letter because I feel I do speak for those who are afraid or who feel there is nothing that can be done. I feel if people had this information that maybe Waynedale would be a better place and a place we can again be proud of. I don’t want you to print my name because I don’t want to give someone a reason to start any more trouble.
We have had 3 years of it.
Soaring fuel prices have motorists scrambling to find ways to save money by using less gas. Sure, you can simply stop driving as much, but for many consumers, that’s not an option. But there are two ways all of us can stretch our precious gasoline dollars.
One strategy is to change how we drive, and the other is to perform simple and inexpensive vehicle maintenance. Taking these steps will not only save gas money, but will improve a vehicle’s safety and dependability.
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The Car Care Council offers these gas-savings maintenance and driving tips:
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• Check your vehicle gas cap. About 17 percent of the vehicles on the roads have gas caps that are either damaged, loose or are missing altogether, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.
• When tires aren’t inflated properly, it’s like driving with the parking brake on, and can cost a mile or two per gallon.
• A vehicle can have either four, six or eight spark plugs, which fire as many as three million times each 1,000 miles, resulting in a lot of heat, electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel. Spark plugs need to be replaced regularly.
• An air filter that is clogged with dirt, dust and bugs chokes off the air and creates a “rich” mixture – too much gas being burned for the amount of air, which wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, saving about 15 cents on a gallon.
• Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by as much as 22 percent on the highway and five percent on city streets, which results in seven to 49 cents per gallon.
• Sitting idle gets zero miles per gallon. Letting the vehicle warm up for one to two minutes is sufficient.
• Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Each mph driven over 60 results in an additional 10 cents per gallon. To maintain a constant speed on the highway, cruise control is recommended.
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The Car Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” campaign, educating consumers about the benefits of regular vehicle maintenance and repair. For more information, visit www.carcare.org.
Rich White
Executive Director
Car Care Council
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