Letters to the editor

Dump dips redux

This in regard to Rick Ashworth's comments about the dips on McHugh Lane. First, let me say, I'm all for safety -- pedestrians /drivers -- and let's add bicyclists. That, we all agree on.

How do I know about the speeders and pickups enjoying the dips and the damage to automobiles? The Independent Record printed the wrong address. I live on Primrose and Cole, right around the corner from McHugh. To leave my residence, I cannot avoid the dips.

It is nearly impossible for me to traverse two of the dips without scraping the front of my automobile. If I drove 10 MPR as the warning signs state, I would destroy my automobile.

I feel there is a better solution to this problem. Let's try a three-way stop sign on Cole and McHugh. In fact, the dips did not fix the problem. Pickups are still speeding and drivers are diverting through McHugh Mobile Home Park to avoid the dips. As I stated in my first note, the city should fill them. Just "dump the dips."

Mary Lynn Comes

2502 Primrose Lane

Some crow

After a kind call from Judy Rolfe this morning, I have to eat some public crow. Judy told me that she could not find the quote I used in my letter published today (10/23) regarding President Reagan's comment about our current President. I checked two sources, which I should have done prior to using it, and both indicate the quote "is false." My apologies to Tom and Judy, who had the honor to know President Reagan well enough to express their disbelief to me, and all those having respect and devotion to President Reagan. I should have been more thorough in my research.

Ray Peck

2412 Columbia Ave.

Sidewalk slogans

Some time during the wee hours late last week, a group of passionate anti-war activists armed with pastel sidewalk chalk unleashed their political punditry on the sidewalks of the state Capitol building. The unimaginative messages reflected the simplistic, juvenile behavior of the messengers. The method for conveying said messages reflected their disdain and disregard for the rights of the rest of us to enjoy our public spaces free from their slogans d' jour. One has to hope that the Capitol security will utilize the video recording devices to determine the identity of the perpetrators and suggest a particularly appropriate punishment: Scrubbing the capitol sidewalks on the hands and knees with toothbrushes!

Lori Hamm

PO Box 642

East Helena

Vote for Marion

I do not have to tell you what everyone already knows about Judge Tori Marion. That she has 22 years of courtroom experience, including nine years as the chief clerk for the late Federal Magistrate Ann Smoyer, 10 years as the City Judge of Townsend, and two years as a substitute judge for East Helena and Helena City Courts.

But what most people do not know about Judge Tori Marion, is that she donates to over 26 charities a year, has worked with several children of methamphetamine families, served on the Boy Scout's eagle board of review for nine years, has given numerous scholarships for dance and swimming to small communities, and has donated to and supervised the Christmas Connection toy department.

If you drive around Helena, you will see the cross-section of those who want her to be the city judge; such as boilermakers, postal workers, business owners, teachers, professionals, and retirees.

Her integrity is known among her friends, colleagues, and professional people as well as the children she has mentored.

For all of these reasons and many more, Judge Tori Marion has my vote for Helena's City Court Judge.

Ginny Frankenfield

643 Dearborn Ave.

Dislikes park plans

It seems that a good number of the soccer fields at Centennial Park will go to the dogs. I wouldn't be surprised if this bond proposal failed to pass. If it does not pass, I would suggest that at the next round the scope of this extravagant proposal be reduced. This way groups who would most benefit from the use of these facilities will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of these projects.

Centennial Park: Forgo the mountain bike freeride course, climbing wall and the dog park. By the way who is going to clean up after the dogs?

Memorial Park Pool: By all means install the kids pool and make the necessary repairs to the old pool, but leave the float channel and waterslides for a commercial, profit making business.

Kindrick field: The improvements to this facility should be financed by the owners of the professional team and from the proceeds at the gate. I don't recall that we had to vote on a bond to develop the wonderful soccer complex at the airport.

Joe Kintli

508 S. California St.

PEAK student thankful

We want to express a heartfelt THANK YOU to Montana Outdoor Sports for providing Helena School District's PEAK (Providing Experiential Activities for Kids) program with a raft, life jackets, and paddles for our rafting classes. About 115 students were able to go rafting at the end of September because of Montana Outdoor Sports. For many of the fifth graders and some of the middle schoolers, it was their first rafting experience. The students were working on different research projects while on the river including; eradication of noxious weeds, fire ecology, ornithology, and others. Thanks again to MOS for your support of the PEAK program.

Kyra Dorvall

7th grade PEAK student, C.R. Anderson Middle School

Cori Trudeau

Middle School PEAK Specialist

And the rest of the PEAK students and staff

Poor treatment

Everyone should go to a City Administration meeting. Right after the opening of the meeting at 4 p.m., the Mayor asked if I was there with a comment about the deer problem and I said "No." The deer problem was discussed for maybe 20 minutes. Then proposed zoning was discussed until 6 p.m. During that time, point of order was always maintained with Mr Mayor this and Commission member that. At 6 p.m., in one statement, the Mayor asked me if I had a comment about zoning and informed me they adjorn at 6 p.m. As I responded, members were getting up to leave. Three people responded to my two minute statement, no point of order, or any order. I had never met any of the people there. Only Mr. Mccarthy addressed me as Mr. Ludwig, I just saw the back of somebody's head shaking back and forth, and a woman who did not look at me but down at the table and said, "You need to read the manual so you know something." as if talking to a child. I took two hours off from work to attend and was surprised at the lack of civility and level of defensiveness.

Alan Ludwig

5910 Austin Road

War crimes

How the liars, warmongerers, crooks who make money from war and their ilk can justify sacrificing the young, the well, and the healthy in a non-Constitutional preemptive war is the crime of this century. They should be tried in court for their crimes, sentenced, and hanged.

Mr. H. Gordon Hilden

100 S. Warren St.