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Sound Off
The Weekly Mailer,
PO Box 327
Burley, ID 83318
The opinions you are about to read were submitted by individuals in the community. The Weekly Mailer does not write Sound Off nor have we verified the submissions for accuracy. They are the opinions of the individuals that sent them and do not represent the opinions of the Weekly Mailer. Read at your own risk.
To the person who commented on my entry to kent Pilling. I see that you noticed some misspelling in my comment. well at least it was misspelled in english. Don,t fail to notice what I have misspelled here.
Over the past few weeks I have been reading sound offs complaining about the Rupert Police Department regarding their little speed trap policies, pulling you over just to make quota, and overly aggressive traffic ticket stakeouts. I have quietly nodded my head in agreement but since I have a few friends with the police force, I didn’t feel like speaking out. That situation changed today when I became a victim of their petty little schemes..
Allow me to explain my situation; I am a senior citizen who until today had never had a traffic violation.
After coming to a complete stop at the stop sign after crossing the tracks on the North end of Rupert, I proceeded to head out East of town on baseline road. At about Schow’s Car center, I started to accelerate in anticipation of the approaching 55 mph speed limit sign. One of Rupert finest??? Happened to be parked directly after that in about the vicinity of the Garro household. I looked down at my speedometer and I was going approximately 40 mph as I passed the policeman. The officer immediately activated his overheads and I pulled over. The officer told me he had me clocked at 45 mph. I told him I didn’t think that was correct as I had glanced at my speedometer as I passed him, I asked to see the radar and he informed me that he didn’t have it in locked on mode. I asked the officer if he could perhaps just give me a warning and he informed me that since I was 10 miles over the speed limit he had to issue a citation. Getting madder by the moment I asked him how one was supposed to dispute the discrepancy I saw on my speedometer versus what he said he clocked me at but was unable to show me or prove to me. He smirked and said it was pretty much impossible to do so as the judge typically will take the word of an officer over a common citizen.
Now I realize that I was slightly over the speed limit, and was a rather plain looking older gent, as opposed to the attractive young lady you let off with a warning less than 30 minutes after you pulled me over. So I guess I will pay my $85 dollar fine, (part of which he informed me was for some technology fee when I inquired why it was so expensive.) But I will tell you this Mr. White, city council, and mayor Frieze, when it comes to re-election time; none of you get my vote if this harassment continues! The crime rate has NOT gone down in Rupert it is up… Way up! Maybe instead of sitting in the church parking lot and handing out tickets to Grandma and Grandpa, you should get your butts out of your cars entirely, and start doing some real police work!
Signed, now totally disgusted with Rupert’s FINE -happiest???
(Edited for Length)
Summer in Southern Idaho. The sun, the river, the ripe smell of feed lots wafting into my window every evening while I’m trying to fall asleep. (I know that’s the smell of money on the evening breeze and I’m not knocking it even slightly, I’m just saying. Rock on cattlemen!)
I love the summer, but we need to have some rules established about what people put on their feet in the warm weather.
Now, I’m not going to carry on about socks with sandals. Socks with sandals has been beaten to death almost as badly as the economy. Either it’s warm enough to wear a sandal or it’s cold enough for a shoe. Everyone knows this is the law but some people just can’t be helped.
Now, if you decide to wear sandals you need to ask yourself some questions: Do my toenails look like Corn Chips? Do the soles of my feet look like I have dried pancake batter caked onto them? Do my feet look like Yoda’s feet after spending 30 years walking around the swamp bare footed?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then please wear shoes out of the house. Thank you. Nothing spoils a good meal in a restaurant like spotting someone’s yellowed, grizzled, scabby foot sticking out in the aisle. “Oh look, her foot looks like three things that I have on my plate.” Nasty.
And Gators. Seriously? When you wear Gators you look like you have a toy stuck on your foot. “Look, Honey, my Mr. Potato-heads still fit!” No one over the age of 3 or under the age of 90 should be allowed to wear Gators unless you are within 5 feet of a swimming pool. In this age of bloated government you would think that some legislator would have tacked this amendment onto a bill by now.
The Realist
Where are all the police officers?
I am not here to gripe about the construction on North Overland, I am more than ecstatic to have a new wider road. I just have a problem with the drivers. I swear up one side and down the other, that this construction is making people dumber, and people think that in the construction area it is okay to break MAJOR traffic laws. While waiting in north-bound line for the traffic light by Walmart, on average I will see people cross the pillions drive in the south bound lane to turn towards Cal-Store, or McDonalds: HELLO!!! ILLEGAL!! DANGEROUS!! And STUPID!! Not only do I witness such blatant disregard for traffic laws, peoples safety and impatience; I also witness while waiting for the traffic light, people repeatedly running the stop light.
After leaving Burger King the other day, I personally witnessed 4 cars in my line run the red light one after the other. I have also seen this mentality down town. Red lights mean nothing anymore, or so it seems. So my question is, with all these traffic crimes and violations going on; WHERE ARE THE POLICE OFFICERS?! We really don’t have that big of a town, or that much crime that officers can ignore what is going on in construction.
The construction “traffic” problem could be easily solved by officers patrolling the construction area more than once a day. One of these days someone is going to go when the light turns green, while someone is running the red light, or have a head on collision while trying to cut across traffic and making an illegal left turn. Enforcing traffic laws or even appointing “construction officers” would not only save people a possible accident, but it would teach people that just because we have construction, and the traffic is a pain, doesn’t mean you can break traffic laws. Either way you look at it, the traffic law ignorance has spread all the way from the construction area to down town Burley. Something needs to happen before the situation gets worse and someone seriously gets hurt.
Meg Orton
I would like to thank who ever was in charge of bringing the carnival to Oakley over the 24th. My daughter and her friend had a blast at it and is already talking about going to it again next year. My whole family had fun at it and it seemed like most of the adults there were having just as much fun. I hope to have it continue on, it was a very nice addition to the 24th celebration!!
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a new publication in the area masquerading as a newspaper. They offer a sanitized version of the news, together with distortions, fabrications, outright lies and of course censorship.
For example, in the July 22,2010 edition the Managing Editor wrote, and I quote, “while so many other communities are falling apart financially, this area has managed to keep unemployment low, provide jobs, bring in new business and grow – and its all because of the good that continues to triumph – right here at home.”
It sounds good doesn’t it? I wish it were true. The fact is that, as a result of the failed management practices and the implementation thereof, by Burley’s Mayor and City Administrator, the BURLEY MICRO AREA unemployment rate has risen and continues to rise. The unemployment rate in Jan., 2008 was 3.4% and has risen to 6.8% as of Oct., 2009. (Source: Idaho Dept. of Labor). I know that the editor and her do good buddies think that 6.8% unemployment is a good thing, I don’t. I do not believe that those of You that are unemployed think that this is an acceptable unemployment rate either. Furthermore the Idaho Labor Market website issued a news story this month that states: “Weak June hiring sends jobless rate to 25 year high. Idaho’s businesses hired fewer people last month than they have during June for the last decade, pushing the forecasted seasonally adjusted unemployment rate up to 8.8%.
I have only pointed out one of the many distortions and flat out lies in this article. There are literally dozens more throughout this edition, as well as past editions.
I sent them a letter a week ago to publish, they refused. That is what they call transparency.
Sincerely,
Tony Hart
It has been 7 months since Burley’s new Mayor Terry Greenman took power. Mayor Greenman has not yet allowed the public to speak at City Council meetings. It has been at least 2 months since the council overrode Mayor Greenman with a unanimous vote to allow the public to speak in meetings. Nothing has been done. Denny Curtis and Steve McGill were given the assignment to come up with a set of guidelines to allow the public a voice in the city matters. What is wrong here?
Why hasn’t something been done? Why haven’t the other city council members done something to change things? Are the city council satisfied to collect their $400 a month and their “gold plated” health insurance and do nothing? Wasn’t there once a national political party called the “Do Nothings”? There was. And I think we have a part of it here in Burley. Get a move on Mr. Curtis and Mr. McGill. The public is watching you.
Burley’s Mini Cassia Auto Collectors appreciates the donations from our Major Sponsors in making our Car Show a success!
Easy Money Auto, Les Schwab Tires, American Family Insurance, United Dairymen, Goode Motors, Adam’s Petroleum, Ag West, Auto Wrex, Berry’s Machine, Crawford’s, Davidson Upholstery, First Federal Savings, Gaylon’s Auto Body, J&L Electric, Larry Chris, Loves Truckstop, Magic Valley Abrasives, Magic Valley Pawn Shop, Magic Valley Sand & Gravel, Mart Produce, Mountain Meadows, and Rafter Y Construction.
Thank you also to the public for attending and for anybody else who contributed to our Car Show.
Peggy Oliver
A big Thank you to the Summer Lunch Program that provided free lunches for our kids all through June and July! Thank you, it was a nice break for them and a big help to Moms! Appreciate it!!
I’ve thought long and hard for over a week about writing this letter. Nothing ever seems to change about certain situations.
Water – The Crossroads Bible Church on 16th and Park Ave. they have watered their grass as follows: July 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th and today July 27th from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Every day for over a week!
I always thought and was told, the ground can only absorb so much water. Nine days of constant water for approximately 8 hours a day! Too bad they can’t control their huge area of weeds as well as they water the precious area of grass!
I constantly have their weeds coming through the fence to my area. I could used to go and cut the weeds away – with water on every day – all day – I cannot do this any more. So the wee seeds come into my area!
It’s bad enough that CSI waters their area Saturday/Sunday with a lot of the water into the streets – but this church watering is the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard of happening!
We pay taxes for our city officials to keep our town in good condition. Where are the city people who should be attending to water situations?
Weeds all over Burley are bad enough – but watering one area for every day / 8 hours a day is stupid – stupid – stupid!! And – nobody in our city offices seems to care! What are we paying taxes for in our city – every year the situations get worse – not better!
Sincerely,
D. Dayley