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Bittersweet memories
To the editor: I read your article on Ernest Zam’s model Lyman with great enthusiasm. The article brought me both joy and sadness, good memories and bad memories.
My father, 84-year-old Harold Jackson, had the exact boat, which we docked at Bass Haven in East Harbor for about 30 years. I remember spring after spring of sanding, painting and varnishing the “Miriam Lee.”
We put the boat in the water July 20 and enjoyed fishing together for a couple of months. On Sept. 15, dad invited a couple of his old buddies to go perch fishing for the day. We filled the boat up at Channel Grove Marina and got approximately 300 yards from the gas dock when the boat suddenly exploded. Our two guests were sitting in the rear of the boat while my dad and I were in the front seats under the hardtop.
The explosion was followed by an engine fire that had us trapped in the cabin. It took three attempts to extinguish the fire coming off the engine to allow us to get to the side where I had to put my dad in the water. I went to the rear of the boat to get a seat cushion to help my dad stay afloat. I jumped off the transom and immediately after coming up, I noticed my dad’s life jacket had failed to inflate and he was drowning.
He was approximately 40 yards away and by the time I reached where he was, I had to go down and bring him up. He had quit breathing and I performed a couple of Heimlich thrusts on him to see if I could get any water out of his lungs. I ended up having to perform mouth-to-mouth and got him to finally breathe on his own.
When we were ashore, Life Flight came in and flew him to St. Vincent’s where he spent the next five weeks on a ventilator. He was then transferred to a Columbus hospital and finally to a rest home here in Marysville for rehabilitation.
We could not get all of the bacteria and infection out of his system but he managed to get released to come home Feb 5. We celebrated his 85th birthday on the 10th, and sadly, he passed away on the 17th.
Mr. Zam reminds me of my dad with his love of the Lyman hardtop, and what a terrific job he did on his boat.
Randy Jackson
Marysville, O.
Just like you
To the editor: This year’s Developmental Disabilities Awareness theme is “Just Like You.” We thank Wood County citizens who understand that individuals of all abilities have similar hopes, dreams and goals “Just Like You.” Families, individuals who receive services, and staff members realize that without your support, we would not be able to provide the spectrum of services on behalf of individuals who have a developmental disability.
We thank community agencies and school districts that work together to support individuals who have developmental disabilities and their families.
We thank the business community for its support to employ dedicated and enthusiastic workers who happen to have a developmental disability.
We thank board members who volunteer their time and give us the guidance and direction to live our mission. We thank the countless number of volunteers who gave over 14,000 hours of service to benefit individuals supported through Wood Lane.
We recognize community members who have appreciation for the unique talents of everyone as neighbors, co-workers, and members of your church community.
As we celebrate this month, Wood Lane continues our commitment to provide the needed support for individuals who are eligible for our services. We realize that as the needs of our community changes, we must meet those challenges. We also have a responsibility to communicate to you our services and how we work to meet the specific needs of individuals. And we know that it is important during difficult economic times, it is our responsibility to keep you informed on how Wood Lane is a good steward of the local, state, and federal funds we receive.
We encourage you as an individual or group to arrange a tour of our program. Families, staff and individuals served are also available to share their stories with civic, business or religious groups through our “Speak Up, Speak Out” Speaker’s Bureau.
Your support is imperative to Wood Lane’s ability to provide a spectrum of services. We are proud to be a part of this supportive county
Melanie Stretchbery
Superintendent, Wood Lane (Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities)
Disgusting
To the editor: How disgusting that Robin Vess and her attorney are trying to evade the fact that dead horses were found on her property by citing a technicality?
In the view of the equine community, dead horses justify a warrantless search, and we certainly hope the judge in the case agrees.
Ms. Vess needs to take responsibility for the misery and deaths she caused those poor animals, and realize that legal technicalities don’t make her any less guilty.
Kelly Meister
Author, Crazy Critter Lady,
www.crazycritterlady.com
Not listening
To the editor: The final score was 219-212. The losers are the American people who counted on their elected officials to represent the majority opinion of the voters in our country.
Each vote for the ObamaCare package was the equivalent of the House Democrats bulldozing over the expressed, informed opinions of their constituents. They didn’t hear us in the opinion polls, e-mails, letters or telephone calls. Maybe they will hear us at the voting polls when they come up for reelection.
John Pirrwitz
Oregon
Left no choice
To the editor: John Szozda’s conservative roots are showing through in his editorial warning people that the Toledo school system may try to sneak an income tax through. Can you blame them or any public school system? Republicans have tried to destroy our educational system in hopes that all students will be forced to go church schools, where it is easier to brainwash them.
Schools depend on taxes and the Republican-controlled legislature in Michigan and Ohio did away with a billion dollars in business taxes. Quite a hole to fill and the Republicans didn’t try. Then there is the matter of blackmail by businesses. First, they get good old Ronnie to legalize free trade, sending millions of job overseas. Clinton helped, but Republicans backed it wholeheartedly. Then corporations told communities, “Give us big tax breaks at the city level, or no jobs.” Therefore, there was a double shotgun blast to schools.
I won’t even try to explain how “No Child Left Behind” has hurt our schools and cost further funds. Republicans hate education and thinking people.
Schools are left with no choice, thanks to Republican greed, but to go to the people, who can’t afford it.
Al Kaupstar
Oregon
Editor’s note: Since 2005, Ohio has phased out taxes on tangible personal property, such as business machinery, equipment and inventory. During that time, the state has enacted – in phases – a commercial activity tax on businesses, measured by gross receipts.
According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, the elimination of the tangible property tax reforms that started in 2005 was embraced by Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, in his 2008-09 budget plan.
A major free trade bill, the North America Free Trade Agreement, was signed by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, on Dec. 8, 1993. According to congressional records, Democrats controlled the House of Representatives and Senate when the measure was passed.
A clear message
To the editor: With the passage of the health care reform package, Congress has sent a resoundingly clear message to the American citizens.
It seems that we were mistaken when we believed that we were voting our representatives into office to represent us with their votes. The House Democrats ignored numerous polls, letters, e-mails, and calls that showed a majority of voting Americans were strongly opposed to the current health care reform package. Few denied the need for reform, but a majority felt that the current package was not acceptable.
Apparently the House Democrats feel that we, as the voting American public, are not capable of intelligent, thought-out decision making and therefore they knew better than we what was best for us and that made it okay to discount the opinions of the loyal voters.
We deserve better than representatives that are going to ignore the majority of the American people in order to vote along their political party lines as opposed to voting their constituency.
Jessica Bucher
Northwood
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