Letters 06-04-2012

June 3, 2012

Email your letter to: info@northernexpress.com

Please keep your letter under 300 words (one page).

Only one letter per reader in a two month period will be accepted. may be edited for length or to correct factual errors. Letters must be signed to be considered for print and a phone number is required for verification. Faxed letters are not accepted.

Anthem great

Did anyone see Traverse City’s own Levi Britton sing the National Anthem at the Cubs’ game two weeks ago? He stepped up like he owned the place, and did us proud!

Jon Fiebing - TC

Stop the bullying

Where were you Tuesday night (May 15)? I attended the very sensitive Bullycide Project at Lars Hockstad Auditorium. As I looked around at the many empty seats, I could almost hear the voices saying, "I have something painful that I need to tell you. Please listen and hear me."

Bullying: See it. Hear it. Stop it.

Adell Maksimowicz - Interlochen

Slowpoke insensitive

Re: Sorensen’s "cartoon" clearly depicting denial of a woman’s right to vote: the woman depicted is clearly a person of color. Who else will you insult?

Are you really that racist? Are you aware how long, and at what cost it took for nonwhites to be able to vote?

Careful how you cartoon. The feelings you hurt may be yours someday.

Lawrence Klein - Kalkaska

Effluent unsafe

Last winter two forum articles appeared in the Record-Eagle regarding the Homestead Resort’s ongoing disposal of sewage in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The first was by Tom Van Zoeren, a retired park ranger, and pointed out the concerns that many citizens share about dangers this system poses to park users.

The second article from the Homestead was an attempted refutation of Tom’s information that contained information I feel is inaccurate and appeared designed to confuse the public.

Unfortunately the Record Eagle limited Tom’s article length, but allowed the Homestead’s response to go beyond established forum article limitations. The Record Eagle further refused to print at least two letters to the editor that I know of (from Tom and me) that attempted to correct the Homestead’s subterfuge.

Part of the Homestead’s defense rests on the fact that the DEQ permit deems their effluent safe "for partial body contact." However, they neglected to state that some of the spray turns to mist and illegally drifts well outside the permitted boundary, risking inhalation by park users--a level of contact that is not safe or legal.

The partially-treated effluent is intended to go directly into the ground without human exposure.

Until then, there is potential for it to contain pathogens such as enteroviruses, cyst-forming protozoa, and certain bacteria (Park Service guidelines recommend use of a gas mask, goggles, and coveralls by their employees when in the area, yet unsuspecting park hikers could easily wander into this drift zone).

I encourage all concerned park users to visit www.homesteadsewage.org to review the evidence.

Timothy Young - Empire