Our readers write

Reader says more info is needed

I am writing this in response to Ryan Gauthier’s article of June 12. There were several errors and omissions.

Gauthier was informed on May 18 of the Talawanda School Board contesting property values and the board asking the city of Oxford to pay for the water, sewer, street widening and the traffic signal at the new high school — a request that could deplete the entire year’s capital improvements budget. I asked him to report these, but he failed to do so for three weeks prior to our meeting. Gauthier also failed to report that the reason for forming a political action committee is to insulate some of our backers, and their children, from retaliation by those who support the actions of the school board. Gauthier also failed to report that petitions for the repeal were available at Monday’s meeting, and people lined up to sign them at the conclusion of the meeting.

While Dr. (Phil) Cagwin says the board wants “fair” assessments, increases up to 182 percent are not fair, they are ridiculous. I encourage readers to review some more of the assessments being viewed as fair by Cagwin on the Butler County Auditor’s Web site, www.butlercountyauditor.
org. If any readers have residential or agricultural property assessment that is being contested, please e-mail me at stoptsd@earthlink.net and include a copy of the letter from the auditor’s office.

For those who are interested in supporting our cause, our next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 22, at the Reily Community Center. Petitions will be distributed at the meeting and instructions will be given. Our Web site, www.stoptsd.com, and YouTube accounts may be operational by that time. Our Twitter account is Stop TSD.

To all those that attended our meeting on June 8, thank you for your support.

Michael L. Schnipper

Oxford

Fashion show boosted Habitat

The TriState Habitat for Humanity Oxford Chapter would like to thank Leslie Black and her Talawanda Fashion and Interior Design class for selecting Habitat for Humanity as the recipient of the proceeds for their fashion show held on May 30 at the Oxford Community Arts Center.

We recognize and appreciate all of the effort that went into the behind-the-scenes activities needed to make this a first-class event: Publicizing the event, coordinating volunteers to work the event, seeking donations for the silent auctions and the raffle items, working with the merchants to select the clothing items that would be modeled. And then there was the night of the show — volunteers collecting tickets, distributing programs, selling refreshments, providing entertainment before and after the fashion show, announcing the models, taking photographs and videotaping, monitoring the silent auction items and paying customers who have benefitted our local chapter.

We thank each and every one of you who contributed to this successful event and weathered the tornado watches and the driving rain to give of yourselves for others.

Jim Lipnickey

President,

TriState Habitat for Humanity

Oxford Chapter

Gitmo prisoners should stay there

To all my friends in Oxford, and to all readers of the Oxford Press worldwide.

My (May 31) letter to the editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer appeared in print. I wish it hadn’t. It was “edited” into a chopped, strained and inverted version of the original. Please take a moment to savor the original so that I can avoid those puzzled glances:

The May 26 column by Gail Collins dealing with Guantanamo prisoners (they are not detainees, as in “I was detained in traffic”! ) follows the misleading objection that moving them into the jurisdiction of the United States has something to do with protecting us against their possible escape. This shows the typical mull headedness of other New York Times columnists.

To wit:

1. No one has ever escaped from Guantanamo. If we want security, leave them there.

2. They are not detainees. They are not prisoners of war. They are not criminal felons.

3. They are “armed combatants,” arrested by the military for committing murder as armed guerrillas during combat with our forces who do follow the international rules of war. This means:

a: no Geneva Convention,

b: confinement until the war declared by al-Qaida has ended, and

c: being tried under the Articles of War in military courts.

4. The real objection to bringing them to the U.S., is that they will be tried in civilian courts as if they were U.S. citizens and subject to the same protections given someone who was arrested by a civilian policeman who has the time and responsibility to gather up the forensic evidence of the murders committed. Most soldiers don’t have the time to do that. They’re too busy saving the neck of Gail Collins.

Donald Fairburn

Oxford

Grant supports feeding children

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Oxford’s St. Mary church wishes to thank and acknowledge the Butler Rural Community Connection for their generous support of the Talawanda SnackPack Program. Every Friday, from the middle of October to the first week in June, the SnackPack program provided weekend food packs for children in the district’s elementary schools. The food packs allow the participating children to supplement their family’s food. Each food packet contains basic foods that provide two breakfasts, two lunches and two evening meals. There are also extra snacks such as cookie packs, cracker packs, pretzels and sometimes candy in the packages. The contents of the packages change weekly.

The Butler Rural Community Connection has provided the yearlong funding for 21 children — 750 food packs. We offer sincere thanks to the Butler Rural Community Connection and speak for the 21 children when we say thank you.

As we end our second year, we have 92 children from the Talawanda elementary schools in the SnackPack program, all supported by charitable contributions.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of St Mary church

Oxford