Hubbard citizens should speak out against tower plan

Hubbard citizens shouldspeak out against tower plan
EDITOR:
I thought that elected officials were supposed to be concerned about the health and welfare of their constituents. But is this so in Hubbard?
Proposed Ordinance 31-03 is now scheduled for a final reading and enactment Monday. This ordinance, under the guise of an "emergency" measure, leases land in a residential neighborhood to Alltel Communications for the erection of a communications tower.
Many citizens are unaware of the health hazards posed by such towers, which produce radio-frequency (RF) emissions. These towers meet federal standards for thermal effects of RF emissions. However, while there is evidence that the nonthermal hazards from RFs are substantial, these hazards are unregulated. Even the federal Food and Drug Administration concedes that "further research is needed to determine what [nonthermal] effects actually occur ..." Some studies have already found alarming effects including cancer, immune system suppression and birth defects.
Equally disturbing is the manner in which officials calmed the early concerns of citizens like me and promised us the opportunity to be heard later. However, Hubbard City Council scheduled only one meeting on the safety issues of the Alltel tower. This meeting, held Nov. 11, was announced at a regularly scheduled city council meeting only eight days in advance. Further, the few citizens who did learn of the meeting and attended were not permitted input. Instead, Alltel and council addressed only matters finalizing the deal. The health implications for citizens living near the site were apparently not considered.
Neighborhood residents have not received adequate notice nor have they been given the opportunity to be heard. They deserve a full, fair assessment of the public health hazards that the tower presents.
Did Hubbard City Council determine the desirability of the Alltel project before fully considering health issues? The Hubbard City Council repeatedly emphasizes the benefits of the Alltel lease arrangement -- a new communication system for Hubbard's police and fire departments contributed by Alltel -- but has never meaningfully analyzed the costs to residents living near the proposed cellular tower. Other communities facing similar issues with cellular tower construction have held public hearings on the safety of these structures, protecting their citizens' health before yielding to the whims of a profit-driven telecommunications giant.
The public caucus Monday begins at 7 p.m., and the meeting starts at 8. Concerned citizens should attend the meeting and express their opposition. If unable to attend, they should call their council members to urge reconsideration of the tower site. They may also sign a petition being circulated by me to block the tower construction in a residential neighborhood. Alltel and its allies on Hubbard City Council should at least publicly address the health hazards of the proposed cellular tower.
WILLIAM J. DOBOSH
Hubbard
We'll decorate for Christmasas we see fit, so deal with it!
EDITOR:
I am writing in response to the letter of Nov. 23 about Thanksgiving before Christmas.
I do wish people would stop complaining about us folks who put up Christmas decorations early. Are we hurting you? No. We still sit down with our families on Thanksgiving and thank the Lord for all our blessings.
It is wrong to pass judgment on others just because they do things differently than you. If everyone were the same, it would be a very dull world. So lighten up, and live and let live!
MRS. DANA OLSEN
Youngstown