Charity descends on home

Charity descends on home
EDITOR:
After being besieged by mail, phone and e-mail requests for donations in 2004, I kept a log of snail mail requests in 2005. It is no wonder that charitable organizations are having problems -- I received 391 requests from 142 organizations by mail. Obviously, even if I could afford to do so, I would not give to all of them.
E-mail is easy to deal with, since you can block senders you don't want to clog up your system.
There is a system that is supposed to be able to block phone calls, but I don't know how. I just hang up on those who are rude enough to call an octogenarian by a first name.
To the legitimate charities, my sympathy.
GEORGE E. SUTTON
Poland Township
Don't ignore landfills until it's too late, Hubbard
EDITOR:
Residents of Hubbard need to wake up and be aware of what can happen to our community. The Vindicator carried two recent news items that should cause everyone to think hard about the proposed landfill on Drummond Avenue.
One concerned the eventual cost of cleanup after the landfill owners abandon a site, leaving it to the taxpayers (folks, that's you and me). The cost of cleaning up a landfill near Lisbon is going to be $1.45 million, to be paid for by the local taxpayers. That's only part of the cost. Think of the drastic drop in property values and the health issues caused by the effect on the air we breathe and the water we drink (do you have a well?).
The headline on the other news story was "Uranium cylinders await move to southern Ohio." What's next?
The 20/20 program that airs on ABC on Friday evenings does a segment on myths. Recently one of the issues was where do we put all our trash? The news reporter suggested that there was a lot of land available and these landfills are covered over and landscaped and even have golf courses built over them. Sounds nice until you talk to the people who live near the Warren Hills landfill. .
Hubbard Environmental and Land Preservation (HELP) has been fighting the proposed Drummond Avenue landfill for over two years. Wake up, Hubbard. It's time to get seriously involved in this effort. I urge you to attend the Wednesday night meetings at 7 p.m. in the city building. Show your support and offer to help.
RALPH COOPER
Hubbard
What do the troops need?
EDITOR:
Last week you ran an article, "Rep. Hart plans to visit Middle East," about U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart's trip to Iraq. Hart said she was going to Iraq to see if the troops have everything they need.
This is odd, because Hart just recently voted against Rep. Jack Murtha's anti-torture motion -- a motion that Republican representatives like Phil English even voted for. Fortunately, Murtha's motion successfully passed with a 308 to 122 vote, even without Hart's support.
When Hart voted against this motion, she also voted against our sons and daughters in uniform. Torture is wrong, and her vote could have put our troops at risk of being tortured if they are captured.
ALEX McNEILL
Pulaski, Pa.
Traficant deserves pardon
EDITOR:
I'm totally disgusted with the people of Mahoning Valley. President Bush has pardoned criminals with more serious charges than those committed by Congressman James Traficant. Some were charged with fraud that cost taxpayers big money.
Sure I know Jim Traficant wasn't afraid to tell anyone off -- Democrat or Republican. That got Jim into hot water. Because of his temper people turned against him. Forget all the good things Traficant did for the district, he made a mistake and he should pay. That's true. But others that Bush pardoned served much less time than Traficant is serving.
I have listened to 570 AM, Voice of the Valley, for years. I listened to callers praising Congressman James A. Traficant so often I thought he was god of the Valley! Why won't the people work to get a release from prison for their hero?
I never met a person who deserved their support more than Jim Traficant does.
I met and listened to Congressman Traficant speak. I always respected him because he was so understanding and treated everyone with respect. Traficant gave me his White House lapel pin. I would not write this letter if I thought that Traficant didn't deserve a pardon. Please work to get Traficant released.
FRANK SKRABA
Rittman
Another fond remembranceof Vindy's Esther Hamilton
EDITOR:
Kudos to Stanley J. Polanski of Mineral Ridge for his good letter to The Vindicator relating to the philanthropic work of the late Esther Hamilton, former Vindicator columnist.
Although I never met Esther, personally, I corresponded with her frequently and it is my desire to recall her kindness in promoting a program which was conducted by a western Pennsylvania church.
The ladies organization of the Enon Valley Presbyterian Church was in the midst of selling cookbooks to provide funds for a new organ for the church sanctuary. Sale of the cookbook went flat, much to the discouragement of the fund promoters.
I became interested in the project through my wife, a former member of the Enon church. I wrote a letter to Esther explaining the dilemma and sent her a copy of the cookbook. Esther jumped at the chance to do a good deed and promoted the sale of the book in her well read column in The Vindicator.
As a result of her publicity, book sales began to mount and so many were sold that an extra printing of the book had to be made to satisfy the demand. The church organ is still in use and serves as a memorial to Miss Hamilton.
Allow me to quote James E. Clarke, a writer of the past: "If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way."
WOODSON (WOODY) COLLINS
New Castle, Pa.