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Deer & Forests:

The Other Side

To the editor:

I cannot let the letter to the edtor about deer and forests from Tom Leete of Coudersport go unanswered.

Is he saying that the very people who have mismanaged the deer herd for 70 years are suddenly infallible?

Simply having an enclosure that is selectively logged, seeded, fertilized, limited, etc., does not a genius make.

Acid rain is the major culprit in the lack of forest regeneration. This is fact.

The state forest is not here simply to provide money to the state government.

Lumbering should only be part of the use of our state forest land. There has to be a middle ground. We all have a right to use state forest lands as the people see fit.

We also have a duty to use the latest scientific data from independent, provable sources. Prove to me that deer cut 99 percent of the saplings, sir.

How dare the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania insist that concrete, verifiable, independent, provable research be done before doe licenses are allocated, instead of the "Magic 8 Ball" currently being used by the PGC and DCNR?

Scott Hess

Emporium

Appreciate Boro Zoning Variance

To the editor:

We own the property at 265 East Fourth Street in Emporium and lived there for 18 years.

With our kids grown, we no longer needed to live in town and were pleased to be able to purchase the Filling Farm in Truman when it became available this summer.

I love to garden and the property has many amenities I was looking for: acreage, apples, grapes, raspberries, asparagus and, up until recently, a resident bull elk.

For Mike, it has a stocked fish pond and a stream as well as acres for him to mow. The house is smaller (less cleaning!) and closer to my office in Ridgway.

We were pleased to secure Premier Realty as a tenant for our Emporium house and we appreciate that the borough zoning board has granted a variance to allow Premier to conduct business at that location.

Robin Kuleck

Truman

Package Team

Busy Again!

To the editor:

Cameron County's "Package Team" is hard at work.

This year, like every other year, we wish we could tell you that there are no Cameron County military men and women still in harm's way. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

In fact, many of our own are being called upon for a second or third time (or more). We must keep them in our prayers and show them our love and support.

We are so glad to be a part of a community that takes care of its own like this. The bonus of the boxes is that they go beyond the people they are sent to. Our service personnel always hear how awesome it is that our small community does this for them.

If you are able to support this year's project, we thank you in advance. Every donation of every kind is very much appreciated.

Do you know of anyone in the service, maybe new or maybe just a name we never got before, or just a change of address? Please let us know so we can send a package from home for Christmas. If you would spread the word for us, that would be great too. Thanks again and may you all have a blessed Christmas season and a great new year to come. Contributions and information may be mailed to: The Package Team, 2939 Rich Valley Rd., Emporium PA 15834.

If you have any questions or information, please contact Karen Schatz at 486-0573 or schatzie@zitomedia.net.

Karen Schatz

Betty Vogel

Emporium

Teen Driving Risks

To the editor:

As teenagers age, part of their maturation process begins with accepting new rewards and responsibilities, such as driving.

A teen's entire focus should be on the road to ensure a safe trip.

This means no attention focused on text messaging, MP3s or even passengers.

Now, combine these distractions and inexperience with an even more lethal disruption - alcohol. Teenagers have the mentality that they are infallible; the idea of serious injury or death is beyond their comprehension.

So after a couple of drinks, many feel that they are "okay" enough to make it to their destination without second thought. Their inexperience, not only behind the wheel but with alcohol as well, could have tragic consequences.

If teenagers are ever in a situation where they could be in a car with an intoxicated driver, they need to have a safe alternative to get home. Coaches, teachers, counselors and parents need to inform their children that rather than ride with a driver under the influence, they should feel comfortable enough to call.

Any parent would rather receive a call from their child asking for a ride home, rather than get a phone call or a knock at the door from a police officer.

Three out of every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some point in their lives. Driving under the influence is preventable. Teenagers, in particular, need to learn that a decision to get behind the wheel buzzed, or to become a passenger with a drunken driver, could end your life.

Olivia Johnson Corning High School

Corning NY