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What's wrong with this 'dam' picture?

Dear Editor:

What is wrong with this dam picture? What do you see?

Like everyone I show the Lyman Lake Dam picture to, they don't see a dam thing. And there lies the dam problem. No structure, no fish structure material or man made. Will no one DCNR, Fish & Boat Commission, sportsmen club, step up and address this problem before its too dam late.

If the goal of this project was to have a swimming hole without fish habitat, why not a tiny dam? Think of the money that could have been saved.

May the curse of the water snake infestation return with a dam vengence if this disaster isn't resolved.

As far as this reader is concerned, this dam ain't worth a damn.

G. M. King,

Driftwood An Open Letter

To The PGC

To the Editor:

(Editor's Note: The letter was addressed to Carl Roe, executive director of the Pa. Game Commission. Its author, Dave Ross, owns property in Cameron County).

Dear Mr. Roe:

One of the topics under consideration on the deer management program is to restrict the taking of an antlerless deer in the first week of the regular deer season in Management Area 2G (among others).

I would hope that you and fellow commissioners would consider leaving the junior early season in place for antlerless deer, and continuing to allow junior license hunters to harvest an antlerless deer in the first week of the regular season.

Many junior hunters only have off school on the first day or two of the season. To place this potential restriction on them would allow those who travel to their camp in the "north woods" (2G for instance) to harvest an antlerless deer only after the first five days of the season.

Bad weather, high gas prices, and/or an inability to get to the north woods after the traditional first two days of the season would eliminate this opportunity for many youth altogether.

Please take this into consideration when considering this potential change to the current system. Our youth and their interest in this sport are our future.

Dave Cross

Harrisburg

Apple Pruning

Time Is Here

Dear Editor::

Most of us don't think of March as apple time but it is - apple pruning time.

The best time to prune apple trees is in late winter and early spring, through early April. Pruning this time of the year helps to prevent the spread of fireblight, a bacterial disease which most fruit trees are susceptible to which spreads fast in the warmer months.

Also, the trees will be growing soon and the wound will heal faster, preventing insects and diseases from entering. Don't forget to pick up and remove the cut branches to prevent the spread of any disease and insects.

There are several other reasons for pruning this time of the year. There is no foliage to inhibit your view of the dead or damaged branches. You can also see how the branches are layered; there needs to be adequate sunlight for fruit production. I believe this is the most important reason for pruning, improving the quality and quantity of apples.

There is a lot of information available on the web and in the library if you want more. So go out and enjoy the last bit of winter and feel the warmth of spring arriving while improving your apple trees for a bountiful crop in the fall.

Jeanne Wambaugh Pa. Bureau of Forestry

Emporium Basketball Teams

Say 'Thanks'

To the editor:

We would like to thank the many members of the community and beyond who have shown such loyal support this season.

It meant a lot to us to see so many familiar faces at our games in Clarion, Bradford, St. Marys and other sites.

We would like to extend a special thanks to the residents and staff at Sweden Valley Manor who sent snacks to us for the district championship games.

We also appreciate the turnout of the Coudersport Volunteer Fire Department, community members and school personnel who turned out to usher us back to Coudersport at 12:30 in the morning. That escort was something we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Players and coaches

Varsity basketball Coudersport High School

Biofuels

Supported

To the editor:

On a recent tour of the state, I visited innovative farms and businesses using alternative energy sources to fuel their operations. I also had the opportunity to speak with community members about issues facing agriculture, specifically the rising price of energy.

Our rural communities are uniquely poised to reap tremendous benefits from investments in alternative fuels. Dangerously, the United States imports 60 percent of its oil, with Pennsylvania spending $30 billion annually on liquid fuels produced beyond the state's borders. Governor Rendell's PennSecurity Fuels standard is a strong alternative to our reliance on fossil fuels, calling for the production and use of a billion gallons of biofuels within Pennsylvania.

Eventually, every gallon of gasoline sold in Pennsylvania will include 10 percent ethanol once in-state production reaches 200 million gallons per year, with incremental increases up to 20 percent once annual production reaches 300 million gallons.

To meet this goal, we will need to build numerous biofuel and ethanol facilities in Pennsylvania. Such facilities will fuel economic growth in rural communities by benefiting a host of industries, from the farmers who produce the raw materials to the transportation companies that will haul it.

Every dollar invested in Pennsylvania companies and farmers is another dollar not sent overseas. Our farmers, local communities, construction companies, biofuel manufacturers, and truck and rail industries all win.

Dennis Wolff

Secretary Pa. Dept. of Agriculture