LETTERS

Worrying about Keesler - or about home?

I live on North Country Club Lane and my home is located directly south of the Woolmarket exit. For personal reasons, I was and am part of the "crowd" that favors the Cedar Lake-to-Rodenberg Avenue route.

In a recent article in The Sun Herald, Don Wylie used the "encroachment" on Keesler as the basis for his preference for other proposals that would be "very expensive and disruptive." What's wrong with least expensive and less disruptive?
Where did the "fact" come from that "150 to 200 housing units in the Bay Ridge housing area would have to be torn down to make way for the roadway"? Nothing I have seen in MDOT's presentations mention a figure as high as that on any of their possible routes.

Biloxi has always worked out situations with Keesler and I'm confident they can handle this one.

The Gulf Coast Biloxi January/February 1999-2000 phone book lists a Don Wylie as living on James Buchanan Drive in Biloxi, a street that intersects Rodenberg Avenue just west of Keesler. James Buchanan Drive appears to be very close if not directly in the path of the Cedar Lake-Rodenberg Avenue proposal.

I don't know if that Don Wylie is the same one who wrote the lengthy Opinion page piece on the road issue, or if it's a relative. However, I'm skeptical of bogeyman articles about "losing Keesler," when the objective could be just like mine and my neighbors ... for personal reasons.

H. L. HOBBS
Biloxi

What is the status of Vietnam Memorial?

I, along with my extended family, proudly visited the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedication in Ocean Springs on May 30, 1997. While standing in the pouring rain at the somber and impressive ceremony, I remember these words that I knew would gloriously ring true, "When the pages of history are reviewed, it will be noted how Mississippians paid tribute to those who served and those who died during a most difficult time in our nation's history."

I recently revisited the memorial. As I approached along U.S. 90, I looked for a marker designating such an important historical site.

Well, I "happened upon it" sans any indication. I first noticed the devastating starkness of the bare flagpole jutting above the semblance of a reflecting pool that appeared to be long in the making but short of completion.

Entering the beautifully designed memorial that was to display the facial etchings in bronze of all who gave their lives, I was met with a starkness that almost matched that of the flagpole. The few facial etchings that were in place were truly an artistic mastery and tribute, expertly capturing those faces for eternity. But the austereness of the many naked spaces awaiting their prized etchings overshadowed all else. (My family's application for a loved one's etching with accompanying photograph and documentation was submitted over two years ago.)

What's happened here? Was there adequate funding? Did the funding dry up? Was the funding diverted? Will the memorial die? Can it be saved? Should it be bulldozed rather than allowed to linger in impiousness?

The words returned, "it will be noted how Mississippians paid tribute to those who served and those who died."

Visiting this memorial makes your heart break - twice.

ARMOND 'SI' SIMMONS
Pell City, Ala.
psysim@voy.net

Coach's departure is Bay High's loss

I recently learned that Bay High may lose a tremendous individual. What a shame for such a travesty to happen because of the actions of a few.

Coach Debbie Triplett has been a positive influence on many young people. She has touched the lives of many with her dedication to hard work, high morals, and friendship. She always attempted to teach, whether it be in the classroom or on the basketball floor, the students values that they will have for a lifetime.

Although only two of my three children have experienced her as a coach or teacher, I know that I have three children who are much better for having had the opportunity to experience her as a role model.

As a parent and former school board member, I know the condition of the athletic department prior to Coach Triplett, and I truly hope that the people of the community realize and appreciate her efforts and success in turning the department around.

Although I am sorry to see this happen, I know that I have much to be thankful for: My children have experienced the great character of this wonderful lady.

The true losers will be the children of our community who have not and will not have the opportunity for Coach Triplett to touch their lives. The winners will be the students of the next district who have enough wisdom to know when they have a winner.

So Coach, take your talents where they are appreciated and know the actions of a few are not the feelings of the majority.

GARY YARBOROUGH
Bay St. Louis

Did China purchase Y2K-infected goods?

Have you heard? The missile technology that was given to China is flawed by the Y2K bug ... and they are incensed! In fact, they have asked the Clinton administration for $2.3 billion to fix the problem (the extra $3 million is rumored to going to the Buddhist Temples in the U.S. per Vice President Gore).
The Chinese government says if they had known the bug infected the technology they obtained, they would have supported a third-party candidate in the election of 1996. Right-wing Christian groups in China (according to China's leaders, these groups are a "dead" issue as pertaining to human "rights" ... or "lefts") are protesting from prison about China's wheeling and dealing.

Seemingly, the ever-sharing Chinese have sent said technology - and the bug - to Iran and North Korea, causing all sorts of difficulties, much to the glee of Iraq, which has neither missile technology or missile defense, making Iraq equal to the U.S. in being able to protect against "in-coming!"

On the other side of the "Missile Technology for Dollars" issue is the "Baseball for Cigars" program.

It appears we, the U.S., will play baseball in Castro's Cuba with boxes of un-used cigars as a wager between Washington and Havana. Of course, Cuba's human rights policies follow in China's slippered footsteps, so Cuba will soon be a Most Favored Nation. The good news for Cuba is that they will not get the Y2K bug; at least not until they produce something more for campaign funds than "smoke and baseball."

All hope is not lost, however, as Mr. Gore, the inventor of the Internet highway, declares that all computers will be inoculated against the Y2K bug by the time he is president.

DAVID L. ZIPF
Saucier

Animal-abuse laws are far too lax

My sympathy goes out to Missy Dubuisson of Long Beach whose pet horse was murdered in her own yard. I also applaud her for standing up to animal abusers and filing a civil suit against the family of the teen who was charged with the crime. Parents who allow their children to use weapons should pay the consequences as well as the child.

The article stated that it hadn't been decided if the teen would be charged as an adult. I hope for Missy's sake that he is. Our state is sadly lacking when it comes to punishment for animal abuse. Our laws are not nearly strong enough. If handled in youth court, he may just be slapped on the hand and sent on his way with no psychological help or punishment.

I recall the horrific case in Ocean Springs several years ago when a teen dipped a sweet cat named Hank in boiling oil and left him to drag himself to his home, where he died in agony. The entire community was outraged.

I called the youth detention repeatedly to try and follow up and demand justice for this vile act. I was so upset to read in the paper that the teen was set free and left the state and has to my knowledge never paid for what he did.

Research lists abuse or murder of animals during childhood among the top common denominators of serial killers. Anyone caught murdering or abusing an animal should have mandatory psychological treatment and be made to pay the consequences. If they are set free with no consequences, what message are we sending to these troubled kids? That it is OK to abuse or take the life of someone's beloved pet? That is not acceptable.

SUSAN WILSON
Ocean Springs

Where was Ms. Stoner when we were in need?

I don't remember Ms. Stoner in the aftermath of Hurricane Georges. I don't remember her and her bandwagon here on the Coast helping the people pull their lives back together after horrible devastation.

I don't remember Ms. Stoner feeding my family their first hot meal in a week, or her church setting up charity to help with basic necessities like water and food.

I don't remember Ms. Stoner offering shelter in a hotel for families that had no roof or home.

I don't remember her offering to advance my paychecks and paying my full-time wages for two weeks while the Coast put itself back together. My creditors don't remember her either.

I do remember Tom Brosig and Grand Casinos and the other casinos pulling together and offering all of the items listed above. They even did more! They offered supplies to people to help put their homes back together.
The relief of not having to worry about where my next paycheck would come from, the Grand Casino feeding my children their first hot food in a week and the relief efforts they put forth on the Coast are kindnesses my family and I will never forget.

So, as Ms. Stoner whips up her personal attack on the casino industry, she might want to look up some scriptures about human kindness and the woes of zealots.

I laugh that she has the audacity to say that gambling is OK for religious and charitable causes. She might want to look up that scripture about hypocrites, too.

DE ANN MARKHAM
Pass Christian

Metro government would cut duplication

I have to reply to my good friend Robert Carroll. Robert stated that he is opposed to the people of Biloxi subsidizing the rest of Harrison County. The following reasons are why I favor metro government.

We can't all live in Biloxi. There are five cities in Harrison County. The people who reside in these cities are also citizens of Harrison County. Therefore they should share with the citizens of Biloxi. I see no reason to have duplication of government activities - all the fire departments, police departments, school districts and the governing bodies of mayors and city council persons. We have one sheriff policing Harrison County.

I've said it before and I say again: Citizens of Harrison County are being ripped off.

PHIL SPATARO
Gulfport
Mrspageti@aol.com

Cardboard city was a valid experience

In response to the March 28 letter from Pamela Prentiss, "Homeless 'experiment' was far from reality," all I can say is she was wrong.

I was lucky enough to take part in this worthwhile cause, and can only say I have never learned as much as I did that night. Ms. Prentiss was quick to judge us about our use of cardboard boxes and two blankets. Well, I wish to remind her that the temperature was in the 30s that night, not to mention the fact that it rained. Most of our parents wanted the " teen sleepover" called off.

Never did we say that we would live in the exact conditions that homeless people lived in. What we did do, though, was try to raise awareness to the awful problem of homelessness. We decided to stop turning a blind eye and raised over $2,000. How many "sleepovers" get that kind of money? I am still very proud of what we did.

Next time someone judges what my friends and I do, let them go through a night like ours first so that they will know what it is like.

RYAN GARRIGA,
co-chair Trinity Senior High Youth Council, Gulfport

Homeless project met all three objectives

"Project Cardboard City" had three objectives: