10/25 Letters to the Editor

A chance to support our troops



Dear Editor:



Cleburne American Legion Auxiliary Unit 50 thanks the patriotic volunteers who have responded to our call to sew stockings for the troops.

The donations of your time, your fabric and your talent will make this Christmas extra-special for the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan away from their homes and families this Christmas.

There is still time for more volunteers to join this effort and to begin sewing for next year’s packages.

As long as there is a war and our men and women are in harm’s way at the call of our country, the American Legion Auxiliary will continue to support them and ask for your participation.

Don’t forget Veterans Day is Nov. 11. A ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at American Legion Post 50 at 313 W. Chambers as we commemorate and honor veterans of yesterday and today.

The American Legion family 50 invites you to join us in this patriotic service and to consider joining the American Legion, The American Legion Auxiliary or The Sons of the American Legion.



Sandi Arnold, president

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 50





We’ve had too much lately



Dear Editor:



People who don’t remember the drought years are crying out that this is too much rain, make it stop.

The wind that blew the other day brought lots of comments like “that darn wind really bugs me,” or “I couldn’t keep my hair straight for the wind.”

A little earlier it was too much sun; soon it will be too many leaves falling.

Gasoline is still way too high.

The one thing I am surest of is that there is too much traffic on West Henderson to cross it except at the stop light intersections.

We may be screaming that our water bills are too dern high pretty soon, from what I hear.

I don’t know that we can do anything about it except scream.

But, I do wonder at the city council’s decision to raise home owners’ rates as well as those of industries because industries are the ones using most of the water.

It’s hard to agree with the notion that to raise the industrial rates would run industry off.

These big businesses have been given, I understand, much incentive in reduced taxation, etc., and have a good work force available here in a good overall atmosphere.

I can’t see industry pulling up stakes over any water rate increase, even a very large one.

There is no need to punish the citizenry here by requiring them to help pay for industrial usage. I would need to see some figures to change my mind on that issue.

Has there been too much hurry in replacing all the older water meters with new digital ones for the sake of easy reading and that some allegedly received more water than recorded and paid for?

Realizing that much of the city council’s decisions should be left up to them, I also take the stand that we as citizens should be educated as to the whys and wherefores of such extensive and expensive issues as water meter replacement on a citywide scale before receiving such a latent announcement as was given in this case.

Without designating any possible misreading of these new digital meters as a reason for water users’ mistrust in this new system, the report given that any resident now can’t turn off the water in case of an emergency inside his house because the valve to do so has been removed is reasonable cause for alarm and even loss of confidence in our leaders.

Please tell us that the turn-off valve will still be there for such emergency use.

Two more things that come under the too much category are city worker credit cards and personal use of city vehicles. Is it asking too much to inquire about these too loose allowances?

Whether it is or not, I am requesting a complete probe of these instances and publication of details and of all corrective measures as taken in the very near future.

If these possibilities have been misreported, please publish the details regarding the issue as the complete truth is all that we deserve.

I’m not a watchdog but feel that we deserve to see things done very openly when we are all involved in making Cleburne, Big C, the best town possible.

Perhaps having public hearings on individual issues as well as repeated publication in both local papers would be a grand innovation because council meeting protocol disallows much discussion.



Monte Swatzell

Cleburne





Cleburne youth need more exercise opportunities



Dear Editor:



We joined our “local” YMCA last week.

We needed a gym that would accept children as young as 8 on the weight machines and the treadmills and the bicycling, etc.

The one we joined is called the Ryan YMCA, and it is located on McCart Avenue in Fort Worth. The way we get there is to take FM 731, (Crowley Road, up through Crowley and turn left at the Sycamore School Road-Everman Road intersection.

Then we follow Sycamore School Road until we reach McCart and turn left.

It is a nice area, there is a police station, and several churches.

I allowed an hour to make the drive to be there by 10 a.m. on Saturday so the kids could take their orientation class.

They have a day care section for children up to 8 years old. Children 8-up have a special section.

They can exercise, play air hockey, foosball, just different things if they are tired of exercising.

They offer swimming lessons in the fall — can you imagine?

They have a lot more things to offer than I can think of right now.

The reason we went looking for a YMCA is because Cleburne only has gym memberships for adults. Children cannot use the machines. This bothered us.

We wanted all of our family to be able to exercise not just have the kids stuck in playtime.

Our children needed more opportunities to exercise.

The cost is $96 to join. Then the monthly rate is a prorated amount dependent on when you join. I think it is $67 a month. Not sure.

I am not into sports.

I was always the person nobody wanted on their team because I was a klutz.

I am sure there are other children with that same problem.

Then there are the children who are overweight. What does Cleburne have that can help overweight children?

Cleburne does have them, you know. I see them all the time roaming around town with their overweight parents.

I am sure they would like to be able to go to a gym that accepted children on the weight machines, treadmills and stationary bicycles.

My children seem to like being able to walk on treadmills while watching TV — wouldn’t yours?

Cleburne was afraid of losing so much money because they didn’t sell alcohol.

Aren’t children more important than a temporal pleasure? Isn’t their health more important than whether or not Cleburne is wet?

The nearest Boy & Girls Club is in Granbury.

The nearest YMCA is either in Benbrook or Fort Worth.

Aren’t healthy and well-adjusted children important? What does this attitude say about our town?

We have had at least one child commit suicide. That is one too many.



Theresa G. Williamson

Cleburne