Letters to the Editor

Police also merit recognition for service, bravery

I attended the Nevada State Veterans Home recognition ceremony on Veterans Day. Gov. Brian Sandoval spoke and also a colonel from Nellis Air Force Base. Both gave tributes to those in the armed forces who had given their lives and to those who have served and now serve their country. I am a veteran of World War II and the Korean War.

The United States military defends our freedom and liberty from outside forces. But we have, if I may say so, a military that defends our freedom and liberty from within. They are as brave and deserve as much praise as the armed forces. I am referring to the law enforcement officers who maintain law and order. Without them there would be anarchy. It would not be safe on the streets. At traffic signals there would be wrecks and fights. There are not enough firefighters to put out the fires that would be started. In our own city the criminal element, those who do not respect the law, would rape, loot and burn.

In the military I knew who the enemy was and was prepared; but a police officer who stops and approaches a car for some violation has no idea who is in the car and whether that person will pull a gun and fire.

I am also a retired minister. Romans' 13th chapter is about law and order. God is a god of order. Interestingly this chapter is not about an army, but of those who maintain law and order within the country, punishing lawlessness so that the citizens may go about their work and activity without fear.

Are there bad cops? Yes! But the vast majority are honest, hard-working men and women. By the same token, are there bad military people? Yes. But most are giving their best for our country.

As an 87-year-old man and veteran of two wars, I stand at attention and give a sharp salute, not only to the men and women who protect our freedom from without, but to those who maintain freedom within so that the citizens may live without fear. We live in an imperfect world and until it is perfect, there will be the need for those who guard our security from within and without.

Barney Cargile Jr.

Hospital's saga sheds light on preservation issue

I would like to compliment your coverage of the final appeal to prevent the demolition of the Six Cos. Hospital. Some of the issues that surfaced were tricky to untangle, tricky enough that many historic preservation supporters had trouble accepting the harshest reality in the battle to save the hospital: The chance of preventing the demolition was quite small. As a result, a good part of our goal was to shed light on issues that will continue to be important in our community for some time to come. We learned a lot in the process. Your reporter did a good job, given the limited space, of reporting the most salient points raised by each side.

Historic preservation advocates have two next steps: 1. Identify and protect the historic buildings most likely to be threatened in the near future, and 2. Write changes to the city code to discourage or prevent the demolition of historic buildings. We grant that private property must be handled far more delicately than public property, but as long as we give fair notice to historic property owners by changing the city code, we have dealt with the issue fairly.

With the hospital controversy behind us, historic preservation advocates have begun working with city officials — staff, City Council, the Planning Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission — to advance these ideas.

The time for adversity, hopefully, is behind us. Now is the time to unify behind the preservation of Boulder City's precious heritage.

Dale Napier

Support of church bazaar appreciated

St. Christopher's Episcopal Church would like to thank the following merchants for donating raffle prizes for our harvest bazaar last Saturday:

Alpaca Imports, Anytime Fitness, Auto Specialists, Big O Tires, Blis Salon and Spa, Boulder City Antique Market, Boulder City Florist, Boulder Dam Brewing Co., Boulder Dam Hotel, The Restaurant at Boulder Dam Hotel, Capriotti's, Chilly Jilly'z, Colorado River Coffee Roasters, Dr. Eldon Clothier, Evan's Old Town Grille, Flightlinez, Fox Smokehouse BBQ, Home Hardware, IHOP, Jack's Place, JoAnna Linsay, Little City Grille, Lockie Gibson, M.P. Hoekenga, Mimi's Restaurant, Pit Stop, Pot of Gold Jewelers, Pretty Nails, Shirley Putz, St. Christopher's Sunday School, Starbucks and the Dunleavys.

Without your generous donations our harvest bazaar would not have been the huge success it was. Thank you.

Thank you Boulder City for your support.

Donna Raney and St. Christopher's Episcopal Church

Group defends benefits of wind energy

John L. Smith's Nov. 12 column grossly misinforms readers about renewable energy and ignores its many environmental benefits.

Wind farms are not a major source of bird mortality. Incidental losses at turbine sites will never be more than an extremely small fraction of bird deaths caused by human activities — an estimated 134,000-230,000 of the more than 5 billion small birds in North America, according to the most comprehensive analysis to date. Other causes include buildings (550 million), power lines (130 million), cars (80 million), pesticide poisoning (67 million), and radio and cell towers (6.8 million).

Although eagles occasionally collide with turbines at some wind farms, this is not a common occurrence: Fatalities of golden eagles at modern wind facilities represent only 2 percent of all documented sources of human-caused eagle fatalities.

Because wind energy avoids 126 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year in the U.S. it acts as one of the key solutions for mitigating climate change, which the Fish and Wildlife Service, environmental groups, and others all agree is the biggest threat to birds.

While no form of energy generation is impact-free, studies show wind's effects are the lowest. Can more be done? Yes, and it should, but there is no doubt that the U.S. wind industry has been proactive and diligent in studying, monitoring and mitigating the impacts of wind projects on birds and bats. All things considered, wind is one of our most ecologically sound energy options.

Our modern economy requires significant amounts of electricity. Deciding how to produce that energy requires careful analysis, weighing the impacts of each energy source against its benefits, and then choosing the best options. When all variables are considered, wind energy is the right choice for powering our society and protecting wildlife and their habitats.

David Jenkins

President, Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship