Letters for September 6, 2007

On CofS
Re “Still waters,” (Filet of Soul, Aug. 16):

It was such a pleasure to read your little glimpse of the Church of Scientology. I appreciate the fact that you did not regurgitate the all-too-typical, yet bogus, descriptions of the church. You simply reported on what you experienced. Wow, how refreshing!

Julia Mullins
via www.newsreview.com

More on CofS
Re “Still waters,” (Filet of Soul, Aug. 16):

Great article on Scientology. I really got what it is all about. That is helpful. Keep up the great work!

Kenna Smith
via www.newsreview.com

Still more on CofS
Re “Still waters,” (Filet of Soul, Aug. 16):

I just read your review of visiting the Church of Scientology in Reno and thought it was informative and accurate. I have been a Scientologist for more than 30 years now, having used many of the tools available to improve the quality of my life and others around me. I just wanted to say thanks for a well-represented viewpoint of our church!

Cathy Lane
via www.newsreview.com

Exclamation recitation
Re “Compassion fashion,” (Filet of Soul, Aug. 30):

I have always loved going to this church!!

More should have been said about the lead singer for their band!

Her name is Lori Fry! She is short and cute, but her voice is strong and powerful! The songs she sings in church gives me chills!

Look into her! She is awesome!!

Brenda Hill
Sparks

Trail heads up
Re “Trail angel,” (Arts&Culture, Aug. 23):

Very nice and very interesting story. I think that the start of the Pacific Crest Trail would better be described as the Mexican border near Campo (east of San Diego), rather than the Mojave Desert. The latter falls farther east (at some distance) of the PCT from the border to about Big Bear, then north and east until Tehachapi. The only actual transverse of the Mojave Desert is Antelope Valley from about Agua Dulce to Highway 58. Also, the photo of Fish with the Mt. Katahdin sign should have been labeled as the “finish line"—the northernmost point of the Appalachian Trail—back east, to avoid confusion in an article about the PCT.

Other than offering these annoying, nit-picking comments, I reiterate that the article was informative and enjoyable. Fish and those of his ilk are remarkable for their love of the outdoors, their spirit of adventure and their insight into human behavior and the brotherhood of man, which lead them to become trail angels when not actually hiking the trail. Thank you for this excellent story.

Steve Berg
Sacramento, Calif.

Dogs are special creatures
All Americans should condemn dog fighting, as well as the cruel abuse and murder of these innocent animals. Almost from the beginning of time, dogs have been raised and loved in a special relationship with humans.

They repay love and kindness by serving as our companions and helpmates. Dogs assist invalids. They are eyes for the blind, assistant to law enforcement. They frequently locate missing people. Given a chance to live, and with proper training, dogs can perform wondrous and courageous feats for the benefit of humanity.

Dogs are God’s innocent and defenseless creatures, not man’s possessions to be killed or abused as he pleases. Dogs must be protected, from the moment of conception until natural death.

Joseph Pasulka
Southport, N.C.

Help me, too
Sit tight, the bailout is on the way!

George Bush to the rescue! Looks like the people who had no business buying a home are going to get help from, you guessed it, Uncle Sam—in other words, the taxpayer!

All I want to know is how I can get on the government’s freebie list. Seems I’ve been on the side that pays for everything too long, and it’s just not fair. On that basis alone, the government should be taking care of me, too!

Only in America can you work hard to have the government take it away and give it to those who don’t and never have worked hard.

Bruce Feher
Las Vegas

Reno’s road rules
I have lived in Reno since 1976, and in all that time I have never seen West Plumb Lane, from Ferris to McCarran, repaved. Recently, RTC filled in all the 30-plus years of old age wrinkles with an erratic array of asphalt patchwork that decreased the ride smoothness tenfold. If you’ve ever found yourself driving that route during commute hours, at least one out of two of those trips will find you squarely in the target zone of a sheriff’s radar gun.

You can bet your last paycheck that if you’re traveling over the posted speed limit, you will be cited, thus, losing that paycheck. So, 30-plus years of traffic citation revenue, and the old country lane still doesn’t warrant a facelift? Shame on RTC. You can bet your next paycheck that if any one of RTC’s employees lived along that route, it would get fixed in a time frame much smaller than 30 years, no?

Rich Scharbach
Reno