Letters to the Editor

Clean Your Own House First

To quote a recent post from a friend, “Our county played a big part in the Civil War.  We had large confederate hospitals here; two of the last big battles of the war were fought here; Grant drafted the terms of the surrender here,” and the surrender was signed 20 miles away in Appomattox.

Yet with this wealth of history, Farmville has but one monument related to the Civil War, the one on High St. commemorating those brave men who fought and or died in the war.  I have heard that Longwood University, in its quest for political correctness and inclusiveness, would like for the town to remove this monument.  To do just that in making their point would be an incomplete statement indeed if not the ultimate hypocrisy without also renaming the University; as it is after all, named for Longwood Estate, the home of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston.

Attempting to “cleanse” Farmville of any of its historic ties to the Civil War should in all fairness require Longwood University to cleanse its own ties to the Confederacy.  A name change would be an expensive proposition that should give them pause.

 Ruth Catlin

Farmville, VA

Think Before You Kneel

I support the professional athletes who are refusing to stand for the flag and the playing of the National Anthem. You have every right not to allow the rich owners of the teams, to which you are under contract, to force those thousands of dollars per minute on you for your performance! How dare they! In fact, I highly recommend that you find a country’s whose flag and national anthem you respect and pack up and move your family there immediately. You have every right not to live in those nice mansions they’re forcing you to live in, drive those fancy cars they’re forcing you to drive and live the rich life they’re forcing on you.  Never mind the millions of Americans that have fought and, in too many cases, died that you may have the right to stand and salute or kneel in protest. Getting killed for our nation was their problem not yours.

And if, perchance, the country you select doesn’t have a team or league in the sport in which you excel, you might check with National Geographic. They may have a spot for you in an upcoming issue.

In His Service
Rev.Furman Joye
Prospect, Va.

Building Pipelines that are Safe, Smart & Successful

Several weeks ago (Aug 10th) I testified at the DEQ public hearing, where my comments in support for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) caused a small uproar in the meeting room that forced a 15 minute recess.  In order to provide some additional thoughts on this subject, I am submitting this letter to the editor.

As I detailed my experience at the DEQ public meeting, I lived in Alaska for 30 years (1971-2001) and worked for decades in the oil/gas development industries.  Most notably on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) from beginning to end (1974-1977).  And later in the development of the Prudhoe Bay/North Slope oilfields.  The TAPS pipeline is a 48” “hot oil” pipeline that travels almost 800 miles through the most delicate and harsh environment in America.  Crossing hundreds of streams and rivers (the only crossing of the Yukon River in Alaska is the TAPS bridge w/pipeline), over two significant mountain ranges and borders Fairbanks, Alaska’s 2nd largest city.  Please think about these extreme weather conditions, extremely delicate arctic life conditions, engineering challenges and the safe/smart/successful construction of the TAPS pipeline and hundreds of additional pipelines across the tundra in the Prudhoe Bay area.  During the winter, temperatures in Prudhoe Bay a can reach a wind-chill factor of -100 degrees BELOW 0.  These environmental conditions have a significant effect on all operations.  The requirements to build pipelines that are safe, smart and successful under these conditions is staggering, but these requirements have been met and exceeded for over 40 years.  I have personally witnessed procedures that protected the environment and the local communities.  The Alaskan people that live in these arctic areas, are the Inupiat Eskimos.  They have directly supported and benefited from the oilfield development during the last 50 years.  This support has been based on knowing that the development is safe, smart and successful for them and their arctic heritage that goes back over 3,000 years.

Two of the pipeline contractors involved with the ACP project have extensive experience from the mentioned above Alaska pipelines.  Price-Gregory and Associated Pipeline.  These are two companies I worked for and as a result of that, I can speak from personal experience in Alaska, these
companies are absolutely the best in the pipeline construction business.  Without a doubt, the ACP leadership has chosen the absolute best companies to construct this pipeline and support facilities.  The pipeline construction techniques of today are really “state of the art” with directional boring to go under some streams/rivers, increased requirements for welds and pipeline design engineering, just to mention a few aspects of today’s modern pipeline construction.

In conclusion, thousands of pipelines in America have been built during the last 60-70 years that are safe, smart and successful.  All of this experience will be applied to the ACP project, to include thousands of people that have decades of pipeline experience.  In the years ahead, this project will be thought of as a very good economic opportunity for Virginia, just as the generations in Alaska have viewed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.  As a related positive example, the state of Alaska has no state income tax, not state sales tax and every man/woman/child will receive a $1,100.00 check from the Prudhoe Bay oilfield income known as the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend in the middle of October, 2017.  This no-tax, and direct benefit payment to Alaskans has been going on for over thirty years.  Virginia you are looking at a very bright future with the ACP.

John Arsenault

Cullen, Virginia

What Were the Real Reasons for Firing?

I am writing this letter about how unorganized the school board was in the handling of the dismissal of Coach Allen. This might not have changed their decision but first they should’ve heard Mr. Allen’s side on everything. Second, if they had complaints as Mr. Devin had why keep them for three or four years. Mr. Carwile told the same thing. You all should’ve gone to the AD or Coach Allen when you received the complaints so maybe the issue could’ve been resolved. Most of the complaints probably was over playing time. It seems to me that Coach Allen was not treated fair. Why was Mr.Berkeley able to vote since one of the complantive was a close relative. Maybe Mr. Devin shouldn’t be able to vote since Coach Allen cut a close relative of his when he was Volleyball Coach at CMS. As Mr. Devin stated in his reason for voting against Coach Allen was that it seems that teams they played against got better and his team didn’t. How can you say other teams seem to get better when you only saw the other teams play once. As for teams they played against that advanced further in state play there was only one that was Goochland. Mr. Carwile told me he voted against him because he should’ve won a state title that sure is asking a lot. To me they don’t understand sports very well. Do y’all realize that the competition might get better as you advance and that your team might have a bad night. I also heard that one of the complaints came from a parent whose child did not make the JV team this year. Why wasn’t he sent to the coaches to find out. In closing it seems to me that y’all might been voting against Coach Allen just to please your friends or relatives. If any school board member would like to respond to me which I doubt they will my email address is Allen.58@hotmail.com.

Ricky Allen

Cullen, Va.

Losing Respect by Kneeling

Whereas certain members of society gather to protest the removal of Confederate monuments insisting it’s not about race but, history and heritage, their cause to rally is categorized as being racist for protecting Civil War monuments!  When football players (however) want to protest their convictions of racial inequality gathering to (globally) disrespect the American flag along with the national anthem, this behavior is to be embraced and celebrated as a noble cause!

A certain irony too having individuals being paid tens millions of dollars playing football making themselves, “crusaders of inequality” from their lofty position of affluence!  The American flag is the symbol of country and the American soldier. Those with a grievence with how they get treated in America would do well to find another “podium” to preach from other than the graves and blood sacrifice of American soldiers. There is no greater country on mother earth that stands for freedom and equality than the United States of America! Inappropriate to bite the hands that purchased that freedom!

Disrespecting the America flag (and anthem) directly translates to spitting on the graves of every American patriot from the Revolutionary war to present who gave all for this country! Besmirching any emblems of this “Island of freedom” we Americans enjoy may be a constitutional right but, a right that teeters on the edge of treason!

The NFL does not garner universal sympathy for their cause with flagrant displays of disrespect to the United States of America.  A good message easily gets lost when delivered in that envelope! Some in America feel they don’t get the respect they deserve but, respect must be earned!  Those who feel disrespect might ask themselves if they earned it ….as the American military man has most certainly earned it!

 Karl Schmidt

Farmville, Va.