‘We didn’t know there was a problem …’
Morgantown’s city council members did not know there was an issue with the siting of the renovations in Hazel Ruby McQuain Park until Mr. Nagowski sued us. We were led to believe everything was fine.
Maybe you could ask the design team: Strada, The Thrasher Group and Merritt Chase, or the contractor, March-Westin, how this happened. You could check with the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust, since they were involved. It’s easy to blame city council, but we are a policy body and were involved only in telling the design team they couldn’t tear out all the cherry trees.
We didn’t know there was a problem of taking someone’s property. Our attorney has tried to resolve this through negotiation, but we are not a large wealthy city with endless amounts of money. I hope your reporters will dig deeper and find out how this error came about so we can move on to other pressing matters.
Barry L. Wendell
City councilman
Morgantown
An open letter to Sen. Joe Manchin
I am proud — as you are — of the influential role which you have as a member of the Senate, known for your desire and ability to work across the aisle on behalf of your constituents.
I also hope that you will have the same desire and ability to work within your own party, whether within the Senate or the House of Representatives.
I know this will not be easy. There are important differences within the party — but differences are not reasons to abandon respect nor to abandon opportunities for constructive dialogue.
For instance, although you do not find “defunding” the police the best way to describe much-needed reforms of the nation’s policing system, that was little excuse for your rude response — “Defund my butt” — in discussing this important issue. Nor did it befit the dignity of your office — or your person — to refer to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as “the young lady” who “put the dagger stare on me,” admitting you knew nothing of her views nor her impressive record in the House.
Sen. Manchin, I believe that during the challenging years ahead, we need the strengths and perspectives of the positions for which you will be working. But I also look forward to everyone sharing ideas and striving to bring out the best in themselves and their colleagues — with humility, dignity, reflection and respect.
Judith Gold Stitzel
Morgantown
Life lesson learned on trip to San Francisco
My wife, Nancy, and I took a bus tour of the San Francisco area; we stopped at a beautiful overlook of the Pacific Ocean, the entrance to the bay, San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay and Oakland.
I watched a man with a handheld weight smash a car window and steal a purse. He then proceeded to another car and stole another purse.
Let this be a lesson to all of us. Never leave anything of value visible inside your vehicle.
Clarence Spicer
Morgantown
Congress need to get to work on COVID relief bill
Every single representative to Congress, senator and every federal employee will receive his or her paycheck.
Where is the help so desperately needed for almost everyone else?
Jerome Powell (no liberal Democrat he) Chair of the Federal Reserve was unequivocal when he said to Congress, “better to do too much than too little.”
Get on with it.
Honesty Buczek
Terra Alta
Conquering COVID-19 means working together
More and more people are becoming ill with COVID-19 and ending up in the hospital. My understanding is that so many more patients have been admitted that hospitals are now very close to being full; and the surge has not yet started. This would be the same surge that government and health officials warned us about and begged for Americans to stay home and not travel. Our family was so concerned that we canceled our family’s traditional dinner. But it does not appear our fellow Americans showed that same concern for the rest of us. Where was their concern for thy fellow man when they attended big gatherings, went to the pub or traveled? Was any concern shown for their fellow man by all whom refuse to wear a mask, or don’t social distance, or do not wash their hands thoroughly?
There appears to be a whole lot of people who could care less about you and me and our health and safety and are only concerned about themselves. Did they forget that it took a lot of people and a lot of cooperation to build this country? Look at the name — United States of America. There is no ‘ME’ in there anywhere, just an ‘US.’ So now that all these nonconformists have had their fun at our expense, the question is if the hospital becomes full and we have an emergency that necessitates hospitalization, where do we find a bed? What do they do if they need a bed and the hospital is full of all their friends?
Doesn’t a full hospital, with no place to take a loved one, upset you? I wonder about all the people who think COVID-19 is no big deal or who think they won’t get the virus. If this scenario has not played out yet, wait a couple weeks until the surge is in full bloom and see what the occupancy rate is. I certainly hope it is not me or one of my loved ones who needs a hospital bed then.
Tom Talerico
Morgantown
