Letters, 10/15: Protect Spring Creek Prairie
I hope county commissioners choose to close the minimum maintenance dirt road that currently divides the eastern edge of Spring Creek Prairie. While I understand the concerns about road access for fire control, I feel the county would be making a big mistake by not taking this opportunity to protect and enhance the valuable resource that is Spring Creek Prairie.
I am a lifelong Lincoln resident and feel that Spring Creek is one of the truly special places in Lancaster County. The prairie is an incredible asset made possible by the combined efforts of thousands of community members who have donated their time, money and support to protect and enhance a place they truly care about. Spring Creek offers a refuge for native birds, plants, insects and mammals, as well as a peaceful and beautiful place for people to spend time with their friends and families.
Only 2 percent of America’s tallgrass prairie remains today, and many grassland species are rapidly declining because of the loss and fragmentation of their prairie habitat. The city of Lincoln and Lancaster County have hundreds of miles of dirt roads to develop, but there is only one Spring Creek Prairie.
The decision seems clear: Our county can choose a tiny stretch of dirt road that has produced nothing of note except vandalism, littering and drunken driving and is used only a handful of times each year. Or we can choose to protect and enhance Spring Creek, a place that is visited by thousands of people each year and valued by everyone who thinks it is important to maintain the wildlife and landscape that make Southeast Nebraska unique.
The County Board has a chance to protect North America’s rarest ecosystem and enhance one of the truly special places in Lancaster Country. I hope commissioners make the right choice.
Brent Schmoker, Lincoln
Tim Clare for regent
I had the opportunity to hear Tim Clare speak about his campaign for the NU Board of Regents, and it was so refreshing that at least one of the candidates running in this race is about more than one issue. Clare addressed issues such as the quality and cost of education, retaining young people in Nebraska, campus safety, economic development — the issues our families really care about.
It’s important that our elected officials can address the broad range of issues to represent us. Clare’s vision of the role of the new Innovation Campus toward development of alternative energy with Nebraska resources will make both the university and Nebraska a leader in this field, creating many business and job opportunities.
Barb Haith, Lincoln
Time for closed captioning
In 1990, a federal law was passed guaranteeing equal rights to people with disabilities. But many people in government, especially locally, do not do closed captioning on TV for the deaf and severely hard of hearing. The Lincoln City Council says it has no money for doing closed captioning of meetings. I feel like a second-class person!
Now it is time for local and national elections. Again I am lost as to what each candidate is saying that helps me know who the best candidate is to represent me, because many candidates do not use closed captioning in their commercials.
The deaf and many hard of hearing must pick candidates on physical looks and actions and not ideas. This is really not a democracy or fair. Is money more important than helping all citizens become aware and educated? It makes me sad if I don’t know what the City Council or candidates for other offices are planning, but hearing people do.
Christine A. Huenink, Lincoln
I am a lifelong Lincoln resident and feel that Spring Creek is one of the truly special places in Lancaster County. The prairie is an incredible asset made possible by the combined efforts of thousands of community members who have donated their time, money and support to protect and enhance a place they truly care about. Spring Creek offers a refuge for native birds, plants, insects and mammals, as well as a peaceful and beautiful place for people to spend time with their friends and families.
Only 2 percent of America’s tallgrass prairie remains today, and many grassland species are rapidly declining because of the loss and fragmentation of their prairie habitat. The city of Lincoln and Lancaster County have hundreds of miles of dirt roads to develop, but there is only one Spring Creek Prairie.
The decision seems clear: Our county can choose a tiny stretch of dirt road that has produced nothing of note except vandalism, littering and drunken driving and is used only a handful of times each year. Or we can choose to protect and enhance Spring Creek, a place that is visited by thousands of people each year and valued by everyone who thinks it is important to maintain the wildlife and landscape that make Southeast Nebraska unique.
The County Board has a chance to protect North America’s rarest ecosystem and enhance one of the truly special places in Lancaster Country. I hope commissioners make the right choice.
Brent Schmoker, Lincoln
Tim Clare for regent
I had the opportunity to hear Tim Clare speak about his campaign for the NU Board of Regents, and it was so refreshing that at least one of the candidates running in this race is about more than one issue. Clare addressed issues such as the quality and cost of education, retaining young people in Nebraska, campus safety, economic development — the issues our families really care about.
It’s important that our elected officials can address the broad range of issues to represent us. Clare’s vision of the role of the new Innovation Campus toward development of alternative energy with Nebraska resources will make both the university and Nebraska a leader in this field, creating many business and job opportunities.
Barb Haith, Lincoln
Time for closed captioning
In 1990, a federal law was passed guaranteeing equal rights to people with disabilities. But many people in government, especially locally, do not do closed captioning on TV for the deaf and severely hard of hearing. The Lincoln City Council says it has no money for doing closed captioning of meetings. I feel like a second-class person!
Now it is time for local and national elections. Again I am lost as to what each candidate is saying that helps me know who the best candidate is to represent me, because many candidates do not use closed captioning in their commercials.
The deaf and many hard of hearing must pick candidates on physical looks and actions and not ideas. This is really not a democracy or fair. Is money more important than helping all citizens become aware and educated? It makes me sad if I don’t know what the City Council or candidates for other offices are planning, but hearing people do.
Christine A. Huenink, Lincoln
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