Opinion

To the editor:I feel that not having a train whistle warning is a bad idea and we need to have them back.This week I had a close call with a train. I was approaching the crossing on Fourth Street at a very low rate of speed with a semi. Just about the time the front of the semi reached the area of the crossing arms, the lights and signals came on. Luckily, I got stopped in time, or when the warning arm came ...

To the editor:Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, spoke a week ago at a celebration honoring outgoing Sen. Tom Harkin, who served 40 years in the Congress and Senate.President Clinton said Tom Harkin showed us that politics can be a noble profession, and people who disagree can get together, work together and find common ground.Bill Clinton continued: No matter what we disagree on, we have ...

To the editor:The proposed Heartland Co-op grain elevator, at the location they?ve chosen for it on Nutmeg Avenue, is not a good fit for Fairfield. Many people who spoke at Monday?s supervisors meeting detailed the mounting concerns that neighbors and local citizens have about this industrial operation?s negative impacts. These include fire and explosion hazards, health problems caused by the volume of dust ...

To the editor:Our children deserve a chance at a bright future and it begins with creating a community that invests in their safety and wellbeing.This April, Jefferson County is participating in National Child Abuse Prevention Month to increase awareness that child abuse is preventable and that we all play a part in promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of children and families in our community.Community...

To the editor:The April 21, 2014 meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors was an embarrassment to the democratic process. The primary focus of this meeting was to consider tax relief for a monstrous construction project east of the Fairfield City limits.After a token gesture of listening to public comments, the supervisors completely discounted the expression of overwhelming opposition to a construct...

To the editor:I really don?t understand. Nowhere have there been any comments or responses to counter the claims that have been made as to why Heartland should not build the grain elevator so close to town. There have been no discussions about working out a plan for them to build but somewhere else.The supervisors (to date) have not acknowledged nor addressed any of these concerns. And therefore, at this time ...

To the editor:The American farmer is the immortal champion. We all depend on the farmer for our food life, perhaps more than we depend on anyone else in life. The American farmer is the most intelligent, strong, virtuous and dedicated hero. He knows the land, the weather, and the forces of nature, and applies his genius to miraculously create food and defeat all the interfering negative forces. He may have to ...

To the editor:I am very opposed to the proposed Heartland Project because it will be toxic to our community, creating ill health, loss of jobs, and loss of property value. Our town and community will decline in every way.It is too close to a town or populated area. ? Pam Emmer, Fairfield

To the editor:How often does a town like Fairfield have a four lane highway bypass its city limits creating the possibility of new development at three different entry points?Given the unique opportunity this has presented, it makes sense to seriously consider the effect of the placement of Heartland Grain at the eastern corridor of our city. Yes, this would be a form of economic development, but with only a ...

To the editor:As a local business and agricultural organization the Jefferson County Farm Bureau would like to express our strong support for the Heartland Co-op project for Jefferson County.We feel this project is a benefit to Jefferson County, Fairfield and agriculture. Agriculture is the foundation of Iowa?s economy and we support this project because it is a way to service the agricultural community while ...

To the editor:Neighbors who want to live in harmony talk to each other when they're planning something that might be a problem for their neighbor. They discuss the situation, and look for a win-win solution that makes everyone happy. This is common decency. Heartland Co-op's attitude and tactics show a flagrant disrespect for their neighbors and the citizens of Fairfield.The reason Heartland has chosen to be ...

To the editor:As a Jefferson County property owner and taxpayer, I am writing today to voice my concerns about the county government's involvement, particularly in the form of Tax Increment Financing, in the proposed Heartland grain elevator project. I am extremely concerned about a number of issues and do not feel there has been enough disclosure on the part of Heartland Co-op as to the scope and true cost of ...