Opinion

To the editor:Hello, my name is Brennan Harward, and I am doing a school assignment about Odysseus: son of Laertes and the character from ?The Odyssey.? Not only that, but it puts the aspects of any hero into perspective ... for instance, what makes one a hero? How does one become a hero? What does a hero do? These questions and more made me want to take a closer analysis of Homer?s character, Odysseus.So, just ...

To the Editor:I used to think not much would surprise me, but that has changed yet again.In the last few weeks, someone has gone to the city council to complain about a ticket for riding his bike on the wrong side of the street. Almost any third grader can tell you that you ride your bike on the right side of the street, and you obey all the same traffic laws as a car (stop signs, one way streets, etc.).Or, as ...

To the Editor:The latest announcement by the Postmaster General requires a little background. And by the way, neither the Postmaster General, nor anyone else, can unilaterally enforce a switch to five-day delivery without Congress?s approval.Prior to 2006, Congress had unfairly forced the Postal Service to pay for pensions earned by employees for their service in the military. This money should have been paid ...

To the editor:Congratulations to the Van Buren Players on their production of ?Chicago? last weekend. Such great local talent. Your hard work is greatly appreciated. ? Carolyn Louden, Fairfield

To the editor:On the weekend of Feb. 1, 2013, 200 cars were ticketed and towed off Fairfield city streets, netting the city $13,000 in revenues. They were in violation of a city ordinance that says cars parked in Fairfield city streets must move at least once over a 24-hour period, or be subject to fines, etc.The towed cars were snow-covered and many people left them innocently that way, choosing to walk, if ...

To the editor:In response to [?Large number of businesses cited in stings,? Wednesday, Feb. 6], I am not writing to discredit law enforcement for doing what they think they have to do or are forced to do by government mandated laws.I am writing to stand up for those that have to pay the price for inadequate policies, procedures, laws and fines mandated by our elected representatives.These ones that have to pay ...

To the editor:I recently visited your fine community for a short respite at the Raj. I arrived with a metal screeching sound in my car. It was Saturday evening, and I knew my chances might be slim to find someone to work on my car until Monday morning. I desperately called around and found just one mechanic to answer his phone. Keith Hyde with Fairfield Tire and Service was in working only because he was fixing ...

It?s early in the year, but we already know 2013 is going to be a banner year for our community. During the month of February we will begin to engage our citizens in becoming a certified Blue Zones Community. We also have 30,000 guests to prepare for when RAGBRAI riders and their support teams spend their last overnight in Fairfield on July 26.Since being announced in October as one of Iowa?s nine small communiti...

Some of you might have seen a byline from ?Andy Hallman? in the newspaper this week and wondered who that was. An explanation is in order.On Monday of this week I became the news editor at The Fairfield Ledger. I most recently worked as a reporter for our sister newspaper to the north, The Washington Evening Journal. I was at The Journal for more than three years, from October 2009 until just this past Friday.Al...

To the editor:I would like to thank Steve Burgmeier, Julie Johnston and Jeff Wilson for their years of service to the community. Each one of them has contributed their considerable time and talents over the years, reminding us just why we enjoy living in small town Iowa. I wish each one of them the best. ? David P. Miller, Fairfield

To the editor:Dear Gov. Branstad and lawmakers of Iowa,I am in dire need of a plant (cannabis) to stop the progression of my inherited medical condition. I have had this condition for the last 30 years. It is chronic progressive, meaning there is no cure and every day I get worse.Currently, I?m only paralyzed from the neck down. Eventually, in the not-too-distant future, I will lose my ability to swallow and ...

To the editor:Jan. 22, 2013, marked the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, that, along with the companion case of Doe v. Bolton, legalized the killing of unborn children throughout all nine months of pregnancy. We have lost 55 million Americans because of those decisions.I had heard there was a March for Life in Washington, D.C. every year on or around Jan. 22, where pro-life people ...