ballad to a biker’s buddy: 17,006 miles, 10 states, 3years 4 months.
froggie would a riding go, um hum. froggie would a riding go, wheth’r he ever meant or no, um hum
while hopping once across the street um hum a roaring biker he did meet ended ’neath the driver’s seat um hum
his life was gone, he stuck there fast um hum his spirit saw the world flash past he said this ride has gotta last, um hum
he’s riding still, his leathery pelt um hum nor rain nor snow can ever melt he clocks the miles beneath his belt um hum
all froggies in the heavenly swamp um hum croak come and join us don’t you want but froggie says just one more jaunt um hum
© 2010 Jacqueline Jackson
LETTERS
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GLASS RECYCLING In response to Mary Perkinton’s recent letter questioning glass collection in Springfield, allow me to offer a few thoughts. It is very easy to recycle glass in Springfield. Glass bottles and jars that contained food or drink, of any color: clear, brown, green or blue, are accepted in the regular citywide curbside recycling program by three of the four residential waste haulers.
This service is available at no charge to anyone living in a single family or duplex home that has paid garbage service. People who live in apartments, town houses and mobile homes can have curbside recycling if property owners or managers arrange for this with a waste hauling company. The city also sponsors periodic special glass collections such as the one recently held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. I am sure that everyone will agree that it takes all of us to pitch in and keep our community green by recycling paper, plastic and glass, so that we can reduce the amount of trash sent to the landfill. Wynne Coplea Manager, Waste & Recycling City of Springfield
Editor’s note: Lake Area Disposal tells IT that it does not take colored glass for recycling, only clear glass, because there is no market for colored glass and the company would lose money by accepting it.
LYING LIVES It is so very sad that so many children are being abused by anyone, let alone someone who is related to them [see “Former Springfield firefighter sexually abused granddaughter,” by Patrick Yeagle, Oct.
7]. I can’t believe how many sick people are running around, free, living their lying lives. I am glad that the justice system is catching up with them and sending them away. I cannot imagine how horrific it is for the victims. Peace to them. Julie Becker Springfield
STENCH There are troubling occurrences across the state. There’s a 10-mile fish kill still under investigation near the Stone Ridge mega-dairy in McLean County. The attorney general’s office is investigating a purple discharge from the mega-dairy in Jo Daviess County. That mega-dairy has stated that they don’t recognize the USEPA’s authority to enforce the Clean Water Act.
Against this backdrop of noncompliance and polluted waterways, the USEPA continues to investigate the IEPA’s dismal enforcement and permitting record in regard to large industrial livestock operations.
As citizens of Illinois, we have a constitutional right to a healthful environment. When industrial agriculture is not regulated, we lose that right – and our valuable and beautiful water ways – for us and for our children. It is wrong for an enforcement agency to allow noncompliance. It is time for the IEPA to properly enforce the Clean Water Act, even against industrial livestock operations. Anything less has the stench of corruption. Ken Turner Warren
SUBTRACT ADDITIVES The Food and Drug Administration is not doing its job of protecting me and my fellow citizens. We have the greatest number of additives in our food and drugs of all of the countries in the world! Recently three new additives were added to the list. But Europe, already having a considerably smaller list than we, reduced its list by three.
Our children are greatly affected by additives. We have ADHD, autism, allergies and a host of other problems as a result. Think of the problems of the schools and of parents, and of the financial problems arising from the effects of additives. Will we ever learn to correct this situation? Fred J. Dietz, Sr. Springfield
