Expensive decisions

Editor, Smithfield Times
I hope our local government officials paid attention to the numbers in your article regarding the number of school students per housing unit for each of the various types of housing units.
Single-Family Home: 0.368 students
Town Home: 0.230 students
Mobile Home: 0.363 students
Apartment: 0.388 students
I often see complaints in the letters to the editor section of this paper regarding local government spending on projects that a letter writer considers unworthy, but the most expensive spending decisions our elected officials make is the approval of the construction of housing units that won’t bring enough tax revenue to cover the cost of services for the residents.
Greg Vassilakos
Smithfield

Events good for Windsor

To the Editor:
I am very disturbed by the recent news articles concerning the closing of Church Street for the Windsor High School 5K run and the controversy that closing Church Street has caused.
When Town Council members talk about moving the venue of the school’s 5K, they need to consider all other events that close Duke and/or Church Streets: the July 4th celebration, the Woman’s Club 5K, the school’s homecoming parade and the Christmas parade. Council members cannot make one event the scapegoat when all the other events require street closings also.
There are not many activities that draw people to spend time in Windsor, and the above-mentioned events bring visitors and locals together, so how would our town look if all the events are shut down? That would put a dark blotch on our image and our history. Written notification, mailed to the affected town residents, with notices posted in the post office and local library should be sufficient and will give residents ample time to make plans and appointments accordingly.
I have lived on the corner of Duke and Church Streets for 49 years, and there have been many, many street closings during this time. There has been only once that I have not been able to access my residence during an event, and that was due to my poor planning during one July 4th celebration.
Lorene Johnson
Windsor

Give turtles a break, please

Editor, Smithfield Times
We had a graduation of sorts last week here at Scotland Wharf. After a 28-day process, three young bluebirds left the nest that had been so carefully constructed for them and are now functioning members of society.
It’s all so commonplace to us until we reflect on the miracle of life in that whole instinctive process.
Two weeks as an egg, then two more weeks being fed by their two parents pretty much constantly until enough feathers grow to enable flight and freedom.
Another common creature around greater Surry has not been so fortunate — the turtles. The recent rains have flushed them from concealment in their woodland homes and onto various highways. I have observed many, many more than usual “smooshed” on the road by inattentive drivers.
Turtles aren’t very tall or very fast on their four bowlegs. Consequently, they can’t see much and they are painfully slow. Dragging that shell around doesn’t help matters much either. While driving, let’s cut them some slack. What do you say?
John Smith
Surry