Letters to the Editor: Humane Society offers thanks after Polar Bear Plunge
Humane Society offers thanks after Polar Bear Plunge
To the Editor:
Thanks to our incredible supporters, the Humane Society of Washington County’s 21st Annual Polar Bear Plunge was a record-breaking success! On Jan. 13, with winds up to 30 mph and a chilling temperature of just 25 degrees, more than 200 participants took the plunge in the Greenbrier State Park Lake to support animals in need.
We’re elated to announce that this year’s event raised more than $44,000 for the animals — our highest-grossing Polar Bear Plunge to date! We attribute this success to our courageous plungers, compassionate donors and remarkably generous corporate sponsors. Thank you to our top event sponsors: Mountain View Animal Emergency, 92.1 The Goat, 101.5 Bob Rocks!, 104.7 WAYZ, 100.9 The Line, New Direction Utilities Inc., R. Bruce Carson Jewelers, F&M Trust and Younger Toyota.
A special thanks to Ranger Daniel Lewis and the staff at Greenbrier State Park, Bill Dennis and his traffic controllers, Chris Lombardi and Blue Marble Divers, and Boonsboro Ambulance & Rescue Service for ensuring the safety of all Polar Bear Plunge participants.
All funds raised through the Polar Bear Plunge directly benefit the thousands of animals that come to HSWC each year. These critical funds ensure that HSWC can continue to provide high-quality care for the animals at our shelter while offering a variety of programs and services that benefit all pets in Washington County.
We are exceedingly thankful for the community’s dedicated support of the shelter and the animals in our care.
Alaina Conaway, Events and Corporate Partnership Coordinator
Humane Society of Washington County (HSWC)
Operation Christmas Child drive a success in Hagerstown
To the editor:
Generosity throughout Hagerstown contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected 10 million shoebox gifts in 2023. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2023, the ministry is now sending over 11.3 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide, including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster.
Through shoeboxes — packed with fun toys, school supplies and personal care items — Hagerstown area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Across Maryland, shoebox packers often shop for deals on shoebox items throughout the year, and many serve at a deeper level by becoming a year-round volunteer. Information about ways area participants can get involved year-round also can be found at samaritanspurse.org/occ or by calling 410-772-7360.
Although local drop‑off locations for shoebox gifts are closed until Nov. 18-25, 2024, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline.
These simple gifts, packed with love, send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.
Dolores Brown
Samaritan's Purse Marketing Coordinator, Operation Christmas Child
Boone, N.C.
Trump has no intention of suspending constitution
To the editor:
I take offense to this comment by Tim Roland when he stated that as the front-running GOP presidential candidate speaks of suspending the Constitution, anointing himself dictator for a day and cheerfully describes why the laws don’t apply to him, democracy, as it’s structured now, seems to be in peril.
Trump has no intention of suspending the Constitution. Trump made a joke about being a dictator for one day and the Democrats have to go to a whole new level of taking his joke seriously. Our country is in peril now with Biden running the country and breaking the law everyday with illegal immigrants coming into this country. The DOJ is crooked and there are a different set of laws for Democrats and Republicans. Our democracy has been in peril the day Biden became a lame president and he is an embarrassment to the world.
Martha Sullivan
Hagerstown
If police are not obligated to protect us, we must protect ourselves
To the editor:
Patricia Taylor’s Jan 28 letter to the editor is misleading and disingenuous. The “376 good guys with guns” who failed the children and citizens of Uvalde, Texas were all law enforcement. There were numerous parents who wanted to go in and save those kids but they were blocked from doing so by law enforcement.
The sad fact is that the police are under no obligation to protect you, or even to respond to your call for help. Read up on Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d 1, D.C. Ct. of Ap. 1981 if you want to see yet another sad example of police failing to protect citizens. Long story short, two men raped and beat three adult women at knife point over a period of more than 14 hours despite repeated calls to police.
The three women sued the District of Columbia based on numerous failures of the police department, but they lost. The Supreme Court of the United States explained that it is a fundamental principle of American law that a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any individual citizen.
So, if the police are not obligated to protect us (and very often fail to do so), who is? The answer is we are obligated to protect ourselves, and many thousands of Americans do so every year using a gun, thanks to our Second Amendment rights.
Steve Bell
Martinsburg, W.Va.
Tenderfoot Scout writes about why he likes county parks
To the editor:
My name is Mason Bryce Henry and I am a Tenderfoot Scout at Troop 66 which meets at FirstChristian Church in Hagerstown. I am writing this letter in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Communications Merit Badge.
I enjoy the parks in Washington County, such as City Park, Fairground Park and the Washington County Regional Park. My favorite things in City Park are the different playgrounds and the duck ponds. I recently toured the Jonathan Hager House and learned about the beginnings of Hagerstown. The dog park and skate park at Fairgrounds Park are a lot of fun.
I've spent countless hours at Halfway Park, bike riding on the trail, swimming at the pool, playing footballand baseball there as well. Washington County Regional Park has a massive hill that is one of the bestspots for sledding. I also enjoy the large field and playground there, and I am looking forward to usingthe new basketball court there.
Washington County has so many great parks, these are just a few of my favorites.
Mason B. Henry
Hagerstown
Biden has failed America on illegal immigration
To the editor:
On the first day that Biden was installed as president, he said that not one more dollar of taxpayer money would be spent on the wall.
In his first 100 days in office, Biden signed more than 60 executive actions, 24 of which were direct reversals of Trump’s policies, some of which were to reverse Trump's immigration policies.
Biden has already spent billions of taxpayer's money on illegal immigrants to house them, feed them, educate them, clothe them, process them, give them medical care, then sued Texas because Texas is enforcing immigration laws that Biden refuses to enforce.
When asked what he would do to secure the border, he said that he did all that he can do unless he got more money from Congress. More money isn't going to fix the southern border illegal immigrant invasion, enforcing the immigration laws will do that.
I, being a legal immigrant, am not against immigration only against illegal immigration. This president cares more for illegal immigrants than he cares about Americans and veterans.
Mike Hébert
Hagerstown
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Herald-Mail letters to the editor, Feb. 4, 2024
