VOX POP

Editor's note: In our continuing effort to provide tourist information for the visitors who spend their precious gas money to come visit our beautiful lakes area and try to catch what few fish Walleye-What's-His-Name hasn't already caught (and released) (and bragged about), the Vox Pop Department of Hospitality, in cooperation with the Vox Pop Department of Public Safety and the Vox Pop Department of Civil Obedience, wishes to inform visitors that the starting line for Brainerd International Raceway is not Sixth and Buffalo Hills Lane. BIR is a few miles farther north on Highway 371.

Continue the sounding board

I cannot understand all the fuss about the unsigned letters in Vox Pop. We're entitled to our opinions but in a small-minded town we're not all ready to risk the venom of people who don't agree with us. I signed a letter regarding pro-choice to the Open Forum section and I received rude mail. I look forward to reading Vox. It's healthy to voice our disappointments, concerns and joys. I've heard people complain about the negativity that prevails. We live in stressful times. So, please, continue to give us a sounding board.

Get ducks in a row

Perhaps if the city would like people to follow their ordinances they should post them on their Web site. The grass, weed, debris ordinances currently read "rescinded" followed by new ordinance numbers that do not exist on the site. If it is not posted, is it really an enforceable ordinance? Maybe the city needs to get their ducks in a row before dropping the hammer on the citizens.

False belief

A recent Dispatch story claimed "Ticks are found in wooded and brushy areas." Bad info. Infected ticks are found throughout much of the Dispatch reading area. About the only place I wouldn't worry is in the most developed portions of town where lawns are tiny and most everything else is covered by pavement, concrete or a building. Many people and dogs get infected from ticks picked up in their own lawns and yards. Those people don't think they'll have a problem if they stay away from "woods and brushy areas" - just as the Dispatch promotes - but that's a false belief.

Headlights on!

Remember to turn on your headlights in a rainstorm. It's more convenient for people to see people with their headlights on.

Editor's note: The Vox Pop Department of Public Safety, now that it has just about conquered the turn signal problem, will turn to headlights next before its beautification subcommittee tackles the tall-grass problem.

Shame on us

Your last week's headline about the Reed's theft read "LF teacher arrested in Reed's thefts." You took the facts and made it into a lesson against public school teachers in general. Shame on you.

Vox Pop, voice of the people, publishes Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Submissions are limited to 100 words. To phone in a comment, call (218) 855-5888 and leave a message. To e-mail a comment, write to voxpop@brainerddispatch.com. Comments, which must meet the newspaper's standards of fairness and good taste, may be edited for clarity, length and libel.