I wish to recognize and thank Rick VanLandingham for his 30-year effort of passion, energy, and perseverance regarding saving the Manhattan Marsh/Buckeye Basin Greenbelt area, or what’s left of it, from becoming a dump and then being paved over with yet another road (“Activist, Metroparks clash over newest site,” Oct. 23).
I lived across the street from the Manhattan Marsh and enjoyed a childhood few are able to experience today, including tree forts to Tarzan swings, bonfires, biking and hiking trails, BB guns and slingshots, and catching snakes, frogs, and salamanders galore. Late autumn brought muskrat trapping, and three months of ice in the winter meant ice skating and hockey every day. All of the neighborhood children enjoyed this.
Mr. VanLandingham’s energy for clearing brush and building an observation deck is appreciated and the possible legal action against him is very unfortunate. Obviously, the wheels of government action turn much slower than his desires.
Winter is upon us soon, allowing ample time for all involved to simmer down and construct a workable plan to begin in spring, 2020. I’d like to know if I could participate.
Perhaps a well-deserved goodwill gesture by Metroparks Toledo would be to still include Mr. VanLandingham in the Metropark construction. Also, I am in favor of naming a trail or entrance or both in his honor. He deserves it.
MATTHEW GOLKIEWICZ
Petersburg, Mich.
Control oil use
In reply to “Farms need oil,” Oct. 31, Democratic presidential candidates are promising they are going to try to limit our reliance on fossil fuels, not completely eliminate them.
The human race has progressed immensely because of our ability to harvest and utilize oil and manufacture fuels, plastics, fertilizers, etc. from it. However, renewable sources of energy are necessary for human life to continue and for us to thrive.
We need to find alternatives, and at least these folks realize that we had better wake up and take seriously the real threat posed by continued complete reliance on petroleum products.
In 1900, approximately 5,000 vehicles — cars, trucks, etc. — existed in the entire world. Today there are approximately 1.2 billion vehicles.
Each car on average emits 6 tons of carbon dioxide per year. That equates to 7.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere each year. And that does not include houses, power plants, factories, etc.
The amount of energy consumed by modern human society is staggering. We need to find and utilize as many clean sources of energy as possible.
These so-called plans have a very important place in today’s considerations.
JOHN CAMPBELL
South Toledo
Docs not paid
Medicare for all sounds great until you understand how the government works.
For instance, Medicare only pays somewhere between 20 percent to 50 percent of what a doctor charges. Right now this only applies to those 65 and over.
So if the rest of the doctor’s patients only pay him 20 to 50 percent, how long will that doctor stay in business? We all know how the government treats teachers both in pay and workload. Do you really want your doctor to be treated the same way?
JACK LIPSZYK
Sylvania
First Published November 6, 2019, 5:00 a.m.
