GLASGOW — Dear Editor,

About 1 1/2 years ago, I walked into the animal shelter, known as BRAWA, located on Trojan Trail in Glasgow and asked if I could talk to whoever was in charge of the facility. I was introduced to Margie Patton. I then asked if I could be of some service in increasing the size of the facility to a “no kill” establishment.

How little I knew about what is needed. With the concerted efforts of all of the donors, volunteers and the dedication of Judge Phil Patton and his super dedicated wife, Margie Patton, we have successfully completed more than doubling the size of the animal shelter. We have added more than 5,400 square feet to the existing 4,000 plus square feet of existing building while completely remodeling the existing structure. This was all accomplished while keeping the facility open to the public, a feat unto itself.

Not only was the new building and remodeling of the existing building accomplished, the parking lot was tripled and the overall drainage areas were enhanced, plus new 35-year roofing was installed over the whole facility.

I am 95 years old and have been in the design, construction and real estate development business for over 70 years. I have designed, constructed and owned golf courses and major shopping centers, thousands of houses and apartment projects and many military facilities, including work for the Atomic Energy Commission, but this is the first animal shelter facility that I have been associated with.

All construction and/or development projects have to have a leader or “decision maker.” That job fell to Margie Patton and she can be very proud of her accomplishment, as she now has learned a lot about the building business. The rest of us have learned a lot about animal shelters.

Not many of us get to see our legacy while we are alive. I am one of the lucky ones. Again, I want to thank my wife, Kaye, my sons, Randy and Harry, grandkids, Chris and David, for their help and support, and I don’t want to forget my brother, Chuck, who sent some seed money, but most of all, none of us could have accomplished the finished product without all of the donors, volunteers, and especially the selfless dedication of Phil and Margie Patton.

Thanks for the great learning experience.

Hal Heers

Glasgow

Beautiful city made better by passage of smoke-free ordinance

Dear Editor,

I am thrilled about the new smoke-free ordinance in Glasgow! This beautiful city is the only one in this part of the state with a comprehensive ordinance of this kind, illustrating both the progressiveness of our citizens and the commitment to public health and welfare of our leaders.

This ordinance will forever change the health and well-being of every man, woman and child who lives, works or plays in Glasgow for the better. We have known for a number of years that second-hand smoke is lethal. More recently, we have seen heart attack rates drop drastically in community after community where these laws have been enacted. Children and teens are less likely to start using tobacco in smoke-free communities, and adults are more likely to stop smoking.

All people can safely enter and do business in every workplace without being concerned about an asthma or allergy attack. All workers are guaranteed clean air in their workplace; no longer do people with medical conditions have to choose between their health and their jobs.

While I live outside of Glasgow, I go to church, eat out, swim in the city pool and shop here. It is a pleasure to have this wonderful city so close to my home.

Sincerely,

Joyce Adkins

Smiths Grove



Writer supports Phyllis Schlafly’s view

Dear Editor,

This is in regard to the publication of issues of Phyllis Schlafly (syndicated columnist) on July 8, about America’s great religious document and The Declaration of Independence.

It was a blessing to read this in the Glasgow Daily Times, to know others are speaking out on such important issues.

I, for one, want to stand up and be counted and agree with these issues while we have the freedom to speak out and to know we have this freedom because of our great men and women who have fought and gave their life and keeping our freedom.

May God bless America!

Dorine Reece

Knob Lick

Editor’s Note: The whole of the column to which Dorine Reece refers is printed below.

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Tea Parties and other spontaneous groups of activists are bringing a new appreciation of the U.S. Constitution to grassroots America, so this Fourth of July was a good occasion to make sure that they also appreciate our other essential founding document, the Declaration of Independence. I urged everyone to find a copy on the Internet (non-computer-capable old-timers can look for an old world almanac on their bookshelves) and to celebrate the holiday by reading the great declaration.

The Declaration of Independence is the official and unequivocal recognition by the American people of our belief and faith in God. It affirms God’s existence as a “self-evident” truth that requires no further discussion, debate or litigation.

The nation created by the great declaration is God’s country. The rights it defines are God-given. The actions of its signers are God-inspired.

The Declaration of Independence contains five references to God: God as Creator of all men, God as supreme Lawmaker, God as the Source of all rights, God as the world’s supreme Judge, and God as our Patron and Protector. The declaration declares that each of us was created — so if we were created, we must have had a Creator and, as the modern discovery of DNA confirms, each of God’s creatures is different from every other person who has ever lived or ever will live on this earth.

The declaration proclaims that life and liberty are the unalienable gifts of God, natural rights, which no person or government can rightfully take away. It affirms that the purpose of government is to secure our God-given unalienable individual rights.

For the first time in history, our declaration reduced government from master to servant. Government was proclaimed to derive its powers only from the consent of the governed.

Knowledge of our Declaration of Independence should be required of all schoolchildren. They should also be taught that many of the 56 men who signed it then paid for their courage with their lives and fortunes, and that’s why we are able to enjoy our freedom and independence today.

It is dishonest for schools to ignore our nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage. It is historical fact that our Founding Fathers were men of faith who took their Christian religion seriously, were well-schooled in the Bible, and believed that religion and morality are the foundation of good government.

Fortunately, the declaration is not subject to amendment or to whims and biases of supremacist judges who may claim it is a “living” Declaration that can be reinterpreted. It’s important for Americans to be on guard against those who don’t like our Declaration of Independence or are in denial about what it says.

The message of the Declaration of Independence is under attack from the ACLU and atheists because it refuted the lie about a constitutional mandate for “separation of church and state.” Atheists have filed numerous lawsuits in the courts of activist judges to try to eliminate our right to acknowledge God in public places, in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and in Ten Commandments monuments.

The atheists are trying to change American history, expunge all reference to religion from textbooks and make us a completely secular nation. History proves America was founded by religious men who believed that a divine Creator is basic to good government.

We get the impression that President Obama is embarrassed not only about references to God, but also by the concept of independence, which asserts our national sovereignty. He’s more comfortable bowing to foreign dictators, declaring himself a “citizen of the world” and pledging to “rejoin the world community,” as he did when speaking to cheering German socialists.

The globalists and international extremists really don’t like our Declaration of Independence. A couple of years ago, then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown came to Harvard to lecture us to ditch our Declaration of Independence and replace it with a “Declaration of Interdependence” and a “New World Order.”

Brown’s speech was a classic of impudence and globalist propaganda, using the word interdependence 13 times, globalization seven times and global 69 times. Brave Americans rejected Britain’s royalists in 1776, and we don’t want to reinstate any globalist supervision from Britain, the United Nations or any U.N. treaties.

Brown also peddled the politically correct line that all religions (Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists) have “common values” and “similar ideals.” They certainly do not, as a rereading of our Declaration of Independence makes clear.

One of the legacies of the late Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V., is a federal law that requires all educational institutions receiving federal finds to teach something about the Constitution on Constitution Day, Sept. 17. In the absence of any law about the Fourth of July, it’s up to each of us to observe this important 234th anniversary.

Phyllis Schlafly is a lawyer, conservative political analyst and the author of the newly revised and expanded “Supremacists.” She can be contacted by e-mail at phyllis@eagleforum.org.