Fencing requires no-right-turn rule

So, for those of you out there that like to gripe about something, especially city politics such as this, bring on the negative comments about the price of the tickets you get for breaking the law when clearly there is a posted sign.

JOSEPHINE VOLLMER

Rapid City

Don't push your religious values on meLuke Baker wrote on June 4 that he would pray for me and Bill Maher regarding my Falwell comments. That's nice, and I'm sure you're a good person, Luke, but I doubt anyone's listening.

If you imagine that God exists and believe in demons and angels, virgin birth, the Noah's ark fable, Adam and Eve, walking on water, rising from the dead and all the other nonsense in the Bible, as most fundamentalists do, and that makes you happy, great!

I just don't want mythology taught in public schools as fact. Many Christians are good people despite their incomprehensible denial of scientific facts. The best, most intelligent, educated people I've known and read are atheists. They and I don't need a fictional afterlife to be good to their fellowmen or other animals; it's simply the best way to live. I don't spew out hate, nor do scientists, but many "Christians," "Muslims," etc. do. Kick that around with your pastor if he has enough intellect to ponder anything.

TERRY PAINTER

Rapid City

Landowners will suffer from ferrets' returnIn a recent letter to the editor of the Hot Springs Star, Bob Hodorff strongly supported the black-footed ferret introduction in Wind Cave National Park. If anyone believes, as Hodorff states, that adjacent landowners will not be affected, a visit to the Conata Basin area adjacent to Badlands National Park certainly refutes his statement.

Hodorff's livelihood as a federal employee is not dependent on private lands adjacent to the park. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has, prior to this proposed introduction, stated that a self-sustaining population of ferrets requires more habitat than is available in Wind Cave National Park. The logical conclusion is private landowners will suffer because the Endangered Species Act has not proven to be private property rights friendly.

Until the adjoining landowners (private and state) are given written assurance from the federal government that their interests will be protected and they will not have the economic burden of repercussions of the introduction, the program should not go forward. The Fall River and Custer County Commissions (apparently the "politicians" Hodorff refers to) are trying to protect the taxpayers of their counties, as is their duty.

JOE LOGUE

Oelrichs

Girls on the Run helps girls grow upGirls on the Run is a character development program for girls in third-eighth grade that combines life-skill lessons with training for a 5K walk or run in a creative, interactive and incredibly fun way.

The program provides the necessary tools for girls to manage the tough times of adolescence so they are better prepared to live contented and full lives as the wonderful adult women they will become.

Thank you Ruth Milne for the great story about Girls on the Run of Pennington County. We appreciated your coverage and attendance at our race. We would also like to thank all of our sponsors for this race: YMCA, Mystique Edge Salon and Spa, The Yoga Studio, Black Hills Runners Club, Leading Ladies Marathon, Deadwood Mickelson Marathon, Summit Signs, BPO Does Drove No. 33, Jarrit Carlson (Kelloggs), Doc Savage, Dr Lycia Scott, Family Thrift and Black Hills Bagels. Thanks to the community for your support. See you next year! You have all made a difference for the girls of Pennington County.

MICHELE DELZER, DONNA SAVAGE, NICOLE CRAIG, MOLLY RAUSCH, EMILY WHEELER

GOTR of Pennington County

Kooiker gets our votes for being positiveUp until two days before the election, my wife and I were undecided on who to vote for in the mayoral race in Rapid City. When we found the full-page ad on June 3 in the Rapid City Journal, Page F7, we made up our minds that somebody is really afraid of Sam Kooiker and his clean campaigning, that they had to try to smudge his reputation.

I personally called Sam a couple days before and let him tell me about his qualifications and how he would run the office of mayor.

He never said one negative word against any other candidate and gave me his qualifications. I again called Sam after seeing the full page smear ad and said he has our two votes.

We believe his lack of having "big names and corporations" in his back pocket will allow him to administer the mayor's office in the way it should be. We, as South Dakota residents, are tired of negative political campaigning. Let that be a lesson to all running for any political office. Elect Sam Kooiker for mayor on June 26.

JOHN and SUE HEBRARD

Rapid City

Central High school prank not jail worthyI know one of the boys arrested, have known him for many years as my next door neighbor. Jesse Antes is a kind and decent kid. Adventurous? Yes. A bit of a prankster? Probably. Malicious? No. If, in fact, he was involved in the locker fires, it was a stupid mistake.

How many of us had serious errors in judgment when we were 18? We are living in a time, after Columbine, when for political reasons, our elected prosecutorial branch can grossly overreach. If Jesse and his friends did this, they need to give back to the community, show genuine contrition and follow whatever a rational judge prescribes. They don't deserve jail time. They should not have a felony on their record.

KEVIN STUART

Rapid City

Preserve our prairies, don't destroy themIt's unconscionable that the U.S. Forest Service is poisoning South Dakota's wildlife. Prairie dogs, ferrets and swift fox are part of our natural heritage. I for one am proud of our prairies and want them conserved, not destroyed (a state-funded survey shows that most South Dakotans also want to conserve, not eliminate, prairie ecosystems). Furthermore, research has shown that poisoning prairie dogs is an economic loser so why is the government wasting our money? (It would be cheaper to buy the ranchers out!)

Some of the pro-poison people suggest that all conservationists are from out of state. Wrong! I live in Rapid and own a small tract in the Conata Basin. I don't want poison near my land. I want my land to be part of a healthy ecosystem where I can take my kids. What's really frustrating is that it's just a few loud ranchers and public officials instigating this (apologies to the open-minded ranchers who recognized that these are public lands).

I've personally met numerous people who came to South Dakota to experience our fantastic prairies. These people bring valuable dollars to our state. We should be encouraging tourism by promoting our natural resources, not poisoning them.

DANIEL LICHT

Rapid City

Use of word 'Indian' not meant offensiveIn today's Journal, I would like to agree with Aaron Hartje's letter (June 3) in that I do not feel The Journal's article of May 19, regarding the new principal at Central, was in any way meant to be hurtful or degrading simply because it used the word "Indian" in the title of the article.

Some people see the glass as "half empty," and others see the glass as "half full." I for one see it as half full and that we in Rapid City, including the Journal, are very proud of the fact that Talley is the first "Native American," or "Indian," to be the head leader at Central High.

Having been born and raised in Rapid, as well as living here my entire life, there definitely has been racism and prejudice on the part of our citizens regarding our "Native American" population. When growing up, I personally had friends that were not insulted because we referred to them as "Indians." As a matter of fact, the ones I knew were proud to be called an "Indian."

The headline in the Journal, I believe, was a compliment to our "Native American" people.

VIRGINIA TUSCHER

Rapid City

Thank you, voters of Ward 2, for supportI want to sincerely thank all of the good people of Ward 2 for their thoughts, prayers and votes. It was a wonderful, learning experience running for this city council seat. Additionally, I want to thank all of the volunteers and my family members, who helped me during this election.

STEVE LAURENTI

Rapid City

So with all the comments on the No Left Turn where everyone is now aware of, how many people will bring up the issue of no right on red on Mount Rushmore Road at the new Walgreens? We make right turns on red at any intersection that we stop at. Why now is there only one no-right in almost the whole town? I believe that it is because of the fancy fencing around the new Walgreens that hides oncoming traffic.