Letters to the Editor published in the March 17, 2021 issue of the Tomahawk Leader.
Vote ‘yes’ on referendum to keep our future secure
April 6 is a pivotal day for our school community!
It is an opportunity for us to provide the funding our state legislators have failed to provide our district to maintain adequate educational opportunity for our young people and to maintain our school buildings in an operational state. Not only does this referendum benefit the students, but more so, all of us.
The individuals who attended our school district and those now in attendance, have and will provide us, the adult population, young, old, and infirm, the services we need to live here. Pharmacy services, medical care, ambulance services, nursing home care, cosmetology services, mechanics, electricians, plumbing and heating and air conditioning, recreation and entertainment, food services, convenience and grocery stores and employees, hardware supplies and services, legal and accounting services, public safety and works, and so many, many more. Without our graduates, we’d be hard pressed to live here without the services they provide.
I can’t provide these services for myself, so I have to rely on others to do so. How about you?
This referendum is financially sound, necessary, and fiscally responsible! I’m voting ‘yes’ because I have tremendous faith in our young people and thank those, every day, who care for us. They deserve our respect and support! Please vote ‘yes’ and keep our future secure.
Thank You,
Curtis G. Powell
Tomahawk
Thank you, Tomahawk School District, for updating tobacco-free policy
Dear Editor,
Thank you Tomahawk School District School Board for updating your school policy to include e-cigarettes and vaping. The updated policy features updates on language and definitions that will more clearly establish a tobacco-free environment. It is important for the school tobacco-free policies to be as inclusive as possible since tobacco products now come in so many different shapes and sizes, many of which are flavored to appeal to young people.
As a parent of an alumni and a neighbor to students currently in school, I am glad the Tomahawk School District made these changes. We know that tobacco comes in other forms that don’t fit the typical tobacco label and we hear about students using sneaky products in the classroom because teachers can’t always easily identify them, such as vapes that look like flash drives, watches, pens, and makeup compacts. It is more important than ever for influential adults in young peoples’ lives to support them in quitting all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes to protect their health. It is important to keep in mind that using punitive measures like suspension and expulsion to penalize student violations of a school tobacco policy are not always effective. Effective school policies attempt to address the underlying addiction to nicotine instead of purely punitive measures. There are alternative measures that are more supportive of quitting.
For free assistance and a customized quit plan, call the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit line. Call 800-QUIT-Now (800-784-8669) or text READY to 200-400 for free help, or if you’re enrolled in Medicaid, talk to your doctor about the free help provided through the Medicaid cessation benefit. To learn more about tobacco prevention efforts in your community contact Judy Sargent, Public Health Nurse, Lincoln County Health Department, Lincoln County member of the Northwoods Tobacco Free Coalition (NWTFC), by calling 715-539-1377 or by email: [email protected].
Judy Sargent, RN
Lincoln County Health Department Public Health Nurse
Just what did this slaughter accomplish?
The recent wolf hunt proved what many suspected all along – that the state is not capable of managing a “delisted” wolf population.
The estimated 1100-plus state wolf population does not justify what actually took place in only three days of a rushed, unprecedented season that registered 216 – 217 kills.
What actually occurred demonstrated gross non-compliance with the rules. The figure of 217 registered kills, (far beyond the 119 quota), does not include the additional number of unregistered or illegal kills. Thus, a claim of only 20% population loss does not reflect actual losses.
The state must re-evaluate what actually took place and the implications for any possible future hunts.
The deliberate haste in opening the latest “wolf hunt” revealed some gaping holes in any scientific justifications for the rushed season. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was working on a fall of 2021 hunt timetable, but constant political pressure from Congressman Tom Tiffany and state Senator Mary Felzkowski defeated their work. Tiffany and Felzkowski clearly promoted the smallest minority of hunting groups’ interests over any justifiable protection of any state resources.
Of the millions of animals in domestic livestock production, less than 100 (in 2020) were verifiably killed or injured by wolves, according to the statistics provided on the DNR’s web site. A verifiable handful of pets were also lost or injured. The state, however, financially compensates producers for verifiable losses, along with compensating hunters for the loss of hunting dogs and owners for pet loses. The numbers demonstrate that the losses of domestic animals to wolves are not a significant problem.
Pro-kill Congressman Tom Tiffany and state Senator Mary Felzkowski both appear to be very skilled, insider lobbyists for the NRA and hunting groups. They seldom advocate for the educational, health care or senior needs of their districts, but instead promote the killing of wolves throughout the state.
The February hunt took place at the worst possible time of the year. Pelts, (nobody hunts wolves for food), are in poor condition at that time of the year. More importantly, breeding females are in the process of mating and producing pups. If the kill turns out to be the pack’s lead female, the entire pack’s future is at risk.
In the midst of a highly questionable hunt that removes a necessary and critical predator, the state *is* suffering from Chronic Wasting Disease in its cervid populations, which are natural prey for the wolf. There are far too many deer-auto collisions and farmers suffering financial losses due to deer browsing crops. In addition, approximately 16% of the wolves’ summer diet consists of beaver, which municipalities and governmental bodies pay to have removed. Which begs the question; just what did this slaughter accomplish?
Diana C. Smith
Tomahawk