Voice Mail
Letters to the Editor

The Takoma Voice welcomes all correspondence. We remind readers that the opinions expressed here are those of the writers. Letters may be edited for length or clarity. While we strive to print every letter, we reserve the right to refuse any which we deem inappropriate for a community forum. Name, address, and phone number must be included.

A second grade perspective

If George Bush has kids, and they don't want there to be a war, how come he wants there to be a war? He could die, and then his kids would be in a homeless shelter, and then they’d be lonely. I don’t think he’d want that to happen, or get himself killed.

In this war, many other parents could die, and if he thinks he’s making the world better, he’s actually making it miserable.

If I was president, I’d get with my governor people and my other, important people and I’d make sure there was a law that there wouldn’t be any more wars.

And if I was president, I’d make sure that if I couldn’t do the no war. Then maybe just one war, and to be in the war you have to be in your 50s or 60s and over, cause your kids will be grown up, so they wouldn't have to be in a homeless shelter. It would be sad if you died, but you’d know that your grandchildren would be in the care of your children, and when they grow up, they’d make sure there’s no war.

If George Bush wants a war, then either I don’t want him to be president, or I want him to fix up his attitude.

So you see that a seven-year-old has a lot to say about the war, and is not just a puny spot in the world.

—Ruth Pankl, 7
Second grade Rolling Terrace Elementary,
Takoma Park

Let WAH Expand

I know there are people who will come out to oppose anything one might propose for construction. I have one simple reason, however, for supporting anything Washington Adventist Hospital wants to build –they saved my life!

I was lucky enough to recognize immediately on Dec. 20, 1996, that I was having a heart attack. It was a massive, "life-destroying" heart attack, according to Dr. David Brill of Cardiovascular Consultants.

I phoned the Emergency Room and asked them what a heart attack felt like–they said that if I was having one, there was no time for them to explain. I had to call 911 and get myself there NOW. I called, the ambulance was there in about five minutes, and I insisted that they take me to WAH, since it is the finest heart-care facility in the D.C. area.

Dr. Brill and others were waiting at the ER when we arrived. Within maybe 25 minutes of my first feeling the chest pain, they were doing a balloon angioplasty on me. And behold, friends and neighbors, I'm still here.

Try to forget lesser matters, and remember what a hospital is. IT'S TO

KEEP YOU ALIVE! I don't care if there is some extra traffic, you'll forget all about it when you really need emergency care, and all you'll care about is getting there and surviving. There is no more basic need than to live.

The last time I had an appointment at WAH, it took me about 15 minutes to find a parking space. If opponents are able to stop the building, it will slow things down further. Remember, demand for hospital services is not going to lessen, no matter what unrealistic expectations you may have. It will simply go unprovided-for, and people in races with death may die.

I'm proud of having a nation-class medical facility in our little town.

I feel more attachment to them than I do to my university Alma Mater.

School gave me a large chunk of American culture, but WAH has given me and many others life. What could be more important than that? Not to support them is simply short-sighted.

—Dave Lorentz

Founder/President Takoma Park JazzFest

North Takoma

Save the tool library

Hi Takoma Park Neighbors

I'm Richard Margoluis, my wife Cheryl and I live on Garland Avenue. I was disturbed to learn that the Takoma Park Tool Library is about to be closed, and the only thing that will stop it from happening is an OUTPOURING of support from residents who care! Please read on...

Time for spring cleaning and taking on those long overdue repairs around the house. So you need to go to Home Depot and buy…

A rake… $15.00

A shovel… $25.00

An electric hedge trimmer… $50.00

A sander… $70.00

A reel mower… $80.00

A heavy-duty circular saw… $200.00

A 35' ladder to clean the gutters… $500.00

Or, you can borrow them for FREE from the Takoma Park Tool Lending Library! That is, until the budget cuts take effect and the Tool Library is closed!

Yes, the city council is considering terminating the Tool Library for budget reasons.

The Tool Library makes a significant contribution to life in Takoma Park.

- It's a money-saver - It keeps us from having to fork out significant amounts of cash for tools we only occasionally need.

- It reduces waste - It reduces the amount of material goods we need to buy (then store in the basement and eventually throw away…)

- It's a source of good advice and expertise - Walt, the Tool Library

Manager, is always willing to help us figure out how to do the maintenance and repairs we want to do.

- It's a source of inspiration - Every time we go to the Tool Library, we see some different tool that inspires us to take on more home repairs (okay, maybe not a good thing…)!

- It sets us apart! - The Takoma Park Tool Library is one of only a small handful of similar community services offered around the country.

Takoma Park prides itself as being a conservation-oriented community of concerned citizens. What better display of this philosophy than the Tool Library? The Tool Library's total annual operating cost is only about

$12,000! What a bargain! And Walt has no budget to maintain, repair, or replace tools– in fact, he absorbs the cost on his own!

What You Can Do

If you feel strongly about keeping the Tool Library open to Takoma Park residents, you can do the following:

- Call Rick Finn TP Administrator ((301) 891-7268), Mayor Porter, or your Councilmember and tell them you want the Tool Library to remain open, given more secure and accessible space, and allocated more budget for tool repairs and replacement.

- Send an e-mail to Margoluis@aol.com stating you don't want to see the Tool Library shut down! Your e-mails will be compiled and passed on to the City Council.

- Volunteer to take a petition around for signatures for a few hours.

- Volunteer to do anything else that will help save our Tool Library!

- Sign the petition!

-Richard Margoluis

Takoma Park, MD.