What is newsworthy?

To the editor:

I am bothered by the story you ran on the front page about Arlene Stika. I don’t think it is wise to promote homelessness even if it’s a life choice.

I found it appalling that this would be newsworthy.

Do we not have anything more of interest in our community? I personally know this woman and don’t think that providing her with celebrity status is a great idea.

I actually live on Marion County Lake and don’t like it when she takes up residence for her two weeks at a time.

Her dogs constantly bark and stir up other animals in the area. I know there are families living on the lake that help her in many ways.

How about we print stories about real lake news. How about the fact that the lake office has imposed a law, letting only Marion County residents go more than five mph, but Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks says that since the lake is state supervised, this rule should not be in effect.

How about the fact that we have holes on roads that run three and four inches deep. How about reporting on the people who live at the lake and help maintain it by watering or cleaning up garbage?

Come on. You are our hometown paper. Let’s report on something worthwhile!

Karlene Lovelady
Marion

Dim streetlights

To the editor:

A few weeks ago, a Marion County Record article mentioned using less bright light bulbs in Marion streetlights:

“An energy-saving streetlight bulb is being tested at Fifth and Main. It appears the bulb is not bright enough. A grant would be available to purchase the fixtures if officials determine they want to have the dimmer light.”

This struck me as humorous.

I live in a suburban county of Richmond, Va., a metropolis of more than one million people. Henrico County, with a population rivaling Wichita, has almost no streetlights.

This was hard for me to get used to after moving here 16 years ago. The hardest thing was reading street signs when traveling at night. I would appreciate having minimal lights to see signs, but I have learned to live without them. Most of the residents leave their porch lights on at night or use motion detectors.

It strikes me that Marion, with its nearly non-existent crime, could adopt this cost-cutting measure from an urban county, or at least use energy-saving bulbs. You would not believe how much better you can see the stars.

What is the standard for determining the brightness of Marion’s streetlights?

Rodney Schmidt
Glen Allen, Va.