On April 7, I wrote an entry on the GoBurley.com website concerning the resolution of a court action brought against Burley City Councilman, Dennis Curtis, by the city’s self-appointed moral guardian, John Walsh. The court’s decision was accurately and fairly documented by the T-N reporter and by all accounts should have brought the issue to a resolution.

However, Mr. Walsh could not leave “well enough alone” and has subsequently opened up the “closed book,” demanding Mr. Curtis’s resignation from the City Council. This prompts me to reiterate the point I made on the website – Mr. Walsh’s verbal bullying of Mr. Curtis and other members of the city’s government cannot be litigated as easily as  physical bullying. And since much of Mr. Walsh’s diatribe has been published by Councilman Jay Lenkersdorfer in a publication which he owns (The Weekly Mailer,) it would seem that Mr. Lenkersdorfer is violating the conflict of interest standard held by elected public officials, and incidentally by all ethical journalists.

Logic tells us that if Mr. Curtis were to be sanctioned by the Burley City Council for “violating his oath as a city councilman,” as John Walsh stated in a letter published in the Weekly Mailer,  it would follow that Mr. Lenkersdorfer should be given his walking papers too.

Mr. Walsh would do well to cease and desist before his angry rhetoric should create a consequence which would not be in his best interests. His demands for Curtis’s resignation could create a sticky wicket for Mr. Lenkersdorfer, the person who is willing to publish his accusations in his “Sound-Off” column. Perhaps leaving well enough alone could be the best option for all concerned, and our city government could continue to function in a more civil manner. After all, these officials were elected by the people of Burley, not appointed by Mr.Walsh.

Sincerely,
Sarah M. Blasius
Burley, Idaho

Today is the anniversary of the Columbine Massacre, a day which in some way, haunts the psyches of all public school teachers. The numbers of the date, 4/20, became an occult code inscribed by youthful “insiders” on desks, books, backs of hands, etc. representing the lunatic fringe of human society. One of the most notorious of that group was Adolf Hitler whose birthdate is April 20, a date which again became nefarious when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire with semi-automatic rifles upon their unsuspecting classmates and faculty at Columbine High School located in suburban Denver, Colorado. One faculty member and twelve Columbine students were killed – probably before they even had a chance to comprehend what was happening – 23 others were wounded. Both of the killers took their own lives, upping the student mortality statistic to 14.

After that tragic incident, another number became paramount in America’s awareness – Emergency 911 – the magical number which will make everything all right. There are very few of us who don’t know the implications of calling 911 – an emergency has happened, sometimes a life-threatening one, and calling those three numbers often saves us from whatever threat we are facing.

I wonder how many of us visualize an emergency dispatch center and the faces of the individuals who take the 911 calls – not just a number, but living, breathing human beings who are dedicated to helping all who call, regardless of their status in life. These persons often internalize the fright and pain of their callers and give their all to alleviate the danger their callers are facing. When they are unable to succeed at saving the life of an infant, or to help someone find a lost hiker or kidnap victim, their pain is as real as their very humanity. It would be hard to imagine how the emergency responders suffered on April 20, 1999, and how many nightmares have awakened them from their sleep years later.

My husband, Harold, and I are attending the Citizens Academy sponsored by the Cassia County Sheriff’s Department. We spent last Saturday night “shadowing” two of these incredible responders. Their names are DeAnn Taylor and Donna Headley, and I would add that these are the names of two heroines who courageously follow the procedures expected of all 911 responders – to save their callers from the fear they are experiencing, and to essentially save lives. In many cases, the caller’s fear is paralyzing, preventing them from responding effectively to the emergency which has befallen them.

Both women agree that the first action they must take is to calm down the caller so that their directions, many times to allow CPR to be administered to a dying person – often, a child – can be followed successfully. The emotions of the responders run high, and they must overcome them in order to be effective with their responses – to keep their cool and to give the correct directions.

Sometimes, several calls come in at once, and the dispatchers are hard-pressed to respond to each of them in a timely manner. Donna speaks of giving CPR directions to the mothers of two infants – both calling from different locales. Both babies had stopped breathing. And typically, calls were coming in from deputies reporting their activities which the two dispatchers must also monitor effectively. Donna’s eyes tear up as she tells of the sadness she carries with her – she was able to save one of the babies, but the other being transported to the hospital in the mother’s car died. A terrible choice, but one which is always a possibility for these two women. They don’t accept defeat well – the pain lingers after the incident has become a matter of record.

The Dispatch Center has an incredible array of electronic displays – maps, files of names and license numbers, criminal records – all information necessary to make a quick response to deputies who have made traffic stops, or to searchers who are trying to locate a lost hiker or a victim of a crime.

But sometimes, these electronic marvels can’t equal the instincts of a trained dispatcher. DeAnn says that there have been many times when she has to figure out an answer to these queries from her own resources – a gut response, so to speak, but based on long and varied experience with human vulnerability.  Both women agree that they give their “all” in any circumstance, hoping that will be enough to rescue the person who calls 911.

The number 911 is a vital part of our survival inventory, but DeAnn and Donna are the human equation which makes that number work. We should never forget who they are and what they do. They answer the ring of the phone – “911!”

Sarah Blaius

According to a front page article in the Times-News (April 6,) John Walsh of Burley thinks that Burley City Councilman Dennis Curtis should resign from the City Council.

Mr. Walsh, who has conducted a personal vendetta against some members of the city government, past and present, bases his assertion upon what he perceives to be unethical behavior on the part of these people in general, and Mr. Curtis in particular.

Specifically, in this instance, Mr. Walsh is citing a recent court ruling which found Mr. Curtis guilty of physical battery which was committed – you guessed it – against the person of Mr. Walsh. His request for Curtis’s resignation is highly redundant, for several reasons.

First of all, Mr. Curtis has entered into an agreement with the court in response to the citizen’s complaint against him, an agreement which will be binding for one year.

Secondly, several members of the Council have already stated that they do not want to seek censure for Curtis’s aforementioned physical battery of Mr. Walsh nor do they want to ask for his resignation.

This writer’s assertion is that Mr. Walsh has his own history of battering behavior, based upon the assumption that battery can occur not only physically, but verbally. Mr. Walsh is a verbal batterer whose battering actions are usually manifested in the form of letters-to-the editor in local publications and in one particular instance, an ad paid for by Mr. Walsh and published several times in a local news publication, The Weekly Journal, edited by City  Council member, Jay Lenkersdorfer.

The ad was in no way subtle. It appeared during a mayoral election campaign and depicted the feet of a clown with the underlying caption, “Get the Clown Out,” referring to a candidate who had been on the receiving end of Mr. Walsh’s diatribe for quite some time. I consider this to be a prime example of verbal battery – one for which there will be no court action unfortunately.

So – this leaves us back at square one. Mr. Curtis, according to Mr. Walsh, is the “bad guy,” and Mr. Walsh continues to occupy his pristine status of a “concerned citizen.” It is my fervent hope that Burley’s government can survive this attempt to set members of the City Council against each other, and that Mr. Curtis will be allowed to continue his good service for Burley. For, as the saying goes, “If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:25

Sarah M. Blasius

According to the Virginia Declaration of Rights (adopted by the Virginia Assembly, June 2, 1776) one definition of happiness is “All men…have certain inherent rights…namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.”

This citation is taken from a document which preceded the Declaration of Independence and with which the concept of “the pursuit of happiness” becomes synonymous with the right to acquire property. My ancestor, Colonel Meriwether Smith of Virginia, was one of the persons who developed this document and because of that, I have always been aware of the privilege of being one of his descendents, as well as a follower of his beliefs.

According to this declaration, acquiring and owning property and accepting responsibility for said property is an inherent right given to all Americans.

The citizens of Burley are no exception – most of them take this responsibility very seriously. And the word, responsibility, is the operant concept here, and because of that, we maintain our property. We work hard to pay the house payments – or the rent – and we pay our property taxes. As much as we hate to admit it, paying these taxes is a privilege endowed upon us by the right to own property. We can whine all we want to about these taxes, but after considering the alternative – servitude or slavery – the responsibility of sending that money to the Cassia County tax collector isn’t so bad after all.

We are also given the responsibility of voting for the representatives who will determine the amount we will pay in taxes to our county. Avoiding that responsibility, endowed upon us by our citizenship, is an automatic relinquishing of our rights. We also relinquish our choices along with the abandoning of our responsibilities. Voting is a statement of personal advocacy – the privilege given to us as American citizens who, in turn own property in accordance with the rights guaranteed to us by our Constitution.

If given the choice, I would rather be in a position to pay for the maintenance of my property and to pay the taxes levied upon it than to lose it as some have through foreclosure. If you don’t believe this is a choice, talk with the people who have lost their homes because of the bad economy – no jobs, no money, no property – no choices.

And there are others who have relinquished even more valuable assets – their very lives, given in the pursuit of the protection of our property – our police, firemen, and our military who have volunteered to make these sacrifices. They will tell you that this is their choice – their privilege as Americans – citizens of Burley and of Cassia County. They don’t question the responsibilities that come with this privilege.

Because of this, I become very angry when I drive down 16^th Street and see the numbers, the “tags” sprayed across the newly painted fences or garage doors of citizens who accept the responsibility of maintaining their property. The word, “property” is derived from the Latin, meaning “self,” an extension of myself, as is the proper noun which is my name. Therefore, the defacing of this property is a personal attack upon me, upon all of us, an abandonment of the privilege of being an American citizen, and abandonment of the “pursuit of happiness” as defined by our Bill of Rights.

Sarah M. Blasius

Yes, it must be Spring.  Spring is a time for intrusions, and I am not psychologically ready for it – the winter doldrums have barely begun to fade into the sunset, which is coming much later than it did last month, a good indication that our contrived time warp, Daylight Savings Time, has intruded again upon our extra hour of sleep. And to add to this dilemma, the first day of spring arrived just a few days ago. There is no recourse in sight!

And, there are unmistakable harbingers of spring making their intrusion into Burley’s environs. Weeds, along with the ritual gang “tags” on freshly painted property, have already reared their ugly heads in the alleys and byways of our fair city. One ponders the possibility of using extra-strength Round-up on both of these blights, but upon further reflection, realizes that practicing such an extreme extermination measure would doubtlessly receive extreme responses from our law enforcement personnel. Just a fleeting thought, albeit a creative one!

Creativity is indeed a mantra which occurs in a significant portion of Burley’s spring scene. In some instances, it is hard to discern – the gray trappings of winter do not yield readily to the intrusion of spring’s greenery. Green grass has already sneaked its way into the dead cover of yellowed lawns, and green is stealthily creeping up the stems on the rose bushes, a furtive activity hidden by the rusty leaves left by the last freeze of autumn. The specter of unending yard maintenance looms its intrusive head – heralding an end to the freedom imposed by winter’s kill. The early-bird yard fanatics are already out there attacking the above-mentioned yellow lawns and rusty rose bushes, leaving those of us who don’t feel an early compulsion to indulge in this rite of spring dealing with an intrusive sense of guilt.

And, of course, the ever-present squirrels are frantically running around in their squirrelly little circles – their own ritual of springtime procreation. At this point, I would do well to stick with the squirrels – observations of springtime procreational behavior in humans might indeed prove to be risky business for this writer.

On a safer note, the proliferation of  walkers, both young and old, en route to city schools and on the walking paths along the river is an obvious harbinger of spring – an escape from the darkness of indoor habitation imposed upon Burley inhabitants by Idaho’s quirky winter weather. Dogs on leashes abound – eagerly dragging their hapless owners along with them as they pursue their springtime investigations into “marked” areas along the way. Cats prowl the neighborhoods, making their own territorial statements. All “creatures great and small” celebrate the intrusion of spring, a rite as old as time itself. All creatures, that is, except for me.

I must tear myself away from these bucolic observations. Our Christmas decorations are still standing on the basement floor and must be put away before next winter arrives.

Spring can wait. And so can the weeds.

Sarah M. Blasius

I have just read Mike Ramsey’s informative article about recognition which he has received for his successful on-line marketing business, and I found myself reading about an issue which I had addressed in a letter to the editor of the Mini-Cassia edition of the Times News last September – a case of “déjà vu” so to speak. Mike felt there was bias in a decision by a local editor not to publicize the success of Nifty Marketing. My letter described a conflict of interest which existed then, and still does, as exhibited in the journalistic ethics (or lack of them) as demonstrated by a local newspaper publisher, Mr. Jay Lenkersdorfer. The conflict occurs between City Councilman Lenkersdorfer’s political stance and that of his ethical position as the publisher of The Weekly News Journal and of the Weekly Mailer which are widely circulated in our area.

This Councilman/Editor violates one of the most basic tenets of the American Society of Professional Journalists – to avoid associations which compromise journalistic integrity, especially those which would create a conflict of interest. A second and equally important tenet states that all published materials must have verifiable sources – one which is ignored in the publication of unsigned letters. Both of these ethical mandates have an intrinsic accountability written into them. When a publication becomes a political sounding board for the politician who publishes it, accountability has become a chimera – an illusion.

In a recent editorial, Mr. Lenkersdorfer questioned whether he was indeed a politician, by general definition, or by his own definition, a concerned advocate for the citizens of Burley. His conclusion stated that he is indeed both, and that would be commendable if he would eradicate the conflict of interest presented by this politician/citizen-advocate stance.

Mr. Lenkersdorfer can fill both roles, but he must do so ethically, or his protestations of advocacy fall on deaf ears. For example, one of the most adverse public reactions to the use of a news publication – and I am not referring to “op-ed” writing here – was the publication in the Journal (9/15/09) of the salaries earned by public employees in the Mini-Cassia area. Granted, these salaries are listed as “public record” but the listing of them must be accurate. This was not the case – the listing was described by many as not accurate, nor did it differentiate between “net” and “gross” income. These people all had the same deductions all honest wage earners relinquish – taxes, social security, health insurance, etc. None of these were accurately defined.

I’m sure that Mr. Lenkersdorfer felt justified in publishing this list, but the reason for that justification escapes most of us – so, what’s the point? A power play is not a tidy little capsule which most of us can swallow, and the community did not swallow this one very well. Lenkersdorfer has two choices, as I see it. He can either excuse himself from his position on the Burley City Council, or he can relinquish his position as editor of the news publication while occupying his political role. He can be effective as a citizen advocate in either position – but not in both. The conflict of interest issue is not resolved by filling both roles. Burley deserves better for the next 100 years.

Sarah M. Blasius

March 8, 2010

Dealing with the topic of wolves and their impact on our environment is an emotional issue. The emotions run the gamut from admiration and love to downright fear and hatred for these embattled animals. There are few who occupy the area in between these two stances. I admittedly am one of those who view wolves as the beautiful and often misunderstood victims of misinformed humans.

In the past two weeks, I have noticed there have been several articles in the Mini-Cassia edition of the Times-News which address the wolf issue. The concerns range all the way from residents of Sun Valley, who by their very presence, have driven elk herds away from their habitat which surrounds the region – one of the definitions we use when describing predators – to the Fish and Game people investigating the possible poaching of a wolf after the legal hunting season has ended.

I find it extremely ironic that Sun Valley’s mayor is concerned about keeping the Sun Valley neighborhood free of predators. He is one of those who has invaded an area formerly occupied by other creatures, driving them from their source of food and shelter, and are themselves predators, by the very definition of the word. The mayor is concerned that wolves will follow their prey, i.e., the elk which have come into the human habitat to find food which disappeared when humans invaded the area formerly frequented by these displaced animals. And the beat goes on, and has since recorded time.

The scary part about all of this is that wolves themselves are only a small part of the food chain, and if hunted to extinction (again,) will be supplanted by the next phalanx of predators, the mesopredators – coyotes, for one – and the resulting slaughter of livestock and wild life could become even more ugly. As the physicists say, “Nature abhors a vacuum.”

Actually, wolves have been the “bad guys” since the beginning of time. Mythology and legends tell stories of horrendous predations by these fanged beasts. In 17^th Century Germany, there was real concern that children who wandered into forested areas could become the victims of werewolves, a scary prospect in anyone’s time. And perhaps, it was this fear of wild predatory animals which prompted the Brothers Grimm to tell their apocryphal story of the big bad wolf who preyed upon a little girl wearing a red hood and her bedridden grandmother, who like the present-day wolf was put in the delisted category   because of her advanced age. Actually, I always thought the wolf’s real target was not Little Red but the enticing basket of goodies which she carried. Wolves, like dogs, have an occasional bout with the sweet tooth.

Now, in our area, we have sexual predators, gang-bangers, bullies, inattentive drivers and some unattended dogs which might threaten our well being. Suffice it to say that I have registered a few comments about wolves and how we view them. They rank high in concern, but are actually surpassed in kill numbers by coyotes, bears, wild cats and yes, packs of dogs. (I’ll deal with dogs in another reflection.)

For now, we can read our story books and feel relatively safe. As far as we know, there have been no wolf sightings in Burley.

Sarah M. Blasius

Check it out. There is a disparity in the number of women versus men driving Jeeps in the Burley area. I believe that it is granted that Burley is the bastion of the “Good Ol’ Boys,” a well-recognized description of any male-dominated domain, particularly in the Western United States. This concept applies to vehicles driven by Burley-based men.  “Muscle cars” abound along with the all-pervasive 8-cylinder pickup trucks, although I will have to admit that I have observed a growing number of females driving the above-mentioned models.

There is one vehicle which has escaped the intrusion of feminine dominance, and that is the Jeep – an iconic piece of military equipment – and even though women are an essential part of today’s military, very few personally identify with the Jeep. I did not consider joining the military because, as my Mother and a few school administrators have put it, I am an obstinate person – even described as “hard headed” by many who know me well. It was agreed by all concerned that I would not last a week in basic training. I don’t take orders well.

It is that very characteristic, however, that has inspired me to recently purchase a Jeep Wrangler Sport – with a Freedom top. My husband and I have both been, and still are Toyota owners. My husband spent 37 years in the military and has been well-ingrained with the values gained from that experience. One of those ingrained values is his love for Jeeps, and up until recently he drove a 2003 Jeep Wrangler – his “toy” as friends and family affectionately called it. But the new Toyota Tacoma and my Corolla were the transportation workhorses for the two of us – that is, until I spotted a silver and black Jeep Wrangler on display at a local car lot.

To put it simply, I was overcome with admiration for this vehicle. It was almost predictable that in the following week, the older Jeep and the Corolla became history, and were supplanted by my Jeep. I didn’t realize how iconoclastic this decision was until my husband began to receive reactions from (mostly male) friends and family. You can’t be serious! You’re not giving up your Jeep so that she can drive it! You’re kidding – it’s not her Jeep – it’s yours!

One of our best friends and neighbors is still holding out – he refuses to believe that any man in his right mind would let his wife possess a Jeep, much less drive it. But what can I say? He’s a coach!

It has been an epiphany for me – the men of Burley are a bunch of male chauvinists when it comes to women driving jeeps, especially when one of those women is a retired high school English teacher. My husband softens the blow by allowing me some deference – he never drives the Jeep without asking my permission. I love him for that!

I urge the female citizens of Burley to seriously consider following my example. Read the Jeep commercials in the magazines, and watch them on television. You will see that the builders of this liberating vehicle understand exactly what I am saying.

As one ad puts it, “I live. I ride. I am Jeep.” And I would add, “I am woman. I am free!”

Sarah M. Blasius

Negotiating a 4-Way stop intersection in Burley, Idaho, can be risky business. After too many instances of  barely escaping with my vehicle and my life intact  while trying to pass through the intersection of Highland and 16^th Streets, I began to observe driver behavior at this intersection in particular, and Burley in general. The problem which I have observed most often – averaging by count, four times out of five – is that the person who is suddenly propelling his or her vehicle through this intersection without any deference to drivers who have the right of way is – you guessed it – talking on a cell phone. And after further observation at other intersections controlled by stop lights, I have come to the conclusion that no one is truly safe driving in this town unless they have passed a course in defensive driving. Continue Reading