From Our Readers...Issue Date: July 22, 2021 Dear Editor:
Area residents are invited to attend an open meeting to discuss the future site of The World's Largest Freshwater Estuary. The meeting is set for Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 6 p.m. at Peshtigo Elementary School, 341 N. Emery Ave., Peshtigo.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) plans to build a multi-million-dollar National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). Marinette, located on the Bay of Green Bay, is one of three sites being considered. Other potential sites would be located in either Green Bay or Door County.
The Bay of Green Bay, the world's largest freshwater estuary, carries contributions of biologicals, sediment and characteristics of the Menominee and Fox Rivers and other inlets directly to Lake Michigan and all the Great Lakes. NERR described our regional area as having â€Åsignificant cultural, economic, commercial and recreational benefits†gained from its water and coastal features. Because the Great Lakes currently provide drinking water to 30 million people this source of freshwater's importance and value will only increase in the future. Yet, according to a NERR fact sheet, both the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michigan â€Åface many challenges: changing water levels, flooding, coastal erosion, and harmful algal blooms.â€
The proposed site will help coordinate the management, restoration and protection of the Bay of Green Bay ecosystem. NERR's national network of 29 sites across the coastal United States is dedicated to protect and study estuaries and their coastal wetlands.
â€ÅAlthough the research will be in the waters of Green Bay, the focus will be quite broadâ€opportunities for training, for participating in programs will have a larger footprint and reach,†according to Emily Tyner, director of freshwater strategy at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. It is hoped to involve elementary, high school and college students and to establish internships working with industry, nonprofits, policymakers and governmental organizations. The goal is to have industry and researchers working side-by-side in watersheds and with wetland restoration.
Tyner adds that although the Bay of Green Bay has faced many challenges, there has been improvement in the last few years that NERR hopes to build on. She cited the delisting of the Menominee River as an Area of Concern by the EPA in August 2020 as one win for freshwater.
â€ÅThere's this tremendous cleanup that's already happened but there's certainly challenges into the future, so hopefully NERR can help coordinate, think about and design what the future around water looks like.â€
This is an exciting opportunity for our area and one deserving of community support.
Attend the open meeting on Aug. 4 at the Elementary School in Peshtigo to learn and explore more about the possibility of creating of a NERR site here.
Keith Killen,
Marinette
Editor:
Did anyone notice that the people who do the sample taking for the virus wear a closed system breathing apparatus? People working with dangerous pathogens in laboratories use the same type of closed circuit system. If paper masks are effective in preventing pathogenic inhalation of this virus, why do they wear such a cumbersome device?
A Danish university tested, and concluded that the paper masks worn by most people are ineffective in keeping pathogens out or in. Florida State University tested paper masks that were worn all day and found pneumonia and tuberculosis virus in them.
It is safe to say that these masks do nothing to protect against this, or other virus's. While so many people in authority tell us to wear these masks, it is not science.
People who don't have critical health issues have a 99.5% chance of recovery if they contract the virus.
So far, there have been 800,000 severe reactions and 6,000 deaths from the vaccine.
Respectfully,
Robert Davis
Town of Peshtigo
P.S. It is ironic that most of the masks come from the country where the virus started.
Editor:
Is the American flag representative of the ideals set in the Preamble of the Constitution?
The Preamble stresses the belief that all people are equal entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It seems to me that tribalism and gross inequity in opportunity and access to the means of ensuring those things through voting, education, respect for those different than you in some way, and support when needed are toxic to democracy and the flag of our country.
I ask this question because the flags that were waved in the January 6 assault on our Capital and Trump calling them beautiful people waving those flags were to me waving a Confederate flag disguised as American flags. Now when I see an American flag in front of a house or business, does it represent the white elitism and racism of the old South or the ideals that we have not achieved but made progress toward. Some examples of the progress are the women's right to vote, that 1964 desegregation of public school, equal opportunity laws, social security, election of non-Caucasians in the highest levels of state and federal government, etc. To me, the disguised Confederate flag represents Trumpism that has consumed a large part of the Republican Party. To me, the flag I pledge alliance to is the one representing the ideals embodied in the Preamble and my Christian faith.
Gilbert Engel
Niagara
Dear Editor:
The Town of Peshtigo Chairman has recently posted her opinion on the City of Marinette decisions to not agree to sell water to The Town of Peshtigo. Residents should understand that the City of Marinette officials have to make decisions based on what is best for their residents. Marinette would be taking on a risk and potential financial loss by providing water to The Town of Peshtigo. Since it has been the intent of The Town of Peshtigo to make an agreement that the cost of this proposal would be born by Johnson Controls the City cannot be assured that any agreement would be permanent. They have to keep in mind that companies change ownership, go broke and move on a regular basis. Over the past twenty years the Dow 30 Industrials have changed dramatically with many going out of business. Johnson Controls is not even a United States based Company.
It has been reported that The Town of Peshtigo Supervisors and Chairman have been discussing other options to solve the water problem, one of which would be to build their own water treatment facility. Residents should be concerned that this remedy could put The Town into a huge financial obligation to solve a problem that is basically confined to a very small percentage of the Town residents. Is it really fair to burden the whole Town of four thousand people with the costs when it only benefits a small number. Three of the five on the Town Board live in the area known as the plume so The Board is really working in their own best interest since the three members have the benefit of any measure taken. Should The Town of Peshtigo be taking on the expense of this pollution problem when the statutory authority on this matter is actually under the control of both the federal and state regulations. The Town of Peshtigo has an operating budget of less than a million dollars per year so residents should be aware that their tax burden could be severely impacted. The pollution has impacted a much wider area than the N E corner of The Town of Peshtigo, the City of Marinette, the Bay of Green Bay and possibly into Michigan has been affected. The Town supervisors have also posted opposition to recent State of Wisconsin legislature that could limit claims that can be made for damages but if the public looked at that they would find that this type of legislation is very normal in most states.
Jim Kollross,
Marinette
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