The Year of Moving Forward

The Year of Moving Forward
At our 4 person wedding reception in DC

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Western Star Apology and Water!!!

In The Western Star this week another apology ran. This one is more suitable:

Apology

The Western star did not follow company policy on running letters to the editor when a letter ran in the June 4, 2008 edition signed by the Bessemer Neighborhood Association. Association secretary, Joe Openshaw, informed The Western star the letter was not written by the BNA. The newspaper apologizes to the Bessemer Neighborhood Association and to those mentioned in the letter for any inconvenience or problems that its publication may have caused.

Thanks Dale, for setting the record straight. The association accepts the apology.

But the individual wonders about the sincerity. I say that because this apology was read to me and OK'ed by me by Mitch Tribble on June 19 over the phone, and he seemed sincere and concerned that the letter was even published.

Quite different from the email I received from Dale the other day. However, being a peacemaker...I will let it slide, and just be thankful the readers of The Western Star know the truth now.

I might as well admit I also read with interest Representative Priscilla Dunn's column titled The First Steps Toward a Statewide Water Plan. Rep. Dunn (who by the way is always complimentary to me regarding my columns) is absolutely right on the importance of developing a statewide water management team. I have written about water both in The Western Tribune and on this blog enough that everyone should know my concerns.

One such concern is bottled water. To make the bottles used for America's and our water, over 17 million barrels of crude oil are used annually. this is enough to power a million vehicles for a year (Update). That doesn't account for the diesel or gas used to transport the bottles to the retail outlets, or across the sea for those waters that come from Fiji or Europe.

While our household has not cut down 100%, we have greatly reduced our bottled water use by getting a refillable big bottle and cooler for our drinking water. We get refills at Lowes. We still buy an occasional case of Dasani for use in special situations.

Most tap water is fine, and a lot of people I hear are returning to tap water, either with or without a filter. Many refrigerators have a filter and the water that is dispensed is fine.
Enjoy this Water Sculpture.


Plus think of the money you will save by not buying water that is costing as much or more per gallon than gasoline. Conservation. Fiscal. Good.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am an avid reader of The Western Star and someone told me about this blog recently. I seriously doubt that the apology was sincere considering all the 'crap' you have placed on this blog.

I think the owners of the paper are spineless for giving in to your rants and raves and running the apology, not once but twice.

And you call yourself a peacemaker?

I hate that the Star gave in to you.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you Bill, very dissappointed that the star would apologize, not once but twice, mainly because of the pressure put on them by this blog.
Joe, you write for the Tribune. Everybody sees what is going on here.

Joe said...

Carey,
Close. I write a weekly column that is published in the Tribune. I do not write "for" the Tribune, I am not an employee of the Tribune.

What is going on and what everybody sees is I do not like to see ethics ignored in journalism, government or religion. If you have been a student of this blog, you will remember I have criticized The Tribune and even addressed plagiarism in that paper (although the mistake was made by the submitting author, not the Tribune itself, unlike the case in the Star).


It just amazes me that people continue to support unethical practices, but I will repeat what I said before...the ends do not justify the means.

Anonymous said...

It just amazes me that you continue to write an article that appears in the Tribune, and then say you do not support unethical practices. The Tribune is run by the most unethical man in town. Why can't you see that?

Joe said...

Sherri,
I am not going to publish rumors or whatever here, but I would love to hear what makes you, as an individual, consider him "the most unethical man in town. Email me, my address is on the blog.

Joe said...

Just as I thought. No evidence. Just talk.