Fence Post. - Free Online Library (2024)

Asking for a miracle

Recently, I read a letter sent in by Cindy Snodgrass to your "Letters to the Fence Post" section of the Daily Herald. Her letter requested that the village of Buffalo Grove name the park Nicole Soccorso died in for her. I too, am a close personal friend of Cookie and Ron Soccorso and I had to write in to echo Cindy Snodgrass' sentiments.

The Soccorso family is brokenhearted over the death of Nikki. She was a beautiful, happy little girl who was the center of their family life. Nikki was a "later in life" baby. She was welcomed into this world by so many eagerly awaiting fans, especially her family. Her mom and dad of course, but also by her big brother and sister, Sammy and Michelle. Sammy was 14 and Michelle was 12 when Nikki was born.

She brought them laughter and joy and so much love. She was a high-spirited little girl, full of kindness and affection for her friends and family. She had more friends than you could count and her friends still come over to visit with the family or lay flowers on her grave. At the young age of 10 she was able to make a lasting impression on so many.

Little Nikki died a terrible death. She drowned on a cold January afternoon, just a short distance from where she had lived out her young life. The cover had been removed from a retention pond sewer and she fell in while walking by to go sledding. She fought so hard to stay alive, she wanted to live so badly. When she was taken from her family, a piece of each of them went with her. They were all there as the paramedic's diver lifted her lifeless body out of the water. There isn't a day that goes by without them reminiscing about her, their hearts breaking as they speak.

I know nothing will ease the pain for the family, but if the village of Buffalo Grove could find it in it's heart to name the park that she died in after her it would be such a comfort to them.

I ask the village to please render this one act of kindness to the Soccorso family. Let's look past who's at fault, legal proceedings, etc. Let's just think about a little girl who was robbed of her life and her family, which has to live with the horror of what happened to her every day.

At this special time of year, maybe the village of Buffalo Grove could bless the Soccorso family with a Christmas miracle by remembering their little angel in this way.

Helen Lasser

Schaumburg

Lost faith in leaders

It's amazing!

It's no wonder the number of independent voters is rising in America. On Saturday, Nov. 29, the Daily Herald headline read: "Democrats again safe from special fund-raising probe." Within that story, Sen. McCain, an Arizona Republican, was quoted saying: "It is my strong belief that the facts before me meet the test when other independent counsel have been called for in the past." What an outrageous comment?

I used to be a supporter of Sen. McCain, a war hero and all that, but no more. He has joined the ranks of the self-serving hypocrites who are supposed to be representing us in Congress. What a laugh!

Most major news sources including print, radio, and television have flooded our eyes and ears with stories of illegal contributions to both the Republicans and Democrats. What is happening to our country is beyond belief. We are seen as suckers, fools, simpleminded ignorant subjects. Guess what? Many of us probably are. These guys in Washington believe it to be true and will play their game till the end of time knowing darn well it works for them.

Throw the bums out. Unprincipled people deserve no better. Many of us have expressed this not-so-rare view in the past, and I'm doing so again today hoping the Herald will print it. By so doing, the public will become more than aware of what's happening (not that they don't already know) and take an active role in dumping as many of these bums as fast as possible from Congress and the White House. They simply do not deserve to be there.

Save the faith though. There must be a few good people who are knowledgeable, capable and willing to serve their country. Hopefully, these potential leaders will surface and find themselves in a position to govern. We need them badly.

George P. Gryfakis

Hoffman Estates

CPI cut will hurt

Subject: CPI Index and Congress Social Security reduction, devious plans.

I challenge you to print this rebuttal to the many congressman that have been spouting tripe, over the above subjects.

Many of our elected governmental-so-called elected officials that have imbued, with their own self importance, have been giving interviews over the solutions on our Social Security problems coupled with Medicare.

Their first solution "cut social security payments and rearrange the figures on CPI showing little necessity for inflationary increases because we have little if any inflation. Figures don't lie, but liars figure, through arithmetic doctoring.

I am over 65 years of age and will continue to work at whatever employment I can find, or until my health fails. It gets more difficult to survive each year and these attacks by some of our congressional representatives, always are directed at the less fortunate and the most vulnerable.

Here is my proposition to all of these parasites: you can reduce my less than survival income, if you reduce your own income and pay for your own health insurance. You have been feeding at the public trough too long.

As far as I am concerned all of you should be limited to two terms - all parachutes relinquished, at term's end, since you want to be so magnanimous reducing other peoples monies.

K.S. Weiss

Wheeling

ATM fees add up

Re: ATMs may be most popular Christmas shopping stop - Thursday, Dec. 12.

Your article on the costs of using ATMs was enlightening not only to me but I am sure to the general public. You may not have intended to do so, but you have convinced me that my checking account is still the way to go. Thanks for the information.

Stephen J. Norris

Schaumburg

Clean air requirements

The U.S. EPA recently announced that it intends to further limit the levels of ozone and particulates in the atmosphere and has solicited comments during the next 60 days from interested parties. Unless there is a significant outcry from the residents of the areas affected by this program, I predict that the more stringent requirements will be adopted due in large measure to the lobbying pressures by those with an economic interest in the outcome. I also feel that the agency has not communicated to the general public sufficient details on the program, including the potential impact on their lifestyle and personal economics, so that they can have an objective voice in the final decision.

Several details of the program are particularly troubling to me. First, I feel that the $8.5 billion annual price tag for the effort is inappropriate when compared to other challenges of greater priority which languish awaiting investment. Challenges such as improvements in the treatment of cancer which claims 500,000 lives each year, urban renewal, infrastructure restoration, fuels less dependent upon foreign petroleum and debt service come to mind.

The second concern is the lifestyle and economic impact on the private citizen. It appears to me that the 80 parts per billion ozone criteria will force a 50 to 60 percent reduction in the use of private motor vehicles and equipment during much of the five summer month ozone season in Chicago. This, coupled with far more expensive fuel and vehicles, can have a devastating impact on the entire area. Urban area job loss is also likely as industries elect to move to or expand in more hospitable rural or offshore locations.

Larry Stump

Schaumburg

Hypocritical reaction

Loved your page of reader comments about Dennis Rodman's behavior and subsequent punishment. Everybody uniformly wants him tarred and feathered.

They're probably the same people who spent last season hanging over balcony railings at the United Center hoping Rodman would toss them his post-game jersey, or who went out and bought a Rodman jersey. God knows your newspaper patronized enough of them by doing feature stories about the lengths they'd go to to get one.

They're also probably the same people who read your police blotter first thing everyday to see if any of their friends or neighbors got busted for anything so they can gossip about them, but also advised you to not publish the name of the suspected Atlanta Olympic bomber, or any other suspected criminal.

As Rodman might say, "What (expletive deleted) hypocrites."

Howard Schlossberg

Schaumburg

Put patients first

Recent news stories about legislation proposed or enacted on hospital length of stay for childbirth and mastectomy, bans on late-term abortions, Canadians caught in the U.S. system, and the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation makes me think that medicine is being practiced by politicians and insurance companies at the expense of health care consumers.

If there is a problem with length of stay or late term abortion, the solution should be based on science and be patient friendly instead of advancing a political agenda or fattening corporate profits.

A physician may do what is medically correct and have beautiful credentials but may be rude, insensitive, and/or leave his patient feeling worse than before. Excluding consumer representatives from voting on medical disciplinary cases allows such practitioners to fall through the cracks in the system.

This is the only developed country in the world outside of South Africa that doesn't have a national health care system and it shows in the infant mortality rates and the average life span of adults. Insurance companies have used the same tactics as cigarette companies to deceive and confuse the citizens of this country and to forestall regulation of their practices that put corporate profit ahead of human life.

Arlene P. Cayer

Arlington Heights