Letters and feedback: April 14, 2018
About that lagoon ...
Here are a few questions for members of the Space Coast Association of Realtors: Would you buy a house anywhere in Brevard County, particularly on the Indian River Lagoon? How many buyers and sellers are watching from the sidelines to see if anything meaningful is done to save the area’s anchor draw? If the Banana River around Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach fails as a viable marine ecosystem, and becomes the stinking cesspool that it now resembles, where does the market go? Your organization has been silent too long.
Where is all the sea life? When my wife and I bought a waterfront home in Cocoa Beach in 2006 we could see the bottom of the estuary from our dock and boat — lots of fish, crab and seagrass. Dolphin pods routinely ran game fish up against the seawalls and chased mullet schools down the channel. Brown pelicans and osprey skillfully dive-bombed their prey, daily. Migratory white pelicans visited every January to choreograph a local natural wonder: the thrilling and beautiful waterfowl-on-parade – and all just outside our window. The natural life around us seemed to be in order. But none of it happens today, thanks to a perpetual human sewage-fed algae bloom caused by rotting municipal infrastructure.
The public needs to know, now: Where are the Realtors?
Mark Clancey, Cocoa Beach
Spend county bucks on river woes
At the April 10 commission meeting, I heard the “experts” say the home septic tank/drain fields were a major contributor to our river pollution.
In my opinion, all our available money should be spent on fixing our rivers. There is nothing more important — not sidewalks around ball fields or fake grass on ball fields. The Health Department should stop issuing permits for all new septic tanks and drain fields. All new homes must be connected to a sewer line. All homes with septic tanks and drain fields should be allowed to continue their use until the drain field must be replaced. At that point, the home must be connected to a sewer line. The home owner will pay one half of the cost to connect to the sewer line and the county will pay the other half. The county should expedite the installation of sewer lines in those areas where those existing homes will be connected to the sewer line.
When I came here 60 years ago, I saw mullet jumping and people catching shrimp in the Indian River. I used to water ski in the rivers. I haven’t seen that happening in many years. I see only dead fish and a smelly river and I would not ski on the rivers today.
Joe Skowron, Rockledge
True 'friends' for kids in need
I offer a big thank you to “Friends of Children of Brevard County," which is the fundraising arm of the Guardian ad Litem Program in Brevard. This organization enables GALs to help abused and neglected children by giving them the extras they need to make things easier for them while in foster care. “Friends” funds fees for camp, bikes, computers, diapers, school supplies, luggage, holiday gifts, and other items on a case-by-case basis at the GAL’s request. For the past few years they have also provided beds, mattresses, bedding and clothing.
Since when are beds and clothing “extras” and not part of normal daily living? Since DCF has been placing children with relatives who are so poor that they have no extra beds or furniture for these children.
It is shameful that the relative caregivers are pushed to accept these children into their homes, but left without funds or guidance to provide the necessities. In my most recent case there are five children sleeping on air mattresses in the same room. Eventually, in a few months, the grandmother will receive a small monthly subsidy for each child, but she is on her own until then.
Please join me in asking Gov. Scott to put some DCF funds in a special pool, just to purchase the necessities when they place children with relatives or friends of the offending parents; and, if you can help in other ways, please donate to www.friendsofchildrenofbrevard.org; or you could become a guardian ad litem: Call 321-690-6823, Ext. 0.
Ann Coburn, Port St. John
Cut Facebook founder some slack
I have been watching in disgust the grilling of Mark Zuckerberg.
Here we have a perfect example of American entrepreneurship being insulted at times, mostly by Democrats still trying to figure out how they lost the election.
Mr. Zuckerberg's whole idea was to bring friends together. Now he is being crucified about personal data. I think this whole thing is much ado about nothing. If you don't want your data messed, with don't put it on Face Book. And please quit insulting the man.
Jack Mueller, Cocoa Beach