Letters to the Editor (Nov. 10)

Fallen heroes of early U.S. wars

Each Veterans Day, parades are held across the country in honor of our military and those who have served. Many veterans march in these parades, wearing with pride the uniforms and medals of their service.

Most of those marching in parades will be from our more recent conflicts, from Vietnam to missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Few veterans are left from Korea and World War II, and none from World War I or any of the battles before then.

But that does not mean they are not there.

Every veteran, and those who are still in service, embodies this country’s long military tradition. They are Minutemen and GIs, Doughboys and Leathernecks. They are naval officers and seamen, fighter pilots and ground crews. As a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, I am proud to stand with our veteran men and women of the Armed Forces and with all those who proceeded us.

Remember those who have served, from those first volleys at Lexington and Concord to today. Should you attend a Veterans Day parade, you will see honor and history marching side by side.

Two good teams of Wichitans

I was impressed with the play and sportsmanship in the Newman-Wichita State basketball game Monday. Newman went into a game knowing the outcome but played like lions. They helped raise money for hurricane relief efforts and didn’t give a thought to the score.

I hope Wichita realizes that we have some great players — men and women. Please attend our local college and high school games because we have the finest players in the nation right here in the city.

We already have plants like Tyson

The rhetoric on the possible Tyson Foods poultry plant is tired. How about some perspective? “We’re the Air Capital. We’re too good for this. We’re exporting high level jobs and bringing in minimum wage jobs” is a fraudulent argument.

Boeing left because it wanted to. Spirit filled most of the void. And yet, what is being pounded every day? “We can’t find skilled workers.” I’ve heard from many who have worked at some of the facilities who gripe about their job but stay anyway. Why don’t these people create “high turnover?”

Look around Sedgwick County. Grain elevators. Milk processing. Dold, Farmland. ICM. Farmer co-ops. Seed companies. Oil and lube production. Trucking. Flour and soy processing. Chemical plants. More individual farm operations than any other county. That is a lot of ag in the Air Capital.

All, like aircraft, have support industries around them. But since they don’t actually process animals downtown, they are exempt from scorn. Do we not want them here? They’re “dirty jobs.” Like Tyson, there’s a range of pay at these places.

Qualify of life in Wichita

“Local Sustainability Issues” was the topic of the October Luzzati Lecture Series at WSU. Zach Baumer, Climate Program Manager of the Office of Sustainability in Austin, talked about the city’s effort to “green” its environment. Sustainable practices and a healthy environment are important issues for businesses, young professionals, and entrepreneurs when they consider locating in a city.

STAR ratings give an overall picture of the quality of life in a city and the desirability of living there. The STAR system considers a city’s progress in nine categories: Built Environment, Climate and Energy, Economy and Jobs, Education, Arts and Community, Equity and Empowerment, Health and Safety, Natural Systems, and Innovation and Processes. Austin rates as a four-star community with 476 points of a possible 720. Wichita has a three-star rating with 231 points.

Clearly, we have room to improve our community’s sustainable practices and our STAR rating. It will take effort and resources, but our businesses, city leadership, Chamber of Commerce, and our citizens should support improvements in the Wichita community. After all, we all have to live here.

This story was originally published November 10, 2017 at 5:01 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor (Nov. 10)."