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The Reader's Forum: Walkers and riders
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Published: September 20, 2009
I feel that walkers have as much rights as bike riders at Salem Lake. Recently, my friend and I were walking the trail when I was grazed by two bike riders. Bike riders are supposed to yell "on your left," which lets people know they are passing you, and they are to ride single file while passing. These bicyclers rode past us three abreast instead of single file, which caused us to get off the trail.
These bike riders have no respect for others who are trying to walk the trail. They ride so fast and do not give walkers warning until they are right at them, and sometimes not even then. They ride like they think they are in the Tour de France and do not slow down for anyone. There are families with small children that walk this path each day to try and enjoy the trail and lake, but have to also watch for inconsiderate bike riders.
My friend and I love walking Salem Lake, but feel that the bike riders need to show respect for others and realize the trail is not just for bike riders, but for others in the community to enjoy.
CINDY REAVIS
Kernersville
Public service first
As a young person myself, I'm disappointed by the old-style politics of Southwest Ward candidate and young corporate lawyer Ted Shipley. The slashing negative campaign run by Shipley and his supporters does little to support his claim that he will "bring balance" to the city council.
I know Dan Besse, and he has always put public service before party affiliation. He works hard to find common ground on tough issues. It was Dan's work that brought former adversaries, from home builders to neighborhood advocates, together to agree on a strong but fair tree-conservation ordinance.
Shipley opposed the tree ordinance. I don't like the idea of having someone on my city council who doesn't understand that we need to keep more of our trees as our city grows.
Dan Besse did understand. If Winston-Salem really wants balance, we need to keep Dan Besse on our city council.
DIANA ROBSON
Winston-Salem
Unimpressed
I received my new and improved Journal on Sept. 14 and was quite unimpressed.
For want of a better description, the new Journal is lightweight in every sense. It reminds me of a paper I received in Ohio 30 years ago called the Centerville Advertiser. Like that paper, the Journal apparently has no serious reporters and future headline stories will be about who can grow the largest onion or radish in the neighborhood. I found nothing remotely related to coverage of international, national and state activities in any detail to warrant serious consideration. As far as being a watchdog over Winston-Salem politics and government, to the benefit of the citizens of our fine town, forget it. Does the Journal even consider this a role that it should play?
Tough times are upon us. Cutting one inch off the paper size and producing fewer words with larger print probably saves a ton of money. Perhaps newspapers have become irrelevant in today's world, except for the comics. Apparently that is what my subscription to the Journal buys.
I am going to miss the Journal as it used to be; it helped me start my day. I guess I am going to have to get news by watching morning television or the evening news -- 10 minutes of program content and 20 minutes of advertising -- to get any information related to business and world events.
Life goes on, but I bet the 1897 founders of the Journal are doing flip flops in their graves.
JOE CAGLE
Bermuda Run
Tempest in a teapot
The last time I looked, we live in a democratic society with a multiple-party system, two of which are dominant.
The last election was won by the Democratic Party for a variety of reasons. The main theme I detected was that we were ready for change. Where is our memory of the last, disastrous eight years?
We elected a man who speaks well, understands world issues and doesn't declare enemies as evil. He wants to work with all of us as well as other world cultures.
Why then do I keep hearing so many underling themes of disrespect and other issues? It sounds like people want to overturn the election rather than accept the outcome. I strongly believe that both parties must have a voice in whatever our government does. So does President Obama.
Is there any awareness of the multiple problems that this president has to correct? There's health care, Wall Street and banking excess, an impossible war and too many more to name.
What kinds of parents block their children from hearing a message from our president on education and student motivation, calling it a "socialist" message? Had they read the script? It's like the McCarthy era again.
Where is the respect? Why do some want to go backward? A majority elected a good man, now let's stop voicing our resentments that he is now our president. Citizens have a responsibility to correct what is wrong by cooperating.
NAN S. PROUT
Winston-Salem
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