The merchants of Second Street would like to thank Mayor Kalb for moving the amusement rides during River Days from our businesses district. Our customers were more able to access our businesses and several businesses who had previously been closed during this time stayed open this year. We all termed the River Days weekend a success as far as our businesses were concerned. Again, thanks for listening to our concerns.

Sharon Bender

Ghosts in the Attic

Prescribed burns are bad science

Shawnee State Forest is in the Mixed Mesophytic Forest region. To the west 500 miles is the Cak-Hickory Forest region of the Arkansas and Missouri Ozarks.

E. Lucy Braun defined these natural forest regions. She is still considered the authority on Eastern hardwood forests.

Much research on oaks and fire has been done in the Ozarks. This research has been presented in U.S. Forest Service workshops and conferences as being from the Central Hardwoods Landscape. This lumps several of Braun's forest regions, making it appear that the mixed Mesophytic Forest region is one with the Oak-hickory Forest region.

Management decisions for Ohio state forests should be based on research on Ohio forests. A 10 year research program is under way in Ohio but is not complete. Final results are not in.

In spite of the lack of final research results, CDNR is jumping from preliminary 50 acre research plots to 500 to 900 acre experimental prescribed burns in Shawnee State Forest. This is bad science.

Shawnee State Forest is a young, even-age forest. Fire is catastrophic and would set back development in Shawnee by decades.

Barbara A. Lund

Lynx

Reader says protests should not occur after war starts

I think the author of a recent letter may have read things in my letter that weren't there. I'm not against dissent. I just don't feel this is the time to protest the war. The people that wanted to protest war should have done so before it began. I can't seem to find where there was any anti-war protest marches held in the streets of Portsmouth or the surrounding villages or cities.

What I do remember was a fever pitch to go to war by most Americans. It was almost like people were eager to go kick some terrorist behinds as a means to work off some frustration for all the attacks that had been dealt against us.

Who lied to us and about what? If you say President Bush did about WMDs then you need to read where he got his information. The CIA, British, French, Russian, and German Intelligence Agencies, plus the U.N. Security Council all said they were there.

By protesting now after our service members are there, instead of before the war, just undermines the military members morale. I promise you that they do hear about the protests in the United States. I want them home as bad as the next person, but with honor and not like a dog with its tail between its legs.

Philip Bloomfield

Lucasville

Mother thanks those who helped son in Gulf Coast

My name is Cora Marshall. On Sept. 4 my son called me to tell me he was evacuating Gulfport, Miss. They were in a road side rest for four or five days. On Thursday, Sept. 8, he called and told me he had no food or money. My family all worked together to get money to them. My daughter, Tammy Campbell, started to call family and friends as I did. I would like to thank everyone who gave. I am so proud. Together they got to gather more than $3,000 to send to Randy, Carmen and Ashley Tilley of Gulfport, Miss.

God provided a miracle for Randy and Carmen Tilley. Their house has damage, but is fixable. They are already in the house, they have power, a phone and water. This is how God works, through our prayers. Praise the Lord. Thanks to all.

Cora J. Marshall

New Boston