“Danger, Will Robinson, Danger,” was how the family robot warned young Will in the 1960’s TV program “Lost in Space.”
“Danger, anyone driving in Portsmouth, danger,” is today’s warning.
There is a epidemic in Portsmouth. Not E. coli or a strain of flu but an epidemic none the less. One that cost lives, property and untold grief. This epidemic may seem trivial to some until you are its victim.
Its name is “red light runners.”
I challenge anyone to drive through Portsmouth and not witness at least one occurrence of someone running a red light. I do not mean by a mere fraction of a second but by a time span that could easily result in an accident.
I have witnessed, on more than on occurrence, a city police officer observe the red light infraction and opt not to pursue the law breaker.
Before the red light was installed at the access to the theater and businesses just south of the Chillicothe Street viaduct, the city enforced the speed limit in that area stringently. The result being slower, more aware, traffic.
The mayor says that there is an increase in accidents on both 11th Street and 12th Street. It stands to reason that if the city police department made a similar effort on those streets and intersections with a high rate of accidents, a similar outcome would occur.
But in mean time, “Danger, anyone driving in Portsmouth, danger!”
Harold T. Pack
Portsmouth
Reader disagrees
with online poll
I would like to point out that the “Should Mayor Jane Murray resign?” vote on the main page of Portsmouth Daily Times — www.portsmouthdailytimes.com — is not a fair or accurate method of determining how well Jane Murray is liked as a mayor.
First of all, it slants toward those who actually get onto the website, which has shown prominently anti-Jane Murray sentiment in the first place. Secondly, you can reload the page and vote again, as many times as you would like. Some people have nothing better to do with their time, and as the total tally of whether Jane Murray should resign voters has surpassed the number of registered voters who actually voted in the last election, I wonder how accurate the poll is.
In order to rectify this terrible statistical abomination, you should have the users sign into their accounts. I realize people could have several accounts, but at least one account would equal one vote, in a better representation of the thoughts of the readers. I strongly recommend fixing these errors before someone with a little more pull catches on to the errors.
This is supposed to be a newspaper, not a political tabloid, but Portsmouth Daily Times has shown no fairness in the past few months toward the new mayor, and has even gone as far as to silence the opinions of those who do support her. Honestly, the paper is a disgrace as far as fair and accurate reporting goes and should be ashamed of itself.
Sarah Lawson
Portsmouth
(Editor’s Note: As with many polls taken on the Internet, the results were not meant to be scientific or statistically accurate. It was meant only as an opportunity for Web visitors to participate in a current issue facing our city — one that was brought up at a recent City Council meeting.)
Write a letter Pepprkorn not post under a mask. Who are these people who seethe over Ms Mayor Murray? Who are they? Never came up about Kalb, Baughman, Haas, et al like that, why?
Of course if you have the same slant as the PDT's you will have no complaint. The PDT's don't need you nor anybody, like Senator Spector they are adults now and don't need groupies. They can take it, so give us substance, with examples and facts not sweeping generalizations, etc.
You'll do yourself credit if you do.
At least you will see this and know by these two letters which stand on their own despite your excuse below. You be warned that these letters among all the rest you don't post are representative of the silent majority the one's who voted down Marting's twice, Adelphia and the $100,000 cap referendum. And they will not recall the Mayor should the losers and SOGP'ers get the recall on the ballot, that probably does not take many signatures, but it takes a 50% vote to recall.
The first letter actually exhibits why the PPD does not want the traffic lights, they are an enforcement issue for them, work, sorry for your bad luck officers. Or the rank can't manage well and don't want the lights? Look at the other article on the public plea to keep them down like Kalb had them?
Case Closed............................