The Emporia Gazette

Emporia has a trash problem

Forgot to sign the above,

Noel Stanton
Moerlenbach, Germany

March 10, 2010 at 5:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Emporia has a trash problem

Seriously,
Sorry to cast a shadow on your evidently fond memories of Germany but the facts are that most communities have regulations placing the responsibility on the building owner for keeping the streets and walks along the full length of the property swept and picked up ((he can in turn assign these duties to his tenants). Thus, if your lot fronts 30 meters on the street, then you are responsible for all 30 meters. If the lot has a multi-occupant use, then the occupants rotate the sweeping and cleaning duties, usually every Saturday. The duty roster is posted in view of everyone, usually in the main entry. The assignments are worked out in house meetings. Exceptions are given those who are handicapped, too old or similar. People can informally switch dates with a neighbor or hire a student to do the work.
There are several advantages: the city saves on cleaning costs, the people take pride in their building and street and, if someone doesn't do his/her job, the group pressure can be heavy or a complaint can be filed with the city. If the city sends municipal workers to clean up, all the resulting costs are billed to the property and, then prorated as additional rental costs. The cities don’t hesitate about sending workers: Germans despise “Unordnung,” disorderliness.
A system like this would probably never be possible in Emporia because most persons would be screaming "big government socialism," as you rightly noted. Germany is very densely populated (almost 30 times more people than Kansas in an area only 67% bigger than Kansas) and the practices and customs are highly intelligent and useful for a society of such density. The Germans understand the pressing necessity of regulating many aspects of their communal life. Kansans don't feel that regulations are necessary because Kansans feel they can always move on, leaving their current mess behind, and find open space and fewer persons to impinge on what they think are their "freedoms."

March 10, 2010 at 4:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Euthanization

Excellent journalism and editorial reasoning! In the finest tradition of WAW.

Far superior to yesterday's inane editorial, "No Change," mouthing Moran's selfserving spin on the Washington mess.

Noel Stanton, Moerlenbach, Germany

March 4, 2010 at 6:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Just the facts

ESU should see the school closings in North and South Lyon County as an opportunity to develop the technology and methods to provide online instruction for K-12 students. The demand for such a service in the increasingly depopulating areas of the Midwest or sparsely inhabited regions of Alaska, Canada, Australia, etc should be significant and might open a new source of income for ESU.
This suggestion is not to be confused with the online instruction in Kansas City that ESU provides for those doing mostly graduate work.
Such a K-12 service could improve educational quality for lone children on the Great Plains and perhaps even save local school districts substantial sums by reducing busing expenses.

February 20, 2010 at 4:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sell funding

Kansas would be a lot smarter if some of the transportation monies were used to restore rail service.

Noel Stanton

August 3, 2009 at 6:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

One last time

Enjoy your retirement, Mr. Kelley. Over the years I have admired your skill at finding a language that did not offend while discussing a topic that many Kansans would see diametrically different than you. Some of those posting comments online were unable to recognize the nuances and seem to have instantly identified wild prejudice and unremitting heresy in anything signed with your name. In the past months, I stopped reading their posts: they were only exploiting the chance to mob and project their hate onto a local victim.

You once noted that you read 50 papers daily. Will you now still have the resources or the desire to follow the world's events at such depth?

July 30, 2009 at 6:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

The last word, too soon

Well written. In fact, probably the best writing I have ever seen from your pen.

May 10, 2009 at 10:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

City commissioners discuss plan to ease sewer backups

Rainwater should not be contaminated by being drained into sewage lines. If the two effluents are mixed in one pipe, the pipe is quickly overloaded and all the liquid volume must be treated and cleaned. This both overworks the sewage plant and leads to backups in basements and manholes.
Many communities use a dual system of a separate storm sewer parallel to the sanitary sewer. The rainwater discharges directly into a river or similar runoff. The solution is not cheap but certainly a more sustainable answer to the Emporia problem than check valves.

April 22, 2009 at 11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Democrat urges fiscal, environmental responsibility

Very intelligent ideas and a cogent analysis. Kansas has enormous problems and Mr. Steineger sounds like someone who could repair some of its troubles.

Noel Stanton
Moerlenbach, Germany

April 4, 2009 at 6:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Homeless in America

Bravo, Mr. Kelly. Well written and true.

Noel Stanton
Moerlenbach, Germany

March 29, 2009 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )