Show MEIOB Friday September 20 A4 The Herald Journal Our view Unusual twists of fate W Building the home of the opera company more appro- It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for Herald Journal reporters assigned “person on the street" interviews If you have been following the local news you know that a serial molester was ' identified by police when one of his victims spotted his photo in the newspaper He was pictured among many valley residents interviewed for the newspaper’s special Sept 11 edition The female reporter who unknowingly interviewed the crime suspect at the Cache Val- -' ley Mall said he was very coop- erative and did not bother her in ' any way However another reporter doing impromptu inter- -' views in Logan did feel a little bothered when ajnan she approached for news comments last week nsked her for a date “I kind of have a policy — I have to know a guy for at least five minutes before I’ll go out with them” she joked afterward hat should police officers say to motorists after writing them traffic tickets? That question was posed in this space last week in response to a local resident's anonymous letter to the newspaper complaining that an officer wished her a nice day as he handed her a speeding citation “Don’t you think an ‘I’m sorry 1 hope you can still pay your bills' would have been priate?" she asked As might be anticipated the woman’s complaint did not win the sympathy of all HJ readers The wife of a local police officer was among the miffed “Police officers don’t set the fines for the tickets Why in the world would a police officer have to apologize for enforcing the law?" she wanted to know Her suggested alternative: “Hope you have a better day” ' Representatives for The Utah Festival Opera Company were not happy this summer when many operagoers in Logan returned to their cars to find parking boots on them That’s why a caller to The Herald Journal this week found it ironic that y warning signs have been posted at the Dansante tow-awa- now-admitt- ed Many of the participants in last weekend’s LOTOJA bicycle race could probably pontificate for hours about road safety and proper bicycle and pedestrian protocol That’s why we wonder why so many people arriving at and leaving the LOTOJA preface party in downtown Logan last Friday showed no compunction about stepping right out in front of passing traffic? Your view to spay neuter pets To the editor Help available We at the Cache Humane Society get a lot of calls from people who need help with spaying and neutering their pets or stray animals (usually cats) that have “adopted” them We appreciate their concerns because spaying and neutering is the most humane way to get the animal overpopulation problem under control I would like to summarize the programs that are currently available in Cache Valley In November and the Cache Humane Society Feb-ruai- y along with participating veterinary clinics will again offer $10 rebate coupons for spays and neuters Also Maddie’s Fund and the American Veterinary Medical Association are offering $10 spays and neuters (total cost) for feral (unowned cats You can find more information by calling (toll No More free) Homeless Pets in Utah also offers ' g) reduced-fe- e spays and neuters at local yet clinics for persons (well for the animals actually!) It also has the “Big Fix” a mobile spayneuter clinic which comes to Logan a few times a year The dale of its next visit to Logan isn’t available yet but it will be in Ogden on Oct 7 and 8 Information oh both of these can be low-inco- foundatwwwutahpetsorg And finally — even if you don't need help with spaying or neutering your pets you can show your sup- - port by using the new SpayNeuter stamps which will be released by the Postal Service on Friday Sept 20 Paul Mueller Cache Humane Society you can’t beat ’em join ’em If To the editor To the subscribers and readers of The Herald Journal or anyone else I give up You win I was wrong Alcohol is the root of all evil I’m sure all users of said evil will be darned In fact as my wife will attest I've been wrong about a lot of things I’m sure heading for he double toothpicks I truly am sorry if I offended anyone in any way with my letters attitude actions or anything else In fact I will admit to and say almost anything if you will please please please stop harassing my family especially my wife and children Please do not shove a nightstick (baton) down my daughter’s blouse between her breasts ever again (I am looking for a good attorney) I would like to try to make sure no other girl has to go through that kind of sexual abuse If it happened to my daughter it could easily happen to any of your daugh-- 1 ters No one should ever accept abuseharassment - My children truly are' good folks In fact my children and all young See YOUR VIEW on A14 West Nile virus sparks rumors By John Hughes For The Christian Science Monitor s enator Patrick J Leahy the Vermont Democrat who has a special familiarity with intelligence matters last week urged the government to explore the possibility of a terrorist link to the US outbreak of West Nile virus Last year 66 people contracted the disease This year about 1400 have and 66 of them have died While there is so far no evidence that the virus or something similar js being used ' as a biological weapon against the US Mr Leahy’S con-cem has renewed speculation among some Cuba- watchers about Fidel Castro’s dabbling with germ warfare and his close relationship with Saddam Hussein of Iraq and other rogue nations such as Iran Last month Havana’s official newspaper Granma carried a curious story about the West Nile virus revealing substantial familiarity with its transmission by mosquitoes and migratory birds Then it offered Cuba’s “fullest cooperation” with US authorities in confronting the threat Does this offer by a regime expat in deception in fact marie a Cuban biological warfare program? Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Carl Ford Jr testified to US Senators in June that Cuba ‘lias at least a limited offensive biological warfare research and development effort” While US intelligence is perfectly capable of detecting weapons like rockets and long-suspect- ed cam (tlAUc t lAN? wcftwgj Maariv Tel Aviv & am Hussein is not making things easy for that bunch of gunslingers from Texas On the eve of his expected elimination he has laid a mine in their path The butdrer MewWettteAfcU o fWt-tffc- r 'Sfl&ecWedly ivwn tWifalLws ftWHeAP- - Hears ttwr conclusions fa of UN inspection” to “develop the 5V1417 strain of the West Nile virus” The! story gained further circulation in an October 1999 article ini New York magazine by Richard the autha of “The Cobra Event” a novel whose plot involves a terrorist attack on New Yak using a lethal virus ' The problem with much of this ruma and speculation about Cuba’s biological warfare program — and who might be subsidizing it — is that it is unsubstantiated and in many cases comes from defectors whose Pfce-st- on ANpVfelteAFSIfKr UCU£2 4mz s QTtmonlijto a anti-Cast- ro a especially o at a time when President Bush is threatening war against Iraq and any evidence of links between Hussein and Castro involving biological warfare experiments would be political dynamite The problem as Ford testified is that “tire nature of biological weapons makes it difficult to procure clear incontrovertible poof that country is engaged in illicit biologi- cal weapons research production and weaponization stockpiling Cuba’s sophisticated denial and deception practices make our task even more difficult” In a column four months ago I suggested that if Castro wanted an early lifting of the US embargo there were two things he should do First i he could hold the national referen- dum called for by 1 1000 Cubans who courageously signed a petition to institute human rights and free i political prisoners He has already £ dismissed this' contemptuously fellow his Cubans My appeal by second suggestion was that he permit serious international inspection of the Cuban laboratories suspected of & bidogical warfare development In ?“ the light of recent developments with Iraq and a suggestion by an influen-ti- al US senator that the West Nile virus and terrorism may not be unre- that inspection assumes new 3 urgency : : “ John Hughes editor and chief operat- ing officer of the Deseret News is a former editor of the Monitor Westerns indicative of Bush presidency (tot-t- wtny iirm fa from Baghdad has agreed to allow the international inspectors to enta and now Saddam is saying to Iraq himself and the whole world - let’s see Mr Bush 6pen fire i But all those who fear that Bush will let the opportunity slip from his hands and will leave tire Iraqi ' scoundrel alone should be told that The jriHlctV CmftowniflMMaainMKiM a reports cannot be corroborated It also comes amid heightened debate in Congress ova the future of tire US— Cuban relationship and whether US sanctions against Cuba lifted Thus should be modified factions and have a provested interest in proving disproving Mr Castro’s dabbling with dangerous offensive viruses This is Other views Mallard Fillmore l6frnve skies Aft i missiles for delivery of biological warfare products is it possible that Cuba could be conducting experiments with delivery by such unconventional means as migratory birds? Mr Ford claimed that Cubs has provided dual-us- e biotechnology both (technology that can be used destructive caistnictive medical military use) to rogue states Does this mean Iraq? Cuba has had friendly relations with Iraq years mid Consistently supported it at the UN against the US Rumors pf financial scandal in 1999 at Cuba’s Center fa Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology suggested some kind of funding support from Iraq As recently as July Castro confidant Rodrigo Alvarez Cambra rr- - ai) orthopedic surgeqq whorpdrtedlyperiarmed back surgery on Mr Hussein and who is president of the Cuban-Ara- b Friendship Society — was dispatched to Baghdad to meet with Hussein and proclaim Cuba’songo-in- g support West Nile virus first appeared in New York in 1999 In the same yea a book written by Michael Ramadan a purported forma bodyguard and look-alik- e for Hussein related an conversation with the Iraqi alleged leader in which he speculated about an “ultimate weapon developed in secret laboatories outside Iraq free Herald Journal Editorial policy Ths Opinion page is intended to acquaint reader with a variety of viewpoints on matters of pubfle importance and provide membere of the community with a forum for ttieir views Personal columns cartoons and lettere from readers reflect tha opinions of their writers and creators Edttoriale under tie headng 0ur reenl tha views of tha HsriSd Journal lairl Unmh waiMnvmorraMnonaiDOBra DARRELL editor CINDY YUHTWeatures edtor BRUCE SMJTHpubfisher CHARLES McCOLLUMmanaging edtor 6egaM out of t multitude of tongues tfmdmtfangWofautfumtattekUctwn’ - they need not worry Anyone who knows the present White House and its residents knows that the “good guy" will go out to get the " bad guy ’even if he has to do it all by ' himself That’s tire way it was in all the westerns and that’s how it will be in tire Bush presidency mmam Tha Herald Journal wefoomas lettere to the edtor Potentiaiy Kietous or offensive letters wi not be pubfished however and the edtor resenree the right to edt el letter to conform to the length and style requirements of tha newspaper Letlerk should be: Typewritten and double spaced No more than 450 words in length Addreieed and include ttayOme phono number tor purposeeof verification Styied by the author todMduals are Imbed to one published totter within any 30-de-y period Address lettere to hjtotlarOhjnewsom Gueat commentaries are aleo wetooma and are tun at Vic - JuJgt Learned tioni Amerian jurist ji Mon oscreoon 1 (1872-196-1) i ' |