Mercy helps keep college costs down

8/1/2007

In regard to the July 9 editorial on the attractiveness of the lower cost of community college tuition, without question community colleges are helping to make higher education available to a greater number of people. The tuition at Owens Community College is less than other area institutions and allows students to get a start, or even complete, an associate s degree before transferring to other institutions. In fact, Mercy College of Northwest Ohio has more students from Owens Community College than from any other institution.

The true cost of higher education includes more than tuition. Especially in the medical fields, many community college students find themselves on waiting lists for necessary clinical seats. Furthermore, they also find they must take classes not needed for their degrees just to remain on the wait list. At Mercy College, students can complete their degrees without lengthy gaps waiting for the classes they need. Many students also value the small class size and close faculty relationships of a private institution.

Mercy College s tuition, ($278 per credit hour), is considerably less than most private, four-year colleges and many public colleges. We will continue to strive to keep our tuition and fees low, including maximizing financial aid to our students. Students who graduate without debt are in a better position to thrive in their professional careers.

We believe that students are best served by a broad range of higher education choices in private and public institutions. Mercy College remains committed to providing students interested in health careers a high quality, faith-based education at a reasonable cost.

John F. Hayward

President Mercy College

Mud Hens intern program began in 87

In John Wagner s July 8 story, Hens internships coveted, vice president and general manager Joe Napoli states the internship program started with him when he arrived.

Joe Napoli and another person, Mike Bezdek, came from the Canton-Akron Indians to the Toledo Mud Hens in 1991. Mr. Napoli did not come to the Toledo Mud Hens by himself.

The intern program began in 1987, with the Mud Hens management of Gene Cook and Jim Rohr working with the excellent sports management program at Bowling Green State University.

I certainly appreciated their courteous and very conscientious work ethic, which was taught at BGSU, helping with various vital tasks in the press box at Ned Skeldon Stadium.

Jim Muhn

Maumee

Editor s note: Mr. Muhn was press box attendant for the Mud Hens from 1984 to 1991.

Liberals equal time would kill talk radio

With the growing popularity of right-wing talk shows and the declining popularity of liberal talk shows, some liberals are proposing new FCC regulations for equal air time on the public s airwaves for talk shows. This liberal drive seems, at first, to make no sense, because all the right-wing talk-show hosts, such as Sean Hannity, Neil Cavuto, Glenn Beck, and Rush Limbaugh, constantly invite liberals to debate them on their shows.

But the liberal definition of equal air time on right-wing shows must mean equal air minutes for their typically one-sided discussions among themselves of controversial issues.

Advocates of all sides of a controversy should debate the facts of an issue for their audiences, but liberals generally will not debate right-versus-left issues on their talk shows. As proponents of selective facts, they discuss only those facts among themselves for their dwindling audiences. If liberal proponents prevail and get FCC regulations changed in their favor, I fear that equal air time will ultimately be responsible for the demise of all talk shows.

J. Murray Stewart, Jr.

Shoreland Avenue

Iraq s real story is not often reported

On July 13, a 23-year-old Iraqi journalist named Hassan who worked for the New York Times became yet another casualty of a convoluted war. The executive editor of the Times, Bill Keller, made the following statement: Hassan was part of a large, sometimes unsung community of Iraqi newsgatherers, translators, and support staff who take enormous risks every day to help us comprehend their country s struggle and torment. Without them, Americans understanding of what is happening on the ground in Iraq would be much, much poorer. That s a very fitting tribute, but a eulogy hollower than a bamboo reed, decaying in the wild. That s what has happened to a once-respectable profession. Sadly, when journalism becomes the domain of glib liars and a very lucrative financial source for media moguls, it begins to fill you with nausea. That s precisely what I felt after reading these comments.

The truth is contrary to what he said. The current and even the old school of veteran journalists are no longer interested in picking up the right story and ramming it deep down the throat of the perpetrators until they choke, no matter how high perched they are, both abroad and at home.

I wonder if the reporters of the Desert Storm era or the current breed ever rummage through their conscience and ask: Are we really bringing home the real thing, day after day? They should know: A story is not the reality. Please do not equate the two. Bring home the reality, not the stories that are handsomely wrapped in gore, blood, flesh, and soot.

The day they begin doing so, journalism will reincarnate itself. Until then, it will run and execute like the proverbial Italian mafia. Ordinary Americans like myself are seeing it every day, how can you not?

Abdul-Majeed Azad

Perrysburg

Hero didn t have to shoot police dog

Great. Another liberal judge in the animal community. Hancock County Common Pleas Court Judge Reginald Routson didn t think hauling out a shotgun and killing a dog that was not attacking or showing any aggression was worth jail time. All of us are out here trying to get judges to see that this is animal cruelty.

Certainly, the owner should have had his dog confined at all times (police dog or not) but as a certified state cruelty investigator I have never heard of a resident just blasting away a dog that just wouldn t go away.

Perhaps if Steven Vanderhoff hadn t tried to be a little hero with his big shotgun and done what normal people do when they see a stray dog (which is to call their animal control or local police), the dog would still be alive.

His child was safely in the car and the dog didn t pose a threat, but it seems every time there is a child and a dog involved, some wanna-be cop wants to be a hero and shoots the poor animal under the guise of saving a child.

Mr. Vanderhoff could have just called someone from his cell phone in his car or driven back out of his driveway to the police station.

Moreover, how magnanimous of the City of Findlay to waive the $l5,000 replacement fee for Mr. Vanderhoff. He should have been made to pay it in lieu of jail time, as the money could have gone to pay for a lot of spay/neuters or helping animals in need.

Kathy McGuire

Winslow Township, N.J.

Animal abusers are likely to hurt people

Looks like it happened again. The person who killed the police dog in Findlay got off with a slap on the wrist. When is the judicial system going to look at the data that show people who abuse animals are likely to abuse children, abuse spouses, and commit other serious crimes against people?

Strong enforcement of animal-abuse laws may stop some of the other problems before they start. Time to wake up.

C.J. Smith

Oregon

I wonder if the July 20 letter writer lamenting the lack of good music on Toledo area radio stations has ever heard of WGTE-FM 91.3, which is located on South Detroit Avenue in Toledo. She should try it.

The music offered on this station has been a staple in my life for many years and keeps me going in sunshine, rain, or snow - a never-failing antidote to whatever ails a person, including those over 60.

Eileen Leruth

Ryan Ridge Place