Letters to the Editor

China-Burma India Vets reunion

Editor:

Veterans who served in the China, Burma, India Theater of Operations in World War 11 are invited to a National Reunion to be held August 27-September 2, 2001 at the Biltmore Hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This will be the 54th Annual Reunion of the China-Burma-India Veterans Association, which has over 6,000 national members.

If you are a CBI veteran, please send your name, address, and phone number to Melvin D. McMullen, 120 West 49th Street, San Bernardino, CA 92407-3202, so we can send information about the reunion. Please tell us also the name of your CBI unit and locations where you served overseas.

If you cannot attend the National Reunion, we would still like to hear from you so we can notify you of upcoming regional CBIVA events, including an "ALL-WEST' reunion in Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 2-6, 2001, as well as activities of local CBIVA units in your area.

MELVIN D. MCMULLEN

National Provost Marshal

China-Burma-India Veterans Association

My Toter Twobits or We Gotta G.E.T. Going

To the Editor:

Hey, were did my dumpster go? I had one but now its gone. I don't have the "Giant Evil Toter," hereafter known as "G.E.T.," either. Guess I had better call the Refuse Co. tomorrow.

On with the story, I too have a problem with toters, but not mine-my Mother's. She is 78 years old and has terrible back problems and lots of metal screws etc. in her left thigh bone. She can hardly walk and sometimes uses a quad cane. Her home has no driveway at the front. She has always driven down the alley and parked in the garage. This property has been this way since the home was built in 1954. So why is it important she have a driveway to the street?

My Mom called the city to ask questions about the new services as she was worried that she would not be able to manage the "G.E.T." She was told that she had to have the "G.E.T." in the front of her house. This is because the Double Your Rate Single Weekly Pickup Service, where "The Man" comes and gets the "G.E.T." because the customer cannot move the thing, requires it to be in front. Not at the very front but on the street facing side. [Note: his once a week personal pickup service for the handicapped was checked with the city. Private residences where the toter can be moved out to curbside will have service twice a week. The Editor.]

Pretty nice Huh. Double your bill by halving the service. It probably takes 4-5 minutes to roll the thing out and back, not including the time for the truck to dump it.

I feel that the loss of 50% of service for the same monthly fee is excessive and Waste Management and Winslow should be VERY willing to accommodate this MINORITY of ELDERLY, DISABLED, TAX PAYING, PROPERTY OWNING or RENTING CITIZENS. Wow, how many Federal Codes can we get out of that?

She can't have the thing next to the front porch, or blocking the walk to the front door. Beautify Winslow by decorating every home with a giant green trash can. Wow, talk about new art forms. I guess it's a liability issue. With the danger of fetching the "G.E.T." and maybe getting a strain, damaged disk, falling, dog bitten or hurt in some other way that causes Waste Management to charge such for this type of work. Sounds like Toters are a hazard. She has a gate about 80 feet up the alley at the side of her home, easily accessed from the alley. If the "G.E.T." was set there it would be visible from the street. Alas, her side porch and sidewalk are not adequate for the "G.E.T." She needs to have a parking spot were it does not make ruts rolling across about 4-8 feet of lawn and bouncing on the walkway, risking a spill. I will have to widen the walkway so that it is level where the "G.E.T." maneuvers. I estimate the total cost to accommodate the "G.E.T." will be about $40.00 for materials and about 4-5 hours labor on my part. Is this expense refundable from Winslow or Waste Management? I doubt it, that's part of the price one must pay for getting old and disabled.

I need to convince the powers to be that the side gate in the alley is a far better place for it to be. In Mom's case anyway.

I know what I am talking about because I have had a toter. I rolled that thing 120 feet to the front of my property then another 200 feet to the main paved road. The refuse company could not come closer to the house because they did not have a place to turn the giant truck around. During the trip of pretty close to 300 feet total, if the toter hit a bump or small dip it had a tendency, if really full, to tip over. What a mess that can make. When empty the wind tended to blow it over, and the local dogs and coyotes tried to get into it when there was blood or meat type garbage. The dogs never did knock it over, but they did pull at bags that stuck out under the lid when really full. How can a toter get real full you may ask? Well, You better not miss the truck! I had three kids and two adults creating trash. It would get over full If I missed the truck. I would then have to place trash bags next to the toter. The driver didn't like this and complained. I had to meet the truck and load the bags in after he dumped it and then he would dump it again. I think there was some company policy about getting out of the truck. I solved the problem with a grace of his palm with a dead president, Lincoln I believe. Here we have the "Official, two dollar bag" and twice a week service so a missed pickup is not as bad. Note; This was not Waste Management Inc. I have seen only one incident where I felt Waste Management could have done better. That involved damage to a fence from the dumpster hitting it when being serviced. It simply took too long, her dog got hurt and it was a hassle for an elderly widow to get the fence mended properly.

I also wonder about parking. On my Mom's street there a lot of cars/ pickups that park on the street. If someone blocks the Toter will it still get serviced?

I feel that "customary passage", as referred to in a Reminder Ad, does not include the street itself, except at corners and crosswalks. This will insure adequate width and safe passage on the sidewalk. (I measured the walk at Mom's myself). Is there a law prohibiting putting a trash container in the street? I see one problem with setting the Toter down off the curb. Due to the shape, when full, they tend to tip over easily.

I can see two elderly ladies fencing with measuring sticks. The first says; I told you, it's got to be 36 inches not 32. The second replies; I am also including the top of the curb. Besides, there is that 12 inches of grass before the fence. Meanwhile a refuse truck scrapes the parked car that is in the way. Up the street a man races at breakneck speed to catch the truck with his beloved, 'Evil Toter,' falls and is pinned under the full container, the trash spills out and he is torn apart by dogs. Speaking of dogs, Dad told me that little strip of grass was for dogs on a leash being walked. It keeps their paws from getting too hot or bruised on the concrete sidewalk.

Mayor Boles, where are you? I trust and hope that you will use your sound judgment to make this looming black cloud of fear and despair called "Toters" go away. Toters are here to stay. However, it seems to me that there is a problem with working out the details. We need more information, not the snotty, you will do it this way, attitude I have seen from the City and Waste Management so far. Winslow has a population of elderly and handicapped people and I am seeing a disappointing lack of concern for their welfare. I will be helping my Mom with her trash, but I know of a lot of folks who don't have family close enough to help.

Pete Henderson

Winslow

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