Letters to the Editor

Super Bowl safety comes first

Dear Editor,
   
    Super Bowl Sunday is one of America’s biggest and most entertaining national sporting events as friends and families gather to socialize and watch the big game. Yet, it is also one of the nation’s most dangerous days on the roadways due to impaired driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 158 people, representing 51 percent of all traffic fatalities, died during the 2004 Super Bowl weekend due to impaired drivers with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of .08 and higher. That’s why P.A.W.S. (Peers Advocating Wellness Succesfully)is joining with the National Football League (NFL), the Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management Coalition (TEAM), Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Drunk Driving (RADD), NHTSA and other state and local highway safety and law enforcement officials to remind everyone to act responsibly by designating a sober driver if they plan on using alcohol this Super Bowl weekend. Please remember that Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. If you plan on using alcohol while cheering your team on to victory, pass your keys to a sober, designated driver before the Super Bowl party begins. Follow the rules or law enforcement will penalize you for driving impaired. Be sure to make the right play for the big game. This effort is part of the NFL-TEAM-RADD’s season-long Responsibility Has Its Rewards national designated driver program at every NFL stadium. During the 2004 NFL Season, more than 80,000 football fans pledged to be a sober designated driver. For 2005, TEAM projects more than 100,000 fans will have pledged to make the winning play. Drunk driving crashes—and fatalities—can be prevented.
    Please act responsibly. Pass your keys to a sober driver before the big game begins. And remember, real Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. For more information, please visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org and www.TeamCoaltion.org.

Sincerely,
Beth Lanier
PAWS
President

GCSU’s undtold half of the story

Dear Editor

    I would like to clarify some points made in the Jan. 19 Colonnade article, “Magnolia Park shuttle takes to the streets around GCSU.”
    First, Georgia College is pleased that Magnolia Park Apartments has been able to establish its long-promised campus shuttle service. Transportation to and from campus can often be frustrating for students who do not live in campus housing, and it is hoped that Magnolia will be able to maintain the shuttle service it now has underway. This should do much to alleviate the frustrations expressed by some of its residents.
    I also believe it is important to note that a portion of your original story was misleading when it stated, “Transportation arrangements took longer than expected because Magnolia Apartments had hoped that GCSU would work with them.”
    In fact, GCSU officials repeatedly reached out to Magnolia Parks’ management in a good-faith effort to resolve its lack of promised shuttle service. These overtures included offering several options, and a willingness to extend negotiations. The university even offered to participate in alternative dispute resolution in hopes of reaching a compromise that would be fair to everyone involved.
    The story also stated that Magnolia Park officials were “willing to pay GCSU for transportation” – however, it neglected to include the fact that Magnolia’s proposed contribution was substantially less than the actual cost of running such a shuttle service. It would not only be a poor use of student funds to subsidize a private company in this manner, but the university is not even legally permitted to do so.
    Although GCSU and Magnolia officials were unable to work out an acceptable arrangement for shuttle service, the university did work to coordinate schedules and campus drop-off locations for the Magnolia-operated shuttle, and Magnolia Park accepted our assistance with determining a route that maximizes the safety of Magnolia’s residents.
    It was disappointing that the university did not have an opportunity to respond to the issues raised in the Jan. 19 story, but we look forward to doing so in the future, especially in matters where GCSU’s willingness to accommodate the needs of our students is questioned.

Sincerely,
Kyle  Cullars
Auxiliary Service
Director

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 2 2007. Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry