PUBLIC FORUM.Pilgrim end of harvest As you know, the Pilgrims Pilgrims, in American history, the group of separatists and other individuals who were the founders of Plymouth Colony. The name Pilgrim Fathers is given to those members who made the first crossing on the Mayflower. disembarked from the Mayflower Mayflower, ship Mayflower, ship that in 1620 brought the Pilgrims from England to New England. She set out from Southampton in company with the Speedwell, in December 1620. They built their homes, farmed the land, and by the end of the first year, 1621, they had built many houses, had a wonderful harvest, and had the first Thanksgiving. (Although it was not called Thanksgiving at that time). One of the colonists, Edward Winslow, wrote: ``Our harvest being gotten, our governour sent foure men on fowling Fowling is a term which is perhaps better known in the Fens of eastern England than elsewhere. It was more than the commercial equivalent of the field sport of wildfowling, in that it includes all forms of bird catching for meat, feathers or any other part of the bird which may , that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labours; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others.'' Happy Thanksgiving ... -- Charles Dusheck Chatsworth What about us? Re ``County's pay giveaway'' (Nov.18): Does the county's Board of Supervisors have no regard for the burden to taxpayers to pay the increased $341 million for lucrative salary/benefits to workers? -- Martha Akin Reseda You're lucky Re ``Mayor vetoes hazing payoff'' (Nov. 21): I was so happy to see the mayor of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. veto the settlement of $2.7 million for two bites of dog food. It seems to me Tennie Pierce is going to eat a little crow Little Crow (b. Taheton Wakawa Mini) (?1820–63) Mdewakanton (Santee) Sioux; born near present-day St. Paul, Minn. Friendly with whites to the point of helping them track down "hostile" Indians, he was said by some to have been boastful and often drunk. . How's that taste? Pierce should be ashamed of himself for making this lawsuit against the city in the first place. You're lucky to have the job as a highly respected firefighter with great pay and retirement benefits. -- Randy E. Aldridge Palmdale Silly settlement Re ``Mayor vetoes hazing payoff'' (Nov. 21): I am amazed a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. and even proud of Mayor Tony for vetoing that silly settlement to the ``traumatized'' fireman. I am even more amazed at the attitudes expressed by our City Council. Since when did we the people become too stupid to figure out when someone was running a con job? They had to protect us from ourselves? Racial discrimination is one thing and a horrible thing at that. But a man who participated in hazing and pranking throughout his career suddenly decides he is a victim? I think even the lowly low·ly adj. low·li·er, low·li·est 1. Having or suited for a low rank or position. 2. Humble or meek in manner. 3. Plain or prosaic in nature. adv. 1. public sector can figure that one, boys. Don't count us out and, even more important, don't hand over our money without a fight. -- Kim Greene Studio City Odds are ... Re ``Pepper spraying of suspect seen in a new video'' (Nov. 15): If you got past the hit piece on Page 1, and ``fast-forwarded'' to Page 14, you would have read the dispassionate dis·pas·sion·ate adj. Devoid of or unaffected by passion, emotion, or bias. See Synonyms at fair1. dis·pas statistics on why out-of-policy arrests are negligible under Chief Bratton's helmsmanship. Granted, my chances of being involved in an out-of-policy apprehension are greater (159,985 to 1) than any single pull on a four-reel slot machine, with 20 stops per reel (159,991 to 1); but that's a bet that I can live with. -- Doug Aitken Doug Aitken is a multimedial American artist. Aitken’s Sleepwalkers, a video installation projected onto the outdoor facades of the Museum of Modern Art, opened on January 16, 2007. La Crescenta Taxpayers' subsidy Re ``Green light for Grand'' (Nov. 21): The political and special interests chatter and promotion of the Grand Avenue project is an attempt to deceive TO DECEIVE. To induce another either by words or actions, to take that for true which is not so. Wolff, Inst. Nat. Sec. 356. the public and justify millions of dollars of taxpayers' subsidy for a private boondoggle boon·dog·gle Informal n. 1. An unnecessary or wasteful project or activity. 2. a. A braided leather cord worn as a decoration especially by Boy Scouts. b. project. These self-serving interests and their political allies boast the ``great benefits'' from the creation of thousands of jobs and the millions of tax revenue dollars. The same project will generate the equivalent number of jobs and tax revenues if it is completed without any taxpayer subsidy. The politicians and special interests intentionally conceal these facts from the public in a clear attempt to dupe us again. -- Mort Arditti Los Angeles |
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