Dear neighbors:

To the editor:

I’ve just a few miscellaneous comments to make to my fellow Lawrence residents. To Mark Varble: City leaders did not create the messy cigarette butts on the sidewalks. Inconsiderate littering smokers did, just like they created the cigarette butt mess along the island medians at 23rd and Louisiana. There are laws with fines against littering.

Dear city traffic department: Why are you measuring traffic flow in July when a good portion of our usual driving traffic is not here for another few weeks?

Dear school administration, here are just a few reasons why people I know are trying to get their children into alternative schools: Inappropriate use of time-out rooms by former principals, parents feeling ignored when many parents complain about a teacher, lack of follow-up on teacher recommended gifted testing, religion. Then there are the unbelievably high enrollment and participation fees and the never ending fund raising.

Dear local anarchists: I understand your frustration with our government, but if you are going to use a label that to the average person says you are against all government, don’t be surprised if the FBI comes knocking on your door. Our political system tries to let you change what you don’t like in it by being active in it. If you believe there should be less government involvement in our lives there are less radical ways of bringing about change than calling yourself anarchists. And yes, I too wish the system worked more efficiently and was more representative.

Debbie Peterson,

Lawrence