Thanks for support, help and protection

We, as a united family, would like to take this opportunity to thank all Garfield County Sheriff's Department deputies, Detective Megan Alstatt and victim's advocate Vicki Jones for all their help, emotional support and protection for the last 11 months, also for their continued support, help and protection.

Special thank-yous for ADA Ann Kirkpatrick, ADA Ed Veronda, victim's advocates Meghan Palmer and Suzie Spuronza and the entire Victim Witness Program staff for all the emotional and financial support.

Thank you to Judge Gail Nichols for her kindness, patience and understanding in overseeing our case, although some parties didn't make it easy for her.

We appreciate the jury for their service but are extremely unhappy with this last outcome. One day the whole truth will catch up with the accused.

We appreciate the extremely supportive citizens of Rifle, Parachute, Battlement Mesa and all those in Garfield County for all they have done for us and for rallying behind us in our time of need.

Thanks to Greentree Servicing, who tried so hard to save my home from foreclosure.

We would like to apologize for the comment from Michael W. Wood (letter to the editor Nov. 14, 2009, this paper, online) to Ken Holegate, “it's the end of an era for the old time barber shops in the Rifle area.” Ken is doing an excellent job servicing the gentlemen of Garfield County and needs to thanked for taking over barbering for those men when it couldn't have been easy working in that same location. Ken, thanks for everything.

We pray for God to help the victims to heal and hopefully move on into a normal life free of fear and pain.

We have hope that someday in God's time the truth will shine brightly, and proper punishment will be exercised in this situation. As it is ultimately up to him to be the final judge and jury.

And a special thank you to Dr. Hayes and the wonderful staff of San Juan Hospital, Monticello, Utah, for their excellent care during my emergency surgery on Nov. 13, 2009, which was above and beyond normal standards. Thanks, Colleen.

Tammie Shaw-Wood

Bullfrog, Utah

Some agencies worthy of the ax

Hal Sundin wrote a timely and detailed listing of agencies within the federal government (Nov. 19).

Near the end he asked, “Which would you like to live without?” I'd like to answer that question.

The same day the Post Independent ran a story about the EPA shutting down the wastewater treatment plant project because the specifications did not provide for adherence to the Davis-Bacon Act, which was passed many years ago to protect unions by requiring the payment of union wages even when the workers were not in a union. Now this is an agency whose power should be reduced, or better, the agency eliminated.

I began my civil engineering career with the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (BPR), now renamed the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The BPR was a pioneer in developing many of the standards still used in highway design. They and the FHWA monitored funding for the interstate system. Now FHWA has outlived its usefulness. State transportation agencies should be allowed to supervise their activities without help from the federal government. The federal gas tax should be repealed. States could decide if they should add the amount to their gas tax. In answer to Hal's question I would say eliminate or greatly reduce the role of the FHWA.

I could go on and on but 300 words is all I'm allowed. Read Sundin's list and you can get an idea of overlapping and conflicting regulations enforced by federal agencies. There is a lot of waste there.

Dick Prosence

Meeker