- November 23, 2024
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+ Leash laws: The city should enforce its own code
Dear Editor:
Until recently, I was happily living out my retirement dreams here in Palm Coast. On May 8, all of the serenity and splendor of enjoying my yard and gardening changed. As I was working, suddenly, the dog from next door came charging toward me in an aggressive and attacking mode. As I stood there, frozen, the owner ran after the dog, calling for him to come back. She was unable to stop him, and by the time she got to him, he was on my property and inches away from me, still in an aggressive posture. If I had not had the presence of mind not to run, there would have been a much different outcome.
A few weeks before, the same dog had bolted out of the front and was aggressive with another dog, which was on a leash as its owner walked by.
I thought that the city would enforce its leash law as outlined in the city’s ordinances, which say that the owner or keeper of an animal shall maintain that animal and the property upon which it is located so as to prevent a public nuisance which affects the public health, safety, welfare or livability of adjacent or proximate property. I was told by the city that state law supersedes the local code.
My question is: Why does the city have codes if it cannot or will not enforce them? The problem is that the owner has proven to not be responsible enough to control the animal, and the dog does not know the difference between his property line and mine. The dogs still run freely in the yard, which means that I cannot go outside to work and enjoy my yard. I am not asking that the dogs be removed from the home. I am just asking that the leash law be enforced.
One may ask why I don’t just erect a fence, but I moved here from an area where most of the homes were fenced in to keep out the elements of crime. I lived like a hostage. I am enjoying the freedom of not having to live like that here. I have lost the feeling of safety in my own yard and walk in fear. I urge the code enforcement department and the city of Palm Coast to regard my plea for safety.
Wanda Christiani
Palm Coast
+ Kudos to Paul Ricci
Dear Editor:
I just wanted to respond to the wonderful notice from the Ricci family announcing young Paul Ricci as the new proprietor of Tony’s Restaurant in Flagler Beach.
When one reads, so often negatively, about our young people, it is so gratifying to read of a young man of our community who is striving for success in a way that is comfortable to him, and courageous enough to make a brilliant start for his future.
Kudos to Paul, his parents and his friends. Just know that the Palm Coast community is very, very proud of you and others like yourself who are making your mark in life. It won’t be easy, but you are well on your way!
God bless you all!
Vivian Richardson
Palm Coast
+ Southern Poverty Law Center presents weak argument
Dear Editor:
Last year, the citizens found out that the Flagler County School District was racist, and now from your recent article (“SPLC reports slight improvement in discipline rates”), we find that the police force is apparently racist as well! Most fair-minded citizens would concede that there are individual racists out there, but to assume that these two institutions are fundamentally racist is a classic case of manipulating statistics to back up a weak argument.
I don’t have to venture far from the world of sports to illustrate this: MLB, golf, the NHL, swimming and tennis are just a few sports in which blacks are underrepresented, while the NBA and the NFL are dramatically overrepresented statistically by black people. Should we be alarmed by this? Of course not. Sometimes life is what it is!
I’m surprised that the Southern Poverty Law Center has targeted only Flagler and four other counties, since my gut tells me that there would be many more counties with comparable demographics experiencing similar disciplinary statistics. I believe that Stephanie Langer and the SPLC are being disingenuous in implying that the school officials’ reluctance to talk to them somehow means that they are hiding something.
Get ready, Flagler school officials: You can’t win the public relations war. They’re hoping to harass you until you confess to something! Do the right thing: Discipline or fire any teacher that will not reward or punish every student fairly, but at the same time, stay strong and don’t be bullied.
Most citizens realize, as does any teacher that has ever stepped foot in a classroom, that behavior — both good and bad — is largely determined before a student gets on the bus in the morning. Factors such as poverty, culture and the epidemic of single-parent families play a much bigger role in classroom discipline than anything that a teacher does to keep the peace. The SPLC would do well to focus on solutions to those factors instead of sullying the reputations of good teachers and police officers.
Mike Connors
Palm Coast
