Dear editor,

Let me preface this letter with my background. I am a 75-year-old yankee from Maine, conservative, average intelligence and very opinionated. We were here four years ago, and I wrote a letter to the editor expounding on the good manners and congeniality of the people in the South. I meant it then, and on this trip, it was reinforced.

Our car was making an unusual noise when we arrived in Selma. Thinking it was the tires, we took the car to Meadows Tire Co. in Selma and asked them if they would look at it. Jim Jones, the manager, said he would be glad to. After checking the tires, he said he would have to put it up on the lift, as he believed there was something more than the tires wrong with the car. They didn&8217;t have the equipment to test it further. I asked if there was a Chrysler dealer in Selma. He replied no, but there was one in Montgomery. He took the phone book, looked up the dealer in Montgomery, called them and handed me the phone. I told the gentleman on the line my car problem, and he said he would fix us up. I asked Jim how much I owed, and he replied no charge. After a heated discussion, I put a $20 on the counter, thanked them and walked out.

We arrived at Brubaker Motors in Montgomery where Ron Taylor met us. It was noon time, and Ron said his technicians would be back in half an hour. He asked us if we had eaten lunch. The answer being no, he called a driver, who drove us to a restaurant. When we had finished eating, we call Brubakers, and they picked us up. An hour later, the car was ready. They had fixed the rubbing of the tires and replaced the alternator. I took my credit card out, and Ron informed me it was all under warranty, and there would be no charge. I just signed a form to show the work had been done.

We arrived back at my daughter-in-law&8217;s, and there is Vickie Summerville, who had just arrived with a cheesecake because she knew she had company.

Why am I writing this saga? Because I believe people who do courteous things deserve to be recognized. So, once again, our trip south was a special event that was made special by you gracious people.

Gordon P. Howe

Hanover, Maine

Fighting among elected officials, school board members sets bad examples for children

Dear editor,

I am so disappointed with the members of the Selma City Council. These are elected officials, as well as people that I have admired down through the years. Their elections indicate that the citizens of Selma had faith in them as leaders when they were elected.

However, they have proven themselves to be people that can&8217;t accomplish much of anything for the city because they will not function as a team.

It appears that everyone wants to win by any means necessary. They try to accomplish their own personal goals. If they are not fighting each other, they are fighting the mayor or he is fighting them. As a result, no one is winning, and the citizens ofSelma are the ones who are suffering the consequences of their actions. There are very few things about them that symbolize unity or a group of people that are trying to work together for a common goal. My concerns are not specifically for the voting citizens of Selma. They are also for the children. What kind of examples are being set for the children? Who can they look to for guidance? The school board members are fighting. The students see them fighting. However, if the students are insubordinate, they are often put out of class, sent to the principal, sent to the alternative school or suspended from school. They have to give an account for their behaviors while watching adults do and say insulting things toward each other without having to receive consequences for their own actions. They see a divided school board that appears not to be willing to unify themselves in order to accomplish goals that are in their (the students) best interest .

Selma city leaders, the fate of our community, schools and most of all the children are in your hands. What are you going to do about it?

Vanessa Goodwin