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NewsEditorChrisKocher:274.-92113 lith-letters@gannett.com ITHEITHACAJOURNAL iithacajournal.com lThursday,Marchl0,20ll
LETTERS
TO HE EDITOR
Fenrces are solution for
Cayurga Heights deer issue
I have attended meetings in
the Viillage of Cayuga Heights
forl%tyeaxs.I live nearby. I
don't want the deer kiiled for
any reason,
Calruga Heights is viewed as
an elile section oflthaca for
multi'ple socioeconomic rea-
sons. Now, when people hear
about it, they ask, "Are they the
ones'who want to kill the
deer?" At a Cayuga Heights
public meeting, a real estate '
agent expressed difficulty rec-
oncilimg the fondness for and
desirrrbility of the village as a
place to live with the trustees'
apparent inability to resolve
the d,eer issue without creating
comrnunity divisiveness.
What is at the heart of this
continuing controversy? Is it
that siomeone would kill the
deer to iolve the deer/human
conJlict, before they would.put
up e{fective fencing to protect
peoples'yards? Is it that out-
datecl and outmoded fencing
reguJ.ations are not being up-
graded and modernized as the
non-r:ontroversial solution?
Whv is it better to shoot deer
in a rnisconceived and costlY
long-term (ifnot endless) plan,
ratherr than respectfrrlly uPdate
fencing zoning that Cayuga
H.eights residents could use
now!'
I feel the village trustees are
unfo:rtunately straitjacketed by
what they perceive or possibly
project as public opinion. Fenc-
ing ir; a non-controversial solu-
tion Ehat returns a peacefirl har-
mony tb Ithaca about this deer
issuer and allows everyone to
movra forward.
CHARLENE TEMPLE
ITHACA
Trustees are ignoring
the will of the people
I am a ZO-year resident of
Cayrga Heights who, until re-
cently, worked in the village
clerk's office.
Last fall, I had the privilege
to read many of the hundreds
of comments submitted in per-
son and inwriting concerning
the deer issue. I can say with
certainty that a majority of vil-
lage residents are opposed to a
plan that kills deer, especially
in such a barbaric way. Howev-
er, the trustees seem to be
pushing forward anyway, with
little concern for the feelings of
their constituents or for the
well-being of our community.
Followingthe close of the
December pubtc comment pe-
riod, I watched the stack of
letters from citizens sit for
weeks, during which time I
never had a request ftom vil-
lage officials to see any of
them. These included letters
from world-class scientists de-,
lailing how flawed the trustees'
plan is and urging them to take
another look This felt com-
pletely wrong to me, and I re-
signed.
I as| the village trustees to
rethink their proposal. Modify-
ing the fencing ordinance
would allow those,with con-
cerns about the deer to deal
with them in a humane and
effective way. It's not too late
to really listen and show com-
passion.
MICHELLE POPPENSIEK
CAYUGA HEIGHTS
WRITETO US
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