Jean’s story

    I have always loved my mom. Sadly, for many years our relationship was difficult, simply because we’re both very hard-headed, very similar in personality and we tended to clash. But those days of conflict are gone. I eventually grew up. And my mom and I have become a bit more tolerant as time ran by.
    My parents live in Florida and are, as the saying goes, “in their declining years.” It’s sad to see my parents getting older, less able, more feeble. While aging is an inevitable process, I remember the days when they were young, active and looking after me. I needed a lot of looking after and guidance.
    My mom was a lifelong smoker. And today she has a multitude of health problems brought on by smoking, including very little lung function. She is hardly able to breathe and even continual oxygen is not enough to keep her comfortable. Her shortness of breath is so severe, sometimes she thinks she’s about to die.
    On my wall in my office is a picture of my mom and dad in winter outfits with snow skis in Connecticut. There’s new fallen snow and they’re bundled up for cold weather. I would guess the photo is from about 1947-1948 or so, when my parents were in the mid-20s. My Aunt Rose, who died last Christmas, has written on the photo, “Your mom was so beautiful, she could have been Miss America.”
    And Rose was right. If you look at the photo, my mom was stunningly beautiful. If you saw her today, you wouldn’t know it’s the same person. The ravages of smoking have taken their toll. My mom doesn’t smoke anymore. But she stopped too late. And as a result, she’s going to have a difficult end.
    My wish to you, my advice to you, is that if you have a family member who is smoking, that you should not become complacent about this addiction. I wish that I had taken a more active part in trying to get my mom to stop. While ultimately, she is responsible for her choice in smoking, I still wish I had done more.
    My mom, with only a high school education, was one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my life. Intuitive, intellectual, talkative, social…she was a grand person in her day.
    It’s most sad to see the ruin of what she has become because of smoking. If you love your mom (your dad or other family member) as much as I do, take the stand to help her stop. While it’s impossible to “fix” loved ones’ problems, I wish I had been more assertive.

 Rentech:  it’s comedy tonight!

   
    One of Rentech’s top execs was quoted recently in a financial news magazine, saying the company was meeting its financial expectations for its fertilizer plant. And if you look at RTK on Yahoo’s finance pages, you’ll find the plant helped the company lose $100 million last year.
    I am so glad the plant is doing well. Had it been doing poorly, the company would have lost a lot more money!
    Rentech wants Adams County Supervisors to pony up as much as $400,000 to rebuild the train trestle between IP and the port. The total project could cost more than $4 million and grant funds might be available.
    Supervisors are afraid to say no to the project, fearing they might lose the jobs. But there is the question of who actually owns the trestle. Former County Attorney Bob Latham says IP owns half and the county owns half (the half going to the port). But I’ve never heard of train tracks or a trestle being owned by anyone but a railroad. The railroad usually has an easement or right of way over the property to build and maintain the track. And when the railroad ceases operation, all the track is pulled up for use somewhere else. The railroad owns the track. The property owners own the land.
    I’ve asked both Henry Watts and Mike Lazarus to check into this ownership thing, as it does matter who is responsible for the trestle over the long term. I said to Watts, this could be instance where the former County Attorney is hedging his bets, getting paid by the county and helping the other side at the same time.
    It wouldn’t be the first time. Several years ago, supervisors were surprised to learn that Latham helped the fly-by-night sheet metal fabricator Venco incorporate. Latham served as Venco’s corporate agent, while at the same time he was advising the county as county attorney to help the company. It appeared he was being paid by both Venco and Adams County. Venco never came and Adams County taxpayers lost a bundle.
    To Adams County Supervisors – be wary!

Contrary views are welcome. Write missloumagazine@peoplepc.com.