JEERS: To the Animal Control Division and the Texarkana, Texas, Police Department. I am a law-abiding, taxpaying citizen of Texarkana, Texas, and it took four phone calls and four days to get some help from the City of Texarkana, Texas, to get a stray dog picked up from my property. This stray came into my yard and attacked my dog, bit him on the back. I had to literally pull this stray dog off mine to keep it from being killed. Was told by a policeman on the first initial call that animal control did come out and pick up an injured bird and they might come out on Saturday night and pick up this stray that did harm my dog. Well no, they did not come, unless this dog was a threat to a human. Well how do you know when a stray will turn on you or children in the neighborhood? I don’t care if it is after 5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, a stray that has already harmed someone’s pet should have already been picked up, it should not have taken me four days to get this job done.—J.S., Texarkana, Texas



JEERS: To a local resident. Thank you for coming back to pick up your yard sale sign June 20, 2009. It beautified our neighborhood for several days. I’m being sarcastic.—R.F., Texarkana, Ark.



CHEERS: To the Texarkana, Texas, City Council. I was overjoyed this morning when I read the news item on Page 1 of the Gazette that they were considering an ordinance to ban the chaining or tethering of animals. Surely it won’t have a problem being adopted. I could never understand why we didn’t already have such an ordinance because that practice is extreme abuse, causing not only extreme mental anguish for the dogs but physical pain from deeply imbedded chain links in the flesh of the animals. I have seen such wounds firsthand and it’s a horrendous sight. Please, Texarkana, let’s protect these loving creatures who are so loyal and love us with all their heart from those who are cruel to them.—H.K.J., Wake Village, Texas



JEERS: To the discourteous drivers on southbound Richmond Road waiting on the light at St. Michael’s Drive. Drivers trying to exit the parking lot areas sometimes have to wait through several lights for a Richmond Road driver kind enough to let them in. It may not be “the law,” but common courtesy suggests alternating at that intersection when traffic backs up that far (all the time). Those few seconds you gain by not letting that car in cannot be that important.—J.R.H., Texarkana, Ark.



CHEERS: To Capt. Danny Presley and the officers under his command in the Texarkana, Texas, Police Department. It is good to know that when you have a problem with your neighborhood, we have officers who will listen and respond. Thank you for the time you took to explain all that goes on in the decision-making process when it comes to placing your men in the best positions. Thank you for the action that is being taken to make our neighborhood safer for those who live here and for those who travel through it.—D.F., Texarkana, Texas



JEERS: To U.S. Sen. John Cornyn from Texas for racking up the highest travel bill in the Senate, $152,766.03, in taxpayer money in the first half of this fiscal year. His office attributed this to Texas being a large state. However, Sen. Hutchison from Texas only spent about half that amount. Sen. Cornyn spent more than $38,000 on a Maryland retreat for staffers. The record shows he took expensive multicity charter flights in his home state. So much for conservatism.

Elected officials in Washington, both Republicans and Democrats, just don’t get it. They act like royalty who deserve special treatment and have a total disregard for constituents who are having to literally pinch pennies to survive. The whole bunch could be booted out if apathetic non-voters would go to the polls.—M.M.T., Texarkana, Texas