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Category: Letters to the Editor

  • LETTER: I support military equipment for local police

    Citrus Heights MRAP
    File photo. The Citrus Heights Police Department’s MRAP armored vehicle, acquired under a military surplus program. // CH Sentinel

    By Rochelle Castillo, Citrus Heights–
    [RE: Citrus Heights passes new military equipment use policy for police; April 29th]  I support our Police Department’s use of military-style vehicles and tactical equipment. As was seen in the 90s when banks began being robbed by criminals with military-style weapons and bullets that the police did not have any type of defense for they became sitting ducks out there. We should never forget that criminals don’t follow the law on what tools they will use to break the law with.

    With propositions like 47 out there nowhere closer to being repealed, we will continue to see crime get worse since the criminals are realizing there are really no punishments. We as law abiding citizens need to allow our law enforcement to be able to do their job and defend themselves and us. Back the blue.

    Additional letter:

    Move to Portland if you don’t like our police
    [RE: Letters, May 1st] The comment/opinion letter made by Dee Sherman about the police use of military equipment was completely ignorant in regards to what police have to deal with today. The men and women in blue have never had it so tough!
    Police officers are being gunned down and ambushed in record numbers! It’s this type of mind set and ignorance that pushes the “DEFUND THE POLICE” mentality.

    It’s also the MSM (Main Stream Media) that fuels and feeds the narrative, just like in the summer of 2020, “the mostly peaceful protests” while businesses were burnt down, stores looted, and people killed. That’s exactly what the majority of the citizens of Citrus Heights don’t want.

    Dee just needs to move to Seattle or Portland where the police are ordered to sit back and watch.
    Let me know if you need help packing!
    -Mark Mitchell, Citrus Heights

    *Editor’s Note: The Sentinel’s policy is to publish every letter received, regardless of the opinion expressed, in the interest of fostering community dialogue about local issues. No other letters on these topics were received. To submit a letter to the editor online, click here.

  • Citrus Heights Letters: Police military equipment, tree removal

    Tree removal
    Tree crews on March 24, 2022, removing trees along Old Auburn Road. // M. Hazlip

    Latest letters from Citrus Heights Sentinel readers include comment on tree removal on Old Auburn Road and police use of military equipment.

    Trees on Old Auburn Road should be replaced away from lines
    [RE: City moves forward with tree removal plan, after delay; March 25th]  This is little after the removal of the eucalyptus trees along Old Auburn Road. Those trees were not under SMUD power lines, but under either phone or cable lines. SMUD would not have trimmed them in the past for other agencies.

    As to them being over the pathway, that is open for discussion. Their health, if compromised, was not by SMUD but the owners of the lines. This looks a lot like jumping on the bandwagon of fire prevention.

    I don’t disagree that they were poorly located when planted, but I also don’t know if the communication lines were there when the trees were planted. I hope that there was some form of mitigation required to replace the trees, but relocating them away from the lines. Maybe benches along the trail in areas where the native trees are would be a good alternative.
    -Ian Garber

    Police with military gear is a step towards a fascist state
    [RE: Letters, Police should be able to use military vehicles to do job safely; April 28th]  This is a classic intermediary step toward installing a Fascist State (IMHO). I’ve been a resident of Citrus Heights since the early 1980s. Never before this decade has there been so much police aggression and shootings, many fatal. I hear police sirens throughout the day and night disturbing what was once a peaceful, quiet community. Now, they’re proposing the use of military equipment? If this is supported, what next: military weaponry?? CAUTION!!
    -Dee Sherman, Citrus Heights

    *Editor’s Note: The Sentinel’s policy is to publish every letter received, regardless of the opinion expressed, in the interest of fostering community dialogue about local issues. No other letters on these topics were received. To submit a letter to the editor online, click here.

  • LETTER: Police should be able to use military vehicles to do job safely

    Citrus Heights MRAP
    File photo. Officers with the Citrus Heights Police Department SWAT team conduct a raid of S&S Tire in 2015, with the assistance of an MRAP vehicle. // CH Sentinel

    By Citrus Heights resident Mark Mitchell–
    [RE: Public hearing to be held on police military equipment policy for Citrus Heights; April 24th] The Citrus Heights Police Department should be able to use any and all types of military vehicles! That goes for any type of tactical tools they may need too.

    We need to support our men and women in blue. Even more now, than ever before.

    I believe everyone in the state is fed up with the crime and theft that’s going on. And if it takes a military tank, a drone, a helicopter, or even a Humvee, let them use whatever they want, to do their job safely!

    And if these DA’s won’t do their job and put criminal’s behind bars, then they need to be held responsible, one way or another!

    Let’s not cower to the WOKE mentality!

    Be safe out there.

    *Editor’s Note: The Sentinel’s policy is to publish every letter received, regardless of the opinion expressed, in the interest of fostering community dialogue about local issues. No other letters on these topics were received. To submit a letter to the editor online, click here.

  • Citrus Heights Letters: fast food drive-thru’s, Mesa Verde stadium

    Citrus Heights Letters: fast food drive-thru’s, Mesa Verde stadium

    File photo, cars line up through an adjacent parking lot near Raising Cane’s during opening week. // M. Hazlip

    Letters to the editor from Citrus Heights Sentinel readers include comments about how to address long lines at drive-thru restaurants and a new stadium coming to Mesa Verde High School.

    Small businesses don’t need more government
    (RE: Citrus Heights vice mayor proposes moratorium on new drive-thru’s; Jan. 30th)  The City Council needs to rethink this issue before overreacting to a certain fast-food restaurant grand opening (Raising Cane’s) long drive-thru lines. Those long lines have considerably gotten smaller. What we really don’t need is a bunch of new Yahoo’s on the city council trying to push more government onto small businesses!! We have enough of that coming out of Washington DC.
    And one more thing, PLEASE try to stay out of the real estate business, that didn’t work out too well last time!!
    -Mark Mitchell, Citrus Heights

    MVHS stadium is great news
    (RE: Mesa Verde High School to get new stadium using bond funds; April 7th) Glad to hear there is finally the opportunity for Mesa Verde High to get a stadium. Out of 365 days of the year, five nights for the high school to have home games is a great trade off. Sports help keep our kids in school, Having their own field is way overdue.

    I am looking forward to attending their home games. Been here in Citrus Heights for 30 plus years. This is one change I believe many have been waiting for, I hope these meeting work out all concerns so our youth can have their long-awaited stadium.
    -Joanne Irene Jordan, Citrus Heights

    *Editor’s Note: The Sentinel’s policy is to publish every letter received, regardless of the opinion expressed, in the interest of fostering community dialogue about local issues. No other letters on these topics were received. To submit a letter to the editor online, click here.

  • LETTER: Drug-addicted homeless should be forced into rehab

    Letter by Inez Robertson, Sacramento–
    [RE: From homeless to homeowner: one Citrus Heights man’s journey; March 6th]  What a wonderful story of redemption! The problem of the homeless population is difficult to remedy.

    …Drug addicts should be mandatorily forced to attend and/or live in rehab facilities and once off of drugs helped with getting a satisfactory job, reuniting with family members, etc.

    Those with mental problems should be institutionalized and medically treated to see if there are medicines that would help them with their mental illness. If the latter is not possible, then they should be institutionalized where they are safe and not a menace to society.

    …People who are homeless because they are unemployed and are just down on their luck financially should be helped with programs that help them find a job, train them for a suitable job, and helped with a place to live and financial support until they can succeed on their own.

    People in this situation usually are motivated. There are so many businesses looking for employees since the pandemic that hopefully there would be opportunities for a job if they receive adequate assistance, training, and guidance plus interim support until they can get on their feet again.

    Then there are some homeless people who just like the lifestyle but don’t have any of the aforementioned problems. Let these people be as long as they are not a menace to society or themselves. It would be worth the cost if and we would all benefit if long-term solutions were sought instead of just facilitating the homeless to continue in their homeless lifestyle.

    *Letters over 250-word limit have been reduced in length.

    Other Letter(s):

    Light rail to Citrus Heights would be a plus
    [RE: Light rail in Citrus Heights; letters, March 6th]  I saw the letters opposing the possible extension of light rail into Citrus Heights, but I am a firm supporter. When we first moved here decades ago, I was working downtown, and had to drive to Longview to get the light rail. It was like a double commute. First deal with all that traffic, and then go on another commute into downtown.

    We should be pleased that this will lighten traffic, reduce pollution and make people’s lives easier. We should not be generalizing and thinking that people who ride light rail are looking for trouble. I know some people are afraid of change, but we definitely need to keep our head out of the sand. We are changing, and this would be a change for the better – for the people who commute – AND for the environment.
    -Janice Oliver-Iraci, Citrus Heights

    *Editor’s Note: The Sentinel’s policy is to publish every letter received, regardless of the opinion expressed, in the interest of fostering community dialogue about local issues. No other letters on these topics were received. To submit a letter to the editor online, click here.

  • Citrus Heights Letters: waste fee increase, composting

    Latest letters from Citrus Heights Sentinel readers offer varying responses and criticism related to waste fee increases and a related state mandate regarding food waste recycling.

    State should fund local recycling mandate
    I am all for composting to create quality soil. After seeing “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix, our soil health is vital to helping combat climate issues. Taking green waste out of the landfill is important to reducing methane.

    Agreed, that a state mandate should come with funding from the state to offset cost. How are those in multi-home developments meeting this mandate with only a garbage dumpster and a blue recycling dumpster? Green waste is removed by landscaping companies in those communities. I think that city mayors need to gather together and collectively put pressure on the state for funding.
    -Kimberly Montgomery, Citrus Heights

    Where will the green waste go?
    Since Republic is going to compost our green waste and food waste, what are they going to do with the finished product? If they sell it, shouldn’t our rates go down since we are providing the materials to make a state-compliant compost? If they don’t sell it, shouldn’t it be made available to our city residence? At least we could save money not buying fertilizer.
    -Bill Shirley, Citrus Heights

    Costs are too high, but city can’t afford $10k for non-compliance
    …It was extremely irresponsible, and just playing into politics, for the two council members to vote against doing this. This city, which I love living in, cannot afford to spend $10,000/day for non-compliance. Never mind thinking that a lawsuit would be filed. The costs associated with that for that kind of an issue cannot be won.

    These types of additional fees are making it more expensive to homeowners and are now having to pass on these costs to renters. My own homeowner is leaving the state and will be selling the house I live in. He is leaving because things are getting so much more expensive to live in this state, not just as a citizen but as a landlord. And I get it. I’m thinking about this too.

    I do understand the need for recycling and composting. But at the end of the day, what should have been done is that the City Council as a whole, should have foreseen this as an upcoming expense and prepared for it by either negotiating or renegotiating our city’s contract with Republic. I wish the City of Citrus Heights the best, but no matter what, I will not be able to rent in this city as the costs are going to be high no matter what.
    -Diane Doe, Citrus Heights
    *Letters over 250-word limit have been reduced in length.

    Related article: Citrus Heights council votes 3-2 for waste fee hike, amid opposition

  • Letters: Banning new drive-thru’s in Citrus Heights?

    Letters: Banning new drive-thru’s in Citrus Heights?

    File photo, cars line up through an adjacent parking lot near Raising Cane’s in Citrus Heights during opening week. // M. Hazlip

    Latest letters from Citrus Heights Sentinel readers comment on Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer’s recent proposal of a 5-year moratorium on new drive-thru restaurants in the city. The proposal will be brought up on a future agenda for more discussion.

    I go to Roseville for nice restaurants
    I agree that Citrus Heights has too many drive-thru restaurants and that we have a big lack of nice restaurants for lunch and dinner. I like to eat healthy food. I’ve lived here 23 years, and if I want to eat at a nice restaurant that provides healthy meals with lots of vegetables, I don’t eat in Citrus Heights. I go to Roseville.
    -Donna Sturla, Citrus Heights

    Disagree with proposed moratorium
    I cannot agree at all with Councilmember Schaefer’s proposal for a moratorium on new drive-thru establishments within our City. With a shortage of workforce to staff their businesses many have relied on drive-thru business to stay in business and provide our City with much needed revenue. I think each individual application needs to be addressed on its own merits. Also the new Burger King and Popeye’s replaced existing drive-thru restaurants.
    -Ian Garber, Citrus Heights

    Drive-thru’s are great, especially during pandemic
    Regarding the proposed moratorium on new drive-thru restaurants, I disagree with the vice mayor. As a 74-year-old woman who lives alone, drive-thru restaurants are more desirable to me than are restaurants where I have to find a safe place to park before I can go into the facility to obtain a meal to take back to my home. And, in this day and age of social distancing, the drive-thru’s offer a place where interactions are limited and the 6-foot rule easy to comply with.
    -Meryl James, Citrus Heights

    Related article: Citrus Heights vice mayor proposes moratorium on new drive-thru’s

  • Citrus Heights Letters: masks in schools, homeless at the library

    Citrus Heights Letters: masks in schools, homeless at the library

    Latest letters from Citrus Heights Sentinel readers include comments on a recent guest column by Supervisor Sue Frost regarding masks in schools, along with a letter about homelessness outside Sylvan Oaks Library.

    Kids don’t mind wearing a mask
    RE: Guest Opinion: Get masks out of classrooms; Dec. 23rd]  Dear Mrs. Frost, I would just like to ask a question; did you really quote “Dr” Michael Huang as your medical source in this article? The same Michael Huang who was caught essentially selling mask exemptions for around $200 apiece?! Wow! That seems like a mistake on your part.

    My kids both attend school in Citrus Heights and after having explained to them how masks work and how they’re effective in helping keep others around them safe, they have never complained about it. It’s always adults like you trying to advocate on their behalf who seem to have the biggest problem with masks.

    Back in the 40’s during WW2, citizens sacrificed food, goods, tin, aluminum, lumber, and even their sons and daughters to the war effort for the greater good of the country. Now we’re all being asked to cover our mouths with a thin piece of cotton and folks like you are all up in arms about it. Give me a break. You’ve lost all credibility in my eyes.
    -Jon Lyons, Citrus Heights

    Frost is dead wrong on masks
    [RE: Guest Opinion: Get masks out of classrooms; Dec. 23rd]  I’ve always supported you and felt you had our best interests at heart. However, I feel you are dead wrong with this opinion. It is not harmful for kids to wear masks. Perhaps challenged kids, but not the masses, and exceptions can be made. I’m sorry, but my opinion of you and your best interests have changed completely, as has my vote in the future.
    Laura Belcher, Citrus Heights

    Homeless at the library
    [RE: Sylvan Oaks Library criticized for response to homelessness, camping; Dec. 12th]  I play at the courts several times a week and have noticed a difference with the ‘campers’. For the past few months there has been less trash, less loud noise and less fighting. They are usually gone, or mostly gone, by 9 or 10. I support whatever the library, the CHPD and whoever else is trying to keep this precious park and library going. We love Sylvan Oaks!
    -Duretta Mcneely, Sacramento

    *Editor’s Note: The Sentinel’s policy is to publish every letter received, in the interest of fostering community dialogue about local issues. No other letters on these topics were received. To submit a letter to the editor online, click here.

  • LETTER: Citrus Heights community needs to show support for MVHS

    LETTER: Citrus Heights community needs to show support for MVHS

    By Tom Scheeler, Citrus Heights–
    The recent local news story about a new, allegedly “highly addictive” drug being sold at Mesa Verde High School casts this school and our community and the City of Citrus Heights in a very unfavorable light.

    Drug manufacture, sale and use is unfortunately a problem locally and across the nation. I feel that rather than Mesa Verde staff getting kudos in the story for giving school parents a warning about the circulation of the new drug, the take away was “Mesa Verde High School, Citrus Heights, California, new ‘highly addictive drug.’”

    This news article is getting picked up by news organizations around the world i.e. England, Africa, Russia! I feel that we, the City of Citrus Heights, must respond.

    I am not denying there apparently is a problem that must be addressed, but as a city and community, I think we need to stick up for “one of our own” and publicly state that the Citrus Heights community stands behind our Citrus Heights Mesa Verde students and our Citrus Heights Mesa Verde High School.
    -Tom Scheeler, Citrus Heights

    *Editor’s Note: The Sentinel’s policy is to publish every letter received, in the interest of fostering community dialogue about local issues. No other letters on this topic were received. To submit a letter to the editor online, click here.

  • More Letters: vaccine mandates, discrimination, passports

    Latest letters from Citrus Heights Sentinel readers include more comments on Councilman Bret Daniels’ recent proposal to ban vaccine passports and prevent the city from requiring its employees to be vaccinated.

    See prior story: Citrus Heights councilman proposes ban on city vaccine mandates, passports

    If the vaccine works, why are vaccinated scared of un-vaccinated?
    Regarding the claim “Vaccines help keep people from dying,” I am very much opposed to those who take the vaccine for COVID-19 and then don’t believe that it will work. If they believed that it will work, then they believe that they are protected against all those that do not take the vaccine. With all the false information out there, I really couldn’t say it the Vaccines are helping people stay alive or not. Wearing a mask has never been proven help prevent the spread of this virus. The CDC has changed directions many times and the FDA for more than 7 months this year did not sign off on the Vaccines – Making us all ‘lab rats’ in one giant test. If you unseat Councilman Daniels, will you run for office?

    Regarding “Seat belts are mandatory too,” the reaction to the Covid vaccines and this “assault on our liberty and freedom” echoes back to when they were making seat belts mandatory. Lifesaving technology – but only for the driver and not the other people on the road. And this is something that we now cannot question and we pay more for our car for this option.

    Regarding “Vaccine mandates violate Constitution,” I personally believe vaccine mandates and Vaccine passports are both a violation of the United States Constitution. If you want to make it happen, you must get both houses of Congress to pass a law and the president to sign it. Isn’t there something called the HIPAA law? I believe that it protects my medical privacy.
    -Jim Monteton, Citrus Heights

    Good thing Daniels wasn’t around when polio vaccine was perfected
    I do not understand why anyone can be so shortsighted as to oppose something so simple as getting a vaccine. These vaccines, per science not misinformation, are safe and protect ourselves and those around us from a deadly disease. It seems Bret Daniels has one, self imposed, purpose in city government and that is to cause as much dissection as possible.

    I’m also disappointed that Genie Bruins is willing to support this disgusting stand. To keep the people safe in this city Bret Daniels needs to go. I’m very thankful he wasn’t around when the polio vaccine was perfected. I was. We weren’t asked and it never occurred to us to object. Wake up.
    -Laura Belcher, Citrus Heights

    Don’t discriminate again un-jabbed
    Can we agree to disagree? There is not any one answer that will make everyone happy. I have chosen not to get the jab. Due to health reasons it would not be safe for me. I also have friends that got the jab and still got Covid and are not dead. The jab will not stop you from getting the virus. I have seen too many die that took the jab.

    My biggest fear is that so many do not realize what the mandatory regulations are leading to. We must stand strong and not give up our inalienable rights! I suppose Bret Daniels’ push to not have any discrimination against those un-jabbed. In cultural Marxism there is no room for descending opinions.
    -Kay Davis, Citrus Heights

    *Editor’s note: The Sentinel’s policy is to publish every letter received. No other letters were submitted on this topic. Prior letters were published here: Citrus Heights Letters: Vaccine passport ban, mandates, freedom