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Page 2 The Lone Tree Reporter, January
Opinion/Editorial
Iraq? Korea-? Castro? All per-
fectly acceptable answers to the
question, what will be the next
war? But to many Americans
there is a war that has been ongo-
ing for many, many years. The
war to keep their dogs.
I've grown up a cat person, I
won't lie, but when I met my
wife and discovered-to my
utmost consternation-that she
was one of those dreaded dog
people (slobbery drooly drippy-
tongued mass-producers of sali-
va), she convinced me that we
needed a dog. I reluctantly
agreed, and she picked out an
adorable pup from the pound.
Brindle-colored with big chestnut
eyes and ears that tipped over in
the middle. The Cedar Valley
Humane Society in Waterloo
(where we lived) informed us
that she was a labrador, but she
was mixed with Staffordshire ter-
rier, also known as the American
pit-bull. They gave us a brief
summary of the responsibilities
that came tied to the collar of
these powerful creatures. Sure,
Satie was tiny and cuddly and
cute now, but she'll eventually
grow up into a 45-pound walking
bundle of dynamite, complete
with a bone-crushing jaw.
Yeah, fine, okay, we just
wanted to get her home (at this
time I'd begun to see what all the
big to-do was over these little
puppy things). I fell in love with
our pup, and over the months we
played every moment we had
together. She was loved, and she
knew it. Michelle and I gave her
the attention she wanted, and the
discipline she needed, and she
grew up to be a great dog--despite
the occasional accident onthe
floor, or the chewed up books, or
the ripped up carpet. The wood
fragments at the front door,
where she would scratch to let us
know she wanted out. Despite all
that, she was more than what we
ever asked for in a dog.
And friendly. She was the
sweetest creature to anyone who
she met. There were times we
could take her for a walk without
the lease, in the residential area
of Waterloo, and never have to
worry about her straying too far,
or bothering with other dogs or
people. She was approachable by
kids, and the only thing we
would have to worry about was
her over-anxious tongue.
The only problem I've ever
encountered with Satie was when
I got my second kitten (a black
Siamese mix who I named Bram,
appropriate because I got him for
a Halloween present from my
wife, and when I picked him up
he bit me between the thumb and
first finger). Bram had lived for
nearly a week in the spare bed-
room, until he was comfortable
enough that I thought he could be
introduced to the rest of the fami-
ly (Satie and Hobbes, our spunky
two year-old cat). He didn't like
Satie, and made a point to show
her b), snatching her on the nose
with a paw full of claws (I never
declaw my cats, wondering how
I'd like to have fingers without
nails, and save all your furniture
comments!). Satie didn't appreci-
ate this too much, understand-
ably, and she bared her teeth and
lunged at Bram, I was there t6.
stop it before it got too far. Brain
sprinted back to the spare room,
where he lived another day or
two. Eventually they all grew to
become best friends.
We've since traded our furry
kids in for real ones. Not that we
elected to do so by choice. We
would have had no problems
with Satie and the cats with the
kids. But when we moved the
last time, pets were not allowed,
and we had to part ways (a big,
teary affair).
I've read recently that a group
of pit-bulls were responisble for
killing a woman in Chicago. I've
read about a case in Georgia
where a pit-bull mauled the arm
and face of a boy. I've read about
several dog attacks over the
years, and I wonder how I could
have ever been so comfortable
with my own man-killer lying
mere feet away from me. She had
over a thousand days of living
with me to lock her jaws on my
throat. She didn't. Amazing. I
could have ben dead at least a
thousand times over. I'm so glad
the country has brought to my
attention the mass-hysteria con-
cerning these beasts known as
mans best friend.
I've often thought about
adopting another beast from the
shelter, but should I move to
Lone Tree I will have to have my
beast destroyed, as Lone Tree has
an ordinance against such crea-
tures.
Now, while I am defending
my dog, I am not condoning the
behavior of those dogs who have
been brought up in violent
atmospheres; those trained to
hurt or kill other dogs (or peo-
pie). I feel absolutely terrible
when I read in the newspapers
that a little girl in Georgia was
brutally mauled by a pit-bull. I
believe it is a terrible act when a
creature of any kind attacks a
child; another human in general,
and I believe that such creature
should be investigated and termi-
nated, if need be. But I refuse to
see the logic behind banning all
the Satie's of the world, and I'm
running out of space, but I'll
have more on this issue next
week, in part 2.
THE LONE TREE REPORTER
(USPS 318-160)
Slechta Communications, Inc.
Bryon Houlgrave
Michael Forbes
Ron Rife
Grynneth (Mrs. P) Parizek
Publisher
Editor/Reporter
Sports Writer
Columnist
Columnist
THE LONE TREE REPORTER (USPS 318-160) is published week-
ly except Christmas for $23 per year in Johnson and Muscatine coun-
ties, $25 per year elsewhere in Iowa and $30 per year in the conti-
nental United States by Slechta Communications, Inc., The Lone
Tree Reporter, 117 N Devoe St., Lone Tree, IA 52755.
Periodicals postage paid at Lone Tree, IA.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE LONE TREE
REPORTER, PO Box 235, Lone Tree, IA 52755
Deadlines for
The Lone Tree Reporter
News deadline is Monday at 2 p.m.
Advertising deadline is Monday at noon.
Call The Lone Tree Reporter anytime
at 629-5207, or call Bryon's cell phone
530-3291. Our fax number is: 629-4203
or e-mail us at Itnews@iowatelecom.net
Upper righP. Soph-
omore wrestler Jordan
Kline in a blinding situ-
ation. Above: Senior
Travis Hotz puts in a
reverse lay-up against
West Liberty in a game
earlier this month.
Right:. the 7th grade
girls basketball team.
Corey Shaw is
Middle School
Geography Bee
Champion
Seventh grader, Corey Shaw
won the annual Middle School
Geography Bee for 2003. Corey
is now taking a written test to try
to qualify for the National
Geographic State Bee. Corey
reached the finals by competing
in the preliminary, semi-final, and
final rounds of questioning.
Other finalists were Dan Elder
(8th), Danielle Forbes (Sth),
Willis Holland (7th), Katelyn
Schreiber (6th), and Erin Rouse
(6th).
All of the finalists studied
very hard for the semi-final com-
petition and answered many ques-
tions correctly. Corey was able to
defeat the other semi-finalists by
answering the following question
correctly: In May 2002, an inva-
sire secies of predatory fish was
found in a pond about ten miles
from the Chesapeake Bay, alarm-
ing scientists and wildlife man-
agers in which state.'?
Correct answer: Maryland
Congratulations, Corey.
Mr. Dickey
Dani Gilham is
new member of
American An:
Association
Dani Gilham, of Lone
a new junior member of
American Angus
reports john Crouch,
vice president of the
organization with hea&
St. Joseph, Missouri.
Junior members of
Association are eligible to
ter cattle in the American
Association, participate in
grams conducted by the
Junior Angus Association
take part in
sored shows and other
and regional events.
The American An
Association is the largest
registry association in the
with more than 35,000
adult and junior members.
Do you have
strong opinion
about an issue
important to
Lone Tree?
Write a letter
the titor.
Pictures of l
the Week
The Lone Tree 7th grade girls basketball team. From top right: Coach
Beth Broman, Jacki Finley, Jalynn Quigley, Makenzie Cover, Kim
Chamberlain, Gina Rayner, Brittney Dolin, Kaylee Goldsberry,
Chelsee Chamberlain, Diana Rice