Your opinion made me sad for many reasons
Editor:
“Let’s move on from the Ziegler episode.” About this editorial, I feel the need to say that your opinion made me sad for all the sexual abuse survivors who struggle. All the people who are afraid to get help.
The professionals who help trauma survivors and the community donors who support these agencies. Survivors need to feel safe. They should not be ashamed of their lifestyle or choices.
Sexual violence does not discriminate. It affects our entire community. We live in an area with resources to help survivors of sexual abuse and violence. I feel it is important to encourage survivors to get the help they need.
Melinda Haney
Venice
Why are we not following John Nolen Plan?
Editor:
The John Nolen Plan is based on the concept that people should live, work, and play in their own neighborhood. It calls for safe complete streets with sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and traffic control signs.
It is a plan that is central to the city of Venice and is included in the 2017 Comprehensive Plan.
It was based on community input that asked the city to protect its environmental and natural resources, to encourage retention of open space for functional and conservation purposes, and to provide a transportation system that enhances active lifestyles, including well-connected pedestrian and bicycle networks.
The Comprehensive Plan divides the city into seven neighborhoods. All should have complete streets and parks. They do not.
The city of Venice has recently purchased land on Venice Avenue and in the Knight’s Trail corridor for expansion of city facilities. Purchasing land for open space is equally important to the residents.
Land is available in NE Venice, on Laurel Road and Knights Trail, for preservation. Money is available in Park Impact Fees that by law are intended to provide open spaces for areas of new development.
Sidewalks, bike lanes, and complete streets can be funded with Gas Tax funds, Road Impact Fees, MPO monies, and from the excess $26 million the city collected in 2023 from property tax.
Even though some of our streets are owned by Sarasota County, other cities in Sarasota County have successfully worked with the county on county-owned streets to create sidewalks, bike lanes, and MURTS, helping to eliminate traffic congestion and creating complete streets.
So, the question is, if parks and complete safe walkable streets are in the John Nolen Plan and in the 2017 Comprehensive Plan, why are they not in all our neighborhoods?
Mitzie Fiedler
Venice
This is what I learned from editorial
Editor:
Your March 9 editorial “Let’s Move on From the Ziegler Episode” was appalling. This is my takeaway:
A woman who is being sexually assaulted must physically resist the man or it is not sexual assault. If a woman does not resist a man’s unwanted advances because she thinks the man is going to hit her or kill her if she puts up a fight, she is not being sexually assaulted.If a women has been drinking or has a “drinking problem,” she cannot claim sexual assault. After al, it is her fault that she drinks and she should know better.If a woman has been drinking and someone takes a video of her while in a sexual act and posts the video on social media, that person has not broken the law. Afterall, the woman was too drunk to give permission or not.Public officials should be allowed to continue in their jobs and not “endure” any criticism no matter what they say or do as long as they have not been convicted of a crime.
The Zieglers are not the type of government and community leaders I want. The Zieglers are the ones who damaged their family, careers and reputations, not the woman making the accusations.
Darryl Alexis Lang
Nokomis
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