If water is safe, why boil advisories?

I read with great interest the “Safe to drink” editorial in Tuesday’s paper concerning the drinking water for three water districts. If all the information that was printed is true, can someone please explain why there is still a boil water advisory for some Greenup Water District residents?

The advisory has been posted every Wednesday since March of 2007. Common sense would seem to indicate that safe drinking water does not need to be boiled unless there is a new definition of “safe” that I am not aware of. How can the Greenup Water District be recognized as exceeding the state water standards when areas they supply are under a boil water advisory?

Maybe the “state water standards” for Kentucky need to be looked at if a boil water advisory is in effect and the system still exceeds these standards.

Lee Wright, Grayson



Police Memorial Day is May 15

National Peace Officers Memorial Day is observed annually on May 15. The week in which May 15 falls is designated as National Police Week.

Congress directed that on National Peace Officers Memorial Day, American flags on all government buildings be displayed at half-staff in memory of fallen police officers. The city of Ashland has adopted a resolution directing that flags be displayed throughout the central business district in memory of Ashland’s fallen officers.

Five members of the Ashland Police Department have been killed in the line of duty. They are Officers Charles C. “Doc” Leffler, Alonzo “Lon” Castle, James Lane, Charles Hatfield and Lt. Conrad Frank. Their names are engraved on the National Police Memorial in Washington, D.C. , and on the Kentucky Police Memorial in Richmond.

In 2008, 133 police officers were killed in the line of duty. This is down from the 181 that were killed in the line of duty in 2007. In addition to those officers who make the ultimate sacrifice, thousands more are assaulted annually.

I encourage you to honor fallen police officers on May 15 by displaying the U.S. flag at half-staff on government buildings, throughout business districts, and in residential neighborhoods. By displaying the flag on Peace Officers Memorial Day, we not only honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, but also the men and women presently serving our communities through law enforcement.

Robert W. Ratliff, Ashland Chief of Police