Letters: An appreciation of a lifetime of service
We recently lost a local individual who left a legacy we should all honor and remember. His name is Bob Kovach. I have known Bob for over 50 years. He was a public school teacher, a city of Mishawaka councilman, an Indiana state senator and the mayor of Mishawaka.
He served on three school boards including the School City of Mishawaka board. He was a St. Joseph County Commissioner, executive director of the Indiana Department of Commerce and an assistant and adviser to two Indiana governors. For most of us, having served in any one of these positions would have been considered a worthwhile accomplishment and contribution to the common good. It is rare indeed for anyone to contribute so much in so many different capacities.
On behalf of our community, I hereby acknowledge and thank Bob Kovach for his life of public service, which made our community a better place to live.
Jim OlsonMishawaka
Meaning of Christmas
People around the world dream of having a perfect Christmas. They also dream of getting the perfect gift. We have to understand that when we get someone a gift it is the thought that counts. Some people might not agree with this and that is OK, but what we have to understand is that we only have a certain number of Christmases in our lives. These Christmases get fewer as we get older, therefore we have to make the ones we have meaningful.
We also have to understand that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. Some people all around the world forget about this. One way we can remember the birth of Christ is by going to church. We can also remember this event by spending Christmas with the people we love and care about. We have to do this because we only have a certain amount of time left with the people we love. Just like in "A Christmas Story Christmas" where Ralphie realized that it was hard to fill in his father's shoes when he died. That is why we must make each Christmas of our lives with the people we love and care about the best Christmas ever.
So next time you are trying to buy the perfect gift, think about the true meaning of Christmas. Think about how Christmas is about the birth of Christ, and the people that you spend it with.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Luciano Wright
Student, Prairie Vista Elementary School
Big Tobacco
With the closing of the year comes personal resolutions to do less, do more, do better, etc. Most of these declarations will be focused on meeting the expectations of others or satisfying some misguided ideas that popular media say is a must for personal fulfillment.
All of which gives more urgency to the need to focus on the issues of cigarette smoking, youth vaping and Smoke Free St. Joe’s work to combat the indifference that ebbs and flows through our community. Our youth are particularly vulnerable to the tactics of Big Tobacco companies in their overt and covert advertising schemes. And while such dishonesty on the part of advertisers is not unexpected, our unwillingness as a community to listen critically and act is.SFSJ ask each of us to think critically and investigate the ideas and advice you may be sharing with others, especially our youth. Vaping is not a lesser evil than cigarettes.Statistically, our communities of color are the largest users of menthol products. Menthol and others toxic carcinogens are added to the products used by Black consumers, increasing both addictive properties and health hazards.So, while thinking about heading to the gym, cutting back on spending or eating smaller portions at the table during this holiday season, take a moment to critically examine these overt aggressions.
Baye Sylvester
Tobacco Prevention Coordinator
Smoke Free St. Joe
South Bend
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Letters on Bob Kovach, smoking, the true meaning of Christmas
