Squad event was great

Editor, Smithfield Times
The IOW Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary Fundraiser was superb! The food was good. The service was well organized and speedy. Many thanks to the Squad and the Auxiliary for all their hard work.
Linda Jacob
Smithfield

Thanks to supporters

Editor, Smithfield Times
On Saturday, Sept. 29, the Isle of Wight Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary held a dinner to raise funds for the local rescue squad. The dinner was part of an Open House celebrating the 50th anniversary of the squad. Without the support of the community, this event would not have been possible and the members of the Auxiliary wish to thank the businesses and special people who helped to make it a big success.
Monetary sponsors for the event include Farmers Service, Craig Stallings and Associates, Cofer Auto, SummerWind Vineyard, Farmers Bank, Isle of Wight Materials Inc., Darden’s Country Store, Hallwood Enterprises, Inc., Southern Shores Lawn & Landscape, S & B Tent Rentals, Smithfield True Value, Little’s Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Allstate Insurance, Todd Rose Agency, Cathy Berry, Dennis Allen, Peter Causey and Gail West.
To the Christmas Store, Home Sweet Home Care, Knox’s Automotive and The Oaks Veterinary Clinic, we appreciate your willingness to have tickets at your businesses for the public to purchase.
Our sincere thanks go to the Smithfield Food Lion, Ringo’s Donuts, Wendy’s and Yummarie’s Bakery for providing some of the desserts that accompanied the meal.
A tremendous round of applause goes to Girl Scout Troop 1404 for so enthusiastically delivering the dinners to the vehicles lined up in the bay of the squad building. Those young girls and their leaders were such a big part of this event and it was a joy to watch them doing this community service with smiles on their faces and pep in their step!
Many thanks to Mark and Sharon Bridges for helping with the food and for giving us such good tips on how to make this, our first fundraising dinner, a successful project. And of course, to those in the community who bought tickets, we couldn’t have done it without you!
Lydia Dunkailo
President
IWVRS Auxiliary
Emma Jean Brady
Dinner Chairman

Thoughts on tariffs

Editor, Smithfield Times I have not seen a lot of plain talk on tariffs and thought I would give it a go. Tariffs are a federal tax on goods that are imported into our country. This makes them a hidden tax, buried in the cost of an item — basically a pre-sales tax on imported goods. For example: a widget from China that would sell for $100 in a big box store will now cost $125 with a 25 percent tariff. The extra $25 goes to the federal government as a hidden sales tax received when the goods enter the country, one step before the point of sale. We sure are lucky that nothing we buy is “Made in China.” As a long-term fiscal conservative, this all rubs me the wrong way. It is more federal taxes — hidden taxes — the government interfering in the marketplace, synthetically higher consumer prices.
So why tariffs? The idea is that we will begin to choose less expensive goods that used to be more expensive than the imported goods, but are not anymore because we have artificially raised the imported goods’ prices. It feels like a comedy routine — or worst, a Ponzi scheme — where our elected officials are running the game.
Do I think that our trade imbalance is a “threat to national security?” I don’t. Tariffs may start to address our national debt, but I prefer to simply reduce spending and pay our bills while providing a living wage for all.
Tim Lavallee
Rushmere

‘Thank you’ to helpers

Editor, Smithfield Times
On Sept. 18, I took my nephew to the DMV in Smithfield to have his driver’s license renewed. We were there for about an hour and a half.
We left the car running so his little dog would stay cool. When we returned to the car, the battery was dead. I called my Road Side Service and was told it would be an hour and a half before they could assist us, but it turned out to be two and a half hours.
The security guard, named Robert Hopick, was so very kind and thoughtful. He gave us water for our little dog. A big “thank you” to Mr. Hopick and the nice staff at DMV in Smithfield. It was a true example of helping your neighbor.
Nancy M. Hogan
Carrollton

Religion declining?

Editor, Smithfield Times
According to one scenario, Christianity is declining in America. That’s the good news, but on the down side, it’s being replaced by other religions.
So, if that’s the case, then don’t be surprised to see Christian theocrats demanding a wall of separation between church an state when another religion and its taboos are being imposed by law on them.
But according to another, more pleasing, scenario, organized religion itself is in decline. We can only hope, or as John Lennon said, “Imagine.”
Jim P. McAdaragh
Newport News