nasal rangers

Izzy Sommers, MD[retired]
7-140 Elmview Street, West
Welland, ON L3C 4K7, Canada
TELEPHONE: 905-788-2237
EMAIL: canadizzy@yahoo.ca

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

The Editor
The Welland Tribune
228 East Main Street
Welland, ON L3B 5P5, Canada
TELEPHONE: 905-732-2411
EMAIL: tribune@wellandtribune.ca

RE: Nasal Rangers

Dear Editor and Staff,

Your article, Odour complaints downplayed in regional report, says PLC, BY MARK TAYTI, TRIBUNE STAFF, WELLAND, in the MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2005, of the WELLAND TRIBUNE, was very amusing. Mr. Tayti did a great job in avoiding some of the more obvious jokes about odours and those that sniff them out. I think he showed admirable restraint. I believe he used very clever phrases, including “nasal rangers,” when he could have used “odour police” or “smelly investigators.” In addition, he added to my political knowledge of the area by showing us that PLC meant Public Liaison Committee and that there was an actual, manned, Elm Street Landfill Site/Compost Facility behind the sign on Elm Street. Also, he supplied the official titles, affiliations, full names and mug shots, of Kaczmarczyk, Marshall, O’Hara and Bodner, very valuable at election time. I had mistakenly thought that George Marshall was in charge of bicycle paths and that he was actively planning to connect Welland to St. Catharines, without having to swim Lake Gibson or risk riding on a major highway.

I’m sure there are others, besides myself, that were stimulated by the subject material, in more ways than one. Personally, I was reminded of the Greek, French and German words for nose, “rhinos,” “nez” and “nas,” the last pronounced “naz,” as in “shnazzola.” Mr. Tayti could have created “rhinopolice,” “nez de gendarme” or “naspolicei,” pronounced, “nazz-polits-EYE.” Perhaps the tribune would have hesitated to print these created words, especially since they can not be found in a dictionary and would be automatically rejected by “spellcheck.”

I was also impressed by the kudos given to the Dain City residents for their very own nasal rangers. Kudos to the Welland Tribune and to Mark Tayti for a job well-done, in downplaying the obvious satirical criticisms that could have been levelled at the politicians and this subject material. Does the City of Welland have a PLC?

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Izzy Sommers.