Citizens of Pratt:
Many of you have been asking me “Why are Karen Detwiler and Vic Graf so opposed to the Maple Street extension?” With the Hutchinson News reporter, Mary Clarkin, recently taking a special interest in Pratt city government and an extreme one-sided view, I sent this letter to answer. So far they have refused to respond. All I ask is for the Hutchinson News to be fair and balanced.
To the editor:
After reading the editorial dated October 2, 2009 in the Hutchinson News I had to stop and make sure I was not reading some gossip newspaper. Your editorial did not even have our City Attorney correct.
I find it interesting the Hutchinson News editorial staff takes such a personal interest in the City of Pratt’s internal governmental affairs. But have you ever asked your city commissioners to allow the public to vote on every administrative issue they deal with?
At this point I would like to provide you and your readers some facts.
Karen Detwiler was elected to the City Commission in 2005; she was soundly defeated in 2008 by Bill Hlavachick and Willy Peltier.
With these facts it is very clear Karen Detwiler is NOT a representative of the City of Pratt. Nor does she have the authority to demand a vote on every administrative issue she takes a personal dislike to.
While you are researching the facts why don’t you take the time to find the answers to these questions? Why is Karen Detwiler opposed to the expansion of Maple Street? She lives over a mile away from it. Why did Karen Detwiler, while as a city commissioner, not oppose Fincham Street? She voted for it and approved the necessary financing. Did she support it because it benefited the property owner who she has had several multi thousand dollar business dealings with? Or did she support it because it made the Detwiler Storage Facility more accessible to the public? Why is Commissioner Vic Graf the only commissioner supporting Karen Detwiler? Could it be he feels an obligation to her since she gave him over $1,300 for his campaign? Plus Vic did stand up in a public meeting and say Karen Detwiler ran his entire campaign and stated “I am definitely not her puppet”.
You should also note as a commissioner, Karen Detwiler and present Commissioner Vic Graf have never taken the time to attend any educational classes for city commissioners so they may learn how to conduct themselves and understand how city government works. If Karen Detwiler spent as much time promoting the City of Pratt as she does opposing it, I feel we would have to change Maple Street to Detwiler Boulevard.
The next time your editorial staff and reporters form an opinion, I hope you take the time and have the facts straight, especially when using my name.
Eric Nystrom
Commissioner
City of Pratt
