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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Host families forge lasting friendships with returning Britt musicians ... Our View: Sams Valley residents outmatched in power struggle ... Ashland struggles with increase in 911 calls ... Host families forge lasting friendships with returning Britt musicians ... Our View: Sams Valley residents outmatched in power struggle ... Ashland struggles with increase in 911 calls ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Aug. 12 MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 12, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Aug. 12, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Are numbers real? In reading about Mercy Flights' new helicopter, two thoughts immediately came to mind. Either they should have made this move long ago or the numbers aren't real. I suspect the $750 is ship payment only and that what they paid Timberland included fuel, pilots, training, maintenance, etc. The helicopter program has been great for Southern Oregon. I certainly hope it functions as well under the new paradigm as it did under Timberland. Michael Hoyt Medford Fight fires with drones As I was driving from Grants Pass to Medford the other day, choking on the thick smoke from the Stouts Fire, I asked my wife why can't they use drones to fight fires? Amazon can deliver packages to your home using a drone. Our military can have a control room in Las Vegas and fly a drone in Pakistan dropping bombs on targets with pinpoint accuracy. You can fly a drone using computers 24/7. Build 30 helicopter drones that can carry a large payload, put them on semi trucks and have a portable command center with computer operators. You would need 30 helipads and 30 big portable swimming pools with water in them. Use this system as soon as the fire breaks out. Don't wait. You can use a GPS to run this operation 24/7 and not risk any human pilots.A drone can fly thru thick smoke day and night. Expensive? Yes, but what are we paying for the system we are currently using? Maybe rent the system out to California and Washington when not in use. Maybe even Donald Trump or Bill Gates would kick in a couple of bucks to get it going. Chuck Brook Medford The "hunt" We now shift from the outrage of killing a set-up lion to whether or not the killing was “legal.” As if that makes everything OK. Most if not all folks who are upset with these episodes simply find that killing magnificent animals for the fun of it is beyond the pale. It’s not hunting, as the killers are trying to imply. It’s more than likely they just feel good about the power to kill something large and wild. The woman states that the animal, a giraffe, can be dangerous. Really? So is the neighbor’s dog at times. What do these people have in common? Lots of money, time and lack of self-esteem. Killing large animals must make them feel special. The word “hunt” no longer has a meaning. It’s disgusting! Bill Foy Central Point Rethink logging plans I have lived here 60 years, and many of the forests and streams I love are public lands in the care of the BLM. These belong to us all, and include some of the rarest plants and fish, cleanest waters, and last old-growth forest in the nation. They serve as refuge to many kinds of life and refreshment for the human spirit. As we now face major changes to our climate, the need for these waters and forests will only become more acute. The BLM is updating its plans for these forests. They have acknowledged that climate change will affect these landscapes, but aren't managing for it. Their plans include cutting more of the trees that shade streams and keep them cooler in summers that are likely to be hotter by the year. This newspaper carried a story only days ago in which salmon from the Klamath to the Columbia are likely to die off in the thousands due to high water temperatures in those rivers and their tributary streams. Cutting down more of the stream-shading trees is ridiculous. The BLM must do a better job of protecting these forests. Carol Ampel Medford MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 12, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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