Animal control story showed bias

I am writing in reference to the “Animal control grilled” article that appeared on the front page of the Daily Herald Aug. 24.

I am a personal friend of Paul Kuehnert. I have also served with him on the board of the Batavia United Way. I have never known Kuehnert to be anything but an honest, honorable man who takes his job and responsibilities very seriously.

The article read as if it was written with a personal bias against Paul Kuehnert. Reporter James Fuller’s breathless tone seemed aimed at insinuating a scandal rather than reporting a local story. Board members quoted in the article seemed to imply that Kuehnert was being less than up front in his decision making process. However, there was not a place in the article where any board member stated that Kuehnert had done anything contrary to the rules and regulations by which KCAC is governed.

Where he was quoted, Kuehnert was straightforward and clear.

It is Kuehnert’s job to make decisions on the running of Kane County Animal Control. If he were to take every single issue to the board, nothing would get done and he would be fired for being ineffective. Rather, my impression was that some county residents questioned board members about changes made at KCAC of which they were not immediately aware.

Those members chose to respond by turning a board meeting into a confrontation with Kuehnert rather than as a chance to have a conversation about changes in the organization and to discuss any questions and concerns they or their constituents had.

If this is what passes for a front-page story in the Daily Herald, I am not impressed.

Ann Gerardi

Batavia