Announce before passing
With the increased use of walking/biking trails around us, I would ask those of you who are not walking to please alert us to your presence when passing us. I was almost run over by a young girl on a bicycle who came up on me while I was contemplating crossing the trail. Fortunately I didn’t and was suddenly passed by her. Those of us of a certain age frequently have reduced hearing and could use the heads up that you are about to pass us. A simple, “on your left” really helps.
While the outcome of this interaction was benign, it could have been serious with a resulting call to our stressed emergency services.
Parents, please inform your children of this simple courtesy.
Jerome Dayton,
Carbondale
Government controls our lives
I have lived in this area for over 83 years and have seen many changes. My father grew up farming with horses. Not too long before that my ancestors came to this area, filed a claim, built a log cabin and settled down in “the land of the free and home of the brave.”
I grew up in the agricultural profession. If you needed a barn, you just built one. If you needed an orchard, you planted one. Nowadays you can’t do anything without applying to the authorities and submitting a plan. Then there are hearings, reviews, inspections, licensing, public notices, fees and revisions. After about two years you can begin construction with periodic inspection resulting in revisions. Then when you are finally done, there is property tax which is a lease paid to the government.
If you really believe you are the owner, just stop paying the property tax. The authorities will seize it and sell it to someone else. If you ever want to change anything, you are back to the application, hearings, permits, inspection and fees.
I built a mobile home park and now the government has decided to impose its idea of rules and impose a fee per house.
Consider this virus thing. The government can shut your business down, limit your travel, limit your gatherings and all sorts of personal controls. They may give you some compensation, but ultimately, you will have to repay it. It’s called increased taxes.
By the way, they can also change the value of your money. I remember when gasoline was $0.23 a gallon and diesel was $0.11 a gallon delivered to the ranch.
We started the 4th of July Freedom Celebration and fireworks back in 1976. I’m thinking now it should be a memorial service.
Ross L Talbott
New Castle