Letters, letters, letters

The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday.

To the Editor:

As a board member, I feel a need to respond to Mel Collum's airing of grievances with the Tollgate Property Owners' Association management in the August 13 Nugget (Letters to the Editor).

I speak only for myself, but my thoughts are as follows:

• The Tollgate manager works at the behest of the board and her enforcement of the CCRs (Covenants, Codes & Restrictions) is a direct result of our asking her to do so.

She does not act arbitrarily and is in almost constant contact with board members.

• The CCRs have been in place since the inception of Tollgate and should come as no surprise to any property owner. These were required to be in the closing papers for each Tollgate property.

• The CCRs do not appear to be onerous to property owners when compared to and contrasted with those of nearby associations.

• The tremendous increase in values of homes and lots in Tollgate is due in no small part to the existence of our CCRs.

• The Board of Directors has made a very concerted effort to be even-handed when notifying property owners of infractions reported by property owners. As a result, most of the "friendly reminders" sent out cover small infractions which can be dealt with through minimal effort.

• The Board of Directors is elected by the property owners at our annual meeting (the most recent of which was held two weeks ago). We welcome any property owner to put his or her name in for consideration of the membership.

I have found that each present board member has displayed a very positive attitude about the quality of life afforded by the Tollgate community.

I am elated to hear that Mr. Collum believes in helping his neighbors and I would welcome his participation the next time we are splitting, hauling and stacking wood for those unable to do so; or thinning brush next to our roads; or building benches for all to use.

His help will be greatly appreciated!

Steve Mathews

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To the Editor:

Every time I drive up the McKenzie Highway, I shudder to think what would happen if that area ever catches fire.

Don't say it won't happen! Earlier this month, when my wife and I arrived at the Canyon Creek Meadows trailhead for a hike, a young lady (but old enough to know better) came riding out of the woods with a kingsize cigarette dangling sloppily from her lips.

I said, "I hope that cigarette isn't lighted." She replied, "I don't have a light!"

I said, "Good, because if you light that, here in these dry woods, I'm sure someone will want to arrest you!" She replied, icily, "I'm well aware of that, sir," wheeled her horse and headed back into the woods, probably to smoke that cigarette, as soon as she was out of sight and found a light!

As a precaution, I noted the license numbers on both the horse trailers parked there.

There are no signs there, saying, "No smoking outside of vehicle," so the Forest Service is lax. There are no spot ads on Public TV warning of the dangers -- and liabilities -- of smoking in the woods. That would be a cheap investment for the Forest Service, compared to the cost of fighting fires. Last report I heard it was $1 million a day!

I've heard it said that there's no value in the timber in the McKenzie area, so no big timber company would bid on clearing it out.

I ask: what is the value, combined, of Crossroads, Tollgate, our new high school and more, if nothing is done about it. All it would take is one such young lady as the one above, smoking on the Windigo Trail.

How about requiring some work in that area as a part of a larger contract on good timber? I think that big timber counts on fires such as that to put teeth into their efforts to cut more timber.

Let them take some of the bad with the good. How about greater use of our prison labor? What is it costing us to keep them fed and sheltered in jail?

We'd get some return from our taxes, timber value not withstanding.

Russell B. Williams