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Show VALENTIMES - FEBRUARY 1993 - 11 Letters to the Times To all the Folks in Castle Valley—— We want to sing praises to the local volunteer Fire Department” If any of you have ever had a bad fire, you know what life savers these wonderful people are. Twice, now, they have saved our house from certain disaster and, of course, we cannot thank them enough. We are certainly amazed and thankful for their speed and proficiency. Sincerely, Jim & Sally Rains Hi! Just want to let you lcnow how much I enjoy the Castle Valley Times. It is so nice to hear each month, when I have to be here in humid. gray skyed Ohio. I especially enjoy the articles on the history of Castle Valley. I’m glad to be able to try to keep up with current events in the valley too. Looking forward to our next trip there in June (I hope). —Lou Gostlin To the Times: Recently in this paper and local talk there has been a lot said about individual sensitivities. To try to make rules for this community based on individual sensitivities seems rather absurd to me. Let me explain the following in my case: When it gets dusk I'm blind as a bat. Our son gave us a movement sensitive light to mount on the house by the driveway. It allowed me to get out of our vehicle into my chair, and into the house without help. However, an individual who walks objected that the light “blinded them," even though it was directed down on our driveway. Frank disconnected the light and now has to help me in and out after dusk. I've wondered why the individual walked down towards our light instead of up the valley away from it. If my sensitivities were of priority we’d have a light on every corner and a few in between. However I, as you, realize this is not what we want in our valley. I enjoy the quiet dark nights too. But it would be nice to have a light when needed. I can see a neighbor's yard light all night, every night from my bedroom window. If it bothered me the sensible solution would be for me to fix a blind at the bedroom window-—not take out the neighbor's light. Another nonsense worry—in my estimation—is all the worry about burning weeds or trash offending a neighbor. If I smell such burning from a neighbor’s I know it won't last long, and to me it means two gm things. lst, they are cleaning up a bit and 2nd, they are saving a trip into the dump. Not only is the Moab dump a pain with all its new rules and hours, but the auto exhaust of a trip to town adds more permanent polution to our atmosphere than the bunting. In my opinion, those people be allowed to do so on our own—not forced into a mandated society. Please let us live who don’t work in town but who have quiet lives on our own places like we came here to do. nothing more to do than run to town frequently with not much more reason than The latest worry seems to be safe drinking water and sewage systems. I know a beer at McStiff add a great deal more pollution because of the automobile there are many who don't have good drinking water. (Anyone is welcome to come to our place for water as ours is excellent.) I don't know how what should exhaust. There has also been discussion on septic systems. It is a known and estab. lished fact that septic system is the safest and most effective way to dispose of human waste. Any contamination is killed and eliminated in the septic tank with the proper bacterial action, which is not hard to maintain—this is before it even reaches the leach field. It is surface waste that causes contamination. I realize septic systems cost and feel we need to be tolerant of those working towards one, but the key words are mm one. I don't approve of saving the waste and taking it into one of the toilets along the riva’ road. Not only is this illegal but for my tax moneys to help maintain those facilities for waste illegally taken there does upset my “sensitivities." Another existing (but sometimes ignored) ordinance that mandates one dwelling per lot seems wrong to me— especially that a guest house is not allowed. Before we came here we lived next door to be done to help, but I don't feel like a community water and especially sewer systemshould be considered. We moved to get away from sewer assessments, street assessments, high water bills and high taxes. Even with Federal Grants there would be cost to the citizens not only for installation but also for maintenance and operations. What we have is good and safe. Please let us live here as we would like. Don't save us from ourselves. —Gwen Martineau It's commendable that Gwen thought enough ofher neighbor’sfeelings to change her light. It wasn't necessary that she take it down. however. If it had just been installed difierently, both she and her neighbor could have been happy. The rule that the Town adopted regarding outdoor lights acknowledges the needfor outdoor lighting. The rule also Frank's folks to look after them. It was a good and right thing to do. Our lot isn‘t five recognizes that many ofour residents love acres, yet we do good to take care of 1/2 of enjoy walking on our roads at night. it. And we are fast coming to the age when it would be nice to have one of our children and family not living with us but by us. It have various shacks and trailers parked Outdoor lights can be installed so that they just illuminate the area where they are needed. In fact, they work better if they shine only on the ground, rather than in your eyes. It's harder to see at night if together. However if this is the way they want to live I feel it should be their someone is shining theirflashlight in your eyes, or an oncoming car refuses to lower choice—especially if they meet health its high—beam lights. By making an effort to be considerate, the residents who want to have outdoor lights can most certainly have them. While it can take some thinking, we scents alot more sensible than some who regulations. My point is: We are trying to regulate ourselves too tightly. Where will it end? I‘ve seen some pretty scruddy looking individuals out here. I assume it is because they have no facilities to take a shower. Do they smell like they look? Do we make a rule that everyone bathe at least 3 times a week or stay home? Some of us are night people—some are morning people. Do we need to mandate that every one be inside with blinds drawn by 9 pm. and not out before 10 a.m.? Ridiculous? Of course! but that's the course we seem to be taking. We are not a penal colony. There are Federal and State laws that already cover safety, health, trespass and privacy areas. That is all we need. Please don't burden us with alot of nit picking. Neighbors can and will get along if they want to. I think we should the beauty of our desert night skies and can usually come up with ways to do the things we want to do without bothering our neighbors. It's much the same with burning garbage. If the trash is burned over a hot fire with lots of air, no one will even know that it’s being burned. However, ifa whole lot of kitchen garbage is just thrown in a 55 gallon drum with a little gasoline sprinkled on top, it's pretty likely to .mtolderfor hours. If we're willing to think about each other’s sensitivities, we can all have a more enjoyable time living here in Castle Valley. -—Jack Campbell |
