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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY AUGUST 11. 1999 Opinion the second Wednesday of each just be a theorem; it may month at 6 p.m. at the Kanab may never come to pass. Yet throughLibrary-pleas- e plan to attend. out history, this situation has Sincerely, been the case; if more and better Continued from Page 4 The children and families are desired for the local of Trevor and Ila Leach jobs tion. economy, growth and change are Dads philosophy has always among the key factors. With that, Consider this been If you cant respect the there are a few available avenues our communities can pursue land, then get the hell off it., and Dear Editor: imI been have dont come Lack! Those of you Recently, You may argue that only a cerwho have challenged that phi- pressed with the efforts of local losophy and made the mistake residents in showing their pride tain percentage of local residents of letting him catch you at it, and concern for the area by voic- income is directly derived from know exactly what we are talk- ing their opinions on the latest tourism dollars. Yet we are all ing about. There is no doubt it hot topic; the Grand Staircase. I greatly affected, even at this stage, was an experience you would continually hear a lot of griping by the local tourism industry. never want to repeat and a les- locally about how things around A good example of reliance on Howson you wont likely forget-no- t tourism in the local economy is the here are being handled. in this lifetime. is often number of various restaurants we more then that not, ever, In the 79 years that dad has as far as it goes. Rarely are these enjoy in the town of Kanab alone. been on this earth, he has gone concerns publicly expressed I Find it difficult to believe that away from his beloved land only through the local media or town these establishments rely solely once. When he was drafted into and city councils. It is so much on local dollars. The next time the Armed Forces and went to easier to gripe and complain your server brings you your steak join in the Fight to protect and about the way things are going n potato, chili relleno, moo goo gai than to stick our necks out and pan or cheeseburger in paradise; preserve our freedom. To our families and many oth- risk public scrutiny. ask them how important tourism ers in southern Utah, the issues Im also impressed with the is to the area and they will tell you regarding the Monument are not work the FUSA has been doing its our bread and butter. The tourpolitical, they are personal, in stimulating responses from ism industry may seem like fhe deeply so. Our roots in this land the community about important dark villain come to plunder and are very deep, our partnership local issues. This organization pillage our area to some, but for with it many long. The went to great efforts to publish many, there are perks. sacrifices made to preserve and and distribute information Tourists languages and cusbeen have it which to educate served protect many. people toms may be foreign to us and we Now these lands are being about the latest developments may not understand their ways, threatened by strangers...people with the Monument. In turn, but it does not mean these visiwho have never seen these lands the more education and knowltors need to be treated rudely or aiid most likely never will. Strang-ers-the- y edge we receive on all sides of shunned during their stay in our have not been the care- these issues, furthers our abili- small towns. I admit; while waittakers of these lands for a life- ties to make informed decisions ing in line in local restaurants, time. They have not dedicated on subjects which effect our fami- stores, or traffic, Ive caught their entire lifetime to protecting lies, friends and neighbors in myself thinking... Damned and preserving these lands. They our surrounding communities. Its easy to feel that have made no sacrifices. Its invigorating to see so many this pristine area we live in beWe strongly believe we must people moved to action and mo- longs to us alone, especially in make a united stand against these tivated to have the numbers that the off season, when we keep the environmental terrorists. They showed at the Roads Meeting. place running. And there is a want us to give up our right to Im not writing to advocate or certain standard of respect all bear arms, they want us to give condemn the roads issue or opin- people expect when others come up our rights to our lands.. .my ions of various parties which to visit their town or country. but the price of freedom is indeed have been expressed. I must say . Not long ago, the Page radio Letters spe-ciFicall- life-tim- high these days. Soon we will all be on a reservation, the location of which will be determined by the Authorized Officer, no doubt, if we allow it to happen. We are grateful to the Kane County Commissioners for standing with us on the RS2477 Roads issues. It is and Rights-of-Wa- y our most sincere hope that they will continue to support the efforts to protect and preserve these lands and our rights to them. We are deeply grateful to the PFUSA Roads Committee for the huge effort they have put into re- searching and presentingtous the facts of the RS2477 Roads issues. They have given us the tools we need and a format with which we can express our concerns on these issues and work toward an acceptable solution. If you are not a part of the solution, after ail, you must be a part of the problem. Please continue to support the PFUSA Roads Committee and their efforts to educate us on the issues surrounding the Monument Plan and the consequences to us. The PFUSA Roads Committeea public meeting d -- hear locally is; Theres nothing to do here, its so boring! A few have even asked me whyj ever decided to move here from Reno. What ever could I have been thinking? Let me refer again to the numbers of tourist that come through this area just to catch a glimpse of what we enjoy daily. Nothing to do here? Surely the myriad of tourists I see didnt spend their hard earned vacation money to come all the way across the world, to our little tiny comer of it, to be bored to death. What are they seeing and doing here and paying all that money for that some of us might be missing or taking for granted? The Grand Canyon is accessible to us in less than 2 to 3 hours driving time and is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Have you been there and looked over the edge yet? Have you seen that beautiful river down below from the rim? People are always talking about how they cant afford a vacation. It really doesnt take much to Fill the vehicle with gas and go exploring locally for a day or two. Especially if people are concerned that some of these access roads will eventually be lost. Make some time and get out and familiarize yourself with your surroundings and educate yourself with whats going on in these places so that when your community is faced with heated issues or family or friends come to visit the area, you can respond to all of the above with an informed decision and experienced answers. Whether individual battles fought are w'on or lost, the best we can do is to continue to stay informed about the local area, care for the lands we use and educate to the best of our ability to do the same. Sincerely, Rachel Tueller Kane County Resident es Out-of-Towne- will-hol- y. across the globe to be smitten and astounded by the sights and scenes we wake up to here everyday. And there is a certain matter of pride that can be found in that. You could even be flattered. The other phrase I repeatedly again that I am ecstatic about the resident response to these issues and am glad for all views expressed, whether I personally agree with them or not. The point is; those views were voiced. I am writing to address a concern that is closely related to these topics however. This is a unique and treasured area to those who truly appreciate its beauty. There is no question why many would drag their feet in efforts to draw tourism here. Tourists bringtraf-fic- , trash and cultures that are foreign from our own. Currently, we are in a fairly prime position, some may think. Tourism to this area is still enough of a secret that we arent annoyed with the industry, yet. The truth is, this area may or may not remain a secret for much longer. Some are of the opinion that due to our central location to such parks as Zion, Bryce, Cedar Breaks, Grand Staircase, and the Grand Canyon, that it will not be long until we are Finally found out. Then our quiet, quaint little towns will succumb to the inevitable; growth- and change. - This - rs. station aired a commercial which encouraged residents to be polite, helpful and friendly to the towns visitors. It also served as a reminder that much of the cities economy relied on the money their tourists spent while in their town and asked the listener a rhetorical question; how would you care to be treated upon visiting their country or travelingthrough a foreign land? It was a very insightful and worthwhile advertisement. The point is, the next timeyour standing in a long line waiting for a service you normally wouldnt wait for, consider this: The person in front of you is contributing to your friends, neighbors and families incomes end your own towns economy. The person sitting next to you, at the Fiddle Fest or Western Legends Round-U- p may be dressed and act real funny according to your taste, but theyve come a long way just to be here and see this. They may be from somewhere we have never been and do not understand, but they came to see your backyard They catnd presents Nightly Dinner Specials Wednesday - Kabobs - $6.95 Thursday - Manicotti - $6.95 Friday - Deep Fried Cod - $7.95 (All You Can Eat) Saturday - Steak & Scampi - $10.95 Sunday - Gold Dust Chicken - $6.95 Monday - Meatloaf - $6.95 Tuesday - Sante Fe Chicken - $6.95 All specials include soup or salad bar herb roll ! and home-mad- e Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m, Reservations (435) 644-829- 5 We also feature daily breakfast & lunch specials! - 5 Takeouts Available - (lairJntu Gale South 100 East Kanab |