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Show should have the final say on the name of the new group. The right way to choose a name is by democratic vote of all the members. I took this proposal to the Chapter ExCom in September 1999 and they unanimously approved it, though the election got delayed until June of this year. 3. Although I have many other vices, I’ve never been the Utah Chapter Vice Chair. That post is held by a dedicated, long-time activist who is much more qualified, Scott Endicott. Iam a mere member of the Chapter ExCom. 4. The Chapter ExCom couldn’t have attempted to kill the Glen Canyon Group, because we voted unanimously, not once but twice, to establish the group. Sierra Club rules allow groups to be established only by their chapters, so it would be downright impossible for a group to get started if its chapter ExCom wanted to kill it. there, or has it 5. We Utah Chapter ExCom members are not easily "stunned." Honestly, we fully expected the group election to turn out as it did, and we're delighted that the group now has a democratically chosen name and a democratically elected leadership. 6. Chapter members have never (to my knowledge) maligned or attacked Ken Sleight for become your private preserve. Both my wife and I are professionals; we always worked is pro-drain Lake Powell position. Some members have had disagreements with Ken over hard for our family and our future. We always took one salary and invested it, we weren’t yuppies (no sushi, no BMWs, no conspicuous consumption). Now we have a nest egg but Im afraid we probably qualify as one of your rich weasels. I guess we'd be benevolent weasels (thanks). But I don’t feel like I’m any kind of Meanwhile, the Chapter has invited Ken to be a featured speaker at our Nov. 18 workshop on nuclear waste issues. 7. Aside from those mentioned above, I could find only two more outright errors in your To be a Rich Weasel, or not to be... Dear Mr. Stiles: My wife and I are planning on moving to Moab and the tone of your Take It Or Leave It section leads me to wonder if we and our children will be welcome strategy and priorities, but heck, life would be boring if we all agreed on everything. weasel, and I don’t like to be called names and I especially don’t like to see my wife "Good News" blurb about the Sierra Club. That’s not bad—why, a 2 couple of the paragraphs insulted. I understand you've been living there for more than two decades and you‘d like to have it all to yourself just like it was back in the good old days, but you have to learn to share. I’m just an ordinary guy; we're an ordinary family. Maybe I worked a few extra contained no errors at all! 8. While your friend Ken Sleight certainly deserves much of the credit for getting the Glen Canyon Group started, many others also deserve credit for their hard work and perseverance: John and Susette Weisheit, Jim and Lou Gostlin, Jean and Mike Binyon, Kevin Walker, Dan Kent, Kathryn Wilder, and the dozens of Club members who attended the organizational meeting held March 25. hours, maybeI was a little bit lucky. I send money to my parents, and I expect I’ll have to get more involved in their care in the not too distant future. I'll be able to send my kids to college without having to go into debt. I didn’t inherit my money and I don’t feel like I exploited anyone acquiring it. In looking backI can remember oe times when I felt like I was being exploited. We're not going to be moving up to Cloudcroft (sic), but we would probably build our own house. So we would hire contractors, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc. We’Jl probably pay thousands a year in property taxes and add more thousands into the economy. What’s wrong with that? Part of Moab’s economy is going to be generated from people retiring to the area. Mountain bikers and desert rats get old too, and they'll want to come live permanently in a place they love as much as you do. The retirees will pay school taxes, but bring no kids, making better schools. They’ll demand good health care and have the wherewithal to pay for it improving the health service in this part of the world. It’s not a lie that their dollars will improve the quality of life, of course they will. Are we talking about a strip mine, a nuclear waste depository, or just a few more residents who love this place? I’m middle-class and I don"t feel lowly. I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m sorry you have to resort to namecalling and class warfare. Jim I’m just a person like you trying to raise a family, while improving my community and making as small an impact on the environment as I can. Sincerely, Jean T. Beaulieu Tanya Beaulieu Park City, Utah Let’s also acknowledge the advice and support of Lance Christie, chair of the former Moab-area Sierra Club group (the Canyonlands Group). Southeastern Utah is extremely fortunate to have so many dedicated environmental activists. I’m sure that these people will accomplish a great deal in the coming years. : So you see, Jim, you have even more reasons to be optimistic than you realized. What's more, just to be a good sport, I’m going to one-up you in my own optimism: I predict that, as a man of integrity, you will pledge to adhere from now on to the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists. I also predict that, being the fair, objective, humble, open-minded editor you are, you will print this letter and refrain from appending any sort of bitter, personal, italicized, gotta-have-the-last-word attack. Have more confidence in yourself, Jim! You’re a passionate environmentalist and a brilliant writer and artist. You can keep your readers informed and entertained without lowering yourself to such levels. Optimistically yours, Dan Schroeder speaking only for myself from tram-free Ogden, Utah Dear Dan, — As you recall, I contacted you regarding your email and asked if you REALLY wanted to keep this feud alive, months after the editorial that offended you was printed. But I also told you that, I'm sorry you think I'm an unethical liar; I AM familiar with the eae E Mail Your Feedback Comments: if you d like to send us some Feedback via e mail we can be reached at: zephyr@moci.net date right. 2. Although you've now printed that quote in your paper three times, it was out of date 140 a6 20 Q East Ee. 100 Souuth Moab, UT 84532 E: z WEB SIT TRY OUR .cO oabutal- sandango@m Staying with us ° is as much fun as dancing with Ginger Rogers! Native & Water-wise Plants, Cacti, Succulents & Agaves...Consulting/Site Design wele THE NATIVE PLANT EXPERTS.” f) almost Spring when ivy grows from Joey's ears. Time to Prepare the Garden!!! oO 2971 S. Hwy 191+(Next to the Branding Iron)sOpen Mon-Sat 10:00 5:00 *& Native Grasses For Large Areas © e jMON JUD] de UN)Ne le) HIGH DESERT GARDENS 435.259.4531 jMON JUDId © {MON JUD]d Kyle G Carrie Bay ley’s Fis Please specify whether your comments are intended for publication. before the first time it went to press. As I thought you knew, a few weeks after writing that email,I realized that neither the Chapter ExCom nor the dozen-or-so Moab-area organizers go-447-4106 or 4357259-8921 of Professional Journalists—I won an award last year from the Utah Chapter of the SPJ for an article I wrote for City Weekly, titled "Assisted Suicide.” It was about the shooting death of a Moab citizen by a city police officer...JS e jMON JUDId © (MON {UDide Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water... Dear Jim, Picked up your "Good News" issue the other day (a little late, 1 know), and boy amI ever relieved to learn that you’re an optimist. Now that you've turned over a new leaf, I’m sure you'll be overjoyed by the following further good news about the Sierra Club: 1, Although the quote about how I didn’t want the Moab-area Sierra Club group to be called "Glen Canyon Group" is totally out of context, at least you got the words and the unless I heard otherwise, I would assume you wanted publication of your letter to proceed. So there it is. Oi dela) an Cen] -ePlant Now! ¢ Plant Now! © Plant Now! °Plant Now! © Plant Now! ¢ If you, Mr. Beaulieu, and your wife are just "middle-class" folks like the rest of us, then why does the "rich weasel" description offend you and insult your wife? I’m confused...J E |