Letters and Comments for April 22, 2009

Need more representation

To the Editor:

The Union County Commissioners were given a mandate by a vote of the citizens to purchase forest land on Mount Emily. As I recall, the purpose of the purchase was to provide for a public area to be used for recreation. Particular types of recreation were not designated on the ballot.

This leads to the fundamental question of what uses will now be allowed on this county-owned land and what provisions are to be made for resolving possible disputes by potentially conflicting interests. Why, for example, are there only two appointed committees for two interest groups — ATV riders and everyone else? There is a majority of “others,” such as hikers, bird watchers, solitude seekers, wild flower lovers, mushroom hunters, etc. Why are not more groups designated as committees to represent all the people?

John Barry

La Grande

Keep dogs on leashes

To the Editor:

I live on South 12th Street right below Glidecrest Drive, which is right below Spence Reservoir (Glidecrest Drive Pond). When I got home Saturday afternoon, my neighbor above told me he was so angry. He said there was a couple walking the dirt road next to Spence Reservoir and they had two dogs that were not on leashes and he saw around 15 deer run from the top of the road down past their place and down to ours, and the two dogs were chasing them. Where is the respect for our wildlife? The does are only a few weeks away from having their fawns. This is not a good time to be stressing the animals. And at the pond, the geese are nesting. They don’t need to be stressed either.

Every day there are people with their dogs walking on South 12th without leashes. It is a public road and dogs are suppose to be leashed. I also own a dog and he is always on a leash when I take him walking, or should I say, when he takes me for my walk.

So please have respect not just for the wildlife but for your neighbors and the people’s homes and property you are walking by.

Jamie Thiesfeld

La Grande