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<center>Letters to the Editor</center>

Parking not user friendly

To the editor:

Well, the wonderful improvements to downtown Williams continue. Have you seen the new signs? Two hour parking along Route 66 eastbound. This must be aimed at improving the tourist’s lot in life: employees (and I will assume that businesses even in Williams have employees!) will have to park their vehicles in their own driveways and walk to work downtown.

But there’s more! Now Williams City Police will find something other to do than try to put down our problems with methamphetamine. They can issue a stream of parking tickets. Oh! What joy to be ruled over by such wise and thoughtful men!

Laura Nagle

Williams

Arizona an open range state

To the editor:

This letter is in response to the author of “A Bunch of Bull.” He must be one of the out-of-state people that have purchased land in the Howard Mesa area.

I’m sorry about the $300 loss of the solar panel due to a cow, but in this area an elk could also have done it. Sir, if you have small children, all beasts are dangerous! A skunk is more so; ever hear of rabies?

Now back to the beasts on your land. Can you read? When you purchased your cheap land you would have been given a book of articles regarding the same cheap land. On page 11, paragraphs R and S say that if you do not want the cattle on the land, you must fence them out. Your cheap land must have broken your bank if you can’t afford $5,000 for a fence.

You are good in math, but you apparently cannot read. Put up fences or move out! It’s that simple. Arizona is an “open range state.”

The ranchers pay for the grazing rights, and the state does not care if the land is public or private and the beasts can’t read.

Lawrence Fox

Williams

Ex-Californian loves it here

To the editor:

This note is written in response to the letter, “A Bunch of Bull.”

Firstly, I would like to predicate this commentary with the fact that I, too, am a recent transplant from southern California.

• Open range. This land is still considered open range, and cattlemen pay Arizona for the privilege of grazing rights. In my paperwork I received with my land it is stated so, and it is also in yours as you mention being aware of having to leave a variance if you fence. I would not weep over losing a few acres when I consider my lot in California. There, I could almost reach out my side window and touch my neighbor’s house.

• Danger from the close proximity of animals and humans … I know that if I had children as you state, and I was concerned they would not listen to what they have been taught about the animals, I would definitely fence for their safety!

• Tires slashed … I seriously doubt anyone would slash your tires for just chasing their cattle from your property. I have found those here in this state among the most neighborly I have met anywhere, but as my Oakie father used to say, “To have a good neighbor, be a good neighbor.”

• Private property. Once sold this land is still open grazing unless you fence. Read again all your paperwork, remember the variance that has a burr under your saddle?

• $5,000 for fence? Well, I love the prices of the land here. I also love the lack of concrete, asphalt, and buildings everywhere. I love this open, beautiful land, wildlife, cattle and horses. I would use my math skills to make sure I not only could afford my land, home and such, but also include the cost of fencing into my land-purchasing budget. If I could only afford the land and home, but not the fence, I would not be angry with others or the way this area does things. I would save for a fence.

• Manure and bacteria and disease? All of us should have all our inoculations including you, your wife and your children. Ranch cattle and horses are vaccinated and de-wormed regularly. The only real threat here is from the wildlife, but you chose to move here! This is wilderness.

• Your last comment was so hilarious I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. Dirt is composed of crushed rock, humus and decomposed biological materials. If you have manure piles in your yard, thank God for the free fertilizer, give it time to finish decomposing and it will become dirt.

I am sure many will be thinking you are a California transplant, as many come here and try to push their own agendas on this state and it’s residents. I felt compelled to take time out of my busy schedule to respond to your silliness so as to show some of us ex-Californians love it here as is.

Jim Lynch

Howard Mesa


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