Ordinances
To the Editor:
As I sat reading the new ordinances in the January 3rd paper, I had to laugh. Doesn’t our county have enough to worry about without having to enact an ordinance on horse droppings and horse shoes? It’s not like there are hundreds of people pulling wagons or buggies or riding saddle horses on our county roads every day to cause serious damage to the roads. I guess this is one way to keep people with horses from participating in our summer parade.
Who is going to train the county deputies to know what is not a regular horse shoe? Who will pay to train them? Are they really going to stop every horse seen on the roads to check their shoes? Most know that horses used on the road have shoes that help keep them from slipping and falling. The large work horses are a prime example of that.
As for the um “waste bags”, since when in all the years of this county having paved roads has the very infrequent horse droppings caused damage to the pavement? I can see wanting it cleaned up during a parade In town, but elsewhere? And I really doubt that most that do participate with a horse drawn buggy or wagon in the parade will fork out $40 to do so.
I would also like to know, what the money from all this will be used for? Will it be like our boat money, no public accounting of where every penny is spent? As far as I remember from working for the county for eight years, all incoming and expenditures for this county is supposed to be published in this newspaper. It used to be . . . what happened to that?
The citizens of this county have no idea how much money is in the boat account and no public accounting of exactly what it is used for and the balance each month. Anyone else wonder about this? You should.
Now I will sit back and see if this gets published in its full content and look forward to anyone else’s reaction to the new ordinance’s as well as any comments on the public accounting of our boat revenue’s from the beginning until now. . .
With these new ordinances it interests me a lot on what the procedure is for making a county or even a town ordinance? Do the Commissioners’ members have free rein to think up whatever they want to and pass it? No public discussions on whatever the issue is? No notice of what they are thinking of passing in the local paper so the citizens can respond with their opinions or even be aware that new ones are about to be introduced to the county? Or are the subjects just discussed between them and passed and notice given that this is what it is and the citizens have to live with it? If they are in office to represent the best interest of the people of our county, that voted them in there, then why not have public forums when THEY think there is a need for a new ordinance? That’s a lot of power to give anyone in public office, no restrictions on passing new things, without lots of public input don’t you think? Just something to think about . . .
Paula Cloat
Moorefield
Joint program
To the Editor:
The Switzerland County YMCA in conjunction with Lifetime Resources is pleased to announce a joint program for the Seniors in the community.
Lifetime Resources of Dillsboro and the Switzerland County YMCA are initiating a pilot program that will be running from now through June 30th. The program includes Water Aerobics at 10 a.m., box lunches (for a small donation), and balance and agility classes at 12:30 p.m. These classes will be offered at no charge to seniors 60 years and older regardless if you are a member of the YMCA. The funding for these classes are made possible from a grant from Lifetime Resources.
Lifetime Resources also provide transportation in the community through the Catch-A-Ride program. For information about the Catch-A-Ride Program call 1-800-330-7603 to schedule times and find out the rates.
We here at the YMCA are excited to begin working with the Senior in the community who would like to take part in this program. Many of the programs that we now offer encourage a spirit of fellowship and community. We would like to encourage you to get out, bring a friend, have fun and join us for this exciting new opportunity here at the YMCA. For more information give us a call at 427-9622.
Eric Cole CEO
Switzerland County YMCA
Disgusted
To the Editor:
I am disgusted with the county government. We have so many problems in this county and w e choose to address, with a new ordinance, horse manure and horseshoe marks on our county roads. I really think this is a disgrace.
Our county should be grateful that the Amish community is growing so strong here. These people bring in a lot of money to our county. They are moral and God-fearing people who happen to still use horses and buggies, much like our great-grandparents did to build this county. We should be happy that these kind quiet people choose to raise their families here. I for one would much rather hear a horse go clopping by than I would a car with loud exhaust go screaming down the road and leaving black marks. To me that is much more offensive.
This county prides itself with picturesque shops and quaint social events, which draws in tourism. But a true draw of tourism is our Amish communities. I am sure people of the county do not realize how many visitors the Amish families have from out of state, and now when they leave they will carry with them the rather disturbing thoughts that perhaps this might not be such a good place to live because the people here do not like horse poop on the road and a few rough surfaces on the roads made by horse and buggy.
The county highway department must not like to clean anything off the roads. I drive all over this county and I see many dead animals that no one ever bothers to clean off the road. I would much rather drive through a few “road apples” than I would a six-day-old dead skunk.
The Amish community here is a great asset to our county, and I for one welcome them and pray that kind, Christian people such as they are will continue to move to our county.
Vernon and Sharon Clark
Upper Grants Creek Road
Discrimination
Dear Editor:
Concerning the new ordinance about horsedrawn vehicles in last week’s Vevay papers. What’s the deal anyway or I should say what’s wrong with some of the leaders of this county? Is there no common sense anymore?
To my understanding in the paper about the ordinances, like where it says on the horseshoe ordinance. Number 1: It shall be unlawful for any person, etc. . . . It goes on about what you can’t put on your horseshoes so this means nothing at all on a horseshoe?
No – absolutely not am I ever taking a horse on the road without any hard surface on the shoe. The horse will slip and fall and cause an accident to happen. Who’s responsible then? The county?
The horse does not have any traction at all without that.
And on the ordinance about license fees for horsedrawn vehicles. Where’s the money going for that? It looks like the County Council has to pass an ordinance before it can go into the County Highway Fund, but until then who’s going to fill their pockets?
Nobody will tell me that horsedrawn vehicles tear up the roads cause there’s nothing more that tears up the roads than heavy farm equipment and all these dump trucks and semis going up and down the county roads. What about licenses for the big farm equipment? You don’t see any on them.
So where’s our gambling boat money that was supposed to lower our taxes and fund enough money to fix all our roads? As far as I’m concerned our taxes went up and they keep going up.
So each section of the new ordinance is the new county ordinance. It’s not the law so therefore it is unconstitutional.
Most of the Amish I know will not go on the road without some kind of sharp-edged compound mounted material on the horseshoes.
Sam Girod
Near Bennington