You are hereLetter to Editor Sparks Controversy
Letter to Editor Sparks Controversy
A letter to the editor of The Herald Enterprise has sparked alot of interest and residents have went online to protest. In the February 10th edition, Viola Thompson, writing under her position of Golconda City Clerk admonished a Mr. Clay of Tunnel Hill for expressing dissatisfaction for the city blocking the building of a camp fire on the town hill for sledders enjoying a long standing tradition in the community. Ms. Thompson cited that the fire was built in the middle of the street and that it could burn a hole through the asphalt. She also cited that the smoke from such a fire could cause breathing difficulties or start a fire on a porch.
Michael Clay started a facebook page to unite others who share in the memories of the annual event. In just one day the group had grown to nearly one hundred protesters. One comment on the site reads: "t is a shame to see a long-standing tradition discarded. Sledding on the town hill and warming up by the fire has been the source of many fond memories for generations in Golconda. I can recall a number of past mayor's spending a good deal of time sharing in the camaraderie by the fire... and even helping to provide fuel for the fire!"
Another protester pointed out: "had a pretty good laugh at viola's letter to the editor!! ....fav. part was: "wood smoke is very bad for people who have breathing problems", um hello, so is second hand smoke. and i dunno if ive ever seen that woman without a cigarette in her hand!"
Now that we have probably experienced the end of the sledding season for early 2010, the next question is will the City Council take this growing group of united citizens ideas up before the next one. Time will tell.
Organizers for the group have sent a letter to the editor. Make sure you pick up the February 17th copy of the Herald Enterprise.
- 1762 reads
The city government needs to wake up and see how they run people out of town instead of bringing them in! You know it's bad when you turn down a dollarstore then now the fire. I guess they want a ghost town but it's sad that the business that thrives the most is the bar!
That is so very true about the bar! It seems that is the only highlight of that town! There are not that many kids in that town and now they are wanting to cut off the traditional sled riding. Kinda sad how a "historic" community can turn down the Dollar Store that was supposed to come into town (which would have helped the town) but taking sled riding and the fire away from a tradition, I'd say that's really sad. And I agree, I don't think I have ever seen Ms. Thompson without a cigarette in her hand either and yes wood stove smoke is bad, but you can catch health problems by breathing in the air from some idiots polluting it. So the story about the "wood fire smoke", that's a bunch of b.s.
How sad, people need to wake up.......this town it dying and like living in a prison compared to anywhere else. We can't ride out horses, our 4 wheelers, our dirt bikes etc. The ONLY place you can have fun anymore is in your own yard. No Iam not talking about alchol and drinking. Look at it people, its EVERYTHING!!! How Many of the "kids" live around here that graduated say from 1978 on??? Such a beautiful place to live and it is becoming a ghost town. Sad.
Not allowing open fires in the city is generally a good idea. Obvious exceptions are made on a regular basis for special city sanctioned events. Our elected city officials have a thankless job and are the targets of constant criticism, which, in a small town like Golconda can feel, and is, very very personal and hurtful. I'm sure the city officials, and other elected and organizational leaders of the town and county, feel defensive under the unending barrage.
However, those very same elected officials are expected to comport themselves professionally and Ms. Thompson's published letter in the Herald Enterprise fell very short of that tone. The tone of Mr. Clays letter was very respectful and seemed to only relate the facts of what transpired and in no way should have provoked such a sarcastic - dare I say - snarky, reply. Ms. Thompson’s letter was obviously written in the heat of anger. Most adults realize we have these feeling, but rarely follow through on acting on them. It is fine for Ms. Thompson to write it all out as if she were going to send it in order to get it off her chest. They say writing things out can be great therapy. However, after she went out and had a cigarette, you would have thought she might have calmed down and written a more professional reply, or possibly, not sent her original angry outburst. Is it not sometimes more honorable to keep your venom to yourself? I mean really, all she did was get it off her chest (her right), and stir up a hornet’s nest. More than likely she will bear the brunt of those stings.
Furthermore, Ms. Thompson stands in the glass house of self righteous hypocrisy as she is fond of lovely parties in the back yard of her home - in the city limits of Golconda - around an open fire. I believe the Mayor finally convinced her to fill in her fire pit and she currently finds a way to have a good time without second hand wood smoke lingering around her and her neighbor’s property, infringing on other’s property rights by creating a fire hazard to their property , etc., etc., ad nauseaum. However, she did openly scorn the ordinance for quite some time.
Again, I respect, appreciate, and admire all of the hard work people do in the community. We all know it’s ridiculous to end the long standing tradition of the fire and would break everyone’s hearts to not be able to share it with their children. Mayor Altman is often well intentioned, but it’s time someone let him know that his actions do not always come off very well in the community when he begins acting like the hall monitor at the elementary school . I personally respect and admire him, but he needs to tone it down some. Furthermore, he needs to realize that the folks of Golconda are not trying to openly defy HIM when they practice various freedoms we all love as Americans, and that’s it’s sometime best to turn a blind eye?
I believe there could well be an infinite excuses as to what 'could happen'. we can play that game till the end of time. I felt that Violas comments were very condemning to Mr. Clay and showed the city, the county, and now the entire planet just what we are dealing with. There was no diplomacy in her letter. Just a bunch of straw man theories of things the 'might happen' or 'could possibly effect' to prop up a weak argument.
I certainly hope there is in fact an ordinance on the books to be challenged. otherwise this action taken, while a small issue, will have to be played out in the public court of opinion.
In response to: City Clerks Fire Issue
You have a point here. Perhaps Mr. Altman should not be the TARGET in this controversy, but the city council as a whole. I'm sure that he doesn't make up these ordinances on his own, but makes sure they are followed through. So tell me, who comes up with these ordinances? And, can these ordinances can be amended. Of course they can.
I do not know Mr. Altman that well, but from what I do know, he seems to be a nice guy, respectable, and for the most part, does his best as Mayor. I do not know ALL of the city council members, but I do know that the majority of them were not born and raised in Golconda (or Pope County for that matter). In my opinion, they seem to want this to be a "retirement community".
They want the kids to be little robots that do only what THEY want them to do. They take away things from the kids, but allow things for the older people, such as driving around on golf carts in Golconda. Hey, I have an idea, lets all buy golf carts and let our kids and grandkids drive them around town and see how fast they change their minds about this ordinance.
As for the fires in Golconda and it being bad for people health...the Deer Festival has that fire blazing for days. IF this is such a health hazard, can you imagine the damage that is doing to our citizens? I doubt one little bonfire, in a ditch, supervised by adults is going to do much damage. Do you?
As for Viola's Letter to the Editor, I believe she told Michael that he needed to "grow up". Well, I think being a "kid at heart" and getting out there and having a good time and making wonderful memories with his chidlren is something more parents (and grandparents) need to do. For those of you that do this, I THANK YOU for setting good examples for your children and other children and adults in the community. I'd much rather see this than seeing (or knowing) that someone is sitting up in a bar every day drinking and smoking cigarettes.
I don't want to take any more time away from the point of this whole discussion, which is changing the ordinance so that a bonfire can be built at the top of the "Big Hill" while sledding, but I do want to comment on the above written (I do not know ALL of the city council members, but I do know that the majority of them were not born and raised in Golconda (or Pope County for that matter). My understanding of the sentence is that the members of the council not born and raised here wouldn't understand the tradition of a bonfire while sledding. If that is the case I would like to make this point. I have heard many complaints from citizens regarding many situations in Golconda. They complain about how the town is run, who is on the council, etc. I, in turn, would say.."Why don't you run for a place on the council and then you will have an inside voice to take care of these issues that bother". I am then looked at as if I had asked them to shoot somebody in the head. "No,no,no"..they say. "I don't want to do that". Then you might say. "o.k. then if you don't want to run for office, gather your thoughts, get on the agenda and present your grievance in person to the council". Again, oh "no, no, no". Don't want to do that. So, until more Golconda citizens want to step up to the plate, become members of the council, or at least lend their voice to solving some of the problems, then how can anybody hope for change if all that is done is complain to a neighbor. Letters to the editor of the Herald or this site can certainly help, but the only thing that does any good is to put your face and opinions out there in person.
Thanks.
I cannot agree more with Ebie58. Very well said. I only wish that I was a Golconda resident today. Because of this my presence in a town council meeting would be a little more than nothing. I am calling on all residents who would like to make this one ordinance change to contact me so that we can pursue this matter to the fullest. I will gladly lead the way but I need current residents to be present at the meeting. I hope to hear from you soon! Thank you.
♥ Citizenship
Let's get out and vote.
Love this site, great effort.
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