Citizen Forum

Editor:

I would like to thank everyone for participating in the benefit held at Jack's Place for Joel and Lesley Murry on Feb. 28 and also the Tuesday jam at Chelsea's that Joel was able to attend.

Everyone's kindness, care, prayers and generosity were, and are, appreciated by Joel and Lesley. The wonderful people of this town have been my rock.

A special "thank you" needs to go out to Everett, our Hospice provider, for his care of Joel.

I'm very thankful I live in Eureka Springs.

Lesley Murry

What next?

Editor:

Ordinance 2114, the Outdoor Lighting ordinance submitted by Planning, and which has much public support, was passed by unanimous vote of the City Council. SWEPCO has voiced their opposition to this ordinance and they have submitted their own proposed amendments that would virtually guarantee that much of the bad, glarish, excessively bright outdoor lighting along US62 would remain in place for the foreseeable future. They even had the nerve to propose amending the "Purpose" section of the ordinance.

Of course SWEPCO is opposed to this ordinance. They want to sell as much off-peak electricity as they can; electricity that is mostly generated by burning nasty coal.

What's next for Eureka, letting Verizon and AT&T write their own cell tower ordinance for the city?

Sam Evans

Who's entitled to what?

Editor:

I am writing this while sitting in the Cornerstone Bank parking lot last Sunday morning.

We made $40 before closing at 1:30 due to the cold rainy mist. After almost six years of parking cars for our non-profit [Eureka Kids] and listening to the complaints of locals, today I have had enough.

Just because you are from here does not mean you can park for free to eat Sunday breakfast. Telling us, "Oh, I am local. I never pay to park for Sunday breakfast," does not make it right. It means you think you are entitled to take from local non-profit organizations while you enjoy your breakfast. Or those who insist they are only parking for half a day, give $3, eat, then take off downtown arm-in-arm with their spouse.

Then there is the other kind of local entitlement. Those who will not pay to park, you tell them they must and they take off to the lot in front of the Pied Piper.

They don't pay there either. You tell them point-blank that is stealing. They reply, "Oh no it's not. We know the owners."

I will try hard not to be angry if one of you come to our food pantry or any of our local organizations needing help. We will, of course, still help you. Our help is not based on your moral values or lack thereof.

We expect everything of our community it seems and more and more we expect it for free. The folks parking cars on the weekends at the bank parking lot are not being paid to be there. They are volunteering to help the very community in which we live and work. Yet, that does not matter. We are locals.

Get over ourselves. Pay to park just like everyone else or you are common crooks.

Barb Deshner

Eureka Kids