Citizen Forum

Editor,

First, since we moved to Holiday Island 15 years ago, the reliability of the electric service provided by Carroll Electric has improved dramatically.

On the negative side, their practices and procedures in maintaining and upgrading service have left a lot to be desired. I'm not talking about the workers in the field, but how the company works with the customers.

When major changes are in the works, we are never consulted as to the impact on our properties. We are introduced to "the latest" by the presence of large trucks on the street, new poles being dumped in front of our houses and indiscriminate trimming of tree limbs encroaching on utility easements.

On Hillcrest Dr. [Holiday Island]we recently found out what is going on by asking questions. Apparently, in a dispute with Cox Communications, they had decided to add a second and larger utility pole at each of our houses for upgraded wiring because Cox didn't want to move their services from the original pole. Talk about ugly.

Words of thanks go out to neighbor Jack Murphy, new District Manager John Kennedy and commissioner Ken Brown for stepping forward and representing the interests of all on our street. Their efforts have resulted in the placement of just one pole per location. Things are looking up here at the Island with new and responsive leadership.

Charles Fredrick

Editor,

In all my years of attending the UFO Conference in Eureka Springs, last weekend's meeting was the most horrible display of manners and abuse of patrons I've ever witnessed.

The staff and the new conference administrator that recently took over the meetings, did on several occasions bully and scream at people, one woman in general for simply asking for help from another visitor in turning off her cell phone, causing the lady to leave the room in tears.

The new administrator had earlier stormed up to the main entrance to strong arm a 70 year-old lady. He instructed her to leave the building for trying to enter the conference as an invited guest of another administrative partner, and refused to hear her explanation saying, "No one gets in for free, I don't care who invited you."

The woman, who retired after working the UFO Conference for 22 years as a volunteer, left the building after being told she wasn't entering the building without paying.

As a Eureka Springs citizen, I find it unacceptable for anyone to come here and treat people this way. This is not the behavior we are known for or want projected to visitors. Furthermore, there have never been problems reported in the past like this under the previous administrator's reign.

I thank the Inn of the Ozarks and their staff for the remarkable job they have done each year in hosting the event, and look forward to many more years of their great service and pride. Their warmth and hospitality go above and beyond my greatest expectations.

W.R. Myers

Editor,

I am thrilled to report that I have seen a drastic reduction in the number of deer in my yard this spring, and now plants are blooming all over.

Lilacs are leafing out, peonies are blooming, and for the first time I've had the courage to remove the cages from the deers' favorite snack, the butterfly bush.

We who live in the Hillside neighborhood have spent the last couple years fighting a hard emotional battle with each other, mostly trying to convince one household to shut down their feeding operation. They felt like they were picked on, and their livelihood threatened, but in the end it appears they have finally stopped and I thank them for that.

We all have made sacrifices, suffered losses and endured some hateful remarks while working for a solution to a neighborhood problem. It is my hope that the deer really have moved on, and that we we can all enjoy our properties and our neighbors again.

If other citizens are still having deer problems, my advice is to look around for neighbors feeding, and communicate with them as calmly as possible. Hopefully they will understand the imposition they are creating with their actions and let the deer fend for themselves like they were born to do.

Mark Hughes

Editor,

As I read the hoopla about fluoride in the drinking water, I can't help but wonder where ideas like this come from.

If someone wanted to put some kind of birth control in the water, I bet you'd be able to hear the howling in Chicago. Yet, it doesn't seem to bother anyone that, whether or not they need it or want it, everyone will be introduced to the fluoride in the drinking water, which is some damn fool's estimation of a "good idea" for the public.

When the kids get thirsty this summer and drink a lot of water, will it be dangerous? Probably, according to this paper, and why should drinking water be even slightly dangerous to anyone?

I suspect that drinking water should be for drinking and any type of additives should be kept to a minimum, and even then only to provide safe drinking water, not medicinal drinking water.

Suppose the next great idea is to put some kind of "relaxer" such as Valium in the water to improve the public? Where does adding chemistry to the water supply for the public "good" end?

Perhaps, if the dental and medical folks believe fluoridation is such a swell idea, they should just hand out the pills or mouthwash in schools. That way it ends up being the right dosage safely taken by the target population, not slopped into everyone's water by people who apparently have no real safety or dosage guidelines.

Frankly, when I come to town to eat, I do not want to drink water or tea or coffee made with fluoridated water or any other chemical introduced for my or anyone else's benefit. I don't want to eat food prepared or cooked in fluoridated water, either. Where is freedom of choice for someone who just wants a glass of plain old water now?

Rick Burry

Editor,

We thank you for all the publicity you provided to the AARP Carroll County Tax-Aide Program. A number of new clients mentioned to us they had heard about our program from your papers. We particularly appreciate the weekly announcement in the Lovely County Citizen.

Our group of 16 counselors and six client facilitators prepared over 440 federal and state tax returns, saving our clients at least $100,000 in preparation fees. During this process, the Tax-Aide group volunteered more than 4,000 hours for study, training and preparation of tax returns.

About 2/3 of these returns were prepared at the Holiday Island Community Church and 1/3 at the Cornerstone Bank in Berryville. We appreciate the use of the two facilities, and look forward to providing this service again next year.

Anne Dray and Dean Larsen