Letters to the Editor
(Editor’s note: The bottom half of these letters were omitted from previous editions because of the editor’s absentmindedness. His apologies to all.)
Thanks for the
Make-A-Wish support
I am participating in the Trailblaze Challenge for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It is a 28.3-mile hike in one day, and the proceeds from money raised goes towards helping to grant the wish of a chronically or terminally ill child. I would like to recognize and thank the people who have supported this effort to date. These are not in any particular order, and I apologize if my record keeping has excluded anyone.
Cathy and Jack Ollis; Robert Massey; Steve and Vickie Dunkerly; David Streets; Megan and Ethan Glasgow; Liz Duncan; Emily Ferguson; Joyce and Jim Parsons; Fritz Ackerman; Shara Alvarez; Sean Sullivan; Sue Brooks; Karen Cadwell; Marc Chakin; Laurie Dull; David, Phil, Minnie and Nathan Stuyvesant; Hilaria Wilson; Barbara Wilson; and Brian Delaney.
There have also been many anonymous donations, and you know who you are! Thank you. There too have been many donations made in lieu of flowers in honor of my Mom (Connie Stuyvesant) who, sadly, passed in March.
I am continuing to train hard to be able to complete the 28-mile hike in June. I often walk the streets and hills in Black Mountain with my mascot Liesel as part of the training. If you see the Make-A-Wish scarf, please feel free to stop and chat.
On behalf of a sick child whose life you can help change, thank you.
Beth Padgett
Black Mountain
Petty theft but
no potty crimes?
Like many others who subscribe to The Black Mountain News, I read the weekly postings of arrests and police reports. Since I moved to Black Mountain, about a decade ago, I have read about local robberies, assaults, drug use, traffic violations and even murder. But, I have never read a report of someone using the bathroom of the other gender.
With our legislature assuring us they are protecting the very fabric of our society by passing HB2, this crime must be rampant. Since the variety of crimes reported here is the same as the rest of North Carolina, I have to ask, is The Black Mountain News suppressing this information? Are the Black Mountain Police and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in collusion to hide this crime?
John Rountree
Black Mountain
Throwing trash outside
sets a bad example
I thought dumping junk and trash on the side of the road was illegal. If that is still the case, why is the dumping at the corner of West Keesler Street and Penelope Street still being allowed? It started out as old appliances and has moved on to old tires and household trash. The trash trucks do not pick up any of it.
There are kids who have to walk by there every day, twice a day to catch the bus. That mess is a safety hazard as well as an eyesore.
Please whoever owns that property, clean it up!
Beata Ball
Black Mountain
Boy Scout Troop 50
says thank you
April 21 was a great night for local Boy Scout Troop 50. Thanks to the outpouring of community support, almost 600 dined at the sixth annual Chicken and Dumplings Boy Scout Fundraiser Dinner.
Troop 50 is especially appreciative of support from the Town of Black Mountain, Recreation and Parks, for the use of the Lakeview Center, catering from The Red Radish, The Black Mountain News and to Christ Community Church-Montreat as our chartered organization.
The proceeds will help support the operating costs to the troop, activities such as camping, rank advancement, providing community service and gaining leadership experience. If you would like more information about Troop 50, available for boys grades 6-12, contact scoutmaster Gerald Runkles 828-301-4053 and runklesg@gmail.com.
Margaret Hurt
On behalf of Troop 50
Columnist should consider other Christians’ views
I am impressed that columnist Nancy Poling judges herself a superior Christian because she is a Democrat (BMN April 7).
Of course everyone cares about rights, education, poverty, the environment, etc., but not all of us agree on how to address these problems. I am tired of being called names and having my religion insulted because I do not agree with Democrats’ solutions of throwing more money at problems in lieu of studying them in depth and being courageous enough to make effective changes. Problems don’t get solved by disrespecting others or listening to only one side of the story.
Individuals have rights as long as they do not infringe upon the safety or rights of others. I work with homosexual, transgender, and other Republicans who want more government accountability, less government waste, lower taxes and better education for all, and individual responsibility.
While providing for those who cannot provide for themselves, we also believe jobs are solutions to poverty and money for classrooms instead of administrators are solutions to education, not more control by Big Government who think they know what is best for us.
Focus on solutions, instead of privies or more derogatory labels for Republicans. We’ve already heard them all anyway.
Janet Burhoe-Jones
Swannanoa
A gardener’s largess
creates a fan of kale
I want to thank Mike Sobol for sharing his wonderful field of greens with us. I’m usually not fond of kale bought in the store. But I stopped at his plot of greens on South Blue Ridge Road a few days ago and picked a large handful of young beautiful curley kale.
I washed it carefully and discovered to my amazement that eating this kale raw, just off the stalk, is very tasty and extremely tender. Who would know? It’s actually much more tasy than cooked, steamed or even baked (like kale chips).
Thank you Mr. Sobol.
Ann Sillman
Black Mountain
Litter Sweep volunteers
are the best
Kudos to the great group of 56 volunteers who participated in our annual Litter Sweep on Saturday, April 2.
Families with young children, groups of friends, members from the BMBC and Kiwanis, and the guys from First Blue Ridge collected over 115 bags of trash. We thank them for a job well done! Black Mountain is a special place, and we certainly appreciate their time to make it even more beautiful.
Bronte Lamm/Pat Ward
Black Mountain Beautification Committee
Lynn Deese
Kiwanis Black Mountain