Letters to the editor: 05/15/03

Stray dogs kill flock of chickens

To the Editor:

This past week we had the unfortunate event of going to feed the chickens in their coop on our farm and finding two dogs inside the pen and all of our chickens dead. The dogs had torn just enough of the fence away from the frame to slip inside and wipe out our small but important flock.

We had a few specialty breeds and some we had raised from very young birds. All were quite content and providing us and others with eggs and unlimited entertainment.

We asked ourselves how we could have prevented this carnage, and the answer we kept coming to was that the dog owner is the only one who could have prevented it.

We contacted the owner, who didn't know how the dogs had gotten there from 9 miles away. He was apologetic and paid us for the birds, which I respect him for, but I had to question some things. Why would this person let his pets be so far from home? Why should our livestock be in danger when they're locked up on our property a mile from our nearest neighbor? Are we infringing on our neighbors' rights to expect them to keep their animals out of our gardens and away from our livestock, pets and private property?

Many have argued against any sort of leash law for the county with reasons ranging from "My dog has to run to be happy," "She's a hunting dog" and "He never leaves the property" to "We've always let our dogs roam" and a dozen other excuses, none of which places any responsibility on the owners for their actions and makes others the bearers of the actions of their pets.

Where does this leave the rights of others? Should a dog's "right to roam" be given greater weight than an individual's right not to have his/her property destroyed by someone's wandering pet?

I was raised with hunting dogs and everyone knows that dogs are indispensable partners when hunting off leash in the woods, which we don't see as a problem when the owner has them out. We also have three dogs of our own which are not allowed to wander unattended, even though we have plenty of room and few neighbors, both for their own safety and for the rights of others.

In addition, Jane has been a dog obedience trainer for the past 12 years and currently teaches at the shelters in Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, as well as numerous other canine-related volunteer programs, so any argument that we are "anti-dog" people would be absolute nonsense.

We want people to be responsible pet owners, which includes keeping your own pet from getting injured by cars or other animals, damaging other peoples property, and neutering pets to keep them from wandering around creating more problem animals. A few chickens here, a few chickens there may not be a big deal to some, but what do we do when it becomes a flock of sheep, a family pet, or a child who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when an ill-tempered dog is exercising its "right to roam?"

I hope it's not your kid, or even your chickens. We all need to think about our neighbors and the rights and safety of others when considering the need for animal control and a leash law in Jackson County.

John Beckman

Jane Finneran

Sylva

Dog owners should be held responsible

To the Editor:

Concerning the matter of the noise ordinances and barking dogs, I feel that the dog owner has a responsibility to control his dog. The dog owner should maintain control over the actions of his dog and not to let his dog interfere with the comfort and safety of his neighbors regardless.

Many counties, towns and cities has special ordinances, such as leash laws, to curb the dogs actions. A dog owners' responsibilities in North Carolina and Jackson County should not be an exception.

I should not have to be awakened in the middle of the night by my neighbor's dog barking when he should have respect for his neighbors, nor should I have to hire an attorney and spend my hard-earned money to put a stop to it so my family and I can have a peaceful night's sleep.

I have nothing against the so called coon hunters or their dogs as long as the dog owners places the dogs in a secluded area away from the neighbors and without any disruption from them. But again, it's always a money deal with many of the outsiders and the bleeding hearts, too.

I have a dog but I control it to make sure it does not interfere with my neighbors, nor does it bark all night like other dogs do, because I try to respect my neighbors' comfort and safety, and I would like to be shown the same in return.

More money is spent by our so-called elected officials to let dogs go free and do as they want than is spent on our children's safety and welfare in Jackson County. Then they don't hold the dog owner responsible by not imposing a leash law.

Why must Jackson County remain behind the times and give the dogs more rights than we have and allow dog owners the right to let their animals disrupt our comfort and safety during the nights?

I feel all dog owners, no matter what kind of dogs - coon dogs, bear dogs, what ever - must be held responsible for the actions of their dogs and not be excluded from any matters concerning mine and other neighbors comfort and safety.

I'm in favor of a leash law and want to see people control their dogs and keeps them on their own property without messing up mine and keeping me awake at nights.

But again, Jackson County has only one animal control officer and the Sheriff's Office should cite any and all dog violations within reason and make the owner pay for his disrespectfulness towards his neighbor when a complaint is called in and proven.

This is my thought and I hope other locals will feel the same way, because at the last meeting concerning the dog issue it was a lost cause. Let's get a leash law passed in Jackson County and make the dog owners share the responsibility of controlling their dogs without making me and others spend uselessly on attorney's fees.

Alvin Frady

Sylva

Cemetery theft is upsetting

To the Editor:

I wish that whoever took the statue of Jesus off the grave of Faye and Newt Dills in Dills Cemetery would return it.

It's a shame people steal from our cemeteries. I guess nothing is sacred anymore, not even the place we bury our loved ones.

I hope whoever did this can live with themselves, knowing how much they hurt our family. The statue was placed there out of love. I guess you don't care or you would not have taken it in the first place.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

Joe and Verna Bradley

Sylva

Memorial Day, 2003

To the Editor:

As we gather to celebrate with family and friends, it's good to pause and reflect on what Memorial Day is really all about.

Young Americans in distant times or faraway places for a cause, an ideal or just because they were there, took up arms, placed themselves in harm's way and made the ultimate sacrifice because that is what their country asked them to do.

In places no one wanted to be, but there they were, they fought with uncommon valor and distinction: Antietam, Gettysburg, Belleau Wood, Normandy, Bastogne, Iwo Jima, Gualdalcanal, The Chosin Resovoir, Ia Drang, Hue City, Desert StormŠ and this legacy of valor continues today in places like Kandahar, Tora Bora, An Nasiriyah, Umm Qasar and Baghdad.

And it has no finer expression than the passionate words of U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Jessica Lynch of the 507th Maintenance Co. Captive, battered, but not broken, when approached by her American Special Operations rescuer Lynch proudly replied: "I'm an American soldier, too!"

And this legacy of uncommon valor will be forever memorialized and commemorated in that sacred place of honor called Ground Zero, where young Americans, firefighters, police and uniformed service officers ran into the burning Twin Towers and up the flights of stairs, knowing their chances of coming out alive were slim to none. But there were people in those Towers who needed their helpŠ so they went in anyway.

So enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, the rest, the relaxation, the family festivities.

But if in your rounds you happen to see Old Glory proudly waving in the breeze, please pause for a moment, reflect on what our flag really stands for, and thank God for your blessings as an American.

And if you could take just another moment to say a silent prayer of "thanks" to our fellow Americans whose legacy will be forever young, because their Memorial Day will be forever commemorated by a simple white crossŠ they deserve our heartfelt thanks and much, much, more. They selflessly gave up all their Memorial Days, so we could enjoy ours.

Semper Fidelis.

Don Buzney

USMC 1967-71

Planning for the locals

To the Editor:

I got a call the other day from a fellow who turned out to be a real estate developer up in Cashiers. Seems he found out I was chairman of the Smart Growth Task Force and that we were beginning consideration of a subdivision ordinance.

What this fellow most wanted to do was give me a lecture on what would be good for his business. I can't necessarily fault him for that - everyone looks out for his own business - but I did have a problem with his idea that what was good for him and specifically his pocket book had to be good for everyone else in Jackson County. Moreover, he suggested that anyone who thought different was either biased or ignorant of the facts (at least as he saw them).

I guess the most appropriate title for the man's lecture might be "The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg." His contention was that there was a great deal of money to be had in the selling and developing of land in Jackson County, especially when that developing was directed toward attracting and catering to out-of-staters and part-time residents.

It was his opinion that these folks were the economic engine that drove Jackson County and that their very presence actually made the county a worthwhile place to live. It was further his opinion that the task force should do nothing that might harm this "golden goose" of development and in fact should give this constituency our primary attention and consideration.

The fellow seemed genuinely disappointed and was actually appalled when I pointed out that while everyone's views ought to be considered in arriving at a plan for the county, it was my feeling that special attention ought to be given to the people who do the living and working and paying and voting in this county. The folks whose families built this county and the folks who build and sustain our communities should not be sacrificed at the altar of profit.

The man's response was that ever-increasing property values drove an ever more lucrative cycle of development, and I was simply too prejudiced to understand that. And maybe that's so because I believe it's a myth that quickly rising property values are a great boon to the local community.

The fact is that folks who want stable, vibrant communities, or folks who want to stay on their land and who want their children to be able to stay on the land there is no benefit to be reaped from the speculative price increases that drive this fellow's model. For those who aren't selling and don't wish to be pushed off the land, the consequence of wildly increasing property values is higher property taxes.

What struck me most about this fellow was that he was loud. And he kept getting louder. And I suspect that over the next months and years as we begin to make a plan for the future of Jackson County that this fellow and a select few like him will speak with great frequency and volume. I suspect that he will seek to demean, diminish and ignore the quiet voices of those that live up the branches and in the coves.

I hope that won't happen. I was proud to see so many folks come out to speak their piece at the noise ordinance hearing last week. I hope those same folks and their neighbors and families will continue to speak up as we go through the planning process. I believe we ought to try and hear all the voices, not just the loudest or the best financed.

Mark Jamison

Cullowhee

Library is town's focal point

To the Editor:

Whenever I find myself in a small town for the first time, I try to spend at least a few minutes visiting the town's public library. I read the bulletin boards, learn about coming events in the community, and browse the local paper to see what's going on in town. I talk to the librarians and sometimes to the other patrons.

That's what a public library does for a small town. It provides a focal point, a place where people can get together and learn about each other and create community. It can't do that if it's 3 miles out of town, hidden in some anonymous academic building.

A public library is a good investment for a community. It returns dividends. That's why Carrie McKee donated space in her store building for the first public library in Sylva in 1928. That's why, after the library closed briefly in the mid-1930s, the Sylva Woman's Club soon revived it.

And that's why the county manager and county commissioners should act now to keep the library in Sylva, where it belongs.

If you agree, I urge you to sign the petition being circulated for that purpose. You'll find a copy at the library, of course, and at many Sylva businesses.

John Slater

Webster

Delay dam destruction

To the Editor:

For those of us who live on and around the Tuckaseigee River and are in the tourism business in Jackson County, the current path and evolving plans to remove the Dillsboro Dam call present many serious and unanswered questions.

One of the major unstudied issues was demonstrated last week with the help of Mother Nature. The question of flood control and protection is no small thing to the Dillsboro community. This recent flooding event warrants a good look at how the Dillsboro Dam performs during high water.

Duke Power and many in the Stakeholders team do not know and would like us to believe there is no significant flood control value. Too bad they didn't visit Dillsboro last week.

How will Dillsboro fare during a flooding event once the dam is gone? What will happen to a newly-constructed jetty or Class 3 whitewater rapid when the river rises 8 to 10 feet, sending an ocean of water, sediment, logs and debris over it?

Let's back up and touch on tourism and the environment and the role the dam has played in our economy. During the first three to five months of each year, most of the tourism-based businesses must operate and survive without any significant commerce. At the Dillsboro Inn, even though we advertise being open all year, January, February and March bring little business since tourists are not historically attracted to the area in winter.

But there has been a change in our economy in recent years; opportunity and business is shifting. April is fast becoming the start of "tourist season" because of the increasing popularity of trout fishing. We have a unique and beautiful river and watershed in Jackson County, and it is becoming one of the best destinations points in America for fishing.

This seasonal trend means thousands of dollars are flowing into Jackson County as a result of sport fishing in April and May, in addition to extending the fall tourist season. And the Dillsboro Dam plays a role by creating a reregulation weir and reservoir.

While trout fishing could grow into a nine-month ecotourism business, whitewater rafting has at most a four-month attraction for folks from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The Dillsboro Dam and mile-long reservoir have given some trout, which cannot live in water warmer than 58 degrees, a chance to survive the summer. The dam also acts as a barrier between cold-water and warm-water species. Do we really want to degrade the potential for world-class trout waters here by opening the dam and upper portions of catch-and-release areas to warm-water species? Can we attract commerce here for darters?

What happens to this potential growth in tourism if the dam is removed? This is a formula for economic shortsightedness and disaster.

It's a shame this little facility has been neglected and allowed to deteriorate. This underappreciated power plant is a whitesound maker and a cultural landmark from a historic point of view. I hope that whatever is decided, the resulting design can be managed, help the trout population, our recreation, or economy and maybe provide a little energy to pay for itself.

We'll see.

T.J. Walker

Owner - Dillsboro Inn

Noise ordinance should be fair to all

To the Editor:

Whatever I have to say about the Jackson County noise ordinance you have heard before.

Although I do not understand how the noise ordinance affected the gentleman who could not "get to the mountains," I appreciate the board gave everyone who signed up a chance to speak at the public hearing. Possibly that gentleman should check public records at the courthouse to see just who the "outsiders" purchased their land from. He most likely would find it was from a "local." (I use the words "outsider" and "local" as they were used during the public session with no offense meant to either.)

As a 10-year, full-time resident and taxpayer in Jackson County, I previously voiced my concern to county Manager Ken Westmoreland about a county employee being on the advisory task force, as well as my disappointment that the task force did not appear to be a cross-section of taxpayers.

I'm sure you ascertain by now that removing pets and car horns from the present noise ordinance is not a feasible idea as presented by the task force. This would allow me to sit in my car in front of the pets that are making the disturbance and continue to disturb all those within hearing distance with the blowing of my auto horn. This doesn't make any intelligent point.

If the suggestions the task force presented are the only consideration of change there is, please, please just leave the ordinance the way it is and has been for the past 13 years. It appears that the only problem with the pet section was caused by a repeated complaint arising from a personality conflict and disagreement. There are bad apples in every barrel.

The job of county commissioner is not an easy one. I do hope each and every commissioners pools his/her intelligence to consider the matter at hand and vote to institute a truly "fair as fair can be" noise ordinance that will protect and allow resource without flooding our court system with the nuisance suits that may result with the changes proposed or from dissolving the ordinance entirely.

Sincerely and with thanks,

Carolyn Martyn

Sylva

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