Letters to the editor: 10/24/02

Participants disappointed with horse parade

To the Editor:

This was the first year my boyfriend and I have participated in the Mountain Horse and Mule parade in Sylva and Dillsboro. We are active members of the Macon County Horse Association, although we live in Buncombe and Henderson counties. We heard last year's parade was great.

Parade organizers need to keep some things in mind. First, the parade route should be completely closed to motorized vehicles. My boyfriend's horse was hit by a motor home in front of a policeman who didn't do anything! Luckily, the horse is O.K., but the police need to do their jobs and get some "horse sense" if they are going to protect the participants as well as the equines.

The parade was totally unorganized, which could end up getting someone seriously injured or even killed. Matthew Moore is a very lucky young man.

As far as future equine events are concerned, I hope Maurice Moody takes a couple of classes about equines and organization in any matter. As far as us doing the parade again - not in this life time.

Anna DeSimon

Zirconia

Save it for a jury

To the Editor:

After reading the glowing testimonial in last week's Sylva Herald (Letters to the Editor, "Jackson County lucky to have Jack Debnam," Oct. 17, 2002), it occurred to me that the time spent writing about how wonderful a person Mr. Debnam is would have been better spent saving it for a civil court jury.

Too bad these fellows arrived in Jackson County 150 years too late. Back then land similar to what they are trying to build on went for 5 cents an acre. There was no planning board, no sediment control and no very sharp reporter to put your name up in lights.

I'll just sign this "nobody" 'cause there's already too many who think I'm "somebody."

Allen Fisher

Sylva

Adjoining property owner responds to Debnam rally cry

To the Editor:

In response to a letter to the editor from Oct. 17, 2002, ("Jackson County lucky to have Jack Debnam,") I must say that working with Jack Debnam on a development and being the owner of property adjoining his development are two different things.

If you are working with Jack, you are doing something to help him; owning a home adjoining his development is just an obstacle in the way of his putting money in his pocket.

Yes, anybody knows that when you move dirt on a hillside there is potential for washing. That is the reason you place silt fence, sow grass, install gravel roads and place rip-rap ditches on the site. And since Jack is the "experienced" person in this field, maybe someone can tell me why these things were not done on this development when roughly 1.5 acres were left bare for four months. Also, it looks like anyone who knows seeding will not come up in January or February would not break ground at that time of year.

As for the statement concerning the four- or five-year drought and it being easy to go longer than usual with no washing of soil, I am not God and I definitely don't think Jack is. So how could you take it upon yourself to predict the weather?

Yes, some runoff can be expected in a down pour. But when you are talking about small creeks running all over your property, leaving mud deposits everywhere and destroying your spring with no steps taken to prevent it, I call that pure non-caring about somebody else's property.

If someone owns a house in Jackson County and they have taken pictures like I did during the development of adjoining property, I hope the landowner next door is man enough to come to them and say, "I am sorry; let me help you."

In closing Jack Debnam being in the public eye has nothing to do with what is right and fair. As far as him being an asset to the county, it depends on what side of the mud you're on: the top or buried under it.

Bobbie Jo Rhymer

Dillsboro

Letters to the editor: 10/24/02

Participants disappointed with horse parade

To the Editor:

Save it for a jury

To the Editor:

Adjoining property owner responds to Debnam rally cry

To the Editor:

Back to Archive: 10/24/02.