Letters to the editor 10-1

Series celebrates 'socialist' parks system

Just a note to encourage my Obama-hating, federal-government-despising, tea-baggin' pals out there to take a few hours from your tirades and check out Ken Burns' documentary series PBS. It's called "National Parks, America's Best Idea."

Tune in to your public, non-profit television station and see the wonders of our national park system. See how Roosevelt and all those socialists back in the 1930s put our nation back to work by building and protecting the natural beauty of our country. Turn off that Fox noise channel and educate yourselves on how our government can be of, by and for the people.

Or, would you rather have the private sector control all that natural beauty - investment banks on Wall Street buying and selling our precious environment? I can see it now. Yosemite becomes a private, gated community to keep the riff-raff out, condos on the rim of the Grand Canyon with Walmarts everywhere, Yellowstone turns into a theme park called "Geyserworld."

My guess is that you will appreciate FDR, Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir and all those with foresight who knew it was government's obligation to protect some of our lands from those greedy capitalists who often times are too short-sighted by the almighty buck.

Grab some popcorn and enjoy the shows.

Rick Van Alfen

Carson City

Many questions on Douglas floodplain plan

During the last few weeks, I have received the following questions from Douglas County seniors concerning the new FEMA floodplain maps:

• How do I contact FEMA if I have questions concerning their floodplain analysis of my property?

• Who will notify my mortgage company concerning changes in the floodplain status of my property if I don't notify them?

• What will happen if my property is designated to be in a floodplain but I decline to buy flood insurance? Will my mortgage company foreclose on my loan?

• Does FEMA have any authority in requiring me to purchase flood insurance?

• If I am homebound or disabled, how can I obtain the floodplain analysis of my complete property?

• When must I apply for flood insurance in order to take advantage of the "grandfather" insurance rates?

• If the change to my floodplain status was caused by a new real estate development, will the developer have any liability for my flood insurance expenses?

• What will be the total economic impact to Douglas County and its residents if the FEMA floodplain maps are actually implemented?

I am sure that there are many more questions, all of which I hope will be answered by the county at their floodplain sessions to be held in October, but I think these are typical of the questions that Douglas County residents might ask.

Paul Lockwood

Minden

Dog owners are treated unfairly at Fuji Park

There was a time when we enjoyed spending time at Fuji Park with our pet dog. It was enjoyable to share time with the friendly dog owners we met there, sometimes even bringing snacks to sit and enjoy while our dogs played.

That was about a year ago, before the maintenance crew took away all the tables in the lawn area. We were told that these wooden picnic tables needed to be repainted and that they would be returned. We're still waiting.

Now we can't stay and visit without having to stand. The only tables in the pavilion are there for picnickers, and dogs are not welcome there. It's enough that they adopted the leash ruling, now our tables are gone also.

Why is it that the city can purchase about 20 new tables for the Boys and Girls Club, but can't provide or even return the tables we enjoyed using at Fuji Park? We don't even have any park benches to sit on.

It seems that the city goes out of its way for the various outsider groups that come to Fuji Park for dog shows and other events, but does very little to accommodate its own citizens.

This doesn't seem like a dog-friendly city. That's also evidenced for a group of people who have been working to get the city to provide a designated dog park for over a year now, with little progress from the city.

Mitchell Gnesios

Carson City