services - Idyllwild Town Crier

Page 6 - Idyllwild Town Crier, March 26, 2009
Readers write
Mr. Funny Guy
by Chris Fisher
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The IDYLLWILD TOWN
CRIER (USPS 635260) is
published weekly for $29
per year in county and $33
per year out of county by
the IDYLLWILD TOWN
CRIER, P.O. Box 157, 54295
Village Center Dr., Idyllwild,
CA 92549. Periodical postage
paid at Idyllwild, CA.
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IDYLLWILD TOWN CRIER,
P.O. Box 157, Idyllwild, CA
92549.
All contents of the Idyllwild
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Monument
problems
Editor:
When you buy a
raincoat you would expect
you could wear
it in the rain. At least
most people would but
some would say if it
leaks, it’s OK because
it is so nice looking.
I keep hearing we
should be so grateful
we have the person we
do carving our monument
and that may be
true. It wasn’t his fault
how things were put
together — as in a contract,
which I still have
not seen but it seems to
have been worthless.
I cannot tell how far
along the monument is
but it still is not finished.
Yet at the Chamber
meeting when a report
about the monument
was given, the wings
on the eagle are having
a problem and the sun
will continue to be a
problem unless we keep
the monument in the
shade.
I guess the carver
forgot to tell us this
problem would happen
if we put the monument
back where it’s
supposed to go. Is there
anything else maybe
we should have known
about
I guess that is not
a big problem because
he has an answer to it:
Let’s put it in the shade
right where he’s carving
it in front of his place
of business.
Hearing people defend
him and not many
disagreeing, I changed
my feelings and now
say the Chamber should
give him all his money,
and David Roy will decide
when he wants
to finish it and tell us
where it goes.
It’s not even finished
and we have problems.
Michael Freitas
Idyllwild
Response to
Mr. Protzmann
Editor:
While we at Idyllwild
Arts appreciate Bill
Protzmann’s concern
for our school and its
finances, we would like
to point out that he
seems to continue to
have incomplete information.
The facts are: 1)
Idyllwild Arts will raise
nearly $5 million this
year, which represents
a steady increase in
funds since 2005. 2)
We have raised an additional
$11 million
toward major building
projects on campus in
the past two years. This
far offsets the amount
of money we spend annually
in fund-raising.
3) Idyllwild Arts awards
scholarships to low-income
students totaling
more than $5 million
of the annual $15 million
budget. 4) In the
current academic year,
Idyllwild Arts Academy
has awarded nearly $4
million to more than
half of the academy
students, and nearly $1
million was awarded
to students attending
the 2008 Summer Program.
The financial aid
Idyllwild Arts Academy
and Summer Program
provides is one-third of
the total operating budget.
Idyllwild Arts’ commitment
to providing
scholarships to deserving
students and their
families is an inherent
part of the institution’s
mission.
We are open to any
and all comments directed
toward us, but
we do want the readers
of the Town Crier to
have the facts.
Jan Goldberg
Vice-chair,
Idyllwild Arts
Foundation
Immediate
Past President,
Associates of
Idyllwild Arts
Foundation
Lake Hemet
concerns
Editor:
Congratulations to
campground manager
Mark Perinsky for what
looks like achieving his
goal from day one on
the job as manager.
Mr. Perinsky has stated
to many of us that
we are on “prime real
estate” and he wants us
out of the rural area.
It is curious that in
this economy the Lake
Hemet Municipal Water
District (LHMWD) is
so eager to forfeit so
many monthly rents,
especially in the winter
months when campers
are few.
What the lake will
lose is people who revere
and respect the
lake and the wildlife;
people who pick up
trash and dog droppings
after the weekend
campers; people who
carried water to try to
save the 10,000 pine
seedlings planted by the
Department of Forestry;
people who begged the
management last summer
to acknowledge a
“CB” number so we
could warn the rangers
of overcrowded boats
that pick up passengers
after renting, etc.;
and people who were
described by LHMWD
President Frank Marshall
as “shanty town”
residents.
We are business
owners and prominent
members of our communities,
Mr. Marshall
and Mr. Perinsky, and
find your description
of us very insulting.
Tom and Lora Musick
San Diego/Lake
Hemet
Editor:
My husband and
I are also long-time
monthly campers out
in the rural area of Lake
Hemet.
We have been coming
up to the lake just
about every weekend
for 11 years. Although
we have seen the lake
change in attitude over
the years, it is still our
little getaway from all
the woes in the world
that are going on.
We resent the fact
that Mr. Frank Marshall
feels it’s “a little shanty
town.” All of us out in
the rural area keep our
little piece of heaven
clean, uncluttered and
well-maintained.
If the board thinks
closing camps 2 through
6 is going to bring more
weekend campers up to
the lake by reservation,
they are living in la
la land. The old-time
weekend campers and
RVs would come to the
lake often just to be able
to camp and fish right
on the water.
The once bustling
Lake Hemet filled to
over capacity, needing
electrical and sewer
upgrades, has been reduced
to only a fraction
of its once profitable
operations, a result of
the implementation of
the Goldberg report.
We “shanty town”
monthly weekenders
helped warn staff of
problems in the campground
and on the water,
and saved lives.
I hope Director
Frank Gorman doesn’t
expect shade for the
children fishing along
the shore line. Mr.
Perinsky implemented
no pop-up shades for
the guests along the
shore line. I’m sure they
were impressed.
As to s’mores, many
fewer will be eaten at
the lake. We “shanty
town” residents attracted
many nightly
visitors, be it family or
friends made at the lake,
returning to enjoy our
campfires.
But, if you’re a photographer
not wanting
humans spoiling your
shot then the lake is not
a bad choice. Thirtyfive-plus
years of history
have left the lake
in derision.
M a n y c h i l d r e n ,
grandchildren and, yes,
great-grandchildren will
not be at the lake as a
result of LHMWD actions.
How co u l d yo u
possibly think we are
responsible for your
higher crime rate The
board must be eating
moon pies — or is it
green cheese Hundreds
of thousands in lost
revenue per year is the
reality.
Greg and Linda
McNett
Riverside/
Lake Hemet
Alternatives for
park residents
Editor:
Idyllwild Trailer Park
has offered affordable
housing to senior citizens
for many years.
Its close-to-town loca-
tion allows residents
to walk for groceries
and banking, to attend
church, and to go to the
library. The park is well
kept with tidy, charming
mobile homes and
a central clubhouse for
community gatherings.
Does the county really
want to destroy such
an essential resource for
seniors in Idyllwild
While officials say
they will distinguish
between people who
live in the park yearround
(those without
a second residence),
the part-time residents
are no less deserving of
keeping their Idyllwild
homes.
Most of the parttime
residents have lived
here for years; they are
“snowbirds” who return
in the spring and stay
through autumn. They
have modest second
homes off the Hill and
live on modest, fixed
incomes.
Some of the parttime
residents are still
working toward fulltime
retirement in their
little Idyllwild homes
they worked hard to
buy.
Making people tear
down their homes is
making them tear down
their futures. The future
is precarious enough for
seniors.
Code Enforcement
needs to be reasonable.
The homes can be inspected
for safety but
previous additions and
improvements ought
to be “grandfathered.”
Allow residents to work
with reputable, local
contractors to make
reasonable corrections.
Beth Nottley
Idyllwild
See Letters, next page
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