Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

Thanks so much for the continued great coverage of town events. The Monument is like the Internet, I can't really see how we ever got along without it.

Alison A. Brown, Gray

Dear Jeanne Adams, at The Monument,

I read with interest your reference to Gray resident Danell Libby, a member of the Wheelchair Curling Team that represented the USA at championship events. [The Monument, "Summer Surfing, Webstyle, July 28, 2005] Oddly enough, I came across your article (through a Google notice) just minutes before speaking to Danell and inviting her to attend the U.S. Olympic/Paralympic Media Summit in Colorado Springs in October.

Danell is one of the competitors who will be competing in the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials for Curling in December in Utica, N.Y., where the curlers for the 2006 U.S. Paralympic Team will be selected. I just thought I would help answer your wonderment about whether Danell is still curling.

Sincerely, Rick Patzke,
Communications Director,
USA Curling, Stevens Point, WI

Civility -In Words and In Deeds

The campaign for civility in public discourse reflects widespread frustration with the current tenor of political debate. There seems to be a growing inability to deal with a broad range of problems due to the destructive way in which issues are addressed often with personal verbal abuse. Civility means something more that politeness. Little will be accomplished by saying, "excuse me", while (figuratively) being knifed in the back.

The need for civility starts with the differing interests that divide our increasingly diverse community and produces an endless series of confrontations over town services and personnel issues. A Town Council cannot avoid tough issues because they are unpleasant. It was because of this concern that the concept of civility was introduced in the 2000 Council Rules.

The Editor is correct; citizens "Do not suffer fools gladly". We differ regarding the display of effective civility at the recent Council Meeting.
-The "Draft" GPLA lease had been withdrawn, why did the Chair ask for comment on a withdrawn document?

-Why did the Vice-chair engage in a 27 minute detailed discussion, often critical, of a withdrawn document knowing there would be no replies offered to his public "concerns"?

-Why was the GPLA repeatedly asked to explain statements clearly stated in the written letter to Council?

-Why were the reappointments of valued town volunteers named and challenged over "perceptions of conflict" that do not violate current Council's written rules?

-This issue was raised in a workshop, why didn't Council obtain legal opinion prior to a public challenge and the naming of citizens?

There is a difference between civility and the "appearance of civility". There is a difference between the "color of conflict" and documented conflict. Gray can do better.

Richard F. Barter, Gray