Steamboat Pilot & Today

NO SKYLINE REGSI, too, attended the ridgeline regulation meeting. First of all, I am certainly against such a proposal. It is just another invasion of private property rights in Routt County. If you own much property, you will have some ridgelines.

I see lots of houses built in places I sure would not want my house. But it is their home, their land and their dream. So if I don't like it, I just look the other way.

We talk of and know about bloated bureaucracy on the national and state levels. But we have one here with the planning and building departments. With some of these regulations, the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.

My granddaughter and her husband want to build a small plain home on our ranch. I know how to build a house. My son-in-law knows how to build a house. My granddaughter's husband knows how to build a house. Before we can even start on their home, we have to go through all this bureaucracy that says you have to come up with more than $6,000 before we can even put a spade in the ground or drive a nail.

I feel sorry for some of these folks who work multiple jobs, save and plan for a family home and then get hit with a series of bills like this from a governmental department that thinks they know what is right for everyone else. Some small folks pay a big price.

How can we ever have affordable housing when this goes on?

Raymond Gray

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

KEEPING FREEDOMIt is deeply troubling to watch the subtle intrusion of religion into our government and schools. The First Amendment profoundly and wisely addresses the separation of church and state. A new program comes with a new administration to channel welfare dollars through religious organizations. All such organizations? Or only those selected by the administrator? What about the instant religions-for-profit created by the likes of Jimmie Swaggart, Jim and Tammy Baker, and the Reverend Moon, ad nauseum? It seems to me that the program is going to be a fraud-inviting, controversial quagmire. Apparently the ACLU plans to take it to the Supreme Court.

Most politicians seem to pander to religion, feeling no doubt that it is necessary to getting elected. Pious religious services in the House and Senate, both state and national, bother me a lot. The Ten Commandments is a dandy list to live by but has no place in schools, on the courthouse lawn, or any other location supported by tax dollars. In short, religion, or the lack of it, is strictly a personal matter, not to be imposed on everyone in our society through the power or influence of government.

The right to choose is another private matter that ought not be a political football. Unfortunately it is inextricably linked to religion. The Democratic platform had it right in the recent campaign another non-issue.

The right of responsible citizens to own and to bear firearms without registration, licensing, or other onerous restrictions is very important to many of us. England confiscated all handguns owned by its citizens about four years ago, and imposed strict controls on long-guns. Purpose to reduce crime. Guess what? Britain's crime rate already exceeds that of the U.S. Criminals could still get guns illegally, but the populace was virtually defenseless. A farmer recently shot an intruder with a legal long-gun, was convicted of using unnecessary force and sentenced to life in prison for defending his property and person. That is strange indeed. It is of interest that Tony Blair and Bill Clinton were Rhodes scholars together. (Rhodes was an advocate of world government, where it would be dangerous to have an armed citizenry.) Blair helped disarm England. Clinton/Gore were working on it in the U.S. but ran out of time. Second Amendment advocates should feel reasonably safe for at least the next eight years. The Democrats got it wrong on the plank, and it helped lose the election for them.

Omar M. Campbell

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

HOCKEY'S FUTUREI have a few concerns about your Sunday edition (Feb. 25) article featuring Steamboat Springs Hockey.

It was reported in the article that, "Mr. Dingle said that hockey is not competitive until the players make it to high school. Players on the midget teams are 15 to 17. Hockey teams at that level are no different than traditional high school sports."

To clarify for your readership the pictures supporting your article are of players on the Squirt Traveling Team. That team comprises of 9- and 10-year-olds. Yes, that does put them in elementary school. They travel for six months playing 20 games around Colorado and Wyoming.

Please clarify that the Midget players that Mr. Worden refers to are 7- and 8-year-olds. "Where teaching the basics and not chalking up victories is the emphasis."

I agree with Fournier on his views and reflections on Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey. What was not reported in your article is that the majority of Squirt parents voted down having a traveling team twice. Traveling teams require more money, more time and telling two-thirds of the players that they are not good enough to be on the best team for their age group. Some of us who voted against the commitments of a traveling team believe that we have a small window of opportunity to emphasize the importance of family, education and spiritual development in a child's life and that scheduling your whole life around a sport contradicts that effort. Children develop physically and emotionally at different ages. To start telling 9- and 10-year-olds that there are not good enough is not necessary. Focusing on skill building for all children levels the field for a love of the sport.

Youths need the opportunity to dabble in a number of sports and activities. It all contributes to coordination development and stamina enhancement. No one sport at this age needs to manipulate a child's time to this extent. It leads to eliminating other opportunities where they might find their niche. Read the research. Why are nation's youth burnt out on competitive sports by age 13?

A number of the parents chose no to be bullied into participating in what we considered bad for our own children and the hockey program. But beware future hockey parents, if a few can force their ambitions and get aboard to allow traveling teams for the fourth- and fifth-graders what will stop them from pushing for your second- and third-graders hitting the road "chalking up those victories."

Isn't the bottom line a lifetime of love and activity that keeps you healthy and happier, because 99.9 percent of these kids will not be getting their bills paid by endorsements.

Bette Vandahl

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

KUNC SAVEDI want to thank all the contributors who helped save KUNC, 88.5 FM. This was truly a heroic, grass-roots effort by thousands of listeners who valued the station and what it means to our community. Even against overwhelming odds, supporters opened their wallets and checkbooks, and in a short 19 days saved our station.

We were put in a position with our backs to the wall when on Feb. 8 we were given only 24 hours to raise $2 million. Our funding deadline was later extended until the end of February, still a daunting task. We were pressured by Denver public radio who made an offer to the University of Northern Colorado to buy their license, which serves Steamboat Springs and many other small towns through a translator system. It didn't seem fair or even good business by the university, but we got to work immediately. A core of committed Steamboat locals met two weeks ago and started calling supporters.

If Denver won, it would mean the end of KUNC as we knew it. We weren't allowed to raise the funds by going on air, so the entire effort proceeded by word of mouth. Calls were made to just about all our local members and prominent businesses. The overwhelming support was awesome. As far as fund-raising efforts go, nothing similar has ever been accomplished. It just goes to show you what people can do when they get together for a truly worthy cause.

Thank you all!

Erick Glanz

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS