Letter - Officials are bent on own agenda

Talk about it

To the editor:

While we do not drive along County Road 42 on a regular basis, we have followed the controversy over the last couple of years. Two things stand out in our observations of the progression of this project:

1. While there has been a very vocal outcry against the extent of this project, as exemplified by the many letters to the editor, we have not seen or heard any significant citizen communications that are strongly in favor of this project as it is presently designed.

2. We have recently driven by the area now that the project is under way and have noticed the very large number of trees that have already been cut down and know that this is to increase significantly over the next two years as the project continues.

The Douglas County commissioners and public works director do not appear to be listening to or affected by the generally negative comments of the lake associations and many citizens regarding the extent of this project. In a time when we are trying to preserve our natural habitat and plant more trees (the county subsidizes this), they have already destroyed many, many existing trees along this route and it will get much worse as the project has just gotten under way, with a long way to go before completion.

Basically, all concerned seem to feel the road needs repair and modification. Instead of trying to work with citizens and come up with an acceptable compromise, these officials seem bent on their own agenda, regardless of the cost and the effects on the environment and the expressed wishes of many of the citizens affected.

Dick and Patti Stewart

Alexandria, MN

Tags: opinion, letters, dick, patty, stewart