Yes, this message is NUC. (Right.) But,
honest-to-goodness, I feel it's important--and not only to
America, but to us in this weird subculture called "ultras"
too.
As you certainly must know by now, much of the State of
Colorado in ON FIRE!!!
Will these fires engulf and/or threaten the San Juan
Mountains or the National Forest that contains them--and
therefore the running of the 2002 Hardrock 100-Miler itself?
As of this moment, I don't know.
But I do subscribe to the "San Juan Mountain Journal" and
its e-mailed "Xpress," and you can see (below) what
yesterday they sent me.
So, sure. I went on-line at the "Durango Herald" website
and voted FOR the train. But then later last night I
learned that this wonderful tourist attraction [one of the
last surviving steam locomotive railroads in America] has
been shut down.
So today I've decided to send 'em a (yes, here we go again)
letter.
And now I'm asking you to do the same.
If you have time. If you care. And/or if you feel as I do
that, if at first they stop the train, how soon after will
they stop the Run?
Hey, we got 'em to open Frozen Head State Park (for a coupla
weeks), didn't we?
Well, let's get these next guys to stop shitting in their
pants every time the economy sparks.
Life's a risk. Let's not croak 'cuz we're scared to take
it.
Your troubadour,
Rich Limacher
TheTroubadour@...
[feel free to plagiarize whatever you want of the following]
_____________________________________
[THIS SENT TODAY to Jonathan Thompson and the Journal
Xpress]
[An expressed opinion for your publication in any form]
June 20, 2002
To Whom It May Concern:
It is indeed tragic what you're all going through.
Colorado, it seems, is all on fire. The "weather gods" are
against you, and you've certainly not been very lucky with
(if our newscasts are to be believed) the quality of
personnel recently employed by the Forest Service. For
sure, however, this will prove to be a rather horrible
exception to an otherwise sterling agency of government. I,
for one, appreciate the United States Forest Service more
than I can say.
But now the local powers that be, in and around Durango,
Silverton, and other communities, have apparently succeeded
in shutting down operations of the world-famous narrow-gauge
railroad only because, as you seem to think, it's such a
fire hazard.
And so are the cigarettes you or your children might smoke.
So are the paint cans in your garage. So are the
kerosene-soaked rags in your basement, or the unsealed wood
stain can on your back porch. And so is darn near
everything a lousy fire hazard.
But putting a stop to perhaps the most viable economic
resource in your whole valley (D&SNGRR) is, in my opinion,
almost like disowning your children because they might
embarrass you in front of the school board, or refuse to
paint anything because those cans might ignite, or leave
your porch untreated because some kid might just flick a cig
in the stain can and burn your whole house down.
I think you understand my point. It may seem a silly point,
but even after September 11th there are still a whole bunch
of folks working in skyscrapers and a whole bunch more
riding in airplanes. Weren't we told that to do anything
different would be to admit that the terrorists have won?
Well, how are your forest fires doing?
Are you going to let them win, too?
And put every honest store, shop, and tourist attraction in
southwestern Colorado right out of business?
I'm your customer! There are thousands and thousands more
like me! Where else are you going to collect the tax
revenues that help pay for all these forest services in the
first place? Including those legions of folks who now,
somehow, have to put the fires out?
Let me make my point even clearer: Don't turn Silverton
into a ghost town just because of what you're afraid the
train might do.
The railroad people are quite capable of watching after
their own tracks. And the minute they see a spark by them,
I guarantee you they'll stop, hop off, and put the lousy
spark out.
This is in their best interests, too. I say, "Give 'em a
chance."
Now I must return to work in my office building to earn the
money to buy the ticket to fly out for my next
very-much-yearned-for vacation to beautiful, yes, and sunny
Colorado.
Don't make me sit here all summer in polluted Illinois.
Thank you very much.
Most sincerely,
Richard J. Limacher
Matteson, IL
E-mail: TheTroubadour@...
----- Original Message -----
From: Jonathan Thompson < jpt@... >
To: Journal Xpress
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2002 10:03 AM
Subject: Xpress Fire Update--6/19/02
Train, Train, Train
The latest chapter in the controversy regarding the train
and the fire danger has opened on the Durango Herald webpage
(www.durangoherald.com), where the survey asks "should the
train continue operating during this time of extreme fire
danger?"
As of 9 a.m., 73% said "NO"; 24% said "YES". Approximately
1,700 votes had been cast. To cast your vote, go to the
website.
==> If you'd like to express an opinion on this issue, send
us a letter--we can zap it out by e-mail to our subscribers
and/or run it in the print edition.
<snip>
[Thanks for the opportunity. I truly do hope this helps!]
Take another look at the Durango Herald article. The management of the RR
suspended operations because the conditions frightened them so much. No
one has shut them down. They currently plan to resume operations July 3 if
conditions permit.
Ask anyone that has a fire looming in their local forest if they would
prefer economic hardship. Or those that lost a house.
Conditions are that bad out here. LANL posts data on moisture content of
trees. It is currently off the bottom of the scale - too low to measure,
which means below 3%. You can get wood with more moisture at Home
Depot. The fire near Durango was started with a dropped cigarette butt or
a spark on a road. It doesn't take much. I for one think they made the
right choice.
Kris
At 03:13 PM 6/20/2002 -0500, Rich Limacher wrote:
>My Fellow Terror-Shook Americans:
>
>Yes, this message is NUC. (Right.) But,
>honest-to-goodness, I feel it's important--and not only to
>America, but to us in this weird subculture called "ultras"
>too.
>
>As you certainly must know by now, much of the State of
>Colorado in ON FIRE!!!
>
>Will these fires engulf and/or threaten the San Juan
>Mountains or the National Forest that contains them--and
>therefore the running of the 2002 Hardrock 100-Miler itself?
>
>As of this moment, I don't know.
>
>But I do subscribe to the "San Juan Mountain Journal" and
>its e-mailed "Xpress," and you can see (below) what
>yesterday they sent me.
>
>So, sure. I went on-line at the "Durango Herald" website
>and voted FOR the train. But then later last night I
>learned that this wonderful tourist attraction [one of the
>last surviving steam locomotive railroads in America] has
>been shut down.
>
>So today I've decided to send 'em a (yes, here we go again)
>letter.
>
>And now I'm asking you to do the same.
>
>If you have time. If you care. And/or if you feel as I do
>that, if at first they stop the train, how soon after will
>they stop the Run?
>
>Hey, we got 'em to open Frozen Head State Park (for a coupla
>weeks), didn't we?
>
>Well, let's get these next guys to stop shitting in their
>pants every time the economy sparks.
>
>Life's a risk. Let's not croak 'cuz we're scared to take
>it.
>
>Your troubadour,
>Rich Limacher
>TheTroubadour@...
>
>
>[feel free to plagiarize whatever you want of the following]
>_____________________________________
>[THIS SENT TODAY to Jonathan Thompson and the Journal
>Xpress]
>
>
>[An expressed opinion for your publication in any form]
>
>June 20, 2002
>
>To Whom It May Concern:
>
>It is indeed tragic what you're all going through.
>
>Colorado, it seems, is all on fire. The "weather gods" are
>against you, and you've certainly not been very lucky with
>(if our newscasts are to be believed) the quality of
>personnel recently employed by the Forest Service. For
>sure, however, this will prove to be a rather horrible
>exception to an otherwise sterling agency of government. I,
>for one, appreciate the United States Forest Service more
>than I can say.
>
>But now the local powers that be, in and around Durango,
>Silverton, and other communities, have apparently succeeded
>in shutting down operations of the world-famous narrow-gauge
>railroad only because, as you seem to think, it's such a
>fire hazard.
>
>And so are the cigarettes you or your children might smoke.
>So are the paint cans in your garage. So are the
>kerosene-soaked rags in your basement, or the unsealed wood
>stain can on your back porch. And so is darn near
>everything a lousy fire hazard.
>
>But putting a stop to perhaps the most viable economic
>resource in your whole valley (D&SNGRR) is, in my opinion,
>almost like disowning your children because they might
>embarrass you in front of the school board, or refuse to
>paint anything because those cans might ignite, or leave
>your porch untreated because some kid might just flick a cig
>in the stain can and burn your whole house down.
>
>I think you understand my point. It may seem a silly point,
>but even after September 11th there are still a whole bunch
>of folks working in skyscrapers and a whole bunch more
>riding in airplanes. Weren't we told that to do anything
>different would be to admit that the terrorists have won?
>
>Well, how are your forest fires doing?
>
>Are you going to let them win, too?
>
>And put every honest store, shop, and tourist attraction in
>southwestern Colorado right out of business?
>
>I'm your customer! There are thousands and thousands more
>like me! Where else are you going to collect the tax
>revenues that help pay for all these forest services in the
>first place? Including those legions of folks who now,
>somehow, have to put the fires out?
>
>Let me make my point even clearer: Don't turn Silverton
>into a ghost town just because of what you're afraid the
>train might do.
>
>The railroad people are quite capable of watching after
>their own tracks. And the minute they see a spark by them,
>I guarantee you they'll stop, hop off, and put the lousy
>spark out.
>
>This is in their best interests, too. I say, "Give 'em a
>chance."
>
>Now I must return to work in my office building to earn the
>money to buy the ticket to fly out for my next
>very-much-yearned-for vacation to beautiful, yes, and sunny
>Colorado.
>
>Don't make me sit here all summer in polluted Illinois.
>
>Thank you very much.
>
>Most sincerely,
>
>
>Richard J. Limacher
>Matteson, IL
>E-mail: TheTroubadour@...
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Jonathan Thompson < jpt@... >
>To: Journal Xpress
>Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2002 10:03 AM
>Subject: Xpress Fire Update--6/19/02
>
>
>
>Train, Train, Train
>
>The latest chapter in the controversy regarding the train
>and the fire danger has opened on the Durango Herald webpage
>(www.durangoherald.com), where the survey asks "should the
>train continue operating during this time of extreme fire
>danger?"
>As of 9 a.m., 73% said "NO"; 24% said "YES". Approximately
>1,700 votes had been cast. To cast your vote, go to the
>website.
>
>
>==> If you'd like to express an opinion on this issue, send
>us a letter--we can zap it out by e-mail to our subscribers
>and/or run it in the print edition.
>
>
><snip>
>
>
>[Thanks for the opportunity. I truly do hope this helps!]
Knock it off, please, Rich. There is a new fire today. I love HardRock as
much as anyone but the race will still be here next year. My beautiful
wilderness continues to burn and that will not be back next year.
Marc Witkes
Durango, Colorado
_________________________________________________________________
Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Marc Witkes <marcwitkes@...>
To: <hr100@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 6:15 PM
Subject: Re: [hr100] Can I Ask Y'all (again) for a Favor to
Help Save Hardrock???
Knock it off, please, Rich. There is a new fire today. I
love HardRock as
much as anyone but the race will still be here next year. My
beautiful
wilderness continues to burn and that will not be back next
year.
Marc Witkes
Durango, Colorado
____________________________________________________________
_____
Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
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