Letters
to
Editor
LETTER
TO THE
EDITOR
In 1960
1
immigrated
to
Florida
from
Canada.
The
happiest
person
in the
world
was my
father,
because
this is
where he
wanted
to
retire,
and I
was his
catalyst.
Unfortunately,
cancer
preceded
his
dream,
but he
left me
with a
legacy
that if
you want
to
succeed,
work
hard and
give the
country
of your
choice
your
full
allegiance.
I did
just
that. I
became a
true
American,
first by
entering
into the
draft,
and
second,
by
giving
as much
support
as I
could to
our
military.
I
realized
at a
young
age that
what I
had was
due to
many
freedoms.
Knowing
that my
children
and
family
were
safe
from the
many
evils of
the
world.
These
same
evils
were
responsible
for the
murder
of my
grandfather
and two
uncles
during
WWII. In
five
years I
could
apply
for
American
citizenship,
but
something
happened
that
soured
my
stomach.
Suddenly,
Americans
were
acting
quite
strange.
They
began to
protest
the war
in
Vietnam,
burn our
flag,
and even
go to
Canada
to avoid
the
draft.
We
became a
country
of un
Americans,
and I
asked
myself,
“Do I
want to
be a one
of
them?”
Thus I
held
off. I
had the
opportunity
to work
in the
international
airlines
industry
for 36
years,
giving
me the
opportunity
to see
the rest
of the
world
and
compare
what we
had and
what
poverty
other
countries
lived
in. It
slowly
started
the
mending
process
of my
attitudes
towards
my
country.
We were
becoming
Americans
again,
so I
decided
to
become a
full
fledged
citizen
15 years
ago. No
one was
more
prouder
than 1.
Seven
years
later,
as
President
of the
Hawkins
Chamber
of
Commerce,
I was
asked to
do
something
for our
veterans.
Thus,
in1998
we began
plans to
build a
Memorial
in
Hawkins.
Now in
2007,
all of
you can
look
with
pride at
our
magnificent
Veterans
Park and
Memorial.
Truly
one of
the most
beautiful
in
Texas.
Each
year we
honored
our Vets
on
Memorial
Day and
Veterans
Day. The
attendance
began
with
anywhere
from I
to 300
people.
And then
came
Nov.
11",
2007. It
was
pitiful!
We had a
total of
about 35
attendees.
Are we
reverting
to the
60’s
again?
With
protests,
discouraging
remarks,
and
simple
un-American
attitudes,
are we
giving
up
again? I
hope
not. As
citizens
of this
great
country,
you must
step
forward
and
bring
these
values
back in
true
prospective
again.
Start by
taking
stock of
what you
have,
what
freedoms
you
have,
and by
understanding
who made
these
rights
and
assets
possible.
It was
our men
and
women in
the
military.
Look at
who
attended
Nov.
11th.
Mostly
senior
citizens,
one
young
man and
his son,
and one
African
American
(even
though
35% of
the
names on
the Wall
are from
this
ethnic
segment).
Please,
we need
to
become
strong
Americans
again,
and this
can
begin by
talking
with
your
children,
your
grandchildren,
neighbors,
and
friends.
Take the
time to
visit
the
Wall,
and on
those
two
days,
take the
time to
spend
one hour
of your
life to
attend
these
Memorials.
Lay
aside
the golf
game,
fishing
trip,
football
game,
and
anything
else
that
would
deter
you from
being
there.
Let’s
start by
renewing
our
faith in
our
military
and
remembering
our
quote on
the
Wall,
“LEST WE
FORGET”.
Do not
let it
become,
“WE HAVE
FORGOTTEN”.
Roy
Bielich
LETTER
TO THE
EDITOR
REGARDING:
19th
Hole/Fore
Seasons
Restaurant
Vote (?)
I am not
happy
with any
of the
options
presented
and
because
of that,
I’m
selecting
option
3!
A method
of
punishing
the
former 4
B Board
Members
and
Holly
Lake
Ranch
Association
General
Manager
for
placing
this
“Monkey”
on our
backs
would be
a nice
touch
but
every
thought
I had on
the
subject
involved
something
illegal
so that
had to
be
abandoned!
I would
also
vote for
keeping
the 19th
Hole/
Fore
Seasons
open and
billing
the old
B Board
members
and
Association
General
Manager
for all
costs
associated
with the
operation!
The
ballot
presented
does not
have any
words
describing
the
extent
of this
monthly
commitment,
until
2010,
until
the cows
come
home,
etc;
The
ballot
does not
address
how
timeshare
owners
will be
billed
or how
non-property
owners
that use
the
restaurant
will be
billed.
I was
not
afforded
the
opportunity
to vote
for or
against
the
creation
of this
monkey
on all
property
owners
backs
and find
it
ironic
that all
the
options
I’m
allowed
to vote
on, at
this
time,
involve
a
monthly
tax
regardless
of how I
vote.
I would
also
like to
point
out that
at no
time did
I ever
vote for
any of
the B
Board
members
that
created
this
fiasco
nor for
that
matter,
was I
asked
about
hiring
the
current
General
Manager.
Regards,
Bob
Lee
Section
2, Lot
129
To Whom
It May
Concern:
My wife
and I
have
owned
our home
at Holly
Lake
since
1994, a
relatively
short
time
compared
to so
many
residents.
My wife,
however,
had
owned
property
since
1973.
One of
the
interesting
experiences
we have
had is
the
coming
and
going of
several
food
service
enterprises.
A few of
them
were
very
good
with
excellent
food and
good
service.
Some
have
been
rather
poor in
one or
both of
these
attributes.
The one
thing
that
they all
had in
common
was that
they
failed;
whether
financially
or from
just
sheer
fatigue.
The
story
from
several
sources
has been
that
Holly
Lake
residents
will not
consistently
support
a
restaurant
on the
ranch.
Maybe
this is
accurate.
When the
Fore
Seasons
facility
was
opened
we were
encouraged
by the
decor of
the room
and the
hope for
good
food and
service.
We had
two
semi-good
experiences
at the
beginning,
but
after
that the
quality
of the
food and
the
service
went
from bad
to
worse.
One time
we took
five
guests
with us.
After an
excessive
amount
of time
our meal
was
served
and then
one of
our
guests
was
informed
that
what he
ordered
was sold
out and
he would
have to
pick
something
else. We
ate
while he
waited.
I asked
the
server
what was
going on
and she
said
that she
had been
working
in the
kitchen
because
they
were
short-handed.
This
happened
twice.
Another
time we
waited
forever
for our
salads
which
were
finally
served
with the
meal
which
was
barely
warm.
Again,
we were
told
that the
kitchen
didn’t
have
enough
help to
prepare
the
salads.
It came
as no
surprise
that the
project
is in
trouble.
Our
opinion
is that
if the
project
cannot
at least
break
even it
does not
deserve
to
exist.
The
market
place
has been
pretty
specific.
The
membership
has not
supported
a
project
that did
not
deliver
quality
as
promised,
so now
we have
a
“scheme”
to have
the
members
of the
community
subsidize
the
ineptness
of the
management
of the
project.
We
cannot
really
vote for
any of
the
options
as
written.
We can
vote for
option 3
if
amended
to say
“I am
opposed
to
having
any food
operation
at Holly
Lake
Ranch
that is
not
self-sustaining.”
We would
happily
endorse
a
successful
facility
with
good
food and
service.
I resent
the fact
that we
MUST
participate
financially
in
something
for
which we
did not
vote nor
wish to
support.
Sincerely,
Don
Smothers
