Commentary
Fast cars give thrills but...
A casual evening at home Tuesday evening turned
very sobering when an accident on New Stock Road sent me into a dose of reality. I was home just finishing some work on my barn and putting up tools when I found out there had been a bad
Clint Parker
wreck. I headed to the scene to cover it for the news- paper. Tere were numerous emergency vehicles on the scene as a car went over an embankment, killing the passenger and sending the driver to the hospital. I was asked by the highway patrol to wait until the
body of Danielle Melrose was removed. Te trooper on the scene told me to come take some pictures for the paper and get the word out about how dangerous driv- ing can be, especially at high speeds. I was then taken to what was once a nice 2002 Pon-
tiac Firebird. It was now mangled and twisted from the accident. It was also the place where an 18-year-old girl, too young to die, took her last breath. My heart goes out to the families of those involved,
but young people need to know that speed thrills but it also kills. Tat saying was not coined by me nor by my mother
where I first heard it when I got my license. But it bears repeating to every young driver who would get behind the wheel of an automobile and take the responsibilities that come along with that license too lightly. While you only have to be 16 to get those license,
the wisdom to drive responsibly could be and usually is years away. Whether it’s texting, driving fast or reck- lessly, yielding to distractions and other things, a car can end a life quicker than you can react. Te reason this accident hits closes to home for me is
that my son is on the verge of getting his license in a few months, and I certainly have been trying to emphasize the idea of being a responsible driver with him. He has been what I’d call a model kid when it comes
to responsibility. He’s been making money since he was 8 with a paper route and has saved his money to the point he was recently able to put a large down payment on a 2006 Mustang. However, he is also enthralled with speed and power.
He wanted a V-8 Mustang, but a V-6 was all I’d let him get. Yet the V-6 has more than enough power to cripple or kill him or someone else. Te only thing I can think of worse than killing
yourself in an accident is killing someone else and hav- ing to live with that the rest of your life.
Letters to the Editor
Dangerous sidewalk protrusion in Weaverville
Dear Editor, For over two years, I have had conversations with
DOT regarding the sidewalk protrusion at the corner of Wildwood Avenue and North Main Street in Weaver- ville across from Athens Restaurant. DOT manages the issues of this part of the street system. A sidewalk was built between Wildwood Avenue and
the new Post Office on North Main Street several years ago. It was placed 1½ feet back from the sidewalk that starts at Wildwood Avenue and heads toward downtown Weaverville. People driving along in this area hit the curb at vary-
ing speeds because the white line that tells where they should drive has never been replaced. Drivers are given a false sense of complacency regarding the location of the sidewalk. DOT finally put a yellow adhesive tape on the pro-
truding sidewalk. Within the week, three vehicles hit it. I cannot imagine the front-end damages to vehicles com- ing on this sidewalk at 35 miles per hour. Te latest hubcap (a Toyota) lost is hanging on a tree
in my yard. I heard the impact and saw the vehicle cor- recting after hitting the sidewalk. When I hear the first impact, I wait in fear to hear the
next: When the vehicle may veer into oncoming traffic or down the embankment. I have discussed this problem with Weaverville Police
Chief Greg Stephens and his staff on a number of occa- sions. If anyone who reads this has a contact person with DOT, please request “one white line” for the area be- tween the post office and Wildwood Avenue going south. Tere is still the problem with the protruding sidewalk. Martha Boyette Weaverville, NC
Why the dog ordinance at Lake Louise?
Dear Editor, I wanted to question the prohibition of dogs on the
walking trail at Lake Louise. I am wondering why dogs are allowed at the Lake, but not on the walking trails. I enjoy taking my dogs there, and always pick up after
them if needed, so it seems odd that no dogs are allowed on the walking trail. To avoid walking my dogs on the trail, I have to walk on the road around the outside of the trail, which causes me some safety concerns with the traffic in that area. Additionally, I am only able to walk my dogs on three
sides of the trail this way; otherwise I would literally be walking on Weaverville Highway in order to complete the full loop. I am concerned about my safety, as well as the safety of
my dogs with this prohibition in place. I love going to Lake Louise, and would like to be
Fire prevention landscaping
Te public is invited to attend a presentation on fire
prevention landscaping with Glenn Palmer at 10 am on Saturday (Oct. 23) at the Weaverville Fire Station at 3 Monticello Road. Palmer’s program will help the homeowner understand how landscape design affects the survivability of a home in the event of a fire. Te focus will be on helping homes survive a wildfire. Te Weaverville Tree Board is presenting the program.
able to walk my dogs there. With WNC being such a dog-friendly area in general, it surprises me that this is a rule. Additionally, I was walking my dogs there last week,
on the road on the outside of the trail, and a police car with two officers inside it stopped me to tell me to get my dogs off the trails. On of my dogs had taken a few steps to the left at the approach of the oncoming vehicle and two of her paws were on the gravel of the trail. Tis just seems absurd. Is it better for me to risk the safety of myself and my
animals by walking in the road, or is Weaverville so un- dog-friendly that you are not willing to accommodate those of us with animals that live within the city? Any information or help that you could deliver would be greatly appreciated.
Mandy Weerheim Weaverville, NC
4 THE TRIBUNE/LEADER - October 21 - October 27, 2010 Te Leicester Subscription
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