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Letters to Editor

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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

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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

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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

 

Last Updated on Friday, 17 April 2009 16:36  

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