Thank you, first responders
Editor:
Thank you to all of the incredible first responders, firefighters, Sheriff’s Office, airplanes, helicopters and volunteers who participated in containing the Elephant Butte Fire and saving our homes and neighborhoods.
I have been in my home near the lake and Three Sisters Park for more than 40 years. You need to know how appreciated you all are.
Thank you.
Nancy Zizic
Evergreen
A vote for Neguse
Editor:
Here in Evergreen, we know how precious nature and our public lands are, especially after lastweek. We know how volatile it can be living so close to nature. It is important to me that we all express how grateful we are to the firefighters and first responders who were able to protect all of our lives and our homes.
It’s clear that climate change is affecting our forests and our way of life, which is why I’m so glad we have our Congressman Joe Neguse representing our interests in Washington. He’s been such a strong advocate for expanding our public lands, passing the CORE Act to protect 400,000 acres of land in Colorado.
In addition, he’s pushing for funding for legislation that would, among other things, address our rising unemployment by creating jobs to restore public lands, provide funding to give more kids the opportunity to experience Colorado’s beautiful landscapes and trails, and — especially important for us here in Evergreen right now — provide more funding for wildfire mitigation.
Protecting our climate and public lands helps our economy, while preserving our state’s landscapes for future generations, and I’m grateful to Rep. Neguse for putting in so much time and energy to try to get legislation like this passed.
I hope you will all join me in supporting him this November, so he can keep fighting for us here in the mountains. And while we’re at it, let’s elect a Democratic senator and president, so Joe can get those bills passed into law!
Ellie Cabell
Evergreen
Kudos to the folks at Spero
Editor:
Thank you Spero for helping the fire crews.
Besides doing its great work helping its guests recover from addiction, including several lifelong Evergreen residents, Spero has become a great community asset.
When Incident Command needed extra hands on mitigation efforts for the Elephant Butte Fire, Spero guests were front and center helping the fire department setting up tents, prepping supplies and supporting crews with whatever odd jobs needed to be done.
It seems to go along with its goals in addiction recovery: service. Prior to the fire, Spero guests have donated time to local elderly helping with outdoor chores. All you need do is ask and they come running. During the peak of the COVID crisis this spring, Spero opened its doors to the homeless for a safe place to spend the night out of the cold.
Spero has exemplified the spirit of serving others and has become a great asset to Evergreen.
Leigh R. Jones
Evergreen
Masks make sense
Editor:
As I watched the helicopters fly over Evergreen hauling water to and from Evergreen Lake to douse the Elephant Butte Fire, I felt proud to live in a place so ready to protect the community.
But it made me wonder about the priorities among a cluster of citizens who claimed at a July 14 hearing that their rights were being denied if the county mandated the wearing of masks. According to Jeffco Public Health Director Dr. Mark B. Johnson, mask wearing decreases the droplet spread if maintaining the 6-foot social distance is difficult. It’s a simple act, also meant to protect the community.
Our elected County Commis-sioner Casey Tighe agreed and made a point: “Do you require people to wear shoes and shirts at restaurants? Everyone’s actions affect others. A face covering makes sense at this time.”
It gave me another reason to be grateful I live in this town.
Karen Groves
Evergreen