Thanks good samaritan
Editor: Heartfelt thanks to the wonderful young lady who ran after me in the Maxwell Village parking lot, with my wallet I had left on the counter at Rite Aid. She declined a reward, but I will make a donation to a charity in the name of a kindhearted spirit.
Margrit Keller
Boyes Hot Springs
Cows and hiking trails can coexist
Editor: The people on the west side of the Valley have been waiting patiently for access to the open space hiking trails on the newly acquired Montini Open Space Preserve. We have been consistently neglected when it comes to improvements made with public monies, and this is our chance to improve our health, our community and even our property values. The Montini Open Space Preserve was purchased with the specific intention of making hiking trails with access on the west side, and by golly, they’d better hold to it!
The Montini family took their millions for the sale and even developed a large portion of their property, for which I hope they made a nice profit. Now it’s time to let go – it belongs to the public now and we paid a lot of money for it. It seems that Mr. Montini is trying to direct the process from his rear view mirror as if he still owns the property. I say we even change the name, why should it still be called the Montini Open Space Preserve?
He throws up a smokescreen of cows, yet the cows are not an issue. State Parks has said that cows can stay along with the hiking trails, so don’t be misled. We can have our cows and the hiking trails too! That was always the intention, and is how it should be. I think the interests of the entire west side of the Valley outweigh the interests of the neighbors of Montini Way and Mr. Montini, who just don’t want their backyard view to change to include people walking on the hillside. I think they will find that once it’s all done, it won’t be as they feared, and that having hiking trails just outside their door will enhance their lives and property values as well.
I strongly encourage the Open Space District to stay the course. Do not be intimidated by the frequent complaints by Mr. Montini, and give us our hiking trails, with the access on Fifth Street West, that we bought and paid for and richly deserve.
Anne Petersen
El Verano