A MOUNTAIN THOREAU

Wonderful letter-to-the-editor in Thursday's High Country Press from 80-year-old C. Harry Ross, who talks sense the way Thoreau used to (the Press doesn't have letters up on line, evidently, so you'll have to search your local mercantiles for stray copies). Mr. Ross offers opinions on a wide range of ripe topics:

*Over-lit mega gas stations in rural settings ... he's agin 'em (and we've seen the one in Vilas he's talking about, and he's right)

*N.C.D.O.T. ("heaven almighty you ought to see the mess those boys make")

*Boone developer Phil Templeton ("Son, there's something ain't right in your mind")

*Zero Waste. Makes perfect sense to him. To us too

*Bottled-water guzzling County Commissioners ("either means that they don't think the city water that comes out of the tap is drinkable, or they are too good to drink the tap water")

*Television, which is obviously the source of the need for fancy recreation centers

We sincerely hope Mr. Ross feels led to make further opinions known to us in the future. He has a following out here!