Letters to the Editor for December 4, 2019

Option when storms hit Donner Pass

Snowstorms cause many wrecks and traffic delays on Donner Pass, which most people don’t expect. An electronic billboard should be put up in Salt Lake City and Sacramento, alerting drivers to snow on I-80 over Donner Pass, and the potential for accidents and hours of delays in freezing weather.

The billboard should give an alternate route through Las Vegas, which is only five hours and three minutes longer in good weather but in bad weather could be faster. It is a safe route and beats getting in an accident or freezing, and being in a cold car for hours hungry, needing to go to the bathroom. If some traffic took this alternate route, it would eliminate deaths and injuries, reduce the amount California spends on highway patrolmen, tow trucks and transporting stranded travelers to shelters and hospitals.

This wouldn’t need to be done every time it snows, only for the big storms like this Thanksgiving.

Walt Ratchford

Carson City

An appreciation for what used to be

Here it is, 1970, and after six years in Southern California, I had enough of living the fast freeway life. What about slowing down a bit and smelling the roses? Carson City is just right. Twelve-thousand people, about right speed, 25 mph through town, a First National Bank, a disco department store, Safeway supermarket near Highway 50, the Penguin Ice Cream Stop. What a fine hardware store, that George Myers place. Can still find parts for a 1950s mower. Stodicks men’s store. There seems to be such pride in this Warren engine fire department. Seems to be everything for everybody and the state capital to boot. It’s time to move.

Well, it’s almost 2020 and I look around our town. We now have five times as many folks in our town. Still 25 mph through town, five times the amount of traffic and half the space to squeeze it through. Gone are those fine stores we had. New signs everywhere, four times the sales tax we used to have, four times the property tax and our neighborhood streets are in disrepair. I guess it is time to celebrate in the new year and be thankful for progress. What has 50 years done for our town?

Your neighbor,

Dave Ramer

Carson City