get real Wrote:
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> Riverson Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Here is a editorial from todays Wallowa County
> > Chieftain.
> > When asking Santa for train, be specific
> >
> >
> > Santa Claus sent me a letter this year, via his
> > attorneys, and I’m trying not to panic. The
> upshot
> > of this letter, or “injunction,” as they call
> it,
> > is that my requests for future gifts are being
> put
> > on hold until I can demonstrate appropriate use
> of
> > gifts already received, namely a train set I
> was
> > all excited about but haven’t been using.
> >
> > I’m in a bind here, because the train isn’t
> really
> > mine. It belongs to Wallowa and Union counties.
> > They bought it and played with it some at
> first,
> > then let other kids park their train cars on
> the
> > tracks. Then last year I got all excited
> because
> > there was talk of the train carrying rafters
> and
> > fishermen again between Rondowa and Minam,
> about
> > nine miles along the Wallowa River down to the
> > Grande Ronde through a roadless section. It’s a
> > beautiful stretch for day trips and
> steelheading.
> > I work as a rafting guide so having that train
> > service again was splendid news.
> >
> > That’s when I wrote Santa asking to pretty
> please
> > make it true that the train would start running
> > again. And it did, sort of. I live by the
> tracks
> > and waved at it a few times. But I should have
> > been more specific and asked for the train to
> keep
> > running. Especially the 48 fishing trips and 48
> > rafting trips that were talked about, but
> didn’t
> > materialize.
> >
> > Wallowa-Union Railroad Authority, or WURA
> > (pronounced “wooh-ruh,” I think), contracted
> with
> > Sierra Nevada and Pacific Railroad, or SNAP
> > (pronounced, “where are you guys?”) to take
> over
> > managing the trains. SNAP crackled and popped
> with
> > all sorts of fun ideas, including the notion of
> > bringing in an old fancy choo-choo train called
> > the Blue Goose that runs on steam. But then it
> > appeared all their steam got used up talking
> about
> > neato ideas.
> >
> > But let’s back up. Wouldn’t Sierra Nevada and
> > Pacific Railroad be SNaPR, instead of SNAP? You
> > can’t just promote “and” to a capital letter
> and
> > leave out the “Railroad” part, can you? That
> might
> > give the impression you’re good at snappy
> > presentations but aren’t too concerned with the
> > actual railroad part. Coincidentally, that’s
> the
> > impression I’ve been getting.
> >
> > But on the front page of the Chieftain last
> week
> > (“Rail line’s operator hopes to renegotiate
> pact
> > with counties”), Rob Ruth reports that the head
> of
> > SNaPR, Court Hammond, is gathering steam to get
> > things back on track. That was two train
> > references in one sentence. I hope you enjoyed
> > that.
> >
> > Let me know if I can help, Mr. Hammond. I’ll
> run
> > that Minam-to-Rondowa stretch myself if it will
> > help. Set me up with a handcar and I’ll hire
> some
> > local football players to crank the handles up
> and
> > down and we’ll get rail service going through
> that
> > gem of a river canyon. We’ll call it Old
> Fashioned
> > Way Railways, or SNaZZY, for short.
> >
> > I caught six steelhead one day on a steelhead
> > train excursion back when it used to run. That’s
> a
> > great day for any steelheader and if you’ve
> seen
> > me fish, you know it’s mind-boggling. I met
> other
> > people on the train with similar experiences. I
> > truly believe that river train will be good for
> > Wallowa County. People were coming out here
> from
> > all over to fish from the steelhead train,
> > spending their money at Wallowa County hotels,
> > restaurants, stores, speakeasies, gas stations,
> > spreading out dollars. And steelhead seasons
> are
> > outside normal tourism months. It was cold and
> > gray, but folks were still enjoying Wallowa
> County
> > and talking about bringing their families back
> > during the summer. You could just feel the
> economy
> > being stimulated.
> >
> > So let’s get that train rolling. Otherwise, as
> > Santa’s North Pole legal team pointed out in
> their
> > nasty letter to me, if we’re not going to play
> > with our train set there are thousands of
> bicycles
> > delivered each year to Wallowa County residents
> > and visitors who would be tickled to peddle
> down
> > the path if it were converted to a trail.[/size]
> Bike
> > paths also stimulate the economy. We could call
> it
> > the Wallowa- Union Scenic Bikeway, or SHAZAM,
> for
> > short.
> >
> > Jon Rombach is a local columnist for the
> > Chieftain. He wrote to Santa this year asking
> for
> > the forest roads to stay open so he can cut
> > firewood. Also a pony. And a Red Ryder BB gun.
>
>
> Dream on you fool. Hell will freeze over before
> they will allow that rail to picked up to convert
> that right-of-way to a trail. Those fish trains
> never came close to paying their way and never
> will. You fishermen are all a bunch of spoiled
> jerks.

Do you feel better for having posted your epistle in such a large font?