A letter in defense
of Lt. Col. Parsons
It's rare that I read a letter to the editor as uninformed as that by Jack Coonce, printed in the March 5 edition of the Gazette. In his letter, Mr. Coonce accuses Lt. Col. Jim Parsons of hating Bella Vista. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Parsons has devoted much of his life to the betterment of Bella Vista. He created, organized and ran the Bella Vista Patriot Parade for 13 years. Having served as a Green Beret, he has organized and hosted countless veterans events in and around Bella Vista. He and his Patriot group are single-handedly responsible for lobbying the Arkansas Legislature to put the incorporation of Bella Vista on the ballot. He is currently gathering signatures for a petition to create a school district in Bella Vista. Is this the work of someone who hates Bella Vista? I think not.
Parsons' accomplishments are too numerous to list in this letter. Suffice it to say that he has spent his life speaking out against injustice and corruption on the local and national levels. His mission is to make Bella Vista an even better, more honest place. He loves Bella Vista. That's why he fights for it. Telling Parsons to leave town if he wants to make change is laughably unintelligent. While it's anyone's prerogative to stick their head in the sand in the face of injustice or corruption, don't expect Parsons to ever do that. Don't expect him to leave, either. He loves Bella Vista too much.
Kevin Dooley
Bella Vista
City's camping limits
appear a bit outlandish
I'm puzzled by the action of the city of Fayetteville that made it illegal for anyone to camp overnight on any property in the city, public or private. This means if your friends want to come visit in their RV for the eclipse, they can't park in your driveway or on the street.
Surely this is not the intent of the law, but that's what it says. I wonder what the reason was for this draconian action and who proposed it. I suppose the parking enforcers are cruising the streets looking for violators. I wonder if anyone has been ticketed for it and what the punishment is. Are RVs being towed away?
I hope this ridiculous law can be changed in time for the eclipse. Will my grandkids be arrested for camping in my backyard? Come on, Fayetteville!
Trudi Rust
Fayetteville