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Letter: Take the plunge and vote yes

The rail corridor will provide business opportunities…opportunities our children will need if they are to live and prosper in Lake Country.

To the editor:

Re:  Lake Country Rail Trail

Thirty-five years in Lake Country, how lucky is that? Including 30 on an orchard adjacent to Wood Lake, so my family has many times walked lakeside portions of the railway. It’s a precious place to be—serene, peaceful, beautiful. And now we have the chance to secure this lakefront property for everyone to share.

Lake Country has pressing infrastructure needs and a frustrating shortage of cash to deal with them. There also seems to be a distrust of government, and a resentment of the richer community to the south.

I truly believe we need to set aside these issues for the moment and think carefully about the future of our community.

Stats tell us that my generation (I’m 67) is the most affluent generation ever, due in no small part to money we’ve made on outrageous land values; it’s predicted that coming generations will be far less fortunate, saddled with a housing market already unaffordable to so many. It seems incumbent on us to preserve as much outdoor space as we possibly can for future generations, many of whom will be scrambling to find affordable places to live and work.

Walkers, hikers and cyclists travel to Europe every year to take advantage of dedicated trails that are kept separate from motorized traffic—why wouldn’t they come here if we offered something similar?

The rail corridor will provide business opportunities for Lake Country residents—opportunities our children will need if they are to live and prosper here.

So I ask you please, if you’re on the fence, take the plunge and vote yes for the future of our community—become a yay-sayer. And be sure to vote, there’s plenty of opportunities to do so.

Anne Wise, Lake Country