Ken, You need to go work for the BBC. Your glass, like theirs, is always half empty. Especially the whine (wine) glass. Or whinging as the Brits say. :)
Mike -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Kent Lufkin Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 6:01 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: FW: Fly Rod & Reel - Rocky Ford Creek Nicely written letter Mike, with a respectful tone. I'm glad to see you didn't 'pile on' by mentioning how the impoverished Grant county seat has had to deal with a rash of murders and assaults (including a recent homicide by a 12-year old boy); how the county has the sad distinction of having the highest number of unsolved homicides in the state; how its declining tax base has adversely impacted it ability to provide basic services like adequate law enforcement to much of its rural population; or how its Public Defender's office has been decimated by charges of incompetence, mismanagement and the very public disbarring of at least one PD attorney accused of overcharging and bilking his poor clients out of their meager savings. Of course none of these factors can possibly mitigate Ephrata's glaring lack of a 3-star restaurant. K >This is the letter I sent to Paul. > >-----Original Message----- >From: Michael Santangelo [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Monday, August 16, 2004 11:38 AM >To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' >Subject: Fly Rod & Reel - Rocky Ford Creek > >Dear Paul, > >I couldn't help but notice you article about Rocky Ford Creek near Ephrata >Washington. While I currently live in the Netherlands, my home until two >years ago, was the Seattle area. My in-laws live in two and half hours away >from Seattle in Soap Lake, a community adjacent to Ephrata. Frequent trips >to the in-laws accompanied with mandatory excursions to the Ford make me >somewhat familiar with the area. > >I think the last paragraph of your article indicates a real misunderstanding >of Ephrata and its surrounding community. Ephrata isn't exactly what you >would call a bell weather city. It is a farm community that is going though >its own tribulations like most any farm community in America today. A big >event in Ephrata was the opening of the local Wal Mart. That saved folks >having to make the trip to the Wal Mart in the larger nearby community of >Moses Lake. So, your sentence that "Ephrata does have other thing on its >mind rather than fly fishing" is accurate. > >However, please consider what else may be on their mind. Did you know that >Ephrata bases the longest serving Army National Guard unit in Iraq. This >unit is on the longest deployment of any Guard unit since WWII. This burden >has made a major financial and emotional impact on the community. While I'm >sure your statements are accurate in your perspective, I think your opinion >gives the community a kick while they are already down. Rather than make my >own argument concerning the costs of this type of burden, I will refer you >to the August 2004 "Money" magazine article titled, "Ephrata Pays for the >War". > >For future reference, here are a couple of suggestions in case you wish to >reconsider you opinions on restaurants and lodging. For an outstanding >burger, check out DK's on the north edge of Ephrata. For one of the best >steaks ever, go to Don's in Soap Lake. I use their steaks as a basis by >which to judge other steaks. > >Fine and interesting lodging can be found in Soap Lake at either the Inn at >Soap Lake or the Notaras Lodge. > >Check them out and let me know what you think. > >Best Regards, > >Michael Santangelo
