LETTERS: LANDOWNERS RESPOND

To the editor:

I wish to respond to the Aug. 29 letter from Stan Crader of Jackson. I appreciate Mr. Crader's consideration of the affected landowners regarding the proposed recreational lake. I sincerely hope this is genuine concern and not like the petition drive Crader has initiated for Bollinger County, a county in which he no longer resides.

Anyone who circulates this petition and says he is merely seeking to put the issue on the ballot and not necessarily in favor of the lake is, in my opinion, perpetrating fallacy.

Come now, Mr. Crader. I was born during the day, but it wasn't yesterday. Changes in the proposed legislation were submitted in 1990 but were never accepted. Why should we believe any changes would be accepted now?

Unfortunately, the legislation that was enacted in 1990 is the law. I would strongly encourage citizens of Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties to obtain a copy of this legislation and read it carefully.

I welcome Mr. Crader's offer to meet with landowners for discussion. May I suggest a site in Sedgewickville in order to touch base with the subject. Have the Regional Commerce and Growth Association rent a building and pay for the notices. We will be glad to meet with Mr. Crader. However, please do your homework. We have certainly done ours.

JAMES C. ROCHE

Cape Girardeau-Bollinger County Landowners Association

Jackson

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr. Roche's mailing address is 3137 County Road 349, Jackson, Mo. 63755. As has been stated previously, Stan Crader currently lives in Jackson but has deep roots in Bollinger County, where he still has a business at Marble Hill. Opponents of the proposed lake project continue to try to make Mr. Crader's residence an issue. There are other, more important issues that need to be resolved before the lake project moves forward.