Letter To The Editor

Mountain Home is not 'Farmville'

Dear Editor,

I’ve read Mayor Sykes’ official response pertaining to the removal of the fireplace that was located in historic Carl Miller Park. A response that was requested by the Mountain Home News, only after a public outcry, mine included. The reasons listed by the Mayor, I believe, are senseless and only a smokescreen for the real motivation behind the fireplace’s removal. His future actions involving the park will answer that question definitively.

The fact that it was decided, without any public input or even the courtesy of notifying the citizens of this community, that the fireplace was deemed disposable is beyond disappointing. So many people have had their lives positively impacted in one way or another by what felt like an old friend. To find out the structure was razed, followed by lame excuses, feels like a betrayal.

The Mayor stated there were long discussions. With whom exactly? Sadly, only one member of the current elected city government was raised here. Hopefully, he possesses the full appreciation of what it is to be from Mountain Home. Where was his voice on this matter? I’d like to know where everyone on the City Council stood, or if they even knew.

We have an election in a few weeks. Is this how we’re going to operate going forward? All Councilmen owe it to the citizens to state their involvement or lack thereof in the “long discussions,” their viewpoints on whether what transpired was necessary and more importantly, how they view this Mayor’s role in city government. To those seeking election to City Council for the first time, how do you view all of this?

And to those who, like me feel betrayed, remember the old fireplace when you step into the voting booth come each November. This is about far more than the removal of an old fireplace. We cannot allow people to continually operate Mountain Home as their own personal “FarmVille,” if you will.

Democracy dies in darkness and for those of us that appreciate our history and where it all fits going forward, well, we all died a little last week…along with our old friend.

Mark Grubb