To the Editor:

Once again, we have front page coverage of misleading accusations made against the mayor of Joseph. I think this is clearly an attempt to intimidate any official who stands to protect the values and resources of those who elected them. Do you wonder who is behind this barrage of attacks? Allow me to connect the dots.

The Joseph City Council held a workshop Aug. 25 to discuss the management of the urban growth areas. I stated a concern that the 150-plot RV park at the south end of town, proposed by the Kriegers, would challenge the capacities of the city’s water and sewage systems, and traffic on Main Street. Recent studies indicated that such an expansion may demand millions of dollars of upgrading, the burden of which would fall directly on the shoulders of the citizens of Joseph. Furthermore, 150 RVs would generate at least 300 trips of huge vehicles on Main Street weekly. I asked why and how we would possibly accommodate such an influx.

Mr. Denis Sands, who ran against Kite-Martin last November, answered that he would handle the traffic like all other communities have done; remove the diagonal parking, and make Main St. and Mill St. one way in opposing directions. I disagreed.

Mr. Sands, George and Jennifer Ballard, Nadine Duncan, Gary Parmenter and Katy Botham are close friends of Steve and Paula Krieger. Do their names sound familiar? They work in tandem and their message is clear: “If you stand in our way we will run you over or run you out of office.” I, like Peggy Kite-Martin, will endure the spun stories, vicious letters, and heckling, and I will stand my ground. Thank goodness the majority of your readers can read between the lines.

Shelley S. Curtiss

Joseph

Editor’s Note – Curtiss is a current Joseph councilor and a former mayor.