Editor:

One man’s trash is not necessarily another man’s treasure. A “sale” is a transaction between two parties at a mutually agreed price. The seller’s valuation of the item may not be the same as the buyer’s valuation. The result is “no sale.”

In the auction world, the rule is: “a dime on a dollar” and the auctioneer typically takes a cut of 20 percent. Usually, a good auctioneer can sell three to four items a minute. What is “dear” to the seller has no meaning for the buyer. Consignment shops have a worse problem. They have to double whatever they price an item for in order to pay the rent, the payroll and other costs of operating a store. If they cannot sell an item, it just gathers dust.

The local HELP Center has an even worse problem. At the end of Idyllwild’s annual spring cleaning of Memorial Day yard, rummage and garage sales, it was inundated with leftovers that did not sell. They have to sort through the tax-deductible donations to separate the trash/junk from the salable and dispose of the junk.

The key to a successful “sale” is to price an item so low the buyer never hesitates because it is “such a deal.”

William R. Farout
Idyllwild

Editor:

It’s not by accident Pine Cove Water District is likely one of the most stable, self-sustaining water districts in Southern California, producing some of the best granite cleaned/collected/stored water in the country. It’s legislative authority and staff understand these characteristics and work to ensure these principles.

When other local districts’ poor-quality water production from streams and resulting drainage ditches using dangerous treatment chemicals goes dry because of limited snow/rainfall, PCWD wonders why the district should be forced into water emergency stage 2 or 3 when their water supply is reasonably stable.

Water production and storage require infrastructure, even if you choose not to purchase a single drop that month. The right to purchase a drop the next month requires the system to remain stable the entire time you choose not to consume a drop.

When someone says they should have the right not to pay a dime for system maintenance fees billed as a separate line item I say go live elsewhere outside of a water district. A fixed maintenance/production cost is just that — fixed regardless what one customer might use or not use that month. Pitting water district customers against one another because of income, age, sex or race is predatory and should not be on the agenda of any board candidate.

Let me make this very clear. PCWD has been recognized as one of the most efficient and transparent water districts per resident capita in this county and state.

Pine Cove residents be careful who you vote for. Pick someone who will keep this district’s high-quality water production stable and not destroy our water source.

Jeff Smith
Pine Cove

Editor:

In your June 4 “Out Loud” column you state you had received a jury summons and were to call in on Friday. You did, finding out you needn’t appear Monday, but needed to check in Monday for a possible Tuesday appearance.

Upon calling Monday, you were informed you needed to appear Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. Yet on Tuesday, you were still sitting in your chair at your office in Idyllwild, preparing your column, 22 minutes past the time you were to appear in Murrieta, over an hour away.

What part of “appear at 12:30 p.m. in Murrieta” didn’t you understand? You thought you’d get out of serving like you had in the past? It wasn’t convenient for you?

In your last paragraph, you have the audacity to say that you don’t agree with the jury system in our country but since you can’t change it, you “believe in doing my part without grumbling much.” Pardon? You didn’t show up. How is that “doing my part?”

With citizens such as yourself, it’s no wonder our courts are as backlogged as they are. A wise man once said, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”

Ron West
Idyllwild

Editor:

I attended the meeting at Pine Cove Water where the current increases were explained. We were shown many details of costs going up.

Originally, I did not agree in an increase greater than the cost of living but after all of the material presented, it made sense.

No where in this meeting was it discussed that two new employees were going to be hired. I do not know why Pine Cove Water hired two new employees but I find it dishonest that we were not informed of this at the meeting to increase water rates.

I wonder if we had to increase water rates at all and why we need two new employees.  I’ve also read that employee salaries, benefits and retirement were increased by 15 percent. How come that was also not mentioned at the meeting explaining rising costs?

Scott Fisher
Pine Cove

Editor’s note: The two “new” employees replaced employees who had resigned. The Town Crier reported the head maintenance position’s resignation on Nov. 20, 2014. The 15-percent increase to salaries and benefits was over a three-year period 2012 to 2015. The proposed 2015-16 budget is for a less than 2 percent increase.

Editor:

My last meeting as president of the Pine Cove Water District board was last week, and it happened to coincide with a letter in the TC criticizing the board. So this seems a good time to offer some final thoughts about the district.

Let me jump right to the conclusion: I believe the district is an excellent organization, with committed and skilled staff, and an involved board that takes its duties seriously. The result is that the district has a rather remarkable water system for its size, providing residents with high-quality water at an affordable price.

The heart of the district is General Manager Jerry Holldber, who has been there 29 years. In my view, he has an exemplary record of developing the system in all aspects, from production to storage to distribution. He is passionate about the district, and ever since I have known him, he has worked with the board and staff to plan and carry out major improvements and programs.

His long-term thinking led him to do things before others, such as starting a rebate program on low-water toilets and washing machines years ago to encourage conservation. He also started a popular program selling discounted rain barrels for water capture three years ago, and has always provided Pine Covers free mulch to slow water evaporation around vegetation.

And by digging new wells and building the Dutch Flats treatment facility several years ago, Jerry has placed the district in a good position to handle the current drought.

The district does almost all its maintenance and improvements with its own staff, who constantly replace pipes and meters, and who built the Dutch Flats building that houses the new water treatment facility. This practice has allowed the district to do more with less, and resulted in a very capable and well-maintained system. It is anything but antiquated.

The district, both board and staff, makes every effort to stay in touch with customers and communicate clearly. An indication of this is the fact that the Pine Cove Water District has received two awards for transparency from the California Special Districts Association.

Robert Hewitt will be the new board president, and I am sure he will work with the board and Jerry to continue bringing great, affordable water to the people of Pine Cove.

Mike Esnard
Past President of the Pine Cove Water District Board of Directors