Editor:

As the IWD lurches into the future, perhaps we could heed the advice of whoever said to “never waste a good crisis.”  Given that we have lost our general manager, mislaid a couple of board members and are (I believe) soon be deprived of one or two other senior managers, it may be time for a shotgun marriage.  So let’s amalgamate with another water board. Or 2.  Together they (and we) could save a great deal of money, simplify management enormously, husband our joint resources and continue to enjoy our water.

My impression is that Pine Cove would rather secede from California than join its water board with ours, but how about Fern Valley?

Fern Valley has a very competent general manager, and we need one, with this also being a rare moment when the salary could be shared by both entities.

They have other senior managers who, I gather, are also competent and could provide IWD with what it needs. And the salary argument applies here too.

IWD has competent staff.  And lot’s of money.

Wouldn’t it be great if the community as a whole could participate in some general discussions about how best to proceed.  What if we could draw on the expertise of the many people on the Hill who have worked on different aspects of these issues, and engage in the sort of dialog that makes it possible for those who are passionate about their issues to listen to each other and find common ground?

If we’re in a crisis, perhaps it is a very good one to be having.  I’d love to see us use it for our collective benefit.

Geoffrey Caine, Idyllwild