We became residents of this community about three years ago, when we purchased property between Darrington and Arlington. This area was chosen because of the cool, quiet atmosphere and the beauty of the mountains. Along with this we found the small towns in this area contained about all the needs any family would have. What a change of pace and lifestyle that we had become accustomed to in the city, with the large department stores, shopping malls and discount centers.

When we needed trees removed and the land leveled, we found local contractors who were willing to do the work. They were not the cheapest, but they were neighbors. When we needed groceries, we found the goods in the local markets, along with helping hands and a friendly smile. These were our neighbors.

The property we purchased needed a lot of tender loving care, but we were taught early in life of what Pride of Ownership is and the asset it can be to the community. We strive with lots of hard labor and expenses to accomplish this goal. This was all taught to us as children, who grew up in the farm and ranch country of the Midwest.

While enjoying a phone conversation with my dad a few evenings ago, I related a few of the problems and issues to him that we are having; it went this way: What should I do? I have bikers and four wheelers flying past my home, some on the highway and some in the narrow ditch. It really doesn’t matter to these people if they stop and make a few spins on the new grass you have started or the new fruit trees planted, or maybe they are so brilliant they want to see the livestock run through the fences. Don’t we have local law enforcement agencies or state patrol that has jurisdiction over this? These bikers and four wheelers seem to have a lot in common as they all act the same and they range in age from about 9 to 49 years old. I have personally stopped a few of the young kids to talk to them and I’ve talked also with the parents, asking them to consider my issues, only to have the parents and child both give obscene gestures as they left.

The next thing I asked my dad was, don’t the teachers in our schools teach our children anything about respect? I apologize for this question, for I was quickly corrected on this by a retired teacher that said, “Respect is learned as a child at home, and as a teacher, you can identify the quality of the home each child comes from, simply from respect.”

Do we sound disgusted with this community? Really we’re not, we’re just hurt and disappointed with a few parents in the way they are trying to raise their children.

We still have several great friends and neighbors in this community and we plan on being around a while. To all the new neighbors that have moved into this community in the past three years, let us say “welcome to our neighborhood.”

Darrell and Shannon