I wish Elk County would----------

[Sarah]

I don't think anyone was suggesting suiing someone for a good return on anything.  Rather, I believe their intent was to ensure that should a child be injured, or god-forbid, killed, that that driver would be punished sufficiently both criminally and financially.

Very true. 

I don't know about the SUV drivers.  We don't have any that go by.  LOL 

I do know that the whole time we've lived out here I've only seen a policeman out here like 3 times and one time was to pick me and my kids up to take us home because we got a flat 7 miles from the house.   

[pepelect]

Optimism:

I wish Elk County would do something that will promote a new industry or just a job.  One job would add one person to the ranks of not driving out of town to work. It might mean that one person would move to the area for that one job.  That would be one less abandoned house.  One more taxpaying citizen would be one more mile of road graveled.   One job would probably mean one or more students in the school system.  One more mouth to feed at lunch.   One more hamburger sold a day at Toots...  Two more loafers....down at Lannings complaining about how these out of towners are taking over the entire county.   



Reality....... One more idiot with no job will bring in one more needs to be abandoned trailer.  Set it up with out skirting.   Not mow around it for years while thinking about building a house that can't be afforded.  Place their three not entirely sure who the other parents is children into school just so they can get free or reduced lunches.  Never make them go to school and expect the school to raise them.  Take too long desiding on a home, home turns disfuntional.    Get divorced.  Loose the dream home.  File for bankruptcy.  Get thrown in jail for domestic battery.   Become a further burden to society.  Property sits uncared for while the sentence is being served.  Local druggies us it as a cook shack, burn it to the ground, have no place for the children to reside, they become wards of the state and then are sent off to some foster care in western Kansas.   Property sits waiting for the tax sale, mortgage waits for the bailout, idiot waits for the next president,  and the skirting is still on sale at the lumberyard.

[greatguns]

Sounds like you fully understand the American Way.

[Sarah]

Optimism:

I wish Elk County would do something that will promote a new industry or just a job.  One job would add one person to the ranks of not driving out of town to work. It might mean that one person would move to the area for that one job.  That would be one less abandoned house.  One more taxpaying citizen would be one more mile of road graveled.   One job would probably mean one or more students in the school system.  One more mouth to feed at lunch.   One more hamburger sold a day at Toots...  Two more loafers....down at Lannings complaining about how these out of towners are taking over the entire county.   



Reality....... One more idiot with no job will bring in one more needs to be abandoned trailer.  Set it up with out skirting.   Not mow around it for years while thinking about building a house that can't be afforded.  Place their three not entirely sure who the other parents is children into school just so they can get free or reduced lunches.  Never make them go to school and expect the school to raise them.  Take too long desiding on a home, home turns disfuntional.    Get divorced.  Loose the dream home.  File for bankruptcy.  Get thrown in jail for domestic battery.   Become a further burden to society.  Property sits uncared for while the sentence is being served.  Local druggies us it as a cook shack, burn it to the ground, have no place for the children to reside, they become wards of the state and then are sent off to some foster care in western Kansas.   Property sits waiting for the tax sale, mortgage waits for the bailout, idiot waits for the next president,  and the skirting is still on sale at the lumberyard.

But if you want more people to move out here, unless they're going to move into town, then you have to have water.   

No water, no people.  Most people aren't too fond of the idea of having to haul it.

[Ideas]

This subject should be change to "Elk County Should"

I see alot of discussion about the roads.  Here is an "IDEA"

County Cant afford to fix roads.

Sherrif writes tickets

People pay tickets

County Can afford to fix roads

But then on the other hand if the sherriff rights tickets He wont be elected again, cause he did his job.

[Ideas]

You might have grown up on gravel roads but not Elk County gravel.  We have some of the hardest rock in the nation.   This is why there are federal and state spec quarries on all sides of the county.  The rock is harder, sharper and more plentiful than is the high plains or swamp.    Flint already told you about the crappie rock crusher harshness makes gravel from is a  cheap layer of $7 a ton stuff.

Buy a bigger vehicle with larger tires that have more tread on the ground.  I ran, used to, run trashhauler recaps that are 14 ply tires, worked really well and have no problems with the rock. 

The faster you drive the less time you spend on the road.  Just put the petal on the right down a foot or two and you will get to your destination before the tires go flat.  Quit buying cheap tires.   I drive 90% of the roads in Elk County and rarely have a flat..... that Bill can't fix.   Besides tires are cheap.   What's a few hundred dollars compared to the hundreds of thousands that we spend each year graveling the ditches. 

Greenwood county spends more on tires than our entire gravel budget.  That would be like comparing a Yugo to a Freightliner.   Larger county, more population, better road crews, and they have their own sets of problems.  I have been on some pretty poor GW county roads. 

If the rancher is paying taxes just like any other land owner why should the road be closed so the trip to the cattle is four miles farther?  If you start closing roads you loose your federal and state cost share per mile of road.  Yes, it is stupid to spend so much time on untraveled roads but look how bad they can screw up the ones that are heavily traveled. 

I think the new management will either fix or at least identify the maintenance problem.  He has been on the job less than a month.  Give him a chance to screw up before waxing with broad strokes. 

Never had a problem with bf goodrich oem tires

[Ideas]

YES, I think there are "children at play" signs that you can buy and post.  I see them around different areas, and also in towns.  You might want to ask the county, but I think you can buy them somewhere if they don't have any.

Why would you want the city to waste their, I mean our taxes dollars on signs. Park at any intersection in town, and count how many cars go through it some like its not even there. The County would be the richest in the state if the local law wrote tickets everytime it happened, The county could multiply the funds available 10 fold in the first month alone.

[Tobina+1]

Sarah, I still think "children playing" signs would help.  I think I know where you live, and I drive that road occasionally.  When coming from the South, your place is a little hidden behind the trees and unless you know/remember where it is, it really comes up on you fast.  For those cattle truck drivers (or any drivers) who might not drive the roads often enough, I think it would help them realize there are children in that area.  Also, since your house sits so close to the road and you have out-building so close to it, some might not realize there's actually a house there until right upon it.  They might be watching the other house across the road and down a bit and never even realize your location at all.
And I hope you get your fence fixed soon, too... I always am scared about hitting your dogs (and sometimes chickens).  I would feel HORRIBLE.

NOTE TO EVERYONE... we are coming upon a busy time of the year in rural Elk County.  Out-of-towners who are hunting in our area.  Things to remember... #1) They bring in big $$$ to our county, so be nice (and wave!).  #2)  They are from out of town, so they don't realize some of our "unspoken" rules, so cut them slack.  #3)  They are not accustomed to driving gravel roads, so watch out for them (and they're probably gawking at fields, etc, so don't expect them to watch out for you).  #4)  They will only be here for a short time, so bear with it.  #5)  With all the extra traffic in the area, keep a watchful eye on you and your neighbors; this might be a time when other people might take advantage of "country folk".

[pam]

NOTE TO EVERYONE... we are coming upon a busy time of the year in rural Elk County.  Out-of-towners who are hunting in our area.  Things to remember... #1) They bring in big $$$ to our county, so be nice (and wave!).  #2)  They are from out of town, so they don't realize some of our "unspoken" rules, so cut them slack.  #3)  They are not accustomed to driving gravel roads, so watch out for them (and they're probably gawking at fields, etc, so don't expect them to watch out for you).  #4)  They will only be here for a short time, so bear with it.  #5)  With all the extra traffic in the area, keep a watchful eye on you and your neighbors; this might be a time when other people might take advantage of "country folkquot".

Lol, you better keep an eye on your livestock too. 2 years some gomer shot one of my horses, luckily it just grazed her butt. City people bought the place next to us My horses are not very far from my house, I don't go out in huntin season very far from the house without somthin red on

[Diane Amberg]

If some one tries to "take advantage" of the country folk, just shoot 'em and swear you thought it was the famous Elk County Creeper.