Dear Editor:
Corrales Comment has provided a wealth of information about Corrales and the surrounding areas as well as national and world affairs. I appreciate your publishing my story titled “Book About Corrales and Intel Reverberates in Oregon,†edited by Fred Marsh. It is still being used —the people in Ohio who are now understanding how Intel does its business— are starting to become informed about Intel. Intel plans to build a 20-billion-dollar complex in Ohio. Your extensive stories and information have been invaluable in our Oregon campaign to reduce Intel’s toxic/corrosive air and water emissions. The Corrales Comment’s reporting about climate summits, the Citizen Climate Lobby actions, and the 21 youth suing the federal government and individual states because the youth are not being left with an inhabitable earth, I hope spurs people to support their efforts.Â
I am putting a copy of this email in with a regular mail letter with my renewal of another year of Corrales Comment, for $14 out of state rate, in gratitude.
Dale Feik
Forest Grove, OR
Dear Editor:
In regards to the article on the front page of the Corrales Comment “agreement prepared for reuse of Corrales interior drain†May 21, 2022.
I like walking along the Interior Drain. I will miss it. I will miss the turtles, the fish, the red winged blackbirds that sing at the Meadowlark intersection in the cattails. I find it sad that this region is described as “a green belt†(a city planning term) instead of a wetland habitat visited by many migratory birds each year, such as bald eagles and belted kingfishers.
The water level in the ditch rises and falls with the changes in the water both from the groundwater, and also from the level of Clear Ditch, which is controlled by Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) via diesel pumps for now.
The Fire Department wants to run a hydrant line along its length. This is necessary to increase fire protection for residential houses. It will be sad to no longer see the pocket gopher holes along the banks that are reused by the Woodhouse toads and garter snakes. Fire hydrant access is one of the criteria for setting the cost of fire insurance, along with dirt roads and whether the Fire Department has volunteers (firedepartment.net website lists 20 volunteers). The ditch is going away because houses want to lower the costs of living in Corrales.
The local elementary school will gain a pedestrian path to the recreation center. Safety is important around children. But I will still miss the young cottonwoods that are currently growing in the interior drain. The school is interested in teaching conservation issues. I have participated in their nature journal program.
I have also watched their problems with maintaining a wetlands habitat at the west end of the school. The water recycling effort suffered when the waste water was moved to a pressurized, narrow-diameter buried sewer system. Some children run along ditch for 5K every Friday during school, but they run along the middle ditch to the rec center. I run with them and have for years. It will be sad to run along what used to be the Interior Drain and no see snapping turtles basking in the sun.
Corrales is semi-rural and has quite a few land management issues related to roads and access, especially along Huff Road and Andrews Lane. The MRGCD cannot solve these problems. It is expected they would like to return control and maintenance to the Village. Our narrow dirt roads are functional for village life, but not for growth. Once properly organized, cars can go on them above the “No dust limit†of 15 miles per hour to get places faster.
I will miss tracking the progress of turkey along the ditches and the raccoon paws in the mud.
I will miss all the nature that will vanish when the Interior Drain is covered over. I wonder why no one speaks for these ecosystems, this “Place of Butterflies†and all the plants, insects, animals and people who will miss it all so much when it is gone, and not coming back.
Alex Price
Dear Editor:
In 1950, my family moved to Corrales. All of the stories about the Corrales Interior Drain in the Corrales Comment brought back memories of our early days. We called the ditch between East Ella and East la Entrada the “Dirty Ditch.â€
My oldest son liked to find frogs in the ditch, and would take a bucket to the ditch to bring home his frogs. He waded in the water to find the frogs, and leeches attached onto his feet and legs. One day, he brought home a bucket of leeches. I always wondered how the leeches got there, and now I wonder if they are still there?
Another time, the winter weather was so cold that the winter froze in the “Dirty Ditch,†and we loaded up the kids, sleds and ice skates and went ice skating and sledding on the “Dirty Ditch.†It was the coldest day in Corrales that I can remember. Maybe another old person can tell me the year.
Phyllis Thunborg
Dear Editor:
When people say Corrales is such a wonderful community (and it definitely is), much of the reason is because of your stellar communications that have kept us informed and “in the know†about issues, events and opportunities here. You are a treasure. Enjoy your birthday and your retirement.
Jannie Dusseau
Dear Editor:
I’ve really appreciated your dedication to the village. You have kept the community informed and involved. You are leaving a very large gap in the village. You will be missed.
Sam Thompson
Dear Editor:
Thank you, Jeff, for being our glue for so many years! You made this village a sharing, happy place.
Gail Joseph
Dear Editor:
In the 31 years Jim and I have resided in Corrales, we have subscribed to the Comment, and have wholly subscribed to its importance as an invaluable Village of Corrales communication. The Comment has been the iconic image for all things Corrales, but even more, a democratic mouthpiece for the diverse ideas of Corrales’ residents. In sickness or in health, the Comment was the “go-to†to be heard, to be read, the bottom line for accurate Village government information. Only a journalistic superman could maintain this twice monthly publication for 40 years. Doing arithmetic: 12 x 2 = 24; 24 x 40 = 960 Comments.
When Jim and I moved to Corrales in early 1991, we joined volunteer arts and community groups, and frequently found ourselves in the PR role. Of course, that meant contacting the Comment for articles; since 1991, Jeff never rejected any of my scores of article requests. I was met with only encouragement and endorsement.…
We will miss you personally and journalistically:that herculean work ethic, your personal humility, your omnipresence at Village Council meetings, your immaculate memory for Corrales events. Thank you.
Jim and Carla Wright