THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 18, 1996 TAG: 9602150198
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
How many ``pigs in a poke'' does the Cape Hatteras Water Association board think it can sell us? Almost all of us customers voted in favor of the county taking over CHWA's assets because we believed what we were led to believe: that the system's improvement and expansion costs would be spread over the entire county, making it less of a financial burden on Hatteras Island customers.
As it turns out, the entire county will not be sharing the load after all. It's just going to be us in Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras!
I don't expect to get something for nothing. What I do expect to get is a complete, accurate and honest picture from the CHWA board detailing ALL of the options.
The latest letter from the board, dated Feb. 8, failed to do this. It mentions only two options and ignores the obvious: to stay independent of Dare County and NOT expand. (Go ahead and make the necessary improvements, and expansion could be examined at a later date, if needed.)
The other information contained in the letter is fine as far as it goes, but it doesn't go nearly far enough. For example, how much would it cost if we made only the necessary improvements and held off on expansion for the time being? What's the urgency in getting this matter settled when there are hundreds of water impacts sold but still unused?
If the county does assume CHWA's assets, our association will be dissolved, right? And there will be no going back? At that point, we will have entered into a contract more binding (and lasting) than marriage, for better or worse, for richer or poorer! Right? Does that set off alarm bells for anyone?
It's bad enough that the CHWA board letter raises more questions than it answers, but to expect us to vote on what it contains is irresponsible.
For both the first vote and this one, ballots shouldn't even have been mailed out before public informational meetings were conducted.
Having time for INFORMED discussions would have made INFORMED decisions possible.
Needless to say, I don't want to buy another ``pig in a poke.'' If you don't either, then slow down. Don't mail in your ballot until you've gotten information on ALL the choices and the bigger picture. What we decide now could bind us for many, many years to come.
Linda Browning
Frisco Annoyed by WAVY
The citizens of Currituck County are between a rock and a hard place in the dispute between NBC station WAVY channel 10 and Cablevision, our cable company.
We are unable to receive an NBC station. Channel 7, WITN, is available, but because WAVY has jurisdiction over the area according to FCC regulations, they are preventing Cablevision from carrying WITN.
WAVY is demanding Cablevision drop the National Weather Service and carry their 24-hour weather channel with a fee charged, which Cablevision will have to pass on to their customers.
These airwaves are supposedly ``free.'' We were satisfied with what we had; why does WAVY dictate what we get on our TVs?
The folks living in Currituck County do the majority of their shopping in the Norfolk area at businesses that advertise on WAVY.
The next time we are shopping in Norfolk, I will ask the manager of each business in which I am shopping if they advertise on WAVY.
If the answer is yes, I will tell them I refuse to do business with a company that deals with WAVY.
Residents of Currituck, are you willing to join me? Possibly, hitting their pocketbooks will let WAVY know we can affect them.
While we are at it, should we also cancel our subscriptions to The Virginian-Pilot? It seems the Norfolk area doesn't value their customers from Currituck that do business with them.
Currituck residents, we must write to our congressmen and senators to let them know how we feel about this ``hostage'' situation.
If Cablevision gives in to WAVY's demands, then soon ABC and CBS will start charging for their ``free'' airways. Of course, that means our cable bills will be even higher.
We must let the FCC know they need to delete the portion of their regulation that says one station controls the airways within 50 miles of their station.
As a last resort: I wonder if I contact WAVY 10 On Your Side, if they would be willing to help us?
Lynn H. Miller
Point Harbor by CNB