The Bee publishes letters from readers across the Gallatin Valley. Letters are edited for length, never for truth, because we wouldn’t know where to start.
The parking situation at the Co-op
I noticed last Tuesday that the parking lot at the Co-op was full, even though it was only 10:30 in the morning. I had to circle the block twice before finding a spot near the post office. It seems like a lot of people are buying organic kale and locally roasted beans lately. While I am glad our neighbors are eating healthy, it is becoming quite difficult to pick up my weekly sprout order without walking an extra fifty feet. Perhaps we could look into a valet service or possibly just build a second store nearby so the current one doesn’t have to be so popular.
— Gary Halloway, Bozeman
Construction noise in the hayfield
I moved to Four Corners ten years ago because I wanted to be close to nature. Back then, I could hear the meadowlarks singing from my porch every morning. Now, the view is blocked by a lovely four-story structure, and the meadowlarks have been replaced by the sound of industrial grade cement mixers at 6:00 AM. I understand that the folks moving into these new luxury units need somewhere to park their Land Cruisers, but the constant beeping of reversing trucks is really cutting into my quiet time. Is there a way to make construction quieter, or perhaps just make the buildings shorter?
— Brenda Stills, Four Corners
The wind is blowing my fence over
My neighbor recently installed a very expensive, tall wooden privacy fence. It is quite handsome, but it does not seem to realize that we live in Livingston. Last night, the wind caught the panels like a giant wooden sail and pushed the whole thing three inches into my petunia garden. I asked him if he wanted to help me brace it, but he said he bought the fence for “aesthetic seclusion.” I told him that out here, the wind is the only thing that gets a vote on what stays standing. I suppose I will just wait for the next gust to finish the job.
— Dirk Henderson, Livingston