Dear Editor,

What does Gilpin Parks & Rec mean to me?  It means community, exercise with friends, walks along the path, gardening (I am a master gardener), the chili dinner, the rummage sale, the fair. It has been six months now and I miss all of this terribly! As a senior citizen I have been spoiled by having a free membership and free exercise classes. Now I feel guilty about that. I would gladly pay!

I, for one, will definitely vote YES ON 1B. Nobody planned on the shut downs during these last six months. Yes, the casino revenue was a large part of holding our Parks & Rec together. But when they closed, the County lost millions of dollars. OK, so now the casinos are opening up, but only at 50% capacity. Those revenues can not even begin to fill the deficit that has been left behind.

Nobody likes to see their taxes increase. I don’t. However, it is temporary, three years. I am willing to pay my fair share to stop the isolation, the loneliness and the boredom.

I don’t think it is just the seniors who are missing this. I think the kids had a bummer of a summer.  They missed out on camps, were stuck at home. Many parents had to quit their jobs because there was no safe place to for their kids to stay.

Clay people are missing the studio. The extension office could not hold their plant sale.  The High Country Auxiliary could not hold their rummage sale, and their earnings go to support our fire departments. In a year like this who would have thought that the firefighters would be so desperately needed?

I can’t help but to urge you to support our Parks & Rec by voting YES on 1B! Please.

Virginia (Ginger) Baer
Rollinsville