Please give Grimaldi some credit

To the editor,

The recent graveling of the North Fork Road from the paved Camas Road GNP entrance to Polebridge was a topic in Larry Wilson's columns recently. Unfortunately, Mr. Wilson neglected to credit Bob Grimaldi and the North Fork Road Coalition for Health and Safety (NFRCHS).

Over the last four years, Mr. Grimaldi has been instrumental in keeping dust, health and safety problems on the front burner with the county and the state. Without his work and tenacity, it is unlikely the North Fork Road would have received any funds to take this initial step to improving the road. Some of us call this "Grimaldi's Gravel."

Many landowners in the North Fork rallied along with Mr. Grimaldi to push for solutions to the road dust problem and to improve the safety and conditions of the road. These landowners contributed in support of the North Fork Road Coalition for Health and Safety that is now headed by Ray Brown.

It will be a "wait and see" season for the dust-or-no-dust impacts of this newly graveled section, but it is a good start should the only long-term, cost-effective solution be paving.

Many of us believe paving is the only logical, cost-effective and long-term solution but are waiting to assess the effectiveness of "Grimaldi's Gravel" for suppressing the dust problem.

We believe Wilson's column should have offered more than just his passing comment, "It helps when the private landowners are united." The only united effort to resolve the problem has been on the part of NFRCHS since the North Fork Landowners Association (NFLA) avoided the road issue until about a year ago when they formed a "road committee," at Mr. Grimaldi's suggestion.

Mr. Grimaldi needs to know many of us appreciate his effort and putting up with the "heat" he received from some. Thanks also to the county for making this effort regarding the road.

Greg and Beth Puckett

Polebridge