Some random observations as we head into the 250th anniversary of America.
It is unmistakable I am getting old. This year will be 50 years since I graduated from high school. Good old West Vigo High School in West Terre Haute, Ind. Still standing, still producing students.
It’s hard to believe it was 50 years ago when the Class of 1976 bucked the system and decided to have our graduation outside on the football field. We also all decided to wear white gowns. Somewhere in my piles of stuff, I still have the green and white tassel that signified the colors of the mighty Vikings.
Where does time go?
If you have driven to Merced lately, it’s pretty obvious there is some construction going on in Planada. It’s still not clear what is happening; whether it’s a stoplight or a roundabout.
I was told there were some freaked out people on social media saying if a roundabout was put in there it would doom tourism in Yosemite.
What? Where are the brains of these people?
A roundabout dooming tourism. Are people going to turn around and go back once they see the dreaded roundabout in Planada? I just shake my head.
Actually, most of the developed world relies on roundabouts as opposed to four-way stops or stoplights. You see, roundabouts are really easy to navigate if you simply pay attention. When there is a “yield” sign you, wait for it, yield. When there is not, wait for it, you can proceed.
I often wonder where these people get their knowledge, or lack thereof.
I think Yosemite National Park will probably be okay if a roundabout were installed in Planada.
In fact, it seems to me, a roundabout should be installed at the four-way stop in Mariposa. Instead of people lunging or braking when they aren’t quite sure who stopped first, the old yield signs would be pretty efficient.
Heck, maybe even a stoplight might work at the intersection; but I probably shouldn’t say that publicly because it could cause tyranny. And maybe a roundabout or stoplight would deter people from going to Yosemite, but it sure would be congested at the visitor center with all of those campers trying to turn around.
Another issue that has seemed to surface is the solar installation happening at Pioneer Plaza. You know, the place where Yosemite Liquors, Mariposa Shipping and other businesses are located.
Some are screaming it is going to destroy the views and change the landscape. These are the same people — the exact same — who also scream about property rights and how the government is trying to take those away.
Full stop.
The Pioneer Plaza is privately owned and the owners have every right to install solar panels and a covered area on the lot, as well.
It also makes sense they would be installing electric vehicle charging stations. The only other ones are at Pioneer Market, owned by the same people. At one point in time, the county was considering charging stations in various locations, including at the visitor center.
Apparently, that all was nothing more than talk, but what is new? Whether any of us like it or not, electrical vehicles are part of the American experience now. And people coming to Yosemite drive them, so we need to accommodate their needs.
Don’t forget it is the tourists who fund this entire operation called Mariposa County so we need to be catering to them.
Once again, I look to Groveland, which installed a public EV charging space less than a block from the main downtown area. Pretty smart move on their part. I’ve been there a few times and, wait for it, there are cars parked there getting charged.
And the icing on the cake is those car owners (and their families) are over at the local watering hole or gift shop spending money which helps support the town. With Highway 140, Mariposa is in a much stronger position than Groveland when it comes to visitors to the park.
The EV charging stations are just one example of how that town has progressed in a much better way than this town. What could it hurt to have more charging stations? It can’t and I applaud the fact more are going in on a visible spot when people first come into town.
Also on my mind lately is the situation unfolding at Yosemite. There are so many issues it would be impossible to mention them all.
But one of the biggest is how those in high positions involving Yosemite have simply decided the public doesn’t need to know anything negative about the park. Heck, it seems they don’t want the public to know anything about the park.
A prime example happened less than two weeks ago when a man was swept up in the current above Nevada Fall and went over the falls to his death. Park officials at first didn’t mention a word.
And then, when information began leaking out on Reddit from people who saw what was unfolding, they decided to release three vague sentences about what happened.
This tactic is coming straight from the park superintendent via Washington, D.C. It’s no different than trying to mask the sordid past of our country. Don’t get me wrong, I am a true American patriot and love this country, but it is also true our history is not all about perfection and doing nothing wrong.
Quite the opposite.
It simply amazes me that those in power think by not releasing information about a man who died going over a waterfall it is somehow going to be good for the park service. Maybe they think if nobody knows, it will just go away.
They are so wrong. In the past, they would not only release what is obviously public information, but also use it as an opportunity to remind people of the dangers in Yosemite. I have no way of knowing, but I would guess more than one life has been saved by getting out the information.
Could lives be lost by not? You be the judge.
On this 250th anniversary of our great nation, I believe it is important to look at our history as a whole: good, bad and ugly. We can learn from history — but we must want to do that and not bury our heads in the sand.
This is a great nation and has a history unlike any other on the planet. We celebrate this nation for that reason, but we can never forget how we got here and how that can shape the future.
Happy birthday, America.
Now if I can just find that tassel.
Greg Little is editor of the Mariposa Gazette and can be reached at greg@mariposagazette.com
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