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Remove political signage along highway

A consideration for future elections: that Pitkin County enforce and remove political signage, of all party affiliations, placed along Highway 82. In memory of Bugsy Barnard, famous for cutting down billboards in the

Valley, and Dwight Shellman, who along with Joe Edwards and Michael Kinsley, as Pitkin County commissioners, made billboards illegal in Pitkin County, I would hope that we could stand up for their legacy and remove all

political signage placed along Highway 82. These are essentially billboards and most prevalent near Twining Flats and the dump turnoff. Perhaps Pitkin County staff can coordinate with CDOT on a plan in advance of another



contentious election in 2020.

In a recent letter to the editor, Ann Mullins praised local firefighters and advocated for the property tax question. I would remind Ann that while local firefighters made a valiant stand at the El Jebel Mobile Home Park and in Missouri Heights to save homes, it was the federal fire management teams (particularly those under the leadership of Shane Greer and Team Black), hot shot and hand crews, slurry and helicopter pilots who saved Basalt,




El Jebel and the Frying Pan’s collective bacon. As someone who has had a brother in the fire service and fire management for almost 25 years, I hope that we can always remember to thank these brave men and women who put their lives on the line in our service. We should thank and acknowledge them and pray for the men and women now on the fire lines on the horrific and deadly wildfires in California. We should also lobby our elected leaders, most especially the president and Congress, to acknowledge the impacts and severity of climate change on our planet and our country and to take meaningful steps to combat it or we should elect those who will.

Lisa Markalunas

Aspen