To the editor:

After 45 years of serving the public and operating a business averaging eight employees that must turn a profit to keep its doors open, I have found it necessary most of the time to keep my opinions to myself for fear of stepping on someone’s toes. However, in recent light of the controversy over the ICWD 75-year contract I can no longer bite my tongue.

In recent years I have seen Broad River at the Union Road crossing down to a trickle and almost no water for the Broad River water plant intake, so by this I can see why ICWD is looking for other sources of water. But I think that the 75-year contract between Polk and ICWD is nearsighted on behalf of Polk and greedy on ICWD’s part. And in light of already shortages of water in this county, if anyone thinks they will not draw water from Lake Adger for 50 years, then I would like to sell them some ocean front property in Pea Ridge.

Gene Russell
Mill Spring, N.C.