This newspaper received several letters to the editor recently regarding the dispute at the Upper Clearwater Hall.
The letters presented both sides of the dispute. All contained some good points but the tenor of most seemed to be to pour more gasoline on the fire.
Although it probably helped for the newspaper to expose the dispute to the open air, it is not helpful for people to use the Times' opinion page as a place to throw barbs at each other.
If the residents of Upper Clearwater are going to solve this dispute they are going to have to sit down together and hammer it out. Possibly a mutually acceptable mediator would help.
In any event, we decided that the Times would not publish any more letters about the Upper Clearwater dispute, whether for or against, for the next while.
Wells Gray Country (Area A) director Carol Schaffer informs us that she will be sending out survey forms to Upper Clearwater landowners in the next few weeks to find out if they want the grant-in-aid for the hall to continue.
Once the survey forms have gone out we will lift the moratorium so people can use the newspaper to discuss the pros and cons of the situation.
We ask only that they do so in a constructive manner. Please avoid personal attacks and please do not repeat rumors.
As always, we reserve the right to edit letters to the editor for brevity, clarity, legal considerations and good taste.