[at-l] Camping Fee for Trail Days---

[lwbooher@halifax.com (Leslie Booher)]

Dear Trail Days organizers---

It has been brought to our (hikers') attention that the town of Damascus
plans to initiate a $10 camping fee for anyone camped on town property for
Trail Days.  I am willing to pay this fee with some improvements on your
part.

For my $10, I expect lots and lots of hot water in the restrooms right
around the corner from the Post Office, so that I don't have to have a cold
shower every day.  I expect lots and lots and lots of toilet paper in the
restrooms, so that I don't have to go buy packages of toilet paper to
contribute to the town, as I did last year.  I expect you to have all
toilets flowing at all times, so that one of the toilets in the lady's room
isn't always plugged up; in that same vein, I expect there to be enough
toilet plungers so that every stall has one at all times, so that we can at
least make an effort to keep everything working properly---last year, every
time we needed a plunger, it had been removed from the bathroom.  Doors on
the toilet stalls would be helpful.

If I'm to pay $10, I would also expect to have a marked off area as mine,
with no one else's guy wires, stakes, dogs, garbage, etc., infringing on my
territory.  A laid out walking path would be excellent, too, so that no one
has to trip over my tent trying to get to their own.

If our responsibility is to pay a camping fee, then you have certain
obligations to fulfill in return.  Some of us volunteered our time to help
Trail Days be the wonderful event it was.  Are we expected to volunteer and
pay, too?  If we pay a fee to camp, can we expect a higher level of security
in the camping areas?

Think about this plan for a camping fee just a bit more.  You might find
that you are getting into territory that you'd rather not travel.

Sincerely---

Leslie Booher