December 2002 Michael Collins
Dear Editor,
Many thanks for printing the letter you received from the Bergan Family last week. I am certain that it has stirred a pot full of controversy. I would like to offer this reply.
Dear Bergan Family,
Have you ever wondered where the majority of people in this community came from or why they are still here? Why weren’t they run off by the crack heads and the other side of the track atmosphere?
My wife and I pulled into town after dark the first time…. The white sand made us feel as if we had driven into a winter snow land. We hoped it to be paradise. The next morning and many mornings after, my wife cried her eyes out and pleaded with me to take her somewhere else. Of course, being ordered here by the United States Marine Corps, I couldn’t.
That was 26 years ago. Now I can’t get her to leave. She quickly learned that this was a place that allowed her to invite her siblings to live in a better place to experience how life can be without the pressures that children may have to succumb to in other parts of the country. From all of the many places throughout the world we were stationed, we learned that there really was no better place to let our children graduate from High School. The violence, the crime, the drugs, the gang stuff, just doesn’t happen here like you see it reported daily on NBC, CBS, or ABC in cities around the country.
Your letter to the editor suggests that if there were a K-Mart here, then this might be a better place to live. Have you ever given your local 29 Palms business’ a chance? Have you seen what they have to offer? Have you compared prices? I have. And in most cases, I find that the prices and quality of merchandise you’ll find in our mom-and-pop stores are not only matched but in many cases are better than that of the Mart-Mart Superstore.
There is so much to do in this community that I have to keep a personal Online Calendar of Events to ensure that I don’t miss anything. There is also an Online Community Calendar of Events that is full of things to do every month. You can visit this calendar at thesunrunner.com, virtual29.com, kcdzfm.com, or pick up a free copy of the printed edition of The Sun Runner Arts and Entertainment Magazine.
I invite you to experience our Desert Paradise…. our Oasis of Murals…. I invite you to join in the festivities that keep 29 Palms active and healthy. It can be really difficult to open one’s mind, and in a lot of cases difficult to open one’s heart. Try to look for the good. We did and I am sure that you can find it also.
Pioneer Days is rapidly approaching. It’s the time of year that we celebrate our heritage. Call your Chamber of Commerce Office and ask how you can be involved. Call the Reach Out 29 Office and see if you can find someone that needs their heart touched by a gentle voice. Get involved. Get to know your neighbors, your merchants who might just become your lifelong friends. There are many nightspots in town that have atmosphere, sports, and music of all varieties. There is a bowling alley and a Live Community Theater. There are many places to dine. The variety is wide, and the food is wonderful. We have parks, both City and National. We have a night sky with real stars that you can see. Most communities that have the Mart-Mart mentality have no idea what a real night sky looks like. It’s something they have only seen in the movies. Did you know that 29 Palms still has a Drive-In Movie? Have you been there? Watching the shooting stars while enjoying the outdoor big screen is heavenly.
Let us help you learn to enjoy your stay with us. Who knows, 26 years from now, you may be writing a similar letter to the Editor.
Michael Collins
President – Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce
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