Dear Editor,

I see countless dollars head up to the mountains every weekend to find a new home while we are struggling here in Oakdale. Is it just bad luck or are we maybe to blame. We are the self-proclaimed “Cowboy Capital of the World” yet where might someone passing through town find a place to go for a horseback ride? Sonora-Yes, Tahoe-Yes, Valley Springs-Yes, Cowboy Capital of the World-No. We have rolling foothills so we must have some sort of Cross Country running events-No, Mountain Bike Trails-No, Soap Box Derby Races-No, 4X4 Events-No, Motorcycle trails-No. We have a beautiful rodeo grounds which could host numerous events, Tractor Pulls-No, Go Cart Races-No, Monster Trucks-Not lately, We are the beginning of gold country yet is there panning events-No, Medal Detecting events-No. Mining Shows-No. We have rivers, we have lakes. Each and every activity we bring to Oakdale brings in money that would otherwise head up to Sonora and beyond. We need leaders that will bring these events to town and make our facilities user-friendly. Instead of privatizing our city jobs to outside contractors we might just be able to increase jobs. We have the perfect environment for bringing in unlimited revenue to our community but we just don’t seem to want what is ours for the taking.

Dan Meade