Improve the lighting outside the fair building

The following is a letter submitted to the Hot Springs County Commissioners.

Dear Commissioners:

I had the great pleasure of attending the recent Gottsche Fundraising Event at your Fair Building on Saturday, September 16th.  My congratulations to all of the organizers and volunteers for a job well done.  It was an excellent event which I hope to enjoy in years to come.

I was shocked when I and others were leaving the building after 9:00pm to see how dark and dangerous the parking lot was.  The single light over the door was totally insufficient for the occasion.

I was not the only one who had trouble finding my way to my car and was not the only one who discovered one of several tripping hazards along the way.  A woman carrying one of the large donated items she had purchased at the event nearly took a nasty headfirst spill halfway to her car.

There is simply no excuse for this apparent lack of concern for the safety of people who attend events at that County-owned facility.  I encourage all of you to take a few minutes some moonless night to walk around that parking lot.

Perhaps you should also check with the County’s insurance carrier to discuss the County’s liability exposure now that you’ve been made aware of the problem.

Thanks for your time, gentlemen.  I certainly hope you can find a way to get this safety problem onto your agenda very soon before someone gets hurt.

Jim Mathewson

jmat44691@gmail.com