Sent to the The Carrol News and The Gazette.

Try it yourself!
http://www.thecarrollnews.com/
http://www.galaxgazette.com/

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Hey Citizens!

My name is Tom Cates, and I live in Asheville, North Carolina. I am proud to
tell you my name, unlike the owner/manager of the Fox Trail Family
Campground, who refused to identify herself when I placed a polite call on
February 6, 2001.

I can understand her reluctance in light of an email sent to me by a
personal friend the day before.

It reads, in part:

"Over Christmas I decided to take a couple weeks to tool around the Blue
Ridge Mountains and the Parkway.  Well the Parkway was snowed over so just
camped whenever and wherever I could on back roads.  Well I brought the AAA
camp guide and one night it was getting dark so I decided to go to FOX TRAIL
FAMILY CAMPGROUND.  It is in Fancy Gap, VA.  Well it is about 5:30 PM and
the gate is half open when I pull up.  So I drive in and go to the office.
Other people are camping. Well the office is dark and no sign about late
check ins like most campgrounds so I turn around and start to head back out.
As I am pulling away the host comes down from the house and asks what I am
doing, I tell him I was just looking for a place to camp, saw the office was
closed and was just leaving.  Well he pulls a gun and aims it at the under
side of my bus and says I thought you were leaving. And I did."

Obviously, this behavior reinforces Hollywood stereotypes about the local
population. It makes people wonder if our Appalachian Mountains really are
inhabited by a bunch of slobbering, unshaven, drunken gunslingers with one
finger on the trigger and one walleye pointed up at the sky. Now, I believe
wholeheartedly in the sanctity of the Second Amendment, but
are_you_people_sure that it is a good idea to have this fellow loose in your
community with a Pistol? As much as I hate the whole concept of licensing, I
still have to wonder - does this Man has a valid permit, and if he does, how
 did he get it from the Authorities.

It also brings up a very serious question about the quality of your
communities' hospitality.

Tom and Dana Cates
Asheville, NC
83 Air-Cooled Westfalia, 'Hammurabi'
www.fullmoonbusclub.com/
www.type2.com/rescue

Tom and Dana Cates
Asheville, NC
83 Air-Cooled Westfalia, 'Hammurabi'
www.fullmoonbusclub.com/
www.type2.com/rescue