What do bears and Minden-Tahoe Airport have in common? At times, such as this weekend, the airport can be a lot of fun.
At other times, such as the attempt to approve a new airport policy or dealing with complaints about noise or the size of the aircraft, it can be a pain in the neck.
Next year, voters are going to be asked to increase the weight limit at the airport to comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations. We're betting that's going to be a heck of a fight.
So how does that relate to bears?
It's kind of cool that wild animals roam the fringes of our community. Bears symbolize a wild element in our lives that many people connect with.
Having a bear outside in the woods, where people can catch a rare glimpse, is romantic. Having a bear in your garbage is annoying at best. Having one in your house is terrifying.
There was an airport when most of us arrived in this Valley and there have definitely been bears for far longer than that.
We have a habit of trying to alter a place to suit ourselves instead of suiting ourselves to a place.
The question is how much does a place have to change for us to be comfortable with it?
Getting rid of the bears or the airport isn't a practical solution. The solution is to find some middle ground that allows bears, airplanes and people to coexist.
