LVF, Ralph out of the goodness of is heart developed with the help of other DCV members the DCV website. Ralph has continued to maintain the website as an excellent information source for well meaning DCHS visitors. The fact that there are irresponsible visitors that degrade the DCHS environment, and surrounding lands in many ways is a sad state of affairs for a place we all care about. It is a situation that has been worsening over time. DCV was a collective effort of various individuals, including myself, to do what we could to help with these problems. The membership list has grown over time, but the small group of core people who actually were active and went to the past meetings lasted for some years, but eventually dwindled to just me and Ron in most cases on meeting days. Ron has moved on to other things, and I am involved with a range of other activities now also. I still go to DCHS and Deep Creek, just like I was down to the creek this weekend with my family. But I go spontaneously now, as I used to before the formation of the DCV group. I always take care of the places I go, just like I always have. The framework of DCV still exist in the content of the website Ralph maintains. If your so inclined, you yourself could become a DCV member ( you may be already ), and see if you could be successful in getting a regular group of people together, in monthly meetings ( gatherings ) at DCHS, to do what we used to do, or, you can work with other visitors, volunteers to do what your interested in doing to help the area. The DCV website, DCV " members " as listed on the website, and past active members, should not be faulted because they have become involved with other activities and have chosen not follow a specific scedule regarding thier visits to DCHS and Deep Creek. The DCV group was always, and remains, a completely voluntary endeavor. I have found that some folks take the postition, that if you in the past put more extensive effort in the various activites of cleaning up at DCHS, that if you then choose to not be as involved, then these folks treat the change, and the people, as if they are wrong and uncaring. This is unreasonable, and very inconsiderate of the people ( like various DCV members ) that have for many, many years put great effort into cleaning up the degredation that is done be other idoits who care not what they despoil, who care not that what they do, very negatively affects the enjoyment of others of the same precious resource that is DCHS. The bottom line, Ralph is a good man, and I appreciate his efforts to help with maintaining the DCV website. DCV members, active or non-active, should not be chided, or faulted if they choose to seek other experiences rather than be active in DCV as they once were. So you LVF may have interest in being more active in addressing the problems at DCHS, and that is a thoughtful and considerate of you, but I think it is not benificial to make comments like " Forget the website ", and " What happen to the people " which I take as implying that the DCV website was and is a worthless endeavor, and that the past active DCV are somehow responsible endlessly to clean up after trashy idiots who many times visit the springs. Fault for the problems at DCHS is rightfully placed on the person's who do the degrading deeds. The truth is that past volunteers, present volunteers like yourself LVF, and future volunteers are all to be viewed as creating a positive impact regarding the wellbeing of DCHS.
