I recently purchased a new bicycle for my 7-year-old son and he was extremely excited. On his first ride, as we began to pedal up our block on the sidewalk, we came to a home with a sign posted. It said the homeowners are operating 24-hour surveillance cameras, and that no bicycles, roller skates, or skateboards are allowed on their portion of the sidewalk. My son and I turned around and did not ride on this portion of the sidewalk. I came straight home and began research on the Internet. I have always believed that sidewalks are public and not private property. I plan to find out and, if they are indeed private property, then of course, my son will not ride on the sidewalk in front of our neighbor's home. However, because we live at the end of a main through-street in Clovis, he may only ride his bicycle down three houses before turning around to come back home. My son is absolutely not permitted to ride on the street. I have seen again and again children almost get hit by cars whether walking or biking on our street. What a shame it is that our neighbor up the street is trying to ban our children from playing and enjoying their childhood in a safe way. My son wants to ride around his neighborhood on his new bike. We can find other paths to travel. But, why should this innocent child’s play be made so difficult? Jennifer Martinez Clovis Editor’s note: The Clovis News Journal will publish thank-you letters of public interest on the first Sunday of each month. Letters should be less than 300 words and must be signed. Writers should include telephone numbers and addresses for verification purposes. Letters may be edited for clarity, content and space considerations. Parents says thanks for son’s glasses I would like to recognize a couple of people from our community. My son, who is in elementary school, was having problems seeing. I went to my employer, Raymond Mondragon, for help. He got on the phone and in less than a few hours I was getting a call from Johnny Eastwood of the Clovis Evening Lions Club. Eastwood made an appointment for my son to see a doctor and within a few weeks my son had a pair of new glasses. I could not afford expensive glasses. I just wanted to share with all of you that we have people in our community that do care. I wanted to thank Mondragon and Eastwood and the Evening Lions Club for making this possible for my son. Ben Marquez Clovis County employee says thanks for raise I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for the 4 percent employee raise approved by the Curry County Commission on July 1. Mario Trujillo, the county clerk, has tirelessly supported salary increases for all Curry County employees. This is a man who works side-by-side with his staff, day in and day out. I have seen him overcome frustration and discouragement, rally himself and come back repeatedly on our behalf. I also want to thank Coni Jo Lyman, the chief deputy clerk, and the county’s elected officials for their support. Commissioners Ed Perales and Tim Ashley have seen the need for this raise for quite a while, even when they haven’t always seen a way to achieve it. Last but not least, I want to thank the man who made the deciding vote in the employees’ favor, Albin Smith, the county commissioner representing District 4. I thank him for keeping an open mind and trying to do his best for the county and its employees. I am grateful these people realize that an organization is only as good as the employees who work within it. They know that a show of appreciation goes a long way to increasing productivity and good morale within the work force. Bennie Dampier Curry County employee