The many sides of Harold Hay

Re “A pioneer refuses to fade away,” Column One, Nov. 10

The article about Harold Hay dwells on people’s difficulties working with him, calling him sanctimonious, unyielding and scathingly critical of other people’s efforts and the solar business as a whole. Yes, but some of us know that he is also fair minded, generous and has very high standards. It isn’t Hay’s fault that nothing has ever lived up to those standards. His inventions followed naturally from an impatient, principled soul who has always looked at the world with curiosity about what could be made to aid all of us, not just himself. And then he has another side to him -- he knows how to play the stock market.

Steve Baer

President

Zomeworks Corp.

Albuquerque

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Maybe some further refinement is needed on Hay’s concept for liquid roofing, but I was struck with the idea that it could be the very thing to solve the wild-fire property damage problem. If everyone in high-risk areas were mandated to have water as part of the roof, gallons of water could be released during a fire, thus putting it out in the simplest way possible and possibly stopping the spread to other structures.

Suzanne Schechter

Oxnard