Best of the Best
A look at the best reason yet to vote NO on Town Center Referendum
Commentary by Joe Reynolds

One can only be amazed at the creative imagination exercised by folks trying to come up with a good reason not to build a new Town Center. The most vocal detractors claim the project will send all of us into a financial whirlpool from hell and skyrocket assessments by an incredible $1 per week.

Board Candidate Janet Kelley sent shock waves down the spines of every God-fearing Ocean Piner with prophesies of Route 589 traffic gridlock and environmental disasters unsurpassed since Biblical times. Given Kelley's Armageddon scenario, one can only wonder how she would answer a local paper's question of, "How should the new community center be financed?" She answered with, "I believe we should sell the internal properties, the lots." Kelley is apparently prepared to finance Armageddon.

Marty Clarke, aka Doctor No in some circles, is sick and tired of "unbridled" spending by the Board of Directors, yet would apparently vote YES if the Board had upped its "unbridled" spending by adding an indoor pool to the Town Center -- as in, unbridled spending is ok if it is the unbridled spending Marty believes appropriate.

Not to be outdone by Marty and Janet, along comes Hank Lockhart, writing in the July 13, 2005 edition of The Courier, with the best NO reason yet. Hank will apparently vote NO because he fears a new Town Center will cause Ocean Parkway to end up under water and thus necessitate moving the firehouse. Marty is in serious danger of losing his aka appellation to Hank. At this point Hank represents the Best of the Best.

However, Hank probably hasn't read the full details of the Prospectus prepared by the Board of Directors on the Town Center. It clearly points out that the $3.9 million construction cost includes a series of pontoons to support the firehouse, funding for all new amphibious fire vehicles, and a ferry service for vehicular traffic on the parkway.

To Hank's consternation, OPVFD spokesperson Jackie Carey says she is delighted with the prospect of the new amphibious fire trucks. "Our response time to fires erupting during heated debate at OPA board meetings in the new Town Center will be impressively reduced. Our trucks and emergency vehicles will navigate directly across the lake to the Town Center. This could save lives."

OPA Board President Dan Stachurski was equally effusive about this little publicized aspect of the Town Center proposal. "We knew the road flooding and amphibious fire department vehicles would save lives, but the board kept it quiet to avoid the appearance of grandstanding."

There was no need for Dan or other board members to worry. One can always count on folks like Hank to ferret out the details. When last seen, Hank was awaiting his ballot in hopes there was a MAYBE option.

Best NO Reason Yet
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