A Facebook group under the name of "Ocean Pines ~ Get Involved" may have just set a new spending record attempting to elect individuals to the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors.

Sources say the group was originally founded by former board member Esther Diller and former OPA employee Colby Phillips. A mailing from the group says the founding date was March of 2020. Facebook says it was originally created on  February 27, 2021, as "Ocean pines get involved" with the name changed to "Ocean Pines ~ Get Involved" on February 28, 2021.

In recent days, many, if not all, Ocean Pines mailboxes contained a letter from "OPA Get Involved" supporting OPA board candidates Stuart Lakernick and Monica Rakowski. Lakernick is the spouse of Esther Diller and Rakowski's mailing address in Ocean Pines is shown on the envelope as the address of "OPA Get Involved."

Why is Rakowski's address used as the mailing address for a sender named "OPA Get Involved" when the name of the group is "Ocean Pines ~ Get Involved?" The return address label might lead some recipients to think it was sent by OPA.

Monica Rakowski purchased the names and addresses from the Ocean Pines Association for the Get Involved mailing, something anyone can do. The envelopes were mailed with "forever" stamps that look to cost about $0.28 each. Depending on the number mailed, the candidate endorsement could have cost in excess of $4,000.

Over the years any number of candidates or candidate support groups have purchased the OPA official mailing list for campaign use. The most notable was perhaps the mailing around 2004 by a group called OPEG, or Ocean Pines Election Group. OPEG supported Dan Stachurski, Heather Cook, and Glenn Duffy. All won a seat on the Board of Directors.

This latest candidate endorsement says Lakernick and Rakowski are committed to, "Work towards renewing our current GM John Viola's contract, as his management and leadership has made our association financially sound."

This is somewhat of interest in that the current board already renewed Viola's contract. Not to mention that sources say the Get Involved group was far from a Viola support group when it was founded.

These days it would be the kiss of death for any candidate not to support Viola.

Another somewhat curious statement on the mailer says Lakernick and Rakowski are committed to reducing "frivolous law suits."

OPA has not filed any frivolous lawsuits. In fact, other than the normal filings of court cases involving homeowner violations of the Declarations of Restrictions, it does not seem OPA filed any lawsuits in recent years.

The goal of controlling the OPA Board of Directors has become intense... and expensive. OPA reports the mailing list was also purchased by candidate Steve Jacobs, but there are no reports as yet of an actual mailing to association members from Jacobs.

Elsewhere on Facebook, sources say a few individuals are posting despicable personal comments about some board members. Sad.