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07/31/2003 Archived Entry: "GRUMBLING"

GRUMBLING

People in general are doing a lot of grumbling about the lot give-away program. The only place I have initiated any conversation about it is on my blog and with one person on the committee. Still, my phone rings with people ranting about the issue.

I'm not leading a crusade against it as I have no opposition to what they are attempting to do. I just think they are throwing out the baby with the bath water in giving those particular lots away.

One of these days we are going to have to build a new grade school. It's inevitable. Someone please tell me where they are going to put it where it will be as cheap and well-located as the option we had before the school district gave those lots away?

Just once I'd like to see a master long-range plan for future development for both the city and the school district. We had one for future school construction, but that just went by the way side with the lot give-away program.

Right now I think the best move would be for the committee to do everything possible to encourage the new prison warden, his wife and seven children to move from Lyons to Ellsworth. That is important for his involvement in the community and understanding the people who are employed at ECF. We've been through previous wardens who didn't live here and who were never accepted by the community. Ray Roberts was a master at communication and involvement. He will be missed for many reasons, those being two of them.

When it comes time to build a new grade school, I hope the people who have made the decision to give these lots away, thus eliminating access to the property that could be used for future construction, are around to accept responsibility for their actions. (That never happens.)