Will our Congressman John Mica and our local public officials propose and get enacted a "St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore," embracing areas that deserve protection?
Or will land-raping developers be allowed to pave over every part of our city and county, making it look, feel and smell like New York City?
So many other places -- from Guam to Cape Cod to Cape Canaveral to the Everglades -- have national parks and national seashores. Why not St. Augustine and St. Johns County? (See below).
A St. Augustine national park was first proposed before World War II. It's about time we create it.
Let's empower America's favorite federal agency, the National Park Service (NPS), to do what NPS does best.
After the January 22, 2007 St. Augustine City Commission meeting, Mrs. Maureen Boles (St. Augustine Mayor Joseph Boles' mother), came up, introduced herself, took my hand in both her hands and graciously thanked me for "speaking out" on the need for a national park, and on historic and natural preservation issues, on which she's been outspoken for "30 years."
To honor Mrs. Boles (and those who first proposed the national park before WWII), let's take decisive action now.
Let every citizen be heard on the park. What should be included?
How should it be managed?
To those city residents who want to save money, let's move the history-preservation function from the city government to NPS.
To those county commissioners who want to save money, let's deed some county parklands to NPS.
To those Florida state officials who want to save money, let's deed some Florida state parks and historic properties to NPS.
To the St. Johns River Water Management District board, let's deed SJRWMD parks to NPS.
Let's adopt a management plan for "St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore" that preserves, protects and defends our history, nature and wildlife for future generations.
We can do it.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
What do the engineering firm of Prosser Hallock (rhymes with "Moloch"), the Rogers Towers law firm and Samco Constructors have in mind for Elkton, FL?
What do the engineering firm of Prosser Hallock (rhymes with "Moloch"), the Rogers Towers law firm and Samco Constructors have in mind for Elkton, Florida?
Elkton is presently a rural area in St. Johns County known for its good soil, for potato and cabbage farms and for rural beauty.
Unknown speculators hiding behind a corporate veil want to plop thousands of homes on top of potentially pesticide-contaminated, petroleum-contaminated and turpentine-contaminated soils (even considering asking for another "brownfield" designation.
On January 29th, Prosser Hallock and Rogers Towers had a get-together at Jim's Place, a restaurant in Elkton, providing lukewarm food (and buckets of sugary iced tea), trying to win friends and influence neighbors.
It didn't work.
Patronizing the residents, few straight answers were given to questions about wetlands, affordable housing and already clogged local roads.
Hurricane evacuation of Anastasia Island and other areas could be imperiled. There were five hour backups on SR 207 during one hurricane, even before some 80,000 new residents moved to the county, one resident said.
One local resident noted the wetlands in the area for which a "Development of Regional Impact" (DRI) is being sought, stating how there was "chest high water" in the area after one rainfall.
Prosser Hallock and Rogers Towers could not and would not answer questions articulately, whether they involved wetlands, traffic or corporate ownership.
"It's a private company," one hobbledehoy sniffed.
Do foreign speculators have to destroy all the farms, nature, beauty, seashores and history in St. Johns County and St. Augustine?
Does money from India, China and elsewhere speak louder than local residents?
Do local farmers have to sell their land, or are they greedy?
Will destruction of agriculture result in U.S. dependency on pesticide-contaminated foreign food imports?
Will there be an OPEC of food once our U.S. agriculture economy is destroyed?
Is the Elkton DRI based upon need, or greed?
Will speculators be candid with citizens, or do they suppose that it is "business as usual," as under the ancien regime, when arrogant, smug, dictatorial, speculators' lawyers ruled the roost in our St. Johns County Commission under the suzerainty of the likes of Bruce Maguire and Karen Stern?
What do you reckon?
Elkton is presently a rural area in St. Johns County known for its good soil, for potato and cabbage farms and for rural beauty.
Unknown speculators hiding behind a corporate veil want to plop thousands of homes on top of potentially pesticide-contaminated, petroleum-contaminated and turpentine-contaminated soils (even considering asking for another "brownfield" designation.
On January 29th, Prosser Hallock and Rogers Towers had a get-together at Jim's Place, a restaurant in Elkton, providing lukewarm food (and buckets of sugary iced tea), trying to win friends and influence neighbors.
It didn't work.
Patronizing the residents, few straight answers were given to questions about wetlands, affordable housing and already clogged local roads.
Hurricane evacuation of Anastasia Island and other areas could be imperiled. There were five hour backups on SR 207 during one hurricane, even before some 80,000 new residents moved to the county, one resident said.
One local resident noted the wetlands in the area for which a "Development of Regional Impact" (DRI) is being sought, stating how there was "chest high water" in the area after one rainfall.
Prosser Hallock and Rogers Towers could not and would not answer questions articulately, whether they involved wetlands, traffic or corporate ownership.
"It's a private company," one hobbledehoy sniffed.
Do foreign speculators have to destroy all the farms, nature, beauty, seashores and history in St. Johns County and St. Augustine?
Does money from India, China and elsewhere speak louder than local residents?
Do local farmers have to sell their land, or are they greedy?
Will destruction of agriculture result in U.S. dependency on pesticide-contaminated foreign food imports?
Will there be an OPEC of food once our U.S. agriculture economy is destroyed?
Is the Elkton DRI based upon need, or greed?
Will speculators be candid with citizens, or do they suppose that it is "business as usual," as under the ancien regime, when arrogant, smug, dictatorial, speculators' lawyers ruled the roost in our St. Johns County Commission under the suzerainty of the likes of Bruce Maguire and Karen Stern?
What do you reckon?
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