SWCC DLSP clasing reply
I wrote the following to SWCC (South Walton Community Council) when I got an email about the DLSP closing. It had a lot of info. Should I include it here?
To SWCC. Thanks so much for all this info. I had no idea and it is my favorite and most-used park. Reading this I had a bunch of questions. I'm assuming I need to write a letter to get answers. Wondering if they would remove or block the aluminum stairs and ramp. If they left that open I could get in from the beach side. I wonder how they would close the part north of 30A and south of 98?
I find the expenses weird. Gas, electric, and phone? Park is closed at night. No lights. Portapotty, now wouldn't that cost? Garbage removal cost? And how about the ranger? He gets to keep living on property in the park as a full-time caretaker? Maybe he could pay some rent? Maybe he does already, I don't know. OK, I suppose his expenses are part of Grayton's budget. But it could be that the gas, electric and phone are the ranger's utilities.
Pay $2 or $3 to use? For a daily two-mile walk? Yes, but I talked to a ranger (14-year veteran of park service) at Camp Helen. He said that any money generated by a park goes to Tallahassee and is not given to the park. So he didn't think fees would be used to support DLSP. He said the budget sounds concocted. I can't remember why except that he thought things weren't divided up like that.
Look at the park closing this way: WaterSound would now have a private park. WaterSound people live contiguously east and west of the part of the park south of 30A. Also they use the nature trails north of 30A. It would be similar to 4-mile village essentially getting Coffeen for themselves.
I will look at the SWCC site to see if you've got the members forum working.
Also, did you hear that Martin Duffy (Nancy James partner) died December 6. So sad.
