A LETTER FROM AN ISLAND RESIDENT

To the Editor:

It appears we're at a tipping point as to whether our town of Anna Maria remains as it is or enters an era of more shops, more businesses, increased traffic, etc. The permanent population of our town is small. Many are retired while others are still working, some deriving their income from stores, motels, restaurants or service businesses within the town and others working off island Some residents may want to see our town grow and their viewpoints are valid and should be heard. But what is facing us today is not a conflict among the residents of Anna Maria. The issue involves all the citizens of our town against a "machine" with the sole goal of profiting from growth, better said "profiting from indiscriminate growth". I don't want to call that machine PAR . It's more than that so I'll call it the "Profiteers".

Mr. Barfield didn't show up in town by chance nor did he come with a noble agenda. His goal is money and he came to serve the Profiteers. One of our island newspapers is a willing participant. With headlines like "conspire" and "shadow government", and zero to back it up, they've already convicted our newest commissioner. Should they run true to form then Tuesday's edition will probably claim Harry Stoltzfus was seen buying a bulldozer. They're very predictable.

Harry is a good man. He did not become a commissioner to make money and certainly not to destroy any buildings. It was recently announced that a Mr. Carter had sponsored a recall petition against Harry. I understand he is intelligent and financially successful. No intelligent person could make the decision that Harry should be recalled based on the comments that have been offered in the local paper, Mr. Barfield's accusations and actually little more. That tells me that Mr. Carter is another ally of the Profiteers.

A question for residents. The "R" in PAR, a segment of the Profiteers, stands for restoration;. When you drive along Pine Avenue and see those buildings do they speak "Restoration" of old Anna Maria to you? What you are looking at is a combination of retail complexes and motel rooms, hardly "restoration".

I'm frustrated as we as residents can't do much to stop it. We can do our best to keep Harry. He deserves nothing less. As individuals we can refuse to trade with any businesses that are housed in PAR buildings. We can stay out of the Sandbar Restaurant. I walk every day and drivers often stop and ask directions. One stopped a few days ago and asked if I knew where the Sandbar Restaurant was located. I said I really didn't know, somewhere along the water as I recollected. I went on to say that "locals" never go there. The car turned and headed out of town. It made me inordinately happy. However little, we do have power.

William Chable