Letters to the Editor

+ ‘The Iron Lady’ movie missed the mark
Dear Editor: 
Pam Nadon’s take on “The Iron Lady” (Diversions Jan. 19 film review) was right on target: Fantastic acting, but the story was very, very incomplete. Having lived eight years in the U.K. when Maggie was prime minister, I can say that she absolutely transformed the country with her principles and her steadfast leadership from a union-controlled mess to a much more balanced, confident and vibrant nation. The high streets of every town and city were changed.

The film missed the agony of a yearlong miners’ strike, the aftermath of which was that Maggie beat down the Communist Arthur Scargill, leader of the miners union. Afterward, the other watchful unions folded.

She privatized all those non-functioning nationalized industries, selling off the stock at bargain prices, and common people bought the stock and got richer as the stock rose to its true value. The companies then started to function like they were supposed to function. Want a telephone in your house? Before British Telecom was privatized, it took six months to get a new phone; afterward, it took at most a week or 10 days. The rolling stock of the railroads went from ’40s and ’50s wagons to modern coaches; untimely rail strikes stopped.

When the Argentines invaded the Falkland Islands, 12,000 miles away, on April 2, 1982, the fleet left Portsmouth three days later to take them back. There was never a question as to what was right and never a doubt who would prevail. The Argentines surrendered June 14.

When George Bush (41) got nervous about the first Gulf War, Maggie steadied him with, “Now don’t go wobbly, George.”

In my mind, she was the most outstanding female leader of the 20th century. The film completely misses that point by the widest margin possible.
Weldon Frost
Longboat Key

+ Library and historical society could join forces
Dear Editor:
I read your Jan. 19 article regarding the Longboat Library’s dilemma: the age-old story of how its funds are dwindling down to nothing.

As a past treasurer and board member of the Longboat Key Historical Society, I can tell you that its funds are doing the same thing.

The LBKHS at the moment is paying rent and utilities at the Whitney Beach Plaza.

It’s contemplating shutting down the museum and storing their artifacts in a storage facility. That sounds really stupid. But they have no resort than to do just that.

I believe that a Historical Society and library are almost one in the same. They have books on history, and the Historical Society has many books, articles and artifacts that could be displayed in a section of the library.

If the library would consider the LBKHS as a tenant, then this might help them balance the books (no pun intended). This would also allow the Historical Society to hold their monthly meetings in the library. Two heads are better than one as they say.
Jim McGuire
Longboat Key

+ Thank you to family for cleaning up
Dear Editor:
This is a shout out to the family I saw the afternoon of Jan. 22 cleaning up the trash that had collected in the rip rap below the New Pass bridge by Quick Point Park. Their efforts made a nice difference and are truly appreciated!
Jim Dierks
Longboat Key

+ All Longboat taxpayers should not pay for center
Dear Mayor Brown:
Thanks for your prompt and bountiful reply.

However, I believe you are still missing my points.

Times are not better than they were in 2003-04 — they are worse. Look around you and you can see that. You can’t ask LBK taxpayers to contribute to a set of non-essential services that only a small percentage of the taxpayers will use — this is not acceptable.

And, to make matters worse, the proposal will not only increase operating and personnel costs but increase our capital costs — because, at least from my view, there are a lot of contingencies in the way of collecting any of the proposed capital funding.

Oh, sure, it would be great for me to take aerobics classes in the new facilities and if you are vacationing and renting on Longboat Key — what an added bonus! But who is footing the bill? All Longboat Key taxpayers, not just those who use the facilities.

You are most certainly asking the taxpayers — those who will foot the bill for this extravaganza — to compete with established businesses that already provide similar services, the kayak- and bike-rental store by Harry’s on Gulf of Mexico Drive, the Education Center at the Centre Shops, the Longboat Key Center for the Arts but, alas, not Pickleball!

Think about the town tennis center for minute. Does it compete with Cedars Tennis Resort and the Longboat Key Club? Sure it does.

Does it undercut the cost of usage by several hundred dollars a year. Sure it does.

Is it self-sustaining? No, it is not.

We, the tax payers, are footing the bill for the shortcoming in revenues to cover all the costs.

If the town’s tennis center isn’t self-sustaining when you look at the “big picture,” neither will the recreation center.

Mayor Brown, there is a difference between a community center, a tennis center and a park. These building must be established, operated and maintained. How many more people will be added to the city staff for maintenance and operation?

Space for the public use has been an accepted governmental responsibility since the American Revolution but providing luxury community services and entertainment is most certainly outside the scope of what most people in this community would define as the town’s responsibility.
Rosemary Dilgard
Longboat Key

+ Give Dr. Klauber the support he deserves
Dear Editor:
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”

I saw these words over New Year’s in a small shop in North Carolina. Right away, I thought of my friend, Murf Klauber.

Figuratively speaking, or maybe literally, many of us grew up at the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort starting about 45 years ago. It was for many years the center of attraction and much more on Longboat Key.

I know many married couples who first met at the Colony. We had that opportunity because of the hard work and persistence of Murf Klauber.

For all he has contributed, it would be nice to see some support for a real icon of Longboat Key.
Robert A. Sewell
Williamsburg, Va.

+ Island Chapel board has led professionally
Dear Editor:
I am writing to commend the new board of directors of the Longboat Island Chapel for the very professional way in which they have led our congregation through a difficult time of broken spirit and hurt.
Through their actions, they have, in just a few weeks’ time, changed our Sunday services and fellowship time following the services from:
1. a half-empty parking lot to a full parking lot;
2. sad, suspicious faces to smiling faces;
3. an atmosphere of stress and tension to an atmosphere of friendship and peace;
4. words of accusation to words of forgiveness and healing.
The direction this board has taken and the decisions made have, once again, made the Longboat island Chapel a place “to dwell together in peace.”
Come see for yourself!
Anne Summers
Longboat Key

+ Love and harmony is felt within the chapel’s walls
Dear Editor: 
There is a palpable feeling of love and harmony when I enter the Longboat Island Chapel. In spite of our differences, we can come together with love. I have been a questor all of my life, but when I went to my first service, I knew I was home and became a member the following Sunday. I have made many lifelong friends there and continue to do so. When my family and friends visit, I take them to our chapel. When they go back to their far-flung abodes, they spread the inspiration they felt from the chapel.
Elizabeth P. Colebrook Ph.D.
Longboat Key