The following letter was published by the Carroll Country Independent on November 17.
To the Editor:
On Tuesday, Nov. 28, Ossipee residents will have an opportunity to decide whether a town beach on Lake Ossipee is in their future. The idea of a town beach on the Lake is not a new one; but this is a first where town voters get a chance to decide for themselves.
Many in our group either attended the Oct. 30 Board of Selectmen presentation or viewed it on video. We, the Executive Committee of the Broad Leavitt Bay Association, have concluded, that it is an excellent asset acquisition for the town.
Given the acreage (approximately 54 acres), lake frontage (200+feet), beach quality, picnic area opportunities, bathroom facility and potential for 4 season use, this seems a once in a lifetime opportunity for the town to provide lake access to all Ossipee residents.
We, as lakefront owners, are fortunate to not only have the enjoyment of our own beaches; but the beautiful Long Sands beach on the main lake is only a boat ride away. It seems only fair and reasonable that Ossipee residents have the opportunity to recreate on a beach owned and maintained by the town.
Kudos to the Town Selectmen for offering their constituents the chance to purchase this wonderful site. We encourage every voter to vote yes for the purchase.
Jim Fitzpatrick
Chairman, Executive Committee
Broad-Leavitt Bay Association
As a member of the Broad Leavitt Bay Association I do not remember seeing a questionnaire sent out to the membership by the executive commitee to see what our thoughts are on this issue.
I am not opposed to the town residents having a beach but I would be interested in how the membership feels about the tax impact and maintenace concerns when most if not all have any use for the beach themselves since they have waterfront or water access properties.
Shame on the BLB executive council for speaking up for all without consulting us first.
If you look back to Oct and previous ones the articles the alliance wrote seemed against it. Now what one meet changed there mind seems alittle strange to me.. I think there are to many unanswered things and I honestly don’t like the idea of beach not being monitored with all the drug problems it’s a accident waiting to happen
I agree with Rick. What a surprise to see this published in the paper., without any input from the members of the association. At the very least, Jim Fitzpatrick should have sent a copy of his letter to the membership when he decided to publish it in the newspaper.
As I recall, a straw vote was taken at the BLBA annual business meeting and a large majority supported the town beach acquisition.
I fully agree and thought the same thing as a member of BLBA. We as members were never asked or consulted and thus the BLBA has no authority to issue any statement of support that the members have not been asked about! Amazing what power some people think they have when you give a person a title . Needs to be retracted as a matter of record!
This is another example of individuals playing politics with this whole beach purchase issue. Yet again, someone elected to serve the best interests of their constituents decides to advance their own personal agenda. Shameful.
I agree 100% with Rick. When I first read the BLBA’s letter, my first thought was I don’t remember a vote asking our opinions. I do realize it did say the EX Boards opinion but many have taken this as the entire Association voted to support this beach. Our taxes are high enough. I also agree with Keith about the beach not being monitored, and the chance of increase drug use. Will the bathrooms be locked at night? We still have so many unanswered questions, but then again, people who own second homes in Ossipee, and pay huge taxes, aren’t allowed to vote on any issues big or small.
I agree with statements above…..I was unable to attend the BLBA meeting last summer….can’t remember seeing in any of e-mails since,mention of the assoc. recommending this beach…. Sure seem like the whole thing is being pushed through…If the town is so “flush with cash”…..how about a little tax relief! Glad to see that Fire/Police and Highway dept doesn’t have any big expenses coming up in the next few years,and the roads and bridges are in great shape……Cause there won’t be any money left….. I do think the town SHOULD have a beach……just don’t blow all the money on it…
if this goes down I have a bridge to sell , I have to say that to be fare they should cancel the vote and start getting answers to all the questions that they are afraid to give to the tax payers the hole thing dose not hold water , when and only when all the cards are on the table ,,,then have a vote with every one who pays taxes to the town of Ossipee and that will decide the future of the town ,,,,, it is the only the fair way
if they do vote for it they should rename the beach to Morgan and Fitzpatrick beach
All these lies and half truths disgust me. Why would someone write an article to be published in the paper with the insinuation that an entire association is backing this purchase when it is a complete lie? I can see why so many Broad-Leavitt Bay Association members are outraged. Yet another corrupt act wrapped around this Town Beach purchase. What Rick has done to force this purchase and sale upon Dianne Sheehan is so morally wrong. I don’t want this on my conscience. Luckily I can vote and will be voting against this. At least I can feel my vote has gone to help undo one of the worse things I have yet to see in this town. To force, or in Rick’s words “encourage” Dianne Sheehan to sign something she did not want to sign and to do this in her own home at the kitchen table. If this is what Dianne Sheehan wanted, then why would she need to be encouraged? Has anyone stopped to think about that? I would love our town to have a town beach on Ossipee Lake but not this way. Come on people, where are your morals?
Wow, just wow. When I heard Rick Morgan in a meeting say that he would do “whatever it takes” to get the town beach I didn’t realize the extent to which he would go to fulfill those words. Now he’s lining up his cronies from town to come and drink from his punch bowl. If Jim Fitzpatrick doesn’t represent all of the BLBA then someone should write an editorial denouncing his statements, telling people just as publicly that the Broad-Leavitt Bay Association leaders’ letter was his opinion and his alone and that his words do not represent everyone. I hear too, that this whole acquisition isn’t what Rick Morgan sales-pitched to the BLBA last July. Coincidentally (or not) all of a sudden the Ossipee lake alliance is also for the purchase. Part of their reasoning for this is the announcement that there will be no boat slips at the proposed town beach site; the decreased number of boats will have a positive environmental impact. I believe we’re talking about 20 boats. Has the Ossipee Lake alliance then also written a letter in opposition to the Westward Shores expansion? The number of sites proposed there is considerably larger than the Sokokis site. The number of boats on the lake will increase exponentially. At the October 30th meeting the town budget committee chair stood up and gave a speech in favor of the purchase. For those of you who haven’t been following this, that speech was word-for-word, Rick Morgan’s speech from a selectman’s meeting. Also, He stated that he lives on Long Sands road. Not a coincidence then that there was a town beach proposed there not long ago and it was fought against by the residents and opposed by the budget committee. That proposal died. Makes you think doesn’t it?
It is sad and frustrating to know that the temperature of the Washington political landscape reaches so far as to affect our small community. The selectmen are bullies at best pushing through an agenda without completely divulging all, while creatively circumventing the truth. Anyone who believes the story (and it is a false narrative) that there will be no additional costs is naïve at best. As the saying goes, Nothing in life is free. If purchased, once the town owns the property the selectmen will then have full authority to allocate any finances they need to maintain the property and we will not have a vote then.
Wow I hope people get to see these comments . The need to get these out before the vote. I hope you guys send these in to the paper.
I am a camper at that camp ground and have been since 1981 and have over time paid taxes in the town and as not a resident have no say in this transaction. My fellow campers are as myself just treated like pawns in this game. We visit this campground weekly we use your stores ,boat shop ,lumber yard,camper sales outlet andgolf course to name a few places that aid in the towns economy. We as a community within your town feel we are going to be thrown out and based on Ricks comment I will close the campground down . It appears that the whole process has been decided without a vote . Most towns open their polls for more than an hour to vote on a 1.2 million dollar project . I really don’t understand the the need for all this secrecy and closed door activity. The future of this 53 acre can be kept on the tax rolls rather than zero income for the town with a no vote. There is a buyer on hand to do this for Ossipee with this no vote. The free beach was a hope that this thing would not come to past . The powers to be has a plan that has not been yet reveled will show up later if this is passed at a higher cost beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Wow!!!!! Happy Thanksgiving Keith, Robin, Scott, Phillip, Eldridge, Bill, ME and another Keith for your anonymous comments. Do you not have the courage to sign your full names like Debbie La Conte, Edwin Boose and Rich Knowlton? By the way Debbie, Edwin and Rich; I respect your opinions; but strongly disagree which you have a right to express and I have a right to not agree with. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion; but only those courageous enough to sign their full names should carry any weight by those who read this page. As per our By-Laws, the BLBA (Broad-Leavitt Bay Association) Executive Committee consists of the officers (President, Vice President, Secretary & Treasure)r and 3 members appointed by the President). As President, I call at least one meeting during the year and any special meeting I feel is required. The letter to the Editors of the Independent and Conway Daily Sun were the result of such a special meeting (handled via emal). All agreed to the letter and it was submitted. Contrary to the “Clarification” published in this week’s Independent, not one member of the Executive Committee was opposed to the letter. One did say we (the Executive Committee) possibly should not go public on the issue; however, if the majority felt strongly about it we should. I, as Chair of the Committee, and President of our 200+ strong BLBA, felt the letter should be published. The “Clarification” is an issue that the Independent is going to have to answer to. So far, the Editor has not had the courage to answer my several phone calls. As for not informing the whole of BLBA that was my decision and I would do it again. We have an Executive Committee for a reason and to sift through and comment on maybe 5-20 fully signed email objections to the letter, was not on my agenda. This may sound harsh; but I have no problem making tough, informed decisions. I assume that’s what I was elected to do and since it’s a volunteer position that any of our BLBA members can run for at our Annual meetings (which probably none of the 13, except for Roland, attended our July 2017 meeting). I stand proud for doing it. In my many years as President I have had no problem standing by any of the decisions made by our Executive Committee–and will not in the future as long as the organization deems me fit to be President. If any of you BLBA folks out there want to be President please email me and I will make sure that your nomination is presented at our July 2018 Annual meeting.
And by the way–this had absolutely nothing to do with politics. The beach is right for the Town, and long overdue.
I encourage all the good folks in Ossipee to get out and vote Tuesday and vote your conscience on the beach issue.