Fish Island Community Alliance forms to fight development
I am a City of St Augustine resident, a homeowner on Anastasia Island since 2011. My husband is a 40-year resident of North Florida, and a 20-year resident of the island. We have always lived in older homes. I am writing to say I am deeply disturbed by the overdevelopment of this area. I learned recently that the City of St Augustine is 90% built-out. We are seeing destruction of native trees, unique habitatand irreplaceable natural treasures at an alarming rate.
Of recent concern is the proposed development of Fish Island Road, a 33-acre tract of city-owned land north east of the 312 bridge teeming with wildlife that has nowhere else to live.
At what point do the concerns oflocals those of us who live, work, vote, sit in traffic, and pay taxes here matter? And what of the welfare of the other locals: the plants, animals, trees, and birds some on the federally endangered list who share this island community with us?
To provide a forum to discuss these concerns, I have formed theFish Island Community Alliance, becauseall locals matter. Inspired and supported by our friends at Save Fish Island, we are willing to do whatever it takes to preserve the land at Fish Island Road as a passive park. For the community. For the natural world. For the animals who live there. For thelocals.I invite you to share your concerns about development, traffic, loss of habitat, the effects of tourism, and other quality of life issues with our leaders in city and county government.
And please look for theFish Island Community Allianceon Facebook. Join our group, and share in our passion to preserve what we love about St Augustine before its too late.
Elizabeth Smith, St. Augustine
For over 50 years I have had to contend with being a homosexual in a hypocritical patriarchal society.
It went from "It's a sin to be gay" in the '70s, to "Nobody cares, get over it" in the present.
Most of these comments have come from heterosexual men.
Of course it matters if someone is gay, for being gay changes the entire trajectory of one's life.
Best to remain quiet about homosexuality if you are a straight man.
Liberal or conservative, please stop defining my life experience.
And if your name is Bill Maher, please stop making jokes about how Biden should marry Obama so they can be the first gay couple to occupy the White House.
Not funny, especially if you realize through your own life experience that gay marriage becoming legal has helped to divide the country as well as many families and many churches.
I was never for gay marriage, I was for civil unions between gays.
Why?
Because people are often crazy and vindictive with their ideologies, thus change is best if it comes slowly.
Samuel McIlrath, St. Augustine
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