It is like the Nazareth song,
"I woke up this morning
And my cat had died
I'm gonna miss her
Sat down and cried"
Check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9onbJfiLCV0
But first, I'll get to that song and my cat Eldin later.
The good news about my ramblings on Cumberland Island is that the island has a new park superintendent named Fred Boyles. Mr. Boyles moved from my hometown of Americus to St. Mary's to become the manager of the island.
Mr. Boyles was "very" well liked and loved by the Americus community and it was and still is a great major shock to this area that he is no longer here. If I'm remembering correctly, he even served a term in Iraq {under the 2nd G Bush) while serving as the park superintendent of Andersonville National Historic Site and the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, all located within this county of Sumter.
Having not lived on the island but keeping abreast of the events since a small child, I do hope that he can make a difference in the history of the island. There is so much going on within this island and they can not even keep up and have enough money to cope with it.
The State of Georgia Governors from Maddox to Carter, even the governors and legislative politicians of the 1950's, have let the citizens of Georgia and the USA DOWN along with Nixon and our national government. Our Congress appointed no "real" money to the NPS to mothball or to even preserve the more important architecturally structures of the island except for the renovations of minor buildings of the Dungeness Estate, and to providing for the control of private properties.
Does anyone know what just a new roof and mothballing a structure could mean? Check out The Pool House in the previous blog posts.
I would like to know, for whom the people or persons are, making the decisions as to what little money is spent on: research in general, oral research, and research of the history at the Georgia Archives within the Carnegie Collection.
Not anything better has been done for Cumberland by the NPS than the 1970's Research Study of the island by Louis Torres and the forced "late" management plan of the Cumberland Island Seashore by the NPS in the late 80's. I guess all of this was just for the sake of stopping a public development of a private island and for the NPS trying not to have another state park like Jekyll Island. I understand why, but not just how.
The NPS can get all the property they want, but can the NPS afford to preserver it?
Can't you just imagine what Teddy Roosevelt is grimacing about at this moment.
It has been a long day so I will get with you on my basement find tomorrow.
I wish it had been a Jekyll Island! That island is so well done!~Used and enjoyed by SO MANY! The houses there, with the 100 yr leases, are coming up, but I'm sure they will be renewed with no fight. Jekyll is a win/win and very well done. The Hotel!!! wow! Preserved, used, loved and makes money!!! amazingly well done.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't know about Fred Boyles, but doesn't matter who he is, he won't last long here. They never do! That's one of the problems with Cumberland. It's NEVER had a superindent for longer than a couple of years that I'm aware of ... I've quit bothering to try to even get to know them. It's pointless. and forget them ever getting anything accomplished on their end. Part of the BIG picture!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'm sure the response you will get re. the decision making process is that it all goes out for a "study". lol They should take some of that "study" /public comment process/ b.s. process $ and use it to DO SOMETHING!!!! to preserve structures,etc. However, if they preserve structures, then they will have to give folks access to those, then they will have to deal w/the extreme bird n bunny bunch, then..... Oh, I know how it works. It's a vicious infinite regress.... Welcome to the world of your Federal Govt. And what would Teddy think? ha!~He'd think it was all fine. He never cared about the citizens that he kicked off their lands in order to get his hands on it... nor would he care about the structures. He'd be an extreme liberal enviromentalist if he were alive today. he was back then for that time...
ReplyDeleteFrist of all sorry about your cat. I like to know what they are doing with the mony. your right they could put a new roof on the pool house it could have been saved.I had a new roof put on my house my brothers told my it we cost to must but if you love sothing enof you can do what needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteWow Sandra, one day I need to get you to do a guest blog for me. Yes, T. R. most likely would have been one of those "extremers". Imagine what that crazy wilderness boundary on the island would look like today. You amaze me!
ReplyDeleteI cant wait to find out what was in the basement. I hope you arent going to put it in a yard sale or something!
ReplyDeleteIt would have a wall across it! lol
ReplyDeleteTeddy, tear down that wall!!!!!