The Secret City is great at selective discrimination, while its citizens are not vocally supportive of its senior citizens. It lives by divide and conquer.
This actually makes the old adage, “Divided We Fail, United We Stand” a truism for future growth.
Oak Ridge is great at doing conceptual studies in order to hide and delay building its senior citizens a new center.
After reading the article about a SAB (board) proposing to waste, or is that give, some design firm another $50,000, I still remember all the parlaying over the Wildcat Den.
Then the city’s political manipulators tried to get seniors to endorse a bond issue to ensure other monies could be lumped together for a senior center. This failed.
Next came the parade of looking at other buildings, such as Paragon Recreation Center, now torn down, the church in Woodland—this was squelched when someone spread the rumor that there were “sinkholes behind the building,” even though it was next to the Woodland School.
Next came the dream of building a new building on the Daniel Arthur property, and a design firm was hired and a figure of $3 million was arrived. There was $20,000 wasted on this boondoggle.
The Oak Ridge city has been trying to dump the seniors into the poorly designed Civic Center. Even the property is not people-friendly.
Seniors just don’t trust the city to have seniors in their interest.
When time after time, ineptness rises to the surface when you hear the whizz of air being deflated from people who are not acting in the seniors’ best interest.
Usually, people want to use seniors as a mechanism to usurp and waste taxpayer’s tax money.
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider applying for a state grant worth up to $500,000 to install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. It’s the first phase of a multi-million-dollar proposal to renovate Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium. The big question: Why not a new senior center?
Lee Roy Gilliam
Oak Ridge
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Ray Evans says
Lee Roy
I understand you frustration, however, a senior center would not be an eligible project for a LPRF grant. In addition, there will be no city $$ involved.
Matt Bailey says
Mr. Evans, thank you for your continued efforts to improve Oak Ridge. I’m not sure I would worry about “someone’s” comments above. Give him a few days and John will be deleting his comments again. It’s a pattern.
Leroy Gilliam says
YOU ARE FUNNY OTHER THAN COLLECT TAX PAYER MONEY RAY EVANS HAS NOT COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF A SENIOR CITIZENS COMMUNITY COMPLEX. jUST THINK THE ONLY THING IF COMPLETED WOULD 30 TO 40 YEARS ——NONE OF THIS TRYING BOUNCE SENIOR CITIZENS ON MARK WATSON’S KNEE.
Matt Bailey says
Mr Gilliam my comments weren’t directed towards, or about, you. But some punctuation might be helpful.
Leroy Gilliam says
WHAT A JOKE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Raymond Charles Kircher says
And he gets paid to say things like that. Ray Evans has nothing to say that achieves excellence. I don’t see your original comment, did John delete it also?
Leroy Gilliam says
my comment is attached to the letter on facebook under Oak Ridge city council my comment to Ray Evans,,,,,,,,,,
Sam Hopwood says
As a “senior” I’ve never quite understood the concept of a senior center. But that’s just me. I have more than enough to keep me busy. I don’t think the city owes us old geezers anything special.