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EDITORIAL
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EDITORIAL
The follwing is an email response
to a letter sent in to Arrowhead Lakes Community Association by the Dept.
of Mental Health.
The indented paragraphs are the
Dept. of Mental Health's writing, the Non-indented paragraphs are the answer:
Dear Peter,
I am the BBS administrator where you sent this email. I forwarded it to most of the board members. (Ricky and Steve do not want to here from the community and refuse to accept email from members of the Community) Because it is the busy season, they may not get back to you so I will give you my "opinionated" response based on what has occurred in the last year. I will also forward a copy of this response to them.
At 04:38 PM 6/1/2002 -0400, you wrote:
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Email Form Submission on 6/1/2002
16:38 It was submitted by
peter cooper (petersmongo@yahoo.com)
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Message Topic: Complaint
Subject: Retirement Community?
I have not been present in Arrowhead for some time but have come to understand
that it has taken on the form of a retirement community as well as a very
family oriented place of residence. I was a resident there when most of
the commercialism took over, as well as when it was a very good place to
live or vacation. The almighty dollar has certainly taken it's hold of
Arrowhead.
However you came to these conclusions
above in bold, are points which many will disagree I don't believe there
are more than 500 full time residents in the 2500 homes here in Arrowhead
and many of them are not retired. They choose to live here in Arrowhead
as a permanent residence. The local school bus crowd demonstrates the high
number of families that fit that category. There is a small group of people
who are trying to propose this propaganda, please don't believe that. As
always there are no commercial business being conducted inside Arrowhead
that I am aware. True the office does sell t-shirts and hats with the Arrowhead
logo, but there are no commercial business as I know them to be like the
cities or down on Rt. 940. If you are referring to the way this Board is
conducting business like a professional corporation, then this is as close
to it as possible. Arrowhead has always been concerned with the money it
has set aside for emergency events like the dam repair, and dredging the
lakes. Money is needed to maintain the facilities and in the past many
non-residents were using the facilities and putting nothing back into Arrowhead.
You and I have been paying for their use out of our pockets. The badge
fee structure equalized that and put Arrowhead in line with the other communities
in the Pocono area. This is the professionalism I was mentioning before,
the ability to address long standing issues like a corporation.
At one time there were about seven hundred homes in Arrowhead, now I understand
that there are at least 2000. Houses on top of one another just like a
city. It was not always like that, and most of the homes are presently
occupied by renting Russians who don't speak a word of English. Who cares
as long as they pay right? There are plenty of people who care, and plenty
of people who wish Arrowhead was the way it used to be in the 1980's and
prior.
As we get older we have a tendency
to look back at the good times we had in our youth and wish we could have
them again. Life goes on and communities grow. This has always been the
long term plan of the owners of Arrowhead and all the ground was sold with
the intent of people building in Arrowhead. Over the years numerous restrictions
have been placed on Arrowhead from the DEP, Building codes etc. Growth
seems to have slowed down, but there are houses being built on lots that
were designed for houses. I would not say they are on top of each other.
I just purchased a home and love the way the houses are spaced out, and
I spent my life in the city, so I can say from first hand it is not like
that at all. As for the "Russians line above" I don't know who you have
been talking to, but the renters in Arrowhead are a very small portion
of Arrowhead. Who they rent to has never been an issue with the Board because
they never had control or sought to control this aspect from my perspective.
I do know there is a wide range and diverse group of people who like and
rent here in Arrowhead, but that is the same anywhere you go. Fees from
renters were never a part of the way Arrowhead operated, however, to be
in like with the competing communities, Arrowhead had restructure the fees
to be in line with most of the communities in the Poconos. Until last September,
I might agree with you in part on the "who cares" part because I personally
witness a group running Arrowhead who didn't care about the facilities,
and the lakes, and the animals encroaching Arrowhead. It got so bad the
beaches were closed. This new Administration has been working hard at correcting
the many things that were "left-go" by previous Board members who the membership
elected out because they were not doing the job required of them. This
is not true with this Administration. A lot of work has going on through
the now active committees to correct the issues and concerns of the Arrowhead
people and to work toward preserving Arrowhead for our children, so those
memories of our time last a lifetime in our children.
Quads and dirtbikes should be reinstated as well as no curfews. It was at one time where the sounds of these vehicles, and young individuals who like to have a good time, was not a bother because of the spread out landscape of homes and the diminished population of the elderly and children who resided here.
Sadly, our time have changed, every
time we "turn-around" someone is suing someone for something. Remember
the story of the women who won millions because she burnt herself on McDonalds
coffee and won because McDonalds did not have a warning label on the cup.
This is the reality of this century. Vehicles which fit the "dangerous
to our children category" are an issue that needs to be address. If parents
want to ignoring those warning signs, there are many places like Jack Frost
which these vehicles can be used. Arrowhead still has dirt roads and the
Administration is concerned for the welfare of our children as well as
doing their responsibility as administrators. Today's times require hard
decisions that require sufficient research and discussions with other Communities,
reviewing government reports, and the attorneys recommendations, to name
a few steps in the decision making process. The elderly had nothing to
do with these decisions, they were based on sound reports and research
and many open discussions, and I might add with a loud round of applause
from the membership on those decisons.
Obviously that has all changed and it is only the elderly and children
who are considered in Arrowhead now. It has clearly become too much of
a family atmosphere and has clearly been raped by money. The "powers" that
be think that they are improving Arrowhead by building it up like another
retirement community or family friendly utopia, but I have seen it regress
since 1992 due to the intolerance of people who do not like to see people
party and live a different lifestyle.
One thing that this Board does do, and that is it recognizes the differences in people and their opinions. Apparently, you may have been listening to someone who does not like Arrowhead for whatever reason, or you have develop an opinion based on past dreams and the good times of our youthful days. Whatever happened to make you believe the above, the administration cannot change that belief. There are so many people in Arrowhead that do not share the above opinion, and have over-whelming elected the present board to correct those past ignored problems that need addressing, and I might add at a high cost to the community. Instead of spending $12,000 the Community must now spend $200,000 to fix just one of those ignored problems. Without correction Arrowhead faced $10,000 a day fines. This is the reality of the present lifestyle which cannot be ignored any longer.
If you have looked at your recent Calendar, you will notice an increase in social functions, with one added feature, a no-cancellation policy. Now partying today, is not the same as yesteryear, because today we are all being held responsible for our actions. Times have changed and so must Arrowhead, tough decisions must be made to preserve what we got. This Board is doing a great job at that, and so many Arrowhead people feel this way. There will always be disgruntled people who will think bad of Arrowhead, that is the natural order of life. Not everyone see what you see or believes what you believe. You are entitled to those beliefs. Just remember to allow others to their beliefs, that is tolerance, a modern times management consideration requirement.
I do hope others from the Board do respond to your email. I felt compelled to respond because, I have been watching and reporting on what has been occurring in Arrowhead for the last year and a half. It is not the opinion of others, it is solely mine, however, after speaking/writing to most of the Board members in the past year, many of them feel the same way. The Arrowhead Community is still made up of a majority of people who enjoy their time here and approve of the way it is being run by this present administration. I know it is not the answer you want, I don't think anyone can change one's opinion except that person.
There is a lot of beauty here in Arrowhead, I see it and I hope the day never comes where I don't see it.
Sincerely,
Dennis Dowhy
BBS Administrator
A nobody in the community...
Only reporting on it's findings
within the Community.
I would like to have a response
to this e-mail explaining the actions of the board of directors and thier
rationale of the past decade.
THE FOLLWING IS A FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE FROM OUR DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH:
At 10:22 PM 6/1/2002 -0700, you
wrote:
I see your point of view. However you just proved my point precisely. You have only been viewing and reporting occurences of the last year and a half, which means you have no clue as to how Arrowhead once looked or operated. If you think it is beautyful now you should have seen it when 75% of it was trees and nature, and before the corporate $ took over. I have been viewing it for nearly 25 years. I am not the only one who feels as I do, just as you are not the only one who feels as you do.
Obviously the ones who share your views are the ones who benefit your regime. However there is a different population who DOES NOT like what Arrowhead has become. Yes times do change, but that does not justify the corporate raping and pillaging of the community who you "claim" to do good for. How much kick-back does the board get from the annual raising of the dues? I understand that most of the population in the community does not know any better than to question the board intelligently, but I do.
I am absolutly not living in the past, in fact I am all in favor of change if it is done with discretion. The rapid change in Arrowhead is not being done with discretion, but with reckless abandon, and the "powers" that be are only seeing the next fiscal quarter, where I am seeing the next quarter of a century. At this rate, in the next quarter of a century Arrowhead will become another small city. The scary thing is, is that I know that is what you are all striving for. Money is your bottom line, not preservation and not the beauty of the once great ARROWHEAD LAKES land.
AND ANOTHER RESPONSE FROM ALCA:
From :
Dennis Dowhy <DenDowhy@magic-magic.com>
To :
peter cooper <petersmongo@yahoo.com>
Subject :
Re: I see your view
Date :
Sun, 02 Jun 2002 23:22:20 -0400
I neglected to tell you, that I
have family and friends here from when Arrowhead was originated, I stated
I was only reporting what I saw and felt on the BBS for a year and
a half. It didn't mean I didn't know about Arrowhead. I decided to by up
here several years ago, but rented for quite a few years prior to that.
But that's not important.
I absolutely disagree with your statements. I got involved because nothing was being done to improve Arrowhead. Communications was non existent and dominating individuals who knew nothing about management was "running the show" but doing nothing. The fact you insinuate there is illegal activity and use words like "Kick-back" indicates a lot about your character and untrustworthiness. I can not longer believe what you saying, you made numerous bold false allegations with no proofs therefore this conversation is ended.
I will inform the board of your allegations, and this email.
Good-bye,
Dennis Dowhy