THE “UNTOLD STORY” ABOUT THE YMCA IS.....STILL UNTOLD
The Free Press July 17, 2003
It was too good to pass up. The Greatest Story Ever Untold. The furor over the Toilet Paper Terrorist had just died down, only to give way to new unmystery and intrigue right here in unRichland. Just when we thought we’d unheard it all about the proposed new YMCA, here’s this hint of a whole new unangle. Or at least one opponent of the Y would like us to THINK there’s a new unangle. Members of the unjury, you decide...
In the June 23 issue of The Free Press, Lois Stevens, who used the name L.E. Stevens in an April anti-YMCA letter to the editor, was back. And this time, she dramatically revealed that there is an “untold story” about the YMCA hearings. No details, no facts to back it up, just the tease of an “untold story”. Imagine the unterror that swept that organization’s Board and supporters these past unweeks.
What did Ms. Stevens know? When would she reveal this deep dark unsecret? Will it change the course of unhistory in Richland Township? No doubt the citizenry was having trouble unsleeping, conjuring up unimages of Perry Mason springing a surprise on a hapless witness, or Atticus Finch calmly revealing the truth in “To unKill a Mockingbird”. So, what was a journalist to do, but try to discover what might yet be untold in this unsaga.
If you have followed this story, you know that there have been township hearings, and a dozen articles and letters to the editor over the past year or so on both sides of the issue, including some rather lengthy ones. And, no matter what you think of Jane Steeley, the chief opponent of the YMCA, you have to acknowledge that she is up-front with her feelings. She says what she believes, loud and long, over and over. Love her or hate her, you can’t help but hear her. It is hard to imagine that there is an important fact or aspect to this debate that she has not already brought to the public’s attention.
The same might be said for another opponent, Cliff Annis. He has his own ideas about open space in the township, and has frequently used letters to the editor to spell them out. Again, you might not agree with him, but he has been quite lengthy and quite lengthy in his lengthy explanations. No hidden agendas here. Cliff and “untold story” are polar opposites.
In addition to everything already written, The Free Press invited several opponents of the Y to explain their objections one more time for the May 15 issue. No one took up the offer. Apparently they had nothing new - nothing untold - to tell.
And, of course, there is the legal complaint filed by the Steeleys and Ken Hill to try to prevent the YMCA from building it’s new facility. Thirty-nine paragraphs of information, citing various laws and rules that they feel are being broken. They are represented by a fine local attorney, Skip Bateman, who has years of experience in presenting legal claims to the courts. Since these two families are probably spending thousands of dollars on this suit, alleging that the new YMCA in their neighborhood will damage their property values, do you really believe that they have allowed anything important to be yet “untold”???
What could it be? My mind must be clouded. I’ve fallen and can’t reach my imagination.
The only way to get an answer seemed to be to go straight to the unsource. Lois herunself. Hi, Lois, this is the Fourth Supervisor calling. Well, actually, to avoid any claim of bias, I asked The Free Press management to arrange for a staffer to make the call. Editor Jane Thompson-Smith did the deed.
Lois, the stage is yours. Enquiring minds want to unknow. Here’s your opportunity for a full unexplanation of your unstatement. The only stipulation is that whatever you say has to be backed up by some facts, not just wild accusations and name-calling. Unburden yourself. Untangle the web. Ready. Set. Ungo...
The property belongs to the people.
There weren’t enough public meetings.
The supervisors won’t listen to her (or others).
An “untold story”??? You be the unjudge. Sorry, folks, but all mysteries don’t have Hollywood endings. I share your undisappointment, because I had high unhopes of a big news scoop here. I guess some untold stories are better left untold.
But if anyone DOES have a story to tell, we’re all unears.