Letter to the Whidbey News-Times: 08/16/06               Back 2 List
Oak Harbor Development: An Ode to the Quality of Life

The Fakkema brothers are floating a plan
To destroy, I mean develop, their farm and forest land

They’d cut all the trees and dozer the fields
They’d pave some new streets, a thousand houses they’d yield

Proposed to the community to satisfy need
Most citizens see the true motive is greed

Greed by the owners to maximize profit
Greed by the city to fatten their coffers

Are there not enough houses already for sale?
Do we have to develop each wetland and trail?

What happens to critters living there now?
Animals, birds and unique waterfowl

Habitats are vanishing at an alarming rate
Are we really so desperate, why can’t this wait?

If the base remains open there will always be houses
With transfers of troops moving in and out

But if the base closes, as proposed often before
The market will be flooded with homes by the score

Quality of life is the real issue and stand
The reason most of us moved to the Island

Once trees get removed, when the fields are all paved
When nothing we came for around us is saved
Instead we’ll see houses, the noise will be greater
We’ll choke in more traffic; we’ll curse the creator

No, I’m not talking of God, this isn’t his plan
I’m referring to the ones trying to alter this land

I think we’d regret such a change to the zoning
Is there really anyone who can’t see this coming?

It’s time to stop farm and forest attacks
Because once they’re gone, they will never be back.
Dale E. Caldwell
Oak Harbor
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