Lies, Tract K, Eagle, High School

A good-sized high school can be built on Tract K within existing state and federal environmental laws.

But that is not what the cogent residents of Marco Island have been fed. Herein are the facts.

The History
Tract K was deeded to be a school site. In fact, the actual recorded deed clearly states SCHOOL SITE. This parcel of land was a vital element of the first and second movement of the last three years to build a high school on the island.

After the second initiative to establish a high school on Marco Island, local operatives formed United Energy Technology [UET] (Monte Lazarus and Gary Elliott et. al.) with the faux benevolent purpose of turning Tract K into a power generating property so they can sell the electricity to the charter middle school (which of course their operatives have super majority control of that school's board). They negotiated a non-public deal with superintendent of Collier School Dennis Thompson, and then they set out to sell the trick to the City.

Since UET (kind of sounds like UEB doesn't it?) could not change the wording on the deed (if it were not recorded at the court house they would have), they set their propaganda machine in motion: can't build a school on Tract K because of an existing eagle's nest. So should the land go to waste? NO! The only thing that can be built is their power generating facility.

Something about 330' setbacks, six years that the nest had to be abandoned and how environmentally sensitive UET operatives were. (An Entertaining Aside: Nearly chocking to death with laughter, aren't these the same environmentalist comosellamas that endorsed the dumping of millions of gallons of untreated effluent into the Gulf of Mexico, buried asbestos – right over an actually endangered species the burrowing owl – and pulverized asbestos not a mile from two schools?)

The puppets on the City Council repeated these ruses as fact. The staff was told to what to say and the staff testified willingly. A power generating facility could be built … but not a school.

Ipso facto, no school.

The Outings
Local watchdog Bill McMullan came up with a plan to expose UET. Despite the approving acknowledgement by the then City Council and the Goebbels-esque propaganda by the syndicate, the watchdog's strategy worked: have the citizens bypass the local syndicate and petition the state directly. UET was denied their grant and they were exposed.

A victory, but their damage was done.

At the same time this author contacted the president of MICA Howard Jordan to implore his organization to do what they claim they do. Since the deed clearly states SCHOOL SITE we thought that MICA would at least suggest that Tract K be used for a SCHOOL SITE. We were wrong. Mr. Jordan declined, claiming that MICA would not take a public position because their membership would not take on this issue and besides, this Tract K thing was too political.

The anything-but-a-school mantra was cemented. Proved emphatically when this author addressed the City Council on the cistern initiative (the other environmentally sound idea that the syndicate condemned and sought to torpedo) when at the end of his address said "And on an unrelated note, a school can be built on Tract K". The immediate response from Councilhead Popoff "There is an eagle on Tract K."

No kidding? So instead of asking for explanation, a rationale, the standard response: get lost.

Akin to the STRP being exposed as an environmental hoax, the cistern costing $5,500 and saving only a milliliter of water, there being pictures of septuagenarians burying asbestos, naming city hall was not done secretly, Charlie Crist didn't get involved with the STRP cover-up, and other lies, the corruption of misinformation leads to ignorance only to be exposed when it is too late.

As it wasn't too late for the cistern (well, we did lose out on the first grant thanks to the lies), it may not be too late for Tract K and a school.

The Facts
A school can be built on Tract K. And a big one at that.

In very recent conversations by this author with the state and federal agencies responsible for eagle protection, they are more than eager to work with the designers of a school. Additionally, a structure can be built much – very much – closer to the eagle than the other regurgitated non-fact of 330' without any problems or issues.

Actually a school that is active in environmental issues that "houses" or is the home for an eagle was found to be very exciting.

An Aside
The eagle is not on the endangered list. It was declassified as needing protection years ago.

One finds it odd that the state environmental bodies responsible for the eagle (thank God it wasn't the Florida Department of Environmental Protection – they would have shot the bird right out of the nest and had their own John Inglehart do the "investigation") was aware of the power generating scheme but yet had no objections, despite the known problems with the air and light above and near a solar panel field. Also odd is the unfamiliarity by these avian protecting agencies of when a real endangered bird – the burrowing owl – literally disappeared from the Marco Island asbestos dumping ground within days of the matter becoming public – a disappearing act without the required permits or any other paper trail.

Summary
A school can be built on Tract K with the eagle where it is, and the space be optimized to house a regular school with the usual accouterments for the number of expected students.