Stan,

It was nice to read your thoughtful, well reasoned comments in this forum.  

I have not lived in The Pines anywhere near as long as you, but have also come to know it as a great place to live.   I too came here for the boating; and for the beach.  And, in my mind, The Pines is nothing if not a boating and beach community.   Virtually any other ammenity (golf, tennis, swimming pools, theater, etc) could be located just about anywhere - including in the middle of a desert.   Most poeple are here, in one way or another, because of the bay and beach.  

I think that the reason we do not see  many positive or neutral comments in this forum regarding board actions (addition of marina slips, community hall improvements and additions, etc) is that MOST Ocean Piners ARE neutral on most of these issues and/or have basically a live and let live attitude towards them.  I mean,  they may be golfers and not boaters, but have no reason  or desire to stick it to the boaters.  Or they may mainly be here because of the beach club, but still think it good that we have meeting space to acccomodate those in the various groups that use that space.  And, once these folks start observing this forum they find (and I agree with you in this regard) the major NIMBY attitude or other hysteria (by a few)that accompanies most board attempts to do anything.  They also find a barrage of ridiculous arguments, very often put together with absolutely incorrect facts, on the issue at hand.  And, from my viewpoint, the worse thing is that often times those in these  same SMALL  groups of arguers  (I am trying not to say "whiners") are the same people who are the most vocal and insulted when WHAT THEY WANT  (Kayack launch areas,  park signage, etc) is not IMMEDIATELY addressed by the board or our general manager.   My point is, most forum visitors who are neutral or on the positive side of these issues are like the "silent majority".  They do not have the time or the desire to spend hours on the net arguing their side with a few noisy types spouting bad info and bad logic.  I have been tempted many times to begin rebutting many of the things I have read here, but found I almost did not know where to begin.   There is so much of it.

I also think that what I've said above has a lot to do with why there is almost no participation by our board of directors in this forum.   They too would  not know where to begin correcting some of the information here and would  be drawn into countless  no-win (hysteria type) arguments. 

I must add that I have found several good things about this forum.   For example, action here (and elsewhere)  resulted in the amazingly quick installation of traffic lights on westbound Rt 50 at the Home Depot/Walmart exit onto that road.  And Joe Reynolds (who must spend 24 hours a day either managing this site or fishing) is certainly doing many Ocean Piners (who can not make it to board meetings and other community functions) a great service by videotaping those functions for the site.     

Again Stan, it was nice to read your comment.    I truly believe that that the majority of Ocean Piners think as you do.