TAKES EXCEPTION TO COLUMN
Re: Grant Sanders' opinion piece of August 15, 2007.
To the editor:

As Chairman of the Planning Board, I want to give the public my personal feelings about the referenced article. During my nine plus years on the board, I recall only a few times Mr. Sanders attended meetings. He states, "The Chairman was recently overheard at his place of business saying that, if he could he would pave the entire island, because that is progress." I have never said I would pave the entire island. I am not happy with decisions to pave certain roads, but understand why these roads must be paved, based on sound planning principles.

Mr. Sanders states "…four out of five Planning Board members are old enough to retire to Florida and leave us with the mess they have created." I am one of the four. When I retired, after 30 years of dedicated employment (spending 4 weeks vacation time on island each year), I chose to return home where I plan to stay long after Mr. Sanders makes his millions and leaves to retire to his Connecticut cabin in the woods with its dirt roads.

What he doesn't know, is that I became a Nantucket resident long before he was conceived. I attended schools here, served in the armed forces to ensure he has the right to participate in the democratic process he enjoys today. I love this island and this country and will never do any thing to harm either. Since 1995, I have dedicated my retirement years to volunteer work on the boards of many non-profit organizations, town committees and boards.

History shows that in the early 1800s horse and buggies were mired in Main Street mud, so the citizens paved it with cobblestones; black top was not available at the time. When black top became available, most of the downtown cobble stoned streets were paved over. What a terrible thing that black top is!

I find it very interesting that in 1882, the local paper wrote an article about the paving on Atlantic Avenue. "…It joins Pleasant Street near the head of York Street and the roadbed was composed of brick and stone from side to side. Atlantic Avenue was destined to become a popular driveway of no small proportions with its smooth and even surface."

In closing, with regards to Mr. Sanders' suggestion of a lawsuit agains the Planning Board, I am thinking about bringing legal action based on his writing something I did not say.

Sincerely,

- Frank Spriggs,

American citizen, Nantucket taxpayer and Planning Board Chairman