"This project is the future of Long Island!"
"We cannot allow it NOT to happen!"
"We can make it happen!"
"Don't bet against us on Long Island!"
These were just some of the quotes from last nights 180th Lighthouse Developers Group Meeting that brought the nearly 200 people in attendance to their feet. The meeting which was hosted by Charles Wang, Scott Rechler, and Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, and it was held as an open forum, town hall style meeting. Some issues discussed concerning the project included the economy, race, religion, traffic, zoning, transportation, and of course, hockey.
However, what it more than made up for in its ra-ra tone, it lacked in probably the major issue I personally attended: to hear the voice of the opposition.
We all knew Kate Murray wasn't going to be there. We all knew that a great deal of the people attending had one concern in mind: the Islanders. However, what I didn't expect was the lack of a voice against this project. As Doug from Isles Official's Outlook pointed out "This is a huge project, there HAS to be somebody against it!"
The lone family who came out to voice their opinion against the Lighthouse unfortunately didn't elaborate on why they felt the way they did. When a representative from the Building and Construction Trade on Long Island asked to the panel "what is holding this up", a voice from behind us shouted out, "I'm holding this up. I don't want this in my backyard!" Within five minutes after this was uttered, the family had left.
To me, it is unfortunate that the meeting was so one-sided. As one person put it, the atmosphere almost seemed more like that of a high school pep rally than anything else. The Lighthouse Group made great cases as to why the project needs to be done, but again, I personally felt that there needed to be a stronger opposition present, if only to show two sides of the coin.
All in all, the meeting went off without a hitch. With the exception of one supporter, nobody bashed Kate Murray, as Wang quickly pointed out that shouldn't be about politics, and the few times that the air got tense, such as when the representative from the NAACP asked why the original television commercials for the project had a lack minority representation, everyone was addressed with respect and understanding.
So now we wait once more. We'll wait until, "early-to-mid April to determine how the project is going", as Suozzi put it. We'll wait until the proposed October deadline to receive confirmation as to whether the project is going to happen or not. Supporters, if only for one night though, felt like this project can, and will, happen.
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3 comments:
Do we have to canvass that neighborhood asking what sort of opposition there would be in order to get the actual answers???
A cry for help! 180 times the New York Islander faithful have come together as one voice to express their compassion and approval of the gift that Mr. Wang and his associates are willing to provide. What did they receive in the end, another slap in the face.
As islander fans we are use to disappointment, we are used to having our hopes and dreams smashed into thousands of pieces. It seems as though every time the future looks bright we are reminded why "We're All Islanders". In fact the only thing that holds us all together is the success of men whom most of which retired long before the new fan base was born.
A lot of people criticize the Islanders for bringing back the 80's but that is the one thing that has given us the strength to move forward for so long. Yet the hope that there is a better tomorrow is burnt out. Seeing a bunch of men parade around the ice holding the Stanley Cup no longer holds value.
It's time we all realize what these lighthouse meetings really are ,the organizations way of helping use cope with disappointment. We are not getting a new stadium. In the end we will all watch as the only thing going for Long Island packs up and ships out as so many of its younger population already has.
For the rest of us we will be left with another empty building to remind us of what once was and what might have been.
Well, isalnderpride55, on that depressing note...
While this was clearly a one-sided meeting, there's reason to be excited. More and more people are rallying for this project, and while some may see that there have been 180 meetings think that the project is going nowhere, I agree and disagree.
It's been 7 years since the first plans were brought up. Nobody is denying that this project is certainly taking its time, but look on the other side...
When Charles Wang said "don't bet against us on Long Island", you could tell those were more than just words. This project will not only define Wang, but whether it goes through or not, it is the future of Long Island.
At the end of the day, we as fans have to believe that better days are ahead. With this project possibly underway next year, Islander fans are starting to see the light(house) at the end of the tunnel.
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