The Newberry Springs-Harvard Property Owners Association is no more.
Kaput! With the association self-disintegrating for years, the association
finally voted to disband on Saturday, January 14, 2017.
Despite a myriad of problems facing property owners in Newberry Springs ranging
from hunger to economic development, theft of water under the land of the minimal producers,
the dumping of toxic waste upon the local groundwater, solar facility infringment,
rising illegal drug activities, destructive zoning changes and the razing of
irreplaceable historical structures by the county, the association's board repeatedly
failed the ambition to give witness and to be the community's voice in addressing these
and other community problems.
As the board gave-up on the community's true problems,
the community gave-up on the association.
With poor public attendance at the meetings and in not being able to find
community members to fill board vacancies, the association couldn't sustain itself.
Despite erroneously claiming to represent the interests of the communities of Newberry Springs
and Harvard, the association's membership was less that 1-percent of the property owners.
Parting board shot from 2015
Left to Right:
Vickie Paulsen - Treasurer; Dennis Hall - Director; Margaret Graessle -
Secretary; Ellen Johnson - President; Sandi Brittian - Vice President;
Pastor Charles Patrick - Executive Director
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With some board members not showing up for the meetings, others
dropping-out, and with the meeting agendas being of little interest to the property owners,
the association drew little community support. In 2016, monthly general meetings were
changed to quarterly. Even then, attendance by board
members and the public were dismal.
In its departure, the association is a disappointment symbolically to some
residents for transferring its limited funds to the unproven Newberry Springs Economic Development
Association when far longer existing and proven service associations, such as the Newberry
Springs Service Association, were ignored.
Service associations such as the Kiwanis, Rotary, and Lions, and youth scouting
and 4-H clubs are diminishing nationally and closing.
Today's service organizations must perform
and market themselves. The Newberry Springs-Harvard Property Owners Association did
neither.
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