Letter To The Editor: A Yes Vote From A Save The Roundhouse Committee Member

Letter To The Editor:

The Wood River Mayor’s husband, Bob Maguire, is circulating door hangers asking us to vote “No” on November 3rd to “Save the Roundhouse”. What?!! To save the Roundhouse we are asked to vote against saving it? That doesn’t make any sense. This is nothing but a deceptive attempt to confuse the public.

First of all, the door hanger says that “the Roundhouse is preserved and isn’t going away per the City Resolution. It says the City has no current plans to demolish the Roundhouse. The keyword here is CURRENT!! However, the whole resolution that was implied states that as long as the Roundhouse is structurally sound and provides a vital use to the overall community!! The city was asked to help preserve the Roundhouse and make it an historical landmark. The city has made no attempt to help the Roundhouse become an historical landmark nor have they allocated any money to properly maintain it so that it remains structurally sound. Do they think that the citizens of Wood River can’t see through their schemes?

The door hanger said “the Recreation Center will be built.” After the Recreation Center is built, they won’t need the Roundhouse anymore!! I really don’t understand why we are told the Recreation Center will be built anyway. A vote on November 3rd will determine this. So, is the mayor trying to tell us that the city will ignore the vote? It appears this is an attempt to intimidate and confuse us so we won’t waste our time and vote on November 3rd. However, if this is true, then the mayor and city council have no business representing us if they ignore the results of this vote.

The Save the Roundhouse Committee collected 882 signatures because we don’t want the Roundhouse demolished and we want clean water, sewers, streets and sidewalks repaired, and our basements to stay dry when it rains. The mayor continues to deny that the city planned to demolish the historic Roundhouse. Numerous documents, minutes, grant applications, pictures to tear it down and plans to turn it into a gazebo all prove that the city doesn’t want to keep the Roundhouse. Now the Mayor wants us to believe that she wants it preserved! No one should believe this door hanger that doesn’t tell us who is paying for the advertisement until the city truly commits to preserve the Roundhouse by helping to make it an historical landmark and providing funds to maintain it.

It appears that the Mayor is not concerned with the needs of the citizens and she just wants the new Recreation Center. I hope she waits for the citizens of Wood River to have their voices heard in November and she doesn’t start building the Recreation Center before. She was elected to serve the people of Wood River!!

Everyone needs to get out and vote Yes on November 3rd - the Mayor is playing games with us!!

Mary Roberts

Wood River

“Save The Roundhouse” Committee

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