Senior center: Writer will never use facility again

Published 3:00 pm Wednesday, January 14, 2004

The recent letter lauding the performance of the past director of the Oak Harbor Senior Center was more than I can tolerate without rebuttal.

Marie and I were active members of the Oak Harbor Senior Center for more than 15 years until I was restricted from participation in its activities by its long time first director without allowing me a hearing of any kind. One of the things I can’t handle is being unjustly accused.

I am not a Socialist. When Island Transit reached a crisis because of the initiatives of Tim Eyman, (who also gives reasonable evidence of not being a socialist) several meetings were held in an attempt to rescue Island Transit. I spoke at one of these meetings to point out that Island Transit was serving only about 3 percent of the population (even then you must count the school children who ride Island Transit and ignore the school buses) and the true test of its efficiency would be to put collection boxes in each bus and see if it could pay Its way. This suggestion did not receive any approval or consideration.

Finally after two years of this activity I reached the saturation point. She unjustly accused me of doing something I did not do and I responded as she expected. Without hearing my side the original senior center director prohibited me from attending senior center activities.

This arbitrary decision occurred in August 2002.

I have no plans to ever attend Oak Harbor Senior Center.

William H. Brown

Oak Harbor