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In a May 23 letter, Kevin Jarrard wrote that he was unclear about how the North Hall Community Center was going to be delayed because of a deal made by the developers of the Marina Bay subdivision. I would like to inform Mr. Jarrard about some facts related to this subject matter. I am a resident of the Marina Bay subdivision for the past three years and take exception to his uninformed remarks.
First, if he would ever visit Marina Bay, he would see that there is no cash-strapped issue in this community. The grounds are kept in immaculate condition. The pool, clubhouse and tennis courts are superior to anything found in the area. There are no partially completed homes and practically all the homes are occupied or ready for occupancy and maintained in excellent condition.
Moreover, the developer funds outings for residents at all major holidays. You might recall the gigantic fireworks display each Fourth of July that you probably watch. If the developer were short of case, he could easily have sold the 75 acres for a substantial sum. The taxes associated with this property amount to a mere $4,200 and is hardly a significant amount in the scheme of things.
Secondly, Hall County approached the developer regarding the donation not the other way around.
Third, it was announced at the time of the donation that the property was to be used for future creation of an area for three baseball/softball fields, eight tennis courts, and a very large field for walking, hiking and bicycling, not solely for skateboard area, as he seems to imply from his comments. Given the large increase in residents of this area, these facilities would be a worthy asset to North Hall that we are now sorely lacking.
Fourth, the first step in developing a community recreational facility is to obtain a site, which the developer of Marina Bay has generously donated when asked. The next step is to get funds at the appropriate time for completing the project. There has been no timetable for accomplishing the funding. So Mr. Jarrard's concern about his tax bill is premature.
Bart Toomey
Gainesville
Evaporation, condensation part of Lake Lanier's nature
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stated recently that Lake Lanier loses water through evaporation, which is correct. What it didn't tell you is the fact that the evaporation process is involved in putting water in the lake in the first place.
Moisture that evaporates form the Gulf of Mexico moves north as a warm front into Georgia. That, plus daytime heating, combine to create convective showers and thunderstorms which dump water into the lake. Either that, or colder air pushes south, forcing the warmer lighter air higher in the colder upper atmosphere causing condensation which falls as rain.
If you live around the lake and think that you "enjoy the lake breeze," it is only a figment of your imagination. A body of water the size of Lake Lanier has no effect on the weather.
If on a given day, the prevailing wind speed and direction is 15 mph from the west, those same numbers apply whether you are on the shore of the lake or in a parking lot on Dawsonville highway. The heated surface air around the lake is going aloft and the lake is absorbing the heat. Down on the coast, with much larger land and water surfaces side by side, this situation will create a delightful onshore breeze.
William A. Sellers Jr.
National Weather Service co-operative observer, Gainesville