We know that our new council members will faithfully and honestly represent all of the citizens of Sebastian; they will listen carefully to the people who bring issues before them; they are dedicated to doing everything they can to solve problems to the very best of their abilities.

Congratulations also to Nancy Paternoster, vice president of SPOA, who will be installed as SPOA president at our next general meeting, which is Monday. We all know Nancy as bright, capable and delightful to work with and we look forward to her presidency.

It has come to our attention that a lot of folks out there don't really know exactly what the Sebastian Property Owners Association is all about. Somehow they've gotten the idea that SPOA is highly "political" or that it's all about "power."

As an organization, we do not support or donate to anyone's political campaign, including those of our own members. We do not campaign for any candidates, nor do we raise funds for any candidate. The closest SPOA gets to any political issue is the issue itself.

The two Saturdays before Election Day, association members participated in our annual Goat Walk, starting at City Hall and proudly marching to the corner of Main Street and U.S. 1. Wearing SPOA T-shirts, they carried signs warning: "Don't Be A Goat!! Get Out And Vote!" All four candidates were invited to participate, provided they didn't bring campaign materials with them. Only two came: Sal and Al, ready to encourage people to get out and vote, regardless of the outcome of the election.

What else does SPOA do? Well, from 2005 to the present, we think SPOA has done a lot of good things for this community that have nothing to do at all with politics.

Annually, SPOA awards a college scholarship to a deserving student at Sebastian River High School. Last March, we voted to award a $1,000 scholarship to Kathryn Story, a highly accomplished and most deserving student.

At Christmas, in association with Wal Mart, we purchased $1,000 worth of toys, which were distributed through the Ecumenical Council of Churches to needy children in our area.

Lion's Club, $250; the Lord's Table, $250; the Salvation Army, $250; a separate Salvation Army Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, $500; The USO, $500 for relief from postage expenses on donated items going to our soldiers abroad; The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life, $250; and the Boys and Girls Club of Sebastian, $500, to sponsor a boy and a girl for the Summer Program.

Members of SPOA participate in city events, such as the Fourth of July celebration and, of course, the Sebastian Clambake and Lagoon Festival. Sal Neglia, a member of the advisory board for the clambake, has been in charge of the cookery for the clambake, and we've seen the food and service get better every year.

Over a year and a half ago at a City Council meeting, Mayor Nate McCollum made a motion that future annexations should be considered only if they were for commercial development, not residential.

During the ensuing discussion period, I offered my comments, which concluded with a statement that, "now is the time to show the citizens of Sebastian, the people who put you in office, that you council members are NOT just a pack of developers' lap dogs."

The council sat silent and Mayor McCollum's motion failed for lack of a second. One council member "shot the messenger" with the comment that they took offense at my statement.

In the coming months you will probably be hearing a lot of whining, assailing the Sebastian Property Owners Association as being "over-represented" on City Council. SPOA represents ALL of the people of Sebastian, their issues and their concerns.

We do not endorse candidates nor contribute to their campaigns. SPOA members ARE "the people" just like the rest of the public who made their choices at the polls.

Thus the notion of SPOA being over-represented leads to the question about just who is then being under-represented on City Council. The answer to that is deep-pocket special interest groups and political action committees like the ones who shelled out thousands of dollars for their choice of candidates.

Clive and Pat Beckwith are members of the Sebastian Property Owners Association. To contribute to Shedding Light, please contract them at 388-0414.

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