Many residents of the town of Avon are about to receive a “ballot” asking each of us if we support the town spending money to move the Hahnewald barn. The cost estimates vary, the actual final costs won’t be known for years, for once the barn is moved I can assure you that the forces behind this will not let it just sit in its new home and rot. More funds will be needed to make it into some tourist draw, bringing people from the four corners of the earth to Avon to visit “The Barn.”
The question is not whether one wants to move the barn in order to save the barn, for whatever reason, but rather if one believes we need to move the barn at all. Is this a need of the town, or a want of some of the people in town.
I have heard some talk about wanting to build some type of permanent seating at the stage in the park, while others are talking about wanting to build a conference center or convention center on the grounds of the old city hall, and others have mentioned various other wants. All wants, none absolute needs, at least not now.
At the same time we all know of the various needs of the town, the things we must have in order to grow and prosper as an entity. If listed they would include numerous items that confront many towns throughout the nation. We as individuals have to make the same decision in our own personal lives. How to make sure we do what is needed to live while taking care of our personal wants when we can. In doing so, the needs must come first.
This is not about the fact that I don’t want the town to increase taxes to pay for this, for that has not been part of the conversation to date. It is that fact that I believe the town of Avon should use the money that will be spent over the next several years on “The Barn” to cover the needs of the town first.
I can list what I believe are the needs of the town as can each of you. I ask that you do so before casting your “ballot.” Once you do so, if the barn is on the top of that list, I mean, the No. 1 need on your list, then yes, vote to support the move. If it is not on your need list or not the top priority on your need list, then it defies logic to support the expenditures that will be forthcoming. It is not our issue that this issue now has a deadline.
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The town council agreed to abide by the outcome of the “vote.” If it is a yes vote to move, then I too will set aside my differences and work with others to find ways to make “The Barn” viable in order to offset the expense of moving it. If it is a no vote, then I hope the council will abide by its agreement and close this discussion down completely.
Making hard decisions may be difficult, but making the right decisions should be easy.
Dennis O’Halloran
Avon