Much ado about almost nothing as 18-year era sprouts hyperbole, then ends.

In other anti-climactic news, Roger Jeffers is likely to become the county parks superintendent. Irv Stumler gets to serve on another board, and somewhere, a dog barks plaintively as the sun sets on the Heavrin-less county council.

A depression suddenly seizes me. What's the city to do now? After this combined parks era, one comprising a full 9% of New Albany's 199-year history, how on earth can we go it alone, without the mature, adult hand of fiscally accountable exurbia to guide us past the rough patches and inevitably spray-painted park bench vandalism?

Woe is us.

Pfui.

An era comes to an end in Floyd County; Parks board holds final meeting ahead of Jan. 1 split, by Daniel Suddeath ('Bama Ad Aggregator)

“I know we fought the good fight — we did everything we could for this community,” (Scott) Klink said.

Simple made complicated, yet again. Why?

"There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking."
-- Sir Joshua Reynolds

Scott Klink doesn't want to live in the past, and so he seeks an "act of Congress" as redress. But why the persistent amnesia as to the source of the funding imbalance, i.e., county government?

Board chair: Parks district best solution for New Albany and Floyd County; After veto of new agreement, Klink says district would guarantee funding, by Daniel Suddeath (Intrusive Pop Up and Roll Over Journal)

... According to the Gahan administration, the city paid about $4 million more to the parks department than the county since 2004. Under the terms of the contract, the city and county were to evenly fund the department based on population, which has been nearly equal over that span.

"Honestly, if Floyd County had been paying what they were supposed to all along, this would not be an issue."

A full two days later, the News and Tribune has finally gotten around to updating the "discussion" on its Saturday editorial about park funding, and it's a doozy. Here's a sprinkling of opinion.

OUR OPINION: Mayor's veto sends wrong message.

Stan Robison (city attorney):
"The Mayor has taken a stand against the way things have always been, and he will stand by his veto to protect the citizens of New Albany against the fleecing it has taken at the hands of the County."

Scott Klink (president of the parks board):
"They must override this veto. We need one of those four 'no' votes to become 'yes' vote."

Steve (?):
"So, editorial board, by your reasoning if all of your subscribers failed to pay for 2 months of newspapers, then they could just work out an agreement to keep getting the Tribune and not pay the 2 month's bill that was owed."

NAC's view came yesterday. We believe it would be a mistake for the council to kill Mayor Gahan's veto tonight, because this issue only so much as hints at far funding larger concerns unlikely to be addressed so long as these temporary patches continue to be applied, and for so long as county government is not held accountable.

Newspaper editorial board: Let's hold hands, drink lemonade and sing happy songs about parks funding.

If I were a Nigerian in need of outside assistance in transferring my funds, I’d direct my e-mails to the following eager and willing aides: Publisher Bill Hanson, Editor Shea Van Hoy and Assistant Editors Chris Morris and Amy Huffman-Branham.

Moss: "Community Park is under attack, by (Scott) Klink’s reckoning."

Earlier this week, Dale Moss picks up where my recent column, ON THE AVENUES: The usual suspects, and a future held hostage, left off.

Scott Klink's defining moment for Floyd County

Does Floyd County have enough park land? Can it have enough? Scott Klink is certain of the answers.

He feels fairly sure of yours, as well.

In any event, Klink wants to believe that people believe a county must be more than its storefronts. Business matters but so does getting away from business. Klink asks that his county believe it is high time — the clock ticks — to stand up for a better quality of life.

“It’s not about taxes and revenue all the time,” Klink said. “At some point, it needs to be about what’s good for people.”

The county is considering the future of land on and around its to-be-shuttered annex — its one-time poor house — on Grant Line Road. Options seem to include selling some, most or perhaps all of what Klink said totals 18 acres.

Klink is involved officially as president of the New Albany-Floyd County Parks Board, which operates Sam Peden Community Park right behind the annex. He is involved unofficially as a citizen who, when traveling, marvels at how well some places make the most of nature. They appreciate that more and more pavement is not the only sign of progress. Anyway, Community Park is under attack, by Klink’s reckoning.