2-28-99

Sunday Advocate Opinion Page & Commentary Page

In "Our Views" on the Opinion page, I take it to mean that the writer is giving the writer's opinion about the "Golf Course
deal bad for tax payers".

Meanwhile, on the Commentary page entitled "Water woes spark steady stream of complaints" is supposed to be comments
on the subject by Milford Fryer. Mr. opinion writer questions the manner in which the Golf course deal was handled in secrecy. I
give myself the label curiosity.

These lines from the article:

"Under the proposal, the parish could construct the water and sewer systems simultaneously or construct the water first."
(Keep this sentence in mind all the time.)

"Whatever the Council chooses, the initial phase would be constructed in the unincorporated northern section of the eastern
portion of the parish, bounded by Bayou Manchac (the boundary with East Baton Rouge Parish), Interstate 10, the Gonzales City
limits, and generally along La. 431."

"Shaheen estimated the costs for water and sewer for that part of the project at $124.5 million, water alone."

Now this is from a letter mailed July 29, 1998 from Ascension Water Co.:

"Dear Mr. Stevens,

This is to confirm our conversation with regard to your granting servitude to Ascension Water Co. for the purpose of
installing a water main along Hwy. 431. As per our conversation, Ascension Water Co. agrees to furnish one standard residential
service to your property at 13061 Hwy. 431 at no cost to you. This meter can be installed upon request after the water mains are
installed on Hwy. 431 and a good sample is received." Above part signed by an official of Ascension Water Co.

Are you as confused as I am by Mr. Shaheen's statement?

"Under the proposal, the parish could construct the water and sewer systems simultaneously or contract the water first."

The more I think of that statement, the more confused I become.

Will Mr. Shaheen construct his water lines along side of Ascension Water Co. lines?

Do you think that Ascension Water Co. is secretly installing the water main for the parish council? Especially when one
reads this from Mr. Fryer's commentary:

"The Parish Council has explored several avenues of creating public water and sewer systems to no avail. TO provide the
services, the parish must virtually ignore existing services, developing its own source of water and laying its own water and sewer
lines."

"Under consideration now is a plan prepared by Shaheen, who enlisted the help of three other companies in preparing the
proposal. The plan costs about half the amount devised by an out of state firm, Ogden Yorkshire, which was rejected as too
expensive".

Did or did not Mr. Shaheen work with Ogden Yorkshire on the previous plan?

For quite some time, I have been puzzled as to how Ogden Yorkshire and the Ascension Parish Council met and married
(my term for whatever it was).



O. W. Stevens