By RICHARD MAKUCH

On the front page of the OBSERVER within the last month was an article headlined, “Water park idea floated in Dunkirk,” with a front page picture of Vince DeJoy, who is the Dunkirk Planning and Development Director.

The article states that a water park on Lake Shore Drive is among the wish list for city of Dunkirk planners in their latest downtown revitalization initiative drive application.

DeJoy outlined this at a Council economic development committee meeting last month– what the city will do if awarded entry into the state-funded economic development program.

Applications go to Albany annually and the latest round was due Sept. 23. “Just one of the ideas we’re throwing out and we threw it out at the public input session. We didn’t throw it out. It was something we’ve been working on with legitimate developers. We’d like to see an attraction that will bring in more visitors year round in Dunkirk, not just during the summer,” DeJoy said.

My question to DeJoy is, how many stores has he brought into the city of Dunkirk for our vacant downtown lost business district? None that I know of. All of DeJoy’s efforts seem to be just the opposite. Nothing for our lost business district.

The city sold property of vacant buildings to someone who has done nothing for new businesses in our forgotten downtown district. There’s nothing but vacant store fronts. So how can you attract visitors to this city with no business district? There is nothing here.

So what has DeJoy done to bring new businesses to this city? Nothing. Now he wants a water park and his brainstorm on Route 5 in the middle roadway and the city pier. Everything but new businesses.

A water park would be nice, but DeJoy is placing a water park effort for this city instead of new businesses that we need. I am not happy with his efforts of progress for this city at all.

Richard Makuch is a Dunkirk resident.