Although I’m not a member of CFC , or any religious institution for that matter, I have been to several performances and even donated/lent some props for their excellent production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

I know several families that attend services there in Madrid, and other families that get to introduce their homeschooled children to Friday Group, which allows those children to socialize with like minded kids and to participate in many group functions including musicals and plays that have been praised as “better than plays I’ve seen at local colleges” by more than one account.

In any case the point is that this use of a former public school building (in Madrid) far exceeds and benefits the community it is in better than any other closed school I’ve seen in the north country excluding the two in Ogdensburg.

Others in the area have been used as storage rentals and other uses and those don’t seem to be as kept up as Madrid’s and Ogdensburg’s. Ogdensburg’s B&B and Madrid’s CFC bring business to both communities. That brings me to the point of this letter.

Canton, in my opinion , is missing the point. CFC is going to draw many congregation members and visitors as well as employees (if left to their own devices) to the village and those people will spend money there.

The former Club owner complained last summer that “business is not that great lately” or something to that effect. That was one of the reasons he was selling it he said. Now if Canton really wants another empty store/restaurant or building empty like the vacant McDonalds , Tick-Tock, Hot Tamales, and most of the store fronts behind the library in the so called shopping center, more power to them.

A 200 foot setback so Canton can have another bar is just what a two college town needs, ask any prospective student’s parents. Seems there are plenty of spaces available too.

Praise the Lord, pass me a beer.

Wayne Brown

Heuvelton