My dear friend Betsy is an amazing source of interesting experiences and facts.
We had our monthly lunch a couple of weeks ago and she showed me a video she'd gotten from someone on the Pinelands Commission that really upset me: here's the link if you want to check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3fV8e8xiRo
I don't upset easily, especially about things I can't affect, but this hit home for some reason.
It was shot by a couple of guys who look up abandoned sites of interest and then post photos of them to raise awareness of what's happened since they'd been empty. This one was about the old Burlington County College on Pemberton-Browns Mills Rd.
In its heyday, it was home to a thriving community of scholars, teachers and community members who enjoyed classes and recreation on the site. I recall the parking lots being full of cars as I drove by on my way to Browns Mills from my home in Pemberton. I often checked out the course offerings, knowing I'd probably never enroll.
The olympic-sized pool (the only one in the area) that hosted community folks who liked the exercise, was left open but only for a short time. Then it, too, was abandoned.
I often wondered as I passed why and what would happen to it. The video showed the story.
Perfectly good chairs left overturned in classrooms. A science lab with sink and accessories unused. Worst of all, to my mind: shelves filled with books...books strewn around the floors of the library and classrooms. Books!!! On the floors!!!
Did no one ever consider donating them to a still-functioning library? Were there none that might catch the interest of folks in a senior living facility? How about local schools? And, oh yes, how about the spanking new college buildings in Mt. Laurel where the college relocated?
Could nothing have been done with all those books??
Congressman Andy Kim's aide told me to contact someone at the state or county level who might look into the issue. State Senator Jean Stansfield's aide said she would touch base with the Board of Trustees of Rowan College of Burlington County, who apparently is the owner of the property. She'd update me when she received a response from them. At least that's something, but I'm not holding my breath.
It's just maddening, though, to see the utter disregard for the waste of taxpayer dollars, not to mention the knowledge packed into the pages of those books. Yes, they might be specialized topics not for general consumption. But who knows who might want to learn about those topics? Why not at least clean them up, get them out of that sad place and give them new life?
Who knows how long it will take for those buildings to rot and collapse into the ground. Perhaps decades, if not longer. Vandals will have a field day and the surrounding vegetation will overcome the sidewalks and roadways.
And inside, the books and out-of-date computers will decay. But why does that matter? After all, it's only money.
