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Lively Discussion on Jackson Lab at Ave Maria Town Forum

The Jackson Lab wants to be a good neighbor in Ave Maria, the lab's VP for advancement, Mike Hyde, told a community meeting Tuesday night at which a number of residents voiced objections to the plans to build the research facility near the town.

The meeting was attended by about 100 people who directed dozens of questions on various topics related to the proposal to Mr. Hyde and two other panelists, Ave Maria University professor and theologian Michael Waldstein and Blake Gable, president of the Barron Collier Real Estate and Minerals division.

About a quarter of those attending appeared to be against the Jackson Lab proposal.

Mr. Hyde told the meeting that the Jackson Lab respected the community's values, and he specifically addressed three points of concern, saying the lab does no eugenics research and has no interest in it; is not a center for human embryonic stem cell research; and is not developing a male contraceptive.

"If these were the goals of Jackson labs, why come here to Florida and build our lab next to people who would be deeply offended by it?" he asked.

He described the research goals of Jackson Lab as searching for the truth about human health and disease. The organization could not promise not to do anything contrary to Catholic teaching, he said, but added that they wished to be good neighbors and have an open dialog with members of the community.

The Jackson Lab currently has committees on which community members provide input to the lab's activities, and would expect to establish similar panels involving members of the Ave Maria community, Mr. Hyde said.

Mr. Gable also stressed the importance of the community's values, saying that Barron Collier has specifically sought business partners that were a good fit for the town.

The project has the potential to lay the foundations for the future of Collier County, Mr. Gable said, building a platform for cultural growth that would draw from higher education and an entrepreneurial spirit as its main sources.

Jackson Labs could boost the intellectual life of the university, Dr. Waldstein said in his prepared remarks, noting that he was speaking only as a resident and did not represent the views of AMU, the Jackson Lab or the developers.

Saying he "wanted to be a Catholic who listens," Dr. Waldstein said "the main issue of our age is the re-integration of knowledge in the dialog between faith and science. The labs will provide representatives of science that will make this dialog possible."

The questions covered a broad range of topics including the morality of the lab's research, the economics, and the employment opportunities that might be open to residents.

"Our goal was to let as many people as possible ask hard questions," said Roy Lenardson, one of the event's organizers. "We had three honest people on the panel who gave straightforward answers," he said.

The meeting lasted an hour longer than planned so that everyone could be heard, he said.

Mr. Hyde said afterward that he "was impressed with the civility and thoughtfulness of most of the people in the room" and called the meeting a "healthy exchange of ideas between people who see the situation from very different perspectives."

"I came away with the very strong impression that the vast majority of Ave Maria residents are supportive of this effort, but that the voices of a few who are deeply opposed drown out the voices of the more reasonable members of this community," he said.

Resident Daryl Klein, noting how many people remained late, was pleased to see the dialog occurring.

 "I think it is an excellent sign that people are still here talking. This is what needs to take place at Ave Maria."

Theresa Hardy contributed to this article

Click here for report on the meeting from the Naples Daily News:

 

 

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