I wrote last year about Mort O'Sullivan's inspiring remarks to the Community Maritime Park board that "you should always keep your covenants" ("Honor Maritime Park covenants," Viewpoint, July 11).

Mort needs to tell them again.

Looking at the University of West Florida Maritime Museum fiasco can only be described as the worst double-cross I've ever witnessed.

Blatant. No shame whatsoever.

While Mort's at it, he needs to tell them to apologize to Nancy Fetterman, the tireless worker for her departed husband's dream for our waterfront. By any standard of common decency, she is being completely sold out.

The board needs to reacquaint itself with what was promised to voters: a state-designated maritime museum and research center of national, and hopefully international, stature; educational opportunities at the park's classroom facilities; a first-class conference center to bring international attention to the community; a hotel to house conference participants and visiting professors of distinction; an 800-car parking garage to ensure safe, crime-free parking.

They can see it for themselves — just look at any of the campaign literature. It constitutes the covenant they are trashing without shame.

UWF invested heavily in the park. It spent oodles on fundraising. Commissioned billboards at the site. Held get-togethers. Honored those contributing to the museum with social occasions. It successfully lobbied the Legislature to get official state-designation.

It did everything that could be imagined to keep the dream alive.

And now a threat to replace it with a "discovery museum" and aquarium is what it gets for its fidelity.

The UWF museum is the only thing on that property that will be a day-in, day-out people-magnet. The classrooms are the only thing that will assure park restaurants and retailers a steady base-line cash flow. The conference center is the only thing that will bring international attention to Pensacola.

I got in on this park from its inception; I still support it as promised. But nearly every promise made in that campaign is now broken. And most amazing of all is the complete lack of remorse anyone on the council, the chamber of commerce or individual big shots seem to have about what has happened.

I encourage UWF to file a lawsuit against the CMP board, Pensacola City Council and the developers (who we were promised would kick $30 million into this project; where is it?). No one else has the resources, and the prestige, to force those bodies to keep the promises. No one else has been financially damaged like UWF. They need to recover their investments.

We need you Mort; before the suit is filed, it's time to remind the board, the council and the chamber that "you should always keep your covenants."

Kenneth E. Lamb has been involved in the park project since its initial concept, working as a campaign manager during the referendum vote. He hosts the Thursday edition of Your Turn on 1330 AM WEBY, and owns CyberSmart Computers in Pensacola.