I’m making my comments in my blog because what I have to say is too long for a Facebook (FB) page. The need for good discussions is important. Yes, sometimes it’s hard to keep calm when you’re passionate about a topic, but talking together (calmly and respectfully) is what will make this a better community and earn us respect from the rest of the town.
My intent in life is to be a good community neighbor, a friend; to be respectful of others, be courteous. I moved to the Emerald Lake District last August partly because of timing and necessity and partly because I couldn’t find another home that was within my budget and where I wanted to live. I settled for what I felt was a less-than-par house because my other home sold and I had to get out.
It has been a huge change. My previous house was 3,300 SF with a full partially-finished basement, 2-car garage, large shed, on 3 acres surrounded by fields and woods. I’m used to lots of quiet and space, and here, with neighbors fairly close, I have to get used to more noise and traffic on a dirt road along with a much smaller house and hardly any land. But I’m working hard to Sasha-fy my house and yard, to make it my home.
I already have two good friends who live here, but I have to admit, I hated moving here. However, neighbors have been very nice and their friendliness has really helped me feel more at home here, and I am very thankful. I no longer hate living here. This is my home, my forever home.
I’ve been participating in some conversations on the ELVD FB page and I’ve made comments of my own. For two days I’ve been mulling over what’s been said. At first I just wanted to say the heck with it all and crawl into a hole. I don’t like dissension or confrontation. (I’m always joking that I want to build a moat around my house and become a hermit, drop off the grid – however I can’t do that considering I’m editor of the InterTown Record Newspaper for the Kearsarge/Sunapee region, freelance writer-photographer, and artist). Plus, I am now part of this community and it’s important to work out issues and get along.
I’ve been talking to people and looking at various situations: The terrible drought this year, ATVs and other nonregistered vehicles on the roads, and litter situations along the roads and at the beaches. I realize that people can’t always agree. It’s easy to say, “Agree to disagree,” but not easy to do. I am learning about the district and what it all means to live here.
ELVD has undergone many changes. Heck, everything has undergone changes. People have commented that they’d like to see improvement in the image of how the district has been perceived by other residents and business owners in Hillsborough. I thought that perhaps a few articles in The Villager talking about what a great area we are would help. I decided to start with the water issue.
But over the weekend, an issue with ATVs zooming up and down the dirt roads and raising dust took forefront. I commented on FB and there were a lot of feedback on both sides. My point is that I don’t have an issue if they are going from Point A to Point B (like getting to a trailhead), drive safely, slowly, quietly, and respectfully (and some do), but those that just joy ride up and down the street over and over are annoying and a danger.
There are those who want that right to ride like that; those who say they moved here to have that freedom.
I’ve thought about this. Maybe at one time that was OK. Now, however, times have changed. The district is more developed. There are more full-time residents who live here year-round. The streets are busier with people walking and biking. There are kids out playing. Some are spending a lot of money to make their homes look nice. And while we can appreciate and welcome vacationers and weekenders, we don’t want to be seen as a “campy” area.
To have vehicles joyriding up and down the streets, raising huge dust clouds on these dry roads, and creating excess noise is a concern. And they tend to drive fast on the streets that are fairly straight. In areas where there are many residents, we need to be respectful of one another. Heck, I don’t even dare play my Native American flute outside for fear of disturbing the neighbors. The one day I did, people heard it one street over. They said it was nice, but I don’t want to be bothering others. And I would never think about bringing my big drum outside and wailing away on it. (I just hope the neighbors can’t hear it from inside the house.)
So, I’m trying to think of how we can have discussions to make our community a great place to live for us all. How can we be respectful of each other and protect our properties?
What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment