Everyday Canvas

Town and Neighborhood

Prompt: What would improve your hometown? Can you convince your town’s officials to make a change that would improve your neighborhood?

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I think it is somewhat improved as far as the town government goes when compared to about ten-twenty years ago. At that time, we had a woman mayor whose husband had a business that had to do with anything building and fixing. Anytime, the husband needed work, the mayor found or invented something to be fixed, and the husband got the job, even though there were other bidders. Right now, some of those people who worked with her are still working in the town hall, and although the work seems to be okay, I am not comfortable with them. Electing totally new people has its downsides, too, because new people wouldn’t be able to relate to the ins and outs of the work, but I still like the few new people who are in the management positions at this time.

As to my neighborhood, I am pretty much satisfied with it. We have a keen and well-working neighborhood watch, and everyone is considerate of everyone else. What is not working as well is the garbage pickup. Not that they don’t pick up anything, but the garbage pickers throw the trash cans all over the place. I wouldn’t mind it if they threw mine on my property, but everyone’s thrash cans end up on the middle of the street. At each pickup day, we keep vigil to pick up the cans and then search for their lids that can be anywhere.

Another thing that sometimes doesn’t work is the mail. Normally, we have a wonderful mail-woman, with whom I struck a friendship, but when she goes on a vacation or takes off for a day or two, everyone’s mail service in the neighborhood breaks down. In such a situation, we get the mail at any odd hour of the day and everyone gets everyone else’s mail to boot. Yesterday, I drove three streets down to give someone else’s small package because when I put it in the mailbox for the mailman to retake it to its proper owner, he didn’t.

Other than that, things seem to work well enough, at least for the time being.

Can I change anything to get things to work better? That is an iffy thing.

As to the town’s problems, although they have open sessions and we can complain, not much happens…ever! So, we depend on our voting power. Most of the things they do we are not aware of, anyway. One of the new officials now sends me an email to tell me about town-sponsored events and activities and road repairs, which is much better than nothing.

Concerning the mail problems, the post office acted nicely when I complained once, and I eventually received a package that I was missing, but with the amount of mail that changes hands plus the packages of the season, I don’t want to give them more headaches, at this time.

As to the garbage pickup, the best thing I can do is to go after our trash cans. Our neighbors complained to the sanitation dept., but not much came out of it since they have hired a private company for the residential trash pickup.