31° and Cloudy
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It was what you might expect of a planning board meeting and then some. Last week, the opposition had apx 9 people and tonight it was more like 70. There was audible discontent as they made the weight of their presence felt. There were signs like, "Kids and Trucks Don't Go Together!" and "Don't Cut My Lawn in Half!" as well as "Save Clarksville," and "No More Trucks!" One family's children had a stance to take and made their own signs to present before the Mayor as he arrived. He was welcoming of their fledgeling activism. Some of the suits walked on by the peaceful protestors as if they weren't even there, like the way a stereotypical suit would pass by the homeless on a city street. Me, I had my signs and my photo opp. When PBS showed up to film the civil discontent, and asked for me by name, I was feeling pretty good that our movement was gaining traction. Let's face it. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't mind being in a tractor trailer jam, windows up and re-circled air on, unable to see in front of you, barely moving when you have someplace to be. Now imagine that on your own street, in front of your home. The fumes coming into your house and the windows rattling through the night. No more summer breezes or crickets. Just truck noise. Truck smell. Truck danger and limited access to your own driveway, now cut short because they took your front lawn to make room for the big rigs that keep passing by just feet from your front door.
Next week the questioning continues. The "applicant,"aka developer, often has half-baked answers that clearly stir the opposition. They just can't promise that the whole thing won't be a train wreck (literally if that bridge at Meadow Rd isn't shored up). They can't even promise that they will be granted access to Rte 1... Um, what? They want to move through phase one without even confirming that one important piece? Wow... You see why the meeting ran late. That's just one example. The voice of the people will have to wait until June 1, my birthday. I am hoping when it's done I will have something more to celebrate! Hope to see you there!
