[RP TownTalk] A neighborly hello

[Regina Kreger]

Don, it's great that you want to be involved in town governance. You've 
got energy and ideas and a can-do attitude. If you find our elected 
officials complacent, then why don't you run for office? Every race in 
town was uncontested this last time. If your response to elected 
officials not acting to your satisfaction is just to "speak out", to 
"point out the lack of stewardship", it sounds pretty similar to "just 
sit and complain". Not to negate your volunteer service in the town, 
it's just that this line of attack seems singularly unproductive. If 
there is something specific you think town officials should do, suggest 
it. Go to work sessions and advocate for your point of view. If they 
don't act to your satisfaction, try to replace them. That's called 
"democracy".

Don Lynch wrote:
> <div class="moz-text-flowed" style="font-family: -moz-fixed">Hello,
>
> I would like to acquaint everyone with Melissa and myself.
>
> We chose to live here because it seems that this is one of the last 
> places untouched by the corruption of developers.
>
> A bit about my past...
>
> My father fought in WWII and had the misfortune to be captured by the 
> German forces and was a prisoner for eight months. He was forced to 
> work in strategic factories that were daily strafed by allied forces.
>
> Of all the hardships he endured, the one event that stood out in his 
> mind, was what occurred at a soup kitchen line in the prisoner camp. A 
> Russian soldier was given the task of dishing out soup to both 
> Americans and Russians. The German soldiers were not kind to the 
> Russian soldiers , and in this instance, a German soldier shoved the 
> Russian prisoner into the mud while he was serving soup to his fellow 
> prisoners.
>
> The Russian soldier picked himself up and continued to serve the soup…
>
> My father survived this ordeal and came out a Disabled Veteran and 
> later was the head of the local chapter of the DAV in the Washington, 
> DC area.
>
> He worked for the Department of the Navy and established many 
> apprenticeship programs within the Navy department.
>
> My older brother was an auto mechanic in High School and my father 
> asked the Montgomery County School system about opportunities for an 
> apprenticeship in auto mechanics, the response was “there isn’t such a 
> program”.
>
> Well, my father didn’t like that answer and so he started an 
> apprenticeship program in the Montgomery County School system.
>
> So, when I feel that there are important occurrences going on in this 
> town that should be addressed, I hear my father’s objection to “it 
> can’t be done”.
>
> Responses like “we should just look both ways at railroad crossings”.
>
> If people would just examine the laws, they would realize there is 
> much we can do as a community.
>
> There are laws in place that allow a town to demand a railroad to 
> reduce the use of train horns in our township.
>
> Certainly, there is much more in the area of public safety and 60 mile 
> an hour trains roaring through our town at “at grade” crossings.
>
> I’m not one who just sits and just complains…
>
> As some of you know, I have put in many hours of community service, 
> including, the Holiday Festival of Lights, the ArtsFest, the Memorial 
> Day event, and created, along with our fantastic fire department, a 
> new July 4th celebration, in addition to five months of volunteering 
> at the farm market.
>
> So, I can’t sit still when I hear a public official say “ there’s not 
> much I can do”.
>
> Everyone in this town can do something about what is going on.
>
> Complacency, well, I won’t stand for it and I won’t let any elected 
> official in our town sit back and do nothing.
>
> I will continue to point out the lack of stewardship that is essential 
> in our leaders of this community.
>
> There are some who will criticize me for speaking out.
>
> I will just pick myself out the mud and continue…
>
> Don
>
>
> </div>
>