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Show MAY 1992 - FUTURE TIMES - 3 partially subsidized by those property owners who do not yet live here. Every lot owner pays the same POA dues per lot, whether or not they live here and use the roads. When all the lots are occupied, road costs will double or triple because of increased use. Where will we get the additional money to pay these increased costs? COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: With all lots occupied (another 200 to The Town Council must look ahead to see what problems are approaching the community, then minimize their impact on the people living here through good planning. Our mayor’s work to obtain water rights for the Town is a good example of this. LOOKING AHEAD: We can choose either to make our own choices or have others make them for us. We have the power as a community to . choose and shape what we will be. Few communities do so; instead they lose that power through default I hope we decide to choose our own future! — Jack Campbell 300 families), and other areas around us growing too, we will almost certainly have schools here again. Where will we locate these schools? DIVERSITY: One reason it’s so nice to live here is that our community is made up of many unique people, living many different ways. I hope we can continue to make the effort to maintain this diversity. It won’t just happen. We have to value it, choose it, be open to it, and work to maintain it. Otherwise the balance will tilt either Consideration or Toleration — Two Ways of Living Living together as neighbors has never been easy since the beginning of the human race. Attempts have ranged from the old standard of “If he bothers you, just shoot him," to never protesting at all, regardless of the offense, just being the victim. While we don’t seem to shoot each other too often out here in toward mansions or house trailers. It’s Castle Valley, there seem to be some going to take courage and wisdom to differing views on what constitutes being a good neighbor, ranging from suffering in silence (toleration) to putting ourselves in our neighbors’ shoes (consideration). In the toleration system, a good maintain the balance we now have. PARTICIPATORY GOVERNMENT: No one has ever claimed that democracy is very efficient. The democratic process takes much extra time and energy, since differing points of view must be weighed and incorpo— rated. Some of us idealists think it’s worth the trouble. We think that neighbor is one who never complains, regardless of the provocation. This can machines causes TV-disrupting static, maybe I can arrange to use that machine while my neighbor’s gone to Moab (or at least I can call and check to see if they’re watching TV right now). Or maybe we can do our noisy work at the same time, by mutual agreement. When the consideration system is working, we can live our lives not grinding our teeth or holding our breath waiting for the next time our thoughtless neighbor does his thing. But the consideration system is not without its costs. We have to expend the energy it takes to care about how neighbors feel, and to communicate. If we’re over-extended or defensive, it may be hard to shift to a different style. The possible benefit is that we just may members participate in the process. be fair if all are using the same set of rules. For instance, I keep you awake one night as I tune my racing motor- This is one of the main reasons for this newsletter—to present the issues and cycle at 3 am before an important race, and you keep me awake another night give people a chance consider them and with an all-night beer party. Neither of voice their opinions and ideas. It is important that some commu- In Castle Valley, as we gradually fill in the once empty lots that were providing buffer space between us complains; the trade is fair, bother neighbors, there will be more and more stronger and sounder decisions will be reached when more community nity group be assigned the responsibil- ity of looking out for the long-term interests of the community, through facilitating those actions which would for bother. But what if we need to sleep at night or have company coming to visit to enjoy some peace and quiet (It’s nice when they don’t have to leave and look for some other place to camp benefit Castle Valley and having the courage to question those actions which, though they might seem convenient in the short term, might be harmful in the longer term. Another valid function is to work toward fair treatment of ALL commu- neighbors u'y to learn what bothers each other, and then try to avoid doing nity members, unlike the “good old boy" system that still flourishes so well in Grand County. those things in such a way that problems are created. When neighbors have learned how to avoid bothering each Fairness comes from policies that are consistently applied, regardless of who is a friend of whom. If policies aren’t working, then you change the policies until they are fair and can be applied consistently. other, we have the most enjoyable living. If you know that your neighbor dislikes your chain saw noise. why not wait to cut your wood until you know he’s left for the day? If one of my because our neighbors are inconsider- get the same consideration in return. need to shift in the direction of consideration. Toleration is the old system of the wild west, where the nearest ranch was along ways away, when what one person did had little effect on the next (as long as you kept the fences up and ate.) didn’t mess with the water). In the consideration system, Nobody’s perfect There are times when most of us may seem rude, inconsiderate, and unnecessarily noisy or messy. Then we can hope for patience from the folks we live around. Still, the closer we can get to considering our neighbors’ comfort and peace, the better our lives will be. If everyone were considerate most of the time, we wouldn’t need many laws at all. — Jack Campbell |
