Neighbors picnics, historic preservation, and the loss to rural & historic America

My house on Brooklyn Street today.

Sunday again… and with bee stings, kerosene hauling and traveling, it turned out to be another hot and crazy week.  There were few complaints about the muggy hot of most of this “State Fair” week since all know what is coming too soon… SNOW!

We had our neighbors’ picnic for Labor Day last night and we old neighbors got to me new neighbors & friends and enjoyed a perfect setting with the heavens putting on a magnificent star show by 9 o’clock.  The whole antique atmosphere of the community was set on its ear when neighbor across the street Mike Mucha, flew his drone over so all could see modern day technology up-close.  It seemed to interest all as he showed his command module around and landed it for a visit.

The great company however, made Sunday morning seem very lonely as I sit here by myself with my coffee. The quiet of Eaton is soon to be broken at 10 o’clock by the old historic Menealey Bell asking people to come to church.  Eaton has its charms.

The community is shrinking house wise though as it is planned to take 2 or 3 buildings down on main street to make a parking area I believe for the mini mart. 

This picture made my house look good!
Inside was horrible with missing floors, walls etc.

The buildings include the old Fred Burchard store that eventually was used by the Grange and then used by the Eaton Industries as a showroom.  Two are said to be condemned, down here they use any excuse to get rid of old historic buildings and then fail to understand the implications… Each removal not only takes away a potential new family dwelling lowering our school attendance… it shrinks the tax base and costs all of us huge amount of tax money.

The very historic home of Steam Engines, Underground Railroad, school, and library was to be knocked down when I bought it and fixed it up. It was unlivable. Yes… it seems… unknown to this modern mentality is the word restore.  Since I restored so many houses that they say should have been ditched I laugh at these people.

With the interest in small houses the houses to go are perfect, small…and in reality moveable.  Instead we will have more room for huge tractor-trailers to come into town and park…disturbing the peace and quiet and causing traffic problems.  (I now must drive down the street to the next block to get to RT. 26 rather than right up a block, to avoid the mess.) Whose fault?  A town board that made the decision to okay it I guess.  That same town board is the one that let the homes slide into disrepair with out challenge in the first place.

I think it is time for the public to stand up and realize that laws need to be enforced for occupancy, exterior cleanliness, and neatness.  It is wrong to allow this type of disregard… it brings the value of all the homes down and forces the taxes up! Wake up rural areas and small towns! And to the homeowners that don’t paint their exteriors…it is not a thing that raises your taxes it is called maintenance.

Also we need more people who are different running for these board positions.  Today in rural areas the only ones running on these boards are large farmers or people who are looking out for their own interests and could care about the hardworking little guys and his outlook when selling their property or paying their taxes.  A few are altruistic in their endeavors and few run to challenge because members stay on the board forever as incumbents…so why try!

Time for change… Time for a wake up call… High taxes, high energy bills, poor

home value are things that do not just happen!

Here is a video of the museum which was a deserted for over 40 years...I fixed it up and it is a great historic building now...