We are Unique

Today I took a walk someplace other than Minerva Park and was reminded of the unique beauty of our village.

There was nothing wrong with the neighborhood I walked through today, the homes are kept up and the neighbors look friendly, but their houses are all very similar. The same 5 or 6 blueprints are found throughout the neighborhood, with a few more unique ones thrown in. As I looked to see how many of one type I could find I was reminded of how Minerva Park is not like that. Most new neighborhoods, or even those that bloomed in the '60s, '70s, or '80s are filled with the preliminary "cookie cutter" houses that are now growing in numbers throughout our area.

Minerva Park may have a few homes that share floor plans, here and there, but a typical stroll through the park will give you very different views than that in a newer neighborhood. Our trees are fully mature, our homes are largely unique, and our streets are winding, canopied by those trees we love so much.

We  may not have the sidewalk systems you'll see in Westerville or Gahanna, but we have a character that cannot be found in a neighborhood with predictably spaced blocks and trees fresh from the orchard.

If searching for a home in Minerva Park, the same floor plan won't keep popping up on different blocks. Our homes each have a unique facade and character, one that can't be replaced by Dominion Homes (as fine a home builder they may be...) but is grown in time and with the history of our village.

When times get difficult politically in the Village, sometimes I have to remind myself of what it is that makes living here so great. There is a sense of community here that, when fostered, can give hope for the Village. I have found many more things to report here recently that are negative, because a lot of what is coming out of our Community Building right now is negative, but I hope to see changes made there and more positive things to bring to light as I walk through the park, because our village is unique, and I fear we stand to lose all of that if things continue the way they've been going.

Sadly, though, I feel most residents are unaware or uninterested in what is going on in the community building to be able to see the things that I (and many others) are seeing. There are high school-like games coming from "our" politicians here in the Village, and if anyone speaks out against them or tries to raise awareness they become a target. This has to stop. Our Village and our homes are worth more than that, but the credibility of our representatives is questionable and growing worse as the issues grow. I'd love to have no news rather than negative news here, but it seems that's what keeps coming from those elected to "represent us". This, I think, is worth DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.