[MassHistPres] busy-body neighborhood-nazis and control freaks

[Carol Carlson]

Jonathan:
I finally found Still River - I had no clue where it was, but followed 
my nose to Harvard and see it is listed on the town's web site as a 4 
century old village.   Sounds very interesting, and I may have to make a 
trip to Harvard one of these days.  However, from what I'm reading, it 
appears that Harvard has an appointed Historical Commission but not a 
Historic District Commission.   From what I've seen, there is a huge 
different between the two.  Does your Historical Commission have the 
duties and powers of a LHD, and if not, what would be the point of 
creating (via town meeting vote I presume) a historic district in Still 
River?

I think your last paragraph is right on the mark, and is about all you 
need to say in response to such negative and hurtful words from a 
townsman. 

Best,
Carol M Carlson
Bedford, MA HDC

Jonathan Feist wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Things are getting uglier here. A member of the aforementioned 
> disruptive contingent has now called us "busy-body neighborhood-nazis 
> and control freaks" in the local paper. Actually, he probably means 
> everyone on this listserv, in that categorization, besides just Chris 
> Skelly and I (and might I mention how honored I am to be so-grouped 
> with Chris...).
>
> The actual text of the letter is appended below. Pretty much all the 
> facts are deeply twisted, beyond the offensive language used.
>
> I'm getting some feedback from others on the HC that I shouldn't 
> respond, personally, as it will appear as tit-for-tat, and sinking to 
> his level. I'm not enough of a politician to know exactly what to do, 
> in practical terms of what would yield the best result, though I 
> already drafted a pretty lengthy response. Any thoughts?
>
> I actually think that such rhetoric makes the writer seem like a 
> crackpot, and I'm actually not particularly offended, personally. But 
> I think it is exceptionally bad form, and it needs to be called out.
>
> --Jonathan
>
>
> =======
>
> Letter to the Editor, Harvard Press, October 16, 2009
>
>
> Residents against Still River historical district
>
> On Oct. 6, a group of Still River residents attended a meeting of the 
> Historical Commission. We had seen evidence that they had been 
> discussing a historical district for Still River. Chairman Feist tried 
> to poo-poo our concerns, saying that discussions were very preliminary 
> and that nothing would happen without Still River input, even though 
> he felt it would be good for us—e.g., promising to spare us from 40B 
> development.
>
> However, meeting minutes for 2008 and 2009 record discussions about a 
> historical district, none involving input from Still River. In May, 
> the minutes noted that “we are now in the initial phases of 
> educational outreach,” (Oh, really?). In February, the minutes 
> summarized a meeting with Chris Skelly, director of local government 
> programs at the Mass. Historical Commission. Skelly advised patience, 
> plus partnering with the schools to increase understanding of Harvard 
> history—in other words, plant the seeds in the children and wait for 
> them to influence the parents.
>
> Here is some actual input: Still River does not need, and as far as I 
> can tell, does not want a collection of busy-body neighborhood-nazis 
> [sic] and control freaks running our affairs. We live in our corner of 
> Harvard because it is friendly, relaxed, and mutually trusting. We do 
> not seek exploitation as a historical destination. Harvard’s bogeyman, 
> 40B, is not deterred by a historical district. Do not try to scare us, 
> to patronize us, or to pander to commercial preservationists in the 
> name of Still River.
>
> But do come by some day for some fresh produce, for a swing through 
> our conservation land, or for some conversation in our quaint post 
> office. Come to admire St. Benedict’s Abbey with its view of Mt. 
> Wachusett. Not everything you will see is as preciously pickled as in 
> Williamsburg, but we love it anyway.
>
> Fred Hinchliffe
> Still River
>
> =====
>
>
> ================================
> Jonathan Feist
> jfeist at charter.net • 978-772-4864
> Blog: Delights and Processes http://blogs.townonline.com/delight/
> Writing about Music http://jonathanfeist.berkleemusicblogs.com/
>
> ******************************
> For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact 
> Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us directly.  PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE 
> WHOLE LIST.
> MassHistPres mailing list
> MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
> http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres
> ********************************
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/private/masshistpres/attachments/20091017/a6523a0d/attachment.htm>