Hi
I understand where Mrs Schultz is coming from but do not agree with her singleminded view. My own mother was a wonderful bleeding heart liberal and we used to have a tramp, Ernest, who slept on the verandah of our Victorian home, right outside my parents' bedroom. He lived there for over a year, until we moved cities, and the smell of alcohol, his septic foot, coughing and snoring used to be a cause of great contention in my parent's marriage. But on our verandah, foot aloft, sleeping on our cushioned morris chairs he stayed. My mother was very singleminded in her view of how she wanted to help Ernest, but this was done at the expense of her marriage. My belief in adulthood has been that holding steadfastly to a singleminded view, without considering the affect it has on others, can cause damage that can hurt everyone, including the very person who is objecting. Having lived in Observatory since 1998, I have seen the positive turn that the parks (and streets) of Observatory have taken in recent years. My sister, another Obs resident, had a child in 2001 and when my nephew was a toddler, there was no safe park in Observatory that he could play in. It was a cause of dismay for all of us as he was a very active child, living in a small house, with little garden space and with no safe outdoor outlet for his energy in the suburb. If we did venture in to the parks, it was immediately apparent that we were making a mistake and we'd encounter broken bottles, condoms, litter, wet mattresses in park corners, people sleeping, etc. It wasn't a safe environment in which any parent in any suburb would let their child play without fear of harm. How times have changed as I am now the mother of a 2 year old boy and 5 month old girl, and the park is a key piece in our daily life. We've had park keys since my son was 3 months old and afternoon park visits are part of his daily life. My son has met most of his childhood friends in the park, and over time, the parents of those incredible children are becoming friends of ours. The kids meet in the park every day, they have playdates at one another's houses, they celebrate birthdays together, we all connect. My whole sense of connection with the Observatory community has changed for the positive since I have had this safe space in which to connect with neighbours who like me, would otherwise have been behind closed doors with their children. I have become less fearful as a result of these experiences, enjoying walking the streets, recognising more faces, stopping to speak to neighbours, leaving my front gate open so that my son can run in and out of our house into our front garden. Thank you to those who were involved in making the decision to gate the parks. It has provided a safe and happy environment for my children in a suburb that I thought could not support us in creating happy childhood experiences. Thank you too to the wonderful team at the library, the VS team who make our streets safer, the weekly patrollers. The difference you have made is incredible. All of us are benefitting from your commitment. If people want to enter the park and they don't have keys, they can always request someone in the park to open for them. I have often seen this happen without any problems. Another option if someone is looking to relax is to relax on the beautifully restored village green. And if someone wants to have a little snooze, it can be done discreetly, as I have often seen done, behind the low village green wall. Sincerely, Kerry -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en.
