Probably most of our readers don’t know what is meant by shorthand – but this was a class taught for many years as part of a high school’s business courses (or commercial course). Shorthand is a way of writing that makes short work of taking notes – symbols represent sounds and in some cases, several words. It was a necessary and wonderful tool before the invention of hand-held tape recorders. More than a half century ago, I learned shorthand at Windham High School and still use this skill daily.
For the past five or six years, I’ve been taking the minutes (writing down what was said) for the Windham Planning Board. Shorthand helps to make this an easier task but, over these years, the work of the Planning Board has increased so much and the details and reports and demands of various boards have grown so that meetings of these very skilled volunteers now can last four hours or more. Make no mistake – they do not get paid for this task. As clerk, I do get paid, but have decided to stop doing this task because it has become so time consuming. I hope that the Board will be able to find a replacement clerk quickly.
I cannot stress enough the amount of work that is done by members of this Board. What is really pitiful, and shows the apathy of the average resident, is the lack of response to public hearings. I figure I’ve lived here long enough and have the required credentials to declare myself a native, so I’m qualified to criticize!
Folks who complain the loudest about development and protecting and preserving the land, ought to attend public hearings about subdivision of 45 to 90 houses – even if they aren’t across from your house or in your backyard.
Recently there was a continuance of a public hearing on a big development in South Windham (that’s the other end of town, south of the shopping district) where the developer will be spending over a million dollars to tear down an eyesore that we’ve all complained about for years! The new development they plan afterward, will be attractive, well designed and provide needed affordable housing. Yet, no one showed up at the public hearing. These folks who are doing this work ought to be thanked for getting rid of this dangerous, probably unhealthy old mill.
When someone starts to complain to me about what’s happened to my old home town, I always ask them where they were when these opportunities to voice their concerns were made available. An 80+ single-family development down on Route 302; a 90+ house development also on Route 302; two or three developments on or near Albion Road – and this is just the start of what’s being projected. Houses and roads and even quarries are being sited in former pastures – pastures which of course had more uses than just looking pretty.
There are many chances for residents – long time and newcomers – to have input on the future of Windham. It’s up to all of us.
See you next week.
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