PUTNEY-The articles and commentary of the last several months regarding the problems that the town of Brattleboro is facing have been, in my opinion, very informative and balanced.
I appreciate this because, though I don't live in Brattleboro anymore, I did live there for over 30 years and still have reasons to go there. Having said that, I have taken steps to minimize those visits in the past months due to experiences that echo many of the issues raised in the articles mentioned above.
It's sad because, though the town has been through various phases, it always seemed to have a sort of inspired spirit and an artsy-entrepreneurial acceptance. It was a place where one could be themselves and maybe even take a stab at their dreams.
I'm not saying that some of that doesn't exist now. But there seems to be an oppressive feeling, a kind of pall of confusion and ambivalence that hangs over the town.
I feel this ambivalence anytime I have to go into Brattleboro, not knowing whether I am going to encounter an aggressive panhandler, someone actively using drugs in broad daylight, or worse. I really feel for the store owners and restaurateurs who are trying to stay afloat in this environment. And I applaud those who have come forth to speak out, despite the risk of being seen as uncompassionate.
There have also been several articles and interviews lately regarding Windham-Windsor Housing Trust and the many crime-related problems that the organization is facing. I appreciate Executive Director Elizabeth Bridgewater's candor in detailing the issues and the obstacles that the organization is facing.
However, having said that, it seems there is an obvious connection between the predatory, targeted drug dealing that apparently has infiltrated those housing projects and the problems of the town. I see that in some sense WWHT's hands are tied legally, but that doesn't help the people who live and have businesses in Brattleboro.
My question: Are the people of Putney prepared to encounter the problems that Brattleboro is facing now? Is this what they signed on for when they decided in a town-wide vote that they wanted to go through with the proposed WWHT housing project in their town? Do they feel differently now that the problems of crime related to the various housing projects have been reported and admitted to in detail?
And lastly, should there be another town-wide vote? Just a thought.
Maureen Tadlock
Putney
This letter to the editor was submitted to The Commons.
This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of the writer. In the newspaper and on this website, we strive to ensure that opinions are based on fair expression of established fact. In the spirit of transparency and accountability, The Commons is reviewing and developing more precise policies about editing of opinions and our role and our responsibility and standards in fact-checking our own work and the contributions to the newspaper. In the meantime, we heartily encourage civil and productive responses at [email protected].