Fight The Power
As a civilian, I feel I must take this opportunity to thank our locally-based, locally-owned businesses who provide a human face to Main Street Takoma. They pour their time, hearts and fortunes into making our downtown community unique and worthy of celebration. Sometimes it seems that the grand global marketplace is hellbent on a dreary march to the relentless median. The bottom-line, cost-effective, almighty average. That gray center of the bell curve where you’ll find about six billion other people, all drinking the same overpriced turnpike rest stop coffee. Via the internet, if that were at all possible. But that’s not Main Street Takoma. Here, when we talk about value, and what a thing is worth, cost is not always the deciding factor.
Our local shops are our friends, our neighbors, and our families. They care. Don’t expect some dot com out there to sponsor your kid’s softball league. There isn’t a corporate giant out there liable to lift a finger for retired greyhounds, feral cats or any form of poultry concern. If there’s a death in the family, I don’t think any massive internet distributors are going to pitch in to send over a tray of food. No operator on duty will give you a pat on the back or a hug. I’ve seen our merchants do all these things.
So, if you think our Main Street only good for the occasional Sunday morning scone, then I humbly suggest you might just as well drive your gigantic SUV over to Monolithic Coffee and join the other marching minions of the tickytack jihad. And if you believe that there just isn’t anything happening in Main Street Takoma that would be of any interest, then I must say, sadly, that you have my pity. But I’ll bet next week’s paycheck that you haven’t been there recently to check out your misunderstanding.
Main Street Takoma is unique. Exciting. Sustainable. Renewable. It validates. It has value. Welcome to Main Street Takoma. Use Main Street Takoma. Humanity, no extra charge.
John Hume
Design Chair
Comments
The recent sidewalk improvements are great. But signs with maps are desperately needed, especially right at the Metro station. What about near clock, too? Restrooms are needed, right now not all restaurants seem to have them for customers. Is there a sewer capacity issue?
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Thanks for writing. Concerning signs and maps: these have been on the Design Committee workplans for the last couple of years, and there is (slow) progress. Things should begin appearing in 2007. Think about volunteering! Many hands, light work, that sort of thing.
Restrooms are another matter. There is growing sentiment in favor of them. However, rather than simple infrastructure concerns, some big issues appear to be the 3 L's: Liability, Law Enforcement, and Land. Because of the first two L's, public restrooms have been rapidly disappearing throughout our area. And, since square footage is so durned expensive here, restrooms are a hard economic sell. Then, there are the 2 M's: Maintenance and Money for operation. Time for some creative thought, here. Ideas? -jh
Posted by: Nancy Nickell | December 20, 2006 09:37 AM
John -
I was happy to complete your survey, then I read your letter about it - which turned me off. Reverse snobbism is no more attractive than the straightforward type. If you want people to feel welcomed in Takoma Park (I have lived in & around TP for 17 yrs now) you should lay off the judgments and just be positive!
Posted by: Nancy Weil | December 4, 2006 05:41 PM