Sunday, November 14, 2010

Sunday 160: In the Way of Progress

A massacre of sorts is happening in town
A senseless slaughter and
indiscriminate death to those unfortunate ones
in the way of progress:
the widening of Highway 23

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True story. What we loved about our town when we moved here (it's quaint and unique character, the tree lined streets and smaller size) is quickly changing. Now our population has doubled, an asphalt jungle has risen in the name of shopping convenience, traffic is a nightmare and the beautiful, old, majestic trees are being bulldozed to make room for the widening of Highway 23, a main corridor through our community. I realize the necessity but it doesn't make it any less sad. In any case, is this really progress and at what expense?

I really wish I had thought of taking before and after photos. Quite a difference for sure.

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To participate in this weekly themed writing, or to read other contributions, please go visit Monkey Man.


21 comments:

Tina said...

That makes me sad! Majestic old trees are a legacy and it's a crime to cut them down. A crime.

Reanaclaire said...

No more environmental friendly, right?


www.reanaclaire.com

PattiKen said...

Very sad. A road was widened near my town, and I have to give them credit. After they took down the trees to widen the road, they planted new ones back from the road several feet. Granted, neither the trees removed nor the trees planted were large enough to be called "majestic," but I'm impressed that they did it.

Nessa said...

This is always sad. I live in The Garden State and it has so few gardens left.

Deborah said...

Your words express it perfectly.

Brian Miller said...

ugh. it totally jacks everything up when they wide the road...they were doing it at my office this week...i never knew which entrance i could use all week...

Monkey Man said...

I am a true tree hugger so I hate to hear these stories. There must be a better way for city planners to think progress through.

Thanks for using the Sunday 160 as your forum. You contribution is much appreciated.

Claudia said...

ah that's always so sad - in the name of progress...question sometimes is if it's a real progress..


..my 160

Alice Audrey said...

Almost makes you think we should control our population levels, doesn't it?

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

it reads like a news clip,
vivid and powerful...

Thanks for stopping by my 160 post.
Happy Sunday!
xx

G-Man said...

Eminent Domaine...Grrrrrrrr

joanna said...

Yes mourning the loss for truly we lose,

I am senseless, I am bold, I am progress...I remember what a tree once looked like....for my parents showed me a photo...ugh..

Reminds me of that song, sung by Joni Mitchell -- "Big Yellow Taxi" They paved paradise and put up a parking lot"

cheers,
joanny

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid this is happening all over. Here in Reno they've way overdeveloped and pushed the wild animals out of the foothills. Sometimes hungry bears come right down into our neighborhoods. And too many homes=more foreclosures and lower equity.

Jannie Funster said...

Wow, double population. That's major.

And I can relate to highway widening, always construction somewhere here too.

xo

Dianne said...

oh no oh no, that happened to our town 5o years ago, and the center was divided by a 4 lane freeway. Town square and city hall a blip on the east edge, high school and lake park with zoo out of sight on the west side, no one walks, no one sits outdoors at quiet cafes, etc, etc.

AAAAAAAAAAh!
Di

Me said...

This one really hits home for me. Lots of construction in my town for the widening of the main road. Buildings torn down, etc.

And on my little side street, progress as well. New water mains, and they decided to put in sidewalks too. Many of us lost trees to this project...sad.

Raoulysgirl said...

Ugh! I know what you mean! Our area has always been a "tourist trap" but it was once for the lake, the natural rivers, and the beautiful scenery. Now, the lake is bordered by condos (which have recently been found in violation of dumping their sewage in our lovely waters). The natural rivers are filthy. Both are extremely crowded "in season." Our beautiful scenery is now cluttered with billboards, electric poles, and the trash left by the tourists who don't care to litter because they don't live here.

Touristry is touted as being the boon of our local economy. Some of us see it as the bane of our local beauty. The latter is growing fewer in numbers, sadly...

gayle said...

Wow!! If this isn't the strangest thing......you have to go read my post I just put up!! I know exactely how you feel! I almost end mine...I hate progress!

Love your way with words!!

Joanna Jenkins said...

It's a shame when big, mature trees are taken down for freeways and expansion. When it happens, I feel like I've lost my landmarks.
Hope new plantings are at least part of the future plans when the road is finished.
jj

Kat said...

This hit close to home for me. When we moved to our little town, the population was around 12,000. Now we are closing in on 50,000. I will give credit to the City for demanding that developers be sensitive to the natural beauty of the area, but that has only come about recently. There are some ugly eyesores from the last 10 years that make me cringe. Kat

Willoughby said...

Unfortunately, I think that happens everywhere, sooner or later. We live in a very rural area, but little by little the farms and fields are disappearing. Sad, very sad. Especially when we have empty store fronts along Main Street. Why not use them before building something new?

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