It’s been encouraging to see our public employees listen to public reaction to changes they’ve put in place. The four-way stop seems to be allowing north-south traffic through the middle of town while protecting pedestrians and east-west traffic. The metal scrap pile will remain as one of the perks we taxpayers who buy transfer station stickers can enjoy, if we choose to. These upsets may seem silly to some residents, but people’s willingness to speak out about what they don’t like is a hallmark of democracy. And when elected and employed officials listen, that’s the hallmark of a successful democracy. Few towns, few states, few countries enjoy this close connection between governed and government. Having experienced the remoteness of large towns, we celebrate the intimacy of our small town.

We hope people will become or stay involved in the approval process for the Harvard Village housing development in Shaker Village. If the developers are willing, as reported, to listen to residents’ concerns, then those residents should educate themselves on our zoning laws and 40B laws to see how they interact. Just as private individuals have rights to develop their land to make a profit, so private citizens have rights to see that the laws they’ve passed to protect their health and safety are followed.