Oh the Places I'll Go When the Sidewalks are Cleaned

Welcome,old friends and new blog visitors.  I am a 60 year old blogger living in upstate New York, in the United States.  I am participating in two blog challenges this January, NaBloPoMo and the Ulitmate Blog Challenge.  I hope you like what you read here and return for more.


Usually I write about whatever strikes me that day, but I do have several theme days:

1. Wednesdays - Winter Wednesday (anything connected to winter), many of which include my photos.

Here's a sneak preview of what you will see tomorrow- a tree in my neighborhood.  I enjoy photography, and may make it a retirement hobby (if I can ever retire).

2. Saturdays - Sustainable Saturdays - Farmers Markets, Gardening, Community Gardening, an "ecological" lifestyle (whatever that means to me, that is)

3.  Sundays - Civil War Sunday - I am not a Civil War "buff" but I enjoy learning about history. During the 10th anniversary of our United States Civil War,  I am blogging about  both the well known and lesser known aspects of this war that shaped what we are today in this country.

4.  The 15th of the Month: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, an event wher plant lovers from all over the world post what is blooming in their world (inside or out) on that day.

Today's NaBloPoMo prompt (I will only follow them occasionally, by the way) is:  From Where Do You Draw Your Energy?

In this, my 60th year, I am drawing my energy from being a pain in the neck.  I'm an introvert, but I've decided I am going to be one of those Grandmas Who Change Their World For the Better.  Except, I'm not a grandma yet, but that will come eventually. 

I want to make my little mark on the world.

My arre of upstate New York gets up to 80 to 100 inches of snow in a winter.  So clean sidewalks become a necessity - especially for the disabled, the elderly, and other people who don't feel like slipping on 3 or 4 months worth of ice and snow.

In September of 2011, my neighborhood of Westover, near Johnson City, NY was flooded by Tropical Storm Lee. One of the casualties was a 800,000 square foot building formerly occupied by BAE Systems.  1350 jobs left our neighborhood and moved down the road. (To put this in perspective, our Town of Union's population is about 56,000.)  The Air Force owned the building, and it was eventually transferred over to our county.  I took this picture on November 12.

Our county is electing not to plow the sidewalks in a timely manner, making it difficult for people (including shoppers from a supermarket across the street) to get to the bus stop.  I use that bus to get to work and a night worker from a nearby convenience store sometimes joins me when he goes off shift.

My balance isn't what it used to be, and I have a bad back. And, I have to get to work.

So, I've been contacting local officials.  And contacting them.  And will continue to contact them  One, Tom Augostini, a Town of Union councilman, has been responsive and gave me his cell phone number. I even got a phone call from the Town of Union Supervisor, Rose Sotak.  Kudos to them.  Mr. Augostini and I had a phone conversation yesterday and I hope it was productive. 

But who hasn't been responsive?  County officials.  I tried contacting the County Supervisor, Debra Preston, without success.

I hope the Town can help me and the other elderly/disabled/young/working poor and others who use that bus stop.  It was bad enough part of Westover was destroyed by the flood.  Houses still stand vacant, and will eventually be torn down.  The former BAE building will stand vacant and ruined, though, perhaps for years.

Uncaring government isn't going to destroy our spirit.

Have you fought "City Hall"?  Have you advocated for the people in your community who need help?