By Merlin Lessler —<\/p>\n
My walking stick and I took a stroll through the village the other day. I walked along a smooth, paved route on Front and Main Streets. At times I had to veer around a vehicle parked in my way, but otherwise it was an uneventful stroll along a macadam surface. Off to my left was a narrow strip of grass adjacent to a mix of cement and slate surfaces that most pedestrians were walking on.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know what they were thinking! Facing obstacles that lie in wait, like those in a steeplechase racecourse: slate squares and concrete slabs with raised edges, realigned by nature and tree roots to trip young and old alike. Disrupting an otherwise peaceful stroll past a string of lovely historic homes that define the character of the village.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the magic that draws visitors to our town, to shop, to stroll, to lull in peace and escape an otherwise chaotic world, unaware of the dangers that may lurk along their route. <\/p>\n
But it wasn\u2019t always like this. There was a time when it was safe to walk through the village, on level sidewalks. Homeowners and village officials were charged with the responsibility to keep them safe; the homeowners to fix the slabs that caused a tripping hazard, and the village to cite a code violation when they didn\u2019t comply.<\/p>\n
The village, at times, shared in the repair or replacement cost, if that year\u2019s board adopted it as a policy. Most homeowners today don\u2019t even know the sidewalk in front of their house is their responsibility.<\/p>\n
But the village government does, and appears they choose not to enforce the code and allow tripping hazards to exist.<\/p>\n
The state DOT redid the 17-C section of Front Street in 1986, including the curbs and sidewalks. Homeowners were given the option of keeping their slate slabs along the front of their lot or change to new concrete slabs, tinted to match the darker color of slate. Old slates were leveled, and new concrete was poured.<\/p>\n
That was 38 years ago, leading to the challenging conditions we now live with. Maybe our village officials and homeowners will step to the plate; but in the meantime, I\u2019ll be traveling along the safer path. That\u2019s what old coots do. <\/p>\n