After reading my column in Saturday’s (10/1/05) Northfield News, several people have asked me about “the rare exception to the rule”, the repairing and repainting of the trash receptacles, and why I think sudden progress occurred on this item.
In my opinion, City Staff Member Howard Merriam deserves much of the credit for this breakthrough. I, along with various NDDC Board Members and Community Advisors, had met and discussed the matter of the trash receptacles with three different city staff members. All three said they’d look into it or talk to somebody about it or follow up on it and nothing ever happened…for two years.
Then one day I was standing on the sidewalk in front of digs. I was having about my tenth fit on this topic, although my first with Howard. I was probably waving my hands and stomping my feet, as I sometimes do when I’m really frustrated with something and he asked me why I got so worked up about the trash receptacles. I suggested that he look at them. He answered that he had at least a passing familiarity with the trash receptacles and their condition but was willing to take another look. We walked over to the nearest, random example. It was dented and rusted, like so many of the others. Howard said, “You’re right, this is terrible”. A week or so later, they were repainted and repaired.
Who knows, maybe the two years worth of meetings with three other staff members had “gotten the ball rolling”. All I know is that a week or so after looking at the rusted and dented trash receptacle with Howard, they were repaired and repainted.
Thank you Howard, for whatever role you played in getting the trash receptacles repaired and repainted.
10/6 Update: Heidi Hamilton told me that it was the hiring of Joel Walinski, our banner buddy, that enabled the City to start making steady progress on their “To-Do” List that included the repairing and repainting of the trash receptacles. Thank you Joel, thank you Heidi and, I still think, thank you Howard.