Here's the problem.

While I don't agree with Tall and Tough's tone, I do agree with his message and it's a simple one.

The committee and the board made a decision and people weren't asked for their opinions until after the decision was made.

I freely admit that I'm to blame, as a resident, for not attending any meetings. However, and I feel more importantly, I also hold the committees/board responsible for making these projects known to the neighborhood, something that isn't happening in a timely manner.

John, you say you have a dozen projects in the works? Why don't I, as web site coordinator know about these? Why can't we post those ideas on the bulletin boards and get some peoples' opinions?

In my little ideal world the committees/board would provide me with minutes or summaries of meetings that I would be more than happy to post for everyone.

The only method of communication between the board/committees and the neighborhood is through the newsletter and the web site. The newsletter isn't timely and the web site has to be fed. I'm now trying but I can't attend every board and committee meeting every month. I need help gathering information if there's any hope of sharing it. Without that, ''Tall and Tough'' will continue to be justified in his disapproval, but not his tone.

John, I ask you those questions rhetorically since we both know I have recently joined the Landscape committee. Everything I'll know, the web site will know. I had only hoped to illustrate that the committees are doing things that the average resident may not know about. And, I feel every effort should be made to keep everyone informed, even the people who don't care enough to attend the meetings. If you pay dues you should not have to feel ambushed by an idea. Especially if you make a ''reasonable'' attempt to stay informed, say by reading the web site every once and awhile.

I commend everyone on all their hard work and contributions. I think a breakdown is occurring in communicating that hard work with the community, that's all.

Point Missed

Tall And Tough seems to be saying that if the playground committee petitioned door to door, why was the fountain issue not petitioned door to door? Also, if one says they did everything feasible and didn't, he/she should be called to task. Lastly, if someone goes out on the internet and makes representations, he/she should welcome all points of view; the identity of the author is irrelevant.

By Anon

Door to Door?

What is Tall and Tough's point about the playground committee? If he/she thinks that every house was contacted (door-to-door or any other means), he/she's wrong. I know that my household was not contacted. I've asked a dozen or so neighbors if they've been contacted and they haven't either. Let's face it, 100% contact would be so time consuming that nothing would ever get done by the people that volunteer their personal time to try to improve the neighborhood.

We, as a neighborhood, have yet to find an effective means of timely mass communication -- not just disseminating information to homeowners but also getting feedback. The web page doesn't get enough traffic to qualify. On the fountain issue, the only negative comments that I've read/heard were on the web page. The impression that I get from the majority of neighbors on my street is that they really enjoy the fountain, but either don't know how to find the web page or rarely read it -- much less publish their opinions. They're surprised that it's been criticized.

Does anyone have any practical suggestions for dealing with neighborhood proposals? We don't want the current discussions to become so divisive that the volunteers among us give up and we're just another so-so neighborhood.

By Also Anon

agree

I agree that the fountain was an ill-considered decision. In fact, I don't ever recall receiving anything in the mail asking for my opinion on the issue. I guess you just had to know about this website or attend an association meeting in person. I think it detracts from the pond and is an utterly unnecessary expenditure.