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| A good neighbor is one who smiles and extends a helping hand across your fence without climbing over it. |
Tomorrow marks the six month anniversary of Hurricane Sandy's arrival in Broad Channel.
During the past half year we have all come to realize the truth in the statement that "The impersonal hand of government can never
replace the helping hand of a neighbor."
Unfortunately, recently there have been indications that there are those who appear to have forgotten the past six months of pain, damage, displacement and family upheaval and have reverted to a "pre-Sandy" mentality of a busybody neighbor.
One of our neighbors here on West 12th Road whose family was displaced right after Sandy has been working tirelessly trying to repair their residence in order to move their family back home.
A complaint was filed with the Buildings Department and a stop work order issued on their residence this week.
Perhaps all the work being done was pursuant to permit code and then again maybe not. In any case, it is not our place to judge as we all are struggling with the same issues and should have other, more pertinent issues, to concern ourselves with.
Try to keep in mind that a good neighbor is one who smiles and extends a helping hand across your fence without climbing over it.
Enough said?
UPDATE: Monday 4/29/2013.....
Several neighbors have contacted us and stated that staff from the Department of Buildings have been sited on several roads within the Channel. Apparently they are paying close attention to those homes which were "red tagged" by the DOB during November 2012 shortly after Sandy.
Amen Peter! WHEN will we ALL realize, the ONLY result of calling the city/govt on a neighbor is that you open the neighbor's wallet to the city AS WELL AS YOUR OWN. Once the govt agencies come on the block they EXAMINE EVERYONE. They do not make you remove the violation, they just issue a fine and then look at your neighbor's homes. They want your money - that is all. THey don't give a rat's ass about anything else.
ReplyDeleteYES! You said it Dr. Kit!!
DeleteWhy do we have to find ourselves fighting not only Sandy, FEMA, SBA, local authorities and now other neighbors; we are under siege! This is shameful. The worst part about it is that authorities should be working with people to help get their houses repaired, not issuing stop orders which will only delay a family from returning home. Like Dr. Kit said, the government seems to only be interested in the contents of your wallet, if not as a donor, then as a target.
ReplyDeleteALSO:
DeleteNot only does this delay families from returning home, it can cause some to walk away from their home, which will leave a hole in the community and likely result in blight. ENOUGH!
We need to pull together not victimize one another again.
Feeling terribly removed from !@th road and still residing in a hotel I was beyond sad to read this article....12th has always been known for being a "tight" block .....yes we get on each others nerves ,,,but we genuinely care for each other . Im out of the loop but hope that the person who chose to impede this family from getting "home" sleeps well tonight because I wouldn't be able to. As previously stated...we are already being victimized by city/state and federal agencies ...isn't that ENOUGH ???????????????? What happened to "" help thy neighbor "" and "take care of each other ""----after all isn't that what made our tiny little town where we all luv living ?????????///
ReplyDeleteKathy Guiseppone