Center Is Not My Village

There were two essays in a recent Haddam Bulletin that cry out for a response.
The Eco-Village story hailed the efforts of Greensburg, Kansas that went green after the town was destroyed by a tornado.
Well, good for Greensburg, but this isn’t Kansas. Dorothy and I cannot remember when the last tornado flattened anything around here. As the article continued on with visions of green tourism grandeur, I could not help but remember the failed eco-tourism center in Tylerville.
Then in Higganum Center, we squeezed the intersections of Routes 81 and 154 to give us more grass but people are still complaining about that so-called improvement.
After that, we paved over the grass on the Higganum Green, leaving us with a black scar walkway.
The second article pronounced that commercial development is the only avenue to stem the tide of rising mill rates. But if nearly 80% of our tax dollars goes to the District 17 education budget, then I think the out-of-control school spending is what needs to be addressed, not trying to find ways to expand the tax base to keep feeding that monster.
Besides, look at all the venom that was associated with trying to relocate the transfer station. Will the same citizens band together to fight a proposed factory being built near them? My impression of the writer’s position is that we have a revenue problem, not a spending problem. Isn’t that the same mindset that got the State of Connecticut three billion dollars into debt?
I certainly do not have all the answers on these two issues but I do have a question. What attracted these people to town? I would like to think it was the unique character of the area, but I’m afraid that some moved in because they saw an opportunity to change things to their liking at our expense. I guess that is what happens when us bumpkins fail to realize how unsophisticated our town is.
Since both articles continuously referred to some abstract villages, were they talking about Pilgrims, Greenwich Village, Sturbridge Village or a jungle village?
When I hear the words Higganum Center, or The Center, I know exactly where and what is being discussed but when I hear the words Higganum Village, I am offended and quite turned off.
For as long as I can remember, the hub of Higganum has been known as the Center and some old timers still call it Down Street. However, there is a creeping movement by some to change the name to Higganum Village. I’m not sure who these people represent but they certainly do not reflect the feelings of townies.
In the 1800’s, the Center may have been referred to as the village but this is not the 1800’s and we are not living in a time when we must unite to fend off marauding bandits or other unholy alliances. Such pretentious designations are not necessary unless we want to be known as the Village People. (And if we are, then I’d like to be the cowboy because I was once one of those infamous Higganum Outlaws).
But all joking aside, my suggestions are simple: Do not rename or remake our town because I don’t know how much more improvement we can stand.
Arthur Wiknik, Jr.; Higganum (Center)