Letter: Be good neighbors at Willards Woods
Thursday, March 30, 2006
As a concerned dog owner and lover of Willards Woods, I am committed to helping find an equitable solution to the "dog issue" in the Woods. Since last week’s meeting, which I attended, I’ve noticed many dog owners being conscientious about leashing dogs on Brent Road, driving carefully, and picking up the poop. I even left a note on someone’s car when they inadvertently parked in front of the fire hydrant, to make them aware that this was a big "no no." I truly believe that the dog owners, non-dog owners, and most Brent Road residents want - and will work hard for - a reasonable solution that accommodates everyone.
However, I was very disturbed by one aspect of last week’s meeting and some subsequent encounters that have occurred on Brent Road. It seems that a few residents have an elitist attitude about "their street, their pool, and their woods." The day after the meeting, one Brent Road resident yelled to a dog walker, "Get out of my neighborhood!" and then gave her the finger! Not only is this behavior rude and unacceptable; it also undermines the majority’s efforts to solve the problem.
This elitist attitude is one part of the Willards Woods problem. Some residents seem to feel that as owners in one of the nicest neighborhoods in town, they are entitled to Brent Road and the Woods. Just as those who live near the Center benefit from that prime real estate AND must deal with traffic and parking issues, so too must those who live near conservation land deal with others coming into "their neighborhood" to use the land. We ALL pay taxes in this town and therefore we all "own" that land and that public way. While I respect the private membership of the Adams pool and its parking lot, the Brent Road residents do not have exclusive access to the street or the conservation land. In fact, during the summer when the pool is open and pool members park on Brent Road, no one seems to complain about those cars using their street.
I - and many others - respect the neighbors of Willards Woods and will work hard to maintain the privilege of walking our dogs there. Most of us are already driving more slowly, parking carefully, leashing our dogs on the street, cleaning up after them, etc. In general, I think all of us dog-lovers/walkers have a heightened awareness of why the neighbors are upset. No one wants cars and dogs all over their lawns, or poop all over their shoes!
On the other hand, residents in the area need to be aware that we ALL have rights to the Woods and that it is not an exclusive privilege in an exclusive neighborhood. This town already has a reputation for being affluent and at times "snobby." As a resident, I don’t feel that way most of the time; in fact, I think Lexington is relatively tolerant and diverse. Therefore, I am deeply troubled by this attitude of exclusivity near the Woods.
We are all reasonable people - dog owners and non-dog owners alike - and there are workable, reasonable solutions to this problem other than banning dogs outright or requiring them to be leashed. I hope the residents of Brent Road will recognize that the dog walkers are doing a great deal to be good neighbors, and they will, in return, be good neighbors to us. We ALL have a responsibility to be reasonable and fair in our assessment of everyone’s "rights" to Willards Woods.
Leslie Goldberg
Woodpark Circle
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