The heart of an issue
I’ve been on the east coast for over a month – in Buffalo, NY and in Burlington, VT. After the three and a half hour drive from the Sacramento airport back home in Mount Shasta, my partner and I went directly to a Parks and Recreation District board meeting in our town.
The board was voting on a proposal by T-Mobile to put a cell tower in one of the public parks. This would give the parks’ district $1,000/month for 30 years, emitting EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) in a park with a community garden, little league fields, outdoor skating rink, and across the street from a residential neighborhood. Because of health concerns about the proximity of the EMF radiation, the community mobilized around the issue.
The first two or three days after people heard of the proposal, community emails circulated a “Save Shastice Park” heading, a vigilance perspective of fighting for something’s life. After that, a group formed which called itself “Friends of Mount Shasta Parks,” communicating with the board and staff director about concrete solutions. They ran an ad in the local paper with a pledge form asking people to commit $10/month to help with the financial concerns regarding the district’s budget.
It was amazing to witness the organizing, even all the way from the east coast. Within three weeks, the tone of those opposing the cell tower was clearly one of understanding, outreach, and cooperation with the parks’ board members. Residents stepped up to offer money and ideas – such as tax bonds and grant writing – and to offer stories of how they believe a cell tower’s radiation may affect the area’s children, families, and future.
I’m sharing this here because it offers HOPE and a shining example of effective, positive community organizing. At the meeting on Tuesday night, there was a respectful dialogue between the five board members, the director, and the 90 or so residents who showed up to be counted (in a town of under 5,000 people, this is a great turnout). The unanimous vote to decline the T-Mobile cell tower prompted people to jump to their feet, applaud, and cheer. We had tears in our eyes for what felt like a collective decision.
What a wonderful community to return home to – one in which people can share their thoughts, brainstorms, concerns and fears in such a way that the public’s voice could be heard and received with openness. Kudos to all involved because this event demonstrates that heated topics don’t have to be divisive or oppositional, as long as the heart of the issue doesn’t lose its heart.