Isolation isn’t a perk for a small town

Posted 8/10/21

Sometimes people seem determined to cut their own throats.

Case in point, people in Lone Tree worry they may lose their small school to consolidation. The solution they see is to encourage …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Isolation isn’t a perk for a small town

Posted

Sometimes people seem determined to cut their own throats.

Case in point, people in Lone Tree worry they may lose their small school to consolidation. The solution they see is to encourage families with children to move to Lone Tree.

For families, Lone Tree has advantages. It’s small, safe, three parks, four playgrounds, a library and lots of child-centered activities.

But not for all.

There’s a subdivision and a Dollar General on the northwest side of town. There was to be a connecting street except it was never built. But there is an old gravel road that allows people to walk, bike or drive a golf cart from one side of town to the other. It was easy and convenient.

Until the City Council decided to shut it down. A couple living adjacent to the path objected to people walking past their house. They also claimed their lawn flooded when it rained. The City, in response, dredged the ditch running crossways to the path, making access impossible. Which means the only way to travel the two blocks separating one end of town from another is to drive.

Which means children living in the northwest corner are cut off from virtually everything that makes the town attractive, and those living in the rest of town can’t get to the only retail store that sells essential goods without a car. Small town life has its attractions. Isolation isn’t one of them.

This situation is both unfair and unnecessary. It’s a problem created by Lone Tree’s City Council. And Lone Tree’s City Council has to fix it.

To anyone inconvenienced by this, please talk to the Council. They need to hear from you.

Jacqueline Smetak

Lone Tree