Letter to the Editor: Dispatch from the village of Hillwood Manor (July 2006)
Recently when it was noted by many of my neighbors in Hillwood Manor that we don’t receive the Takoma Voice anymore, I advised them that the reason was simple: We aren’t part of Takoma Park except according to some legal documents. The city just wants extra tax dollars, that’s it. The newspaper, we have been told, will be regularly delivered again. Thank God.
But as for the city government of Takoma Park, delivery is suspect. As many times as I have called the so called government about mundane issues relating to city services; they never, ever, show up unless you act like a complete idiot and harass them. The cops don’t monitor the area; there is crime elsewhere, I guess. The recreation park is not even the city’s responsibility. They wouldn’t do anything if it was their park.
What are we getting for our money anyway? Free mulch? Trash pick up? Trash pick-up is available from PG or Montgomery County if we weren’t in Takoma Park. Oh, I forgot, snow removal during the winter, that’s it. One councilmember, in confidence, admitted to my face that the government doesn’t care at all about this neglected part of the city. They have left it to its own devices. I wonder if it has anything to do with the surging new immigrant population or the hundreds of day workers the city has no answer for right now who live in some of the other surronding neighborhoods? I would hate to believe progressive Takoma Park is simply like America in attitude these days.
Yet, this part of Takoma Park, Hillwood Manor, is thriving despite the city government’s unwillingness to claim it as their own. The new immigrant population here has created a healthy cultural mix in the stores and churches that are all over this community. The residents here look out for one another in all respects and the community is strong, vibrant, and diverse. More than anything, Hillwood Manor, is the best of what this city can offer despite the fact that the city does not deserve our loyalty.
— Brian Gilmore
Takoma Park, Maryland
Editor’s note: Thanks for informing us of a hole in our delivery system. The Takoma Voice is an independent publication with no connection to the municipal government. We do not coordinate our delivery with the city of Takoma Park. You should receive this and future issues of the Voice. Our apologies for the lapse.