The obituary of the late Mr. Common Sense.
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend,
Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and Maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.
Reports of a 6 year old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, which only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their misbehaved children.
He declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or a band-aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents,
Truth and
Trust; his wife,
Discretion; his daughter,
Responsibility; and his son,
Reason.
He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights,
Someone Else Is To Blame, and
I'm A Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
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The code of silence among Holyoke's Puerto Rican community is something that continues to bother me. The only person who speaks loudly and frequently about the problem is Chief Scott.
Someone named ifdataworks Posted something weird in the MassLive Holyoke forum today.
My walk yesterday started with a quick look over of Eric Suher's progress at Mountain Park. Eric has been very tight lipped about his plans.
As you walk in you are presented with a cathedral of pines.
The brownstone slabs used in the retaining wall of the dam contain dinosaur foot prints. You need a good eye to spot them.
Budding foliage on the aptly named Red Oak.
Mile markers. It's over 3 miles around Whiting street reservoir. Apparently this mark requires 2.
Not too many people.
I can't believe how much I have forgotten about plants. I should know their names, but I'm drawing a blank.
Hard to believe this is Holyoke.
I definitely needed the exercise.
If you are attempting to make a difference in Holyoke, you should start with the largest problems with the simplest solutions and the least cost in remedying.
In a poor city cars blow out more exhaust because owners are not as prone to good upkeep of the engine and exhaust system. People become far less concerned with the environment when they see that their own lives and the lives of those close to them are not very good. A person does not buy a hybrid car in such circumstances.
Last year HG&E took over the running of the cities' web site, and I thought at the time they would immediately begin work on the site's terrible navigation. But no real improvements have taken place.
Whiting St Reservoir. 9/8/05
Scott Tower. 5/31/06
Fire, temps below freezing. 2/05/07
Connecticut River looking north from dinosaur footprints. 9/16/06
Pizza Palace Fire. 6/02/06
Mt Tom Ski Area. 8/26/02
Victorian era graffiti in bedrock at Mt Tom Hotel site, now the tower site on the top of the mountain. 9/05/04
Mountain Park 8/17/02
Lower Canal, Hadley Mill. 8/23/02
Bray Lake picnic area, Mt Tom State Reservation. 6/15/03
View down Sargent St from the train trestle.
I took some pictures of the Parsons Paper Mill yesterday in anticipation of the City's action against the owner of the building.
Great old post card showing the mill in its prime.
Scott Tower was once a little treasure of Holyoke. Built as an observation tower by the Works Progress Administration in 1939, it now stands abandon like the rest of Anniversary Hill Park.
Postcard picture courtesy of Laurel O'Donnell
We walked up via the road.
Wheelbarrow of forgotten gardens.
Oh, Ya, Those two trees will keep out large vehicles.
No picnics today.
Tower looks kind of phallic when you first see it.
Things have gotten worse since my visit last year.
The door was unlocked last year and we were able to walk up to the top, but not this year.
Looks like someone tried to burn the lock off the door.
Scott Tower is listed in the State Historical Database
We walked past the Cell tower site on our way out.
We took a path along the Highway.
Foot bridge.
Scary old tree.
Hidden footbridge.
Large sections of fencing missing along the highway.
On our way out I took some pictures of the various graffiti on the road.
Paths beaten through the broken fence near the entrance.
Evidence of the park being used for sexual encounters was all over the place.
Some pocket bikes, and pocket quads came buzzing down the road behind us as we were leaving.
