Thank you to our recently joining readers. I appreciate the good wishes as much as I laugh at and subsequently delete the flame emails.
I've seen a recurring theme coming through recently, "You Don't Know Morrisville", and perhaps it might be a good idea to explore it.
My parents recently moved from our hometown after 45 years of living there. They were STILL outsiders, because they were not part of the intermarried Polish and Italian immigrant families of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that are still represented there today. I remember being absolutely amazed to find out how *incestuously* intermarried the town was and that everyone was related to everyone else, with only two or three degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. You could walk through the town cemetery and see the names of the founding families were the same names on the street signs, and were the same names in the phone book. THEY were the town, and everyone else was an outsider.
So what is different here in Morrisville? Not much apparently. Different names, but apparently similar thinking. Even after the decades I've spent here, I'm still finding out that X is related to Y who is related to Z and being amazed by the connections. The only minor difference is that I'm amazed to find out that A was a classmate of B at the high school and that both their kids are in the same class today. You especially find out items like that at Gym Night, another long tradition.
So just what is the YDKM mindset? And could Morrisville potentially be a wonderful successor to Castle Rock, Maine for Stephen King's next set of intricately interwoven small town horror stories? I've come up with two opposing but similar themes:
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons. You're not one of the power families, and you are crunchy and delicious with ketchup".
"Morrisville is a dreary unchanging place and the sooner you outsiders leave and let us return to our dreary unchanging lifestyle, we'll all be happier. Pass the ketchup".
Do you have another view? And what are some of the stories that someone who says YDKM would know? How would this understanding help us to better understand how Angry Al, Captain Algebra, the No Sports League, and Ducky were able to pull this off?
Monday, November 19, 2007
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Just witnessed another display of astounding ignorance. At this evening's boro council mtg Dan Jones, a businessman and partner in Morrisville-based Penn Jersey Real Properties, a company that for some reason is still interested in investing in this town, gave a presentation on their proposed Morrisville Gateway Project. It would be built on Bridge St., between Delmorr & Central Aves. It could bring 400-600 jobs and $300k/yr in tax revenue to town (that's equivalent to 75 houses @ $4k per pop). It's a nice looking building.
It might as well have been a proposed whore-house/crack den. Ironically, the same people who dumped all over a new school and railed about residential property taxes dumped all over this too. The techniques were the same - evoke unfounded horror stories about traffic, flooding, TRENTON, shady underhanded deals, TRENTON, taking away our precious parkland from our precious children (never mind that that land, formerly a landfill/leaf dump, has sat vacant for decades on end), TRENTON, and the old standby - not the right project at the right place at the right time, blah, blah, blah.
Can someone explain to me what someone of this mindset really wants? Nothing at all to ever change? Total control over anything that happens?
Pat Schell was one of the naysayers. Yet somehow her pet project to build 3 or 4 run-of-the-mill houses down on Delawareview Ave. a couple yrs ago was the greatest thing since sliced bread? It's no wonder Morrisville's a laughingstock.
My friend Dr. Sigmund Fraud guesses that it comes from people with low self esteem who've developed massive anger and hostility as defense mechanisms against what they perceive as their lousy lot in life, which they then project onto others. In and of themselves, they are worthy of sympathy, but oh man is it hard.......
"...people with low self esteem who've developed massive anger and hostility as defense mechanisms against what they perceive as their lousy lot in life, which they then project onto others."
I like Occam's Razor, but is it that simple? I would hate to think that a few episodes of Dr. Phil would change the town. Does he make house calls?
As a previous school board member that actually supported and continues to support the public education in our district, I have heard many times that I don't know the history of the town. I actually learned it pretty quickly. Since nothing ever changes, there isn't really much to know.
It is a town that for decades has been controlled by a group of miserable, racist, narrow-minded individuals that for some reason think it is beneficial to hold the entire place back. I have never seen anything like this.
New school to replace one that is literally crumbling? NO WAY!
New train station? Of course not. We might have to hire another police officer.
A Gateway Center business complex in a blighted area of the Borough that would only benefit the residents? We must wait!
Give me a break - that could be the town motto. LET'S WAIT! What are we waiting for? Trenton to fully infiltrate?
In the history that I have learned about this town, I know that we were almost the Nation's capital. I am sure the ancestors of today's Morrisville residents fought that too. I know that the same families have lived here since the dawn of time telling everyone new that moved here since the 17th century that they have no right to make any decisions on where their tax money is going. I have felt its wrath.
I am just furious at the Borough Council after last night's meeting and the elected Stop the Schoolers for their refusal to speak to our parents, and of course the folks that voted for a group of people that refused to share their plan. On the one hand, I think the town will reap what it sows, but unfortunately, I still live here and have a kid in the schools.
Well, if you want it to be more affordable, attract even more rentals, and continue its lean toward dumpiness, then by all means, congratulations! It's working.
I just find it ironic that people that spent the last two years fighting a building that would address many hazards in our current ones, are shooting down the idea of the Gateway Center in a crappy section of town because it won't be safe for our kids. Funny how they can just change their argument whenever they feel like it. Maybe these people should start worrying about the safety of the children where they spend 8 hours a day, before there is a major lawsuit...
How much do you think that will cost the taxpayers?
But, oh yeah, we need to wait!
I think fitful slogan for Morrisville would be...
Morrisville, Taking Pride in Our Ignorance.
STS,
Great blog! And great question. When I first moved to Morrisville I met a parent of my child's schoolmate who was a lifelong resident, and who was related to X, Y AND Z! One of the first things he said to me (and I don't want this to be misconstrued as my opinion or my feeling about my friends in the Manor) was "Those idiots are all inbred in the Manor. They'll never change their mind about ~blah, blah blah~ [whatever we were talking about at the time]" (Considering his lineage and multiple relations throughout town, he should talk!)
My point isn't to anger anybody, especially not my good friends in Manor Park who I respect, but to illustrate that even forever residents of town recognize the stagnation possibilities of a town full of residents who can't see beyond their nose, don't know or care about anyone who isn't related to them (or grew up next door to them) and who might even have a new idea of how to make the boro a better place.
It's a pretty common sentiment among log-timers that they are the royalty, but also that the royalty has genetic hemophilia.
Both the YDKM view of "don't meddle" and "outsiders leave us alone" are key to understanding this malaise.
On May 13, 2007, the Courier Times printed a letter from Borough Council President Jane Burger entitled "Tax Group Should Mind Its Own Business". In the letter she basically said that anyone who is not a resident of Morrisville, or is a new resident of Morrisville, should But Out! She took aim at Ted Fletcher who IS a resident (but not a long time resident), Dan Jones, who is not a resident (but is a developer in Morrisville) and several others.
This type of thinking, especially from a high ranking elected official, is incomprehensible to me.
First of all, anyone who is expending energy toward Morrisville (either good or bad) is most likely doing so because they CARE about Morrisville.
OK, I just made a big concession here. That means all of the NSN's, Angry Al, Sandy G, Gloria DelV. I don't care if you agree with them or not, if they are expressing an opinion, or working for change (or stagnation, depending...) then they care.
How is that a bad thing and why would you want to close people out of that? Include, listen, and invite to be a part of the renaissance... Sure you'll hear a lot of the 'same ole, same ole', but you will also hear a lot of new ideas, unusual viewpoints, and maybe (GASP!) real concerns.
Secondly, many of the businesses that are located in town, contributing to our commerce, our culture and our tax base, are owned by people from out of town. Is it wise to ask them to mind their own business? If you do, won't they likely pick up and leave, go somewhere that they are wanted, even valued?
Thirdly, this town is in dire need of new ideas, new blood, new capitol, new development. If you are looking to attract all of that, the head of your Council should not be going around saying "Mind your own business". I'll tell you what! When I was considering a location for my business a few years ago, I looked at Morrisville, saw a need for my business, and an opportunity. Then I looked at the chilling atmosphere, and the uninviting way that people in town (some, not all) have of making outsiders feel unwelcome. (We'll have too much traffic. People from Trenton will come here. We don't want the kind of people that towns like New Hope attract!)
Because then what you will end up with is ONLY Morrisvillians, only Morrisville dollars (an there are far too few of those), only Morrisville ideas. Nothing new, nothing fresh, no growth.
The Shakers, a Protestant religious denomination founded in the 1700's, built their ranks entirely through conversion and adoption. They were (-WERE-) strict believers in celibacy. Hence, their maximum size, which occurred in 1840, of about 6,000 full members, is now only four. Worldwide.
A cautionary tale for Morrisville. That type of mentality, the type which locks out all outsiders, shuns those not vetted by generations of residency and walls off new ideas, will have dire results.
One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.
The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back.
Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.
"Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"
"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly.
"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!"
Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. "What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!"
"This is true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!"
"Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said the frog.
"Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!"
So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.
Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.
"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"
The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back.
"I could not help myself. It is my nature."
Just think: if the Shakers came to Morrisville, their ideas for a pleasant, rather spartan furniture style would never have seen the light of day! Can you imagine the awful, painful splinters this furniture could cause? Not the right style, at the right place, at the right time, ..........
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