What is Progress?

When I came to Patchogue twenty two years ago, it had not yet become a "model of downtown revitalization."   

Far from it.   

While I loved the village just as it was, I was anxious, along with my fellow residents, to see change and progress. So eager were we for change, we defined progress in terms of what we did not want and neglected to think about that which we did want. Our vision for the future of the village was vague and unfocused. It seems to me that it has remained so. 

In the past ten or twelve years there have been so many changes which have dramatically altered the character of our village. Many residents are thrilled with these changes, while others are asking if this is what they really wanted, how did we get here and what does the future hold for the village.    

Nowhere has this been more evident than in the current election cycle. Our failure to clearly define progress and to create a plan towrd our goals underlie the bitterness and devisivness of the current campaign.

If you are happy with what has happened in the village, the credit accrues not just to the Mayor, but to his Trustees, the ZBA, the Planning Board and all who have helped us get here. If you disagree with the path we have taken, the blame lies not just with the Mayor, but with his Trustees, the ZBA, the Planning Board and all of the residents (myself included) whose apathy has helped us to get here.

My point? One that I have made in several posts on this site. Whether through an organized venue, such as a civic association or individually, we need to be informed, alert, active and vocal at all times, not just when events displease us or during an election cycle

I still love Patchogue Village, but I am asking: What is progress and how shall we define it for the future of our village?.