Must we in Lunenburg continue to read comments about a project, initiated in good faith, with sensible economic principles and objectives, and with community esthetics in mind, become convoluted by hero history?

  Advocating for economic development, which earnestly moved through that tangled skein called "town council" (who you may recall readily approved a fast-food folly entering Lunenburg) seems to be no easy task these days.

 Observe the Masons Beach development, and subsequent rhetoric, spiral down into the pit of insecurity owing to "unsung heroes" not being mentioned in recent advocacy credits.

 Mr. Kellogg's recent letter was concerned with the logic (consciously, I might add) of a project determined to make Lunenburg a better place - period. I did not read any reference to heroes or volunteerism in his right to commentary, nor would I expect to. If anything his reference to the Reiblings being "treasures" came from the belief that they understand the responsibility which comes with development. If they do not, the project will not proceed past the first tee. Our bylaws will see to that. Town economic planning with vision would suggest that the Masons Beach development is just one spoke in a diverse wheel of possibilities.

 Who built Lunenburg is not the issue here. Most small towns across Nova Scotia have among their many proud achievements a hospital, a curling rink, P-12 education, etc., built by the legions of volunteers who constantly grease the wheels of their valued community.

 Lunenburg is part of an understandably proud collective. They quite rightly should be recognized for their quiet and indefatigable fortitude. This paper is a weekly reminder of the excellence achieved in the field of volunteerism on the South Shore, be it Lunenburg or any other community which constitutes our region.

 I enjoy reading about them immensely. As a community we are better for volunteerism and recognition is essential. However, these are times when Lunenburg as a business community is struggling to move forward. Hence Mr. Kellogg's sensible letter of support.

 As a principle, it is difficult, yet equally important, that we take stock of our failures and not just our previous successes.

 Lack of acknowledgment of the mistaken loss of our high school, stagnant economic growth and little vision to implement a plan to re-establish a more integrated community where youth and young families are pivotol to our sustainability continue to reveal a disturbing void in Lunenburg.

 But failures can often inspire community achievements in the future.

 In fact, I suspect many of the achievements we enjoy now, built by those unsung heroes previously noted (worthy of respect both privately and publicly for making Lunenburg a better place), may have been inspired by this very same principle as well.

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 Steven Rhude
 Lunenburg

posted on 01/04/11