Last month I wrote about the complaints on Facebook regarding unusually high water bills in the neighborhood. A couple dozen people said they had been affected. That suggested a large enough problem that they deserved a chance to demand answers from SAWS. So I arranged for representatives from SAWS to come to Beacon Hill to speak with us directly.
Despite the number of people who expressed great consternation over their excessive bills, only six residents came to the meeting.
SAWS wants to brush it off and say "you probably just have a leak." With so few people coming out, it was easy for them to stick to that narrative. If everyone who'd been complaining had come, it would have been a lot harder to dismiss their concerns.
This is disheartening. I have accepted that very few will respond to my repeated calls for volunteers to help improve the neighborhood. But I was still surprised that more people weren't willing to put in such a small amount of time and effort to protect their own pocket books.
On the other hand...
We held our first neighborhood movie night in the park a couple weeks ago, and it went quite well. Around 50 people showed up despite the cool weather. They brought popcorn, cookies, pan dulce, and hot chocolate to share. The neighbors next door made it possible by providing electricity. The image and sound were great. The screen didn't deflate in the middle of the movie. And the cameos by a barking dog, a passing train, and a hint of skunk aroma somehow made it even more fun.
- Daniel Hubbeling