Overflow parking

Usually, meetings on Ocracoke which do not include food are not very well attended. Tonight, there was a meeting which was an exception to that rule. Over 50 people came out to the Community Center this evening, not to eat, but to discuss an issue. The Community Center parking lot only holds about 10-15 cars, so folks parked along both sides of Highway 12, and across the street at the Gas Station too. I tried to get a good picture of this parking overflow, but it was dark so the shots didn't come out too well. Here's one of the parking lot at the Community Center (the best one I got).



So what where all these people there to talk about? Garbage. Literally.

The issue of how trash is disposed of, who pays for this service, how much they pay, and how (through taxes, buying special trash bags, etc.) is a hot one right now on the island, and there were some very vocal people at the meeting tonight who made their views perfectly clear. One gentleman was so worked up he was nearly yelling, but most of the commenters were civil, even as they disagreed and expressed their concerns and annoyances with the proposal to move toward a "pay as you throw" solid waste management plan. (And yes, there were a handful of people who expressed support for the change, too.)

I actually enjoyed the meeting, for multiple reasons. First, it made me think (more than a mindless night of TV watching would have done, that's for certain!) Also, it was an example of good dialogue between community members about an issue which affects them. I like when this happens, as it is a reminder of how much people really care about this place. I wish it would happen more often, as there are several more topics which people could influence if they would participate in the process. That's a good thought for an election year: no matter your political preferences, participate. Vote!