I am confused about a few things and hope your dear readers or town leaders can clear them up for me.

Here goes: I am very concerned that the “Library or Not to Library” issue has grown into a monster with political overtones. I am hoping with all my heart it does not play into our town elections for it has no place there.

With recent complaints about staffing at the John Zon Community Center, I also fear we’ll build a new library only to not be able to staff it. If memory serves, the budget is usually pretty tight and relies on donations to function so wonderfully now. And many, many volunteers. Just because we build it doesn’t mean we can staff it.

Why is Prospect Street nearly impassable due to parked cars of folks working downtown or at the courthouse or the YMCA? If they had a yearly parking pass for those spaces and it was not honored at the parking garage, that was a huge mistake. After a snow, the street will not be able to accommodate a fire engine on any given day. The garage does not seem to have caught on yet, but let’s hope it does.

A tragedy waiting to happen in our downtown are the parking spaces pushed nearly up against crosswalks. If trucks park in these spaces, a driver cannot see the pedestrian. In the last decade, people don’t check for cars on crosswalks anymore; they just cross like they’re daring you to run them over.

A few examples are the crosswalk by the library and Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew. Another is in front of the YMCA. Seems there is always a truck parked there and drivers cannot see the people. Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center also has a parking spot in front where you can’t see the crosswalk.

I drive like a snail down Main Street to watch out for all the most important people in the universe who run out in front of my car to prove a point. I learned to cross only after checking for traffic. Parents please take note, you and your kids are not as entitled as you think you are and your job is to teach them how to cross a street, not prove a point that they’re special. Train kids to use the crosswalk in front of Ruggeri’s Discount Beverage and Redemption Center on Deerfield Street. If you run out without looking, you are one flat Stanley.

While we’re on the topic of Deerfield Street, why are there no police officers for the ongoing construction on this very busy street/highway? For nearly two months and through various projects, it has been a one lane street/highway with a “road closed” sign at he food of Meridian Street heading north. Two officers with walkie talkies is typical in this instance all over town except for Deerfield Street.

Just the other day, there were three officers positioned at the bridge on Routes 5 and 10 to help direct traffic on the one-lane bridge. I wasn’t three blocks from the Deerfield Street mess with no officers present.

On weekends, Deerfield Street is left to its own devices, whereby the dirt and rocks in the holes bounce out leaving dangerous conditions, dust you cannot see through and rocks on your windshield when a car goes by fast and splashes you. We live on Meridian Street and consider this our neighborhood, and appreciate any upgrades to the roadways and sewer. However, I believe we deserve some help getting through this road/sewer work.

Just a tiny view from the perspective of a person who loves her town and only wants what is best for all of us. Well, within reason and this is key: within reason.

Ellen Villani is a resident of Greenfield.