Before you read on, I'd like for you to take that stroll again, ok?
Earlier this year, we got a rather upsetting letter from the city. They were planning on changing the zoning for the woods, from recreational to building. Why?
So a indoor ice rink could be built. A two rink building in fact.
Our neighborhood is an average suburb. Lots of individual houses, a nice fairly quiet area. My family have occupied this lot for 60 years.
The people who live here, have now risen to face a battle. Fists in the air. Why should the last small bit of woods that acts as a sound diffuser between our homes and the highway be pulled down and a tall metal building be put up instead? We'll be facing hugely increased traffic, massive parking issues not to mention the noise. Should I mention I'd be facing that view from my kitchen window instead of a pretty forest?
Now at this point I should probably let you know that I'm not a "hockey hater", quite the opposite. One of my favorite sports. I was over the moon when Finland won the World Hockey Championship two weeks back :D
The people who ardently support this project, are now calling the 100+ opposing neighborhood residents irresponsibly folk, who only stare at our own bellybutton. We also hate kids and do not support youth sports... get a grip is what I say. Also please learn some manners.
Just because we cherish our corner of the world does not exclude the rest. From the start the place is simply wrong. There are other lots within 5 kilometers they could easily use, this one just happens to be cheapest to build on. The problem is that building a project this size on a residential area is quite ridiculous.
Might I add that none of the supporters live close by... I wonder what their view would be if something like this was planned across the street from their home?
So we have indeed dug ourselves deep into those trenches :)
And we are not going quietly.
Onto the ramparts!
Our first cause of action was to file an opposing complaint with the city and contact the museum people who were surprisingly unaware of possible ruin of historic relics.
On May Day weekend, we cleaned up the trenches.
This was after the first day, more was added on Sunday.
This little cobbled road, the cannon path (literally made so cannons could be transported to the trenches) is what we want to preserve. All these relics are from 1915.
We cleaned it up, with written permission from the museum authorities.
This past week supporters have written to newspapers, after our small demonstration (sorry it's all in Finnish...).
The editor of our local paper wrote an editorial that was just in bad taste...
But we have something to say too. Watch the newspaper (Helsingin Sanomat mielipideosasto) this week is all I'm saying.
The difference on our part is that we don't get personal or nasty.
We do know our manners.
Thank you very much.
I'll keep you all posted how the battle continues.
