Saving a Historic Community/Save Sag Harbor!

Threatened with the massive takeover of our beautiful little whaling village on the eastern end of long island last June a small group of family-owned businesses banded together to support each other and discuss options as a result of their landlord "throwing them out" to put a big box pharmaceutical store on their premises. As the discussion grew and news spread around the village we began to realise the the very fabric of the town was threatened - as we say when you can on longer buy a spool of thread on main street you know that small communities in sleepy little towns are being destroyed. Several small businesses on main street are faced with tripled rents or closure.

In a time when the "greening" of our planet is so important what could be more ecoconcious than being able to walk to your favorite food stores or the post office. Now we are faced with the "Rodeo Drive" effect of the rest of the Hamptons, luxury clothing stores, restaurants and big box to provide the rest of the services to newly erected condominiums being built over historic sites ruining the viewsheds of beautiful church spires and water and woods in the distance. Instead of my daughter being able to walk safely down main street to buy a slice of pizza after school or school supplies at the local 5 and dime she will be walking past Madison Avenue Clothing stores, real estate offices, and banks. All will be gone forever, whilst our project Save Sag Harbor is not directly associated with charitable giving we believe that we are preserving a legacy (this is after all the home town of John Steinbeck) and stewarding the history of this village for generations to come. By being involved in this action we are showing our children at a grassroots level that they can make a difference and empowering them to help make change in the world - after all our motto is "think locally, act globally" So in the past months we have rallied up to 4000 petition signatures, spent countless hours sitting on main street talking to passers by and attended every village meeting to support a change in our zoning codes and enactment of a Master plan for our village's future. We have a long way to go, we are up against deep pockets, but we will have fought to the bitter end! and I personally am not going away until "the fat lady sings!" I know I am giving something very important to my community and although not wealthy I can give my energy and time (around my own personal business) to this most worthy cause!
My legacy is to the children of this community and other communities across America - the sense of home and dignity and the knowledge that there is "something you can do" and that it is never "a done deal"!