Cell tower defeat shows the power of community

Dear Editor,

Yes, the defeat of the Granite Springs cell tower is a sweet win for the local residents (and Yorktown residents writ large). But the biggest win of all is for community itself. The idea of community shone through in the way residents came together for a common purpose. No one asked each other about their political or other affiliations. Some people wrote letters to the editor; others did deep dives into cell phone transmission technologies; yet others researched the wetlands and defended wildlife. Hundreds of residents spoke out at town hall meetings, thousands signed petitions, and some just came to meetings and made their presence felt. It was more than an exercise in democracy, although it was that too. But the biggest thing to come out of this was a renewed sense of civic responsibility, cooperation, and communal friendship. After the vote was over and the dust had cleared, clumps of residents stood outside town hall drinking in the sweet vibe of success, shook hands, gave each other well-deserved congratulations, hugs, and almost disbelieving shakes of the head. I can only hope that this victory of community over individual interest translates to a larger movement, and even more commitment to protecting the character of our town, our precious wildlife, and the future we're protecting for our children to enjoy.

-Michael Hickins, Yorktown Heights