Letter To The Editor – I Am Not A Newbie

Dear Editor :
I just finished reading a letter in your paper from Lenore J. Humphrey, and I admire anyone who has taken the time to research her family back to 1780. Now on to the real reason I write today. I have to laugh every time I hear anyone put others down because they are “Newbies.” Pretty funny.  My household has been in Petersburgh, yes Petersburgh (Not Grafton), and that’s  Petersburgh with an “H” since 1993. If that’s the definition of new I’m guilty! I, along with many other people, have chosen to locate to this beautiful area. In my defense I can only say that I’ve seen many parts of this great country and my choice for a home is in my ancestral area. As with Lenore I, too, have had family in these parts for quite some time – the Dunhams, Stickelmeyers, on my side, and on my wife’s side, the Crandalls and the Prezios It’s sad that we are judged by our ancestors and not by our own deeds.
Poor Lenore. I’ve been very active wherever I’ve lived. I believe in community service, and to that end I’ve been going to BOE meetings for more than 6 years. I’ve been on the Long Range Planning Committee, the Superintendent’s like-minded folks committee, the Concerned Citizens of the Berlin School District, the Boy Scouts, the PTO and I’m President of TRACS (Together Reducing Alcohol and Drugs in our Communities).  I support both the Grafton and Petersburgh Fire Depts. at their fund raisers. I help my neighbors and friends to a fault, and I would like to know why just because I’m a “Newbie” that I’m some sort of evil or wrong-minded person? When did offering one’s area of expertise (free) ever become threatening?
Change happens and Townies and Newbies are just phrases, a way of discriminating. I’ll coin a new phrase for you “Ancestral discrimination” as defined by Lenore J. Humphrey of Petersburgh. If you aren’t born here and haven’t had at least 230 years of family history here you should be seen but not heard, pay your fair share of taxes but have no recourse and if God forbid you try to improve your community you should take your foreign ideas and go back to your birth place.
Immigrants! Foreigners! Outsiders! Newbies! Johnny come lately! Carpet baggers!
I noted that Lenore had Heinz’s tax info and chose to publish it in her letter, but I didn’t see what she pays and what her property is valued at?
My property was valued at $158,000 in 07 at full value with a third less land than Lenore has, and yet her property was valued at $125,000 in 07 at full value. Hmm, maybe we need to look at those tax rolls again. Newbies often pay more for their property taxes than the locals because we also care about our property and often make improvements that end up costing us more in taxes.
Please learn to be open-minded to new ideas and to cooperate with each other. We can make an even better Petersburgh, should you choose to try.
Andy Zlotnick
A locally grown NY Product since 1890
Immigrating to Petersburgh in 1993