Some Grumbling...by Liz Flaherty

We dropped off recycling the other day on Logansport Road. Just as they often were at Macy, Denver, and the school--all places we normally dropped off because they were within five miles of where we live--the bins were pretty stuffed. I will admit there was no furniture sitting around them, no mattresses, no electronics or dead appliances. That was nice. 

But it's 15 miles to drop off our blue recycling bags now. Does this mean our $30 annual fee will be reduced? I've always thought the cost per household was reasonable, especially when we used to have pickup for those dead appliances--which went by the wayside years ago; however, when every trip to drop off on Logansport Road requires a gallon of gas, it's not as reasonable as before. 

In all honesty, we combine trips to the recycle bin with other errands, so I'm indulging in a little ticked-off hyperbole here. 

Just as I do when I think of the uber-expensive limited access highway State Road 31 is apparently going to become when INDOT and its supporters are finished. (Yeah, I know, roadwork is never truly finished, but that will be another disgruntled column at another grumpy time.) Truth is, I can take county roads to get almost anywhere I need to go without accessing 31 where I've been crossing it or turning onto it where I have for the 46 years we've lived here. But I don't want to. It will be inconvenient and annoying. If I want to simply get to the other side of the highway without turning, it will also be farther. More gas and more time. 

Maybe, if proportionate funds were spent on those county roads to keep them...no, to make them smooth and easy to drive on, I wouldn't mind it as much, but I'm not totally sure of that. 

I get a little hyperbolic when I think of how much a family must pay for a library card in Peru. It's okay for me--I have a card at a library in a neighboring county where it costs less. I get books from the Libby app on my phone for my Kindle. While I think Peru has a beautiful library, I remain disappointed that it is a city rather than a county entity. Years ago, I wrote about it, and the headline of the article said the library was "more than a building." It is. No hyperbole there. And it's a shame it's withheld from county users for reasons not fully understood or explained to taxpayers' satisfaction.

Okay, I have to admit, I'm reminding myself of the social media commenters who complain about Dollar General stores as if they are the single cause of Peru, Indiana's lack of retail growth. I am, as are they, failing to appreciate the effort put forth to make our area welcoming. I guess that's the thing with complaining, isn't it? The voice used for being upset and disappointed is much louder than the one proclaiming the good. 

I do think reduced recycling sites, limited access, and expensive library cards for rural county residents are problems that should be addressed and fixed for more of the county population than are considered at the present time, but I don't really expect it to happen. While I don't believe ignoring what I consider to be iniquities is the way to go, I do think I need to keep my voice at the same level as the one I use when I'm talking about the good. 

Because there's a lot of good. Have a great week. Be nice to somebody.