ONLINE DOCUMENTARY: A NEWTOWN STORY

 As someone who has lived near a feed mill for nearly 50 years, I want to offer some tips to others whose new neighbors may be of the light industrial type. Any time a new neighbor is moving in, it is natural to wonder what life will be like as you share your life and community resources.

If your new neighbor is a feed mill, before you bake your welcome cakes and go knock on their door, you need to be prepared for the many "gifts" that you will receive in return.

First, there is the grain dust. My family was showered by this present for so many years until we managed to convince our neighbor that their generosity was so strong that it was nearly suffocating us. Now it is not quite as thick and visible -- at least until it rains. When it does, I still have the joy of the strong, distasteful odor to keep my neighbor in mind. Perhaps that reminder is not really needed when you live, like I do, under the looming shadow of a feed mill tower and are serenaded 24 hours a day, seven days a week by the grinding and clunking of a busy fellow citizen.

My community also feels popular because of the frequent visitors that come to see our neighbor -- both by train and truck. Of course, those guests are not nearly as friendly as the rodents that love our neighbor so much that they made our community (and too often our houses) their permanent home.

Like most neighbors, I do wonder what is happening next door. Perhaps that makes me nosy, but I can't help but dwell on the invisible chemicals that our neighbor discharges into the sky each day. I can't help but wonder which neighbor I need to "thank" for the cancers, the bronchial ailments and the lupus that came to my loved ones when light industry moved in.

I do have to admit that I am kept on my toes because of my neighbors. You never know what will be happening next and what new opportunities will open up because of their thoughtfulness.

Now, for instance, my friends and I have been encouraged to spend time talking with the other families in our community because two of our neighbors, Purina Mills and Cargill, have decided that they like our neighborhood so much that they want to expand. You are welcome to join us when, in the spirit of community, we come together to talk about Purina Mills and about Cargill. We will let our neighbors and the government know that their gifts are already more than we can handle.

Life is not the same once light industry moves into the neighborhood -- no matter what is being produced or processed. Before a potential neighbor gets permission to move in, ask yourself how much sharing you want to do. If you are willing to offer your health and peace of mind in return for noise, odor, rodents, pollution, fear and medical bills, then by all means welcome them with open arms. If not, I encourage you to work closely with your neighbors to prevent annexation and zoning changes from opening the door to a new way of living. In my experience, once they are in the neighborhood they are impossible to close.