The baby was naked, mid-diaper change, the cat was yowling for his 5 p.m. spoonful of canned food and the chicken in the oven was surely drying out. But I answered the door anyway. I wasn't in top form, and didn't exchange many pleasantries when a man stepped through the doorway. I also ran through my "I have to talk to my husband first" speech, in anticipation of someone wanting money.
The man at the door was fellow Upper Falls resident Anil Adyanthaya. He didn't want money, and he didn't seem to mind that the baby had no diaper. Instead, he was courteous and brief, explaining in a hundred words or less why he had come.
"I'm collecting signatures for the creation of a Newton Upper Falls Area Council which would give a voice to residents in Upper Falls," he started. I didn't ask any questions, shifted Anabella onto my hip, and signed the paper. He handed me a short fact page about the initiative.
"Good luck," I offered. And he was gone.
Later, when I got my bearings, I read the sheet and was intrigued. I felt somewhat ashamed we'd lived in Upper Falls for two and a half years and this was the first I'd heard of the initiative. I immediately contacted Anil for more details. He told me the area council would address general tangible issues such as street conditions, the creation of a dog park at Braceland Park and the development and direction of Needham Street. Perhaps more importantly though, the council would prioritize community building and mobilize residents for community engagement.
"The Upper Falls Area Council would give people an outlet and allow for local decision making. It would give people the sense that there's community here, that they don't just live on a plot of land south of Route 9," Anil said.
Although there's rarely a good time to knock on people's doors, Anil noted he received a positive response, which is a great indicator that the council is something that residents both want and need.
Ideally, Anil and other volunteers could collect the 13 remaining signatures necessary to bring the petition before the Board of Alderman in January. The council will hold elections during city elections, every two years, and will consist of nine volunteers.
Given that I frequently chat with my immediate neighbors and often patronize local businesses, having a central council to bring Upper Falls at large together excites me. Though sometimes I find it hard to believe, there was life before Facebook and people spent afternoons or evenings chatting face-to-face with their neighbors, contemplating issues close to home.
I'm not calling for a mass boycotting of Facebook, but I am looking forward to getting to know my neighbors just a little better.
As of now, (ironically) the council's main web presence is a Facebook group called "Newton Upper Falls Area Council." If you'd like more information, or want to sign the petition, please contact Anil Adyanthaya at adyanthaya@aol.com.
