Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Ted Fulmore: "There's nothing wrong with change."

This note from Ted Fulmore explains itself (I snipped a bit for publication), and it is being published here so I can publicly thank Ted for all his hard work these past few years. 


From the moment the Confidentials bought our house in 2003, Ted always has been nearby in a perpetually helpful capacity, and as anyone who has devoted time nurturing a sense of place can attest, his words below have considerable resonance: "It's just time for me to move on and dedicate time to other activities in my life."


Personally, in coming years I look forward to many porch-side Progressive Pints and cigars with Ted in his new non-aligned capacity. Ten years is a lot. We need to usher in that elusive "next" generation while the smoking and drinking are still good. Volunteers?

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Hello Everyone

I'm sending this note to those that live in the neighborhood and others who are active in the area. I've been engaged in community activities basically since the day I moved here almost 10 years ago. My primary role has been to provide leadership as neighborhood president. I'm going to be stepping down from this role over the next month. The Midtown meeting on Tuesday, April 17 will be the last one I preside over.

While I still have a passion for the place I live, I've realized it's just time for me to move on and dedicate time to other activities in my life.

What this means?

-If Midtown meetings are to continue, I will need to pass the Ritter House key on to someone else.

-I will need to pass on the email distribution list to someone willing to continue to manage communication.

-The website www.midtownna.org will stay in place but may evolve.

I do think it's ok and perfectly normal for a reassessment period to take place when there may not be meetings held. It's entirely possible that something different grows here, new ideas are fostered, new people get involved. There's nothing wrong with change.

Theories abound on community development. While the formality of a "neighborhood group" perhaps contributes to a sense of stability in an area, it certainly is not the only way build community and social connections. The neighborhood festival** is a good example. Maybe you have an idea for a project related to the arts? Music/Movies in the park? There's no reason residents and community stakeholders can't team up for something fun, do it, then move on with life.

Feel free to come to the meeting on 4/17, 6.30pm, at the Ritter house if you'd like to discuss the future face to face.

5 comments:

Iamhoosier said...

Ted's a fine person.

bwsmithna said...

If actions speak louder than words, Ted has spoken louder than all of us over the the past 10 years when it comes to improving New Albany.

John Griffin Miller said...

Ted is amazing.

PaulMidTownNA said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
PaulMidTownNA said...

Ted ROCKS. thanks for everything.. P.K.