A sense of place

McMansions, malls and “big box” stores are making town after town generic. While media outlets continue to expand (on TV, online), Americans settle for the “safe bet” houses and we frequent retailers that could be anywhere in the country, including down the traffic-choked street in our own borough. Assuming this is just the way things are, we eagerly await our next destination vacation so we can get away from it all.

To give our eyes something interesting to see, my husband and I plan excursions to New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Amsterdam, Reykjavík (Blue Lagoon!), Napa, and day trips to locales that look like themselves and nowhere else. Desirable destinations offer a sense of discovery—seeing an old building restored to its former glory next to a new modern structure, reading a historic plaque (and not just because we are Sarah Vowel fans), people-watching from a park bench, wandering into a chocolate shop like Rose City in Boonton, having a microbrew at Krogh’s in Sparta, smoking a cigar at Ashes in Red Bank, buying an author-signed book in Ridgewood, getting a spa treatment at the Urban Muse in Denville. Yes, a terrific town provides interesting opportunities to part with our money.

Building a vibrant city takes planning, vision and political will. Unless the electorate demands pedestrian-scale, mixed-use neighborhoods—even new urbanism—politicians won’t use their power to provide us with smart, sustainable growth or other policies to make our towns special, livable places.

Selecting an architect

The first candidate was a freshly licensed friend. A lack of communication skills made it abundantly obvious he was too professionally immature for a project that would shape how we live.

In January, we talked to an architect at the Home Design & Landscape Show in Morristown. While he insisted the firm could “do modern,” the portfolio didn’t support this claim.

In February, I introduced myself to an up-and-comer at a chic NYC restaurant she helped design. I was star-struck—even more so upon seeing her name in a magazine. At a mid-June meeting, she and her partner explained leveling our house was necessary to achieve their vision. Moreover, they wanted to sub to a New Jersey architect, having that firm adapt this vision to local conditions.

I interviewed the firm behind a well designed New Jersey restaurant and bookstore; their sampling of shore homes was heady, if a tad minimalist. Yet we never seemed able to confirm a time to meet. Concerted web surfing yielded several sites with prose so portentous I couldn’t figure out if the buildings discussed were homes or holy relics.

As the roof leaked in August, Google brought me to Jimmy Dumas Architecture, LLC. Jimmy responded to my email. Then called. A few days later, he was standing in the rain at our front door. As we talked about the house, our rapport was comfortable, easy, like getting advice from a trusted friend. A reference check and retainer check later, his team spent the day measuring our house for the “as built” drawings, which arrived Friday.

Every email: responded to. Every call: returned. Appointments: kept, on time. Deadlines: met. Calls from Jimmy or his team members to say, “We got the ‘Manifesto.’” “We got the check.” “Just checking in...” They have the basics down cold.

Quality of life depends on quality politicians

She came up to our seats before the program began and started asking questions. Following my instincts, I glanced at the “Woman’s Leadership Workshop” program. Sure enough, there was the name Judith Woop. She was one of several panelists that September morning, all of whom offered words of wisdom.

• “Keep your ears open and your mouth shut. When you open your mouth, do so after having done your homework.” –Gloria Carelli, Chairperson, Morris County Advisory Committee on Women (the program’s sponsor)

• “Power is good because power is something you can do something with.” –Leanna Brown, Senator

• “Be comfortable with yourself... Be engaged in the conversation… Be able to adapt… Be a well-rounded individual.” –Alison McHose, Assemblywoman

• “Bring your life experience to your role in politics.” –Margaret Nordstrom, Freeholder Director

• “You are never going to know everything, so you need to rely on the expertise you come in contact with.” –Deborah Walsh, Executive Director, Center for American Women & Politics

• “Politics is everyone’s job. Everybody needs to have a voice in government.” –Councilwoman Judith Woop, who is running for Mayor of Butler (and who has invited me to help hone her message and review/polish/format campaign materials)

The event was a refreshing break from the usual cynicism associated with politics. These women were a force for good, committed to having a positive effect on their communities. They reminded me that government is of the people and for the people; that its purpose is to solve problems.

Why should women become involved in politics? Because shying away means denying our neighbors and nation of our talents. As women, we bring a different perspective to policy making.

Ray Anderson says the environment needs us to reach positions of power, noting, “The ascendancy of women will offset the bottom-line thinking of men.”