As a journalist, the first thing one thinks when reading “William Wester proposes change to code allowing chickens in the village” in the board meeting agenda is, “there are so many puns. So many!”
It’s a gold mine. I decided upon “Fowl language,” and “Squawks blocked,” but I also loved the Cazenovia Pilot website’s “Chicks nixed.”
But when the board passed a resolution rejecting Wester’s proposal, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
Several arguments were made that “it’s a slippery slope” and that odor problems could get out of hand.
The mayor asked, “what if everyone in the village decided they wanted chiekens?”
But Trustees Wheeler and Porter, who supported the idea, made fair points: they supported the idea with plenty of regulation.
Let’s face it; if the village code was changed to allow chicken coops a certain distance from neighboring property, barring noisy roosters and limiting the number of poultry, very few people would take advantage of the opportunity.
And Deputy Mayor Wheeler made a valid point: as a nation, we are trying to be more sustainable and self-reliant, and an important part of maintaining those virtues is passing them on to children.
What better way to teach about where food comes from than teaching your children to raise their own egg-producing chickens?
I wish the idea had been offered a little more consideration before it was completely taken off the table.
English lessons
I was sad to see an obituary for Richard English cross my desk this week.
Mr. English was an important member of the community, and I feel fortunate to have a great memory of him; he taught me and other high school Interact members how to man the Rotary hot dog wagon the summer before my 10th grade, in 2001.
For more on Richard, see the obituaries section of this week’s Republican, on page 17.
