Letter: Lincolnville's character, vitality hidden in blight
Publication Date: 02/12/08
Editor: I read with interest Kati Bexley's article in Sunday's Record, "Blight mars community," about Lincolnville.
We bought a house on Oneida Street more than two years ago and have been steadily improving it. Among many repairs, we have replaced the roof, improved the foundation, replaced the back portion of the house, added a bathroom and laundry room and made small repairs too numerous to list.
We have a great deal of family in St. Augustine and dream of retiring there; we hope to live in our Lincolnville house. We are gradually (and at great expense) restoring it to its former grace and function nuts and bolts first.
We also are proud to be responsible landlords to Flagler College students. As an Ann Arbor native, I believe that the presence of a college or university enriches a community. While students may not always be the quietest neighbors (we live in a student neighborhood in Ann Arbor), I know that affordable housing is a necessary component to hosting a university. A diverse neighborhood in terms of age, race and socio economic status is full of vitality.
We love old homes 75 Oneida is the fourth we've owned, ranging from 80 to 140 years old. We take our responsibilities as old home stewards seriously. By celebrating and preserving old houses, we honor our past and protect the environment. Hold a pine lumber scrap from 1920 in your left hand and one from 1980 in your right; you will know immediately that the most decrepit old home is more solid than the fanciest new one.
While it's true that some houses in the neighborhood appear abandoned, we are delighted that the once-abandoned house next to ours is gradually being restored. We are hopeful that other houses will follow suit. We hope that Lincolnville remains affordable, retaining its lively, diverse character.
Karen Sikkenga & Richard Rickman
Ann Arbor, Mich.
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