Good neighbors make life in Logan County better for all of us. LDN wants to celebrate the organizations and individuals who are especially caring and helpful. Please send your suggestions for groups and people we should cover, and provide a brief description of what they do that makes them Good Neighbors.
E-mail to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.


Courtesy, kindness and charisma

Author's neighborhood has it all

[MARCH 25, 2000]  Quilting bees, canning parties and barn raisings are all certainly events of days gone by. But it seems high tech has taken the place of high touch in many of our homes and communities. There is, however, one Lincoln neighborhood that continues to keep the true "neighbor" in the neighborhood. Oakwood West, located in a somewhat obscure area of West Lincoln, has become a small retreat for many of its inhabitants. Here, many families have discovered what it means to be a good, old-fashioned neighbor.

Now there are no barn raisings, but when there is a need, the neighbors meet it. How many neighbors still shovel snow for one another? How many neighbors welcome any and all new residents to their street with an Open House in which they invite everyone? Did you know Oakwood West has its very own mayor? Allen Pickering holds this prestigious honor and is in stiff competition with another friend for this job. Only time will tell who will win this one.

Pickering’s neighbors, Cheryl and Jerry Bauersach, have lived on Oakwood Drive since July 1994. Mrs. Bauersachs says, "It's great to know when you have to be away, the neighbors pitch in to mow your lawn, water flowers, pick up mail and watch over your house." She also recalls another neighborly event, "A couple years ago, several neighbors were gone on vacation at the same time. It happened that a huge storm came through and shut down the electricity for several houses. The few neighbors [who were] left ran extension cords from their houses to those without power to keep the sump pumps running and also to save the food in the freezers."

 


["Mayor" of Oakwood West, Allen
Pickering poses with his family
at the entrance to their friendly
neighborhood]

 

Friends have learned to rally for one another too. Kathy Blaum says of the neighborhood, "We all respect each other and our diversities."

The most frequent get togethers are the Oakwood Drive bonfires. They can run from spring through fall. "If you build a fire, they will come," a resident quips. "Everyone brings their lawn chairs to gather around the fire, chat or to cook hot dogs and marshmallows," reports Mrs. Bauersachs. She finishes her reflections on this one-of-a-kind neighborhood by saying, "It's an environment of friendship, trust and respect. Because it's a fairly new subdivision, many of the people here started the development, which helps bring you closer together...almost as an extended family."

 

Perhaps this sounds like a movie script, but it is actually in your own backyard. A mustard seed is a tiny seed, but when planted and watered, it can grow into a huge plant. Good things still happen and kindness is a lot like that mustard seed. A small act of neighborliness can bloom into a great place for all to live, work and play.



[Even the smallest Oakwood West
inhabitants love their neighbors]

 

Almost every new person has been helpful and nice. We swap tools or mowers almost at will. Many different occupations seem to blend for a common good," Pickering states.

Gone may be the days of quilting bees, canning parties and barn raising. But the days of good neighbors and acts of kindness are alive and well in Lincoln, Ill.

So, do you have a good neighbor story? Is your neighborhood thriving with folks who go out of their way to help you? Let LDN know about it. E-mail us ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.

 

[Jeaneen Ray]

 

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