Let's treat each other with kindness, respect

I have lived in Sandpoint for over 25 years and am worried about the current personality trend. Last weekend, while making our way around Sandpoint after the Sunday snow dumping, my partner and I, once again experienced the rudeness that has plagued Sandpoint.

While stuck in the snow in front of Connie's, an impatient driver decided to speed dangerously around us instead of helping push the car out of its way. The small town personality that we love has quickly been diminishing. Our concern is that this influx of well-off individuals and families moving into the Sandpoint area don't understand that we help each other out here.

If any of you reading this don't know what I mean by helping out your neighbor, or it is a new concept, please understand that people need people. It is not every man for himself. Especially in this time of year when money can be tight (for those of us that make our money locally). How about those of us trying to find a way to keep our kids warm and have enough gas to get them to school and ourselves to work. Sandpoint's locals are about working hard, fair, with integrity, truth and caring for your fellow man.

I think we should all ask ourselves if we want this kind of "change" to occur in Sandpoint. There is no doubt that the marketing efforts of the last five years have attracted a class of individuals that are certainly not concerned about those around them. I don't want to sing "The Times are a Changing", if the changing personality of Sandpoint is going to be for the worse.

I know there are still a lot of fantastic people in Sandpoint that care enough to help their neighbor. I encourage everyone to write some words of people helping people, with little expectation of something in return other than a smile and a "thank you."

SHAWN ALLER

Sandpoint