Editor’s note: The following letter was written in Vietnamese and translated into English prior to submission.
To the editor:
My family and I fled Vietnam as refugees in 1975 and settled in West Stockbridge in 1978, having been introduced to this beautiful town by Gordon Rose. I have been a resident and business owner here for nearly 45 years. My family realized our American Dream and have built strong and meaningful friendships here. It is here that my late husband and I raised our children and built our businesses. We are honored to share our culture and cuisine and to represent this town through our shop and restaurant, which have brought a countless number of people from other parts of Berkshire County, New York, Connecticut, and the world.
I am proud to call West Stockbridge my home and to have positively contributed to, seen, and welcomed its evolution and growth. It is to be expected that growth and progress sometimes are accompanied by mistakes and missteps. In the past, our town has handled these with fairness and accountability.
The current situation is quite different. The Select Board and Planning Board have made decisions that have a direct, negative impact on my family and created situations that could have been avoided.
Over 30 years ago, when town government closed the Harris Street Bridge to vehicular traffic, the decision illegally cut off our only legal access to a national roadway system. When The Foundry threatened closure of the only lane to our home and businesses, town leadership said it was a private matter. Yet, taxpayer dollars have always been used to pave, plow, sand, and maintain that access, which has been used openly and freely by an entire town and millions of visitors for more than three decades, so how can our access be justified as a private matter?
Additionally, the town has looked the other way when The Foundry’s un-permitted business held amplified outdoor concerts on an un-permitted stage some 90 feet from my restaurant and home. The noise has had a significant detrimental effect on our lives and business. The town’s failure to enforce agreed upon conditions and establish zoning laws has allowed continued harm to my business and family. This does not speak well to existing leadership or to the leadership we need as a town.
West Stockbridge desperately needs change if we are to grow and succeed as a community. To that end, decisions made by the town’s boards must ensure that everyone’s rights are respected and protected.
On May 8, I will vote for Jon Piasecki for Select Board. I believe Jon will serve our community with respect, transparency, and equity–qualities that have been lacking in our town government for the last three years.
At nearly 83 years old, I deserve to retire and enjoy the home and businesses I have worked so hard for in peace and quiet.
Trai Duong, Business Owner, Truc Orient Express and Out of Vietnam
West Stockbridge
