Letter to the Editor: Restore Quiet Weekends

(This letter was written by Josh Weisbrod)

Today is the first nice Saturday in months. Sun is out, sky is blue, a little chilly but a lovely day to enjoy outdoor activities: a hike in Saxon Woods, a walk in the neighborhood, letting your dog run in the dog park, just sitting outside and reading a book. And, given it is now spring, we also get to enjoy the ever-present orchestra of edgers and leaf blowers. 

I enjoyed their roar on the second half of my walk in Saxon Woods park at 9am. I was treated to their whine when I returned home after the farmer's market at about 12:45. And, I exulted in their buzz as I bundled up and read my book outside. They are everywhere and they never stop. And, thankfully, they're so incredibly loud (Google estimates 80-95 decibels) that we can even enjoy them indoors several blocks away through nose-cancelling headphones. 

In a world with endless stimulation, the weekends present us with a time to relax a bit and avoid the constant pings. And, many of us moved to the suburbs to enjoy the outdoors - whether that's a hike or just taking a stroll after dinner. But, in Scarsdale (and many other communities) you can't even do that without the constant whir of the landscaping machines. It's constant Monday through Saturday from sun-up to sundown. (I know we have a rule saying 10am on Saturday, but how many of us have heard the noise pollution begin before 9am on a weekend?) 

I think we should be able to sit outside on a Saturday and not listen to this. Come to think of it, we should be able to sit outside in the summer post-5pm and not have to listen to it either. Feels like there is something we should do as a community to restore a time when you could enjoy the outdoors (or even sit in your sunroom with the door closed) and not face the omnipresent noise pollution. 

Josh Weisbrod
Scarsdale