Katerina Martinez Professor Lago Essay four final portfolio draft 25 November 2013 Chaos within Communities In Monroe

Township the community is composed of retired senior citizens, growing families, and students. Senior citizens have their own development that is completely separate from a development full of families. Students in the community do not normally drive into the elderly communities because it is very isolated and private. However, when there are stories that involve the elderly, growing families, and students simultaneously, they are not always on the positive side. Some stories represent the stereotypes that the younger generations conclude about the elderly or they show how angry the retirees are about certain changes that only accommodate the younger generation. According to Levy, when the individual reaches an age that is formally defined by institutions, or informally by other individuals (204), it is not always the most flattering label. The twenty first century generation may look down on the elderly because they are not in touch with their younger side. However, the elderly may look down on the younger generation because they may see the young adults as nave or completely disrespectful. The lack of balance of accommodating both the modern families and the elderly of Monroe Township is causing chaos for families, the board of education, senior citizens, and even the drivers throughout the community. Being named after the fifth president of the United States on February 23, 1838, Monroe is one of the most historic towns in New Jersey. The Historic Preservation

Commission states that its main commission is to preserve historic buildings, sites, objects, and resources throughout the town (1). Not only are there more than three retirement communities filled with men and women age sixty-five and above, but also there are neighborhoods that were built in the seventies and eighties that are known for housing retired couples. Today, it is still full of historic sites that give the town a lot of meaning. It has changed by Monroe Township expanding every year, but it is expanding due to the increasing number of retirement communities, schools, and recreational buildings. Expansion is not always a negative aspect for a town. However, it makes it increasingly difficult for old people, families, teenagers, and the school board to operate all on the same level. Families with younger children are especially affected by the increase of retirement communities. The retirees have made up Monroe for more than fifty years and the sudden outbursts of new schools and developments of families are difficult for them to cope with. Mrs. Rivera who moved to Monroe in 1977 has been retired for five years. She feels that Monroe is a great town but its not fair that we have to pay for taxes that go toward the newly built high school that our kids do not even attend (Rivera). Mrs. Rivera is not the only retiree who feels that paying for the new high school is unfair. Retired people tend to fight the school boards decisions because the school board makes decisions that affect the entire town. Since it affects the entire town, the senior citizens have to live around the changes that should not be their main concern to begin with. For example, building new recreational centers and new schools for younger children cause the elderly to pay for taxes, but it is not like they have the opportunity to really use those

buildings. The buildings were built for families to use and get involved throughout the community and for students to attend school. Before the new Monroe Township High School building opened in the spring of 2103, there was great controversy between the senior citizens, school board members, and families throughout Monroe. Retirees repeatedly voted against constructing new buildings for families and students because they felt funding them would be an unfair advantage toward them. Trying to get them to vote for a new school building just created more tension and in result, building a new high school was postponed for two years. Postponing the new high school affected students because they were forced to learn in an environment that was overflowing with other pupils. In turn, parents were aggravated and annoyed at the fact that they were paying taxes for an education that was not getting used properly. Families and retirees did not see eye to eye on this issue for a while, and it took a lot of time and compromise in order to get the high school officially built. Not only are families, students, and school board members affected by the retired communities, but also drivers in Monroe Township. Most young drivers drive faster than the usual speed limit because they are more anxious to get to their destination. Besides cops stopping them from going their own speed, retirees are always on the roads of Monroe. These senior citizens in their seventies and eighties do not necessarily have the typical lifestyle and behavior [that] make life miserable and difficult for anyone (Lapsley 443), but they tend to drive slower than the speed limit, or they go the exact speed limit because they are able to take all the time they want. Without a job or any true responsibilities, they can travel without being rushed or even stressed. A typical stereotype about the elderly is that older workers tend to be less productive than younger

workers (Levy 204). People assume they are less productive because of the slow pace they are working. With retirees driving at their own pace, young adults easily lose their patience when they come in contact with them. This problem starts to cause chaos because slow driving may lead to traffic and in turn, that can lead to more accidents. During week day mornings, the roads are thriving with traffic and impatience. Parents and bus drivers are trying to get their kids to school on time and newly student drivers are also trying to get to school. On top of the traffic from parents, bus drivers, and students, the elderly tend to be out early in the morning because most of them get up early. They drive out onto the roads and cause more traffic. Younger drivers are more inclined to lose their patience with the elderly because they are trying to make the bell for school and they are not used to taking their time as they drive. On top of traffic from the elderly and a built of cars and busses, there is road rage and complete impatience from student drivers and parents. Although Monroe Township is large for a town, the combination of students, parents, bus drivers, and the elderly in the morning is chaotic. Jeena Patel, a senior of Monroe Township High School states, I hate the morning traffic and I hate that I have to leave almost fifteen minutes earlier than I should just because of traffic (Patel). Patel is only one of hundreds of high school students who drive to school and have anxiety over the persistent traffic. When I drove to high school last year, the traffic was always so long because of the numerous buses and cars trying to get into the school parking lot. Instead of letting the students or the buses go into the parking lot, the elderly people would make themselves a priority and not let anyone go. Also, they would make slow turns that would get me caught in the red light.

Last school year, there were more than seven accidents on a weekday morning due to the elderly and a student driver. It was mainly due to the fact that the elderly did not see the other car coming and they did not realize that they did not have the right of way or a student driver was trying to rush to school in order to make the bell and they they tried to pass a slow driver. While the numerous retirement communities are growing and [offering] ideal environments for aging overcontrollers, since there they face no ageist discrimination in competition for positions of leadership in the community (Lapsley 440), several families and students are being affected around them. Monroe tries to keep the elderly environment tight-knitted because then the elderly are able to have their own sense of government. Giving them their own government allows them to act and please how they want in their society without having to change the entire town due to their needs; however, they are still part of the main community and they are able to vote against some aspects that can potentially affect their own government. Students education is on the line and accidents are increasing each year. If these problems continue, Monroes future will suffer. Addressing the issue is an issue in itself. Citizens who are age sixty-five or older are able to live in these communities the way they want. As the number of senior citizens grows, the amount of actual retirement communities increases also. They live their lives at their own pace and take it easy as much as possible. In result, this way of living affects families and teenagers because most of them do not lead a life that is similar to a senior citizen, and chaos breaks out throughout the town. On top of retirement communities increasing, developments for growing households are expanding all throughout the town. Chaos from the senior citizens is increasing; however, people should be able to retire and

live where they want. The younger generation does not have the right to say where they should go and how they should live their life, but the elderly also do not have the right to argue against certain buildings if it is for the good of the town. Although retired people, the younger generation, and growing families are able to life wherever they want, they all should understand that not everyone lives and thinks the same way. This problem in Monroe Township cannot be easily solved by completely eliminating the developments or the retirement communities. Each group makes up a great deal of the population, and specifically pointing them out as a problem would go against laws of even discrimination. One way to progressively improve the issue is if there was a town meeting in order to discuss the issue of the increasing number of retirement communities, developments, and recreational buildings. In order to prove that increasing the number of retirement communities and developments of families is not a good idea is by giving evidence of the amount of accidents that have increased over the past ten years because of such a diverse population. Also, having students, families, board of education members, the elderly and even police talk about the problems of the town would support the argument even more than data.

Works Cited Historic Preservation Commission. Princeton Online, 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. Lapsley, James N. "Overcontrol in Retirement Communities." Pastoral Psychology 49.6 (2001): 439-50. ProQuest. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Levy, Becca R., Lee Hummert Mary, and Leslie A. Zebrowitz. "Mind Matters: Cognitive and Physical Effects of Aging Self-Stereotypes / Commentaries / Reply." The Journals of Gerontology 58B.4 (2003): P203-11. ProQuest. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. Patel, Jeena. Interview. Message to the author. 4 Nov. 2013 Rivera, Tracy. Interview. Message to the author. 4 Nov. 2013