We’re only 3 acres. And only the buildings/homes in the center of town are on less then 3 acres. A good portion of town is Farm land.
They grew up here and never new what living on sewer was like. The cost just to extend the sewer to these 2 developments is north of $5 million. To do the rest of the town would be tens of millions. We’re very spread out. And most towns in NH are that way. Our town budget is only $20 million (and that includes school). We were barely able to pass an upgrade to hour 60+ yo high-school.
The last 3 trips to our local COSTCO here in FL have been quite pleasant. I’ve pulled up and parked near the entrance and the store is stocked and not at all crowded. Also, the store wasn’t really crowded prior to the plague.
Keep in mind, though, as a major retirement area, the median age here must be around 100 or so, and lots of the old souls have gone on voluntary “lock down” and are hunkered in their domiciles.
Makes for easy driving and easy shopping.
I wonder how all those old folks eat and go to the bathroom without any trips to the store? It must be home delivery or some darn thing.
CSA
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I’m very glad I don’t live in that kind of semi- rural or rural area. I’ll bet those “good folks” would balk at spending sufficient money for a good school system also.
In my mind’s eye I’m seeing Carolyn shaking her finger at me, and she is truly one of the very few people that scare me, so I’m getting out of this topic.
Was surprised that nobody has mentioned a bidet yet. We bought a nice toilet seat bidet by Toto a few years ago, with heated water, remote control, etc… Sure, it was $400, but it’s saved us probably double that since then on TP.
We still use a small amount of TP; 2 rolls left, which I expect to last about 2 months…if we still have a TP shortage at the end of May I’m gonna be pissed…no pun intended 
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Wow! Toto! I didn’t know they were in toilets.
Africa, Hold The Line, Stop Loving You, and Rosanna, are definite favorites of mine!
Good one! 
I hope supplies aren’t wiped out any time soon!
CSA
I don’t even want to think of you guys using those things . . . 
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I spend several months in Japan on business. Bidet seats have been all the rage there for years. It took a while to get used to it, but the bidet seat is a great way to clean up, and you only need TP to daub dry. Very hygienic, and the heated seat is a big bonus. I thought seriously about buying and installing bidet seats when I got home, but the seats would have been cheap compared to the cost of installing electrical outlets next to the toilets for power. You guys that poo-poo them just don’t know what you’re missing.
I didn’t “poo-poo them” . . .
I just don’t want to think of you guys using those things
I might not be able to sleep at night 
And you’d be wrong on that too. I live east of Mike. Our schools here and next town over are consistently ranked in the top 10 in the state. One is nationally ranked very high. Our town budget is close to 65% for schools. It’s rural with 5+ acre lots, lots of ledge and conservation lands. People are not morons for deciding that private septic is more financially viable than building sewer treatment facilities and the massive construction costs to lay so much pipe around wetlands and through ledge. Same reason there’s no gas piping.
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You’re lucky that you’re all so … Charmin, because I’d have to say something about this topic.
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Ack. She’s here. I’d better run to my safe place.
It’s my topic, Ma’am and I knew it would appeal to you. It’s all about the down and dirty of driving cars and a just little bit about toilet paper to clean things up. These days, toilet paper is just about as hot as a 65 GTO!
I hope somebody drives by my house in a GTO and TP the place.
We recently had a modest home in our neighborhood, probably worth about $120,000, that was TP’d and its real estate value immediately rose to $975,000!
CSA
Just keep in mind that bidets can spread infection if they’re not kept very clean. Spraying water has a way of getting everywhere, and chances are the seal between your toilet seat and toilet bowl is not waterproof.
In other words, you need to step up your “sanitized for your protection” game with a bidet or bad things happen.
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Cost effective? I think our cabin cost about $5000 for the septic system. But I had to replace the one at my dad’s house before it could be sold and the bill was $10,000. I’ve got four bathrooms so not sure how to determine which one or ones but the idea of having electricity running to the seat just kinda scares the (blank) out of me.
Gas is still steady here at $1.59 but I’ve got two full tanks.
Unfortunately our town’s schools are NOT ranked very high. That’s why all my kids went to Private high schools (in MA). We have a lot of retired/elderly people who’s kids are all grown and so it’s difficult to get things passed. Teachers pay is pitiful.
I almost sent one of my kids to Phillips Exeter high-school (Ranked second best high-school in the Nation)…but the $30,000 for high-school was a little out of line.
I didn’t say it was easy for us 
we are faced with similar challenges. It took many years to get a recent upgrade passed. It took some creative thinking to get it done, For example, I was among a group of parents that helped defer costs by installing all of the new playground equipment. The quality of education is fantastic. Less than a dozen kids per classroom and each teacher also has an aide (or two). A couple years ago, we ranked #1. A huge factor in choosing to move here was the schools.
PEA is an excellent school. It’s not far from where I live and I am familiar with the high cost to attend.
Some 20+ years ago Merrimack NH had a creative way to build a new High-School.
At the school budget meeting there was a vote for a 5 year bond to build a new High-school. The no-education group was in force to and organized very well to make sure that bond never passed. Everyone from that side showed up to the meeting and it was voted down by a good margin. After vote the group got up in mass and left. Right after they all left…this one guy stood up and made a proposal that we vote for a new High-school, but instead of a bond (which got voted down) we pay for it in one year. Since the opposition group left the bill passed. The following day…the opposition group was p*ssed. They filed a law-suit, but it was thrown out. The new high-school was built and paid in full within one year.
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My wife and I thought about a retirement community in Arizona about 20 years ago. The real estate agent bragged about how families with children weren’t allowed and this kept taxes down because they didn’t have to support schools. We walked out. I spent too many years in education to live in a community that doesn’t support education. I’ll stick it out here in Indiana. I am retired and our son is 46 and is also in education. I vote for every tax increase which supports our schools.
I have a real dislike for selfish old people that aren’t worthy to be called geezers.
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The towns around lake Winnipesaukee in NH are really vacation towns. Most of the people who live there don’t have kids that go to the schools. So their school budget is very low. Property values are high, but taxes are low. There are $2,000,000 homes with a property tax of less $2000. You should see Mitt Romney’s home in Wolfboro NH.