Complaining about our government has become the new national pastime. But I write to do the opposite!

Like most of us in Tiverton, I was caught in the one-lane delays all summer long along the waterfront on Main Road (and on Fish Road and Bulgarmarsh Road) while the repaving and sidewalk construction projects continued on and on.

I’m not sure which governmental agency — town, state or federal — was responsible for this major infrastructure project, not that it matters since all tax dollars originate with we the people. But despite the delays, I want to say ‘thanks’ to whomever was in charge.

I live in the Nanaquaket Pond area and ‘walking into town’ via Main Road is one of the main ways I get some exercise, now that I’ve become a seasoned citizen. In the old days, my wife and I would circle the Gut, struggle up Highland Road to visit the Essex Library, then drop down to Main and make our way home again along the river.

My wife, who sadly passed a year ago, wanted to adopt the sidewalk along the seawall south of Grinnell’s beach as her personal civic project. The sidewalk itself was crumbled and the weeds grew almost to waist high as they sprung up from cracks. It took everything I had to restrain her from going out there with her gardening tools and a gallon of Round-Up to do battle with those weeds! Even though the town usually sent a crew out once a year to weed-whack them into submission.

She would be ecstatic at the brand new concrete sidewalks that were installed this summer — on both sides of the road! Now, we walkers and joggers and dog-walkers and stroller-pushers don’t have to slalom around the weeds and watch our steps as we walk along the seawall and admire the view of the waterfront as we head into town to buy a lottery ticket at the Cumby, stop and chat with neighbors over coffee at the Coastal Roasters or drop a check off at the bank.

It’s always a rare pleasure when our government does something of real benefit to the people of Tiverton. The new road resurfacing and those great new sidewalks are a job well done.

James Y. Bartlett

Tiverton