In medieval Florence, Italy, the inhabitants committed themselves, their children and their grandchildren to erecting the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral. While the cathedral is a magnificent edifice and a marvel of engineering for any age, the part of the saga that is most intriguing is that from start to finish, it took over a century to complete the massive project. The story, recounted in Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King, reads like a thriller (albeit a little weighty with scientific and engineering descriptions) because while the goal was grand, the Florentines found themselves immersed in conflict, jealousy, greed, power grabs, spitefulness and the like.

In fact, the rancor reached such a feverish pitch that many of the principal players in the drama were required to swear an oath to "forgive injuries, lay down all hatred, entirely free themselves of any faction and bias, and to attend only to the good and the honor and the greatness of the Republic, forgetting all offenses received to this day through passions of party or faction or for any other reason.

The Great Neck Record began working on this editorial as the election in the Old Village was in full swing. We saw strengths in each candidate. We wondered what it would take to bridge the rift on the board of trustees. Would the re-election of the incumbents reinforce the will of the village residents and send a message to the mayor to be more informative and inclusive with the other trustees ... for the good of the village? Or would new people on the board whom he trusts and who may appreciate his strengths be able to bridge the gap between him and the other remaining trustees ... for the good of the village?

Many accusations were hurled during the election and hurtful words and deeds have a way of lingering long after the voting booths have been carted off. Supporters on both sides can get so caught up in winning that they make judgment errors and become blinded to the big picture. Quickly, those running realize that they cannot control all aspects of a campaign; hopes and plans to take the high road can careen into the gulley.

Most people living in the village simply want the village to run better. There are some good ordinances on the books, but residents would like to see them enforced. The village needs a team working for them. The challenges are too difficult and complicated for precious energy to be squandered in nursing grievances piled on top of grievances. How creative and thoughtful can our public officials be if they are dragging around heavy burdens of resentment?

People do not make the momentous decision to run for public office lightly. It is demanding work. On the local level, we at the Record believe it can be even more difficult because the officials are not buffered by living in a distant bubble surrounded by handlers and the trappings of office. They are neighbors. Residents know where they live and where their warts are.

When contentious issues come up, the ability to "agree to disagree" may get trampled and civility may evaporate in the heat of arguments. An observer witnesses the birth of resentments that can escalate into ossified feuds.

Ultimately, five people will have to sit down together and get back to the business of running a village.

After all that has been said and done, how can that happen?

Since we actually believe that all the individuals on the board share some common ground, a desire to do "good" for the village, we think that a professional mediator from outside the village could help the mayor and trustees get beyond the past and together help forge a vision for the future.

While there is a financial cost involved in mediation, there is a staggering cost that plays out financially and emotionally in allowing the current situation to continue unchecked. What the residents cannot afford is another year of a cantankerous and quagmired village government with everyone jockeying for the next campaign. Residents desire the most enlightened approach possible to move the village forward.

The community is not building a cathedral, but something just as precious, a homeplace.

---Carol Frank