Why is Montello, Wisconsin so mean? (Madison, Racine: insurance, to buy, tax)

[watergirl2010]

I moved to Oxford a couple years ago and hate it.

[watergirl2010]

I guess I should have been more specific!
What's with all the burning in this area? I'd love to be able to open a window in the spring, summer or fall. But nearly every home in the village of Oxford Wi has either a burning barrel or a burn pit in the yard. The smell of smoke is constantly in the air, especially at night. On hot summer days, when the air is cool at night it would be wonderful to open a window, but it's not possible because of the constant smell of smoke. My husband and son have driven around when the burning was so bad, there's people burning couches, plastic, garbage.
There's only occasional police presence here, so complaining isn't working. Plus, it's not illegal or against any ordinances.
But it's terrible, especially for older folks like us.

Another thing - open drinking. I can't tell you how many times we have seen someone stagger down the street with a beer bottle, which usually ends up smashed in one of the yards along my block.
It's like the wild west.

Horrible place to live, can't wait to move.

[mb9]

Hi water,

I am set to move there this summer from Madison to be with my fiance. i am very scared from reading everyone's posts on this website, about the meaness? What? I am very scared that I will be very lonely.

[Solas]

Originally Posted by pattibear

maybe you need to have lived in the big city and been caught up in traffic daily. Had neighbors you did'nt even know , and had no sense of community. Montello has its ups and downs but is a great place with warm helpful people, everyone knows everyone and woul be ther in a crisis . It doesnt matter if you were born here or chose this spot to enjoy your life. Montello people feel strongly about their town and will step forward everytime.

I really wish people who've obviously never lived in "the city" would stop denigrating it with their half-a**ed assumptions about urban life.

I live in the Riverwest section of Milwaukee and although I don't know the people who live right next door to me, I can't go down too many blocks without passing by someone I know. In fact, what I love most about being here is that I get the sense of "community" that most people only associate with small towns, yet I'm never more than a short walk, bike ride or bus ride (which does wonders for the "daily traffic") from any urban ammenities (at least ones that I don't have to leave Wisconsin for).

It's not just Riverwest either... it's Brewers Hill, Sherman Park, Bayview, Third Ward, Washington Heights, Walkers Point... the list goes on.

So please chill on the "big city life is so cold and impersonal" schtick. It just makes you look self-righteous and ignorant.

[1268]

Just found this thread by chance, let me get my two cents in. I grew up living in a small town an hour and half north of Montello but moved to the Westfield area in 1992 and stayed for about 4 years.
I found Montello to a bit different then Westfield and as a whole the area can be somewhat clannish but I was involved in the local fire department and started attending town board meetings. Did everyone except me ? No and that won't happen anywhere . Having said that my home town was much more of a warm community then this area as it can get interesting to say the least.
To the fellow talking about rednecks your crazy Try living in the deep south for awhile folks before you ever think about understanding what a redneck really is !
I think it(Marquette County) really is a nice area for certain people who don't need anything right now. Don't let this forum keep you from moving there but by the same token spend sometime around the area in the non tourist season to get a feel for things.
God bless

[JR0709]

Well we've lived in Montello for over a year now. My neighbors have helped me through a very difficult time, my husband was deployed to Iraq and someone was ALWAYS offering to help. Even to a newcomer. I love small-town life here. If you are willing to listen to others, they are willing to listen to you. As long as you are friendly..that doesn't give anyone a reason to be unfriendly towards you.

I think some people just aren't "small town people". My kids are extremely happy here, and me and my husband are too.

[starrfillednights]

Originally Posted by heartbroken2004

We bought a house in Montello and found the people of the town so hateful and so nasty to us that we sold our house there and moved away.

Has anyone else had experience with the meanness of the people of Montello?

Hi,

I have had the same problem. I am 45.. lived my whole life in NJ. I admit.. NJ and NY have a bad reputation.. when it comes to being the rudest states. We tell it like it is.. and most people can't stand that. Well.. I have tamed my NJ ways.. never really fit into NJ. My cousins live in WI... and Chicago. So.. when my dad died..and my grandmother five years ago.. I decided to move here. I love.. the beauty of the state..the low crime.. the no car insurance regulations..and the clean living. I wouldn't trade that or the cool summers compared to the East Coast. However.. I have to say.. the rudeness beats NJ any day! I live a half an hour from Madison. No matter where I have gone.. I have only ran into a handful if that of nice people in the 5 years here. People here need to learn manners "BIG TIME" They are not accustomed to saying excuse me.. pardon me.. they push their ways past or in front of you. When your at the grocery store too. Their kids are just as bad.. they aren't learning manners in school or at home and the parents are use to being this way. In NJ .. and I am not kidding.. if someone does this.. your looking for a fight..and will find one.. there is not this much rudeness without getting slapped down. Its rough. But.. here.. I can't count how many times.. I had to embarrass people in the grocery store alone.. and say real loud for everyone to here.. "EXCUSE>>>MEEE!" I will do it in front of their kids too.. to set the example they are not. Because.. rude parents teach kids to be rude adults and arrogant adults.. and there is not room in life to live that way to be honest.. and they will have it even harder. People here don't say hello in passing or good morning .. they are smug.. Almost as if they all carry these chips on their shoulders or think they are better then the rest. Its an odd bunch.. If it wasn't for the beauty of the state .. I would have moved also.. But.. I am alone and caring for my mother. I was at the farmers market here the other day.. no one was at this table. I was in the Middle of doing business with the vendor. A lady walks up and totally interrupts us.. I continued on purpose to do business as she talked over us and interrupted my sale. She then says to the man.. she can go she was here before me. Well That is swell of you.. I thought.. Because I was about to punch her square in the face. LOL.

I am close to making a Big Banner and putting it up about Manners.. Please.. Get some and teach them to your kids.


Leah

[susancruzs]

These posts always surprise me because I moved to such a friendly area and I've never seen so many polite younger people in my life.

I've been here 3 yrs. and have never had anyone not speak, say good morning, make eye contact, no matter where I go. I'm from another state I had no connections in the area. Everyone is friendly, no impatience or rudeness in lines, shopping carts are always put back even in the dead of winter, I can't think of one incident in 3 yrs. even close to negative.

[sholomar]

Originally Posted by titletown

I know people in Eastern side of Wisconsin are a strange breed. People often keep to themselves and seems like because they have so much family in their town that they do not meet as much people. My neighborhood and my friend's neighborhood in Green Bay seems like everyone keeps to themselves. They already have their own friends or family and do not want anymore people in their life.

Living in eastern WI most of my life, I consider this to be normal though living out here I bet my neighbors think I'm strange I don't talk to them much. I agree, this is kind of the way I like to live. I wouldn't mistake silence for hostility or hatred though, just a lifestyle preference of preferring to be a fly on the wall and only having occasional contact with neighbors and not knowing everyone's business or anything like that. I'm more introverted then most though so I'm sure there are others in Eastern WI that were/are more outgoing.

Really even the most cliquish of towns are easy enough to open up too if you drop your insecurity and just kind of force yourself into the community. Out here as an outsider I was welcomed with open arms in a town of 250 despite the claims that everyone is cliquish in small towns. If people show hostility towards you that's really their problem, not yours. Maybe they had a bad day.

[soberduck]

Came across this and had to comment....Montello is a city that is full of wolves in sheep's clothing. Very hard to know who to trust and what people's motives are. It is common knowledge and talk through the distributors that service that city that the area is not well mannered.

There are good people in the town (as with every town) but Montello weighs heavily on the bad apple basket.