I think 39 or 40 years is a decent amount of time for a community to be considered "permanent" don't you? If OP folks participated in local government more actively, they would be accepted more readily.

The Eastern Shore is not Silver Spring it is .....well, the Eastern Shore. I remember one of the old time Eastern Shore women who was being interviewed for her 93rd birthday. She said she had come here when she was 12 years old but still was not considered a "local" since she was not born on the Eastern Shore. Frankly much of the good that has come to the Eastern Shore has been brought here by "come heres" but the "locals" mentality is still alive and well although probably headed toward life support in the years ahead.