While watching this particular segment of the Newshour tonight it prompted some thoughts which I will share, but these are only mine and not a collective thought of LDNA: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/02/in-wake-of-tucson-shootings-program-tries-to-minimize-schizophrenias-impact.html
Watch the segment and although I have zero expertise in this area it sounded so practical and logical to me and brought me back to thoughts I commented on Greg’s blog; http://anewenglanderinlowell.blogspot.com/2011/01/286-for-105000-id-like-it.html
regarding finding a way in a stripped down budget and economy to increase the number of police officers in the city. For anyone who attended our January meeting you’ll know that asst. to CM Mr. Marchand very practically reminded me that if the city increase taxes there will be demands from every department for increased funding. I will maintain my position here; “how many kids have to die before public safety becomes our priority and everything else comes next”? According to Chief Lavallee with the current number of police officers (200, optimal number being 268) his department has become a reactive v. a proactive department. The city council has been working on goals and objectives and I would like to see finding a way to maintain our police department at the top of the list. I suspect the top of the list will be attracting new business and residents. If people do not feel safe here this might as well go to the bottom of the list.
So back to why I miss the Caffe’…for those who are new to the neighborhood you missed all those very late nights when we sat around until the wee hours of the morning discussing national/city/neighborhood issues. I miss officer (Yanni) Boutselis driving by when the caffe’ was closed and we would still be hanging around on the sidewalk talking (and sometimes singing or making up our own poems) saying, “you people really need to go home”.
Now that we are all scattered in various places around the neighborhood we rarely have an opportunity to have that collective conversation (Market St. Market on Sunday mornings is somewhat of a replacement). So as suggested by someone who will remain nameless…I would like to encourage people to attend our monthly LDNA meetings and to implement more no-agenda times for us to discuss whatever is on people’s minds. Of course this will take a commitment to going back to cookies & wine at meetings but I’m willing to find the time to make cookies to create a more communal atmosphere for everyone.
