Friday, August 28, 2015

A Final Request



Monday night marks my 14th annual visit (the 1st being in October, 2001) to the Amherst Select Board to request 9/11 be added to the permanent short list of events the 29 commemorative flags fly in the downtown to commemorate, both celebratory -- like July 4th -- or Memorial Day, which is somber.  

And over the course of my lifetime days just don't get any sadder than the morning of 9/11, which dawned as bright and beautiful as any day in the history of our country. 

But this will be my last such visit.

The board will either agree to allow the flags to fly every year rather than once every five years, thus ending the need for such annual visits; or they will say "No," to finally -- irrevocably -- suck the vital essence from my soul.

Because if this particular Select Board (where 4 of 5 individual members have previously supported annual flying) can't now come together to do the right thing, then all hope is lost.

Click to enlarge/read





Amherst Town Meeting, 2007 (another good reason to nix Town Meeting)




at

6 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 29, 2015 at 4:32 PM

    Good luck Larry, you're a fighter through and through, and that is admirable. Maybe this will be the year. RM

    ReplyDelete
  2. Larry KelleyAugust 29, 2015 at 6:17 PM

    Thanks. I hope so. I really, really do.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 30, 2015 at 9:20 AM

    With Labor Day on Monday the 7th-leaving the flags up to recognize September 11th should be no problem for Amherst.

    Then again- flexibility in town scheduling doesn't exist!

    My favorite example:
    Keeping to the banner schedule (and using the bucket truck to do so) was a priority over dealing with downed trees/ blocked roads the morning after the Oct 2011 snowstorm.


    ReplyDelete
  4. Walter GraffAugust 30, 2015 at 10:28 PM

    You won the battle a long time ago Larry. As the last poster just described (bucket priorities) the government of Amherst is inept. You can't win when the only group you are fighting is their own worst enemy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Walter GraffSeptember 1, 2015 at 12:18 AM

    Congratulations. Unfortunately they seem to want to give the president more credit for the decision than your persistence. See you on the 11th.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2015 at 9:12 AM

    Congratulations Larry! But even more than Larry, America wins one. Thank you Amherst for smartening up

    ReplyDelete