How to Thank a Veteran: Have Their VFW Post Closed

[bombardiette]

I wasn't there for it on Friday, 11-11-11, Veteran's Day here in the US, but at some point during the ceremonies at the George Dilboy VFW, my post, officials apparently entered and informed the post commander that code violations (which we've been trying to fix via a new post that about 100 people in the district have so far successfully fought

Comments

[herince_emyn]

This post makes me so sad. My grandfather is 98 years old and is still very active in his VFW Post. The thought of veterans having their community taken away like that, over minor problems that can be fixed, is just heartbreaking and infuriating.

And on Veteran's Day? That's pretty damn low. :(

[bombardiette]

I love your icon. Love, love, love it. :D
And thank you. There's more on my Facebook about it too. With pictures. :(

[papertowlbtrfly]

Gawd gentrification sucks! I'm glad for you this is getting some attention though. It seems to me that your fellow neighbours might just speak up and tell her they don't share her disdain (most likely as your military is so large and there has got to be someone in every constituents family who has served at some point).

[bombardiette]

Loads of people have spoken up and to her directly. But she insists that she's representing a majority of her constituency (100 people does not constitute a majority by any stretch in her district but...you know...) and she's really been unmovable on this issue. :(

[papertowlbtrfly]

Yeah, she's really not understanding that most people do not communicate their displeasure. I think the old saying is for each person who speaks up, there are 10 people who feel the same but are silent. Worse, did she just count active military in her constituency figuring everyone else will be selfish and not care? Sigh,someone sounds like a very poor politician and/or delusional.

[bombardiette]

No, she doesn't count the military in her constituency. She's saying the "majority" are the neighbors immediately surrounding the post who don't want the new hall built...on our own property, 100 feet from the existing post. Those neighbors have been vicious and awful to us and it's been escalating as the summer and fall have gone on. Those are her "majority" voices.

[bombardiette]

I know you feel funny about it but seriously, the most noise at the meetings and elsewhere has only come from veterans. Very little civilian or public support has been garnered, and certainly that support that has been forthcoming is more like lip service. You took the time to take action on our behalf and that means so much. You have no idea.

I hope the media coverage continues. Not sure what'll come out of the Journal yet. I was interviewed yesterday for a separate piece on veterans, but I hope that UHub picking this up sends a message to Somervillians and to Somerville's media that it's not just a local thing now.

[ron_newman]

Why did the fire department consider that room less safe than the main one? Were you able to remove everything of value from there before it was bricked up?

[bombardiette]

It's an occupancy issue. Because of the square footage of that room, the ascertation is that our theoretical occupancy increases. Given that we've never gone over occupancy down there and on any given day, at any given time, there's at most 10 people in the whole place, it's laughable.

But we had to reduce (permanently) the square footage of that combined space to reduce our occupancy threshold.

[ron_newman]

I don't understand why they couldn't have reduced the occupancy limit while leaving the room open.

Perhaps you or other Dilboy folks should come to the Somerville Ward 6 ResiStat meeting this Wednesday at 6:30 pm at Ciampa Manor.

[bombardiette]

What's the ResiStat meeting and how would it benefit us of we attend? The name seems to imply "residence". We aren't home owners there...well, ok, a lot of the members ARE homeowners, but the issue of the post isn't a homeowner one.

Because Boston Fire Prevention didn't approve any other way of reducing occupancy while leaving the game room open.

[ron_newman]

I left a comment on this ResiStat blog post

Resident Comment: Wouldn't it be Great if More Young People Observed Veterans Day?

pointing to the Universal Hub post. (I would have pointed directly at this post, except that it's locked.)

[bombardiette]

I've unlocked this post.

[ron_newman]

I left a second comment there, pointing to this post.

[bombardiette]

I look forward to the bashing that I'm sure will ensue here on my own post. ;)