year-old, historically- and architecturally-significant building in Woodstock's history.
In the Fallen Grace article in Friday's Northwest Herald about the demolition of Grace Hall to make way for a duplex that will house a couple of senior citizens, reporter Brian Slupski quotes Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager:
"We have a tendency to look at history in terms of bricks and mortar," Sager said. "A tremendous amount of historic culture is through organizations that have a long, service-oriented history and commitment to a community, like Woodstock Christian Life."
You know? I should probably stop right here. This would be a good time to go into a closet, put a pillow over my mouth, and scream.
Woodstock's mayor gave our town the pile of bricks on Route 47 at Christian Way. Drive by before it's gone. See what is left of Grace Hall before all the rubble is scraped up and hauled away.
The give-away started when the City allowed the City Attorney to sandbag (errr, advise) the Historic Preservation Commission to grant a continuance of a Public Hearing.
It continued when the Mayor, who leads the City Council, refused to put the HPC's recommendation for Landmark designation of Grace Hall on a City Council Agenda.
It continued when the Mayor moved to table the Landmark designation.
It continued when the Mayor refused to bring the Landmark designation back to the table (Agenda), in spite of persistent requests to do so.
It continued when the Mayor allowed the City Attorney to write an ordinance that named two individuals with onerous, unachievable and personal responsibility, if they wanted to save Grace Hall. And he did so without consent of the City Council or the couple. AND he signed it into law.
And it continued when the Mayor handed WCLS' counsel an offer to avoid an Council vote that would have defeated WCLS plans.
All that remains now of Grace Hall are photographs and 1's and 0's of digital memory. This is more important that bricks and mortar???
All that remains now of Grace Hall are photographs and 1's and 0's of digital memory. This is more important that bricks and mortar???
And then he praises WCLS?
7 comments:
I guess the question must be to ask who made money on this travesty.
No, I think the question to be asked is, "Who the hell do the folks wanting to keep this building standing think THEY are?
If you cursor down this blog a bit you'll find Gus piling on about some refuge that's being proposed and it is there written "The Sierra Club and Melissa Bean are most likely behind this assault on the rights of the communities and its residents. There are over 1,000,000..."
That it appears on this gripe site indicates to me that Gus is sympathetic to the original author's (his friend)position.
Grace Hall, for years, was on a downward slide. Not because of neglect, necessarily, but, like Gus, it's getting old, stodgy and in need of rejuvenation. Where were all you folks who want WCLS to leave this fine monument in place then? Yeah, right, doing your own thing. What would you have said if WCLS had come to you and demanded that you pony up some money so they could do whatever was necessary to make the building suitable for their purposes? Don't bother, I think we already know.
I don't care who made money on it or how much so long as it went into the pockets of WCLS. It was and is their property to do whatever they chose to do. If it was so damn important to save it, why didn't you people buy it from them and take over the upkeep, repairs, etc.?
Easy to talk the walk when you don't have to shell out any of YOUR money.
How would you feel if the same people who were pushing against WCLS's plans determined that in 1786 some "famous" Native American died of cholera on your property and decided that it was more important to memorialize this event by erecting a monument in your front yard than allowing you to have your home there?
Oh, yeah, the only rights that matter are what you perceive to be yours.
At least one WCLS employee beat you to the punch, Mike, when she asked the City Council where all the preservationists were before word leaked out that WCLS wanted to demolish Grace Hall.
Obviously, the question of preserving an architecturally- and historically important building doesn't often arise before it's threatened.
Grace Hall was never for sale, Mike. Sure, they said they'd "sell" it for $1, but it had to be moved. That's NOT an offer to sell. That offer was a joke. If we all weren't such a polite community, many of us would have laughed out loud, or worse, at that City Council meeting.
Now, about that monument to the Indian who died of cholera. Wasn't that in your neighborhood? Let's put the monument right in your front yard!
That's exactly my point. Try to put that monument on MY property and you'll need a headstone also!
Not being a property owner, perhaps that sentiment is lost on you.
Gee, Mike, feeling a little brave, aren't you?
Since it might be the Federal Government putting such a monument on "your" property, are you threatening the Federal Government? I wonder if the Dept. of Homeland Security perhaps ought to pay a visit on you.
Oh wow Gus, making empty threats again? How are your searches for your perps who keep posting "slander" on here?
Come on, frank. You know me better than that. I don't make empty threats.
About the perps? Any searches I've made have only been regarding the threats, not libelous statement made in comments (what you call "slander").
Those threats quickly dried up as soon as word got back to WPD that the SAO was going to investigate them. Smart move on the part of those who had been posting the threats.
Post a Comment