Memo to those who have decided they have the right to ignore Newton’s “no swimming” rules in the coves at Crystal Lake. While you’re out there cooling off in the middle of the lake, can you at least share the benches with the law abiding folks who just want a place to sit down? Thank-you.
‘self-centered’ as in thinking they are reading this..
more appropriately it is human nature to utilize a resource unless someone complains – –
Greg – Amen!
Looks like your former blog writers are having good summer.
I’m sure that everyone will understand that these thoughts are completely unrelated, but there IS a clothing donation drop off right at the corner of Rt 9 and Woodward.
Just saying….
The Crystal Lake debate should sink or swim based on the merits of the respective arguments. This is quite simply a cheap shot. Missing from the photos? Anyone who was actually displaced by the items on the benches. Even if there was a line of people waiting to sit down, is this really the best argument the anti swim crowd can muster? Boo-Hoo, swimmers are leaving their things on our benches?
@Mike: I was expecting you to suggest that this was another instance of civil disobedience.
Oh and my wife and I were looking for a place to sit on the hot summer evening when this was taken. Couldn’t find one. Need me to send you a photo of us?
@Schlock: Consider this someone complaining.
@Chris: Hmmmmm.
@Greg– Clearly, rude social behavior is not civil disobedience. But I’ve seen the exact same thing happen with benches in parks and other places. I think both sides of the swim debate have merit. The topic of this thread does nothing to enhance that debate.
Greg – that’s where I would have had no compunction about pushing everything to one side or putting it on the grass, and just sitting down on the bench.
ah OK Gregarino. How’s this then? Ever been to the front outside bench seating of the senior center on Walnut St. on a school day, let’s say around noonish? Now me as a senior tax paying sucker qualifying for my paid entrance to enjoy the benches outside; a non-smoker looking for some R&R workspace on one of those benches which happens to get a good wi-fi signal from within, well, cannot find a seat meeting my needs. Do you see me complaining?
No way! For I know come this Fall all the students and Faculty from North will be huddled inside the new air conditioned smoker heavened John Brewers Tavern sucking down a cold one between class. and we have the NNCo’C + EDC to thank – diversity of business we say..
and me, a non alcohol partaker will have all the spacious senior center benchspace I need!!
where’s Malloy when I need him?
Schlock: If the benches are filled with people sitting there, then you have nothing to complain about. If they are being reserved by people who are inside the Senior Center, the high school or someplace else, send me some photos and we’ll start a new thread.
Also, this is at least the second time you’ve joked about North faculty and students drinking during the day. First, I don’t know why you think underage drinking is funny. Second, I don’t know why you think teachers drinking with students would be funny or why you would even joke that Newton’s teachers do such a thing. Third, I believe the restaurants and bars in our city are very careful about not serving individuals under the legal drinking age. Unless you have evidence to the contrary, I’d suggest you try and find some other way to get yucks. And if you do have evidence that this happens in Newton, you should notify the police.
Greg, I guess you do not get it – the proximity to the school is a consideration which has been so modified by officials/administrators when it comes to matters of the off-campus policy, city/school inability to do anything about the deviant juvenile behavior (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, etc.) that so many residing within the affected area are frustrated into accepting humor as the ‘deal with it’ coping mechanism. Naiive are those who do not live in the immediate area. The last place I would go with the proof is to you and the media, and like I said, I am not complaining; this is the reality of the world we live in.
OK seriously (for it appears you and Jane do not get it) – underage, adult, faculty, student alike alcohol is a serious problem – perhaps I will go into it someday with you on a 1 on 1. But if it is so serious, then why in the world are you and your compadres NNCC liberalizing the exclusionary precept of certain businesses like banks?? How about exclusionary policy and practices against newfangled image appealing taverns immediate to the student/faculty of NNHS. Seems to this lowly resident hypocricy is on tap for your agenda..
and yes there are a number of alcohol problems with folks at NNHS, but continue to bury your head in the 200 million image cause I’m not complaining..
Schlock: Kids don’t hang out at upscale craft beer bars. They get someone who is older than them to buy alcohol and consume it someplace other than where their parents, their parents’ friends or a teacher will find them. To suggest that restaurant owners don’t appreciate the risks or take their responsibilities seriously is without foundation. To suggest that city regulators don’t take their responsibilities seriously is also without foundation.
To continue to suggest that NN faculty drink at noon is completely inaccurate and highly disrespectful. Someone controls the delete button to Village 14 and that person needs to take responsibility for establishing guidelines and a bottom line about what can be said about whom and use that button when posters cross a line. At this point, what I hear is that anyone can say anything about me on this blog without consequence and I find that troubling.
@Jane: I considered that but instead decided to allow the stupidity of the comment to stand and respond to it. But yes, I could have just deleted it.
Even if everyone took it as stupid comment, it should be deleted. But they won’t. It should be deleted. It’s only common sense that comments that include lies about the character of individuals or an identifiable group of people should be deleted from a local blog.
I took it as a joke. Considering the beer prices, I don’t think the risk of underage drinking will be high at all. And if a teacher was going to drink on school time, I can’t imagine them being dumb enough to drink next to campus.
That said, I do think it will do a good lunch business, and underage folks are welcome to enter as long as they don’t imbibe, since it serves food.
Getting back to the benches, the Senior Center benches are NOT reserved for seniors alone. That said, it would be a kinda uncouth to continue to occupy a bench if you were not a senior and a senior was looking for a place to sit. Frankly, I want to encourage others to sit in the outside seating outside the senior center, it rarely gets used and it is a community sitting area. It is a nice place to bring food from Rox or the local bakeries. Just clean up after yourself!
I did not find it funny. Joke about your own colleagues drinking on the job if you’d like, but leave mine out of it. And, Fig, please be sure to identify exactly where you work so we can know who it is we’re laughing at.
Jane, I don’t think I actually MADE the joke, so not sure why I have to do anything at all. And with a name like Schlock, and with the references back to the benches being vacated and such, well…I just think you are overreacting a bit. Which is shocking, based on your other posts… 😉
And Jane, I work at the Fig Newton factory. Along with the rest of the Fig Newton elves. But occasionally I visit the land of my birth. Feel free to laugh at me all day long. I’ll be drinking a cold one at the new tavern when I’m not working….
I’m with jane. Joking about teachers drinking during the school day and drinking with underage students just isn’t all that funny. It is, however, derisive and demeaning.
Thanks, Ted.
Anytime, jane. It would be too bad if Village 14 turns out to be just another blog for the Fellowship of the Miserable.
Just a comment about deleting. Frankly, I’m glad Greg didn’t delete it. I’m not saying I find Shlock’s behavior amusing (I don’t) but I do recognize he was trying to make a joke. Call it gallow’s humor like he does, call it in poor taste as Jane does, call it unfunny but still a joke as I do…but I’ve got no problem reading it. Schlock should be free to post and Jane free to respond. And maybe Jane should get a slightly thicker skin…
Ted, wouldn’t you occasionally be PART of the fellowship of the miserable… 😉
Given the choice between being seen as thin skinned or standing up for the dignity of my profession, I’ll choose the latter. Any day.
Fig-people around these blogs know exactly who I am-including my supervisors. It’s easy to criticize anonymously, as you’ve done on a number of occasions. Let us know who you are and you have my respect. But until you come clean, I feel perfectly comfortable with my position – the message should have been deleted for this reason: an anonymous poster attacked the character of an identifiable group of people in the city without anything to back up the accusation.
Jane, since I have no idea who you are (I didn’t even know you were a teacher), I think we are on equal footing. I admire folks with the freedom and desire to post publicly, such as Greg/Ted/Amy and others. To me, you are just anonymous Jane. As for my anonymity, well…, folks know I live in Newtonville, have a young family, and love Newton.
I’m afraid that is all I can offer up right now.
I’m also just not a fan of righeous indignation. Feel free to call Shlock insensitive, but I just can’t believe anyone actually believed what he said was true. As such, I don’t see it as an attack on character. Maybe I’m missing something. Has there been instances of alcohol problems with Newton teachers, and that is why you are sensitive for such a broad brush? When you react with such indignation to a ludicrous insinuation, it make me less likely to trust your objections when it truly matters, such as training/pay/union rights/contracts.
And erasing a post should only be done on any community blog for comments that go beyond the norm. This just didn’t cut it.
And while I’m known by name in this community, I post here all the time. Folks hopefully know me by my comments. More than one way to gain respect Jane…