Have you been pining for a chance to let out your aggression on Mark Develpment’s Robert Korf and Damien Chaviano? Well you can have your chance this Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at a Mark Development sponsored block party in the back parking lot of 1314 Washington Street (The Santander Bulding) in West Newton.
There will be a taco truck, ice cream stand and a beer and wine truck along with face painting, a bouncy house and live music. All food will be free. There will be a charge for alcohol with all proceeds are going to the New Art Center.
And they will have a dunk tank where you can take your shot at Robert (pictured right) and Damien with proceeds to benefit the New Art Center.
The rain date will be Sunday, Sept. 29.
This is a pretty brilliant (and hilarious) idea for a good cause, and I’m sure it will raise a decent chunk of money for the New Art Center.
Isn’t the idea of a block party that it’s hosted by neighbors? The fact that developers are throwing a block party is a little weird to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll go because the idea of free tacos is pretty irresistible.
So Greg, you are literally doing PR for Korff now on V14?
@ Paul & @ Mary Mary – geez isn’t this a good thing? Why throw shade on it?
I think it’s a great idea from a long time Newton resident & investor in our community to do something nice, fun & philanthropic for us …& give back to a worthy local non profit too! I’ll be there saying thank you to Robert Korff and practicing my throwing arm in the meantime!
You can be sure all the pro-Development pro-Korff City Council candidates will be there in force.
@Paul: If you give me an opportunity to dunk you in a tank for a good cause, I’ll be happy to promote that too.
Didn’t they also sponsor Newtonville’s Village Day?
I view this type of thing as positive for both parties. Of course these folks are trying to generate some goodwill. Why wouldn’t we want them to do that? Would you prefer they don’t engage with the community?
I also wouldn’t overestimate the impact.
Go have a taco and a beer. You can hate on the projects the following day. Or not.
LOL Greg. Likewise.
There’s no free lunch guys. Korff is a businessman who has no issues threatening a 40B to get what he wants. That’s his legal right. But he’s doing what makes him money. Not what’s best for Newton. That’s not someone that I want engaging with the community at all.
Gloria, you can’t possibly be that naive! It’s a PR stunt which is fine but let’s not pretend that they’re doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They know they have a major PR problem.
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@Greg I was merely quoting William F. Buckley.
I suggest we vote with our feet and NOT attend. Even for a free taco.
Actually, in this case, there is a free lunch Paul. It says it right in the description. Free tacos.
A more accurate description is that there is no such thing as a free beer. 😉
In all seriousness, I get the objections and respect the wish not to attend. But it seems kind of silly to me. Attend, maybe have a chat with some folks. Folks who hate the project will still hate the project.
And I say this as someone not in support of the Santandar building proposal. So there.
At some point breaking bread with your opponents isn’t the worst thing. Everyone tends to remember their humanity when eating food. So have a taco. Nosh on a ice cream. Shake your finger vigorously at a city official if you must. (but maybe just eat and be a little less hangry)
@fignewtonville the way that I see it is that the developer should interact with our elected officials, who (ostensibly) represent us. That’s what they get paid to do.
I’m not really sure what the point of this is. Well, actually I do. The court jester was always allowed to make fun of the king, because the king knew that if the jester “let off steam” the peasants wouldn’t revolt and do worse. Just like we had Jon Stewart and we have Steven Colbert et. al. They let us laugh. They make us feel better. But they don’t really change things. It’s just an outlet to keep the people acquiescent.
“I don’t understand the question, and I won’t respond to it” (Lucille Bluth, Arrested Development)
@Fig
He’s a businessman, not a politician.
I can understand wanting to talk to your “opponents” that have a different vision for the City. Good people can disagree and find common ground.
Korff is here to make money. Not do what’s best for the City. Not much for us to discuss.
In a way it’s sort of a backhanded insult to the councilors: you can’t get pike noise mitigation, can’t get some concessions , can’t restrict the building to not have a bank.
But you can get a bouncy castle!
The art of the deal.
Or a bocce court.
If you go and eat their food you’re essentially (and literally) saying, “I’m swallowing it” (their BS)
I would have titled this post: Dunk the Developers on Davis Street!!