Easier to pull, rather than push
You know, I’ve been working in Woonsocket for a lot of years. I’ve seen Woonsocket in the days when I would approach members of my government as a businessman and I’ve been treated as if it had been a good day until I walked into their office. In fact, one city official actually said those words to me long ago. I am delighted to report that those days are gone. There is a fresh spirit of cooperation which I’ve experienced firsthand and I want to tell you about it.
A while back I realized I would need to find a new vantage point from which to broadcast the Autumnfest Parade. I saw Police Chief Oates at one of the many community events he attends and asked him whom in his department I needed to talk to discuss my new plans. Let me tell you, before I even had time to return to my office to send an email I was contacted by Lt. Calouro, who offered to meet me at the site. As it turned out, the lieutenant had some great ideas which I incorporated into my plan. I have always been treated professionally by the W.P.D., but never so positively and with such an attitude of trying to say “yes” first and then counseling me on how to make my plan work better.
My thanks to all and a hearty congratulations!
• Speaking of Autumnfest, as you read this, the 2017 edition is now in the history books. As I write these words, the festival continues, I just have to mention a few things I’ll always remember about this one. The weather.
Well, the weather is the weather, but for all the alarm and pointing at the screen that the pretty boys and pretty girls on the TV weather shows did, we really did ‘luck-out’
in the weather department. With just a few exceptions, the largest of the predicted showers and rain fell somewhere else, not on Autumnfest. The Parade.
Somehow we managed to sneak that 10-division gem in between showers. Yes, the crowds were smaller at curbside this year, but they were enthusiastic. And they saw a great a parade, topped off by the URI – That Ram Band, who came into the park after the parade and put on an impromptu concert for early birds on Monday. The Fireworks.
All I can say is that display was the best I’ve ever seen, seriously. You couldn’t even catch your breath between the barrages of salutes and color! Literally breathtaking! The Mega-War
deserves a special mention here. Among the highly spirited high school teams were teams from the Woonsocket High School Music Department, who came in third place. But the heart-touching scene took place after the checks were awarded to the winners and the combo team of workers from the Woonsocket Dept. of Public Works and the Gym gave their winning checks to the music students. Very, very nice.
Perhaps the most fun I had this year was the grudge pull tug-of-war match between the Autumnfest Steering Committee and the Woonsocket Rotary Club. This single-pull spectacle took on all the theatrics of a Vince McMahon production, complete with attempted cheating and false bravado. It was, perhaps, the best example of good community spirit I’ve witnessed in a long time.
It all just goes to show you that you don’t need perfect weather to have a whale of a lot of fun!
• On to other topics... as predicted, the push is on to reform the nation’s gun laws after the mass-shooting in Las Vegas. The usual people are pounding the podiums asking how many people will die before guns are outlawed, a rhetorical question at best. But they did get a toe-hold suggesting that an accessory used by the shooter in Las Vegas, the so-called “bump stock” should be eliminated and that may happen.
• As the late great president Ronald Reagan used to say, “there you go again.” He’d say that referring to someone who was being disagreeable. So we know the topic of standing up at the playing of the National Anthem is a show of respect we were all taught to show. We also know that some NFL players have been kneeling in protest at the start of many of their games. President Trump has made his feelings known on the matter, causing many more players to protest.
The controversy reached another milestone this past weekend when Vice President Pence attended an Indianapolis Colts’ game, observed the protesting players there and raised the volume in this debate by leaving the game in a protest of the protesters.
I won’t be longwinded about this. My mother taught me a valuable lesson when I was very young. If I misbehaved but I wasn’t really hurting anyone, she’d just ignore me. Eventually, I’d get tired of it and stop. I think I should turn my mom lose on both sides in this controversy. Then they’d learn.
•That’s what I think. What do you think?
Comments to: dave@onworldwide.com or postal mail to Dave Richards, WOON Radio, 985 Park Avenue, Woonsocket, RI 028956332.
Thanks for reading!