A Call To Arms (sort of)

Now is the time for the citizens of Waterbury who care about what happens to City Hall and the downtown area to step forward and be counted. Now is the time for words to give power to meaning, and people to give power to their words. Now is the time for people to show just how much power a building has in the city of Waterbury.

This week is of vital importance to the future of City Hall, and with it the entire Grand Street corridor. On Thursday night, December 7th, the Board of Aldermen will hold an informational meeting to discuss just what should happen now that the original bonding package has been defeated in referendum. In this package four options are being discussed as potential paths of action. These packages are:

1. Tear down City Hall and rebuild.
2. Sell City Hall to the highest bidder with the best plan.
3. Provide the building with a quick fix to prevent closure by the Fire Marshall.
4. Completely repair and restore the building.

Once these plans have been discussed fully, the Board will meet again on Monday the 11th to vote on which package to accept. Each plan has already gotten some ink in the local paper, and the meeting on the 7th will give the citizens of Waterbury figure out just what each plan will cost. This cost has to be considered not only as an issue of dollars and cents, but also in terms of reputation and history.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I have made no secret just what my opinions are. I feel, however, that I can no longer be a lone voice in the wilderness of negativity and misinformation. Those of you who support City Hall must stand with me next Monday night. We must stand together and show the Board of Aldermen, the city, and the detractors of these renovation plans just where we stand. We must show everyone that City Hall is to important to us to ignore. That we will not be brushed off by people who refuse to defend their ideas. That we will be heard and we will stand for what is right for the city of Waterbury and the beautiful building on Grand Street.

Now is the time to speak. Now is the time to be heard. Now is the time to act.