More Snow - Still No Parking Provided For Residents

Oh Look, It's snowing AGAIN....

The crews that clear the snow must be wondering if this pace is going to continue all winter!
Come to think of it, their families must be asking the same thing.

Personally, since I've decided to park in the parking garage whenever it snows it's costing me a lot of extra cash. At $4.00 per day (opposed to the $2.00 it was before the city doubled their rates!) it adds up fast for someone on a small fixed income. There should be some way for the city to make this less of a burden on low income citizens as it's essentially a flat tax, which is inherently unfair to low income citizens if it isn't offset somehow. And for the residents of the Endicott who for some terrible reason aren't provided with any place to park by our landlord (CATCH) it's doubly troubling. For residents who are mostly low income Section 8 recipients it's truly unconscionable for an organization like CATCH to neglect this issue. In the 5+ years I've lived here the additional money I've had to spend for parking adds up to hundreds of dollars per year!

The extra cost isn't the only thing either. The daily threat of getting our cars towed is one more unnecessary burden we have to live with. To try to ease the cost, and because most of us just can't afford to pay to park in a metered spot every weekday, we park across the street in the parking lot for the strip mall on Storrs St. despite the signs warning that it's for store patrons only. I've been towed once and it cost me $150 to get my car back!

Take a minute and picture yourself having a small fixed income where every single dollar is budgeted. Then picture yourself having your car towed and held (for ransom) unless you can somehow come up with $150. Don't forget, they're also charging you a daily storage fee, so the longer it takes you to get the money (if you even can) the more it costs you. Imagine if you had to wait the better part of a month until you get some money again to be able to get your car back. How much is that going to be? Will you have enough left over to pay rent or buy groceries? What about getting to work, going to doctors appointments, or if you have kids?

These days unless you have someone you can borrow the money from you might be forced to go to a 'Payday Lender' and pay a huge interest rate (20%?) to get your car back.

Before I moved into the Endicott I sat down with the property manager from Hodges (our former management company) and when I asked about parking she indicated that 'they were in negotiations to try and procure parking for us'. That sounded hopeful, and because I'd already spent over a year on a waiting list I wasn't going to refuse the apartment!
Since that day (in addition to the property manager) I've contacted Dave Florence in the parking department, Allan Bennett who represents Ward 6, Matt Walsh, the city planner, and even the property manager (Heritage Realty in Mass.) for the strip mall to try to get us some parking, all to no avail.
Well, that's not entirely accurate. Dave Florence did offer Endicott residents first dibs on reserved parking in the new parking garage. In case you're wondering, the rates for leased spaces in the Capital Commons parking garage are "$1,344 per year for a covered space and $1,044 per year for an uncovered space". While that offer was better than nothing, personally if I could afford to pay that I wouldn't be on Section 8!

It's bad enough that this situation has existed as long as it has, but to let it continue to without some relief for people who already have more than enough to worry about will be callous and unnecessary. C'mon CATCH (and the city of Concord), please step up to the plate and put an end to this situation ASAP.

Holiday Thoughts on Christmas Eve

I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season.

I'm celebrating a traditional but solitary New England Christmas here in New Hampshire, missing my father greatly but recalling wonderful Christmas memories from childhood.

The traditional reading of "The Night Before Christmas" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", remembering how hard it was to get to sleep on Christmas eve listening for any faint sound that might actually be Santa on the roof and the rush of anticipation in my belly. Also waking up early on Christmas morning, wondering if it's too early to wake mom and dad to get the day started, then feeling like it's taking them forever while they make their coffee and have a bit of breakfast before finally gathering around the tree to see if your wishes had been answered by Santa.

I'm also thinking of all the people who might not be having a 'merry' Christmas for whatever reason, including those not able to be with their loved ones for the holidays and those who can't afford to get their kids what they've been asking for the past year. And most recently, the employees who have found themselves suddenly without their jobs just before Christmas.

To many of those folks, remember that there are people out there who care, and tomorrow's always a new day.
And as my father would always say to me when times were tough, "this too shall pass", then he'd remind me to "keep smiling".

Bless you Dad.
And bless all of you, one and all..

My Favorite Card

The title of this card is "Frozen Thung", and inside it says
"Hathy Holidayth".

The first thing I like is that it looks a bit like I did back when I was a little kid.
The other thing is his resemblance to the younger brother in the classic Christmas movie "A Christmas Story" who also froze his tongue to a metal pole. The only thing missing are the kids gathered around him laughing.

So here's to wishing everyone "Hathy Holidayth"!


Here's the info from the back of the card (with my comments added):

Contemporary American Photographers

Photograph [Copyright] 1994 Joe Lampi (<- This guy is good)
Dublin Productions (<- really neat site w/ Flash, check out the photos)
Frothen Thung
[Copyright] Palm Press, Inc. 1995 (<- Interesting cards)
1442A Walnut Street #120
Berkeley, California 94709

Whoever Shoveled The Alleyway, THANK YOU!

Whoever did the shoveling in our alleyway this morning was great!
Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed like they were trying to do it without disturbing the residents up above.
If I could afford it I would have 'tipped' them for being so conscientious! And if I wasn't half-asleep (and trying to remain that way) I would at least have thanked them [quietly].
It's much easier putting up with the seasonal noises like clearing snow if you know someone's at least trying to minimize their part.

Readers should keep in mind that those of us living on the south side of the Endicott building have endured over a year of construction noise, dust, and at times extreme vibrations while the Concord Commons building was being built.

As I've written before, I've gone through two air conditioners that have prematurely died from all the fine dirt that settled on our building during the construction, and what used to be (when I moved in) a nice bright apartment, is now dark, with a view of a brick wall and the unfinished floors of the Concord Commons building.


On another note, I thought I'd share my latest experience with the new parking garage.
I've been parking my car inside the new parking garage every time it's snowed to stay out of the way of Brochu's snow plows in the Market Basket parking lot where most of us park. After having Lenny(?) (he said he was Red's son) plow snow into all four sides of my little hatchback one time, and then curse me out* when I asked him about it, I've decided to pay the cost of parking instead of going through that again.

That experience aside, during the last big storm several days ago I parked in the new parking garage over the weekend. When I went to leave (Tuesday I believe) I had a envelope on my windshield containing a letter from the parking department and a parking stub to use.
You see the parking gate had to be left up during the storm, so there were cars inside that didn't get a stub/ticket when they entered. I thought it was great that the parking division went to the trouble of providing a parking stub and letter** explaining the situation. What they might not have accounted for though, were the folks like me who didn't leave on Monday morning.

When I took their supplied ticket stub and tried leaving, the system wouldn't let me. So, I went up to the 3rd floor pay station and stuck the ticket in to see if I had to pay something. The ticket popped back out with a message telling me to "See the cashier". Huh? I thought what 'cashier'?
I then tried calling the Concord police/parking department, twice, no answer, the phone system just sent me back to the beginning of the automated message....

By this time I was really frustrated. I had a doctor's appointment at 1 PM and it was 12: 55! My car and I were being held hostage inside the garage! Finally, thanks to another resident of the Endicott who was there paying he suggested that I try the 'call-box' down at the exit gate. I'd forgotten all about that in my panic so I thanked him and rushed down to the exit and pushed the button. After a short delay a helpful woman listened to my plight but had never heard of the "See cashier" message I'd received when trying to pay (I wish I had my camera so that I could have taken a picture),
and finally lifted the gate manually (by remote from PD). She was great and wished me good luck as I sped off to my appointment.

When I returned later that day to park inside again (because of ANOTHER expected snow) there was a serviceman already there to check the system! I must say even though there are obviously some bugs to work out with the new garage (and hopefully some additional pay stations) the parking department is staying on top of the situation. Now they need to work on their phone system! It's not good when you can't get someone on the line and you're caught in a unending phone system circle.

I'm sure Dave Florence (of the parking dept.) will adjust his procedures accordingly for the next big snow storm that will surely come. Every time I've dealt with him (and everyone else in the parking division for that matter) he's been pleasant to deal with and quick to respond.



* The younger Brochu said that if I continued to complain that he'd "make sure nobody from the Endicott could park there"... and since it was about a week before Christmas he added "Merry F****** Christmas!". Nice, huh?
---------------------------------------------------------------

**Copy of parking letter:

Monday, December 17, 2007

Due to the fact that the entry gate was left in an open position it is likely that you do not have an exit ticket for the parking garage. Please use the ticket enclosed with this note as you exit ticket from the garage. This ticket DOES NOT need to be processed at the Automatic Pay Station - simply insert into the exit gate verifier and the gate will open.

Thank you for your use of the Capital Commons Garage. Please contact the Parking Control Unit with any questions about the facility.

Sincerely,

Dave Florence
-----------------------------------------------------------

Things Are Getting Worse

In and around the Endicott things have been going downhill in the past few months. Part of it is the season, since winter for pedestrians in Concord is notoriously bad. Another part of the problem is some of the residents here at the Endicott.

Today was a perfect example of the former. I had to go to the grocery store across the street. The trip there was pretty good. The sidewalk was relatively clear in front of and beside the Endicott, and the only area that wasn't cleared was the area with the benches down by the corner.
The other side of the street was where it turned bad. The snow banks completely cover the sidewalk so people parking there have to walk in the road after they park their cars, and what's worse, pedestrians crossing the street from the side of the shopping plaza have no way of getting to the signaling button for the lights because there's 4-5 feet of snow surrounding it. Because of that pedestrians are left to cross the street while traffic is going by!

That's the 'pedestrian' part of the trip. The 'resident' part started with the elevator, which still hasn't been serviced (the doors sometimes open violently, then close about 1/3 of the way), and the elevator certification certificate (and it's Plexiglas cover) was hanging from one screw. The screw I installed the last time it was like this was gone. That means someone took the time to unscrew the extra long screw I put in over a month ago. Who would do something like that? Maybe the same type that has covered the area with graffiti 'tags'? I don't know, but it's just another sign that this beautiful (or what could be) old hotel and it surroundings are uncared for and deteriorating.

There is a huge crack in the ceiling near the elevator on the third floor that I just noticed the other day reminding me that no one has ever returned to inspect the building after construction was complete (as they said they would). I have a big crack in the wall of my bedroom next to my window also that I've mentioned previously.
The residents are still being exposed to second-hand smoke ever since "Energy Improvements" installed new lights and bathroom fans....
[Interesting note]: According to a "Breathe New Hampshire" representative I spoke with, there are absolutely no state or federal laws protecting residents of apartment buildings from this health threat!
How can that be, with all the legislation that's been passed lately? So much for our representatives working to protect us.
So as of now, it's perfectly legal for tenants to be forced to breathe second hand smoke (and in my case it's so strong that I've been awakened twice because of it when I didn't keep my bathroom fan running) unless they keep their bathroom fans running 24/7 (something they're not designed to do, not to mention a huge waste of ENERGY), and isn't that a potential fire hazard?
"Energy Improvements" company? Indeed!
- Please note that before the bathroom fans were replaced there was no problem whatsoever.

The two bags of trash I wrote about previously were still sitting in the snow down by the corner (I put them in the dumpster), the box spring and mattress were still sitting down in the alley (as of Saturday), and now there's a piece of old furniture sitting down by the ground floor elevator door.

The long list [of mainly plumbing repairs] I submitted weeks ago hasn't been responded to in any way.
My upstairs neighbor continues to clomp around shaking me and my apartment to the point of things actually falling off the wall, and ignoring the numerous letters sent to him from management telling him to contact them to discuss the matter.
The phone number he gave them is out of service, and after MB management and I had agreed that I was going to update [her] as to his compliance (or 'non') I call and hear from the secretary that she's off on vacation for "a few weeks"? Huh?

I've been trying to give them time, but three months in and things are getting worse, not better.

There are two men hired to do the maintenance for all of CATCH's properties, does that sound like enough? I worked for Concord Royal Gardens in the maintenance department as an apartment inspector and we had three times that number of maintenance personnel for just the two complexes and they were barely able to keep up with it!
I feel sorry for the one who has to answer the night-time 'emergency' calls! It's totally unrealistic to expect two people to handle all that in any kind of timely and responsible manner.

How long does this go on before the obvious conclusions are drawn by CATCH?


My conclusions are:

Bob the guy responsible for cleaning the building continues to slack, but is still getting a free apartment and stipend.

MB Management is not committing enough resources to responsibly care for the buildings and tenants they contracted for.

Promises/commitments made by construction-related people aren't being kept.

Residents continue to defy rules and management with impunity.

The condition of the building continues to deteriorate

CATCH needs to rectify this situation quickly.

What A Difference!

I just spoke with a woman in the City Clerk's office who epitomizes what a thoughtful, caring, public employee should be. I wish I'd remembered to get her name but nonetheless she is to be commended. She was pleasant, helpful, and actually seemed to care about helping me!

Imagine that!

The Concord Police Dispatcher who hung up on me early this morning should take notes from this wonderful woman as to how you deal with a citizen with a problem.
(As I said in my previous post, the officer I spoke with when I called back was a professional, took the time to hear me out and explained the situation)

In calling the City Clerk's office for the phone number of my City Councilman she also helped me with other suggestions, such as who to speak to in the General Services Dept.. She emphasized that my Councilman and the great people over at General Services would want to know about my concerns.

I always try to look at both sides of issues, and I know that people have good and bad days, but in jobs where you deal with the public (and Police Dispatch is NOT an easy job by any measure) you have to have people who maintain their professionalism at all times.

I do have to wonder though, what kind of leadership the police department has lately. In the 20 years I've lived here I can't recall so many negative incidents involving the department. I realize that they're short-staffed, and that could contribute in some ways to this behavior. I have maintain hope that the leaders in the department are working to reverse this trend of unprofessional behavior.

We want to be proud and supportive of our police force, not embarrassed or fearful. Police and Fire men and women have incredibly dangerous and critical jobs to do. Anyone who opts for those professions is to be commended and supported, but they have a responsibility to remember who they're working for, and to maintain the highest standards possible. In my experience that has been the case most of the time, but this latest experience has left me concerned.

To conclude, this woman I spoke with today in the City Clerk's office restored my faith that there are good, caring, professional people working for the city of Concord. That level of excellence is what all departments should strive for.

What Has Happened To Concord's Police Department?

This is hard for me to understand. Especially with all the negative press they've had lately. But unfortunately this morning at around 1:50 AM another representative of the Concord Police department has given them a black eye when dealing with the public. About fifteen minutes before that someone woke up everyone in the building who lives on the side facing the new Concord Commons building when someone from the city crew that was clearing snow used a snow blower to clear the alleyway between the buildings! If that wasn't bad enough, after they were done they continued with shoveling (that's what they should have done with the small amount of snow in the alley in the first place), but the person doing it kept banging his shovel on the wall of the building to knock the snow off. I finally opened my window and yelled at him that there were people trying to sleep up here, to which he yelled something belligerent! At that point I decided to call the police to make a noise complaint.

I called their non-emergency line, a woman answered the call and I proceeded to explain what the problem was. She immediately stated "there's nothing we're going to do about that"....
I started to say "but I thought there were noise laws...". The next thing I knew she had hung up on me. I just sat there, still holding the phone to my ear for close to a minute, trying to contemplate what had just happened. Just a few minutes before I was sleeping soundly, and now I was literally shaking with disbelief. I sat there for another minute or so and called the police back. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but I couldn't, and wouldn't stand for that kind of rude behavior from people who work for the public!

When the phone was answered it was by someone who identified himself as the shift supervisor. I explained what had just happened, along with my original complaint. This time I got a courteous person who took the time to listen to my complaint, and even though he also said there was nothing they could do, he explained that it was because because the snow removal crews weren't subject to the same noise laws that everyone else is.
He apologized for the behavior of the previous person and listened patiently as I continued to go on that I was able to understand the need to clear the streets at night, but that the job could have been done by shoveling alone instead of a snowblower, and also that the person doing it should have been more thoughtful towards the residents and definitely not belligerent like he was when told he was waking people up.


In all my dealings with the Concord Police over the years 99% of them have been professional and courteous. Every one of them was polite and helpful (except for that one rookie who treated me like a criminal after my late father's car had been towed away and I was distraught). That 99% seem like genuinely nice people. I have the utmost respect for them and the dangerous job they do, and the last thing they need is another example of one of them being rude to the people who pay their salary. What this woman who answered my call did was take a bad situation and compounded it by being curt and rude.

I'll be speaking to our local and state representatives about this latest episode and we'll find out what they have to say about it.

And one last thought.... The episode I just read about in the police log regarding a man who had just been released from prison after 30 years and was homeless was troubling. Sure he had been told to leave the building and was technically "trespassing" , but instead of arresting him, the human thing to do would have been to find him shelter for the night and steer him towards a public assistance program. Instead they sent him back into the system. How cold and heartless can you get? That's not the kind of society I want to belong to, and it's not the kind of society I believe we should strive for. Shame on the officer who made the decision to arrest him instead of giving him the help he so obviously needed.

Winter And The Holidays Are Upon Us

Well the ground is now covered with snow and it freezing outside. Cars are sprayed with salt or whatever they're putting on the roads these days, and slush builds up around our tires.

The car washes are busier than ever and for a while now there's more than one car wash in Concord! For too long (since the one next to KFC on Hall Street closed) you had two choices, the car wash on Loudon Road, or drive to Thirty Pines in Penacook. Now the addition of two on Manchester Street makes it much easier, and for me just seeing them more often gives me a needed reminder to stop and wash the salty winter sludge off.

Unfortunately for some here at the Endicott, winter apparently means leaving your trash somewhere other than in the dumpster. I've been seeing bags of trash left down by the entrance to the Green Martini, on the first floor by the elevator, and this morning two bags down on the corner by the sitting area (unfortunately the city didn't clear that walkway). That's only a few steps away from the dumpster!

I'm hoping that it's one of the more elderly or infirmed residents that find it especially hard to get around in the winter, and not someone who's just lazy. I grabbed the bag I saw by the door last week and took it to the dumpster myself, but something needs to be posted or somehow communicated to the residents by management. There is also a mattress and box spring that was left in the alleyway leaning up against the fence by the back door of the Green Martini.
And while I'm talking about the alleyway, Bob needs to make sure that when he parks his company truck in that alley he leaves room for people to get through with trash and whatnot. I was barely able to squeeze by with my trash the other day!

It needs to be made clear to all the residents that they can call MB Management if they have something large to dispose of or they find it difficult to get their trash to the dumpster. We have someone who is paid to keep the building clean, and the maintenance people should have trucks to remove large items that residents can't dispose of on their own.

I hope MB Management produces a distributes a new Resident Handbook soon as the old one from Hodges doesn't apply anymore (or does it?). I seem to recall that we were informed by CATCH that there would be a new one coming out with the change of management. So far there hasn't been any communication from MB since the initial letter with address and phone number.
Speaking of which, I tried calling the office of MB Management Monday and got a message that the number wasn't in service! A subsequent call to CATCH informed me that Marie Poole was on her way over there to find out what the problem was.
Thank goodness for Marie. She's so attentive to our needs and is so pleasant to deal with!

(Update: In speaking with Tiffany (who works for Kathy at MB) she said that the phone situation lasted for about three hours before it was resolved.)

And so is our new property manager Kathy at MB. So far she's been very receptive to some issues I've brought to her. Nothing has changed yet, but I'm trying to be patient. She told me that she was excited that the old Endicott Hotel was one of the properties they were hired to manage and that she hoped to get it looking better soon.

I plan to do whatever I can to [both] help that happen, and keep the fire lit (as it were). It's sad to see the condition of this historic old building, unkempt and dirty with peeling paint in the entryways, lights that haven't been replaced in years, with the old and I must say ugly paint on the upper facade and the beautiful bowed windows that overlook the street. This wonderful old building has been badly neglected for too long and it deserves better. Especially now that it has a brand new building next door and the city is focusing on development of the South Main Street area.

It's a bit discouraging to look out my third floor window across at the uninhabited floors of the new building, and especially when I walk by the empty space on the ground floor adjacent to the new theaters. I picture a busy coffee shop-bookstore or casual dining restaurant there, but I'm told that because of Gibson's Book Store across the plaza the former isn't likely. The lack of occupants to date concerns me, as I'm sure it does the owner and the city, but I'm hoping that the current situation will be but a distant memory as the downtown comes to life.
It will be a welcome change.

What's up with Concord and it's city workers?

It's 1 AM here at the Endicott and just now someone started up a snowblower outside!
Now I'm all for cleaning up the sidewalks after a storm, but in the five years I've lived here this is a first.
Aren't there noise ordinances in Concord anymore? What are they thinking?

The snow cleanup that normally goes on isn't bad (and has to be done at night) but this is exceptionally loud and undoubtedly woke some people up!

I have to say the crews do an excellent job clearing the snow that piles up after storms, but whoever OKed the use of a snow blower next to a residential building at 1 AM needs to be re-educated.
(It wasn't long ago that I called Jeff Hoadley the Director of Public Properties and left a message/complaint about a city worker running a leaf blower in the alley between our building and the new building at around 7 AM.)

I also have to say that overall the condition of the streets and highways (and other 'Public Properties') of Concord is embarrassing. Weeds growing up untouched, trash strewn along the sides of streets, and most recently trash left untouched around the dumpster beside the brand new parking garage and in the freshly landscaped sitting area down at the corner of Storrs Street and Pleasant Street extension.

On most days (before the snow came) if you walked by the dumpster behind the Lighting Place you'd see broken beer bottles, food and trash from the restaurant, and other trash scattered around from the stairs by the dumpster halfway out to the street. I have dozens of photos I've taken of the trash left scattered around. It remained there unless I picked it up (which I did every time I saw it) or people from the bar/restaurant cleaned it up.

I assume that much of the mess is caused when the trash truck empties the dumpster, and god forbid the driver from getting off his butt to clean up anything that falls out in the process! And not once have I seen any city workers cleaning the area or picking up trash scattered around the public seating area. In the mornings they have someone check and empty the trash bag in the trash receptacle, but in the process they walk right by and ignore any trash in the nicely landscaped area around the benches.

Once when there was part of a sandwich roll and it's contents smeared around at the bottom of the stairs (directly in the middle) next to the dumpster, I asked the server inside the restaurant [politely], then later one of the owners if they could have someone go clean it up. After both of them arguing with me saying "How do you know it came from us? It could have been from anyone, it could be from someone living in the Endicott..." she eventually said that they would take care of it. (The only reason I didn't take care of it myself and avoid the nastiness was that it was a gooey mess that required a hose or other cleaning supplies).

Does it really matter how the mess got there? Shouldn't we all take some pride in our block and keep it as clean as possible? People walking that way shouldn't have to jump over food and avoid broken beer bottles!
I certainly try to do my part, but shouldn't the city take the same pride in keeping the public areas clean and looking good? Who's responsible for that area between the Lighting Place and the new parking garage where the dumpster is? Why has it been ignored and collecting broken beer bottles, cigarette butts, and other trash?

I haven't spoken to Mr. Hoadley or others in person yet but I plan to at some point. Until then I can only guess as to the reasons the city looks so unkempt and some of it's workers seem to lack common decency and sense at times. Maybe part of it's money, maybe some of it's being able to find and keep good thoughtful workers.
I just know that when I walk down many city streets seeing the same litter sitting there day after day and see the same weeds growing higher and higher along the highways, and especially when I see the city spend millions of dollars on a new parking garage and landscaping, then see it not being cared for, I'm disheartened.

Close Call For Nativity Display

Gusty winds brought down the Christmas Tree in front of the Concord, NH State House today somewhere between noon and 1 PM, narrowly missing the Nativity display. Luck, or divine intervention? I guess I'll leave that up to you.

The gusty winds we've been experiencing the past day or so were strong enough to snap the big pine tree off at the base.


This could be just the start of a stormy start to the week as the National Weather Service puts out this alert:

"[...]THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE FIRST MAJOR WINTER STORM OF
THE SEASON FOR MUCH OF THE REGION. SNOW WILL SPREAD FROM SOUTHWEST
TO NORTHEAST SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH SNOW LASTING INTO TUESDAY AT MANY
LOCATIONS. SINCE THE END OF THIS EVENT IS STILL SEVERAL DAYS
AWAY...SOME UNCERTAINTY STILL EXISTS IN SNOWFALL TOTALS.
HOWEVER...THIS STORM DOES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE GREATER
THAN A FOOT OF SNOW ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION.[...]"

I don't know about you, but I'll be taking advantage of the new parking garage next door and parking under cover for the next few days.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, But...

But, remember the indigenous peoples who don't share the same feelings. Their experience was entirely different from the English settlers. For one group it was the beginning, the other the beginning of the end.

I have mixed feelings about the day as my family was to follow these pilgrims path in 1630 when the Winthrop Fleet brought them to the shores of Massachusetts. I hate to think that Daggetts or Purintons (or any settlers for that matter) were in any part responsible for the downfall and destruction of the local tribes' way of life. Of course they were, in the most basic sense by being part of a group of people who thought that they had a right to 'settle' on someone else's land. I'd like to think that they were at least cognizant of that fact, and were possibly ones who at least tried to have a mutually beneficial relationship.

These days those issues aren't what most people think about on Thanksgiving day. Come to think of it, on the original Thanksgiving most were thinking of themselves and the fortunes of their group and little of the people whose lives and lands they would eventually dispossess.

This Thanksgiving while we are giving thanks for family and friends, the bountiful feast, and the fellowship of the day, it would be good to give some thought to those whose lives were
irrevocably changed by our forefathers. I certainly will.

New Parking Garage Elevators Out Of Action Again

Anyone who needed to use the elevators in the new parking garage either for convenience or necessity Sunday were out of luck. This isn't the first time I've noticed this condition. The last time I went to use them they were turned off also.

Personally, I parked on the top level and was only inconvenienced by having to take the stairs to the top level, but anyone in a wheelchair or with any other type of medical necessity wasn't able to. After I shot a couple of photos for this blog I went over to the Red River Theaters to see if the manager was aware of the situation. As she hurriedly came to speak with me she was obviously already on top of the situation and was in a rush to deal with it.

Now I don't know the reason for them being turned off this time. I would hope that there aren't maintenance issues already, they were just installed! I do know that along with some of the other issues I've read about in the Monitor having to do with the layout of the parking pay stations, the new theaters are already swimming upstream to gain some traction with patrons.
The theaters now need a nice comfortable restaurant in the ground floor space next door as soon as possible. What they don't need are elevators that are shut down and other problems that should have been foreseen in the design and planning process.

On a brighter note, there were lots of folks coming and going in the lobby of the theater and nice friendly employees to help them, and of course the wonderful smell of popcorn.

I'll be speaking to the parking people this week to ask a few questions and will posts back with the results. In the mean time go see a movie! Here's a couple of links to the S.N.O.B (Somewhat North of Boston) Film Festival including their MySpace page.

Do you wonder why voter turnout is so low?

I had the date set on my calendar. I also had it set as a reminder on my computer, in more than one place. But just to be sure I had the day right (my mind is a very confused place) I went to the Concord Monitor's web site. I thought for sure they would have some mention of it on the 'front page', probably somewhere right near the top of the page. After all it's a very important day is it not? It's one of the foundations of civilized society, electing local leaders who will debate and decide important matters that affect our communities and our lives. But I saw nothing there at the top of the page. I scrolled down and still nothing. "Has it been changed?", I said to myself. Who knows these days, but I thought no that's not likely, and I surely would have heard something if it had.

I don't get the paper version of the Monitor, it's one of the things I do without now that I live on a severely limited income. Besides, I have an internet connection and I get most of my news from there. Maybe there was something in the 'paper' version about getting out and voting but I saw nothing in the "Concord Monitor online".

Why is that? Did a major news story happen that day and there wasn't enough room?
Of course not. Getting out and voting should have been the lead story of the day.

Wasn't it deemed important enough, or did the Monitor figure that everyone already knew so it wasn't necessary? Maybe because they had already done multiple articles about the candidates running for the various offices there wasn't anything left to say until after the votes were counted. But it was important. It is important. On a national level it's as important as it's ever been. But locally it's important too, and it seems that so few take it seriously enough to change their normal routine or drive a few extra miles to the polling station.

Instead of writing articles after the fact about how low voter turnout is these days shouldn't we be re-emphasizing the importance of being involved and encouraging as many people as possible to get out and vote for the best person to represent their district, town, state, or whatever?
Shouldn't we strive to increase turnout and participation more and more each election cycle?
Shouldn't people be reminded how important voting is?

Yes, and yes, and local papers like the Concord Monitor (and that includes the online version) should lead that effort. There should have been a headline reading "Get out and vote!" in large bold letters for all to see with maps detailing the polling places for each neighborhood and summaries about the candidates. As busy as many people are these days some need the prodding and encouragement, and the reminder to exercise their right (and privilege) to vote.

Every time an article is written about voter apathy and low voter turnout, news organizations should ask themselves "did we do everything we could have to get citizens to the polls?".

Why Am I Being Forced To Breathe Cigarrette fumes? (and why has it been allowed to go on for so long?)

I just got up from the computer and went into the bathroom. As soon as I opened the door I was hit with the stench of cigarette smoke. Big problem -- I don't smoke.

This is an ongoing issue ever since we had some "Energy Improvements" company come in and replace the bathroom fan-light combination and kitchen ceiling light with what I assume were touted as energy-efficient florescent units (which are much dimmer than the previous lights). I didn't notice the ventilation problem until the apartment directly above me was rented. Soon after that I noticed odors in my bathroom that weren't mine. Now the cooking smells were fine, but the first time I opened the bathroom door and smelled a strong odor of cigarette smoke I almost threw up. And just the other night I was awakened by the smell of tobacco in my bedroom and realized that I hadn't left the fan on in the bathroom. Something must be done about this! It's unhealthy, annoying, and I'm betting it violates state and/or federal laws.

Since I brought the matter to the attention of the Hodges management and maintenance personnel I was told that "there's nothing we can do about it", and another time "just run the fan" (of course that's saving energy now isn't it?). The former quote was during a quarterly inspection in which someone from maintenance, and the property manager were present.
Since then I have learned from another resident down the hall from me that she's had the same issue, she brought it to the attention of CATCH, and was given (by Hodges) one, and then two air filter/fans similar to the expensive ones you've seen on TV but much cheaper (and I do mean cheaper). And finally, I brought this issue up again recently to our property manager and pretty much all I got was a shrug. I wasn't offered any air filter or any other solution. At that point I mentioned that if this issue was brought to the attention of state or federal authorities someone would be in big trouble.
Q: Is it possible that this issue had something to do with Hodges not managing CATCH properties anymore (as of November 1st)? TBD

Q: Did anyone from CATCH or Hodges contact the company that replaced the fans to find out what they did to create this unhealthy and illegal condition and rectify it or hold them accountable in any way? I haven't seen any evidence of that.

Q: Did CATCH/Hodges Development Corp. do anything to rectify the problem themselves other than to provide cheap air filters (and only after a resident complained to CATCH)? No.

Q: Do I still have to breathe cigarette smoke coming from another apartment? Yes.

Since that time Hodges Development Corp. has been replaced by "MB Management" for reasons unknown to me at this time. I will be speaking to CATCH directly about this and other concerns but it shouldn't be contingent upon me to go to them to rectify this existing and known issue. They know about the unhealthy (and illegal?) situation and they've done nothing [to date].

Some of the questions I have for them are:

1. What were the reasons for the management change?

2. Was there any communication between the Hodges maintenance staff and the new maintenance staff at MB management, concerning among other things any specific quirks/issues relating to specific properties (like the steam heating system and the mis-configured wiring in the Endicott, or where the cable/telco access rooms are)?

3. Who was the energy improvement company that replaced the bathroom fans/lights (and the kitchen lights that are much dimmer than before) and are they going to be held accountable?

4. What did [that] company do to the ventilation system to cause fumes/odors from one apartment to flow into other apartments?

5. What is CATCH's plan to remedy the [illegal] situation?

6. Why haven't the people who videotaped the condition of our apartments prior to construction returned to inspect the apartments for potential damage done by the construction vibrations?
There's a crack in my bedroom wall next to the window [now] that they should take note of.

7. When is the exterior of the Endicott going to be painted? Heck, when is someone going to bother to even clean the entry ways of the building?
I was told by a manager of the Pachamama store on the ground floor that the owner of the sections of the building that CATCH doesn't own was trying to secure a grant to fix the exterior.
- Does CATCH have any similar plans?

8. Does CATCH/the construction company feel any obligation to the residents whose air conditioners died prematurely (like mine) from all the construction dust/dirt (and mortar that ended up sprayed onto our windows and A/C units when it was being finished) to provide some form of compensation?

9. Why do (or do) they have a resident getting a free apartment plus a stipend for cleaning the building and being the resident contact who works full time, when the carpets are stained, the laundry room is disgusting, and even after he supposedly vacuums the carpets are still dirty? Plus I mentioned the entry ways, which haven't been cleaned [ever that I've seen].
- When I spoke to our [Hodges] property manager about spills/dirt in the elevator that sometimes remain for a day or more before being cleaned up, I even offered to clean them myself if they could provide a mop, bucket, and ringer in the maintenance closet adjacent to my door, to no avail.

10. Referring to #9, Why don't they have someone who is on-site all the time? Residents complain that he's not there during the day, and after he gets home is tired and frequently sleeping and unavailable. I'd be willing to bet that there's someone living in the building right now that would love to get a free apartment and stipend that would be there during the day/night, and actually care about keeping the place looking good (inside and out).
- I'm hoping that he's not being shielded from responsibility because he's a CATCH volunteer...

I frequently make coffee and take it with me while I walk around the block picking up trash, brushing away cigarette butts from around the new benches in front of the building, picking up [some of] the trash left around the dumpster behind the Lighting Place and next to the brand new parking garage, and also trash scattered around the nicely landscaped section just built down at the corner of Pleasant St. extension and Storrs St.. If I'm out walking around and I see trash I usually pick it up and put it in one of the nearby trash cans. I'm frequently cleaning up trash strewn about when the dumpster driver empties the dumpster or food and/or broken beer bottles from the Green Martini are left lying on the pavement (and sometimes in the middle of the stairs) next to the dumpster.

If I could afford it I'd buy one of those dustpan/trash containers with a handle and a broom to take on my walks around the block (I don't know how I'd carry my coffee though).

Why does it seem that I'm the only one who cares enough to at least try to keep the block clean?
I guess that most people think that it's someone else's problem.

Another thing I can't understand is why can't the city of Concord have it's workers clean the area? I see them changing out the trash bags in the early mornings but they walk right past trash strewn about the brand new sitting area on the corner that was so nicely landscaped. All that nice new construction and landscaping and it was just a matter of days until the trash started accumulating.

For that matter, why has the city of Concord let it's streets and highways get so neglected with weeds growing out all over the place, and other unsightly areas neglected until someone complains loudly enough to the right person? And why do we frequently have to wait until the day after a snowstorm for the downtown side street sidewalks to be cleared and sanded?

And why don't the residents of the Endicott have any parking spots provided for them so that we aren't threatened daily with towing ($150.00 ransom I've been forced to pay once already) because we park in the big parking lot across the street?

And finally, will I ever get a response to my email request to Clay McCuistion who's the "blog wrangler" for the Concord Monitor online's "blogsNH"?
A while ago I wrote to him (following the instructions at the top of the page for people wishing to "blog here") and haven't heard anything back.
I just checked the date I sent the email and it's been eleven days! So I guess I'll send it again in case it got lost, and if I have to I'll go to the Concord Monitor offices and hand deliver it.
Hopefully you'll be reading blog posts from me at blogsNH in the very near future!
-UPDATE [11/10/07]: I got a brief email from Mr. McCuistion the other day informing me he's on vacation and wouldn't be back until November 2oth.

All those questions and more will have to wait for another day and another post in The Endicott Dispatch. Stay tuned...

They're still putting the finishing touches on the new parking garage and the other morning I enjoyed the protection from the rain while I got some fresh air and drank my coffee.

Today the workers from Galaxy Glass in Manchester are out there finishing up with the caulking in the sub-40s fall chill.




I for one will be glad when the project is done. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a beautiful building and it's a huge improvement over the vacant lot (although I had a nice bright apartment and a view before it went up. Not so now.).

The residents of the Endicott, especially the ones whose apartments face the construction site have put up with the noise that started daily at seven AM, and the fine dirt that clogged our air conditioners and covered our window sills with a fine powder. By the way, I had to buy a new air conditioner because the previous one which was only a couple of years old couldn't handle the dirt and died a squeaky death.

At the start of the construction when the piles were being driven to hold back the street, the vibration was so bad I had to open up all of my cupboards so that they wouldn't rattle all day long, and important pictures had to be taken off the walls for fear of them coming down. Even then it was like living inside an ultrasonic cleaner.
The construction company had seismic equipment to monitor the shaking and they had to inject some kind of material into the foundation of the Endicott to shore it up before starting.

Now all that disruption in our lives is over for the most part and all we're left with are memories, and speaking for myself a big crack in my bedroom wall next to the window. Prior to construction some people came in and videotaped the condition of the walls in our apartments. They said they'd be back to check things out after construction was done, but to date I haven't seen anyone.

So it's been a long noisy expensive experience for this resident.
At least the building didn't fall down. There were times when that seemed like a real possibility. Now lets hope some businesses fill the building and the theater is supported. It would certainly help the Red River Theaters if a successful restaurant moved into the space on the first floor next to their sign. There's plenty of parking now in the attached parking garage. Let's fill it up!

Welcome

Welcome to the first post of The Endicott Dispatch. The name refers to the building where I live which is a century old former hotel in downtown Concord New Hampshire.

I want to cover local topics ranging from what's happening inside and around the Endicott, to issues concerning the city of Concord and the state of New Hampshire.

I welcome comments as long as they're polite and relevant. Do to the scourge of 'comment SPAM' I have to use the challenge option to weed out automatic SPAM bots to the extent possible.

I also will be using "Jiglu" (at least initially) to help with 'tagging'. If you have any issues with it please let me know. And since I live solely on a single Social Security Disability payment each month I'm going to explore Google AdSense and possibly a PayPal [link] to help pay for things like my medications (and coffee, which currently is my substitute for the Ritalin/Concerta I can't afford because the drug company Novartis wants to pawn me off onto Medicare Part-D [which I can't afford). *See my blog post that includes more detail about the situation on this page.

I hope to produce an informative and entertaining blog that people will enjoy and support.
My thinking at this early stage is that some of the posts will be similar to a 'Letter to the Editor', and in my case that would be the local Concord Monitor newspaper.

This is my second 'real' blog. The other is called "Inside Tom's Brain" and is also hosted by Blogspot-Google. To this point it has been primarily political and media commentary with some personal issues posted every once in a great while. I, like I imagine many people, have started and basically abandoned several blogs over the years. You've seen it I'm sure, every large web portal wants you to start a blog on their site. Microsoft's "Live Spaces", the Opera browser site, your ISP offers a free web site, and the list goes on.

OK I admit it, I'm weak. It seemed like a good idea at the time, right? But especially for people like me with serious ADD, the last thing you need are more things you need to attend to. The internet is distracting enough. All I have to do is start reading the news or my daily email and I'm off on a tangent that continues to split further and further from what I'd originally intended (or needed) to do. So even for those without ADD I bet this sounds familiar. If the standards of all these sites allowed it and applications like Windows Live Writer could post to all of these disparate sites I'd be able to write the post once and if I wanted to then distribute that one post to all my blogs.

I must say though, that I haven't done an exhaustive search for applications of this type, and for all I know someone has developed just such an application. As far as the ones I've seen, some can distribute what I write to the major blog sites but not all.

So there it is, the traditional first post of a new blog, and as my mind has drifted and my attention span has been tested (I have the TV on also [with the sound off], and I stopped to write a post about Mika Brzezinski and MSNBC's "Morning Joe" for Inside Tom's Brain just now..) I think I should stop before I lose any more focus.

Thank you all for being here and please come back soon!