giving downtownies a bad name

in this week's the column column, sun editors vastly improve on their dismal record of inaccuracy over the past weeks, and actually accurately portray the protagonists in their chosen subjects, (as far as my experience and knowledge would know, anyway), and this time most of all in the license commission meeting results related to the fortunato's debacle.

first of all kudos to all involved in enforcing city regulations related to the sale of alcohol at this establishment--from the board of health (penultimate marks for being the first agency to find teeth among its powers and do the right thing and shut the place down for their many offenses) to the building inspector to the license commission itself, but most of all to the city of lowell police department for being first on the scene and ensuring both public safety as well as the evidence necessary for the license commission to take its appropriate action. well done.

but, second of all, a loud and "yeah, i'm talking about you, dayne lamb" raspberry for the public comments entered at the hearing complaining about the city board's "kabuki theater" intended to enable the "well-connected" building owner to find a replacement tenant. we all heard the profanity and the idiocy of the comments when they were first made, so let me take my opportunity based on the sun's accurate summary of them to tell you what a significant (majority?) portion of the rest of downtown really thinks about your narrow-minded, selfish and self-defeating comments:

OF COURSE the board is acting to provide a "loophole" that would enable transfer of the restaurant liquor license to a succeeding restaurant. in fact, if they hadn't, they'd be guilty of the worst sort of economic and social tyranny, and screwing the entire downtown for the offense of a single business owner who is already, as we've seen by the proceeding, getting his. congratulations and commendations to the license commission for taking the opportunity to do so. THANK YOU to the license commission for taking the opportunity to do so. it's the sort of stewardship of our city and our social fabric that is sorely needed around here, to vitalize the downtown (how many decades have to pass before the "re" part is nonsense?) and make it prosperous and positive for all who share it. and that, mr. lamb, means more than just the "NIMBY" selfishness you so shamefully represented as standing for the rest of us here downtown.

kathleen marcin, president of the downtown neighborhood association, said it far better when she respectfully and without profanity observed her hopes to "bring back a strong anchor to one of the best corners in the city". ABSOLUTELY.

real downtownies, REAL downtownies, want a vibrant and well-patronized restaurant in that space. in fact, our biggest complaint with forunato's over all these years was not the ugly bang with which they went out, but the far sadder whimpering ennui of poor food and poorer service that bedeviled that corner for far too long.

i can't wait for the license to be transferred. i can't wait for corey belanger to move into the dubliner space, and i can't wait to find out who will put their own money, sweat and toil on the line to try to make something again of that, yes, would-be best corner in the city that fortunato's wasted for far too long.

and, seriously, some people living down here are everything the rest of the city accuses them to be, though far far far far fewer than the rest of the city realizes them to be, because these few yapping maws insist on getting up in public and embarrassing the rest of us. i cringed to see it. and i cringe again to be reminded of it.

here's hoping better points of view will begin to be better heard.