Board of Aldermen 08-13-2019 Page 29
that was going to take place for the bridge coming from Hudson to Nashua. Some of the concerns that the
neighbors had was that we did not have any recreation ideas. And they did come up with some, but
unfortunately you know that money that goes for traffic doesn’t necessarily go for recreation.
| think it is very important Mayor that the Board of Public Works understands that there is a need there with
the additional 200 plus apartments that are going in that those people have a right to some passive/active
recreation in that area. So | hope that you keep that in mind when you move down that line for that
$700,000.00 cost and | apologize for not doing that.
As far as Back to School, | have been doing this longer than retired than when | was working, but my
function basically is to pack the 1,500 bags. We can’t do that without volunteers. For 15 years RSVP our
Seniors in this community have stepped up to the plate and bagged those bags in less than 3 hours. They
work piecemeal, some of them are in their 80’s. So if you want to see people who work hard, who know
how to do it, you come down to the library next Tuesday after 8:30 and see what they can do. | know the
Mayor came last year and | think he was quite impressed with some of them. A lot of them have been
doing it for 15 years. So it shows you that one generation will help the other moving forward and of course
we will all be there on Thursday the 22" for the big bag hand out. So thank you for that.
Alderman Lopez
I’m just going to watch DJ Bernie catch kids playing Freeze. So the first thing | want to say is we have
been talking about the need for recreational activities and to Alderman Tencza’s point, the new futsal court
going in on Ash Street is across the street from the PAL Center which on the top floor has a boxing gym
where we have regularly succeeding athletes. Kids that would otherwise be engaged in other activities or
might be at risk, really learning to build a positive self-image and how to value themselves as athletes. We
have Golden Glove winners; we have people qualifying for the Olympics.
We have some pretty amazing things happening at that PAL Center because of the years of investment
that have gone into it. We have the Skate Park on the same street, and we have kids of increasing skill
and dexterity in the inner-city having the opportunity to practice right in their own neighborhood. And now
we have a futsal court which any professional or semi-professional soccer player will tell you, futsal helps
kids develop skills much more rapidly and effectively than just casual soccer. It is a great training activity
and we can look forward to seeing some really good athletic soccer athletes coming out of those
neighborhoods over the next couple of years.
And in addition to athletes that neighborhood is turning out leaders because the idea for the futsal court
came from the kids at the PAL Center. They participated in the “Your Choice/Your Voice”: they developed
a presentation for it; they campaigned for it and did a great job. So | think recreational facilities over in the
Canal Street area are important to that area’s future and that area’s growth. And ultimately the investment
of those families in that community. So | agree with Alderman Clemons or Alderman Caron that we need to
take that as a serious priority.
| also wanted to recognize City Clerk Piecuch, she’s been helping me for years, before | was even an
Alderman, trying to put together Cultural Festivals, Positive Street Art Events, Great American Downtown
Events. And then as an Alderman she has been of enormous help in helping me figure out what City
Statutes there are, what activities are going on that | should be part of. Even in this horseshoe, where she
staying all night with the rest of us, having late night meetings. We get to posture and express our opinions
and do all this political stuff while she is just paid to quietly work, which she does very well. So | just wanted
to recognize her with one opportunity because | thought maybe next month, in case you’re sick, let’s do it
now and | wanted to do a roll call vote, on Aldermen expressing their appreciation for the job she’s done
over the year.
President Wilshire
Would the Clerk please call the roll?
