It’s holiday time: Halloween, Thanksgiving soon, then Christmas and New Year’s. Speaking of Christmas, what about the tree lights? The Oct. 22 Press quoted Wyona Lynch-McWhite, chairwoman of Parks and Rec, as saying they “had received no further input concerning the tree.” Well, I have, and so has Angela Gaffney: friends, acquaintances, even strangers thanking us for raising the issue of how bad the new lights look and hoping they can be changed.
The Oct. 8 Press noted, concerning criticism of the lights, that “hindsight is wonderful.” Indeed. We would all have bought Apple stock a few years ago; AOL and Time Warner would not have merged; George Bush would not have ignored the August 6, 2001, President’s Daily Intelligence Brief entitled “Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in U.S.”; etc. But we need planning and foresight from boards and commissions, not just hindsight, which is easy as well as “wonderful.”
Case in point: Parks and Rec “spent months trying to find help in getting someone to agree to string new lights” yet failed to consult stakeholders on how the strings should be hung or what color they should be. Finally, as “time was getting short,” they ran around to hardware stores and bought lights without checking how they looked at night and then hired a stringing contractor without discussing how the lights should be strung until equipment arrived on site—too late. However well intended, the process was deeply flawed.
Time is short again; it is hard to imagine changing the lights—finding money, making a plan, and implementing it effectively—within six weeks.
Living with the new lights for another season should not, however, prevent residents from voicing opinions. Let Parks and Rec know what you think—now, if you’re ready, or after you see the tree again this December. Visit http://harvardparkandrec.org and click on “contacts” for email addresses.
Dialogue and considered action can solve the problem; vandalism cannot. Please share your views with Parks and Rec so we can develop a plan that is not only well intended but also well informed by all stakeholders and well executed.
William Salter
Elm Street
