"We Live Here Too" March and Rally

Posted by John B. Kelly

20 people, with and without disabilities, marched Sunday afternoon up Huntington Avenue and rallied against the city's refusal to replace the inaccessible and dangerous brick sidewalks from Parker Street to Massachusetts Avenue. Activists and allies took the only route available to them, in the street.

At the rally which followed, almost every participants spoke about their terrible experience with brick sidewalks. Mayoral candidate Maura Hennigan arrived toward the end of our march, and spoke first to the group. This video will also be made available. I introduced Maura and thanked her for her commitment to clean government, which discovered the city's trick of putting money aside into a slush fund rather than repairing sidewalks. Hennigan promised to reverse the city policies which violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. She said that she believed in following the law.

I thanked her for her work and said that I would deftly be voting for Maura Hennigan on Tuesday. Many of us put Hennigan stickers on.

City councilor Michael Ross arrived and spoke about how "cruel" the bricks are. He encouraged us to try to round up support from the Fenway Alliance and Symphony Hall. Even though the Fenway Alliance pushed hard for the brick, perhaps they will be able to see the danger they pose.

The march started at the new Northeastern glass building at the corner of Parker Street, where we strung up our signs and prepared for the march. Elizabeth Fahey from Senator Steven Tolman's office was the only politician who arrived, unless we count Commissioner of Disabilities Stephen Spinetto, who kept to the background, from which he mainly took pictures and made cell phone calls.

After all the participants had described their nightmares with the brick sidewalks, I asked Commissioner Spinetto what had ever happened to the brick working group, which met once to my knowledge, in September 2003. When asked by counselorRoss at the November 2003 city Council hearing on brick sidewalks win the group would issue a report, Spinetto said that he could not give a firm date but was really looking forward to working on it. The question I wanted answered was, why had the group stopped meeting, or was it meeting in secret?

With some hesitation, Spinetto took the microphone, said this was not the time or place to discuss such a matter, mentioned some other meetings and projects that I was involved in, and then shocked the group by reprimanding us for having such an event in light of the recent murder of a resident across the street. People at the rally were appalled.

Said East Fens resident Tracey Cusick, "Everyone I've talked to was horrified about the recent murder at Symphony Towers. But Spinetto's attempt to link the murder to the lack of access protest on Huntington Avenue is simply wrong. It's shocking that rather than actually address the problems with the sidewalks, Spinetto decided to claim that his sensibilities were offended."

Maura Hennigan said his remark was "disgraceful."

When video is available, it will be posted.

The march went by the law school, the main plaza for the university (one of the worst brick sidewalks in the city -- we will be inviting officials to come take a ride on it) , and the YMCA, on to Pizzeria Uno's, where we shortly thereafter paused in front of the Huntington Theatre.

For me, this was the smoothest trip up Huntington Avenue I had taken in two years. Of course we did not get off that easy, because the city has been busy installing the new "decorative" crosswalks, which are obnoxiously bumpy. Along the way, I pointed out some terrible spots, such as missing bricks, collapsed bricks, noncompliant transitions between brick and other surfaces, and the use of asphalt to patch (very badly) the sidewalk.

Eileen Brewster paused in front of the Huntington Theatre and drew from her storyboard to describe her fall and point out the metal rim which still has not been prepared. The fall now requires her to wear a full body cast, and the pain is too great to go over the sidewalk. She must use a bus or go in the street.

Thanks to everyone who came and spoke!

Maybe next time we should get a parade permit :-)