There are times I wish there could be more candid discussion in government.
The thought occurred to me on Oct. 2 when I attended a press conference concerning the removal of a 136-year-old pink granite bench from the Stearns Square park earlier this year by city officials, specifically Tom Ashe, the director of the Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management.
The bench is in the center of the park and was used by attendees of this year’s Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival. In July, the bench was removed, according to statements Ashe made to the Springfield Preservation Trust, which called the press conference.
Ashe told the members of the trust, in response to their phone calls and emails, “The bench at Stearns Square had several structural issues as it relates to safety. There were several cracks, large chunks missing, and there were sharp edges on the ends due to cement falling off. We have removed the bench to our yard here at Forest Park and will make every attempt to repair the areas that need attention.”
What? That doesn’t make any sense. No timeline for the repairs has been mentioned.
Consider the following: If the bench was a public safety hazard, why was it allowed to be used for the music festival?
Also, in 2019 the park (and Duryea Way across the street) underwent a renovation that cost more than $1 million. The result was two beautiful urban parks. Do you mean to tell me that in just five years this granite bench, which has been in that spot since 1887, had suddenly just deteriorated in such a spectacular manner that it deserved removal? During the renovation, no one noticed the bench was in rough shape?
And if the bench needed repair, why was it removed from the park? Wouldn’t it be cheaper and far more efficient to have craftspeople address the issues without moving the bench?
One more question: if the issue for the removal of the bench was “public safety,” then why did Ashe’s crew leave a hole in the brick pathway where the bench was located? Now, as an old man, I know it doesn’t take much to trip and have an injury. Granted, there are sawhorses around the hole, but why in the name of all that is holy would you leave an ugly and unsafe hole in the middle of a park that was beautifully renovated just five years ago at a cost of $1 million?
None of this makes sense until you realize the park has been an area where homeless people and others gather. As the press conference went on, a group of people were leaning on another feature of the park, the turtle fountain.
The bench and the turtle fountain are part of the design by famed 19th century architect Sanford White. The other element that was removed from the park is the famed Puritan statue that is now next to Central Library. That statue and the turtle fountain are the works of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the famed sculptor.
The history is overwhelming. The beauty is impressive. The removal of the bench is just plain awful.
Eyewitnesses have told members of the trust the bench was removed by cutting it. A photo taken by The Republican shows that. It was not lifted by crane onto a truck and removed.
So where does the candid government conversation come in? Well, here is my theory: the park is located next to a building which has long been on the market. There are now several restaurant locations near the park that are vacant. Did someone have the idea that by removing the bench, you can remove people hanging out on it – people whose presence may make developers uneasy about looking at these locations?
Springfield is a Gateway City, a polite term meaning a former industrial town that has fallen on hard times and has a high level of poverty. There are going to be homeless people, and they are going to gather in locations not far from shelters. This is nothing new and it’s nothing that many other cities like Springfield are facing.
Wouldn’t it be more productive to address who these people are and what are their needs? Finding housing for them, finding help for their issues is a more permanent solution than taking away a historic bench. Removing the bench is a terrible band-aid to the problem.
If the bench has indeed been destroyed, then please own up to it. Fix the hole that was left and apologize for the immense short-sightedness. And understand you have eliminated something that has been part of this city for 136 years.
It’s roast time!
I look forward to this event every year, but this year I can’t be part of the annual Valley Press Club Roast due to a scheduling conflict, but you should be!
The roast will be Oct. 23 at the John Boyle O’Reilly Club in Springfield. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be bought at the door or in advance at valley-press-roast-2024.eventbrite.com.
There will be pizza, munchies, a cash bar and a great raffle. Hey, you could win one of my books!
The press roasts local elected officials, who in turn tell us what they really think of us. It’s cathartic, to say the least. I will say the local officials are always good sports.
The money raised will go toward the club’s scholarship fund.
It’s a fun evening and one I hope you will support.
G. Michael Dobbs has worked for Reminder Publishing for 23 years of his nearly 50-year-career in the Western Mass. media scene, and previously served as the executive editor. He has spent his time with the publisher covering local politics, interesting people and events. The opinions expressed within the article are that of the author’s and do not represent the opinions and beliefs of the paper.
