Isn’t it about time that some people around here begin to accept the fact that this isn’t the Revere of 1965?
I am well acquainted with how difficult change is – especially large-scale change in one’s community – but enough is enough.
After our front-page story this week on the Cambodian New Year celebration that is to occur down Shirley Avenue this weekend, there were people mindless enough to call and complain.
One person even told us that they hoped it rained out the event.
By all tokens, this is a positive event and one that many in Revere ought to take a look at – if you are at all interested in other people. If you hate people, then stay away.
It is also a celebration in a predominantly Cambodian area of the city – an area that I believe has been purposefully neglected by the city for decades due to the fact that is has been predominately Cambodian. It is only by the immense resourcefulness of the people in that community that Shirley Avenue has thrived as a business district over the past 20 years, a small business district at that. Because, certainly, the city and taxpayer dollars haven’t gone towards helping that neighborhood nearly as much as they’ve gone towards helping more predominately white neighborhoods and business districts.
Until the state stepped in two years ago with grant money, the city had let Shirley Avenue (the actual street) become a pothole marred landscape, no better than a military road in a war zone. It was mostly gravel and pavement was only spotty.
Not to mention the fact that the businesses on Shirley Avenue have had to contend with no free parking. The public lot on The Ave is lined with meters, as is the street, and they have had cut throat enforcement by parking attendants for quite a bit longer than other areas.
Contrast that with Broadway, where there are more than a few free public lots and meters have only been enforced in the same fashion for a couple of years.
With all that in mind, why can’t the Cambodian population in Revere – which has been here no less than 20 years – have a celebration without getting disparaging remarks and negative commentary. It seems that all anyone can do anymore is whine, whine, whine.
I’ve never heard any Cambodians whining about the Columbus Day Parade…
