Rockwell Festival makes Bristol a little better; and just what is this column about

Posted By: David Fortier August 18, 2024

By David Fortier

Come Sunday morning, the West End Association’s Rockwell Festival will have come and gone again, having brought together Bristol people for a fun day as well as having brought people from outside of the city inside for a fun time together.

Rockwell Park is a gem, and under the care of the Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services Department and the direction of the Board of Park Commissioners, it continues to shine. Anyone who visits, even for one day, gets a good look and, I am guessing, is inclined to look at Bristol with a little bit of envy.

Of course, BPRYCS is constantly improving our parks, some of the best not only in the state but throughout New England and even beyond–if you didn’t know that, you do now. An example of this is the citywide survey being conducted to determine improvements for Riordan Playground on the Federal Hill Green. As a member of the community, you have a say. Click here for the survey.

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So, yes, I have been tossing around some ideas about STEM. This is mostly because I am still deciding what this column is supposed to accomplish. At the moment, it is a touchstone of sorts, with the goal of bringing up subjects that both unite us, in the way of reminding us that close to home is important, and also pointing to materials found in podcasts and reading that might challenge us to broaden our appreciation of what community means.

Rarely do I get into much detail about reading and podcasts because the point is for our readers to experience these for themselves. The hope then might be, that having spent time listening, one might bring that material to the dinner table or to coffee with a friend to enliven and enrich that conversation. The point being–what I think is less significant than our readers exposing themselves to some of what I am being exposed to, to develop our thinking and reflecting about our lives and the lives of the people around us.

This idea, of the purpose of this column, has been stewing for a while, but over the past week I have had a conversation where I learned that other people, who will go unnamed, have been thinking about the column too. The conversation, simply stated, revolved around the idea that this column, the space it takes up, is too important not to think about and use wisely.

So, I have brought this to your attention, and I will be working through this over the next few weeks. In the meantime, I will continue to bring podcasts and reading to the fore in the hopes that someone might follow up and listen to or read some of the material. Then, as a result, at least two of us can say we did the work and might have something a little more in common than before reading the column.

Note: I still strongly believe that we need a better work life/democratic life balance to ensure the future of our American Experiment. More emphasis on work life, solely, pushes the balance out of kilter, which means if we are going to push work like, we need to push the concept of democratic life just as enthusiastically. Neither of those “lives” happens naturally. They must be cultivated. I will stop, for the time being.  

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For listening, there is the Open Source with Christopher Lydon podcast episode, “In It to the Finish,” with guest Cornell West, preacher-teacher who is running for president–something that I was unaware of until listening. If anything, the conversation is challenging for people on both sides of the political spectrum. Click here.

The New Yorker feature, “The Ruthless Career of the Hamas Leaders Yahya Sinwar,” is a deep dive into the new leader of Hamas. It is not an easy read, but it may be a necessary one for those of us who would like to understand better, or at least a little more, about what is happening in the Middle East. Click here.

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City meetings this week include the following:

On Monday, Aug. 19

  • Zoning Commission Special Meeting, 6 p.m. council chambers, city hall. For virtual meeting link, click here.

On Tuesday, Aug. 20

  • Real Estate Committee, 5 p.m., Meeting Room 1-1, city hall.
  • Real Estate Committee Public Hearing, 6:30 p.m., council chambers, city hall.
  • Police Commission, 6 p.m., council chambers, city hall. For virtual meeting link, click here.
  • Board of Sewer Commissioners, 6 p.m., Bristol Water & Sewer Department, Water Filtration Plant, 1080 Terryville Ave. For virtual meeting link, join via Zoom: Meeting ID:845 169 6140, Passcode: 123456; Dial in: 1-929-205-6099.
  • Board of Water Commissioners, 6:15 p.m., Bristol Water & Sewer Department, Water Filtration Plant, 1080 Terryville Ave. For virtual meeting link, join via Zoom: Meeting ID:845 169 6140, Passcode: 123456; Dial in: 1-929-205-6099.

On Wednesday, Aug. 21

  • Code Enforcement Workshop, 3 p.m., Mayor’s Office, city hall.
  • Salary Committee, 5 p.m., Human Resources Conference Room, city hall.
  • Board of Park Commissioners, 5 p.m., Meeting Room 1-2, city hall.
  • Board of Park Commissioners Policy and Strategy Committee, Meeting Room 1-2, city hall.
  • Ordinance Committee Special Meeting, 5 p.m. Meeting Room 1-1, city hall. For virtual meeting link, click here.

On Thursday, Aug. 22

  • Board of Fire Commissioners, 6 p.m., council chambers, city hall.
  • Planning Commission, 6 p..m., council chambers, city hall.

On Friday, Aug. 23

  • No meeting posted.

TBE will do our best to update meeting times and locations, but it’s a good idea to check the agendas ahead of time for cancellations. Click here for specific meetings and times.

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The new school year is just around the corner. If you know a high school student who would like to get first-hand experience covering sports, send them our way. Contact editor@bristoledition.org.

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Consider becoming a member by signing up for monthly recurring donations of $6, $12, or $24 or making a one-time donation of $60 or even better donating more. It might seem outrageous, but 5,000 members paying $6 a month would allow us to hire editors and reporters who would do a great job covering Bristol.

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Enjoy!

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