Saturday letters: Too many cars; discord in the Hall of Fame
Too many cars is the problem
Having read Mark Patinkin’s column “Relocating bike lanes really is best move” (News, April 14), I think he is wrong and maybe shortsighted. I believe the problem is not bike lanes but just too many cars. What we need is a viable alternative to the automobile that can transport multiple people.
Stanley Bleecker, Providence
Hall of Fame needs to restore its credibility
We have approached April 20, the date on which the 59th annual induction ceremony for the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame would have been held. The event will not be held and has been “deferred” until 2025.
As your readers will recall, the triggering event was the nomination of former General Michael Flynn for induction into the Hall of Fame by board member Brig. Gen. James D’Agostino. Prior to the vote, the board was warned that Mr. Flynn was an inappropriate candidate for induction. Notwithstanding that warning, it appears that there were a number of board members who were not concerned about Mr. Flynn’s unpatriotic behavior, and he was elected for induction.
His election prompted the resignation of nine strong board members and a significant public outcry. Several nominees refused to accept their induction, and some previously inducted requested that their names be removed from the Hall of Fame’s website. In response, the board elected not to hold this year’s scheduled induction ceremony and instead postponed it to next year, claiming that “paid protesters” would disrupt the ceremony, a ridiculous claim.
The remaining board members still refuse to recognize or acknowledge their mistake and instead place the blame on others. If the board wants to restore its credibility, it needs to take significant steps to do so, including adding board members of the highest integrity. At a minimum, the current president, Laurence Reid, who is not and may never have been a resident of Rhode Island except while he was a student of Patrick Conley, needs to resign, and Patrick Conley, who is no longer a member of the board but who continues actually to control it, needs to be completely disassociated from the board and new members who are not friends, associates or former students of Mr. Conley and who represent a cross-section of the community need to be added to the board.
Of course, Mr. Flynn’s nomination must be withdrawn.
Ann Marie Maguire, North Providence and Roberta B. Feather, Providence
The writers are former Heritage Hall of Fame board members.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Saturday letters: Too many cars; discord in the Hall of Fame
