Post 32: The Towers

As always, with the exception of public figures, I use altered names to protect the individuals in this history.

Three meetings before the pause, when Victor and Maurice were resigning and CWG was finishing up its work on the plan itself, Travis (I've altered the name) began attending. He'd wait patiently and silently until the last agenda item, "New Business", then raise his hand to be recognized. At the first meeting he attended he asked whether the group was aware that three huge towers were being projected on the waterfront amidst the Two Bridges complexes, which, unlike Extell, were not yet trenched so could still be challenged, and did we have any plans to resist these towers. At the second meeting he spoke more definitively about the tower plans, and asked what we were going to do. At the third meeting, I believe CWG's last before its breakup and meeting pause, he spoke again clearly and urgently with the same message and the same question. 

All three times CWG responded to him with utter silence. "Thank you for sharing" would have been at least polite. It may be the members were exhausted, frustrated, or just too happy to be done with it all after seven years of meetings. Whatever the case, CWG ignored Travis and his prescient warning and call. 

When CWG resumed meetings in the Seward Park High School classroom, Travis again appeared. At this meeting, Travis had a more specific suggestion. He announced that in two days, there'd be a celebration for Victor, who by then was colluding with Extell, which we should protest. The representative from NMASS responded with repeated aggressive attacks on Travis and his suggestions. The attacks and the high level of aggression was puzzling to me and gave the impression that the two of them had already discussed the matter and that NMASS had already rejected Travis' request. 

It all seemed bizarre to me, but jotting down the location of the celebration and the time, I decided I'd join the protest. I got there early, watched all the celebrants wander into the location and waited a good hour for a protest, but none appeared. Another member of CWG told me she also went later on in the evening but found no protest either. 

A month later, Travis came again to CWG with a similar short-notice request. Again the NMASS rep Marty (I've altered the name) vehemently and angrily rejected Travis' request. I believe I again went to check out the event, but there was no protest. In fairness to Marty, two day's notice is too short for many organizations to bring out their members, but on the other hand, this is no reason to get angry and reject the idea. It would be enough to say, we'll tell our members, but the notice is too short, so don't expect much of a turnout if any. 

These altercations were a forecast of future division over how CWG should respond to the construction of these towers.