Thursday, August 21, 2008

Follow up is important

Saw and spoke with Jean Foley Doyle at our special writers' group garden party this evening. Thanks to Anne Easter Smith for opening her home and garden to us all (and happy birthday again, Skye).

She said that the stadium was built before the war, but was formally dedicated as a war memorial after the war ended - in 1946. (Which Tom Salemi previously wrote about, and quoted from her book, "Life in Newburyport, 1900-1950.")

So nothing new to add, but since I said I'd ask, I'm reporting back.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just for the record - I don't think anyone was challenging the stadium's status as a war memorial, but rather that the WPA was a war time jobs program, when in fact it was a depression era jobs program. Only the RESTORE folks know if it was their intent to make its construction appear patriotic or whether they are just misinformed.

Gillian Swart said...

Gotcha, Bubba.

But that's marketing, I suppose. I recently got into a huge bicker with someone over about marketing tactics ... the person said it was only "using psychology" to sway someone's opinion.

She blithe way it was said made me even angrier...

Anonymous said...

Sure, and they risk the same fate as the boy who cried wolf....

However, in this case I'm just going to assume ignorance.

Gillian Swart said...

Everyone should have a copy of Jean's book(and other history books) an arms length away. It would really help with the ignorance factor.