Senior officials of the Londonderry Fire Department deserve credit for agreeing to meet with and answer questions from a group of concerned citizens.
Fire Marshal Mark Tetreault and Chief Kevin MacCaffrie will meet with the group, made up largely of homeowners on and around Tyler Drive, tonight (Thursday, Oct. 2) at Town Hall.
A fire over the weekend did significant damage to a Tyler Road home. While some residents voiced concerns that night about the response time of firefighters, meeting organizers told Staff Writer Suzanne Laurent that will not be the focus of tonight's discussion.
This will be the second time in three years that residents of that densely wooded neighborhood have met with fire officials. There have been lingering concerns among the neighbors as to whether strategies for attacking blazes in that area of town are sufficient to make sure a house fire does not spread into a neighborhood catastrophe.
Regardless of the specific reasons for the meeting, Tetreault and MacCaffrie are showing true leadership by meeting with residents face-to-face in such a timely fashion.
This type of transparency and accessibility builds trust and instills confidence among citizens in their municipal departments.
Trip of a lifetime
The travel arrangements are made and the itinerary is set for a group of 20 World War II veterans, who will board a plane next week for a once-in-a-lifetime day trip to Washington D.C.
The group will be visiting the World War II monument, an exhibit dedicated to their courage, sacrifice and service to their country. If there is time, they will also visit some of the city's other war memorials.
The trip has been organized by the Derry Village Rotary, which is to be commended for taking on such an ambitious project as a means of honoring local veterans.
According to Police Chief Ed Garone, a Rotary member and trip organizer, there are approximately 75 World War II veterans living in Derry. But that number is shrinking every year, and with each veteran lost, a piece of history is lost as well.
The Rotary trip is designed specifically for veterans who had not yet had the opportunity to visit the World War II monument. Congratulations to the club for finding the perfect way to honor "The Greatest Generation."
