While much of the nation remembered the fifth anniversary of the terrible events of 9/11 Monday, from solemn memorial and prayer services to a red, white and blue balloon launch by schoolchildren, the governments of Auburn and Cayuga County seemed to have ignored the day.
While some schools, as reported on earlier this week, had programs to commemorate the day, these local governments seemed to ignore it, with the exception of a flag at half staff here or there.
No local memorial services, no gatherings for local officials to commemorate the heroism of the day or its aftermath.
Not even the large American flag hooked onto the pillars at Memorial City Hall that has been used, in the past, to commemorate important days and events.
The city hasn't missed the boat this badly since it hastily put together a small last-minute program in 1996, when the Olympic Torch came through Auburn.
In an odd twist on the theme of “if you build it, they will come,” Auburn may be part of a reverse “if you tear it down, they will be here.”
This week, as the city hosts a week-long series of events for the New York Upstate chapters of the American Planning Association and the American Society of Landscape Architects, a building was demolished on Clark Street.
The connection? Part of the week's events included a meeting with city officials to discuss Auburn becoming a potential Underground Railroad site for the National Park Service.
The building was not only the site of the original Welch Allyn operations; it housed an early abolitionist newspaper nearly a century and a half ago.
Reminiscent of the city's failure to plan for the regional bicycle competition two months ago - that saw part of the Loop Road area torn up days before the event - the city allowed a building of historic significance to be knocked down the same week that those with an eye toward preservation are in town, instead of asking it to be done a week later.
It is not like this issue wasn't something that someone might have taken note of.
Like the bike fiasco, that had city staff in council chambers a week before the event, the issue of building demolition was a major topic at last week's city council meeting.
In neither case did it look as if anyone was paying attention to the convergence of city oversight and planned events.
Doesn't the leadership, both elected and appointed, at city hall consider the impact on citizens and events and the image portrayed to visitors when they tear up roads, demolish buildings or forget to commemorate events of a state or national importance?
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be e-mailed at cozguytho@aol.com
No local memorial services, no gatherings for local officials to commemorate the heroism of the day or its aftermath.
Not even the large American flag hooked onto the pillars at Memorial City Hall that has been used, in the past, to commemorate important days and events.
The city hasn't missed the boat this badly since it hastily put together a small last-minute program in 1996, when the Olympic Torch came through Auburn.
In an odd twist on the theme of “if you build it, they will come,” Auburn may be part of a reverse “if you tear it down, they will be here.”
This week, as the city hosts a week-long series of events for the New York Upstate chapters of the American Planning Association and the American Society of Landscape Architects, a building was demolished on Clark Street.
The connection? Part of the week's events included a meeting with city officials to discuss Auburn becoming a potential Underground Railroad site for the National Park Service.
The building was not only the site of the original Welch Allyn operations; it housed an early abolitionist newspaper nearly a century and a half ago.
Reminiscent of the city's failure to plan for the regional bicycle competition two months ago - that saw part of the Loop Road area torn up days before the event - the city allowed a building of historic significance to be knocked down the same week that those with an eye toward preservation are in town, instead of asking it to be done a week later.
It is not like this issue wasn't something that someone might have taken note of.
Like the bike fiasco, that had city staff in council chambers a week before the event, the issue of building demolition was a major topic at last week's city council meeting.
In neither case did it look as if anyone was paying attention to the convergence of city oversight and planned events.
Doesn't the leadership, both elected and appointed, at city hall consider the impact on citizens and events and the image portrayed to visitors when they tear up roads, demolish buildings or forget to commemorate events of a state or national importance?
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be e-mailed at cozguytho@aol.com
