Friends of Last Thursday Respond to Mayor Charlie Hales

In response to Press Release from Mayors PIO on Last Thursday:

Thank you City for going ahead with plans for Last Thursday.

The three coordinators of FoLT resigned on Monday citing "complying with the City's demands would compromise the integrity of the relationships we have developed with the businesses on Alberta St and all participants in Last Thursday."

Our direct request to the City at the present time includes:

-Public endorsement of FoLT as managers for Last Thursday.

All issues and community concerns must be brought to FoLT.

-Policies and structure will be set before the permit is issued for the requested 5 summer events (May-September). Changes will be implemented within an agreed upon timeline.

The Mayor's May LT Goals were the same goals we have been attaining for two years. Numbers for toilets, volunteers needed, and paid security fluctuate through the summer depending on the month and weather. July and August are the largest  attendance, therefore our numbers for logistics increase.

We again ask that a friendly "See Ya Next Time" Street Operations parade to re-open, rather than clearing Alberta Street with street sweeping trucks at 10 p.m. to "encourage revelers to end".

In the three years we have been managing this event, we have never received any positive support from ONI or NECN. We are willing to step back into our roles as the Steering Committee of FoLT for July, 2013.

"Hales said he would reach out to the neighborhood associations, the business community and the city's Office of Neighborhood Involvement, to help craft a new volunteer coordinating committee for future Last Thursday events. That could happen as early as next week. "We don't know who will step up, but we'll be here to help them succeed," Hales said."

We are the volunteer group and we stepped up three years ago. 

Why do you not offer the same to us, Mayor Hales?



The Former Volunteer Steering Committee of Friends of Last Thursday 

Maquette Reeverts

Jeff Hilber

Brook Balocca