FACes
& PlaceS
Around Town Mar 2005
 Billy
and Maura McNamara
by Marilyn Bullock & Robin Larsen
The
New Hope/Lambertville community is a very special
place – just ask anyone
who lives here. I have no statistics to support
it, but I think we must set
some kind of record for the greatest number of non-profit
organizations per square mile. If I had the time
or the inclination, I could probably find a meeting
to
attend every night of the week – be it for
a civic, government, arts, educational, or cultural
organization.
More
importantly, community members here support each
other. They come to each other’s
aid when there is an illness or a tragedy and they
revel in
the successes
of their friends and neighbors.
Anyone
who was in New Hope a couple of Mondays ago is well
aware of
the fire that destroyed the
home
on the corner of Stockton and Ferry Streets.
Billy and
Maura McNamara lost everything in that fire.
John & Peters
recently held two fund-raising events to help raise
money to get Billy and Maura back on their feet.
Robin Larsen did an outstanding job pulling everything
together
in record time! Below is Robin’s letter to
the editor thanking all those who helped make the
event
a success.
__________________________ Dear
Editor:
 We
would like to thank everyone who joined us in creating
two old-fashioned town parties. Normally we would have
had months to plan and forms that identified each and
every person who joined in but alas as Nike says – sometimes
you just have to do!. So we hope no one will be offended
by a broader – less specific- thank you to all
the people in our amazing community who gave talent,
time or money to the efforts to raise funds for the
McNamara’s who recently lost everything in the
explosion on Ferry Street. Both the concert and the
auction party were amazing celebrations of what creates
a community.
Thanks go to all the folks we’ve never met
who made contributions and to those we
do know who gave so generously, to the musicians
who donated their amazing talent, to the folks who
donated beautiful items to the auction and all the
volunteers who stepped forward to help. To all of
you we offer a heartfelt thank you. Special kudos
go to the spirited bidders who filled John & Peter’s
on Tuesday, to the dedicated music fans the Thursday
before and to the guys with  trucks who will roll
out next week to pick up donations of household items
for the family.
More
thanks to the press who got the word out in a heartbeat – to each of you who just forwarded
an email on and to all who took a moment to remember
what it means to live in a small community. The good
news is we’re never alone – the better
news is we joined together to once again take care
for our family.
Thank you
John & Robin Larsen
&
The staff of John & Peter’s
|
