Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Shiva Carey's avatar

This fire is a tragedy for the entire Town of Northbridge — it really is not about you, Starr, nor your collective of what appear to be indigent "artists" with no visible means of support. The entire Town suffers an irreplaceable loss of here, and I for one find your essay to be one of "thou doth protest too much" — and quite too indignantly, and reasonable questions from reasonable citizens — most of whom have a history themselves going back many generations in the town. Your indignation at frankly, questions that should be anticipated, and then the manipulation of trying to turn that around and accuse the townspeople of not "volunteering" nor donating to your "cause" over the past couple of years is disingenuous at best, and the stuff of a someone with a personality disorder at worst. It's dishonest and repulsive for you to attack the townspeople over YOUR mismanagement of an historic property.

You bought, as private property, (not a charity case!) an historic mansion of epic proportions without the means to support it —obviously. You possessed neither the means to restore and maintain it, nor the means to simply insure it! That is a dereliction of civic duty, in my opinion. The 501C "cover" for your enterprise which appears to be run like a homeless shelter for anyone who can come up with a claim to be an artist and "volunteers" some household duty whilst taking donations is leaving a bad taste in the town's mouth, understandably.

Of course questions arise as to the origin of the fire when it occurs just 3 weeks after you publish a hysterical plea for donations to "save" the mansion — or else! You threaten to engage the "exit strategies" and then wonder why people question the origin of the fire? The fire also occurs on the heels of the fire destruction of the Allen Estate last year (The Victorian). People rightly wonder if these are of suspicious origin.

Adding to the suspicion is your detailed, extensive, well planned "next steps" published just days after the fire. All ready to go in record time! It makes it sound like you planned this . . . while you attack anyone for questioning you.

Your plan to sell off a few acres of forested land also raises alarm bells for the town's historic sensibility. And you just listed the Manor on Zillow (with caveats acknowledged). All very suspect when immediately after listing for sale and threatening "exit strategies" it just happens to burn down! Hmmm . . . would be ANYONE's reaction.

Now you beg for free labor, donations, and more, after utterly irresponsibly mismanaging the property into destruction! What really appears to be the plan, in plain sight, is parceling off the land for sale, making you pretty wealthy while you claim to care so much about your ragtag band of indigent "artists", none of whom seem capable of actually supporting themselves either with said "art" or an actual day job. What can the people of Northbridge look forward to as you "exit"? Parceled off sales that result in Condos or "dense housing" like townhouses or some other atrocity on the prime land? It's unlikely the whole property will sell and one house will be rebuilt

And fix and repair? The house is condemned according to the Worcester T&G! You can't fix and repair this! You couldn't take care of it when it was fully standing as it had over 134 years!

How about a resounding NO! From an indignant town right back at 'ya! You don't deserve free labor for mismanaging an historic property. You don't deserve donations you can pocket. You don't deserve to profit from your mismanagement while begging for freebies.

The lack of insurance is virtually criminal malfeasance. But it sure looks like your "exit strategy". (Readers, please see his post of February 19th.)

Honestly, how dare you attack the townspeople of Whitinsville/Northbridge. You're the newcomer, and you failed miserably to be a steward of a grand, historic property that survived everything but you and your band of indigents.

You're a bit of Fagin with your socialist collective there, begging and scamming the townspeople!

Several of your extensive plans for exiting also include staying on the property in the outlying buildings, as if any new owner would want you and your squatters on there that they could never rid themselves of! Perhaps it really is time for you and your socialist collective to move on. The sooner you sell and the town sees the backside of your irresponsible tenure, the better. Waving your rainbow flags and patting yourself on the back for imaginary SJW acts is ludicrous. You make the Diocese of Worcester look like good stewards by comparison, while you act like saviors of the place you had no business owning. No business, because you lacked the means to support it.

It's an irreplaceable tragedy for the town. We are glad no one was hurt, but devastated by the mismanagement the allowed neglect or worse to result in this outcome. Your "exit strategy" indeed.

Go about your business and stop attacking and threatening to sue townspeople for free speech.

Expand full comment
John Bertagne's avatar

I find it extremely offensive that you would, without any evidence, insinuate that neighbors or members of the Catholic Church would have potentially started this tragic blaze. In the same post you chastise those who have cast suspicion on you for causing the fire (which I agree is unfair) while casting suspicion on others with absolutely zero proof. I would ask you to reconsider keeping that section of your post. It is unnecessary speculation that will only cause issues.

Expand full comment
10 more comments...

No posts