Memorials & Dedications - Special Committee — September 8, 2026

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Thank you very much.

Item number 2 is the Communications Department of Parks and Recreation and Beaches submitting a Memorial Park bench Tree Dedication Program application for a bench and plaque to be located at Fort Tabor, replacing an existing bench in memory of Arthur C. Burton Jr.

Item number 2 is before you.

Motion received and placed on file by Councilor Roy, seconded by Councilor Oliver.

Um, Miss Burton is in the audience.

If you would like to come to the podium.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Thank you.

Okay, what do you want to do, know my story?

You got to lift the— name and address for the record.

Okay, my name is Charlene Burton.

I live at 318 Park Street, New Bedford, and my story is that my brother and I were very, very close, and I had left New Bedford.

I was gone for 45 years, actually.

When I think when I left New Bedford, it was still Fort Rodman.

But anyway, when I got ready to retire, my brother said to me, if you want to come back home, the family home is as much yours as it is mine.

And I decided to come back home.

And when I came back home, I said, ah, let me go check out this Fort Tabor.

And I went to Fort Tabor and I walked around and I found a bench and that I loved the view.

And so every time that I would go to Fort Tabor, that would be the bench that I would sit sit on.

Anyway, I— after I came back to New Bedford, about 6 months later, my brother was diagnosed with lung cancer, stage 4.

And my brother was married to his fishing pole, okay?

Even though he had cancer and had to go through treatments and stuff, my brother fished every day from March to November.

I don't think he ever bought a fish.

But anyway, This one day he had gone fishing and I just felt like he was gone too long.

I was afraid for him.

And I said— I knew he had different fishing places, but I said, let me try Fort Tabor.

Let me see if I see his car.

And so I went to Fort Tabor and his car was there.

So I put on my hat, my sunglasses, and I went walking.

He was literally standing on the rocks in front of the bench that I love.

Okay, and I couldn't believe it that we had the same exact spot, and that's where I'm gonna want to put his bench.

But anyway, he was so busy fishing he didn't see me, and I didn't say anything because I knew he was weaker.

He used to be a good swimmer, but I was afraid if I startled him, he might fall in.

So I just walked— I walked right by him.

He never even saw me.

But anyway, I still go back to that spot and, you know, reflect.

So that's where— and my brother, you know, he was a very humble guy and did things, a lot of things for people in the city of New Bedford.

He was well known in the West End.

I still to this day have people walking up to me and telling me, you know, how he helped them and different stories or whatever.

But anyway, so I would like to put a bench in that spot, hopefully.

And so that not only I can go sit on it, but people that we went to school with and everything can just go and reflect.

And that's my story.

Thank you, Ms. Burton.

Any questions from any of the councilors?

Councilor Roy.

Thank you for sharing, Ms. Burton.

Where, where, where do you— where is this bench?

Where, where do you— where was the bench that you walked by?

I'm just curious to the location.

If you like walk past that big long walkway and you kind of go up the hill and you go around the corner a little bit, it's where a lot of the boats come in and the boats go out.

And that, you know, you can still see the lighthouse and everything, but you can see the boats.

It's just beautiful.

That's great.

It's beautiful.

How do you— how can you— Was the process smooth to get this bench?

I'm learning as I go along.

I would say yeah, but I still have to know, like there's still pieces I don't know.

You know, there's gonna have to be somebody, I guess, that I show where I want the bench, you know, and, you know, hopefully I can get it where I want it.

And, you know, again, I don't know the process.

I'm learning as I go.

Well, I hope you get the bench where you want it, and I hope you enjoy, you know, every time.

I will enjoy.

I will definitely enjoy.

I'm good, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Councilor Roy.

Anything, Councilor Oliver?

From the chair, I just— I've probably known Mr. Burton.

Well, he probably knew me before I knew myself.

Right.

So grew up in a house.

I grew up in a house around the corner from him.

And lived there for many years.

So, you know, I have— I understand where you're coming from.

And he's sorely missed in our community, in our neighborhood.

I miss— I miss my neighbor yelling at me and telling me to get home and stop running around.

Can I— can I have any— anything from the floor?

Motion to approve the dedication of the park bench.

Councilor Oliver.

Second.

Seconded by Councilor Roy.

Anybody?

Anybody?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Miss Burton.

It'll be on the September 24th agenda for the city council meeting at 7 PM here.

So once they vote on it in city council, then we'll start the process of you getting your bench.

You don't have to be at that meeting.

No, but thank you for coming and thank you for your request.

Thank you.

Number 2, uh, number 3.

Item number 3 is a communication.

The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Beaches submitting a memorial Park Bench and Tree Dedication Program application for a bench and a plaque to be located at the corner of Buttonwood Street and Lake Street, um, to the right of the Italian— excuse me, Italian-American Memorial in memory of Carl Natho, who was referred here on August 25th, 2026.

Number 3 is before you.

Motion to receive and place on file by Councilor Roy, seconded by Councilor Oliver.

All All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Ms. Natho, would you like to host the podium, please?

Name and address for the record, please.

My name is Angela Natho.

I live at 38 Buttonwood Street.

How this started was, well, my husband, you know, we live on Buttonwood Street, so the park is obviously very important to us.

And my husband back in the day was a runner, ran, you know, around the park, did the marathon.

Then in his later years, walked.

In his more later years, every morning for many years, he walked around the park, made himself a stick to pick up garbage.

A stick with a point on it, which now are illegal, I know.

Anyway, for years— Nobody's going to say anything about that.

Every morning, he walked around Buttonwood just picking up all the trash.

He died, it will be 8 years ago this week.

The first year of his anniversary of his death, my neighbors, who are just wonderful, they had a tree dedicated to him, which is at Buttonwood and Lake Street.

I want to just go back.

If you will indulge me.

And I just want to tell— this is your story.

Well, I told this story at the, um, at the park board.

So, you know, my husband used to go around, you know, picking up all the garbage.

And during the pandemic, um, you know, he was still out there, you know, walking around.

And on one particular morning, um, he was on Brownell, and 2 undercover police cars came on both sides of him.

Stopped him because someone had called saying that there was a man walking around the park swinging a weapon.

As I had thought about that over the years, it's like, well, that's great.

You see something, you say something.

Plus, the police— and we had a good laugh about, he's out there picking up garbage.

I just wanted to say that.

I belong to the Friends of Buttonwood, and I get their little pamphlet.

I contacted Richard Leary asking him, how do you do this, get the bench?

He helped me with the application.

I went to the park board, and they were wonderful.

They explained to me that they can't just randomly put benches in front of a tree somewhere in the park, and it had to be more where they need them.

That was wonderful.

The Park Board, they were terrific.

Since that time, I walk around the park all the time, and I've been looking at different places.

I was just talking with Brandon, who was explaining to me about the concourse.

So I don't know how the decision gets made about where it's placed, but as I continue to age, I hope I can get down to— continue to get to Buttonwood.

And I notice on Fuller Parkway right now there's one bench.

And if it could be— if it could be like— I notice in front of the greenhouse there, there are no benches at all on that space.

Space.

If it could be around there, that'd be a nice place for me to sit and reflect as I get older.

I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you anything else.

That's kind of my story.

Thank you very much.

I'm sorry for your loss on his anniversary.

I know this is a little bit more meaningful.

It's very meaningful for me to be able to have a bench dedicated in his honor.

And to my, to my sons and my daughter-in-law, they're very excited about it.

So that's my story.

Thank you so much.

Okay, does, um, does Brendan want to have anything to say?

Brendan, do you have anything to add to this?

You don't have to if you don't want to, but, um, Councilor Lopes would like to speak on this as well.

Thank you.

I know I'm not a committee member, you know, I've known Miss Natho for almost 20 years now, a little bit.

Um, and when this whole thing started, I told her we would get it as close to where she would like it as possible.

You know, as, as we all, as we all get a little older, the walk seems a little longer.

I, I'm not gonna lie about it.

As, as somebody like, like her husband that used to run half marathons, now I walk 2 miles and I'm like, wow, how did I train all this time?

So I would love to see if we could get it as close to where she would like it, just because as, as we all old age, it would be ideal to have something that allows her to, to reflect and enjoy the beauty of Brentwood Park, but also reflect on the love that she has for her family.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Lopes.

Is there anyone that has any questions or anything?

Can I have a motion?

Motion to, uh, grant the application for the memorial bench Councillor Oliver.

Second.

Second by Councillor Roy.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed?

The ayes have it.

Thank you, Miss Nathal.

It'll be on the September 24th meeting, and it'll be passed at the City Council meeting on the 24th.

You do not have to attend.

And then I guess the Park Board will get in touch with you after that to move forward with that.

Thank you so much.

Can I have a motion to adjourn?

No, no, hold on, wait, wait, wait.

The reading on Item 4 and take no further action.

I'm so sorry.

Motion by Councilor Oliver to waive the reading on number 4 and have no further— sent to council for no further action.

Second by Councilor Roy.

All in favor?

All opposed?

Aye.

You want to oppose?

No, there's no opposition.

No opposed.

All right, all right, all right.

Thank you.

So that's, that's all set.

Well, motion to adjourn.

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

Second.

Uh, by Councilor Roy, seconded by Councilor Oliver.

We are adjourned at 6:47 PM.

Thank you.