Update on "Ragged Dave"- a Patriot fan in Seattle

link to "Consider Yourself . . ." from "Oliver"

 A Brown University connection with " Ragged Dave ".

Last year you published a letter I sent you on the plight of my homeless friend who spent a miserable night in the Harrington Hall shelter in Cranston ("No help for 'Ragged Dav ", Aug. 1, 2014. )  He now has a place to live ( precariously, of course ) in Seattle, Washington. He calls me a few times a month. 

Just before the Super Bowl he made it clear to me that he was no fan of the Seattle Seahawks. Dave hoped that the New England Patriots would win one more time. I told him to call me again right after the game. That night I watching the musical " Oliver " with a rather motherly neighbor.  I just checked the Superbowl score a few times, despairing of a Patriot victory by half-time. Right around 10 o'clock at night Dave calls. I was silent expecting bad news. Then he said "They won!." I will always associate this happy news with "Ragged Dave".

More happy news for Dave? He asked me to study his rich late aunt's will in Providence City Hall. I would love to tell him: "Consider yourself one of the family!". He is related to the Alpert family after which Brown University Medical School is named.

To: letters@providencejournal.com

Foot note to ProJo article "Nobody should be homeless" ( Jan. 14 )

Link to Providence Journal article

Last year there was one truly odd guest at Harrington Hall in Cranston. My homeless friend, described as " Ragged Dave " in a letter to the Providence Journal, had spent a nightmarish night there. Dave was tired of sleeping in his broken down Lincoln Town Car. Oddly enough he was once a millionaire, related to the Alpert family here in Rhode Island. Brown University Medical School is named after this family.  Dave is the only surviving blood relative of his aunt Grace Kennison Alpert. Grace died in August 2013, and is survived by her husband, Wesley Alpert, former CEO of Alpert Brothers Inc.

Photo: Bob Thayer: ProJo link

I wrote a letter of complaint to the Rhode Island Public Health Department about conditions at the Howard Ave. shelter. ("The shelter listed as accommodating 88 people, housed 145 the night before") They say they will quickly respond to all complaints via e-mail. But I never heard from them. Should they not be held responsible for these deplorable conditions? Should 71 year old Gerard Martineau (front page photo) be living there? Dave also observed a guy in a wheel chair and noted much coughing that reminded him of an old time tuberculosis ward.

Why should homeless people get less respect than convicted criminals in the nearby ACI prison?

Yes, "nobody should be homeless." But capitalism puts profits before people.
I will blog this message to you.

To: dnaylor@providencejournal.com