Re-name the Rose Kennedy Greenway
Angel Del Valle, whose wife Milena died in the Route 90 connector tunnel a week ago, has said he won't sue anyone for his wife's death by falling ceiling tiles. In our hyper-litigious society, it's actually kind of refreshing to hear. I'm sure there will still be some kind of government (and I would hope private industry) remuneration to Ms. Del Valle's family in Costa Rica since she was their primary breadwinner.But what about another way, instead of money, to honor the sacrifice Ms. Del Valle made? One that would ensure she is never forgotten. I suggest the Rose Kennedy Greenway be re-named the Milena Del Valle Memorial Greenway.
I understand the historical context of why Rose Kennedy, the mother of a president and two U.S. senators, was chosen. In addition to giving birth to and raising them, she also was the daughter of the city's mayor, John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald. The greenway, a phoenix of the former Central Artery's ashes, will be a new boulevard in the city where the former John F. Fitzgerald Expressway once cut through. It was a very convenient way to honor someone who begat three men who have shaped history in this country. (That's not an endorsement of them. Like them or not, they cannot be erased from history. By my count, only Abigail Adams and Barbara Bush can compare to Rose Kennedy.)
But there are other Rose Kennedy memorials around these parts. None as grand as the greenway; still they exist.
Rose Kennedy, however, had the benefit of living to age 105. She died of old age, which is an experience Milena Del Valle was deprived of having. She won't live her full life thanks to bolts that were installed improperly, and a tunnel ceiling system made of 3-ton concrete panels. At least, by naming the greenway after her, she will live forever in our collective consciousness and collective conscience. |
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