Evi Vahtra - Let’s take our family to a new home / Viime koos pere uute kodusse (12)
Arvamus | 05 Dec 2017  | EWR
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Eesti keeles allpool

Many of my early childhood memories involve Toronto’s Eesti Maja.

I’m old enough to remember when the kohvik, now non-existent, was at the bottom of the stairs in the basement of the old school house building. It was tiny, and the community was large. We all fit nicely into the house – and it was much smaller then than it is now.

Working as the building manager almost 20 years ago gave me a unique view of the building and its problems. There was no money to do the extensive repairs that were necessary, things were fixed to the best of Eesti Maja’s financial ability.

I still work in the building. When the boiler is on strike, it’s a cold, unfriendly place to be. I worry about the state of the plumbing when I turn on the tap in the morning to make tea and the water comes out dark brown and runs that way for a while. We have already had one fire when the wiring arced in the walls.

In the last 8-10 years, we have been fortunate that the Eesti Maja board of directors has had so many energetic people willing to devote countless hours to the future of Eesti Maja.

I find it abhorrent that there are people willing to publicly castigate the Board. Many of these suddenly vocal people did not bother to attend the town halls and meetings over the past 8-9 years but now choose to denigrate those who are solving the problem of Eesti Maja's insolvency. Many of these people have done nothing during these years to actively participate in our community, let alone stand for election to the board.

The shareholders have voted for the Madison project and I’m excited about that. If the due diligence shows that the project is financially viable and sustainable, and the logistics of the build can be worked out, it will go forward.

The current objections appear to have settled around the perceived lack of parking spaces. Eesti Maja in New York has survived without a parking lot since it was acquired in 1946. Apparently, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

It’s time for our “family” to look realistically at its resources and possibilities. We have a wonderful chance to build on the legacy we have been left. What the Madison Project represents is a look to the future. And we will have one.

Let’s take our family to a new home. It has been a long journey, and I truly believe that the new house will be as beloved to future generations as the current house is to us. And isn’t the future where we should be looking?

Evi Tarkus Vahtra


Paljud minu lapsepõlve mälestused pärinevad Toronto Eesti Majast.

Mäletan lausa neid aegu kui kohvik (mida nüüdseks enam üldse pole) asus vana koolimaja trepi jalamil, keldris. See oli pisike, kogukond aga suur. Me mahtusime kenasti ära Eesti Majja ja tol ajal oli ta praegusest ka väiksem.

Maja mänadzerina pea 20 aastat tagasi võimaldas mul maja probleemidesse süveneda. Raha polnud, et läbi viia suurejoonelisi parandustöid kuid hädavajalikud tööd said taskukohaselt tehtud.

Ma käin ikka siin majas tööl. Hommikul teekatla täitmise käigus tuleb kraanist pruuni vett mille selginemine võtab oma aja. Kui maja aurukatel streigib, on maja külm ja ebainimlik. Muretsen torustiku üle, ning ka tuleohutuse üle. Majas oli juba üks tulekahi kui seinas juhtmed paigast nihkusid ning ristusid.

Viimase 8-10 aasta jooksul on meil vedanud, et Eesti Maja nõukogus on energilisi inimesi kes on nõus oma aega panustama Eesti Maja tulevikku.

Mulle on jälk kuidas mudaloopijaid avalikult mustavad nõukogu liikmeid. Need loopijad ei vaevanud end kogukonna- ja aastakoosolekutega viimase 8-9 aasta jooksul kuid nüüd kritiseerivad neid kes lahendavad Eesti Maja maksujõuetuse seisu. Enamus loopijatest pole viitsinud kogukonda panustada ega suvatsenud kandideerida nõukokku.

Aktsionärid hääletasid Madisoni projekti poolt ja see tekitab minus elevust. Kui rahaline külg toetab projekti läbiviidavust ja kestlikust ning ehituslogistika lahendatud, siis kolime Madisonile.

Praegune tõrelemine tiirleb parkimiskohtade ümber. New Yorgi Eesti Majal pole kunagi ühtegi parkimiskohta olnud 1946.a. alates. Piisab tahtejõust.

Aeg on küps meie ‘perel’ oma resursside- ja võimalustega silmitsi seista. Meil on eriline võimalus kangutada oma pärandusest kestvasse tulevikku. Mida Madison projekt just võimaldab ongi suunda tulevikku. Ja kogukonna tulevik ongi see mida vajame.

Viime koos pere uute kodusse. Teekond on olnud pikk ning ma siiralt usun, et uus kodu saab olema sama armas tulevatele põlvkondadele kui praegune maja meile on. Ja kas tulevik polegi see kuhu sihid peaksime suunama?

Evi Tarkus Vahtra

 
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Viimased kommentaarid

Kommentaarid on kirjutatud EWR lugejate poolt. Nende sisu ei pruugi ühtida EWR toimetuse seisukohtadega.
Ingrid Tanner06 Dec 2017 17:31
Evi...

I forgot to mention there are companies that can LINE the pipes... less disruption if I understood the marketing.

I have never used their services... but that is an option... They market it as a better priced option.

I think there is an Estonian that owns one such company.
Sad shareholder06 Dec 2017 13:04
I agree that everything done around this does not follow logic, and so there are likely factors at play that the rest of us do not know about to explain this mess and it likely involves malfeasance.

The stench around this project just gets worse and worse.

We need a shareholder meeting to address the grave concerns that has come up. If the board is truly doing everything in an upstanding, honest way, they would be happy to address shareholder concerns so that we would all be behind this Madison project.

Another issue outstanding is that the board would not answer the shareholder questions about how the shares in the EM2 would be determined. This is something that must be disclosed to the shareholders before the original EM is ever sold off.

In light of the widespread distrust of the board, we need to have a vote of confidence/non-confidence in the board. A fair one conducted with scrutineers, and subject to recount upon request.
Ingrid Tanner06 Dec 2017 11:35
Thanks....

Those lines sat on my computer screen for a long time... before I decided to post it...

To me and others... NOT going out to the FULL market seems odd... they NEED lots of money to build and operate Madison... why would they NOT want the Maximum Selling Value.... and the ONLY way to get it is to market it to all....

I spoke with a real estate agent about that... they were shocked.... and they were the one's who commented on "concerns" - so in an effort to ensure there is nothing there... I posted it... and if there is nothing... then no one should be concerned with my comments.

Transparency is NOT available to us as share holders - but it should be.

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