Eddie Garcia
Post Office Box 120235
Nashville, TN 37212
eddievsongs@gmail.com
SENT VIA US Mail & Telecopier (978) 681-4949
January 29, 2012
Mr. Christian Dame, Executive Director
G.L.C.A.C. Roberto Clemente Youth Programs
305 Essex Street, 4th Floor
Lawrence, MA 01840
Re: Expenditures to the Roberto Clemente League
Dear Mr. Dame:
Per my conversations with educated and people in Lawrence who are articulate,
knowledgeable and exercise their right to inquire about the public dollars being expended,
I am posing this question to you first.
If you ignore my question or fail to answer it, without citing any federal or state law
permitting you to fail to disclose or ignore, I will contact the media for their help in getting
the answers.
It appears, that as a quasi-city agency, receiving a substantial amount of public and
private dollars1, your agency having been in trouble with findings by an investigative team
and state authority, you would want to ensure your tenure is free from any appearance of
conflict, impropriety, nepotism, favoritism or other act that may be illegal, violative of state
or federal law and certainly continues to cast a dark shadow over GLCAC.
Therefore, it has come to my attention that funds, during Ms. Melendez’s control at
GLCAC were expended solely for the benefit of the Roberto Clemente League. Ignoring
the other leagues in Lawrence, or entire GLCAC servicing area, is not the right thing to do
for all the children, is it?
At this official city website, it discloses more than a dozen leagues for children that I
believe are as worthy to receive public dollars for the benefit of those children, as a
whole.2
I would like to inquire the following:
1. Who was the responsible party to request and/or authorize the expenditure to the
Roberto Clemente League?
1 http://www.glcac.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&page_id=5004
2 http://www.cityoflawrence.com/recreation-league-contacts.aspx
2. Did the expenditure require a vote by a committee or Board of Directors? If so,
please provide the documentation of the agenda and vote.
3. Was the GLCAC aware that Ms. Isabel Melendez was on their Board of Directors?
3 4
,
4. Since I expect the GLCAC to receive financial documentation of any recipient of
public dollars, (i.e.) the Clemente league, did the GLCAC receive any such
document that may reflect if any salaries were given to the Clemente league board
of directors, officers or others?
5. For fiscal years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, how much was granted,
expended, given, to the Roberto Clemente League?
6. The years of expenditure to the league will also include any years that Ms.
Melendez served the dual role on GLCAC and the R. Clemente League.
7. Who was the party at GLCAC that had the signing authority for the expenditure and
the actual disbursement of funds?
8. Are these funds or were they ever audited? If not, why not? If affirmative, I would
like to request the most recent three years’ audit statement and by whom
performed.
9. Why aren’t the other leagues given equal treatment and/or funds so they all can
prosper equally for the benefit of all the children that comprise the area serviced by
GLCAC?
These issues are a concern considering the on-going challenges within Lawrence and city
hall, including but not limited to Mayor Lantigua, Ms. Melendez and the new hire Ms.
Melendez. The questionable issues continue to erode the public trust and continue to
hover an ever-growing cloud of questions over Lawrence and its ability to maintain
integrity within the Commonwealth and the rest of the country.
The city of immigrants can no longer be the laughing stock of Merrimack Valley,
Massachusetts, New England and the United States of America.
If by February 13, 2012 I have not received a reply or the answers, I will file a complaint
with the appropriate federal and state agencies and legal authorities who might have
better and more weight than I in requesting and reviewing these documents.
Sincerely,
/s/ EDDIE GARCIA
Eddie Garcia
Cc:
Board Officers
Dr. Thomas S. Perrault, Sr., President
Cheryl Ann Matthews, Vice-President
Natalie Coon, Treasurer
Helen A. Knepper, Secretary
3 http://ligarobertoclemente.cfsites.org/custom.php?pageid=8204
4 http://ligarobertoclemente.cfsites.org/custom.php?pageid=16657