Update on Fund Raisers// Progress on Repairs 12-03-08

Hi The fund raiser at Generations was a great success~! Everyone had a great time, the food was really good and we raised a big chunk of what we'll need to fix the gazebo. We've had some calls from people who want to donate to the cause and in case you need the address it is Randolph Savings Bank 50 So Franklin St Holbrook, Ma 02343. Kris Carew Memorial Gazebo Fund.
Something else that I am very proud to tell you. When the man who owns the Generations facility saw all the young people coming in he was a little nervous. The majority of the crowd were under 30 for sure. To their credit they couldn't have been more respectful or well behaved. I know I've said it before but it bears repeating, the Town of Holbrook should have hope for the future with these kids staying here and becoming involved as future taxpayers and parents. I wish the younger ones who are not so well adjusted could have benefited from their influence. Maybe we'll find a way to get an event that will combine the 13-14 yr olds with the older kids in the future. If anyone has any ideas feel free to bring them up.

Change of Venue for Kris Carew Benefit

The fund raising dinner for Sat nite the 29th has been changed to Generations in Avon. This is the old Avon Town House for those not sure where it is. It's on Rt 28 just past Walmart on the opposite side of the street. They have 3 cozy fireplaces, plenty of room, and homemade delicious food. Some one asked about the cost difference from the K of C price. Originially if we were at the K of C the ticket price was $10 but we were just having spaghetti and meat balls and salad and dessert. Also they wondered about the cost of drinks in comparison. At the K of C you get smaller glasses and the cost was about the same. So if it's a better room, the food will be much nicer and the drinks are better the band is still proffesional and the cause is to save the gazebo we're ready for a great nite! This is a chance to do something tangible to improve an asset and beloved memorial for a very small individual cost. Also I have spoken to many of the young people who hang out there, they are watching to see how we the adults handle this situation. I don't think they believe we can come together and do what needs to be done. They said when we were going to be at the K of C they planned to attend. I don't think they will be likely to go to Generations as they surely can't walk there as they could have the K of C. Anyway it will be a great nite and the tickets are available at Shirley Austins office, the council on aging, or by calling 781-767 1079 or i'll have them at the flower stand in the alleys parking lot on Thanksgiving. Steve will have them at the alleys on Tues and Wed nite too. Maureen Lewis has some as do the Police and Fire Dept. Hope to see you there! Oh i almost forgot, we have great door prizes and raffles too! Some are REALLY great! I'll update when i have them in hand really soon.

Update on Fund Raisers// Progress on Repairs

I wonder if you know how many really good hearted people we have in Holbrook? When I was at town hall one day Mike Yunits stopped me and said hey some guy named Lionel wants to talk to you about the gazebo. So I called him and we've been working on getting the Spaghetti Supper and the accompanying musical entertainment which will be provided by him and his band called Lionel and the Big Trains. I spoke to Tony Prisco who is a really nice kid who graduated from HHS recently. His band will play at the gazebo this Sat. afternoon. Dave Thomas another great Holbrook kid will get his band to play on Sat at the gazebo too. They are called Frazzies Follies. Tony knows another band and he thinks they will show up too. As we are planning all this stuff we are wondering how much will it cost to fix and what will we use that won't be easily broken again? Lionel talks to Ed Federico who says he can make the benches out of cement. Hmmm that is certainly hard to break and it won't cost too much I hope, but I want the gazebo to still look good. I had spoken to Cliff Crockett about fixing it with wrought iron or metal of some sort. We were afraid about the cost but now if we combine the cement and iron i think it can be very nice. In fact, these two guys work together on jobs already. Isn't that great? So they will go up there and put their heads together find a solid and good looking solution, we will raise the money needed and it will be all done hopefully soon. All these people are doing this just becasue they are good people and want to help. We can't forget Tom Rizzo who used to work at Twinbrook Insurance. He is a great DJ/ Master of Ceremonies.. He has volunteered too. The K of C has helped us out and we will have many great raffle prizes from the always generous businesses in town. I hope you can come to these fun events and help in whatever way you can. The donation at the gazebo Sat from 1pm to about 4 pm is voluntary because it's just outside and we couldn't control who comes and goes if we wanted to. The ticket price for the Spaghetti Super is $10 ea. If you know of others who want to go you might want to get tables of 10 so you can sit together. We promised to sell as many as possible before the event to accomidate the new laws since the Station Night Club fire. Tickets will be available at Shirley Austins office, at the bowling alley, and from Me. I'm trying to get another couple of people to do the tickets too, just havent' had a chance to ask them.

Save the Gazebo Fund Raisers

Keep your eyes open for flyers and notices about the fun and inclusive events we have planned for the gazebo repairs. On November 22nd there will be a flag football tournament at Holbrook Sports Center on South St. The owner has graciously allowed Kris' friends to organize a tournament. In case you haven't visited this establishment, it is worth a look. They have a great outdoor field with lights and astro turf for flag football. It is busy many nights with team after team getting great exercise and having a lot of fun. Inside they have an indoor hockey rink for inline skates.
Anyway, on November 22nd while the tournament is going on outside, we will have a Battle of the Bands inside in the hockey arena. Tony Prisco and his band The Grove-Ite's have committed and so has Dave Thomas who will be there with his band, Frazzies Folly. A new wrinkle in this arrangement is that the players from Nov 22nd can choose a couple songs from the play list of the following weeks Band which will be Lionel and the Big Trains. They will be invited to share the stage with the pros for a jazz/blues/rock jam. Very cool!
Lionel and the Big Trains will play at the Spaghetti Supper which will be held at the Holbrook K of C on November 29th at 7:00pm. This event will be for all ages just like the original Spaghetti Supper where we first raised some of the money to build the gazebo. I am hoping that if we engage as many helpers of all ages as possible more people will become and remain invested in protecting and preserving the gazebo in memory of Kris Carew. So, save the dates and come have some fun. Tickets will be available soon, and we need to sell a good amount ahead of time because of the changes in the laws since the Station Night Club fire in Rhode Island.

New Beginnings

Hello Everyone, The election is over. I wished John McCain won but he didn't. We'll hope for the best and watch what Obama will bring. I'm really hoping that he has at least some of the promise that so many people are looking for. That's all on that one.
My business partner Cheryl Alexis and I went to the school committee meeting last night at the invitation of Dr Susan Martin. Cheryl did a great presentation and we got feedback and questions that hopefully will allow the Bulldog Buying Club to finally get off the ground. In this time of cut backs and uncertainty I think it will be nice to get extra money for whatever the need at the time will be.

When is the Next Selectmen's Meeting??

Does any body know when it is ? Or where it is?? Or why it isn't on Tues nite?? I wonder if it will be held in a room that has cable? If not, I wonder why not??
Who can tell us the answers?? If any one cares to get the answers to these questions could you also ask what is on the agenda? Will the press be there? I bet not. We'll see. Also could you please post the answers here? That would be great. Thank You.

Thank You to Selectman Katherine Connoly

Ms Connoly and I have had some huge differences of opinion that is true, but one thing is sure no body else on the board of selectmen is concerned with our rights as citizens of Holbrook. The boys are only too happy to keep all their dealings under wraps and behind closed doors. Katherine has doggedly continued to get the secret deals regarding the trash transfer station negotiations out in the open. I am attempting to attach the letter from the Norfolk County District Attorneys office here. I'm not sure it will work but here goes....... ps if it doesn't work feel free to email and i'll be happy to send it that way. who knows maybe she'll print it in the Sun! I hope she does.

Update, Progress, and Roadblock

Hi it's been a couple of weeks and the bowling alleys are open and doing better than ever! Gerry Quirk has done a lot of work sprucing up, fixing leaks and getting to know the customers. As I mentioned previouosly many additional purchases of hardware, coffee, take out food, visits to local eateries,etc due to the revitalization have happened. It's too bad the mind set at TownHall doesn't recognize this. The dance studio which plans to move here from Randolph has hit some unfortunate roadblocks. They are trying to go into the building on South St that is set down low on the right as you're heading toward Brookville. That space has been empty for a long time. I think a dancing school is a very unobtrusive addition but apparently the zoning is an issue. What do you think can be done to make it easierfor nice small business to locate here??

New Businesses Coming Soon!!

The bowling alley is opening soon! They are scheduled to go to the Selectmen's meeting on the 9th! Mike Mullens and his cousin Gerry Quirk are taking the first steps toward Old English Square. The people who bowl on the leagues are very excited and eager to get bowling.
The long empty space on South St should have an established dancing school from Randolph operating soon. The wood pellet place is running and with the price of fuel the way it is and will be this winter they should be very successful!
If the medical building and the other new buildings get finished and open on N. Franklin St things will be looking up even more. What is not readily apparent about small improvements like these is that these companies will buy things from other businesses in the town too. They'll need things from the hardware store, get gas for their cars and their customers will too. They'll get hungry and go try out the excellent restaurants, sub shops, and ice cream places we have. When the different groups need to raise money they'll have new blood who'll want to help and get known.
I hope we can start the new school year on a good note and keep it going right through till the real New Year. Why not; we decide how we feel about things so why not decide to be moving forward? C'mon, try it, you might like it!

New Horizons May Come Yet?!!

I have stayed off the blogs and not paid much attention to them for a few weeks now. The article in the Sun regarding the web site for the Town made me check out Support Holbrook. I am glad to see a few sensible posts. I learned a little about web site production from the bulldogs buying club one. . .. Mr Clark offered to give the selectmen something that he probably took a lot of time putting together. The numbers that are assigned to the site that identify it to the server it sits in can be changed by the person who owns the server. If the selectmen want to be sure that Mr Clark has no official access to the info on it after he gives it to them they just get the numbers updated. Of course then they'd have to trust the person who runs the server. .... well hopefully they will figure it out and get the town a site that can accept online payments, fill out forms, and applications and keep track of which accounts to put these payments into. I really hope we don't get into a situation where we are paying some consultant to give them information that is easily accessable if they only would look for it.
Speaking of the www.bulldogsbuyingclub.com web site we had 50 hits yesterday! Hits aren't sales but that is encouraging! Check out the special offer Cheryl is making for the hard drive! We are encouraged by the interest and by the favorable comparisons of our fund raising model compared to the EDNETs one that weymouth is considering. We will give 100% of the retail profits generated to the cause or causes indicated by the club participants.
Cheryl is going to bring this to her daughters school but they won't get 100% of the profits. We are only doing this for Holbrook schools and kids. It is up to the everyday parents and residents who want to see a change and improvement in our atmosphere and mindset to step up and see if they can make a difference. You won't know until you try. We've made it available it's up to you.

When will you decide to let Our kids win?

Hello everyone. The front page article on the Patriot Ledger regarding the administration of the Weymouth Public Schools voting to go forward with the fund raising program was very interesting. If you haven't seen it yet I hope you will.
Maybe now that someone else has ok'd something like this, our own school committee and admistrators will take notice. Their program is different than ours but the idea is there. We who have raised large sums of money for the soccer teams have used the discount cards etc and successfully sent them to tournaments etc so i know how they work.
Once again take a look at the Bulldog Buying Club and see what you are passing up. I haven't spoken to Cheryl yet but I'm very sure we would be happy to meet with any individual or group who wants to get an idea of how it works and how much money could be made.
Some of you have the mistaken idea that I am some kind of scrooge or something. I am not. I am not afraid to speak the truth even when it is politically incorrect. It is not hard to put your finger up into the wind and say what you know people want to hear. It is not always comfortable to be willing to say what needs to be said. We are putting our efforts and profits at your disposal. You choose to take advantage of it or not. It is up to you. Before you comment please be sure you understand exactly what we are offering. Since only a handful of people came to the info sessions i'm expecting questions and comments will be asked at a forum ( possibly at the High School) where a full explanation and an unlimited amount of public questions can be asked and answered. We are eagerly awaiting the invitation from the School Committee.

What Now?

Ok you guys, please read the third comment on the previous post especially the last paragraph. How do you feel about your money going to pay an excellent, well versed in trash law firm, which got you some very worthwhile improvements to the lease as it was proposed from HELP; and then taking them out and going back to NO PROTECTION WHATSOEVER FOR THE TOWN??? Do the selectmen even read the lease?? I did. The first one and the subsequent improvements. Now we're back to square one with no protections?? Is this ok with you ? I really want to know. Now that i can get documents in here i will get the draft leases for you too. They are long but each word is important. They will be forthcoming. As a former selectman i feel a little disloyal doing this but the board chose to have no public dialog of any kind except what the proponents wanted us to get. I think we've waited long enough to be fair to them. Keep watching it will be published soon.

Not Worth the Effort

To the nameless, faceless, gutless, worthless nobody who wrote into the sound off about me the reason i have not been posting to the blog is it is not worth it. I started this as exactly what it says in the header on the front page. However, usually the only people who wrote in really had no clue and i got sick of trying to have serious, thoughtful discussions with morons. You turned out not to be worthy of my time or effort.
I will correct you regarding my stand on economic development in Holbrook. There is not one single person who has worked harder to encourage and foster growth in both business and sensible residential construction for this town. It would be nice if you knew what you were talking about before you wrote such opinions. Ask anyone who regularly attended planning board and other boards meetings. The self serve gas stations are a red herring and a feeble attempt by a board that has done absolutely nothing to add to our tax base. You can say what you want about Jim Riechert but he knows all about gas stations and he told me that a Mobil on the Run needs 2 million gallons of gas flowing through it for them to invest in one. The whole town only has 3 million gallons altogether. That number is in decline due to the prices so kiss that stupid idea goodbye. Also the board and others can lay the blame on Katherine for holding up Old English (and she did do that), but Rick and Rob got her elected for a reason. What do you think that was? huh?? They didn't have the guts to do their own dirty work and they knew she would. Whatever, as i said even this response is a waste of my time but i just had to put it on the record. Don't bother to write back i won't post it, go to hell.

Announcement !! Round Table @ Town Hall

Alex asked to have this announcement posted re: a round table discussion on the state of the budget, state aid, questions people want answered etc. It will be held this Thursday nite at 7:00 upstairs at Town Hall. This town can be pulled together if people who care about it try hard enough. See You there !!

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda...

I just saw the two articles re: randolph's use of the community preservation act monies. I am proud to say i brought that idea before town meeting twice. When I served on the Norfolk County Advisory Board a group of us went to the State House and testified on it. But as usual the Brain Trust couldn't get their tiny minds around that one either. It is really sad. I am sorry we don't have that one. There are many who have no idea what really goes on only bits and pieces of half remembered stories. Look back at the articles and see. Now anyone who wants to know why Randolph has the improvements they have will know why they do.

NEWS FLASH

Well brilliant people of holbrook, the votes were cast, the democratic process looked like it was going on as it should and i was willing to just hope for the best. by nature i am a very optimistic and trusting person so on with life i thought. WRONG!!!!!! i have just learned that the people ( the board of selectmen) who were so careful to tell all the sheep who listened to them and ( got screwed in the process) that the info we were giving you in good faith about the lease for the trash transfer station was old and inaccurate lied to you !that's right; remember when they said the figures being quoted were old and that they would show you much better new and improved rates etc in the "current" lease??? it seems that the newest lease IS the one we were quoting from !!! i have seen the number 1.5Million dollars over and over. are they kidding?? at that rate we would be getting $5 per ton. where is the outrage??? who REALLY cares about the school kids and the needs of the town as a whole?? HUH???? wake the hell up! you people deserve the screwing you;re gonna get ! i am serious. i have never been so disgusted in my life. when wrong things happen in life it is sad and too bad and sympathetic onlookers say if only this and if only that. well this time there can be none of that. you were given that information you choose not to hear it. ok fine, but now the ball is in your court. you have the players in place that will be negotiating this contract. get out of your own ways and begin to understand what you are about to swallow !!!!!!!!!!! by the way i';m not going to bother going back over the figures that i gave right here in this blog about the possibilties for rates. you do it yourselves. before you even go look them up again take out a calculator that can go into higher figures than the one Johnny uses at school. if you aren't on the phone to your elected officials at that point you deserve and will get what's coming to you. you guessed it NOTHING!

Bulldogs Buying Club Check Out the Link!

. Finally we have finished the web site.! It needs a tiny tweek in the hyper link on pg 4 but the addresses listed, if put in manually, will bring you to the shopping section. the hyper link should be reset by the end of the day (wed). cheryl and i don't know how to do it ourselves but our web guy does. We are very excited about the possibilities and opportunities to make a difference just by buying the everyday things you already buy and having the profits do some good. i realize there are questions about the nuts and bolts of how it works and we are more than happy to show anyone who wants to know more. We met with John Flannagan a couple weeks ago and he kindly gave some feedback which we took and incorporated into this new web site. We hope it helps clear any confusion and by combining our purchasing power this way we can raise money painlessly and effectively for whatever you the participants decide. PS we also have a function that will show how many sales there are and what their volume is building up to. It is already on the official web site of the company, we are working to see how to get it onto the bulldog site as well.

naming names could be fun i think

ever since i finally figured out how to answer or write something to a blog i have just signed my name. i tried to be anonymous for once the other day and it just isn't me. i can't do it on the blog or in real life either. oh well so what. when you think about the many , many posts to all the blogs that have been published you can count very few posts that are signed by a real name. some times we have posts that are signed by a supposedly real person but when you go to the town hall to find this person in the records (which by the way are quite up to date) it seems they don't exist. hmmmm.... mr frank rizzo you claimed to have voted for the override. i am telling all the readers here that you either performed a miracle and voted when you don't exist or you are using a fake name! i would bet i do know who you are. before the night is over i might be able to prove it too. won't that be fun??
for all the people who are new residents and don't know who the real Frank Rizzo was i will tell you. He was a successful businessman in holbrook who started Twinbrook Ins co with his wife Frances. Frank died a few years ago but while he was alive he gave his time and efforts to making holbrook a better place. he served on the industrial development committee and actually brought some of the businesses that we have now to town. he always gave generously of his time and space for telethons that raised money for worthy causes etc. for this charlatan to use his name is not right.

Voice of Holbrook is Back

hi cliff i tried to write to your blog but couldn't get in . welcome back! yours must have been the one that only had a couple words and didn't make sense. i deleted it. must have been a malfunction. sorry about that.

People Voted Now What?

The townspeople voted, ok now what will happen? We'll have hearings etc ya ya ya . . . . . Who is going to make sure we get the most money possible?? . it's ok by me to have mr merrigan going all out for the trash co but mr mcgaughey and everyone he controls on the board will be looking out for the company not the town. i think mr mcgaughey should recuse himself. he has been so overly favorable to the trash guys there is no hope that he can get the maximum price. who does that leave? supposedly mr rich from koppelman and paige is an expert at trash contracts. that doesn't make me feel secure. i have heard the comparisons of other towns contracts. just because they made mistakes in being too cheap shouldn't mean we follow their lead. consider this ... except for katherine connolly ( because she is not in his camp right now) each member of the board owes their seat to rick. so people of holbrook i am truly asking the question exactly how do you think you're going to get a good price. ??

It's Time to Vote

The Trash Transfer public hearing was very well attended with many thoughtful questions raised. It is clear that the people of Holbrook have the best interest of this town at heart. The average homeowner/ taxpayer is looking to get services, a safe environment to live in, and a sense that we as a Town are heading in a positive direction while still remaining an affordable place to live. At this time more than ever that is a tall order. It will take concerted efforts on the part of all Town workers, employed and volunteers. Concerted efforts means just that, working together much like an orchestra, each part or section with their own job to do, then being able to pull it all together in a working comprehensive whole.Accomplishing these goals takes leadership. The people who will be on the Board of Selectmen need to be able to work together, listen to each other and always keep the wishes of the townspeople first. I firmly believe that if you choose to elect me to the Board of Selectmen that I have the ability and willingness to accomplish these goals. One of my strengths is that I can work with individuals who may have a different outlook than me. I really do believe that everyone has a right to their opinion. That doesn't mean I will always agree, but I will always defend the right to disagree with respect. The fact that you have a chance to vote on this question at all proves that. Along with my Mother In Law Yvonne Wright, I went out and got the feedback and signatures needed to place the question on the ballot. The present Board didn't see the need, We did.
Holbrook has a financial picture that is much like many other towns. We do have some possible advantages that others may not have at this time. Although I wish we never heard of a trash transfer station and that we didn't need additional revenue we did hear of it and we do need additional revenue. The only way this can become the advantage I speak of is if you have a very strong Board that will work tirelessly to get you the best deal possible from HELP. We know what other stations are charging and where they are located. The Board needs to negotiate a lease that is to this Town's benefit. Mr Walsh is not going anywhere in my view. We have the rail, the right logistics, and if we can believe him there now exists a system that can be operated efficiently and we pray safely. I went to the hearing hoping to hear that the Board had a plan to get the price up to a rate that would really make it worth it for the residents; especially the ones in my neighborhood as we will bear the brunt of it, if it isn't done well. I walked away still not sure that they have done that. If you elect Me and Question One passes that will be job One for me. If it fails we will be back at the drawing board. We will need someone with innovative ideas to make use of what we have. The site at 3 Phillips Rd is currently being used by the Falvey Company. They will buy it or we could lease it to them and use the remainder for an additional parking area for the T. The same agency that will help fund the clean-up for HELP will also help the Town. Gas prices going up and having the T right there does present an opportunity. I have estimated that we could get approximately 500 spaces in there at $2 per day with very little overhead.
However the vote turns out we have our work cut out for us. I am willing and able to work for you.I am asking for one of your two votes on April 1st for the Board of Selectmen.

PS This is being looked at as the save all for all the special interest groups, the schools, town employees, taxpayers, etc. At the rates currently being discussed none of these issues will get adequate funding from it. Please take a look at my blog holbrooksnewhorizons.blogspot.com for a detailed view at what i see as the possible rates. Even my highest rates are still considered feasible by experienced business profesionals.

Can or Will We Make It Worth It?

This Tues nite at 7:30 upstairs at Town Hall will be a public hearing on the Trash Transfer Station. We will know after that meeting how we should vote. Emotionally i think everyone knows how he or she feels about it. I personally don't like it but i have said from the very first day that if we can make it worth it- income wise -we'd be smart to go along with it. The question is will it be worth it and what does that mean? The board of Selectmen have not come out with any information. When asked at the first info session at St Johns rick said, "$1 is more than you have now."
He told me another time it would be closer to $4 or 5 a ton. I heard $6-7 recently. We only have a week and a couple days people until the decision is made. In the meantime, i asked for the current figures and the 2004 numbers as they were before bags. the idea is that many people use outside contractors for their trash, but if we have the station, they may come back and the usage will be somewhere in between.
Actual tonnage in 2004 was 4,710 tons. In 2007 it was 1,870 tons for the year.. ( keep in mind HELP expects to do 1,000 tons per day) half as much as we used in a Year.! So for arguments sake, say we use 3,000 tons per year. Our average cost per ton in 2007 was ($238/ton for pickup + $83/ton for tipping)= $326 x 1,870 + $30,000 in white goods, leaves, and bulky items for a total of $640,214.
I have been told that the original idea of 400 tons free off the top is gone; GOOD! I propose that we get our pick up free, (really free) and 3,000 tons worth of tipping free which would amount to $669,929 saving to Holbrook.
Then we share in the tipping fees and some possible scenarios are these:
@ $1 /ton we'd get $240,000. ( you wonder why it wasn't worth it?) do the math if you don't believe me
@ $7 /ton it would be $1,680,000 per yr
@ $15/ton we'd net $3,600,000 per yr
@ $20 /ton the total is $4,800,000 /yr
@ $25 /ton it would be $6,000,000/yr
before you start feeling sorry for HELP they will get whatever their pick up money is ( not our concern) but at a conservative figure of $75 /ton for tipping they'd gross $18,000,000 per year. We currently pay $83 per ton at SEMASS for tipping. We are much closer than Rochester and with the cost of diesel, man hours and wear and tear on the trucks they might be able get more than that. Of course there are overhead costs but as you can see they will do alright. Now it is up to us to find out exactly what the selectmen plan to do. Will they make it worth it for us or not?
ps $18,000,000-$6,000,000= $12,000,000

You should read Support Holbrook

i have a link to the Support Holbrook web site. it is very informative. it does a much better job of explaining the overrides than i have seen anywhere else. i give credit to Kevin Costa for his efforts. one person says you shouldn't vote for me because they say i don't support the override. funny, i never said that. i said i don't know if it will pass in this economy. it would be much smarter for me to lie and say i am definitely in favor of it. the truth is i am just like a lot of people who have the best interest of the schools at heart but am stretched to the max on taxes. my tax bill is higher than most and no matter which way i finally vote it will hurt. i bet most everyone who votes not in favor of the override will wish they could have voted for it they just couldn't pay any more. i have been as up front as i can be. what do the other candidates say?? does anybody know? i don't. i think we should know don't you? again i extend the invitation to use this site i'll be happy to pass it along to the voters with no editing or interference. they could always write their own blog too. i'll put in a link, as will the others probably. at least i respect your intelligence enough to communicate with you where are the others?

Cynical Outdated Unsavory Political Deals

Once again we are subjected to the back room deal here in Holbrook. It has come to my attention that a deal has been struck with some well meaning people who are passionate about their issue which is the schools . They have been told that "if you support the trash transfer station and a certain candidate for selectman we will get our gang to support the override." I hope they look long and hard at the pattern that has been in place here for far too long. Each election season we have a candidate who looks good and makes a favorable impression as to how you would like a selectman to appear, but who has no experience, no participation, no understanding of the issues and or the mechanisms that one must use to make town government work for the people at large.The result for us as a town is that one person tells others how to vote and hides in the shadows. isn't it time we got rid of this blight on our democracy? you've seen how well it has worked recently haven't you? if this was a productive process for the town we'd be better off not worse off wouldn't you say? as far as the override is concerned although we may need money for lots of very worthwhile initiatives, in this economy the likelihood of passing this vote is not good.
So this shadow person can promise all he wants he doesn't control the amount of money people have to pay additional taxes. so how can he make good on his promise? he can't . i am purposely not mentioning this candidate's name because he and the school people may very well get up the nerve themselves to tell these people who are attempting to buy their allegiance to get lost and let them run their own campaign and think for themselves. You may say i am naive in thinking like this but the old saying is you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all the people all the time.

Moderation

i have removed the moderate button. i hope i won't need to reinstate it. no matter what your comments are as long as they're constructive they will be heard. i have no problem with opposing views that's what makes America great.

Have You thought about Your Vote???

The election is 2 weeks and 2 days away. The Town of Holbrook as an entity unto itself is hanging in the balance. We the people will decide what the future of this town will be by our votes. Whether any of us live here in the years to come, the town itself will be here and have to deal with what we deal it. What will that be? ......... take the time to think seriously about that. In looking at the current financial situation you could have a knee jerk reaction that says WE NEED MONEY ! We sure do ! but then think about what the town's leadership has been doing to get our town's finances in the shape they are in right now. The problems we're in can be laid right at their doorstep. They have made bad decisions regarding many possibilities that have come to our town. Now because of THOSE decisions they want us to make another even worse one; which would be to accept the trash transfer station. I have gone to the meetings which i had hoped would generate some more extensive information and insight into what we would be gaining. I did hear some new facts that were good, such as the noise being not too bad, the condition of the trash as it leaves us in those huge wrapped up bales is ok. Going out on the train is fine too i think. The questions about the incomming trash remain; as does the amount of money that will be generated. They gloss over the rat situation. They do admit that rats are relentless and almost impossible to control or irradicate. Is that ok with you?? Traffic concerns are just so obvious i hate to even think about it. When asked about that question Mr Walsh's answers didn't ring true for the people i was sitting near, most of whom will actually be impacted. All those issues are part of the desicion we need to make but even more important is the money. We have not heard anything definitve about that. It is not for lack of trying I have asked Mr McGauhey and Mr Currie directly and their answers do not satisfy me nor should they satisfy you. At this point in the discussion shouldn't we know how much we can expect to gain ? In any business transaction you give up something to get something. Everyone knows that, so we know what we will be giving up but we still don't know what we will be gaining.!! Doesn't that bother you? The free trash removal is a lie. How can it be considered free if we are not getting paid for 400 tons right off the top?? They have not finished the negotiations that is true. In the two draft copies of the lease that i have seen those numbers have remained constant. If we are not being compensated for that amount of trash, then how are we getting it taken care of for free???? If that was true then they would actually measure the amount we generate and pay us for the rest. The rate per ton is laughable. Imagine this; we get $1 per ton they take in at least $75. .WHAT??????? where do i get those niumbers you ask?The draft lease.Keep in mind that we have been told that they (the selectmen) have not seen the lease. How can that be posilble? If it is we are in worse shape than I thought.

Questions and Answers

Every so often i guess it's interesting to respond to the crazy rumors that are circulatiing. i heard of one at the stations of the cross last week after CCD. one of our landscaping customers asked me where do we live now? she thought maybe bridgewater? that was what her sister told her!!!!! i suppose having a for sale sign out front for the last year or more might confuse someone. we have had the chance to move in the past but the opportunity to move to our chosen spot ( english rd in the new subdivision of 4 homes at the end of the street that isn't built yet) wasn't available. so here we are still in the house we've lived in since we got married in june of 1976. considering the real estate market and the foolish way that some of the people in charge up at town hall handled old english square, we are lucky to still be here. if we leave, it will only be to another location here in holbrook. unlike some johnny come lately's who are only here as a stepping stone to another place, we grew up here, and we'll probably live here till we die. does that answer the question?

Hopefully an improvement

I have been unhappy with the idea of not allowing comments without having an account. i don't like inhibitting free speach. Hopefully having a moderate comments button will be better. someone asked me why i didn't moderate my blog before and i didn't know what that meant. in this campaign season we have little enough contact and access to the people running. i didn't want to make it worse. i think it will be intersesting to see what if any info you can get from some of the other candidates.

Candidates Night Not Happening

AlexMann was planning an informational session with the candidates and some questions by reporters which alex was going to put on cable. due to conflicts in schedules it had to be cancelled. it was a good idea. i will try to spend moretime here to give the voters an idea of what i would do if elected.

In the Interest of Accuracy

Last night after the fin com meeting i had a conversation with rick mcgaughey about a post on this blog. i reported that he and paul currie had a conversation w/ yvonne regarding the trash transfer station at her house. that did happen but he disagreed with what they said. i told him i would go back to yvonne and check the details and her recollections. the discrepency i found was that her focus in asking her question was whether the board would go forward with the station even if the allegations against mr walsh were true. they did say they would go ahead anyway. i understood that comment to be about the proposed vote on the trash tranfer station itself. mr mcgaughey has said that if the voters come back with a no vote, the board will not go forward. i hope this clears things up. it just goes to remind us that every conversation has a personal point of view attached to it, and even when you are trying to be accurate you don't know what the other person is really thinking about. it was an honest mistake and now that it has been clarified, i am happy to know that the will of the people will prevail.

Here's the Address for the Bulldog Buying Club

We are almost finished with the Bulldog Buying Clubs own website. It is up but not functional for buying or for info updates. We have an appointment with our web guy tonight and we'll see how far we get. In the meantime feel free to go direct to the actual purchasing site right now. it is www.fgelzer.qhealthbeauty.com you can sign up for free. you will need Mrs Gelzer's reference # which is 5285725. the profits are already figured in. one of the pages on the bulldog site will show you up to the minute totals of the profits as they grow. obviously this is not a skill i have so we are working with someone who does it professionally. also if you would like to buy things that are not shown on the pages there, such as toilet paper, dog food, breakfast cereal, etc go to the Q icon that stands for Quixtar. it is near the bottom right. just to the left of the Q will get you to the household items that you can choose. it is a little different at first to change from the supermarket but once you do it you'll never want to go back. it is much more convenient and you are making money for the things you want to see added to the schools. We have held multiple info sessions at the library in the past few weeks. We are looking to add to these by holding some at individual homes with small groups of friends and neighbors. With all the meetings and practices and lessons that must be gone to running to another one is too hard. So we can have the info sessions come to you. It's the same amount of work for us either way. Remember changes don't just happen; we make them happen. But only if we try.....

You are Welcome

to the writer who asked the question you are certainly welcome. i will add more info if anyone wants me to. i agree with you about having this type of info on the other candidates too. they are welcome to write in here if they want to. i promise to respect their space and not to change or block anything they may want to say. unless something unforseen or offensive ( which i'm sure wouldn't happen given the field). hahaha i couldn't block it if i tried only the basics on this blog.... i heard what the other person said about my show on cable. my schedule and that of my husband has changed a lot. i really liked that show and i hope to get back to it but you gotta do what you gotta do. as for only having mike mullins on that is not true. i had gary machaby a former selectman, margie kelly of kelly auctions, chris golden of the school comittee, mike yunits and i'm not sure if there were any more. i didnt'write them down but you get the idea i hope. soon i will write about what i hope to accomplish going forward for holbrook. it is nice to list the past attempts and accomplishments for the new people and those that forgot but we're really looking for someone to lead us forward. right?

exactly what financial gain?

sorry i didn't see that last post until after i sent the last one. i'm curious what financial gain would you be thinking about? many people have asked me each year are you going to run? each time the answer was," not until i have completed all the things my family and businesses need me to complete". i got quizicle stares but now you see what i mean. this year i am running because the stakes are too high and too far reaching to sit aside. i always believed and still do that you can't complain about something if you're not willing to try and fix it. my life has already been impacted enough by wrong decisions by some town officials. i can't stand by and let even worse ones be made. i am honestly asking you to say what you are talking about. don't worry you are annonymous remember? ps i'm not mad at the question. i welcome the chance to clear the air.

Now to Mr or Mrs Nasty

i find it weird that you are trying to use my own words against me. i stand by every word i've written and if i sometimes misspell or whatever get over it. i use my name, answer my critics and have absolutely no problem with sincere inquiries by interested and intelligent people who want to know something. you on the other hand have probably never done one thing to benefit someone other than you . i have answered the same stupid thoughts you brought up. it was probably you who asked before i bet. once and for all we sold the pastures in feb of 1998 to family golf from new york. mr mullins bought the property in july of 2000 from the Klaff co in chicago.. we had nothing to do with it as far as money goes since feb of 1998.... do i want to have my flower shop in old english square when it is built YES!!!!!!!! we have developed that spot for 30 years. excuse me if i don't want to lose it to someone else. to the other annonymous who told me to be careful, thank you for caring. i know most people are really thoughtful and kind. it's too bad we can't have kranky land to send nasty people like the other one to. since we don't you just gotta deal with them as best we can. you asked about the fund raising idea for the schools so i'll tell you . there isn't any money yet but there will be soon. we've gotten some commitments from some interested parents and officials. just like many other things it takes some effort to get off the ground. something i';m sure you have no idea about. please feel free to visit the new website. it's not finished yet but it is up... go to www.bulldogsbuyingclub.com soon it will be active for sales. then when we deliver the checks are you going to appologize and participate?? no, of course you won't ; people like you never do.

The Response That Was Asked For

I will start by answering the sensible anonymous writer first. You asked why you should vote for me. that is an easy one. I do have experience in solving problems like the ones we face right now. For example when i first got involved in town government i got on the finance committee and we were almost immediately faced with a 1.6 million dollar shortfall. the problem arose from double spending on the sewer account which is one of those accounts that are not scrutinized by the fin com, or seen at town meeting, and is one of the things i'd like to correct. as a matter of fact i tried to get the assessors to do just that about 3 or 4 years ago. anyway that was a very difficult time and it required leadership from the more experienced members as well as cooperation from all concerned. we compromised, trusted each other by being entirely open, and honest with each other and it all worked out although it did take years to recover from that one. one more thing, we had to be really tough with all dept heads who wanted money to run their depts. we could have pointed fingers and made rotten remarks but that would have been counterproductive. for the next five years i worked diligently on fin com and learned where all the money comes from and goes to in the whole town budget. then i got elected to the board of selectmen. at that time holbrook was even more of a laughing stock than we are now. the board had restraining orders on each other, there were members who sued each other, had papers served at meetings, you name it . i sat between 2 members who were angry at each other and i believe just being like cartilage and a buffer zone between them allowed cooler heads to prevail. at the same time, we were faced with new contract negotiations and due to my experience and the experience of Joanne Koval who also had served on fin com we did something new which was to actually project the money that would be expected for the next five years. that allowed us to bargain in good faith using real numbers and guess what? because the bargaining units knew we had solid reasons and figures to back them up, we settled on an unheard of contract with 0% !% and 3% if i remember correctly. at another time we had to use retroactive raises but again we were being honest and truthful and they worked with us. i have been hoping someone would ask about why a person who has already been a selectman might be a good candidate. some people think just because i've been here a long time that i might be one of those obstructionists. well i'm not and i'll prove it. i might forget some things so it might need to be revisited again as i remember things but here are some of the things i worked for and advocated for - for holbrook. i was the selectman that attended most other board meetings and kept the others updated. consequently it was me who stood before town meeting and tried to push for the over 55 housing that was to be built off rt 139 near the abington line. the obstructionists just couldn't get their small minds around that one. it took 2 years and by the time they thought it was ok 1 partner died and the other had a heart attack. as you can see no over 55 up there even now. i believed that the gentleman who came to some selectman's meetings to try to get us to let him put wireless receivers on telephone poles so anywhere in the square and some other areas too would have wireless connections for free. gee, do you think maybe we would attract some great small or even large businesses with something like that? i did too, but not the obstructionists.- speaking of the square, we had that project going on or trying to get started i should say, and the utilities were all pointing fingers at each other and holding things up until i demanded that they all show up for a joint walk thru and planning sessions where they worked together. at first they were angry but after just the first one we made great progress and they looked forward to the next one and the next until it was running smoothly. we did have a committee that worked hard on it too but it took a leader to take control and get them moving. my only regret on that one is not getting under ground utilities. it almost happened but continental cable had just strung new wires and we would have had to get very large betterments from landowners in the square. when i first got elected we were paying pretty big bills for engineering. i found out that we could get free services from Norfolk County. i was told strongly that it was not true but i knew better and as you may know we use them with great success to this day. maybe someone should add up all the fees we haven't paid just on that one alone. oh ya, and speaking of the County every year i got us at least a couple thousand dollars ( usually $3,000) as i remember for the recreation dept.not one child had to pay tuition when i was selectman. i am very proud of that. my general attitude was and still is that we pay enough in taxes around here, we should get some services. just so it's very clear that i am not in the obstructionist camp the planning board and i (as the selectman's representative) brought forward the idea of the cell towers. we got the info from other towns that were successful in getting them and also in conjunction w/ sen michael morrissey's office we brought this idea and an article to town meeting but again the obstructionists held it up just long enough for st joseph's to get it. that alone would have netted the town over 1 million dollars over 20 year life of the towers. i could go on but i'm afraid it's getting too long. there is more time and i never really liked tooting my own horn. sometimes you have to though.

Feb 18th 2008

Today we celebrate our most loved president's birthdays. why do you think we still hold them in such high regard? i think it's because they always remembered what they were supposed to be doing. they didn't get too into the minute arguments and heated debates that consumed some of the citizenry. they realized that there were really big things that had to be taken care of if this great country was to survive. holbrook is very small compared to the whole country of course but it is all we have. if there is one thing i hope we get out of this race for selectman this time i hope we can focus on our problems and how to solve them and also on the great things we have and how to preserve them. i realize that we are in need of money and we need upgrades to schools, roads, equipment, and most of all our atititudes. please don't jump in panic one way or the other. a friend of mine says haste makes waste. it always agravated me when he said it but it is so true. we need to move there is no doubt about it but once we do we cannot go back. i honestly believe that if we send a message to the selectmen to do some more due diligence before signing anything on the trash transfer station we can get a solution that will be good for holbrook and will serve us well for years to come. did anyone see in this past weekends paper that Braintree, Quincy, and Weymouth are looking to join together for their trash needs? What if Holbrook, Randolph, and Avon either joined them or did the same thing? We own the land at 3 phillips rd. Who says we need someone else to run the transfer station? has the board even talked to hanover or any other town that runs one in house? we have the rail line and could get rid of it as easily as HELP could . if you look at their proposal and calculate how much money we will actually get under the present draft of the contract, i think anyone would really pause and scratch their head. when you take into consideration the indirect costs involved such as reduction in property values for this whole section of town, which will result in less taxes, the wear and tear of the roads, and the loss of quality of life for a large segment of citizens, there must be a very large amount of money comming in to offset that set of circumstances. i'm not looking to demonize mr walsh or bill merrigan or anyone else; we just have a long way to go before we can say that this is actually good for us in the long run. in a paniced state any amount of money is more than what we have, that is true, but true leaders don't panic. they work and work until they are sure they've done the very best they can do; then and only then will we get the best result for holbrook.

Election Time Is Coming

On tues feb 12th i took out papers for the board of selectmen's race. they had to be in by 5 pm with at least 50 registered voters signatures on them. they were turned in by 4pm with 76. most if not all were people i know are actually registered. i decided to run this year because i believe my talents and experiences in town government are needed for the circumstances Holbrook finds itself in right now. we have many issues that need attention. the trash transfer station is the most obvious one but not the only one. i will admit this is issue is the one that made me take the plunge though. i asked questions of rick mcgauhey and others and the answers i got were not good enough for me to feel like they would take care of all the details and serious considerations that are sure to come up. some of these are regarding safety, quality of life issues for homeownwers and business property owners near the proposed site. even more importantly to the people who live in other areas of town and feel like they won't be affected, but who want the revenue it is supposed to bring; i'm not hearing any assurances that we will get enough revenue to make it worth having.
another issue that should concern you as it does me is we will have an election with a non binding referendum question on it. mr mcgaughey and mr currie told yvonne wright that it didn't matter what the result of the election was they were going forward anyway. that didn't surprise me ( although that in itself isn't right) but the next day mon feb 11th he told me that if the election said the people didn't want it they wouldn't do it.. which is it? i think it is time for some straight forward, positive direction around here. you may not like what i say sometimes but you can be sure what i say is what i mean. we have a month and a half to get as much clarification as possible on all the issues facing holbrook. i hope to have an open and ongoing discussion with anyone who wants to do so. i will respect your right and responsibility to ask the questions and i hope you will listen and consider the answers as you make your decision on who to vote for this April 1.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

This is the first Valentines Day in 31 years that i have not been running around bringing cupid's messages of love in the form of roses and flowers to people all over town and everywhere else. It is strange but next year we'll be back full force. Hopefully by then we can be in Old English Square in a beautiful new shop. i'm reallly looking forward to that.

NOTICE informational meeting on transfer station

THERE WILL BE AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING REGARDING THE TRASH TRANSFER STATION
ON FEB 7TH @ 7:PM AT ST JOHNS CHURCH HALL. This hall is at the back and downstairs of the church. For those who don't know where it is go to the corner of king rd by the police and fire station and head down the hill toward the grove. take the first left into the parking lot. the hall is plenty big enough for a good amount of people. this is the time to ask the questions and evaluate the answers for yourself. i am glad the proponents have scheduled this meeting. tell anyone you know who is concerned about this issue. it doesn't matter whether you are for or against or you haven't made up your mind. this is the biggest thing to hit holbrook since baird and maguire. with that nasty subject we had no control over it being here or not, is just was, due to the lack of oversight on the part of the officials that were supposed to be doing their jobs. with this one we can and should get the clearest picture possible BEFORE we have it ... or don't have it. it is up to each person to evaluate whether or not you want it. if you don't get the info and don't express yourself you'll have no one to blame but yourself. so... see you there and bring your questions and keep your eyes ears and minds open. if anyone needs a ride feel free to call 781 767 1079 and a ride will be arranged for you. leave a message

New Blog Helpofholbrook

i just looked at your new blog alex. i hope you will be willing to "help" get the unbiased answers people ask you for. i have a quick question if you don't mind. where do you get the number you quote as potential revenue for the town?
i would be very interested to see how you arrived at that one. give as much detail as you can please.
i will put a link to your site but i am too tired at this moment to be able to do it. i will have more time to read and answer tommorow. have a good night.

Hello sorry i've been away from the computer

sorry for not answering you guys especially bill merrigan. i have been working like crazy at gillette stadium. first the game then the ecommerce dept which needs a lot of extra help due to the crazy amount of requests for Patriots gear etc i haven't read all the posts yet but i will asap. i really do want you ( any of you ) to ask the questions that you want the answers to. this is the whole purpose of this blog.
on another subject my friend and business partner cheryl gelzer alexis went to the selectmen's meeting tonight to introduce the bulldog buying club. i hope anyone interested in raising money outside of raising taxes will come to the library thurs nite at 6:30. we hope to answer any questions you might have and preview a good amount of the products and services you can use for your homes and or yourselves. many socially conscious companies do the same thing we are trying to do; give part or all of their profits to a worthy cause. in our case we are giving all the retail profits to the schools. we are going to get feedback from all the participants and ask what they want the money to go to. we realize the needs are many but hopefully something will be more pressing than the others. we will see what it will be. the potential is very worthwhile and doesn't involve extra spending like candles or candy, etc. see you there.

Let's Get It Straight

Just for the sake of continuity let's go back to the post from jan 7th tittled where is everybody? in one of the comments from jan 12th at 11:32 gary contradicts his most recent previous posts. gary says that mr komito ( the father ) sold his land in randolph to BFI in 1972. the elder mr komito died soon after. his son owns the property at 300 centrre st which he rents to mml trust. that is an entity that has interests in mass waste. mr jack walsh and mike g run that company. i don't pretend to know their inner corporate workings just that they are running the business that is supposedly going to be running the proposed trash transfer station. then gary goes on to say that BFI was sold to allied waste. his next comment is that there is no connection between mr komito, BFI and Allied Waste. HUH??? oh and let's not forget mass waste. they have no connection too right? you may not realize it gary but we the people of Holbrook are not stupid.you may not realize it but we've had the wool pulled over our heads before and we can see a bullshit story coming a mile away.if you or your cohorts want us to accept what you want to do here then you have to show us where the benefits are. stop moaning and groaning about it and start getting specific. exactly how much will the town get? i've seen one of the early lease agreements and have been told that it has been updated and improved upon. ok what does it entail? bill merrigan said in the sun a while back that the tipping fee was $1 a ton. i can't believe that can be true. Are the people who think this is a good idea aware that the fee at SEMASS where are our trash currently goes is over $75 a ton? of course the company would expect to make a profit but no one could think that is adequate. i've heard that they won't accept over 1,000 tons a day. ok how can you tell what is arriving and how much each truck weighs until they get here, once they're here and they're over the 1,000 tons do they send the trucks back? full? are you kidding? the questions need to be answered. get to it. you are asking us to allow this company to run it's business on town owned property for the benefit of the whole town. ok show us the benefits. specificly and clearly please. we are eager to hear what you have to say.

Clarifications are good

thank you gary whoever you are. you seem to know a lot about the subjects surrounding the trash transfer station. so help us out here, you didn't deny that mr komito owns the building on centre st that mass waste works out of.. also the way to verify that if anyone wants to is go to patriot properties.com and follow the links and put in 300 centre st. you admit mr komito sold his land to bfi in the past and therefor has a connection, i don't know whether it was sold or leased i just know it was located there. again you are more aware of the details than me. please feel free to give any more info you know. believe it or not as against this project as i am if you or anyone else can convince me and the many others who are extremely uncomfortable with this idea i do have and have always had and strive to always keep an open mind on things. i am all ears. the ball is in your court now.

Encouraging News

I wasn't home to see the Selectmen's meeting tonight but from what i was told Mr Austin and Mr Currie were at least thoughtful enough to question the wisdom of giving the trash people an extension of another year. That;s all we really want is someone who will look out for the towns best interests. Why do these guys at Mass Waste think they can just get whatever they want and give the real owners of the property in question no answers ? We the citizens of Holbrook are the ones who need to be convinced that we want to let them use our property and that it is in our collective best interests. that is not such a radical idea in my book.

where is everyone?

cliffy i read your blog and i agree. i tried to answer to you on your blog but as usual i couldn't get in. you took the words right out of my mouth. i am glad to provide a forum for people as well as myself but it is frustrating that we have so much that needs to be addressed and not a lot of participation. I know sometimes we wish somebody else will do what needs to be done and we can cheer from the sidelines but these times require many peoples participation. being silent plays right into the hands of the ones who will sell your right to the life you envision right out from under you if you're not vigilant and strong. a couple individuals CAN NOT carry the load for everyone.
i have something to say about the recall petition that is going around on kathy connolly. i did start one myself a while ago i admit. since that time i have realized that we need someone like her to do what she does best. i did not agree with everything she's done that is for sure. butting in on legitimate businesses, holding up old english square, and stuff i'm sure i don't even know about are not productive in my opinion.... holding the other selectmen and the proponents of the trash transfer stations feet to the fire is exactly what i want her to do. thank God we have at least one person on that side of the table watching out for us. we should be joining her in demanding to know things like when are we going to see an RFP going out to all companies interested in giving us prices on using that site.? if we want a trash trasnfer station and we know the current company will be flipping it to BFI why are we not going directly to BFI ourselves? lets stop beating around the bush shall we>? the man who owns the building that mass waste currently rents on centre st is mr komito from randolph. he also owns the land BFI has being running their operation out of for years. how much of a stretch do you think it is that BFI will be the benficiary of this small town ridiculous excuse for a lease that we have not seen yet? WAKE UP ! by the way don't bother saying i'm crazy. do a little research first and then tell me i'm wrong. i don't know the link to the registry of deeds just now off the top of my head but i'm sure someone will make it available here or elsewhere. at least i hope they will.

It's Time to Get Serious

happy new year everybody ! let's hope 2008 is great for all and the Town too.
i saw the article in the sun by bill merrigan re: the transfer station. if i could just believe it all at face value i think it would be great. the problem is for an undertaking this big and far reaching for all of us, we need verifiable plans, information, the kind that can stand up to reasonable questions and get true answers. when yvonne spoke to mr walsh he said something about a trip to see a plant like the one they are proposing. maybe this would shed some much needed light. in the meantime we should be considering what we as a town want. do we want to increase our income no matter what it costs us in the long run? Do we want to take a careful look at what this type of project would cost in terms of lost values in property (business and private)? If we were to go forward with a transfer station shouldn't we get the most value for the town? mr walsh and mr merrigan both made statements at the last town meeting that it was up to the board of selectmen not them to get the right deal for the town. they are correct of course, the burden of getting the town the best deal is on the selectmen. if they fail or are failing at that then it is up to us collectively to make sure it is done to our satifaction.. no way around it people, as much as you and i would like to let others take care of it if you don't step up you have no gripe as to the results.
there is a real need to have open discussions about who should be bidding on this project. up till now only mass waste has had the opportunity to deal with the town. why hasn't BFI or another large company been sent an RFP ? we all know that if this was to be built the next step is to flip it to BFI. they get the deal that the selectmen made for mass waste and if we went direct to BFI we would ask for a lot different conditions. this is no big news come on we all know this stuff it just needs to get out into the open. i've had this discussion with many different people and the results are always the same, so lets actually have it at an open televised selectmens meeting.