Autumn in the North Cemetery.

Sixty miles west of Boston, Massachusetts there is the small New England town of Sturbridge. Located at the junction of I-90 (The Mass Pike), and I-84 it has become known as the "Crossroads of New England". The town was first settled over 300 years ago, and like other small New England towns it has grown just enough over the years to be in a difficult place today. How do we embrace the future without forgetting how we got to our present? How do we attract the right kind of growth, and maintain who we are? And, what about our culture out here in Central Massachusetts?



These pages will cause one to think about how to protect what we have, our future direction, and how to move on in the very best way.


Those thoughts, and other ramblings, will hopefully inspire more thought, conversation, action, and occasionally a smile...

...seems to be working so far

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Here We Go Again...

Ever notice that a little kid will whine about the same thing over, and over, and over again no matter how many times they are told the subject is closed?

And, ever notice that if the same kid still does not get their way they will haunt you with the same question,"Why can't I?" until you break down?

It's a natural kid thing to do.

When an adult does it it is not only annoying, but after awhile, pathological, and the original meaning is lost.

There is a solution. Cover your ears, and chant, "I can't hear you!! Lalalalalalalaalala!"

Lots to be said in favor of selective regression.

7 comments:

  1. Doesn't that make the little kid (or the adult "child") even louder and more agressive? I do love the visual though!

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  2. Yeah, probally right, but if you can't hear it, and it don't bother you anymore, who cares?

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  3. Good advice! Lalalalalala - LA!

    :)
    Thank you

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  4. Did anyone out there watch the selectmen's meeting in Sturbridge last night?

    An irate citizen and abutter of the Casella dump tells town administrator James Malloy he is dissatisfied regarding the $50,000 settlement between Casella and the town of Sturbridge. Mr. Malloy was "facilitator" behind closed doors, and the decision apparently made solely by the board of health. The minutes of that board of health meeting are allegedly not available. However, I suggest that a review the tape of last night's meeting be conducted, and note Mr. Malloy's exact words when asked directly about the minutes.

    Irate citizen and others who belong to a 300-member group of citizens fighting the Casella dump are upset, because they've been sold down the river for a $50,000 settlement. The settlement will not pay for any longterm monitoring of their private wells. Even more embarrassing is that the negotiation didn't include all private wells in that "Fiske Hill area".

    Irate citizen, in a pointed and controlled manner says to Mr. Malloy that he wants his resignation; he says he wants to see him fired. In response, James Malloy asks Selectman Chairman Steven Halterman to "control the meeting".

    Here are my questions: where were YOU Mr. Malloy, when the former planning board chairman was verbally abusing his colleagues who are residents of Sturbridge?
    Why is such behavior acceptable amongst your appointees, but you deflect the criticism of yourself and ask for "control of the meeting"? How does it feel?

    I remember when residents requested Mr. Malloy control his planning board appointee. James Malloy's "excuse" was, and still is, the appointee has his rights to free speech.

    Here's a newsflash for you Mr. Malloy: last night's irate citizen has just as much right to his free speech.

    I suggest new signs be made and installed around Sturbridge, Charlton and Southbridge: "Dump Malloy".

    Moreover, I am appalled at the special interest groups trying to control this town, those being the business groups, and two Selectmen who blindly do what they're told by their handlers.

    When Selectmen Garieri stated it is improper for a Zoning Study Committee to discuss the types of businesses that should be allowed in zoning districts, I became disgusted once again by his territorial, adversarial, aggressive nature, and single-mindedness. If he investigated work of Zoning Study Committees in other towns, you would see that not only is it proper, those committees are more autonomous, not battered by special interest groups such as yours.

    Finally, I'm disgusted that the new planning board chairman lacks the creativity to have arrive at any positive suggestions for the Zoning Study Committee to move forward, as the selectmen chairman requested. Such narrowmindedness is not acceptable, nor should it be tolerated as her decisions involve development in Sturbridge. It's becoming more and more apparent just who belongs to special interest groups, who is handling them, what their priorities and work ethics are. Certainly, those priorities do not include: working with others, fairness and compromise, nor what is best for the town.

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  5. Right on! Dump Malloy is certainly appropriate!

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  6. I agree, DUMP MALLOY!
    He has shown that he is supporting the views and opinions of businesses instead of the residents of Sturbridge. I am sick and tired of hearing about all the efforts on behalf of business. The residents are those that should be served by the BOS not just the businesses. Jim Malloy tried with the BOH to quickly eliminate a problem that was not of his concern. The new Selectman also had no interest in the Casella problem. They never addressed it or supported the efforts of citizens to fight it. The BOH should not have tried to appease Casella by giving concessions, instead they should have fought to close it down. If they and other surrounding towns fought against it the results would have been much different. Instead our representatives chose to concede and not even try to fight it. It certainly shows where their allegience lies. Continue to gather citizen support and get rid of Malloy and the Selectman that simply chose to stand by, because it was not their cause. The new selectman never attended a meeting or ever chose to support the efforts of citizens in town. It was the health and welfare of the town that they just avoided because the 'right' people were not supporting it. It is so obvious that they are all in 'Kramers' corner. Their agressive and hateful behavior is now obvious to the whole town.
    The people in town deserve to have public officials ready to stand firm and not give in because it is easy or less expensive. Recall Malloy and demand that the BOS serve the people and not just the business community. Also the BOH should be ashamed, even if the landfill should have affected just one person in Sturbridge and caused a health problem for that one person; they should have sided on the health of that one person. They did not do their work as they were elected to do. They relied on Jim Malloy to hand them information when they were told that there was plenty of supporting information available to them. They chose the easy way out. Appease the people and get the problem off their desks. What were they thinking or not!!! Shameful!!

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  7. Funny how the "child" and Jim Malloy now doesn't like others free speech! Hello? Review your own behavior at meetings! These irate citizens were well justified - a secret meeting was held that sold their health away for 50K! Kudos to the BOS chairmen for allowing citizens to be heard! Boo to Jim for not stepping up to the plate and take criticism after doing what he did to our community.

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