Don't Feed The Unhappy

I received the email posted below from a town official yesterday.  It intended to set the record straight regarding a bit of town business, Article 48.  Many of you may have received the same email.  At the recent Special Town Meeting it was voted to postpone any action on the article until the next scheduled Town Meeting on December 5 at 7:00 PM, but apparently there are a "handful of adults" whose behavior demonstrated that moving the date to act on the Article was a sham.  The article would remain intact, and all that was changing was the day on which to vote on it.  I really appreciate the energy, and need to set folks straight, I really do, but sometimes we go way too far to satisfy the unhappy than we would ever do for the reasonable.

Cripes.

There will always be a few that will feel that no matter what is done it is unfair, against them, and a "sham".  If nothing will change except the date, then they should calm down, take a deep breath, and hold it until the next meeting.  Maybe then those adults will pass out,  miss the meeting, and business can carry on without their whining.

The email went on to acknowledge the "disconnect" was due to emotional, physical, and spiritual distress over the past year here in town due to the meteorological events we have all been slammed with.

No.  I don't agree.  We all experienced the past years events, but we all did not disconnect.  Meltdown, yes, but for the most part we are all stable.

No, it's just that some folks do this.  They feel that no matter what the action is being taken that there must be a reason behind it that does not support their agenda.  These folks have always been here, and always will.  All one can do is offer up the reasons behind the move, hope it sinks in, and move on.  Most often that's all it takes.

Don't feed the fire.  If the group wants to address it more, then they can do so on the floor at the next Special Town Meeting.

Word of caution, though, they shouldn't go on and on, and on about it.  All that will do will extend the night, and who knows, maybe the vote would have to be postponed again to the next night.

Now, that would be something this  "stressed out" town would appreciate a lot, a bit of humorous karma.

lol.

Perfect.



Email posted below:

Greetings All, 

Recent correspondence sent to the Board of Selectmen suggesting that the BOS, the Town Moderator, and in some cases the Finance Committee, engaged in collusion to “sham” voters out of an opportunity to vote on a particular article of interest, specifically Article 48, merits my response as one member of the Board - acting solely in my capacity as an individual elected official. This correspondence is not meant to reflect the view of the BOS, nor suggest such. It stems solely from the disquieting behavior by a handful of adults at the most recent Town Meeting, as well as the vitriolic correspondence directed at the BOS, which in my view reflects a disconnect by some from fact or logic.

There is little doubt that for most, though not all in attendance that one could attest much of this "disconnect" to the unrelenting physical, emotional, and spiritual stress we have endured since the challenges of a 52” snow accumulation during a 3-week period last winter, followed by a tornado, a hurricane and ultimately an October Nor’easter, which resulted in power outages lasting 8 days. Clearly, such events play an integral role in testing the patience and adaptability of every one of us; we are all subject to limitations in terms of what we can reasonably withstand. That said it is important to note that we are all still part of a community and the need for balance, compassion, empathy, and reason must not be sacrificed nor jettisoned during times of stress as it provides fertile ground for the birth of illogical and non-factual reasoning.

There now exists a viewpoint that the BOS conspired with the Town Moderator and to a lesser degree the Finance Committee to “rob” voters of an opportunity to vote on Article 48, an article that many in attendance were in favor of, by requesting a 4 week recess. When one considers that the majority vote of the BOS by a 4-0-1 majority favor Article 48 and that the Finance Committee voted 4-3 in favor of Article 48, does it not then defy logic that these two entities whose majority votes clearly support Article 48, would then conspire to rob residents of a chance to vote on something that these two Board’s majorities support? Does it not also defy logic to suggest that if this were a “sham” perpetrated by the Town Moderator and myself that the majority members of the BOS and the FinCom would not have soundly and quickly intervened? To argue that two public bodies, who by majority vote favor Article 48, would engage in collusion to “rob” themselves of something they support, or allow a sole member to do so, clearly defies logic.

Additionally, some have suggested that the motion was pre-determined and secretly decided. Well, the motion itself was "pre-determined" in that the BOS by unanimous consent, authorized me during a publicly televised meeting on Friday, November 4 to offer the motion, which was reported in a news story the following day. Equally, a Public Service Announcement that I emailed to over 700 residents on Saturday, Nov 5, titled Power Outage Update & Special Town Meeting specifically stated that “The Board of Selectmen has voted to support a motion seeking an adjournment (postponement) of this meeting for approximately 30 days”.  Thus, to suggest something secretive or nefarious was afoot in terms of this motion is simply inconsistent with the facts and logic. Equally, to believe this occurred, despite the fact that it was publicly discussed, televised, reported in the news and emailed to over 700 residents, one would have to conclude that the majority viewpoint members of the BOS and FinCom were involved in a level of collusion to defeat themselves. Is this a logical presumption?

As it relates to the allegations that the Town Moderator did not open the meeting consistent with Parliamentary Procedure, this again is inconsistent with the facts. Parliamentary Procedure, of which I am well-schooled, dictates that in order to “open” a meeting, the Moderator must first determine the presence of a quorum and if present “call the meeting to order”. There are no additional requirements. In Sturbridge, there is no “quorum” threshold for Town Meeting beyond the required presence of the Town Moderator and the Town Clerk. Thus, if those two entities are present, the meeting requirements have been met and the Town Meeting may proceed once called to order.

Additionally, some argue that the vote was close and should have been counted on the floor. Though from my position on the stage it was clear the Town Moderator’s declaration was consistent with the vote, the simple fact is that no one spoke to that issue, nor did they challenge that vote until the results had been announced and the meeting adjourned. I specifically heard the Town Moderator ask several times if anyone else wanted to speak before the vote beyond the one resident who did raise her hand and approach the microphone spoke. There was no response, nor any movement towards the microphone. Immediately after the count was announced, I clearly heard the Town Moderator ask if there was “any other business to come before this body”. Again, there was no response, beyond some inaudible grumbling in the rear, despite the fact that there were plenty of regular attendees at the meeting fully familiar with the process and their ability to intervene with a motion or substitute motion. 

With nothing forthcoming from the Legislative Branch, the Town Moderator adjourned the meeting. It is at this point that the yelling, screaming, and vitriolic attacks of a few individuals surfaced and were directed at the Town Moderator and the BOS while children sat in amazement watching this “model” behavior from adult mentors. Sadly, when one considers that this all manifested out of a motion designed to demonstrate compassion and empathy for those on both sides of the issue who had indicated a need for additional time to physically and emotionally recover from this most recent storm, one is left wondering just how deeply this past year has injured our community.

Finally, despite charges to the contrary, the Town Moderator did not have a pre-conceived determination, nor did he misrepresent the count. Though he and I have disagreed openly on issues, I have never witnessed him pre-determine any vote. In fact, his approach is fairly consistent in terms of his Moderation of our Town Meetings. For those residents of this community who feel the need to express misplaced anger or blame for whatever misguided reason one might maintain, then let it be directed at me as I made the motion; thus it began with me. It is illogical and simply wrong to cast dispersions on the BOS and accuse them, the Town Moderator or the Finance Committee of any nefarious acts as the majority of them are in support of Article 48. Any objective and logical consideration of Monday’s meeting could only conclude that there is no “conspiracy”, no attempt to “thwart the will of the people” and no attempt to “steal democracy”. Again, I respectfully request that you direct your anger at me for having the "audacity" of making such a motion; a motion by the way that I have no reservations about having made, as I place integrity, principles, transparency, compassion and empathy above political expediency.  

Now, recognizing that Article 48 will not change in the next four weeks, nor the support it enjoys from the majority of BOS/FinCom members, one is hopeful that we can reflect upon this past Monday and realize that nothing was taken in terms of your ability to address the Town Meeting Warrant; it will all be there for your consideration on December 5, at 7:00 PM. One could argue however that perhaps the pressures of this past year have exhausted some of our patience and compassion; that is certainly understandable. Hopefully, the next few weeks will provide us all the opportunity to recover.

--
Respectfully,

TRC

Thomas R. Creamer
Sturbridge Board of Selectmen

Town of Sturbridge
308 Main Street
Sturbridge, MA 01566

Mobile: 774-696-0903
Fax: 615-634-0903

This Is How Change Begins

Click Here For Video Of Meeting

WHDH TV

FOXBORO, Mass. -- The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities formally launched an investigation into the response to the late October snowstorm by three of the state's public utilities.

The Oct. 29 storm dumped heavy wet snow across the state, bringing down tree limbs and wires, plunging hundreds of thousands of residents into the dark. The utilities struggled over the past week to restore electricity.

As part of the probe, state investigators will examine how National Grid, NSTAR, and Western Massachusetts Electric Company prepared before the storm, how quickly they were able to restore electricity, and how they communicated with local officials.

The DPU could end up levying fines and requiring the companies to change their storm policies.

On Tuesday night in Foxboro, local utility companies gave some power to the people who suffered from two serious storms. Many who lost electricity this season got the chance to voice their frustrations over massive power outages.

People in Foxboro -- who lost power for days after Hurricane Irene in August and again in October after the nor’easter -- lost power for a few hours on Tuesday night prior to the meeting. The outage was not related to the October storm.

People at the meeting lashed out at a National Grid representative.

“The weather impacts the facilities,” said Kathy Lyford, Vice President of National Grid.

A person in the crowd responded, “This is New England. The weather is the same every year.”

National Grid was under fire from Foxboro residents who shared stories of anger and heartbreak.

More than 90 percent of Foxboro lost power during the October nor’easter and many remained in the dark for up to six days.

Residents wanted answers and to know if, after two extended outages in two months, this was going to happen again.

National Grid blamed the weather.

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but these have been unprecedented weather events all right behind each other within a short period of time,” said Lyford.

But many are not buying it and want change.

(Copyright (c) 2011 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Story posted 2011.11.09 at 05:35 AM EST

The Weather, She Is A-Changin'

"The times, they are a-changin' ". -- Bob Dylan 1964

I can't think of a better phrase to describe what we have been feeling here in Sturbridge over the past eleven months. The "times",  relating to the weather, have definitely changed.  Record snow last winter, the tornado on June 1st, Hurricane Irene in western New England, and most recently, the Halloween Nor' easter with record snow fall for October.

Coincidence?  Maybe.

Climatic changes that are due, and have been going on for  millions of years?  More likely.

Whatever the reasons are, the fact remains that there have been enough events showing that something is up, and we need to adjust to what Mother Nature has in store.

Now, I am not going to go on a global warming rant, and preach the gospel of Al Gore.  It's happening, no matter the cause, and has happened  on a cyclic basis since this planet cooled, and spawned life.  We need to wrap our heads around it, and also be aware that we need to adapt.

Nothing major just yet, maybe a bit more in the snow removal budget, and start to have the equipment ready for the winter on October 1st instead of later on.

There will be more tornadoes that occur in Massachusetts, and they will happen a bit more often than once every ten years.  If we have another tornado within the next two years we need to construct an early warning system of sirens like those regions in the south , and out west have to warn the residents of a funnel cloud touching down, and heading our way.  Again, it's simple, and the stats don't lie.

Trees, and tree branches, need to be removed from around all power lines.

This is a simple cause and effect scenario.  There will be more heavy snows, and some of those storms will fall onto trees that either have new leaves, or leaves yet to fall.  We know very well what happens next, and since we are aware, it is a simple matter to prevent it from happening in the scale it happened recently.

Shady lanes, and leafy trees are so important to our landscape, but so it our need for electrical power.  It's a choice we need to make, and make soon.  The convenience of uninterrupted electrical service for our lights, to power our media, and to heat our homes, or the very real possibility that we may loose power for more than a day at least once each year.

Our choice.

We have a lot to think on.  Local government leaders will be thinking on it, too.  As the seasons move on, and another major event is not felt, it will be thought of less often until the power is lost again, and the trees are toppled over onto Main Street.  Then, there will be finger pointing, yelling, accusations of incompetence, and demands that something be done immediately.

Just like now.

So, why not cut out the waiting period, and start now?  Begin to plan, and make changes today, not the next time.  Take a deep breath, swallow hard, and dig in.  Start the dialog, and start planing the plan.

A week without power in 2011 is unacceptable, and there are no reasons not to begin to make changes in order to either avoid a repeat of this past week, or most certainly decrease the time we spend in the nineteenth century.

No, there are no reasons at all.

A Fuster Cluck To End Them All, I Hope

Monday morning quarterbacking has been around forever.


Annoying as it can be for the casual observer, it is not a fruitless exercise to work out just how something went so awry, the following morning, it can provide useful insight despite the poor timing.  What is annoying is that those that preach what they would have done didn't have a clue what to do  when it was actually happening. 


Today, I  want to share, vent, and offer some suggestions in the tradition of those annoying quarterbacks.  Can't do one without the other.  If one is going to complain, or vent, then one had better have a suggestion for improvement, or be available to help find one.


So, what the hell happened this past week here in Central, and Western Massachusetts?  We had a heavy snow storm in October while the trees were still fully leafed out, and trees did what one would expect they would do during storms like this:  they broke.  They broke and fell onto utility wires around the Commonwealth, and utility services stopped at the moment the branches fell.


Doesn't take a rocket surgeon to know that this can happen.  Utility companies know it.  Communities know it.  It is not some magical event that happens once in a lifetime.  As long as there are over head wires with trees above them, or beside them, those wires will be affected anytime the weather gets rough.


It is as sure as my finding lint in my pocket.  It is inevitable.


I don't want to define insanity again, but that definition holds true in this case as well.  


We have to change what our response is.  By "we", I mean both National Grid, and the town.  


First of all, work on those "Priority Lists" that list the buildings, streets, facilities that are a priority to reopen, and keep open.  The Public Safety Building being numero uno on the list followed by the town water treatment plant, town barn, and town water pumps.  This then has to be done annually, and as changes occur.


All main roads running through the town, that is, the state roads that are numbered, and relied upon by neighboring communities to transport people to Harrington Hospital must be restored, cleared, and repaired before any secondary road is touched, unless there is a major safety issue elsewhere.  Keep in mind, these are ideas, and directions, not finely tuned plans.


Second of all there needs to be a "Crisis Control Czar", or committee appointed.   Their job is to asses the damage in town, with the police,  and report it to the Town Administrator, Board of Selectmen, and others within the town that require the information.  They will also be the contact person(s) for all of the utility companies.  From this group, in conjunction with the utility companies, priorities will be set based on immediate, and emergent need.


Updates will be made to the town throughout the day by the utility crews, and the town will also update the utilities of new issues, and safety concerns that have arisen.


This is a two way street that responsible, professional groups are running on to accomplish common goals:  restoration of services, and the safety of those affected.


Very much a no brainer, and something that, if done correctly, will result in a lot less frustration for those affected.


The third item on this list of changes is to do a bit more trimming than National Grid currently pays for.  All trees on our country lanes that have branches hanging over the wires need to have the branches removed.  It's that simple.  We all love the dappled sunlight peaking through the branches on a summers drive through the country.  Shady country lanes are what we are, but we need to make some hard choices today.  


Going underground with all our utilities would be cost prohibitive, but in certain areas, it could be done.  Historic areas, downtown areas, areas where the trimming of trees would affect the landscape in a severely negative way would be areas that either going underground, or rearranging the location of poles, and wires could be done.  In all other areas, such as Route 148 beyond the I-90 bridge, and around Warren Road, there should be a clear cut zone under, and above the utility lines.


Nothing hanging over the lines.  Yes, there will be winds that knock over entire trees onto the lines, but still the overall damage over time will be millions of dollars less.


This is common sense.  


Over the next few days, and several weeks, what has transpired here in town, and across the region, as a result of the No' Easter, will be reviewed, debated, and discussed.  Fingers will be pointed, blame appointed, and plans drawn up.  It is the implementation portion that we seem to fall flat on most of the time.  When Hurricane Irene hit us this summer, the Priority Lists were found to be severely outdated, but a review of those lists, and an update of the information was not done.


Now, it is 7:00 PM on Saturday night, November 5th.  Here on Brookfield Road we have had power for just over a day.  Six days without.  No excuse for being without power that long on a state road when there were hundreds of power company workers staying in town, and heading off on those compromised local roads every morning without repairing the damage.


None.


At this moment there are still people without power here in town.  One week after the storm, days after the snow has gone, in fairly pleasant temperatures, these folks are still living by candlelight.


I want to hear what is going to be done to prevent future "fuster clucks" such as we just experienced from happening, not only at the utility company level, but at the local level.


The TA, and the members of the BOS are going to seek answers, and a new plan of action.  We were all in this together when it happened, we need to be in it together as well as we move forward.

It's Gotten Really Old

These past six days, in Sturbridge, after the Nor' Easter has been anything but a wonderland.  The snow took the fully leafed out trees and broke them so badly that as of Thursday, Novemeber 3rd, they are still picking up the pieces, and will be for some time.  Shattered trees are one thing, its the problems those broken trees cause that is what we have been battling ever since, and the most severe of those has been the broken power lines.

There has been enough written on this subject in the papers over the past week, I know, but I need to vent. 

First of all, there are a number of roads that come and out of town that are priority roads.  Roads for major traffic, commuting, emergency vehicles such as ambulances from other towns going to Harrington Hospital. Route 20, Route 131, Route 49, and Route 148 are all state roads, and are priority roads.  Their integrity must be assured at all times.

Now, will someone tell me what the heck happened on Route 148?  No one even began to work on the downed lines until Wednesday, four days after the storm.  The tree debris was still in the road, a plastic jersey barrier put our on Tuesday, and not one National Grid truck was there to deal with the massive damage on that road from the I-90 bridge to Warren Road.

Not one.  For four days.

The day that the president of National Grid stopped by to see how things were going was when I followed a convoy of National Grid, and out of state trucks from the Host Hotel, where we were staying, to our home on Brookfield Road.  It was eight o'clock in the morning as two or three pickup trucks, and several bucket trucks slowly made their way up route 148, past our darkened, and frozen house to the scene of the damage a mile away.  This was on Thursday, five days after  the snow.

Five days after the snow.

We can blame outdated priority lists that National Grid was relying on, and we can blame poor communication as well, but those excuses can only go so far.  It was up to those in our town with the geographical knowledge, the up to date priority knowledge, and the most accurate damage assessment to communicate the immediate needs to National Grid.

We can not expect those unfamiliar with our town, and all the damage out there, to perform the repairs in a timely, and efficient manner without inside information.

We can blame National Grid for not being more aggresive in seeking the information, but our town has to shoulder some of the blame as well.  The police, local, and state, the selectmen, and others in town were well aware of the damage in town, and the priority each area held.  That information, apparently,  was not communicated well to the National Grid, and if it was, it was not acted on.

How can a state numbered highway like Route 148 be overlooked for five days, but Wallace Road, and New Boston Road can have multiple crews on them?

I am not bitter.  We froze like everyone else.  We sat by the fireplace, ate cold sandwiches, and sat in the dark day after day.  We finally went to the Host Hotel on Wednesday, and hoped that the power would be on again on Thursday. The work crews on the side of the road told me it would be.  When I left for work at 5:30 PM Thursday afternoon, it wasn't, and the family went to the hotel for one more night.

They had had enough.  Everyone has.

Obviously we need a different approach to theses disasters.  We need an up to date Priority List, and that list needs to be in the hands of the utility companies ASAP.  We need a permanent team on the ground here in town that speaks the language of those in National Grid, and can help direct those technicians to the areas that need repair first.  National Grid will in turn repair what they can in the order that the grid allows them to do so.

Communication failed.  It failed very badly.  What was being reported was not being given to the right people, at the right time, in the right format, and as a result we all had to endure too many dark nights in the cold.

Don't allow this to happen again.  Develop a plan, appoint a Disater Assesment Team, and develop a communication plan that will expediate the resoration of power in the future.

Now, it is 5:30 AM on Friday morning, and I am at work 60 miles east of Sturbridge, and I have no idea if my house has power yet.  I am hoping it does.  I'm tired, and will be home in a few hours, and this sleeping with gloves on has gotten really old.

Addendum:  At approximately 1:35 PM 11/4/2011 the power was restored to Brookfield Road.