Well, Congratulations to the Library Trustees, The selectmen finally signed the contract. Now the question is why is it going to take FOUR MONTHS to get the bid documents out. This blog has had some experience with building commercial buildings and in my case it took 29 days to get the bid documents ready. Why 4 our months?
The selectmen also discussed the Tower committee, Gentlemen, this is a serious issue for the town and one that will be watched closely, Please make certain that you adhere to the terms of the warrant article. Please hold the meetings in the town hall, in the open, in public, and preferably televised! Please make certain to not just rely on the work done previously but to actively search for new ideas, and lower cost methods to solve this issue. Also, you should ask what is the depth of the issue, and how does it compare to other surrounding towns communications issues?
Remember the warrant article calls for the presentation to the voters of at least two different options for their consideration. Also the warrant article states the specific make up of the committee, stop trying to flood it with people whose minds are already made up and who have a vested interect in the construction of a tower. Lucia from Plaistow is a wonderful woman, but just a dispatcher, another user of the equipment, not a communications specialist. Bob Murad, a Methuen cop 20 years ago, again a user not an expert, Billy Baldwin, same scenario, user not expert. Lets get some people who knw about emergency communications beyond pushing the button on their radio to call dispatch. Call TES Communications in Salisbury, and ask them what they recommended to Lt. Baldwin. I heard that they thought our problem could have been handled with vehicle repeaters, but they had the impression that we were adamant about a tower. Talk to Tyco about their MA-One system, it overlayed over any system to give differring systems total interoperability, this was demonstrated during 9-11 then NYC ordered the system installed immediately.
Forgive this blog but we are sceptical of the selectmen's good intentions. We believe that they are trying to pack the committee with members that favor a tower before doing any research, so that when votes are taken they will dominate. This is not the intent of the article.
It is also noted that a resident came into the meeting to ask the selectmen to do the right thing and honor the 2005 town meeting vote to place the vietnam honor roll panels with the map stone. With Memorial day approaching it would be nice to do the right thing here. Also seeing as Jack likes to take a moment of silence out of respect for our troops at the outset of each meeting this would give him an opportunity to not just pretend to honor our servicemen, but to actually DO something.
Think about it guys, honor the voters wishes, honor your own words in the selelctmen's meeting.
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ATKINSON's Vietnam HONOR ROLL as VOTED and PASSED by 2005 Town Meeting and re-approved at Special Town Meeting Sept. 12
EDITORIAL-
A voice of compassion, an example of fairness and reasonable government.
One who believes in the strength and comfort you, your children and your family can draw from good government leadership.
A person who knows Atkinson is our home -- our most important possession that must be preserved and protected through fair taxes and sound community planning and where our children must be safe to grow to become a new generation of leaders.
One who knows that the citizens of Atkinson are all neighbors with her leadership to be dedicated and responsive to all.
One who believes that when those from Atkinson have served our nation and honors are deserved, those honors must be given.
In Valerie Tobin, we now have a leader we know we can entrust with these responsibilities because they are part of her character.
It is our honor to endorse Valerie for election to Atkinson’s Board of Selectmen.
Just a note for those who wish to count the deer.
In January 08 this blog had 16,000 hits and 1,500 unique visitors (for the month).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
EDITORIAL-
"I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense . . ." [TP, 1776]
We take no small measure of umbrage at such a hostile official act against this BLOG’s patron. Therefore, a timely Editorial comment is both appropriate and necessary.
Discussion of Atkinson’s financial direction, from any viewpoint, is fundamental and encouraged and we will always attempt to limit and correct errors.
However, Righteous indignation towards purported error of such inconsequential nature is not appropriate.
The ENTIRE car deal is problematic. If it was caused by poor judgement, improper exercise of authority, neglect or mistake or even specious reasoning, this will never trump the facts that the entire questionable transaction started and ended within a very small circle of confidants.
We find the entire circumstances surrounding the disposition of the police Cruiser highly irregular at the least and the "explanations" somewhat trifling and exhaustive of our intellect.
Mr. Consentino: It’s time to go. Being Chief of Atkinson’s Police Department is NOT a birthright. That is a fabled legend of yesteryear.
Historically in Atkinson, police chief appointments were made "under the hand of the selectmen" for terms of one year at a time, as was also the case in the beginning of Mr. Consentino’s assorted and discontinuous stream of appointments to this position.
Your only remaining credential established on a claim of indispensability has faded.
So time is neigh. Plan a graceful exit, Clean out your desk, Accept the gratitude and tearful sentiments from some. We plan no editorial recriminations. It is time. Thank you for your service, We wish you a long and happy retirement. Bon Voyage.
LETTER
"To All Atkinson Residents,
I am writing to ask for your help. A member of the Atkinson Police Department needs our help. I am here to ask for your help in Corporal John Lapham's fight for his life. As you are aware, John has been diagnosed with Leukemia. He has been once again hospitalized with an infection that is threatening his life. He is one of the bravest people that I have ever met. He has never asked of anything from the residents of the town. Now is our chance to step up and help both him and his family out. As everyone is aware John has been out of work for a few months. His family has been busy helping John to get better. He needs our help, and I am hoping that this town can step up to the plate and help. From the moment that I met John, I have admired him. He does alot, but never asks for anything in return. He has helped so many people in this town. I for one am one of those people. Please help him.
There is a fund set-up in his name at TDBanknorth in Plaistow. Any amount will help John, while he is out of work. It would be great if this town could help ease a burden off his wife.
Thank You
Also if anyone would like to send a card, please address it to:
John Lapham
c/o Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Ctr.
Inpatient mail
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
United States
Please show Corporal John Lapham, that this community can stand up and show our support to those in need. I for one, miss John and can not wait until he can get better and return to work. Please show him that we support him. "
9 comments:
I believe Publius was referring to M/A-COM's system. A division of Tyco Electronics. Anyone can get information from the company's website www.macom-wireless.com.
How many systems does the town now operate? How does police and fire coordinate with road during snow emergencies?
In the interest of full disclosure I am an employee of the company but do not work in the division that design and manufactures these state of the art radio systems.
I do know that it mobile systems were deployed at the Super Bowl to beef up for this huge event. And there is a mobile demonstration vehicle where they can demonstrate how the system will work with the towns existing systems and available add ons as the town's budget allows rather than forcing an immediate replacement of the entire system.
Just my $0.02. It is one more option for the taxpayers to consider. It is a choice many states and regions are making over the big dog in the market, Motorola.
I'll tell John to expect a call.
Lucia is actually the communications supervisor for the Plaistow Police Department, which in the rank order of that agency places her higher than a communications specialist, of which the PPD has two. Lucia is also an Atkinson resident, which tells me she fits two more qualifications than anyone on this blog has to speak on the issue. But you are right, she is a wonderful woman.
Yes, but the point was that a communications supervisor is not an expert in setting up communications systems, but is merely a user.
I concur with Publius. Knowing how to watch a system users does not qualify someone to decide how to choose the best system for the application or system installation. And she only knows the system that Plaistow uses and thus is likely to have bias toward the PPD that can render her unable to objectively consider other options.
As a taxpayer she has the same interest as other taxpayers. Assuring that the town gets the best system for what the town has budgeted.
Staying with a decades old analog system does not provide the best use of limited resources. When was the last time you bought an analog cellular phone?
Do not be lulled into thinking that all of a sudden, the Sapia/Childs/Chief faction are going to cooperate. They are simply regrouping and buying time to get things their way.
You honestly don't believe they will do the right thing, do you?
If they do, it is only because they find the library consortium
to be well staffed, motivated, well funded and organized.
If only the rest of the town was as well organized as the library or the political group known as the APD, then there would be a chance of having normal people like Paul Sullivan in town leadership positions - instead of what we have now.
And then maybe we wouldn't be facing the threat of having a giant cell tower in the middle of town. Or things like the police budget wouldn't be a bloated, milking of taxpayer dollars.
The inability of the selectmen, namely Mr. Childs and Mr. Sapia, to rise above their personal vendetta against the Chairperson of the Vietnam Honor Roll Committee and focus on what the Honor Roll panels stand for is tragic. Time marches on, people get old and pass away. Not long ago Atkinson resident Paul Regan, a Viet vet, died and now his mother Catherine is gone. Neither one saw the panels on which his name is inscribed installed where they rightfully belong, flanking the map stone in front of town hall. It is not fair guys! You have it within your power to do the right thing. Make the decision to do it and bring honor to yourselves and great joy to many others. It would make for a wonderful Memorial Day!
Sapia and Childs are simply trying to stack the tower committee with people sympathetic to their desire for a giant phallic symbol in the center of town. THAT is the reason for so many people that they want on that committee that are over and above those specified by the warrant article.
All of those extra members should be advisory only,non-voting, so as to preserve the intent of the warrant article.
Dear Publius,
Your ideas about who should not be on the committee show your lack of knowledge about forming a committee. A user of such a system would provide great input and should be part of that process. If you were a house builder, building a custom home for a family wouldn't you ask the family what they wanted in the house? The committee is being formed to hire an expert. The users who will depend on the communications system day in and day out should have say in the type of expert hired.
I am not sure who TES Communications is but I can not find a listing for them either.
Come on, Frank, your partisanship is only exceeded by your lack of honesty about what is going on.
The warrant article is very specific about the make up of the committee. 8 Members from a number of town boards and committees. That is it! The voters have spoken! Why is that sso hard to understand? You guys dont have the right to question it, just as you didn't have the right to question the vietnam honor roll panels. And NO you didn't contribute to that effort, I checked, Another lie.
These other people can be advisors to the committee, they just con not be voting members. Next time you are skiing with Jack, maybe you can pass that along.
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