Ladies, Gentlemen, fellow Atkinsonians,
This is a day of special import. This is the day of a "Special Election"! This is an election called by the PEOPLE, not their government!
This election was called by the people to force their government(the selectmen) to do their duty in the first case, and to follow the directions we gave them by vote two years ago!
You will see the water issue discussed in other articles, so let us take this time to discuss the Vietnam Veterans Honor Roll. This issue was voted on in 2005, the selectmen ignored it! Selectmen Sapia has been claiming for two years that the two warrant article passed were "too vague" to be acted upon, This is a LIE! This was said AFTER Town counsel stated that "There was no ambiguity in the two articles".
We heard at deliberative session, selectmen Sapia and Childs whine about trying to please everyone, and being liked; well gentlemen neither of those things are your duty, placing this memorial where the voters said to, was, and you blew it!
People, we are in a time of war! An unconventional war, where our enemy does not wear the uniform of a Nation-State, but blends in with the civilian population. We have young men and women in harms way right now, it is time to honor them and the men and women who left from Atkinson to defend our county in Vietnam!
We are one of only a few towns in this area that does not honor our Vietnam Vets. It is time to end this war, and do the right thing for those who have already sacrificed for us!
Go to the polls on Wednesday, and vote yes on Article #2! Send the selectmen a message that they work for us, not the other way around.
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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. "
7 comments:
I heard Sapia whine about the cost of this meeting, but there wouldn't be any cost if they did what the voters told them to do 2 years ago.
I saw those panels on veterans day two years ago, and they match the map stone in front of the town hall perfectly, it is clear they are meant to go together. The selectmen should stop playing politics with this and just place them in front of the town hall, like we voted on.
I am over 70 years old and I couldn't believe when my vote was ignored by a bunch of politicians. This is not what I fought for.
VOTE YES ON ARTICLE #2
Show them who is in charge
Publius, Please accept this as an article submission.
Selectman Sapia is right!
For the first time in quite a while I have to agree with selectman Sapia. He is right, the voters approved a $2.7million fully furnished brand spanking new town library.
You can not start a government building project $200,000 over the approved amount. Typically the interest on the capital reserve stays in either the general fund, or the capital reserve fund to be used as the trustees see fit.
What Mr. LaMarre is saying is not right. We, the voters already turned down a $3M library. We approved a $2.7M library, if we had wanted an almost $3M library, we could have approved it last year!
The proposal that was approved at town meeting, was for a total cost of $2.7M, $1M of which was either in the capital reserve or would be raised. $1.7M of which would be bonded.
Mr. LaMarre and the library trustees would be well advised to stay within that proposal.
But however you present this, you are still proposing a $2.9M library, when the voters told you $2.7M
If the board of selectmen had been this conscientious about adhering to town meeting votes two years ago, maybe we could have avoided all the litigation and the coming town meeting on the Vietnam Honor Roll issue.
I read the articles in the Carraige Towne News today by Mr. Weymouth and Mr. Magoon, et al. With all due respect to these gentlemen, the agreement arived at Rockingham Courthouse, and approved by the Court, was made under duress. The fine ladies of the hisorical society have said that they were intimidated by the selectmen's claim of a further two years to get to court with this issue, and lets face it... The issue never should have been in court in the first place, because the voters said, place the panels in front oof the town hall, just dont spend more than a dollar of taxpayer money to do it.
I am sick and tired of hearing the veiled threats that if this is voted down the town will end up back in court!
THAT IS NOT TRUE! and here is why, There are only two parties to this case, the selectmen, and the 71 original petitioners. If this warrant article passes tommorrow, the original petitioners will not go back to court, they will have won!
And the selectmen will not have standing to go back to court, because the people expressly told them to place the panels in front of the town hall.
This is the dark little fact that no one is telling you.
Why is it so hard for our elected officials to do the right thing? Vote yea on Article #2 tommorrow and end this controversy once and for all.
After watching the town meeting on Monday night Sept.23, 2007 I am compeled to do this writing. No. 1, the cost of the special town meeting was brought forward by the water issue petioners and the Historical Society kind of piggy-backed in on that . To make the statement that the Vietnam monument issue was the cause of money spent for the special town meeting when it was a shared expense is wrong but did anyone hear our trio of Selectmen say that last night? Doesn't the land where the Town Hall stands belong to the town? If so doesn't it belongs to all of us tax payers? As far as the vote in 2005 being brought down to a $1:00 haven't we all seen the good ole boys do that so skillfully so many times before? They know the ins and outs of the system that the average Joe hasn't a clue of and when to make their moves.Even with Senate bill 2 it hasn't stopped.And to hear the Selectmen comment on how they were treated at the special town meeting !!! How about all the times they have not shown respect to people at Monday night meetings when they come before them with a problem? I think the looks that the Selectmen received on specil town meeting was dissappointment of them ignoring the vote of the people. What about Mr Weymuth's article in the Tribune about the Real Veteran's. We all have Real veteran's in our families and they don't go around crying. With all due repect most of them who saw and felt the pain of war don't talk about it a lot. They just try to make our world a better place. One thing they all fought for was our freedom to vote. We have to protect that right or we might as well fight no war as the battle will be already lost right here in our own country. As far as volunteers go, the ladies at the Historical Society are unsung heroes in this town for all their efforts and hrs. of preserving the Towns history, roots, upkeep of such a historical building where presidants and their families walked many years ago, where history was made with the plans for the Academy, with it's many ties to the church. These ladies paint, clean, research and record, garden, wecome visitors and help them find their roots and so much more for free. They are not the ones who want things their way. Imagine having two map stones. How lewdicress is that even if Mr. Sapia was footing the bill!!!! There isn't another war monument in Atkinson that doesn't have the names of men On them.
Do you honestly believe that Sapia was going to write a $5,000 check for a duplicate map stone just to keep people in town from bickering, and to avoid having to do what the voters ordered in the first place?
I don't, but it is easy for him to say now that he would, when he will never be called to do so.
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