friday july 13 - Southbridge Evening News

10 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, July 13, 2012
www.webstertimes.net
VIEWPOINT
THE DEADLINE to submit letters to the editor and commentaries for next week’s newspaper is Friday at noon.
SEND ALL ITEMS to Editor Adam Minor at THE WEBSTER TIMES — aminor@stonebridgepress.com
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FRANK G. CHILINSKI
STONEBRIDGE PRESS PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER
ADAM MINOR
EDITOR
THE WEBSTER TIMES
EDITORIAL
Beating the
heat
The term, “Beat the Heat!” has
been overused in my life as of
late.
I used the phrase ad nauseam as the
Boston Celtics looked poised to beat the
Miami Heat in this year’s Eastern
Conference semifinals last month.
Alas, the Heat stormed back to win
the final two games of the series, and
we, unfortunately, did
not “beat the Heat!”
Now I’m sad
again…thanks for
reminding me, Adam.
These days, the heat
(with a lowercase
“H”) is beating me.
We live in New
THE MINOR England, so I’m used
to being cold, and
DETAILS
then warm, and then
ADAM magically cold again.
MINOR We’ve adapted to an
area that sees both
extremes over the duration of the year.
But there’s something about this
most recent stretch that, much like
Lebron James’ mid-range jump shot —
is just draining.
Usually, on my ride to and from work,
I’ll open the car window and let the
breeze wash over me. I don’t have air
conditioning in my car, so I really have
no other choice. Instead of feeling
refreshed however, I feel like I’m being
blasted by a giant hairdryer set to high.
It’s not refreshing at all — it just makes
it worse.
But there’s one other reason why the
term “beat the heat” comes to mind
these days, and this one has nothing to
do with me. You see, as you read this, it
will be only days until my friend Jesse
leaves for boot camp in Georgia as a
recruit for the U.S. Army.
That’s right, Georgia — in the middle
of July. Yikes. I do not envy him.
Jesse has been looking forward to the
opportunity to serve his country for a
very long time — and next week, he
will finally get his wish.
I have to admit, it’s tough to see him
go. I’ve known Jesse since he was a little
munchkin. Although I know I’m
sounding like I’ll never see him again,
part of me believes that I will probably
not see today’s Jesse ever again. He is
about to grow up — and that’s not necessarily
a bad thing.
It’s well known that the Army
changes people. They need to change
you, reshape your personality to make
you a soldier. But here’s to hoping that
the Jesse I see on the other side is the
same goofy kid I’ve always known —
just with a whole lot more weapons
training.
We gathered at his house on July 4
last week to say “goodbye for now,” and
he told me he was excited to go. He
knows the importance of what he is
doing, and although I can never say I’ve
ever made the same sacrifice for my
country, I’m thankful for him and his
willingness to do his part to protect my
freedom.
I’m thankful to all of you who do the
same.
So Jesse, for what you are about to do,
thank you. I look forward to the great
things you’re going to achieve.
Adam Minor may be reached at 508-
909-4130, or by e-mail at aminor@stonebridgepress.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Clearing up questions about Court of Honor
To the Editor:
Webster, I just want to clear up a few things
concerning the money in the Court of Honor
trust.
That money was collected from the people
who bought bricks to put in the Court of
Honor. When these bricks were bought it was
told that the profit from the bricks would be
used for any maintenance and repairs that
would be needed in the Court of Honor.
Now, that does not include the Civil War
Monument. There are people trying to say
that since a 3-foot walkway was put in to connect
the two, it is now part of the Court of
Honor, and any maintenance or repairs
should be taken out of the Court of Honor
trust. Right now you have enough money in
that trust to take care of the Court of Honor
for about 20 years, if not longer, but if you
start to use that on the Civil War monument
To the Editor:
When it comes to the United States Senate
race here in Massachusetts, the voters face a
stark choice between the two candidates,
Senator Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren.
As a volunteer for the Elizabeth Warren
campaign, I hear her say this time and time
again, “What this election is about is ‘Whose
side are you on?’”
When the voters in Massachusetts look
into Senator Brown’s voting record they will
find that answer loud and clear.
Just recently, he voted against the
Paycheck Fairness Act, which sought to close
the gender income gap between men and
women. Senator Brown said that the bill
would “put more burdens on small businesses.”
At a time when middle class families continue
to struggle to make ends meet, Senator
Brown continues to put his party’s politics
above the needs of his constituents.
If you think this is just one example of
Senator Brown’s divergence from his socalled
“independent voice,” think again. Last
fall, Senator Brown voted against not one, not
two, but three jobs bills, which would have
brought 22,000 jobs here to Massachusetts. In
this election season, when the number one
issue on most voters’ minds is the economy,
The reading of police logs
often result in questions
for this column.
Recently, I was asked about the
charge of shoplifting. The person
wondered what it meant to be
charged with shoplifting by
“asportation.” He asked for some
clarification on this issue.
Shoplifting, under Massachusetts
General Laws Chapter 266 Section
30A, contains a number of ways a
person can commit a violation.
Asportation is one of these terms
and it is contained in the first section
of this law. It is defined by Webster’s
Dictionary as “The act of carrying a thing
away; the removing of a thing from one
place to another.” This is the common
offense which most people associate with
shoplifting. The definition can be rather
complex, however; it generally involves
intentionally taking possession of an item
and carrying it away from the place in which
it is stored. The most common example of
this is when a person goes into a store, takes
an item, and leaves without paying for it.
The shoplifting statute does contain many
other charges as well. They include concealment,
altering merchandise, label switching,
and more. The mere act of taking an item
and placing it in your pocket, without leaving
the store, could possibly be considered as
shoplifting. If you take the price tag off one
item and place it on another, it can also qualify
as a violation under this section.
Shoplifting cost the retail industry billions
of dollars each year and the losses are
passed on to the paying customers. Penalties
can include a fine or jail time, depending on
the value of the item. Police officers also
have a statutory right of
charge without a warrant.
FOURTH OF JULY
or any monument not part of the Court of
Honor that could be gone in five to eight
years, if not less.
That Civil War Monument has been part of
the town for more than 100 years now. [Now,
people are saying] the town has no responsibility
for the upkeep and maintenance when
there was a special account set up in early
2000’s just to make sure the monument was
cleaned and the statues were able to be maintained
with a protective coating to keep them
from turning green, but that account is not
funded with enough money to do that anymore.
When I went to get money at the town
meeting, it was always moved over for more
information. As a former member of the
Soldiers and Sailors Monument Committee I
thought the public should be aware of this.
Whose side are you on?
arrest for this
Over the Fourth of July holiday, I had the
opportunity to attend a few events and visit
several stores.
I once again experienced something that
continues to be a concern of mine. I passed
by or met three or four people who were
accompanied by their small children. The
people appeared to know or recognize me.
Although I did not notice what their children
were doing at that time, they were
apparently misbehaving in some manner.
They were warned to behave by the parents.
They were threatened if they did not, I
would arrest them and put them in jail. This
is very troubling to me and many police officers
in general.
I wanted to take this opportunity to once
again provide some information to people in
order to try and avoid this uncomfortable
scenario from repeating itself in the future.
RAY BEMBENEK
WEBSTER
Senator Brown fails the test. He’s against the
Buffet Rule, which would make millionaires
and billionaires pay their fair share. He
helped weaken the rules for Wall Street
banks, which can now continue to make the
same risky bets that drove us into this ditch
in the first place. If this isn’t enough, he
voted against the President’s plan to deprive
the largest, most profitable oil companies of
$24 billion in tax subsidies. Again this begs
the question, “Whose side are you on?”
Elizabeth Warren stands on our side. She
believes that women should receive equal pay
for equal work. She believes that we, as a society,
shouldn’t be shelling out money to the
richest corporations, but investing it in education
and infrastructure. She believes that
the government should be protecting small
businesses on Main Street, not loosening regulations
on Wall Street. And finally, she
believes that each of us deserve a level playing
field, where every child born in America
has the opportunity to make it in America.
That’s the choice we face this fall. Ask yourself,
“Whose side are you on?”
SETH NADEAU
WEBSTER
Questions about shoplifting
CHIEF’S
CORNER
STEVE
WOJNAR
Unfortunately, this type of situation
occurs all too often. I am sure
parents do not have bad intentions
when making these comments, but
they must realize this can leave a lasting
impression on some children.
Police officers have a tough image to
overcome in general, simply due to
the nature of our job. In the eyes of
children, we are seen most often as
people who only arrest “bad guys.”
Although this is a small part of our
job, it is perhaps the most well known
aspect. When children are told they
will be arrested if they do not behave,
they can develop or increase an existing
fear of police. Think how this can have
an impact on them. For example, if a child
becomes lost or is taken by someone, they
may not see police officers as being there to
help. They may only believe we are there to
punish them. Since they are lost, they may
think it is their fault and believe they are in
trouble. This means the police will then take
them to jail. The child may now avoid the
police, rather than seeking them out for help.
This situation is difficult for the officers as
well. When these threats of arrest are made
to a child, the police officer on the other end
is forced to become involved in some way,
even if it means performing some form of
“damage control.” The child is obviously not
being arrested under these circumstances,
therefore, what does a police officer say to
him or her? If we deny an arrest will occur,
the child can be confused as to who is telling
them the truth. Is it their parent or the police
officer? If we agree, even to play along with
the situation, the child could be extremely
frightened.
Police officers have worked very hard over
the years, through the community policing
and other programs, to highlight the many
positive aspects of our job. Over the last 15
years, I have conducted a lunch program at
the Mason Road School where I interact
informally with the kids in order to try and
place them at ease when they are around
police. When a parent threatens a child with
arrest during a moment of “undesirable”
behavior, a great deal of this positive work
can be wiped away in an instant. As police
officers, we appreciate any time people can
find an alternative disciplinary measure to
solving a problem, other than using our
presence and position as a tool.
Thanks again for your questions and comments.
Please send them to me at the Dudley
Police Department 71 West Main St. Dudley,
MA 01571 or email at
swojnar@dudleypolice.com. Opinions
expressed in this weekly column are those of
Chief Wojnar only and unless clearly noted,
do not reflect the ideas or opinions of any
other organization or citizen.
Worthwhile
reading
Plus ca change ... and all that jazz!
Recent attempts to clean out some back
rooms at the newspaper have turned up evidence
that everything old becomes new again
– or at least recyclable. Along with some old
maps of the town are antique photos, of Civil
War veterans gathered for reunion portraits
and of the downtown business district when
there were still trolleys –
and bustling businesses.
One framed item that really
caught my eye, however,
was a newspaper dated
Saturday, March 7, 1857, providing
a wealth of information
into America’s past.
But is there anything in it
still relevant, or useful to
contemporary readers?
AS YOU Under the slogan “Free
and Independent — To
LIKE IT Promote the Public
Welfare,” this issue of “The
MARK ASHTON Southbridge Press” features
no illustrations, just an
array of pieces written to
inform, influence, and inspire readers to productive
thought and meaningful action.
Poetry, it appears, was not out of place –
even on page one – in 1857. Charles McKay’s
“Good Heart and Willing Hand,” for example,
lauds the virtues of those “two best friends,”
with which “poverty grows rich/And finds a
loaf to spare!” Not to be outdone, “A Mother’s
Love,” by William Winter, extols the maternal
love that “burns on so calm and pure ... steadfast
and so sure.” And this without a single reference
to Mother’s Day, which was decades
away from even being invented or exploited.
“Old Habits” is a 10-inch tale that doesn’t
make its true intent known until the last three
paragraphs. Documenting the illogic of “carrying
a stone in one’s pocket” by honoring
“the good old customs of our fathers,” it ends
up railing against “the use of tobacco, chewing,
smoking, taking snuff – of what use are
they to me?”
While we seem to have overcome the widespread
use of snuff today, and while chewing
is more-or-less limited to a handful of baseball
managers, smoking remains “one more stone
to throw away” for the sake of our communal
health, agreeability, and “neatness.”
Other good advice on page one: “Never take
a light into a closet.” This was important in
the days of candlelight and oil lanterns, and
not so crucial in these days of LED bulbs.
A HEROINE OF THE SEA recounts the
amazing exploits of Mary A. Patton, a New
Englander who, at the tender age of just 20,
accompanied her husband, a sea captain, on a
commercial cruise from New York to San
Francisco and, when he was taken sick to the
point of going blind, took over as commander,
fighting unusually severe weather and incompetent
first mates to bring the $350,000 worth
of cargo safely home – even while “very near
the period of her maternity.”
The New York Tribune reprint suggests that
“the merchants of New York … make up a liberal
purse” for the soon-to-be widow, and a
reader from this, that, or any other era would
be hard-pressed to find a viable argument to
suggest otherwise.
“Receipt for Making the Day Happy” touts
the virtues of doing a good deed every day,
whether providing “a left-off garment to a
man who needs it, a kind word to the sorrowful,
or an encouraging expression to the striving.”
Doing so for 40 years, the notice adds,
“makes 14,600 human beings” happy. “Now,
worthy reader, is not this simple?”
A culinary hint on page one substitutes
snow for eggs, which “at 30 and 40 cents a
dozen are a luxury not to be had by everyone.”
If “light, fleecy snow is mixed with flour
instead of water, an excellent batter for pancakes
may be had.” A discussion of “carbonic
acid gas” is included for those who require the
science behind such practical suggestions.
“The Swell-Head Disease” reads like a medical
warning – “This dread disease sometimes
attacks horses and other animals” – until it
becomes clear that it is truly an ironic and sarcastic
treatise on self-aggrandizing men and
boys, for whom it is “frequently fatal.” “When
it is caused by emptiness of the cranium, it is
only necessary to fill up the vacuum with good
ideas, a solid education, or common sense.”
“Speak to the Young Man” offers similar
advice, railing against “that young man clad
in broadcloth and ruffles and tasseled cap …
with ‘soap locks’ dangling about his ears.”
Though it’s no longer politically correct to
do so, we might forward this piece to “that
young man clad in droopy drawers and sideways
– or backwards – cap,” who may be
saved, like his predecessors, only by procuring
“some mechanical or agricultural tools; cultivating
habits of industry and morality; and
aiming to be an honest man.”
By doing so, this 155-year-old journal
asserts, a young man may “yet retrieve a fallen
reputation, and make (him)self a
respectable member in society.”
Now, worthy reader, is this not simple? And
simply worth re-reading?
Mark Ashton writes a weekly column for
Stonebridge Press publications. You may contact
him at: mark@stonebridgepress.com, or by
calling: 508-909-4144.