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10 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, February 27, 2009 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 A STONEBRIDGE PRESS WEEKLY NEWSPAPER 25 ELM STREET, SOUTHBRIDGE MA 01550 TEL. (508) 764-4325• FAX (508) 764-8015 www.webstertimes.net FRANK G. CHILINSKI STONEBRIDGE PRESS PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER ADAM MINOR EDITORIAL WALTER C. BIRD JR. STONEBRIDGE PRESS WEEKLIES EDITOR-AT-LARGE EDITOR THE WEBSTER TIMES AND THE AUBURN NEWS Keep those submissions coming Acouple weeks ago, we announced that we here at the Webster Times will celebrate our 150th anniversary in March, and to help us celebrate, we are calling on the readers and advertisers to share your memories with us! A local newspaper does not put out a weekly newspaper for 150 consecutive years unless it has a solid support base behind it. This paper would not be what it is without all of you, and for that, you all have our eternal gratitude. We hope that we have been a great source of news and entertainment for you these past years. To recap our message from a couple weeks ago (and there will be many reminders in the weeks to come — don’t worry), our special edition, 150th anniversary issue of the Webster Times will “hit the streets” Friday, March 20, and boy-oh-boy, do we have a special issue planned for you. We want nothing more than to spill all our secrets, but unfortunately, we cannot. However, we can tell you that it will be a one-of-a-kind keepsake edition you can hold onto. We know that’s vague, but that’s all we can give you. Sorry! Back to the mission at hand — the readers. Keep sending us your letters of congratulations, memories, stories and anecdotes about the paper. We want to run as many messages as we can in the anniversary edition. Now, to the nitty-gritty. E-mail submissions are preferred (at aminor@stonebridgepress.com), but you may also send us a legible handwritten note or typed letter via mail to The Webster Times, Attn: Adam Minor, 25 Elm St., Southbridge, MA 01550. You may also fax us the note to 508-764-8015. Make sure the fax includes a return phone number for verification, and make sure it says “Webster Times” or “Adam Minor” on it so it gets to the right hands! For our advertisers, if you would like to share in our issue with a special advertisement, please contact our Advertising Remember that all decisions on whether or not to run a submission will rest with the editor. Also, try to limit submissions to 500 words or less, so others can make their voices heard, too! On a sadder note, this week, we say goodbye to our reporter of nearly two years, Patrick Skahill, as he is going off to new adventures. This week, we welcome a new reporter, Joy Richard, to the Webster Times team. We know you will make her feel most welcome. Thanks again, as always, for reading our newspaper, and as we look into the past for our upcoming anniversary issue, we also look to the future with a new reporter, and a renewed vigor to serve our readers with the best in local news coverage. SOUND OFF What happened to senior trip announcements? SOUND OFF: I have been traveling with the Dudley seniors for the past 12 years. The trips have been exceptional values. Now, someone at the Dudley Town Hall has destroyed all of the trip announcements, told citizens that these trips are no longer available — and to add insult to injury, they hand out copies of the Charlton Senior Center trips. I happen to know that the Dudley seniors travel group is alive and well. I am signed up for the two spring offerings. The first is on March 25. This is a trip to two casinos. The $30 trip includes the breakfast buffet and a $10 bet ‘Sexting’ is a dangerous new trend There are many methods of communication available to us these days. When used properly, they can be very beneficial to us. If used improperly, there can be severe consequences. I was recently asked to provide some insight on a new trend occurring among many teenagers. Something new many young people are choosing to engage in is an activity referred to as “sexting.” Many people, including parents, may not even be aware of what this disturbing act is. This practice involves people taking pictures (mostly through the use of cell phone cameras) of themselves or others in various states of undress and sending them to people by some electronic means. What may seem to be something intended for “fun” is truly a serious matter. Despite the fact there exists a compromising photo of you out for the world to see, criminal charges can be possible in many cases. If the subject of the photo is under the age of 18, they are considered to be a minor for legal purposes. Should these pictures include nudity in any form, they can be classified as obscene material depicting children. This can fall into several categories, including posing a child for sexual photographs, possession of child pornography, or dissemination of obscene matter to minors. Both the CHIEF’S CORNER STEVE WOJNAR on the big wheel at Mohegan Sun as well as the dinner buffet and a $15 Keno bet at Foxwoods. Of course, the transportation and drivers tip are also included. On May 11 to 15, the trip to Niagara Falls and Toronto is $445. This includes transportation, all attractions, nice hotels, several meals and much more. Why would anyone in the Town Hall or senior center want to keep this information from the people of Dudley? A PERPLEXED DUDLEY SENIOR Drunk driver says lesson learned He may have since been released, but a week ago last Wednesday, Mark Provencal was laid up at UMass Medical Center in Worcester. Whether his time there is enough to open his eyes as to how lucky he really is — and the rest of us are, at that — remains to be seen. Provencal was on his way home from work Wednesday, Feb. 11. He didn’t go straight to his North Woodstock, Conn. home on English Neighborhood Road, though. He stopped off first for a drink. “Some people like an after-work smoke,” Provencal said in a telephone interview, presumably from his hospital room. “Me, I like to have a drink.” Apparently, so. According to the police log that recorded his subsequent accident that night, this was his fifth OUI charge. Provencal vigorously disputes that, though, instead blaming the cops. “That’s a bunch of [expletive deleted],” he said of the number of OUI charges listed in the log. “I don’t know where [the police officer] came up with that. “Somebody doesn’t like me at the police department.” Provencal mentioned a few officers by name, saying he’s familiar with some of them from the past. “I used to drink at Sonny’s a lot,” he said of the one-time popular watering hole for many a local. Sonny, by the way, has since passed away. At tops, Provencal said, he has been nabbed only three times for OUI. The last, he said, was 15 years ago. “My wife and I are trying to figure it out,” he said of what he claims is erroneous information. “I’m going to say it’s been three times.” He pointed out he had also “beaten a few” raps in court. Back to that Wednesday night. Around 7:40 p.m., police responded to an accident on Lebanon Hill, which is how Provencal would have traveled on his way home. Although he wasn’t arrested, he was summonsed to court on charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor (fifth offense), operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license (subsequent offense), not possessing a license and failing to wear a seatbelt. He was injured in the accident, and taken by ambulance to the hospital. Provencal said he broke his wrist and his right arm and fractured six ribs. “I had a couple beers,” Provencal conceded. “I wasn’t drunk. I wasn’t arrested.” He also took issue with the charge that he didn’t have a license. “That’s new to me,” he said. “I mean, it was right in my truck.” Provencal seemed more upset that the incident found its way into the local paper’s police logs. “Last June, I was on Lebanon Hill around 4 a.m.,” he said. “I was on my way to Vermont for work. A deer ran out in front of me. When I avoided it, I hit a telephone pole. I was [taken by Life Flight] to the hospital. “If they put it in the paper this time, why BIRD’S NEST WALTER BIRD JR. didn’t they put that in?” For the record, Provencal maintains he wasn’t drinking at the time of that accident. “I don’t drink and drive,” he said. “I don’t drive drunk.” His record, he was told, suggests otherwise. “I mean, I don’t have a beer in the car with me when I’m driving,” he clarified. But, he was asked, you do get behind the wheel after drinking, right? “But I’m not drunk,” he replied. It was suggested to Provencal that while he claims to have fewer OUI busts than listed, even three would be too much. “Oh, yeah,” he agreed. “Definitely, it’s too much for somebody to get.” Well, then, he was asked, should he even be allowed to have a license or drive a car? “Well, yeah,” he said. “Listen, the first time was 38 years ago. The second was 22 years and the last was 15.” Whether that’s true or not is difficult to ascertain, because the OUI’s are spread out in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The officer who responded to last week’s incident could not be reached to shed any light on the matter. Provencal actually tried to put a positive spin on the accident. “The doctor said I was lucky to have the accident because I was in the process of having congestive heart failure for the second time in a month,” he said. Surgery, he said, was going to have to be done. That news raised an eyebrow at this address, the thinking being that heart failure might be a sign that it’s time to stop drinking. Which, by the way, is precisely what Provencal said he plans to do — if not by choice. “I can’t,” he said. “The doctor will not do the procedure on my heart unless I put in writing that I will not drink again.” But, it was suggested, that doesn’t guarantee he’ll never pick up a drink again, or worse, get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. “Not after all this,” he said. “I’ve never had heart failure before. And this accident, this was the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life. “Believe me, I can’t drink and drive, anymore. I really hurt myself here.” Was the accident a wake-up call? “A wake up call? Well,” he said, “it makes you think. Anything like that makes you think.” Provencal at least seemed to take some responsibility for this latest incident, saying, “When you’re wrong, you’re wrong.” Will he honestly never pick up an alcoholic drink again, or get behind the wheel of a car after drinking? That remains to be seen. His track record, at least according to police accounts, doesn’t give a lot of reason for optimism. For the safety of everyone else on the road, Provencal needs to know he is a dangerous presence behind the wheel — at least when he has been drinking, which appears to be a lot. Whether he knows that, here’s hoping he remembers his own words after he recovers from his injuries and from his heart troubles: “I’m 57. I’ve got a lot of things going for me besides a can of beer.” person sending the material as well as the person who receives the pictures can fit the criteria for criminal charges. All of these crimes are felonies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. They carry state prison terms and can seriously affect a person’s future. Taking the criminal aspect aside for a moment, it is important for people to think before they act out in any of these ways. Remember, the “www” before all computer sites stands for the “world wide web.” Once a photograph is sent out over the Internet, by telephone, or other electronic means, you have no control over where it can go from there. Consider it available for the world to see. People may be able to view these years later. This can have a serious impact on your career and your life in general. What may have been something that seemed funny at the time, cannot only be criminal, but may also damage you in ways you cannot imagine. 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 e-mail 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. In praise of the ‘go-to’ drawer AS YOU LIKE IT MARK ASHTON It is, after all, a simple matter of survival. In our home, we couldn’t possibly function without it. I for one would be lost. A dozen projects a day would never get done. We’d be forced to wander from room to room in search of the proper tool, implement, or accessory — and very likely we’d never find it. Without it, normal life (at home) would not be normal, things would surely grind to a halt, and a variety of everyday tasks would suddenly become insurmountable undertakings, Herculean household horrors, personalized Big Digs with Sisyphean (never-ending) conclusions. I’m talking about The Drawer, usually found in the kitchen, the one with the hammer and pliers and a couple of screwdrivers in it, the one with a slew of used-but-still-good batteries (all sizes), a couple of tape dispensers, leftover screws, nails, brads, pins, picture hanging hardware, and, oh yes, the scissors that actually work — on both paper and wire. I’ll admit that I’ve been accused (and frequently convicted) over the years of operating under the assumption that there’s “a place for everything — and everything’s all over the place,” but I can get away with that approach to life only in the cellar, aka the workshop, laundry room, furnace room, and auxiliary storage facility. Upstairs where we live, work, eat, sleep, and occasionally entertain guests and felines, it’s important to play by the rules. And the rules clearly state that since one of us is a pack rat, it’s up to the other one, the neatnik (aka Mrs. Monk) to keep things orderly, neat, and “put away.” Fortunately for the pack rat, “put away” can sometime mean simply “out of sight,” which is where The Drawer comes in. As the repository for everything useful on every household project from opening mail packages (there are razor blades and a box cutter in there) to performing emergency snowblower surgery (involving the replacement of “shear pins” and their accompanying collars and nuts), this is the “go-to” drawer when the neatnik goes to the pack rat for household project assistance. Hey, I was recently able to repair both our Miniature Christmas Train and Miniature Christmas Ice Pond with Skaters using only what’s found in The Drawer. Over the recent holidays, in fact, it occurred to me that I had to go to this special drawer several times a day, and that because it always seems to hold the tool or tape or jar of Mighty Mend-It that’s needed, it has become a favorite place — almost a little room unto itself. There are other drawers in the kitchen (and elsewhere in the house) that get opened so infrequently that it’s always a surprise to discover what’s in them (“Oh, so that’s where I left the autographed photo of Luis Tiant!”). Anyway, at some point in recent history, The Drawer was getting just a tad tight, and I was forced to take stock of what was in there, what needed to stay in there, and what might be moved to a secondary storage location. Would it surprise you to learn that our drawer had the tools previously mentioned in it in addition to all of the following? A battery tester, a carpenter’s pencil sharpener, glue sticks, a precision screwdriver set (of the size used in eyeglass repairs), a value pack of assorted household fasteners (cup hooks, push pins, thumb tacks, and plastic anchors), a couple of Sharpies (different colors), a gold leaf pen, rubber bands, a paint scraper, hand warmers (of the chemical variety), a medical thermometer (oral), one tube of Mighty Putty, one shoe lace (black), a roll of electrical tape, two tubes of lock deicer, assorted snippers and clippers, a spare set of car keys (for the wife’s car), some Tic Tacs, a three-speed pull-chain switch, a ball of twine (suitable for tomato stake tying), several keys on a chain (of unknown origin or use), a set of plastic vampire teeth, chocolate sunflower seeds, a 40-millimeter padlock (with keys), and a plastic kazoo. The other stuff in there is hardly worth mentioning. I bet YOU have a drawer just like this one at your home, full of odds and ends but necessary stuff, the stuff that keeps your household functioning and your projects (unlike the Big Dig) on schedule and on budget. If your drawer is somehow under-accessorized (perhaps yours is a new household), please call or write for detailed instructions (and a starter kit) on how to properly “stuff it” with appropriate stuff. My one fear is that OUR drawer may soon wear out from overuse. Its slide tracks may be nearing some pre-determined point of planned obsolescence (“Only 3,287,629 pulls per drawer, you know!”), but if that ever happens, I’ll simply replace them — perhaps with the tracks from some underused utensil holder right next door to The Drawer. I know just where to find the screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, and Mighty Putty to get the job done in a jiffy. Mark Ashton writes a weekly column for Stonebridge Press publications.
www.webstertimes.net Friday, February 27, 2009 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • 11 VIEWPOINT Opportunity to redefine our culture KRISTAL KLEAR KRIS REARDON As President Barack Obama and members of Congress work out bailout plans and stimulus packages, we as American citizens are faced with a great deal of worry — and a great deal of opportunity. These times of economic hardships are difficult for nearly everyone on some level, whether it means a job lost, a small business closed, a house in danger of being foreclosed, or worry of something else. While the strain this places on families and the devastation it is causing so many cannot be underemphasized, we have the opportunity to reshape our American culture and redefine what it means to live in our country. Our society has become known for frivolous spending, an inundation of goods and products (only some of which are necessary), and large corporations that have spread throughout the world. In short, the United States has become the textbook definition for the term ‘consumer society.’ In many ways, this is a good thing. It meant, for many years, that our economy was thriving, that we had a nation where a great majority of citizens were able to live well and with many things to improve their quality of life. But in recent years, many of the things in our lives haven’t been improving our quality of life. They’ve been doing just the opposite: making our lives more difficult and expensive, or harming us. While developing, creating, marketing, and selling any given product on the American market creates a number of much-needed jobs, when we have too many products on the market — and when they are marketed as being necessary for our happiness or success — then they become problematic. We might look at advertising on television or in print as silly or unable to influence us, but if a greater culture of advertising creates the illusion that we can somehow buy our happiness (even if we don’t acknowledge this consciously), then this begins to negatively affect our lives. Either we know we can’t buy happiness or love, and are frustrated because it seems like others can, or, we don’t quite acknowledge that — and then come to the slow realization that no amount of money, or number of things we buy, can truly make us live fulfilling lives. There aren’t many up sides to the current economic climate, but if there are any, perhaps one of them will be that we will become more conservative spenders as Americans — and come to the type of full realization about not being able to buy our happiness that only refusing to spend excessively can bring. If we don’t need to worry so much about buying brandname clothing, for example, and realize that most of us have more clothing than we need, then we’ll save money. And we’ll save the time that it takes to stress out and consider purchases and how to finance them. We’ll have a little more time on our hands, even if we don’t save a ton of money because the money we used to spend on things we didn’t need now needs to be spent on groceries. And with that time, we’ll have the opportunity to do things we usually push aside: a long conversation with a good friend, or an afternoon spent with the family. In our culture, free time is so rare that it is sometimes worth more than almost any amount of money. And we can reconnect with the generations of our families and communities who lived through tough economic times before and know how to tighten their belts. They are sources of knowledge and information that we can rely on in times like these. Not being able to buy all the things we’d like is frustrating and depressing. And there are many families who aren’t able to buy the things they need, which is much more than frustrating and depressing. But for a large group of Americans — who may have lost money but aren’t losing their homes and can still afford to buy food and basic necessities — there is a great opportunity to redefine American culture and reject the notion that to be a successful nation, we need to live wholly and completely within a society of excess and consumerism. After all, our nation was not founded by corporations but by a culture of patriotism which resulted in men and women developing frugality out of necessity, a virtue of sorts that made Ben Franklin: “Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.” By resisting the pull to continue to support and cultivate the notion that we must have things we don’t need in order to make us happy, we can perhaps prove Franklin wrong years after his time. Kristina Reardon writes a column for Stonebridge Press and Villager Newspapers. Local men’s group prepping for Scotland missions trip CALVARY continued from page 1 Officials say at least $3,000 will go directly into projects at Bridgeton, with the possibility that even more will be donated. “Our goal is to bring in as much money as we can,” O’Loughlin said. “We told them that whatever you need us to do, we will do.” Planning for the Scottish missions trip began approximately a year ago and support for the project has rapidly ballooned. Harry Violette, an Oxford resident who will be going on the trip this spring, said the church undertook a number of fundraising initiatives including bake sales, pizza sales, and an upcoming Irish music and dance night scheduled for Friday, March 13, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the church. Initially, the project started with seven volunteers, but two dropped out several months back. Recently, however, two more signed on for the trip and the church was able to book tickets on the same plane at lower rates, Violette said. Several of the volunteers going on the trip also have construction backgrounds and will be acting as the “point men” for the project, O’Loughlin said. For Violette, the Scottish missions trip will be his first time outside of the United States. He said he was excited to set foot in Europe, but said he more pumped up about the chance to help his brothers and sisters overseas. “For me, it’s about serving God,” Violette said. “[Years ago], I never dreamt I’d be doing [missions], but when God came into my life it became all about being able to help people.” “Everybody is stepping up and doing their part,” he added. O’Loughlin said he initially got interested in the Glasgow church project through a mutual friend, Pastor Paul Eulino. Originally from Connecticut, Eulino has served in overseas ministries for several years, but still has ties to a Manchester, Conn.- based ministry. O’Loughlin said Calvary has been using that ministry as the planner for several international fundraisers during the past several years. A while back the two met over lunch to discuss the Scotland project and interest among Calvary church members rapidly snowballed. “Our parishioners recognized that [giving] starts here, but it can happen in other places too,” O’Loughlin said. Tony Hamilton, another volunteer going on the trip, agreed, saying he is hopeful the mission trip will build a bridge between two churches separated by such vast distances. As Calvary’s first mission trip, Hamilton also hopes it sets a solid precedent for future overseas expeditions. “We’re hoping to be able to both encourage our church and encourage the church over in Scotland,” he said. “Hopefully this will kick off that we can do these types of trips — that [with work] the money is there.” For more information on Calvary’s Irish Night, or to donate to the Scotland Mission Trip Project, call 508-949-3711 or visit www.calvarydudley.net. Patrick Skahill may be reached at 508-909-4129, or by e-mail at pskahill@stonebridgepress.com. ‘Level-serviced’ budget poses no classroom cuts BUDGETcontinued from page 1 Finance Committee, the document will come back to School Committee members who will be required to hold a public hearing on the document in the coming weeks. While school officials have repeatedly stressed this year’s budget is tight, Superintendent Ernie Boss acknowledged Monday night that the $14.7 million figure would be enough to keep the department driving along at it’s current level for the upcoming fiscal year. “This is the estimated [amount] for us to move the district in the direction we want to go in,” Boss said. School Committee Chairman Bill Spitz said he was hesitant to put his “name on anything that will put [the district] backwards” financially, but stressed this budget tentatively proposed no immediate classroom cuts. While state promises for educational funding have remained constant, Town Manager Joe Zeneski announced earlier this month that town funding for the school district would be cut by 3.75 percent. According to FY10 revenue projections, this reduction will slash the town’s school department appropriation by $249,385, scaling the total allocation from $6.65 million in FY09 to roughly $6.4 million in FY10. Town officials stressed, however, that this funding still exceeded the minimum local contribution mandated by the state. In other business, Spitz announced the search for a new superintendent in Oxford continues to progress. He said subcommittee search members are hopeful interviews for the position will start to line up in the coming weeks. Currently, the district has 18 applications for the job, which will open when Boss retires at the end of the current school year. “I’m very impressed with the array of candidates we have to choose from,” Spitz said. In district sports news, Boss happily announced a win for the second year cheerleaders at the Oxford Middle School, who recently cheered their way into first place during the “Blizzard Blitz” cheering tournament held at Shepherd Hill Regional High School. The middle school took the title by beating out 24 other teams in the competition. School Committee members also continued their “District Tours” Monday night, taking in the sights at Clara Barton during a walkthrough directed by School Principal Norman Yvon. Everything from the school’s incentive policies for good behavior to student classroom artwork was taken in by committee members. Yvon also brought the committee up to date on Clara Barton’s mission statements saying teachers and students have been working hard throughout the year on values such as responsibility and individuality. The mantra “I Believe in You” is prominently displayed in the school’s main hallway and Yvon said this message was one teachers were particularly focused on in 2009. “[The students] hear quite often that they can [achieve], because these kids really are something special,” Yvon said. Oxford Cable Access was on hand to televise the tour on local cable access Channel 11, which now airs School Committee meetings in Oxford. Following the tour, Spitz praised Yvon, saying the school was very well kept and adding he looked forward to taking another tour when Clara Barton was in session and bustling with young students. “The School Committee is very, very appreciative of the principal taking the time to let us tour … and again we were very, very pleased,” he said. “Thank you for bringing Clara Barton to the community.” Patrick Skahill may be reached at 508-909-4129, or by e-mail at pskahill@stonebridgpress.com. Patrick Skahill photos Mighty Manners Awards are given out at Clara Barton for students demonstrating good behavior in the school’s cafeteria. Principal Norman Yvon explained this and many other incentive programs at the school during a tour given to the School Committee Monday, Feb. 23. Police to speedsters: Be ‘reasonable and calm’ STOPS continued from page 1 do to make the traffic stop go as smooth as possible and possibly allow you, the driver, to get off with “just a warning?” Last week, the Webster Times spoke with several area police chiefs about how to act during a traffic stop. Not surprisingly, cooperating with the officer and making no sudden motions topped all officers’ lists, but officials also nearly universally said that what they most wanted citizens to understand is that for the police, every traffic stop is different, and officers never know what to expect. “As a driver, you know every time it’s a police officer, but he has no idea who he is stopping or who is in that car, especially if they have a driver’s history or criminal background,” said Oxford Police Chief Michael Boss. So here’s the brief lowdown on how to act when pulled over: • Pull over (to the right side of the road) as soon as it is safe to do so. Place your car in park. Always remember to signal as you change lanes. • Keep both hands on the wheel and visible. If it’s night, turn on your interior cab lights. Making the car more illuminated immediately puts an officer more at ease. • Open the car’s front driver and passenger windows. • Do not produce your license and registration until the officer directly asks you for it. If the paperwork is not readily available, always mention where it is stored (glove compartment, in the visor, etc.) before you reach. • Answer all of the officer’s questions openly and honestly. Do not argue with police. Officers universally said they are not looking for a debate in the middle of traffic, but if you have a legitimate point to make, bring it up as calmly and tactfully as possible. • Officers hate belligerent and combative citizens during stops. When it comes time for the officer to write a motorist a warning or a fine, police said they are much more likely to side with the polite and cooperative violator then the loud driver playing the victim. “The officer does have discretion,” acknowledged Auburn Police Chief Andrew Sluckis. “If an officer is going to give a break to anyone, it’s probably going to be someone that is reasonable and calm.” There are some obvious caveats to this, however. If your moving violation record is large — and yes, police can (and oftentimes do) pull all this information up on their patrol car’s laptops — you’re probably going to get cited, no matter how sunny your disposition. “If a person has a lengthy driver’s history that’s like two or three pages long, the officer might come to the conclusion that this person doesn’t obey traffic laws and that giving them a warning isn’t going to help them obey traffic laws in the future,” Sluckis said. So, politeness during a stop is one thing, but at what point are you going into overkill mode to make the stop easier for police? Generally speaking, authorities said, there is no need for a motorist to shut off his entire car when stopped. While police said it’s not necessarily a bad idea, they acknowledged that during the winter especially, such a step isn’t necessary. Also, police said that if you’re stopped and your seat belt isn’t on, don’t scramble to throw it on at the last minute. Police could think you are reaching for something and are likely to view you as less cooperative. It seems counterintuitive, but the reality, police said, is that you already broke the law by not wearing the seat belt, so there’s no reason to lie about it by throwing it on after you’ve already pulled over. Overall, authorities said, while officers recognize traffic stops can be extremely stressful situations for citizens, Dudley Police Chief Steven Wojnar said he hopes residents simply realize these stops can often be just as stressful (if not more so) for police. “If you pay more attention to the police officer’s perspective rather than your own, it’s going to make it a lot easier for the entire stop,” he said. So, next time you’re pulled over, try to think about the officer behind the badge. Cooperate to the best of your ability and do your best to make the officer feel safe and at ease. If you play your cards right, you just might get that warning. Now slow down! Patrick Skahill may be reached at 508-909-4129, or by e-mail at pskahill@stonebridgepress.com.
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Page 31 and 32: FEBRUARY, 25, 2009 ☎ TOWN-TO-TOWN

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