Putnam - Southbridge Evening News

More documents

Recommendations

Info

A8 • Friday, September 03, 2010 PUTNAM VILLAGER P.O. Box 196, Woodstock, CT 06281 TELEPHONE: (860) 928-1818 FAX: (860) 928-5946 WWW.VILLAGERNEWSPAPERS.COM FRANK G. CHILINSKI PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER ADAM MINOR EDITOR EDITORIAL Back to school It’s that time of year again — time for teachers, time for books, time for … well, you get the idea. Whether you are a high school senior or a kindergarten child in the genesis of your educational journey, the same thought is coursing through the brains of every student in this nation. Back to school. It seems like only yesterday that the final bell of the year was ringing loud, signaling the end of another school year. Now, it’s all ready to start over again. The floors of your educational facility are buffed; the walls of the cafeteria have a fresh coat of paint; the bathroom toilets are spectacularly clean and everything else is shinier, brighter, more radiant. Old friends rejoin your side and new students join the fray. Some teachers may have left, and new ones are ready to make their debuts. A fresh load of books and homework assignments promise loads of new learning. If you are one of the lucky ones to have bought a new set of clothes for the upcoming year, a new pair of sneakers, sandals or boots is just itching to be broken in. Some may be lucky enough to receive a pair of “Heelys,” those popular shoes on wheels (or as we call them, “accidents waiting to happen” — are those even allowed in school these days?) That new shirt is the envy of all your friends, and the stories of a summer gone by are all the rage as friends share tall tales over lunch. Everyone looks just a little bit different, whether they are leaner from a summer full of exercise and activity or tanner from a vacation to Florida or their grandmother’s house down the street, and yet, everyone seems just the same way you remember them. The first day is always the most hectic. In high school, you prepare your locker, or desk, or backpack, or whatever you use to carry or store your books these days. Fresh pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks and folders adorn your trusty pack, making you feel like an organizational marvel. For the younger ones, your “Dora the Explorer,” or “iCarly” notebook is ready for its first use. Isn’t “Justin Bieber” the new hit merchandising machine nowadays? Who knows… Soccer, track, baseball and many other sports prepare for an optimistically hopeful season, hoping to capture its first or maybe, 25th, championship. Maybe you don’t play sports. Maybe you look to join one of the many clubs your school has to offer, whether it is glee club, robotics, National Honor Society, chess, or even our personal favorite — newspaper club. It always seems like there is something for everyone. And then there are the lunches. If you’re school serves hot lunch, there is always that one meal that hits the spot unlike any other. The pizza, the fish sticks and that special sauce on the meatloaf — all signature creations that have somehow managed to find their way unto the menus of schools all over the country. Even if you don’t like “school food,” there is always that one culinary delight that brings a smile to your face and a rumble to your belly. Whether you drive, walk, ride your bike, hitch a ride with your parents or take the bus to school, there is fun to be had on the way to school. On the first day on the bus, the “assigned seats” of yesteryear have been wiped clean and the first morning is a freefor-all as each child tries to claim his/her spot, whether it is the back of the bus (a perennial favorite), the front seat (not so popular, but every year, someone seems to take it voluntarily), or somewhere in between. All the while, children yearn for that last day of school when they can celebrate on the bus with a classic “paper fight.” (Are children nowadays still allowed to do this? Looking back, it may not have been the safest thing to do in a moving vehicle…) Nevertheless, no matter how you slice it, the day is here, and a full nine months of school lies in front of you. From all of us here at the Villager Newspapers, we hope you all had a great summer and enjoy the upcoming year. Remember to work hard, have fun and respect your classmates and teachers. To waste this time would be an incredible tragedy, so make the most of it. OPINION Opinion and commentary from the Quiet Corner LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Pomfret has failed once again To The Editor: What is happening to Pomfret under its current administration? Are we any longer proud of our town, and are we still glad we chose to make our homes here? Why is this happening? Over the last four years we have seen lots of changes, some for the good — but many for the bad. First, it was the Wetherbee Road problem dealing with a logger, and, as we all know, that issue led to a zoning change that now allows major commercial and industrial business activities in our residential neighborhoods. That change has compromised property value protection that the citizens of our town expected when zoning in Pomfret finally became a reality. And now we face the embarrassment, as disclosed by Connecticut’s Attorney General and the Department of Environmental Protection, that Pomfret’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission has not been doing their job. Of course, Mr. Rivers has responded that this is not a town problem but rather a logger licensing issue. That’s true, but only part of the story. Loggers require local permits, and you don’t give a permit to someone just because he claims to be a logger. They must have a valid DEP license to do what they do, and it is the responsibility of our Wetlands Commission to insure the permit granted is valid, and that the provisions of the Wetlands Act are met. Mr. Rivers and his administration have made clear by their public actions that he does not support land use abuse enforcement, and that includes the removal of stone walls even if they define a town road right-of way or a private property boundary. The wetlands and logging violations in Pomfret reported by the Hartford Courant, The Norwich Bulletin, and the Woodstock Villager document what has happened on Old Route 44 and 585 Mashamoquet Road, and the full story has yet to be told. The question is, where was our Wetlands Commission all this time? Numerous oral complaints were made to town officials concerning these activities but all were ignored until now. Mr. River’s policy is that complaints must be submitted in writing for him or any board or commission to do To the Editor: On Friday, Aug. 6, the Woodstock Villager published a front-page article regarding an OSHA citation issued to Whitcraft’s Eastford facility. Unfortunately, I was out of the office when they went to press and I feel it is necessary to share our view of the situation. Whitcraft’s interests are aligned with OSHA’s in that we both want an injury-free workplace. From the time we purchased Whitcraft in 1998 we have utilized a management operating system that strives to continuously improve our operational performance in five key areas, including safety. Since we weren’t experts on safety we asked “CONN-OSHA” (Connecticut’s OSHA organization) to come in and audit our facility within a year of acquiring it. CONN-OSHA performed a safety audit of our facility in 1999 and we abated all findings. We requested and CONN-OSHA performed audits in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 and we abated all findings. We had just completed a CONN-OSHA audit near the end of 2009, when the inspector from federal OSHA initiated the inspection that led to the citations reported in the Villager (and other media). The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 encouraged states to develop and operate their own job safety and health programs. Federal OSHA approves and monitors state plans and provides up to 50 percent of an approved plan’s operating costs; Connecticut has been approved by Federal OSHA to operate its own safety and enforcement programs. Small companies like Whitcraft can voluntarily request CONN-OSHA to perform a safety audit. The understanding is that the company is required to make the investments necessary to remedy all safety violations within a prescribed period. It should result in a win-win outcome. As stated earlier, we addressed and remedied all the findings associated with six CONN-OSHA audits over the 12 years we have owned Whitcraft. In addition, we implemented a safety improvement program which significantly reduced our Eastford injury rates to the point that Connecticut’s Workers Compensation Commission gave us an award for anything. There is nothing in any Pomfret regulation or town ordinance that says that a complaint must be in writing — but, of course, Mr. Rivers knows best how to discourage people from becoming a nuisance to him, or his appointed team. As to what is going on now, the bottom line remains that our Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission has once again failed to adhere to their regulations and by-laws. In addition, the Commission members failed to exercise sufficient oversight over their appointed agent, a.k.a. the Wetlands Enforcement Officer (WEO), to insure that he was doing his job. And now, because of the injunction requested by the Attorney General and the damage done to our town, we know and the Wetlands Commission should know that he was not doing his job. Our part-time WEO from Plainfield is paid by the first selectman, but he is appointed by and is responsible to the Wetlands Commission as opposed to Mr. Rivers. Our first selectman made the decision concerning the removal of the stone wall on Wade Road. Now we are in for a bunch of “after the fact” wetlands permits and maybe even a cease and desist order to make every thing OK. But sadly, the damage to Pomfret has been done. Now is the time for the members of our boards and commissions to start doing their job. Our town depends on volunteers who take their responsibilities seriously, and who know and apply their regulations without compromise. Our boards and commissions may have the power to delegate authority, but under no circumstance can a board or commission delegate its responsibility. Under the circumstances I consider the Board of Selectmen and Pomfret’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission a complete failure in meeting their State mandated responsibilities under the Wetlands Act. It is a fundamental obligation of government to insure that the rules are honored, and that no citizen should be denied the right to due process. In this respect, I feel Pomfret has failed once again. The saga continues! PAUL G. HENNEN POMFRET Obama has never left the campaign trail To the Editor: Over the past 60 years, I have learned that often times the smallest things can be the most revealing. President Barack Obama was able to find time to go on “The View,” but just couldn’t seem to be able to find time to address the Boy Scouts of America. More than 45,000 Boy Scouts went on a “once-in-alifetime” trip to Washington, D.C., to celebrate 100 years of Scouting. I’m betting that “The View” won’t be around quite that long. This administration issued a statement saying that Obama would be at a fundraising event and would send a recording to the Scouts. Apparently, electing Democrats is more important to this president than honoring an American institution. This painfully hurtful ‘dissing’ of the Boy Scouts is simply more proof that Obama has never left the campaign trail and never will. Lest we forget, Scouts don’t vote! Even the main-street media has begun to refer to his “campaign-like” activities. While these two events may seem small to some, they should be extremely revealing to many! This November, please remember that every single U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut (Larson, Courtney, DeLauro, Himes and Murphy) have supported Obama every step of the way on every issue. If you like the way the country is headed, be sure to re-elect them — if not…. Whitcraft is a safe place to work FRED RUDER EAST KILLINGLY improved safety performance. Our “mod rate” is less than 1, which indicates that the medical costs associated with workplace injuries are less than most manufacturing companies in Connecticut. After we acquired our Connecticut Tool facility in Plainville in 2004, our head count exceeded 250 employees, the threshold that exceeds CONN- OSHA’s definition of “small.” In that same year we retained a safety consulting firm, Practical Safety Solutions, to run our Safety Committee, perform training, and lead safety improvement initiatives. By 2008, our expenditures with our safety consultant grew to the point it made sense to hire a full time Director of Safety and Environmental compliance. This translates into 12 uninterrupted years of continual investment in safety improvements under the direction of OSHA, safety consultants, and our own full time safety director. So far we have been successful in growing our manufacturing businesses here in Connecticut. A vice president of one of our largest customers questioned our “Connecticut-centric” aerospace investments in spite of very strong market interest in having us establish operations in low-cost countries such as Mexico, China, or most recently India (in total we’ve purchased four Connecticut aerospace companies). We’re optimists and in spite of this experience, we believe that we can compete with low cost sources and be compliant with all regulatory agencies. However, this can happen only if we pursue our common interest in safety in a collaborative manner rather than adversarial. We have a consistent history of caring about the welfare of our employees. Our goal — to create an injury-free work environment — is aligned with our employees’ and OSHA’s interests and is supported by our continued investments over the 12 years we have been in Eastford. We are working through OSHA’s process for resolution and will keep our employees and the community apprised of the outcome. JEFFREY PAUL PRESIDENT AND CO-OWNER WHITCRAFT LLC A different point of view Purchasing a new couch brought many things to my attention. I almost never buy furniture. When I want something new, I look in the barn. I call it “barn shopping” and it is what I urge my children to do whenever they think they need a household item. Through the years, the stash in the barn of anything decent has been depleted. The better items have found homes and only junk, NANCY WEISS ugliness or o b j e c t s requiring major repairs remain. I decided I could in good conscience buy something new. I shopped around for the couch for months. When our extended family comes to visit, they like to watch television. There was no place comfortable for all of us to sit down and watch the tube. Because I want then to stay for a while, I needed to redecorate, an activity that gives me nightmares. When the day came for the movers to arrive, two talented friends showed up to help. They jumped right in, moving chairs, paintings, a huge hutch, rugs, dog beds, two couches and dodads that added little to the overall look. Whatever they told me to do, I did, confident that their taste and good sense is far better than mine. Some people have remarkable visual skills. They can look at a rug and know where it will fit. They can tell if a bulky chair will squeeze though a doorway. They know a certain lampshade works better on one lamp than another. I am in awe of such talent. As I ran around my house finding picture hooks, the hammer, a stepladder to support the process, everything began to feel new. The clutter of items on a Welsh dresser in the kitchen when cut by half and moved elsewhere took on an entirely new aspect. Prints that I must have looked at for years came alive when moved to another location. Things I owned for decades suddenly were more interesting. How had I ignored these little treasures for so many years, I thought? Of course, the reverse was true. When moved into a different position, some furniture bore stained patches where the dogs rub their noses. Long hidden scratches became visible and shabby pillows took on an especially unattractive aspect. Moving so many household items made me think about the deadening toll familiarity takes on other aspects of living. Because I went for so many years not seeing the charming carapace on a turtle print, I may have also failed to see times when I might have been a better friend, spouse or neighbor. Because sameness is so comfortable, I don’t see change with clear eyes. While we celebrate growth in little children, we often duck the inexorable decline in others and ourselves as we age. We may also miss the possibility that in a new light or better location talents, affections, even patience or gratitude might flourish. I’m glad a new couch shook up my domestic patterns. When I sit down to read, there is a decent lamp and a place to put my teacup. I can see the television from several vantage points and I’ve moved to the shed a box of random tchotchke. The simile “like moving around the deck chairs on the Titanic” is a phrase often used to describe futile action. Lately I’ve been thinking that moving the chairs around may not solve major problems, but it is one thing we can do to get a different take on our surroundings and our selves.
PUTNAM VILLAGER Friday, September 03, 2010 • A9 Ican’t figure it out. Hilary Rodham Clinton once foolishly claimed she landed from an aircraft in Iraq under “sniper fire.” This was soon debunked. Later, she strongly fought President Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. Now in opposing Mr. Obama, Mrs. Clinton’s ideas and policies couldn’t have been the same. Yet, she has been installed as our Secretary of State, perhaps the most powerful cabinet appointee. Have Mrs. Clinton’s views become submerged or will they or can they resurface? I might inject a minor point here. The media continuously refers to the former First Lady as Hilary Rodham OPINION Just can’t figure the Clintons out ROUND ROBIN RELAYS ALAN SANDERSON Clinton. Why is this? I can’t imagine how she’d be confused with a possible second Hilary Clinton! What do you say we switch genders at this juncture. As far as I’m concerned the negatives affecting the record of previous Chief Executive Bill Clinton severely tarnish any positive results. Although acquitted with votes to spare Mr. Clinton remains the second president enduring an impeachment trial (Andrew Johnson, successor to Abraham Lincoln, was the first). During Mr. Clinton’s administration he was revealed to have had sexual dalliances in the White House. It was also discovered he had lied about his moral misconduct, particularly to his wife, Hilary. How can be become a role model to the youth of America? However, it must be admitted that Mr. Clinton’s political presence is very much desired among his peers. The man receives thousands of dollars for his speaking invitations. He was recently in Rhode Island stumping for party colleagues. His name still stands for charm, influence and power. Finally, I must include the Clinton’s daughter in my wonderment. Oh, I can’t criticize her personally. On the contrary, she appears to be a fine young lady. But by all that’s rational I cannot conceive of any reason why the wedding of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky, an investment banker, should cost more than $2 million at an estate called Astor Courts in the New York village of Rhinebeck. It’s been reported that flowers alone checked out at $250,000! Amid airtight security, Chelsea, dressed in a Vera Wang strapless gown complemented by a silk organza skirt, was walked down the aisle by her father to the altar where she became the bride of her long-time boyfriend. Without any further descriptive elegance the nuptials were billed as the wedding of the century. Now my wife and I were married atop a Colorado mountain in a dawn ceremony. The wedding cost us $100. Therefore, I must ask — are Marc and Chelsea any more married than us? I’ve read where the expense of this royal wedding was split three ways — the Clintons, the government and the couple themselves. Whatever the millions spent, the outlay of such money is obscene. I only must think of the countless families suffering hunger, homelessness, deprivation of life’s basic needs and the erosion of disease. Couldn’t $1 million or so have been spent on the unfortunate? I must confess, so much opulence bothers me when many children don’t know where their next meal is coming from. But, returning to my opening statement. I can’t figure the Clintons out. Despite all of the above-mentioned flaws in their characters, all three ride the crest of the popularity wave. It seems as if we have royalty here in America. But I’m not the least bit envious, only curious. Just how do they do it? Codicil: Whatever became of the 13- year-old operatic singer who was a protégé of Eddie Cantor? Her name? Olive Major. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ‘See you at the grand opening’ To the Editor: It has been some time since my last letter but I try to reserve the time for something I consider very important. In the Aug. 17 edition of a local newspaper, the front-page headline read “Wal-Mart foes lose wetland appeal.” To me, this was excellent news which was predicted, anticipated and did not surprise me in the least. I said from the very beginning that in my opinion (after 25 years as a chief zoning official) that the opposition did not have “a leg to stand on.” My only wish is that I was the attorney representing the opposition so I could retire on THEIR money to Arizona. Now comes the portion of the appeal that I believe will be easier to determine than the part that the judge has cleared and my reason why. First and foremost — the land in question is properly zoned and not in need of change, amendment, modification or public hearing. In other words, the property zoning is COR- RECT for the intended use WITHOUT impediment! The land has been zoned for commercial use since 1977 and the residents of Brooklyn had no problem with this designation for more than 30 years. They, including the opponents to this application, had many years to zone it what they thought was better than this commercial use — and instead “sat on their hands” until the Wal-Mart application surfaced. As an expert in this field (as a matter of record) I remained neutral on this issue until I spoke to a multitude of people and determined that the opposition was not against what would be built there as long as it was not a Wal-Mart. I got the feeling that a Best Buy, Kohls or Target would be OK — but NEVER a Wal- Mart. Unfortunately, when a piece of property is zoned commercial, the people (as they have learned) do not get the chance to pick and choose what THEY want to see built. THAT is purely a case of outright discrimination in Country needs a return to fiscal common sense To the Editor: In tough economic times, American families have traditionally turned to basic common sense tenets of fiscal prudence. This includes living within their means, not spending money they do not have, making due with less, and looking with thriftiness for the most practical ways to stretch their wallets and pocket books. These basic tenets rely on self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and the pulling up of bootstraps. Americans throughout history have prided themselves on these virtues because they are time-honored and have, despite tough times, given life to what we call “the American Dream” — a term coined by historian James Truslow Adams in 1931, during the early years of the Great Depression. For many American families facing the loss or uncertainty of their jobs, having their working hours and benefits cut, seeing the value of their 401Ks and houses drop, knowing their health care and daily living costs will increase, or trying to pay the skyrocketing costs of college education, the American Dream may now seem far off to them. And yet, like those before us who weathered the Great Depression, many families continue to embrace the same common sense tenets of fiscal discipline to help guide them through this current economic storm. Just this past month, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published an updated budget and economic outlook for our country. It is estimated that the federal budget deficit for 2010 will exceed $1.3 trillion — a staggering amount. Relative to the size of the economy, this year’s deficit is expected to be the second largest shortfall in the past 65 years at 9.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). In addition, our country’s national debt has surpassed $13 trillion. The amount of federal debt has skyrocketed in the past two years from 40 percent of GDP at the end of 2008 to nearly 62 percent at the end of this year (as estimated by the CBO). According to the CBO, debt held by the United States is projected to this great country and grossly unfair. At THAT time I decided to join the pro-Wal-Mart crowd. On a recent radio talk show, it was suggested that perhaps the judges integrity should be examined, or the case was pre-determined, or the Wetland Commission messed up, or the regulations of town were not properly followed or any other reason to make the decision appear flawed. All of these hollow excuses are going to change nothing. I, along with many others, wish to take this opportunity to congratulate and applaud the members of the Brooklyn Wetland Committee and anyone else who made the very necessary and correct decision possible. This is still a free country and the few people who say, “This guy does not live in Brooklyn and should mind his own business,” and the United States Constitution says “I have as much right to my opinion on this matter as the guy next door if I lived in Seattle.” Now, I want to see someone change THAT. I believe that being less than five miles away from this great endeavor is everybody’s business who wishes to be involved and as you can see, I do! Again, I applaud those who have a different view on this matter, for taking every avenue possible to prevent this through the courts, etc., which they have every right to do, and again in my opinion did not do this. They would be foolish to let that opportunity escape them. THAT is the American way. Now, at age 79, I may reconsider going to law school so I perhaps will be able to represent the people still opposed to Wal-Mart and be paid so I can fulfill my dream, with tons of their money and retire in Phoenix, Ariz., in the sunshine, and then I will be sure not to go to a giant super store that I opposed that made enough money to bring me to this paradise and live happily ever after. The end. See you all at the front door for the GRAND OPENING! ALBERT F. BRUNO KILLINGLY exceed 69 percent of GDP by the end of 2020. The CBO states that “putting the nation on a sustainable fiscal course will require policymakers to restrain the growth of spending substantially, raise revenues significantly above their average percentage of GDP over the past 40 years, or adopt some combination of those approaches.” The current policy of taxing, spending, and then taxing and spending more is unsustainable. A family could not survive with this kind of budgeting practice and neither can a country. So as we enter the campaign season it is important that voters ask the candidates what their specific plans are for reaching fiscal sustainability. How do they plan to address the concerns that the CBO has outlined? How do they plan to “restrain growth” and “raise revenue”? What combination of spending cuts and tax increases do they believe best suits our country and our state? Will the candidates be accountable to the long-term economic and fiscal health of our country or will they continue down the slippery slope of being accountable to the special interest groups? Will they continue to provide us with political sound bites and campaign promises or will they roll up their sleeves and develop public policy with the best interest of the American people in mind? We expect our elected officials to return to the responsible common sense tenets as many American families have done. In addition to this expectation, voters need to exhibit the upper hand given to them in a democracy by electing and then enforcing the same adherence to self-sacrifice and self-discipline that they trust and depend upon for the well being of their individual lives and their families. WAYNE DURST JEFFREY A. GORDON WILLIAM SOWKA WOODSTOCK Villager story came close to the truth To the Editor: I am the proud parent of four St. Mary School graduates. They attended the school in the 70s and in the 80s. The teachers were steadfast in their efforts to teach all students the basics of education along with promoting good Christian values and fostering good work habits. Their efforts, on my children’s behalf, laid the groundwork for their later success at Putnam High School, college, and their chosen professions. I am grateful to all the nuns, lay teachers, The ant and the grasshopper To the Editor: I recently received an e-mail retelling the story of the ant and the grasshopper. You know it, the one with the lesson that if we play all summer like the Grasshopper, instead of working hard like the ant, we’ll freeze to death come winter. In this new version of the story, an array of civil rights lawyers, political figures and media hacks force the ant to take care of the grasshopper, but the big green dope develops a drug habit and dies anyway, taking the neighborhood with him. The new lesson is about the failure of socialism. The trouble with stories is that a metaphor is not a proof, and if there’s any truth to a story about ants and grasshoppers, it sure isn’t in casting the ant as the rugged, selfreliant individualist. That may be how we Americans like to see ourselves, at least until we get sick, or fired at age 50 — or both — but it’s not that virtue set that gets ants through the winter. The ants are the socialists. Ants thrive because they have developed a society where they all work for the common good. They’re the ultimate argument for the success that comes from working together rather than just for ourselves. So, if you’ll allow me my retelling the story — The ant is out one day with the other ants, performing one of those move-a-seed-fivetimes-his-own-body-weight jobs that they can do, when he stumbles and breaks all the legs on one side of his body. Now these ants may work as a team, but they aren’t unionized. Their health and disability plan is pre- To the Editor: Congratulations to you folks at the Villager. Yours was the only story in either print or other media that even approximated the whole truth behind the closing of St. Mary School in Putnam after 137 years. Every other paper or media outlet, simply reprinted the diocesan press release citing “an enrollment crisis” at SMS, which was pure nonsense. The Villager reporting, while scant, did allude to many of the actual contributing factors involved. St. Mary’s was a fine institution that for 137 years produced so many community leaders and fine young citizens here in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner. The impact of this closing may not be felt immediately outside of the present school community, but it will be dearly missed eventually. This was a sad day indeed for the greater Putnam community. Thank you again for at least outlining other than the standard diocesan line on this sad event. Sad to see St. Mary’s close SOUND OFF: Nov. 7, 1965: Killingly High School on Westfield Avenue is dedicated. Student capacity, 1,200; Cafeteria, 450; Gymnasium, 1,400; Auditorium, 1,000 (Figures taken from 1965 dedication program). Aug. 31, 2010: Killingly High School, Route CHARLIE H. POMFRET CENTER staff, and all the volunteers involved in all the fundraising activities over the years. They have all had a positive impact on my children and on so many other students in the community. Inasmuch, as I understand the realities of the financial situation and the difficult times we face, it saddens me to see this fine school close. Good luck to all students this school year. TERRY GUERTIN PUTNAM Obama and the insurer rules that, if the ant’s legs broke, it must have been a pre-existing condition and thus he isn’t covered. So the ant gets tossed out of the colony, and, since the original story was designed to ridicule socialism, let’s say there’s no Social Security or Medicare for him, either. He freezes. The Grasshopper, meanwhile, has discovered that his skills as a performer and allaround fun-loving guy who likes to party have suited him perfectly for the job that isn’t work: corporate lobbyist. He gets well paid to smile, shake hands and give away corporate money to politicians who are always glad to see him. He doesn’t have to worry about freezing in the winter because that’s when he hosts his marks in the Bahamas, where the drinks are free and the complementary buffet table is always loaded with goodies. So if you think we hard-working ants will be more free and happy returning to the tender mercies of health-insurers who have devised dozens of imaginative ways to deny us coverage, then vote for the candidates who promise to repeal the health-care legislation. They’re the same party that wants my version of the story to come true, by cutting Medicare and privatizing Social Security to balance the budget, rather than by canceling the Bush tax cut for the folks who make more than $500,000 a year. Most of those folks aren’t ants or grasshoppers, they’re more like ticks. What did we really gain? G.L. SWEETNAM WOODSTOCK Schad thanks voters for primary win SOUND OFFS To the Editor: Thank you Quiet Corner voters! I am writing to thank all the voters who came out and voted in the Aug. 10 Democratic primary for the new Northeast Probate Court. I am humbled and honored to be selected as the Democratic candidate for Regional Probate Judge on the November ballot. The support I have received from the wonderful people of Woodstock, Thompson, Putnam, Pomfret, Eastford, Brooklyn and Ashford over the last few months is truly inspiring and I appreciate the efforts of the many volunteers who worked on the campaign. Over the next two months, I look forward to meeting with many more of the people of the new probate district and working hard for the opportunity to continue to serve as Probate Judge. Thank you. LEAH SCHAD POMFRET PROBATE JUDGE CANDIDATE FOR PROBATE JUDGE, NORTHEAST PROBATE COURT 12, opening day Student capacity, 1,100; Gymnasium, 1,200; Auditorium, 1,200. (Aug. 28, 2010). Other than more elbow room and a bigger parking lot, what did we really gain after spending $81.2 million?
Page 1 and 2: Vol. V, No. 49 (860) 928-1818/e-mai
Page 3 and 4: PUTNAM VILLAGER Blumenthal visits Q
Page 5 and 6: PUTNAM VILLAGER Is coupon clipping
Page 7: PUTNAM VILLAGER Friday, September 0
Page 11 and 12: PUTNAM VILLAGER Foundry owners must
Page 13 and 14: PUTNAM VILLAGER Friday, September 0
Page 15 and 16: PUTNAM VILLAGER Friday, September 0
Page 17 and 18: VILLAGER NEWSPAPERS ☎ TOWN-TO-TOW
Page 21 and 22: CHURCH DIRECTORY EASTFORD Congregat
Page 23 and 24: VILLAGER NEWSPAPERS Putnam Villager

Putnam - Southbridge Evening News

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?