November 02, 2012 - Southbridge Evening News

10 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, November 2, 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
Enough,
already
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for
Nov. 6 — because I’m sick and tired of election
season.
Now, I know what you are
thinking — “But Adam,
you’re a journalist, covering
politics is part of your job!”
Covering it is one thing —
dealing with it, as a citizen,
is something else entirely.
It’s the constant junk mail
in my mailbox, which
inevitably heads straight to
THE MINOR
DETAILS
ADAM MINOR
the garbage can. It’s the constant
e-mails and commercials
that are less and less
about asserting what a candidate
believes in and more
and more about why people
shouldn’t vote for their
opponent. It’s the constant
negativity. It’s watching debates filled with socalled
“facts,” and candidates constantly saying,
“That’s not true.” It’s the zingers, one-liners
and attacks that make candidates look
more like fighting fifth graders than leaders of
our country.
It’s hard to know what to believe when candidates
are constantly accusing each other of
making up their own truth.
Now, I know what I believe, and I know
whom I am voting for. No amount of “campaigning,”
“debating” or even “fact creating”
is going to change my mind — but to an undecided
voter, this election season has been a
cacophony of confusion, unanswered questions
and frustration. Thinking nationally,
someone on the fence has had to endure (and I
use the word “endure” for a reason, because
trying to watch the debates has been a chore,
at best) debates filled with aggression and
venom that mask the questions being asked.
Honestly, the news doesn’t make it any better.
Constant chatter from random talking
heads about the minutest minutiae? I’d rather
watch a blank screen.
I say all this sounding pretty snarky and
condescending, and I should probably back off
a bit, because the elections, especially on the
state level, have been quite interesting. As
part of my job, I interact with our local politicians
on a regular basis, and for the most part,
they’re all great — so it’s not all doom and
gloom here. Some of them probably even
relate to what I’m saying!
My point is that for all this talking, all this
promising, all this remarking, commenting
and accusing, I’m ready for it to be over, so
when it’s all said and done, we’ll be done with
the talk, and for once, be ready for some
action.
My name is Adam Minor, and I support this
message.
Adam Minor may be reached at 508-909- 4130,
or by e-mail at aminor@stonebridgepress.com.
SOUND OFF!
WE KNOW you’ve got an opinion, so
what are you waiting for?
Sound Off!
It’s a fast and easy
way to let everyone
know what’s on
your mind. What’s
more is if you’re
worried about putting
you’re name
out there, don’t be!
With Sound Off! you don’t have to leave a
name.
Just call our Sound Off! line at 508-909-
4079, wait for the prompt and, presto,
that’s it — time to talk.
OK, so there are a couple guidelines:
We ask that you speak clearly enough so
we can accurately transcribe your message.You’ll
want to keep your remarks relatively
brief so we have enough space in
the newspaper to include it all.
If you don’t want to leave a message,
that’s OK.You can e-mail your Sound Off!
to SoundOffWebster@stonebridgepress.com.
Just remember to label it as a
Sound Off.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor:
Thanks to the support of Carolo’s Pizza,
Dairy Express, P&D House of Pizza and Pizza
Post, and the Oxford Police, Fire, EMS and
CERTS, the Oxford Community Center was
buzzing with activity at the Oxford 300th
Anniversary’s Public Safety Awareness and
Slice of Oxford Night.
More than 125 people consumed 48 large
cheese, pepperoni, and various “house specialty
pizzas,” then took part in checking out
the Police, Fire, and EMS vehicles on display
in the Community Center parking lot.
We have a great bunch of civil servants
that came by and the kids had a great time in
vehicles and trying on gear!
As for the pizza tasting contest tonight, the
“blind tasting” vote results are in and while
not everyone voted for each flavor and only
picked their favorite type of pizza we have
the winning choices for this year. For those
that kept track of your favorites, the pizza
parlors in the Blind Taste Votes were set up
as: 1. P&D Pizza, 2. Carolo’s, 3. Pizza Post and
4. Dairy Express
The overall first choice in all categories;
Cheese, Pepperoni, and House Specialty was
Pizza Post!
We also asked people to give us their ages
so we could see the results by generations.
The 55 plus group picked Pizza Post for the
Cheese Pizza, with Dairy Express getting the
pick for their Pepperoni & Specialty pizzas.
The over 35 age group produced the most
tied choices; P&D got their Specialty choice,
but the Cheese and Pepperoni pizzas both
pulled 3 way ties between Carolo’s, Dairy,
To the Editor:
Dear Board of Selectmen and Highway
Commissioners — The Webster-Dudley
Veterans Council is proud to announce that
we will participate in the 8th consecutive
Veteran’s Day Parade.
We are also pleased to announce that for
the eighth consecutive year Richard Holewa,
Dudley’s Veteran Agent, will chair the
parade committee. This year’s co-chairmen
will be, George Bebeau, Norman Deptula,
and Joseph E. Sendrowski. Master of
Ceremonies is Andrew Koslowski.
On behalf of Chairman Richard Holewa,
we respectfully ask the Highway
Pizza event a success
P&D.
Our 21 & up voters picked Dairy & Pizza
Post for Cheese, Pizza Post edged out the win
in Pepperoni, and Carolo’s and P&D shared
top honors for their house Specialty pizzas.
Among teens, it was Pizza Post with the
slight edge in all categories.
Our pre-teen voters picked Carolo’s and P &
D for cheese, Carolo’s for pepperoni, and
Carolo’s and Pizza Post got the nod for
Specialty pizzas.
The Contest Coordinator’s Choice is a 4
way tie in all categories!
With such great support from these local
businesses, we are all winners!
These events were organized to bring the
community together to meet some of their
public safety officials and to have a little fun
by getting out the vote for pizza, one of
America’s favorite foods, and to celebrate our
great community. We had babies in strollers,
preschoolers, youngsters of all ages, scouts,
moms, dads, grandparents, and most important,
we had fun!
Thank you to Carolo’s, Dairy Express, P &
D and Pizza Post, Oxford Police, Oxford Fire-
EMS, CERTS, Oxford Community Center, volunteer
members and associates of the
Tercentennial Committee, and thank you
oxford residents for taking part in our event.
With such monumental support in the community,
Oxford is blessed some really winning
pizza parlors that extends beyond their
delicious wares.
OXFORD TERCENTENNIAL COMMITTEE
Veterans Day parade coming soon
Tri-Valley receives many questions from
area seniors, younger people with disabilities
and caregivers and has created
this monthly help line column to
provide some assistance.
We are also available five days a
week to answer individual questions
in person or on the phone. Our website
is also available.
Q: Should I sign up for Medicare when
I turn 65?
A: Yes, most people at 65 should take
Medicare. Over the next 10 years, a total of
10,000 people every day will enroll in
Medicare. Most people are eligible to get
Medicare when they turn 65. Some people
who are younger (ages 18 to 65) and have certain
disabilities that prevent them from
working can also get Medicare. To get
Medicare Parts A and B you must be a
United States citizen or have been living in
the U.S. legally for at least five years nonstop.
Although many people think of Medicare
as retirement health insurance, there are
many people on Medicare who are past 65
and still working. People turning 65 this
year must wait until they are 66 years old to
collect full Social Security retirement benefits.
But people turning 65 can get on
Medicare — whether they continue to work
or not.
If you’re 65 and still working (or your
spouse is still working), and you work for a
company with 20 full-time workers and you
get health insurance from them, you may
not need all of Medicare. Most people should
enroll in Medicare Part A, which pays for
hospital bills, because it is free. Part A
becomes the secondary payer after your
job’s insurance. By taking Medicare Part A
when you first become eligible, you will not
need to worry about enrolling later. If you
have a Health Savings Account (HSA) where
you work, you may not want Medicare Part
A right away, because your employer may
stop contributing to your HSA account once
you enroll in Part A. If you work for a company
with fewer than 20 employees or are
self-employed, you will probably want
Medicare Parts A and B (which covers doctors’
care) when you turn 65.
To apply for Medicare, contact Social
Security at 1-800-772-1213, or visit them on
Commissioners close off West Main Street
from Brandon Road to William Street from
10:55 to 11:20 a.m. on Nov. 11. We ask so that
the noise created by traffic not distract from
the ceremony taking place that honors
America’s veterans. The event starts at exactly
11 a.m., commemorating the signing of the
peace treaty ending World War I. Your cooperation
is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
JOSEPH E. SENDROWSKI
CO-CHAIRMAN,WEBSTER-DUDLEY
VETERANS COUNCIL
Turning 65 and Medicare
TRI-VALLEY
HELP-LINE
the internet at http://www.ssa.gov/. Once
you enroll, you will be sent your Medicare
card, plus a “Welcome to Medicare”
kit in the mail. If you choose to
delay Medicare Part B now, you’ll
have to contact Social Security later,
either in person or by phone, to
enroll in Part B.
Once you are enrolled in Medicare, you
can also visit their secure website, where
you can review and track your benefits.
Through this free, online service, you can
get 24/7 access to information about your
Medicare benefits, print your recent
Medicare claims and notices, track your prescriptions,
and get direct assistance online
from Medicare.
If you have you stopped working before
age 65, you can’t get Medicare until you turn
65—-unless you are disabled and have been
getting Social Security disability benefits
for two years. As you approach 3 months
before your 65th birthday, you need to know
that there are certain times when you can
sign up for Medicare. If you delay signing
up, you may have to pay higher monthly premiums
when you do join.
If you are already getting Social Security
benefits, like early retiree or disability benefits,
when you turn 65, you will be automatically
enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part
B.
Tri-Valley continues to be ready to assist
you with other questions through its free
information & referral HELP-LINE at (508)
949-6640 or 1-800-286-6640. You may also
access Tri-Valley by E-mail: info@tves.org
or visit the agency’s website at: www.trivalleyinc.org
To connect with services for elders
and their families anywhere in
Massachusetts call 1-800-AGE-INFO.
Tri-Valley, Inc. is a private non-profit
agency providing in-home and community
based services in 25 Southern Worcester
County towns. The agency receives funding
from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
through the Executive Office of Elder
Affairs and Federal financial support under
the Older Americans Act furnished by the
Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging
and the Massachusetts Executive Office of
Elder Affairs. Funds are also received from
other public and private sources. All donations
are welcome and memorials may be
established. Marilyn L. Travinski is the
executive director.
“Every Town Deserves a Good
Local Newspaper”
TheHeartOfMassachusetts.com
Celebrate!
Hurray, it’s almost over!
The big day is almost here. The end is near.
The reign of terror has almost ended. The die
is almost cast. The verdict is almost in. By this
time next week, we’ll know the results, and, in
theory, at least, we’ll have had a hand (or at
least a yea or nay) in the process.
It’s not so much that the
elections will be over, but
the campaigns will be
behind us (we hope). The
actual elections are a foregone
conclusion. No need to
actually vote, because, as
the pollsters tell us, it’s all
up to one or two (or three)
“swing states” (are these the
ones where Glenn Miller
AS YOU
LIKE IT
MARK ASHTON
was born and where Harry
Connick Jr. now lives?).
In the Bay State, the presidential
results were decided
decades ago, when the
Cabots and Lodges gave way
to the Kennedys, and the
Democrats ousted the
Republicans like Pilgrims pushing
Wampanoags into Oklahoma.
Then again, the Brown/Warren race may be
just that – a real race, to see if the commonwealth
is truly a one-party state, and the
apparent heir to the throne can “regain the
Kennedy seat” – as opposed to what a few lingering
fools believe ought to be “the peoples’
seat” in Congress.
But the campaigning this season has been
worse than last year’s tornadoes, hurricane,
and October snowstorm (complete with power
outages) combined. The relentless badgering,
belittling, defamation of character, disputes
over facts, disrespectful comments, handwringing,
head-slapping, war-mongering divisiveness
has all been too much to bear. And
that’s just between the telemarketer/pollsters
and independent voters. The debates and contention
between candidates was almost as
ugly.
But it doesn’t – and by this time next week,
it truly didn’t – matter. Everything will have
been decided. And then the pollsters will have
their way again, at least for a few weeks, to
explain how right they were (or how uncooperative
voters were, if they’re proven wrong)
and how things are expected to go for the next
three-and-a-half years, when the next campaign
(of terror) will befall us.
You know what I wish? That there were no
polls. That campaigns were limited to one
month (and the accompanying BILLIONS of
dollars wasted on campaigning were put to
good use in implementing plans the candidates
say they’d put into operation if they only
had the money). I wish that the candidates
knew this one very important thing: They
take themselves way too seriously, and we the
people could/would do quite nicely were they
all to vanish from the earth.
Truth be told, America hasn’t had a lot of
great presidents. George Washington was one,
the Father of Our Country. He could have been
king if he’d had a mind to. Wisely, he recognized
the problems inherent in monarchies
and set the tone for executive leadership.
Unfortunately, not a lot of others followed his
lead. Most of his successors have not succeeded
in duplicating his commitment to public
service, or in heeding his warnings against
the dangers (evils) of parties and partisanship.
Abe Lincoln was another great president,
partly because he was a Republican when it
was something new, when it was the party of
change, of vision, before it became simply
“the opposition” to the only other show in
town. Wouldn’t it be great if our elections (and
debates) had eight or nine candidates, all on
an equal footing – at least until the masses (not
the mass media) wisely winnowed the chaff
from the wheat?
But how can that happen when the candidates
and the “machinery” are all controlled
by those whose interests bear no relationship
to those of “the people?” Why even vote?
Comedian Norm Crosby, on a recent fund-raising
visit to Worcester, had it right when suggesting
that this is the first election in which
all the voters “hope everyone loses.” Don’t tell
me it wouldn’t be right to not vote on occasion.
A no-vote can be a message, and a fulfillment
of civic duty, even more than a by-rote “votethe-ticket”
ballot.
Those who win our elections, unfortunately,
all too often do so merely for themselves.
Beholden to those who helped get them elected,
they have little, if anything, in common
with mainstream America. Empty suits,
empty chairs, empty promises. If every candidate
promises to make things better “for the
middle class,” then why hasn’t the middle
class ever benefited from the winner’s election?
This recent campaign, in fact, has been all
about protecting, preserving, and helping a
whole lot more people join the ranks of the
middle class. Here’s a warning to the undecided
voter hoping to gain middle-class status:
DON’T! To be middle-class in America means
to be the servant of the upper crust, the benefactor
of the poor and dispossessed.
Middle, in this case, means “caught
between,” abused by both high and low. Uh oh!
I just remembered by agreement, recently, to
leave off political commentary from this column.
Let it never be said that I am not a person
of my word. I have merely, momentarily,
misspoken, had a slip of the pen, let my mind
wander to forbidden subject matter by way of
PTCD (Post Traumatic Campaigning
Disorder).
On the brighter side, it’ll all soon be over.
The new guys will be in. We’ll be filled with
hope and change. It doesn’t matter who wins.
America will survive.
Mark Ashton can be reached at: mark@stonebridgepress.com,
or by calling: 508-909-4144.