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10 •THE CHARLTON VILLAGER• Friday, June 6, 2008 www.charltonvillager.com OPINION VIEWS AND COMMENTARY FROM CHARLTON, CHARLTON CITY, CHARLTON DEPOT AND BEYOND EDITORIAL A time for deliberation, a time for ‘No’ There were no doubt many questions on the minds of health officials in Southbridge as they began deliberations last week on the request by Casella Waste Systems to take in more municipal solid waste (MSW), and a correspondingly smaller amount of construction and demolition debris (C&D) at the town landfill. A public hearing that at first did not seem headed for extra innings did, indeed, evolve into much more than a Q&A between the Board of Health, Casella and a few interested citizens. Other towns (including Charlton) became involved, questions were raised about personal and financial motives and an entire group, dedicated to defeating Casella’s plans, emerged. As often happens at times like these, two camps sprung up: those for (sometimes referred to as “pro-dump”) and those against (commonly called “anti-Casella”) the site assignment change. As also often happens in such a lengthy and contentious debate, emotions ran high and discussions often veered into the personal and political. There were claims of conspiracy theories and charges of scare tactics being employed. Now, however, the hearings are concluded, thanks to a marathon session that stretched until after midnight Tuesday, May 20. So began the next “phase,” if you will, with the Board of Health now left to deliberate and ultimately decide whether to approve the request. There is a date of June 13 by which a decision is expected. Removing emotions, financial considerations and politics from the discussion, there is this important question to answer: Is approval of this site assignment change in the best interest of the town, its residents and those in neighboring communities such as Charlton and Sturbridge? Of course, another question might arise as to just which interests are being given more weight: health or financial. During the just-completed hearings, Interim Town Manager John Healey started negotiating with Casella representatives to try and get a better deal out a contract that was renegotiated and approved last year by Town Council. His involvement yielded cries of “foul!” and led to speculation that the health board was being unfairly pressured to render a favorable decision. There can be no questioning the financial challenges facing this town. They face every town in the commonwealth at a time when the national and global economy is in a weakened state. There can also be no questioning that the original landfill contract negotiated with the former landfill operator, Wood Recycling, which remains intact if Casella’s request is denied, does few favors for the town. Those facts cannot, and should not be ignored. Neither can the concerns of so many people about their well-being and the future health of their children. How, then, to give more weight to financial considerations than health? What we have, right now, is speculation about the environmental and health impacts years down the road. We have testimony from experts that wetlands have been and will be adversely affected. We have statements of fact that the presence of gulls at the landfill will most certainly multiply with the introduction of more MSW, which, critics argue, will pose both a health risk and a hazard to the nearby airport. In the end, it is speculation because we have not seen it, yet. The question then becomes: Do you make a decision based on speculation? The answer, in this case, is yes. When faced with the slightest possibility that his or her child’s life might be in danger, a parent is always going to err on the side of caution, without question. So, too, must caution be taken in this instance. Reverting to the old contract is not preferable, and the fiscal picture here is bleak. Under no circumstances, however, can a responsible community ever begin putting its wallet in front of its health. Casella will most likely appeal a negative decision. That will cost the town. The problem, however, is you can put a price on things like court cases. You can’t put a price on the health and well being of your community and its people. In one of the hardest decisions they will probably ever have to make as representatives of this town, health board members, in good conscience, should say “No” to this request. 25 Elm St., Southbridge, MA 01550 Telephone (800) 367-9898 Fax (508) 764-8015 www.charltonvillager.com FRANK G. CHILINSKI PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER WALTER BIRD JR. EDITOR/EDITOR AT LARGE What they’re saying . . . Name a book, a CD and something else you would take on vacation? Nate Helund Charlton Keith Thoren Charlton Michael Didonato Charlton Sarah Ianniccheri Charlton “I would bring ‘The “I don’t really read “I’d bring a ‘Lord Of “Black Sabbath, Sun Also Rises’ by books. ‘Three Days The Rings’ book. book: ‘A Child Called Ernest Hemingway, Grace, 1X,’ Mountain Probably ‘The Devil It,’ partying.” my ‘AC/DC Live’ CD, Dew.” Wears Prada’ CD [not Mountain Dew.” the movie]. Cell phone.” PHOTOS AND QUESTIONS BY STAFF WRITER RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL Selectman offers thanks for election support To the Editor: This is to thank all those who helped in my re-election campaign to the Charlton Board of Selectmen for another three years. Thanks to those who wrote letters, made phone calls, helped with the signs and donated funding. Thanks to those who called or wrote giving me words of encouragement and those who stopped me on the street. And thanks to all those voters who went to the polls and voted on Election Day. Everyone, whether you supported me or TO THE EDITOR not, should feel free to call or write with any questions or concerns at any time. I enjoy this part of being a selectperson and will happily answer you or get you the help you need. I can be reached at kathleen.walker@townofcharlton.net or at 248 9791. We have a good town and it can only get better if more of us get involved and join in the fun and challenge of local politics. KATHLEEN WALKER CHARLTON Of jobs, interviews and cell phones Idon’t remember all the details of how I got my first job. I was about 6 months shy of 16, and now I’m almost a week beyond year 42, so the memory’s a little hazy. I do remember it was at a restaurant in Auburn BIRD’S that is no longer in operation. The job was as a dishwasher, and anyone who’s NEST ever been — or still is — a WALTER BIRD dishwasher knows that while the dishes may get clean, the worker doesn’t. It’s a dirty, thankless, pretty much all-around crappy job. But if nobody did it, we wouldn’t be eating out at any restaurants. Or, if we did, we’d be bringing our own towels and dish detergent. Forgetting the details of how I came to be employed, I do remember that it entailed — as most jobs do — filling out an application and speaking with a manager or assistant manager or someone in a position of authority. No matter your age, it can be a nervewracking experience. As a not-quite-16-yearold, it’s even worse. Or so I imagine. Ah, if only the memory were still crystal clear. That I even remember my first “real” job at all is thanks, in part, to the woman who was standing at the counter with me in the local doughnut shop a few days back. She was holding a cell phone to her left ear, but found the time to say something to the woman behind the counter, whom I presumed was employee. She, too, had a cell phone at her ear. Apparently understanding the woman’s request, she disappeared, for a moment, to the backroom. When she reappeared, she was holding a sheet of paper, which she proceeded to hand over to the woman, who was, mind you, still talking on the cell phone. Being a reporter (OK, being just plain nosy), I cast a glance at the document and saw it was a job application. Indeed, the woman, who had headed to a seat where another woman (presumably a friend) had already taken up residence, turned back toward the counter and asked the worker if the place was hiring. She was told it was. She then took a seat at the table, hung up the cell phone and got to the task of filling out said application. Now, I’m not great at job interviews — neither as the interviewer or interviewee. Nonetheless, I’ve read a few tips and, at times when I’ve had to seek employment for lack of a job (knock on wood, it has been a while), I’ve managed to at least come off halfway presentable. Now, granted, the woman at this donut shop wasn’t on an interview. She was merely picking up an application. But assuming the woman behind the counter was a management type, and we’ll assume that because her uniform was a different color than the other workers’ (not because she was on a cell phone), wouldn’t logic dictate that you’d want to make a good impression here, too? Even if it was just the transferal of a piece of paper. OK, so we weren’t talking a job with Trump. No doubt the hourly wage is either at or just above state minimum. But a job application is a job application. An interview is an interview. Of course, of course. As one who is now on the other side of the desk (the interviewer), I am sometimes amazed at how prospective employees show up for an interview. Most at least have the sense to dress appropriately. The guys typically show up in a suit and tie, or at least an outfit that show some forethought and coordination. Never mind that, after they’re hired, they show up in loafers and un-tucked shirts. Hey, at least they knew enough how to get the job. Oddly enough, appearance never really seems to be a problem for the female interviewees. Sorry, guys. I guess it’s just a better sense of fashion. Or just a better sense of common sense. I’ve been fortunate enough not to have had an applicant show up for an interview with a cell phone attached to his or her head. I have, however, had applicants who sit in silence as you do all the talking. Occasionally, they nod or grunt, all the while glancing at the pictures on your wall or the computer on your desk. That’s if they even get to the interview part. The first trick is to get the interview, and that’s where the resumé and cover letter come in. One prospective applicant some months back actually wrote: “I know I probably won’t get this job because you’ll think I’m too old and too qualified.” He didn’t get the job, but not for the reasons he supposed. There are those at the opposite end of the spectrum, who let you know how highly they think of themselves. Wrote one applicant: “I am the last person you’ll have to interview.” He wasn’t. I don’t know whether the woman in that doughnut shop ever got her job, or whether she even got an interview. Or maybe the manager hasn’t gone through the applications, yet. A word of advice to both of them, should they meet again: Ditch the cell phones and have an actual conversation. Or maybe the interview might actually go better if they sit and talk through their phones. Walter Bird Jr. may be reached at 508-909- 4107, or via e-mail at wbird@stonebridgepress.com. Power to the people! AS YOU LIKE IT MARK ASHTON Sometimes it's important to just stop and smell the ... ozone! Take a recent Sunday morning, for example. Or last Saturday afternoon. In the latter case, there we were, going about our weekend business, when a loud bang rattled the windows in the kitchen (it sounded like a cannon being fired somewhere down the street, really!) and all the lights and appliances went off simultaneously. Everything running (on electricity) suddenly went silent. The whirs and hums and ticks and tocks of modern living went whirless and mum, tick-less and tock-less. "What was THAT?" came the question from the next room, and I gave it my best guess. "Sounds like a transformer exploded," I said, as if I really knew. "Somewhere down the street, I think." "Well, I want to know what happened," came the concerned follow-up. As usual, she needed to know if it was the entire town, just our neighborhood, or merely our own home that was now powerless. I took the hint, and to the street in search of information. With the power out, the computer I had just turned on to write a column with was suddenly useless. Likewise, the stove my wife needed to help make our contribution to the First Communion celebration we were headed for in New Hampshire was, for now at least, defunct. "I'm on it," I said on my way out the back door. By the time I reached the street, there was a neighbor and her son, headed in the same direction. "Do you guys have power?" she asked, and I confessed that we didn't, momentarily comforted to learn that the problem was bigger than just our house. We walked together down the street, looking for — I don't know what, a charred box of some sort hanging from one of the neighborhood telephone poles. "That looks like a transformer," we said upon reaching one such appliance. "I bet it's the same one as last Sunday," said my walking companion. Of course, neither of us really knows what a blown transformer looks like, or how big a service area it might affect. So we kept walking, around the corner, to the next street over. People were going about their Saturday business, mowing lawns, watering plants. We inquired and learned that they still had power. So perhaps the bang hadn't been quite as big as I thought. We turned another corner, walked down another street, discussed how nice it was that the nearby hospital never loses power because of its emergency generators. We confessed that we both had emergency generators back at home and wondered why power outages seemed to be coming all too frequently nowadays. The next street over also still had electricity. Folks on porches said they had neither heard the big bang nor were suffering its effects. We turned the corner back onto Glover Street and saw more big boxes, more electrical hardware, more opportunities for electricity to go awry on its way into OUR homes. "Go ahead and call National Grid," suggested another neighbor. "The more of us who call, the faster they'll get here." That's right. It had been 15 minutes since the big bang and no trucks were yet on the scene (wherever it was!), so after reporting back to the home front, I called the "outage report hotline" (on a cell phone) and was told the power should be restored by 2:30. Then what to do with our newfound two hours of powerlessness? So many things needed to be accomplished before we headed for New Hampshire, but writing a column could not now be one of them. Nor would cooking anything for the party be an option. Maybe I'll do some vacuuming — no, not really! Well then, how about cleaning up the cellar (no, too dark) or the garage (well, the door opener doesn't really work right now)? So maybe ... Can't watch TV, or even a favorite DVD movie. Can't listen to CDs or transcribe more old LPs onto discs via the computer. Can't even go around the house resetting all the clocks yet, until the power is truly back. So we ended up seizing the moment as it was given to us, sitting and relaxing in the living room, reading good books, enjoying the quiet of the early afternoon accompanied by the cheeps and chirps of feathered friends instead of the whirs and hums of refrigerator motors, computer consoles, and cellar dehumidifiers. And in the peace came comfort, in the knowledge that this respite from "normalcy" brought not misfortune but insight, not inconvenience but the chance to walk and talk with a neighbor not well-enough known. A chance to set aside Saturday chores (and it ended up being for only an hour) to savor serenity, and pleasures all-toooften neglected in the name of "getting things done." In the last two weeks, our neighborhood has had at least three power outages (for a variety of reasons), so I won't suggest that we seek out more such occasions; they'll probably continue on their own without any encouragement from me. But I won't fear them or complain about them quite so much anymore. Being powerless, in the end, can provide enlightenment and a new appreciation, of both the power that connects us to the tools and appliances of modern living and to one another, the people and things around us that truly matter. Mark Ashton writes a weekly column for Stonebridge Press publications.
www.charltonvillager.com Friday, June 6, 2008 •THE CHARLTON VILLAGER•11 Selectman: Middle East people have story, too TRIP continued from page 1 U.S. Damascus had been sealed off for them to travel safely through. On this day, as with every other place they traveled to, the governments of each country provided strict security and medical assistance for the riders and rolled out a massive welcome party. “It was unbelievable,” Walker said. “We were royalty or something.” The women received their first taste of daily life in the Middle East after arriving at Qunaitra City in the Golan Heights, to which both the Syrian and Israeli governments lay claim. The village is a wasteland of twisted metal and rock, the results of the Israeli military forces bombing it, that Syrians preserve as reminder about their plight. Seeing it firsthand and up close, both women said, was striking. “Everything was devastated. There were bomb fields all around,” Boynton said. “It just makes it sick to your stomach.” Villagers told the women to carry these memories back to the American government, which they say is unfairly pro-Israel. The women picked up their cycles, after three nights in the police state, and rode all the way to Amman, Jordan. After arriving there, the women walked the streets of the city soliciting political opinions from its dwellers. People there, Walker said, told her they believe the U.S. is very powerful and exerts much influence over world events. In general, Middle Eastern people believe the U.S. and Israel control much of what happens in the region. “This was news to us,” Walker said. However, Walker said, the people she met believed the U.S. can be “very influential” in ending the Palestinian- Israel dispute. Despite the violence still plaguing the region, both women were struck by how people carried on their daily lives with family, friends and tradition, much like Americans do. “They are very good family people,” Walker said. “The extended family is extremely important to them.” Their journey took another somber turn when, after arriving in the Palestinian territories May 11 before completing their ride May 15, the pair visited the Jenin refugee camp, where many Palestinian refugees have lived for years. Palestinians alleged the Israeli military killed many refugees during an assault on the camp in 2002. Seeing the camp, Boynton said, was an eyeopener. “The Palestinian people are just truly suffering,” she said. Coming face to face with them, Boynton said, has inspired her to spread the details of their plight. “I guess I want to just spread the word more,” Boynton said. “It just really, I think, changed me.” Walker’s travels left her with a poignant thought on a ride that received little coverage from the American media. “They have a story, too,” Walker said. Ryan Grannan-Doll can be reached by phone at (508) 909- 4050, or by e-mail at rgrand@stonebridgepress.com Riders pedal down their route near Qunaitra City. Exemptions could allow editing TAPE continued from page 1 mation of a government worker. Another one, Exemption G, lets a town withhold documents generated while developing policy. Attempts to reach Craver for comment were unsuccessful last week and earlier this week, but she did say, last month, that the town would not be violating the law if it inserted a disclaimer into the broadcast version of the tape noting the changes made from the original recording. It’s unclear whether the recording has aired yet, but Craver said the edited version will air at some point, and her office will keep an unedited version for residents to request. The Charlton Villager, last week, filed a Freedom Of Information request with Craver’s office for copies of both the unedited and edited versions of the tape. Craver has 10 days, from the receipt of the request to respond. Selectmen Chairman Rick Swensen could not be reached for comment, but Selectman Scott Brown said, after being told of the possible legal violation, the town would need to research the legality of editing the tape. Brown argued that the camera panning the crowd was a “mistake,” because the video should not show how residents voted. “We should not be documenting how people vote,” he said. “Why perpetuate a mistake? I don’t think that makes us less transparent. The correction of a mistake, doesn’t do anything to make a governing body less transparent.” Selectman Vice-Chairman Peter Boria last month said the tape should not expose voters’ opinions to the public. “You’re in a public setting, your vote should not be recorded for people to analyze” and “where there might be repercussions” or “ill feelings,” Boria said. “We’re editing something that shouldn’t have been taped in the first place.” Ryan Grannan-Doll can be reached by phone at (508) 909- 4050, or by e-mail at rgrand@stonebridgepress.com Kathleen Walker at a hotel in Beirut. Fireworks could fizzle FIREWORKS continued from page 1 ties. “It would definitely be a challenging site,” he said. [Charlton officials] think it can work. ” Other sites, including the Charlton Industrial Park, Beacon Hill located off Route 20 and the Charlton Beagle Club on Bond Road, were also suggested as possibilities last month. Meanwhile, Southbridge’s annual July 4 fireworks, traditionally held at the town’s airport, probably won’t happen again this year, making it the second consecutive year the has not held the display. O O NION PLANTS • • PLANTERS & URNS Statuary, Fountains, Urns, Benches and Tables • • BLUEBERRIES • • RASPBERRIES • • BLACKBERRIES • GRAPES • GRAPES 3 gal. GRASSES Reg. $ 21 95 $ 15 95 Large Selection of Perennials - 4” - 2 gal. Assorted 6’ Wood Trellis $ 9 95 Large selection of Arborvitaes Emerald Green - Dark American Giant Arborvitaes Buy 4 Get 1 FREE Large selection of Rose Bushes $ 6 95 &up Large Selection Of Ethnic Vegetable Plants: Tomato, Peppers, Eggplant, Cucumber, Squash Planting & Delivery Can Be Arranged Propane Re-fills 7 days / Great Prices HUNDREDS OF HANGING PLANTS! Open Wed. - Sat. • 8a.m. - 7pm ~ Sun, Mon, Tues 8a.m. - 5 p.m. Retail • Wholesale 872 Southbridge Street • Across from Ronnies • Auburn • (508) 832-8739 APPLES • PEARS • PEACHES • PLUMS • CHERRIES • APRICOTS • NECTARINES • ASIAN PEARS There is little money to pay for the $15,000-plus expenses associated with the fireworks, according to Southbridge Firefighter Derek Lamica. A fireworks committee, of which Lamica is a member, has been formed to raise money for the show, but has raised only $200 so far this year. “You need $15,000 just for the fireworks,” Lamica said, excluding the cost of police and fire details along with public works employees to secure the event. The committee, which includes Southbridge Town Councilor Ronald Chernisky and Firefighter John LaRochelle, has tried soliciting money from local business, but with little success. Casella Waste Systems, Lamica noted, chipped in some money. Come July, he said, many residents will start (raising concerns) when they realize they won’t be able to watch the annual show. “That’s when you’re going to start hearing people complaining,” Lamica said by telephone last week. Ryan Grannan-Doll can be reached by phone at (508) 909- 4050, or by e-mail at rgrand@stonebridgepress.com • B AG MULCH OR BULK • PERENNIALS • Approval of list needed FACILITY continued from page 1 Commissioner Paul Gagner said. Lemansky proposed the new list after listening to Christopher McClure, who, representing the Trolley Crossing Water Association, asked to be included a new list. Charlton Housing Authority Director Jean Vincent and the housing project’s engineer, Mike Andrade, requested the same. Both will be on the new list. “Those gallons are reserved for specific lists of contaminated properties,” Lemansky said. “The obligation on our side is that those properties are the first to connect.” Commissioner Sandra Dam said none of McClure’s group‘s properties are on the current list, but supported Lemansky’s idea. “That seems quite reasonable to me. Property outside of our area we can’t really account for,” Dam said. “He wants a timetable here. We can’t really help him,” Commission Chairman John Elliot said. Approving the idea might help McClure’s group, given its circumstances. “We do have contamination in the well. Right now they’re on bottled water,” McClure said to the chairman, who couldn’t make any promises. Cost, Andrade said, stops the housing agency from performing its own treatment. “The cost of treatment is exorbitant,” Andrade said. Lemansky gave the public insight into its approach to doling out that water. “It’s going to be wait and see,” he said. “If the availability is there, it’s there.” Parallel to this effort is the ongoing search for a public water supply by the Water Search Subcommittee, formed late last year, to bring a public water supply to the town, which currently lacks one. That group is asking other local communities whether it can sell water to them. In January, Oxford declined Charlton’s solicitation for water. Spencer, Sturbridge and Southbridge officials have all agreed to talk to the town about possibly selling them water. Ryan Grannan-Doll can be reached by phone at (508) 909- 4050, or by e-mail at rgrand@stonebridgepress.com Helping you take great care of your pet. Quality grooming for dogs and cats Grooming advise by a knowledgeable staff Skin treatment products for many needs Furminator Shed-Less treatment Frontline Plus and flea control supplies Nail services Laser ID tag made while you wait Self Serve Pet Wash by appointment 562 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA Call: 508.347.3773 or visit:barkandbubbles.com www.TheHeartofMassachusetts.com
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