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The
Farrell Forum
by Jim Farrell
Archives of Past
Articles |
Trade-up tribulations
(November 19, 2004)
Watching my town and fellow taxpayers plunge forward with
new municipal construction projects is somewhere between amusing and
frustrating, depending on the day you ask me. We seem to wholeheartedly endorse
new projects with little thought of what will become of...
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Retirements, Town Meeting &
Election
(October 22, 2004)
Incoming Chief of Police Ronald Teachman will have big shoes to fill. Our
outgoing chief, Gordon Fogg, has been exactly what the town needed – someone
with an even-keeled, even somewhat low-key approach to leading a department that
has seen its share of turmoil over the years.
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Remembering
Jim Coleman...
(September 12, 2004)
In 1995, I was a candidate for a 5-year position
on the Kingston Housing Authority. During the course of the campaign,
I mailed out several hundred “Please vote for me” cards to people
throughout town. One of those cards went to Jim Colman, who I had
known for nearly 15 years.
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ZBA
and Board of Selectmen should be kept separate:
Removal of members should be extremely rare...
(August 20, 2004) The
Board of Selectmen’s growing lack of confidence in the Zoning Board of
Appeals came to a head recently with selectmen directing the Town
Administrator to investigate whether the selectmen could take over the
duties...
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Vote “no” on the
Community Preservation Act
(June 19, 2004)
Some may say that arguing against the Community Preservation Act is akin to
speaking out against Motherhood and Apple Pie. On the surface, it seems like a
novel concept that benefits everyone. We all agree to kick in an extra 3% above
and beyond our current property taxes and, aided and abetted by matching state
dollars...
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Youth sport funding
shouldn’t be an entitlement
(May 21, 2004)
The opening session of April’s Town Meeting included a spirited discussion over
approving a $15,000 Recreation Commission expenditure to reduce or eliminate
“user fees” by families whose children play youth sports...
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Remembering
Neale LaPlante
(April 17, 2004) On the way to Neale LaPlante’s wake
several weeks ago, Susan and I were talking about how we had first met
the LaPlantes. Neale was actually the first "Kingston friend" I ever
made. I say that without hesitation because I met him a full two years
before we moved to town.
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Remembering Russ McAdams
(March 19, 2004)
Kingston won't be the same without Russ McAdams. Our town lost a valued neighbor
and friend with his passing. I first met Russ and his wife Dolly more than
twenty years ago. Their daughter Debbie Mueller and her husband John are
longtime friends.
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Another ‘ballfields’ perspective -
Ten chances to honor our neighbors
(February 20, 2004) I’m not a member of our Board of Selectmen, nor do I have
any desire to add that distinction to my resume. But if I were, I would ask to
address my fellow board members at the next meeting, take the microphone and say
something like this.
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Predictions of Kingston’s Fate in ‘04
(January 15, 2004)
It’s January. Who cares about keeping New Year’s
Resolutions? After weeks of struggling with the Atkins Diet to achieve a svelte
figure (a goal I am nowhere near reaching, let me add), I have concluded that
New Year’s Resolutions and other quests for self-improvement are very overrated.
I have instead put my time to better use, spending the early days of January
consulting with tea leaf readers, paranormals, unemployed psychics, faith
healers and snake-oil salespeople in order that I might see the future and tell
you what the new year will hold for our town. With their input, and without
further delay, here’s a look at 2004, Kingston-style. And remember, you read it
here first.
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Santa’s Sneak Preview for
Kingston
(December 19, 2003)
Imagine my surprise the other night when the phone rang at home and
“North Pole/Corporate Headquarters” flashed on my caller ID.
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Our town’s reality
check and an RX
(November 14, 2003)
Given the troubles that Kingston has seen, it's
understandable that even the most seasoned "townies" are shaking their heads
asking "What next" or wondering if a curse has befallen us.
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The Cretinon Fallout -- Where do we go from here?
(October 17, 2003)
The arrest of selectman Richard Cretinon has once again put the town center
stage in the media spotlight. All of New England saw images of a town leader in
a bulletproof vest, handcuffed, and charged with the rape of a 14-year old boy
that he had corresponded with online for a year.
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Midsummer Ramblings
(August 21, 2003)
OK, so no one asked me my opinion, but
here goes just the same.
One of the greatest mistakes our town made was shooting down Mary O’Donnell’s
Village project. A majority voted in favor (myself among that select group), but
simple majorities don’t matter when a 2/3 vote is required. I would imagine even
some of the project’s detractors (perhaps not the hardcore ones) may be having
second thoughts about the wisdom of that vote, given what 700 housing units will
do to our already-stressed tax rate.
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It’s time for the Town
Fathers to say “Uncle”
(June
20, 2003) I
spent a good part of the last day of my father's life with him. It was a sunny
Saturday in May fourteen years ago, at a family cookout. We talked that
afternoon and into the evening about the work we did together (he had been
retired 4 years and was helping with a newspaper venture), opening our cottage
in Vermont for another season, how our cars were running, and we kicked around a
few political topics for good measure. Pretty typical father-and-son stuff. If
Dad had any forewarning of the heart attack that would claim his life later that
evening, he didn't show it.
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Father's Day
Reflections and Recollections
(June 20, 2003)
I
spent a good part of the last day of my father's life with him. It was a
sunny Saturday in May fourteen years ago, at a family cookout. We talked
that afternoon and into the evening about the work we did together (he
had been retired 4 years and was helping with a newspaper venture),
opening our cottage in Vermont for another season, how our cars were
running, and we kicked around a few political topics for good measure.
Pretty typical father-and-son stuff. If Dad had any forewarning of the
heart attack that would claim his life later that evening, he didn't
show it. He seemed in good health and good spirits. It was an ordinary
conversation on what seemed like an ordinary day.
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Father's Day
Reflections and Recollections
(May 16, 2003)
I spent a good part of the last day of my
father's life with him. It was a sunny Saturday in May fourteen years
ago, at a family cookout. We talked that afternoon and into the evening
about the work we did together (he had been retired 4 years and was
helping with a newspaper venture), opening our cottage in Vermont for
another season, how our cars were running, and we kicked around a few
political topics for good measure. Pretty typical father-and-son stuff.
If Dad had any forewarning of the heart attack that would claim his life
later that evening, he didn't show it. He seemed in good health and good
spirits. It was an ordinary conversation on what seemed like an ordinary
day.
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Winning Battles While Losing The War
(April 18, 2003)
There was a disturbing lack of
consideration for the town’s “greater good” that reared its head at this year’s
Town Meeting. I’m not talking about the attempt to filibuster a vote on a land
acquisition article to accommodate a chairman’s late arrival (although that
might also qualify). I refer instead to the antics pulled by Kingston’s Heritage
Committee at two sessions of our Town Meeting. |
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Next Year's News -
Today!
(January 16, 2003)
It's January. Lots of people are busy
trying to keep those New Year's Resolutions that they made in a moment
of weakness. Not me. I've been using my time a little more wisely. For
the last several weeks, I have consulted with dozens of tea leaf
readers, paranormals, and psychics (not to mention several out-of-work
carnival fortune tellers) in order to bring you, firsthand, a glimpse
into what the next twelve months may have in store for us and for the
town we hold near and dear. So, without further delay, here's your first
look at 2003, Kingston-style.
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Remembering the gift of a brother and friend
(December 2002)
December 16
marks the third anniversary of the death of my brother Paul. Those of
you who have been around a while may remember him, as he was a part of
Kingston’s newspaper history.
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Common $ense Expense
(November 2002)
The
potential Carter bog property acquisition scheduled for November 19 vote
may not pass. If it fails, the defeat may have less to do with whether
it’s a good idea (it probably is) than the perception that the town is
engaged in runaway spending. Taxpayers have taken a lot of financial
hits over the last few years and need a breather.. |
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Taxpayers lost at Town Meeting!
(October 2002)
I voted in favor of the "Village District”
rezoning at the October 7 special town meeting... If you were against
it, you are probably relieved. That relief, however, may be short-lived,
as we consider the reality of what 4,000 more homes being built all
across town will do... |
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Hail and Farewell to a Great Kingston Fire Chief
(September 2002)
For as long as I’ve lived in Kingston, Jon
Alberghini has been Fire Chief. He’s been a familiar face and a voice of
reason through both calm and tumultuous times in our town’s history. |
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Hawkeye: Honoring a great
friend
(August 2002)
Kingston lost a gentle soul July 12, this
one of the four-legged variety, as Susan and I said goodbye to our 14½
year old German Shepherd friend and companion, Hawkeye. |
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The Cure for Ballfield Blues
(June 21) The "Ballfields
Project" is without question the most poorly planned, secretly-managed
project in our town's history. The ongoing saga of this public
embarrassment has done the impossible: it has made the bulldozing of
Larry Slot's house seem mild by comparison.
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Remembering a Town Treasure
(May 2002)
Edith Cobb, a longtime Kingston resident
who died recently, was truly one of our town "treasures" – a
soft-spoken, bright, and classy lady. I had the pleasure of meeting her
and her husband George more than twenty years ago, when their graduating
high school class (the Kingston High School Class of 1936) celebrated
its 45th reunion.
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Question 1 surrenders our rights... twice!
(April 2002)
May's election will offer voters a more
far-reaching choice than who we pick to be our next selectmen, sewer
commissioners, or health board members. Look for the ballot question
that will ask voters to approve combining the Treasurer's and
Collector's positions into one appointed post.
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Kingston/Boston commuter tunnel
(APRIL 1, 2002) Kingston officials
met this week with Massport and federal representatives to discuss a
massive federal/state construction project for Kingston that would, in
the words of one official, "make the Big Dig look like child’s play.
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Radical group advocates eliminating town
elections to curb deficit
(APRIL 1, 2002) In other news,
residents were shocked to learn of a petitioned article for annual town
meeting that would give the current Board of Selectmen lifetime terms.
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"Just say no" to more spending!
(FEBRUARY 2002) Kingston is facing
a potential $1 million deficit that
has town officials scrambling. [MORE] |
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Time to adopt a Zero Quorum for Town Meeting?
I have reached ‘zero tolerance’
for the game-playing, one up-manship, and inefficiency that results from
having quorum requirements at our Town Meetings.
[MORE] |
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Town Meeting Fallout: Where to now?
If the motion to reconsider the
"Village project" had come up ten minutes later, the outcome might have
been different. By then, all the people who voted against it and bolted
out the door would have been gone. The vote came quickly enough so that
most of the opponents were still within earshot.
[MORE] |
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Welcoming the
Observer: A look back, and ahead
With the re-emergence of the Observer, Kingstonians will enjoy a unique
perspective on the happenings in our hometown, although we’ve never
suffered from a lack of media coverage. [MORE] |
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