First, the "good." As a community, we have been fortunate to have had the services of Dave Griffiths on our Police Department for many years. I first met Dave when we were both a lot younger and when newspapering was my full-time occupation. Over the years, Dave has repeatedly distinguished himself as a model law enforcement officer in a variety of situations, from working with the youth of our town through Project DARE or on safety issues to his work in the community.

He has always treated people courteously and respectfully and has handled his duties with professionalism, fairness and a sense of humor. Dave is a class act all the way and his contributions to the town will be sorely missed. Best wishes for a happy retirement, Dave, and thanks for all you have done for Kingston.

Now to the news that’s not so good. The Sewer Commission is on the receiving end of a recall movement. I don’t believe that Mauro Mazzilli’s recall effort will ultimately succeed in removing Harley Cadenhead, Garry Monahan and Brian Donahoe from office. The movement will attract attention, as it did recently when Mauro suggested that he would prefer that the trio resign rather than put the town through the expense of a special election. And it may spark some interest in the board and lead to some contested races in the years ahead. But a three-way removal? I doubt it. Thus far, that distinction is held only by Larry Slot, our former Board of Health member.
What is far more likely is a stepped-up effort to consolidate the sewer, water, highway, and recreation departments into a DPW. That is currently being proposed by the Town Government Study Committee and it could be brought before voters as early as next spring.

Even that will face serious hurdles, however. The measure will encounter strong opposition from the Water Commissioners, who will vehemently object to any attempt to remove their autonomy. They will offer some persuasive arguments against consolidation, including their strong performance record. It’s likely also that their wish to remain independent will find a friendly voice from selectman George Cravenho, who served as a commissioner for many years. But the issue is larger than whether a department does well or does poorly. A DPW is a significant shift in the town’s approach to government. Any DPW that does not consolidate all the major departments is not worth pursuing. If voters feel that the overall idea makes sense for the town, they should support it. Probably it will take a while for this idea to catch on, if it does.

One other option is to repeat history of 23 years ago, when in 1980 the Board of Selectmen attempted to take over the duties of the Water Commission. That was a bad idea then, and it’s not a better idea in 2003. Matters such as these are best left in the hands of the voters.

Now, on to the "ugly" side of Kingston politics. I’m surprised there wasn’t a fist fight at September 9’s hearing on the affordable housing plan. Ralph Calderero and Paul Gallagher had a "spirited" exchange over the affordable housing issue, and many others followed suit.

Selectman chairman Olly DeMacedo did the "why can’t we all get along" plea a number of times when it seemed as though the hearing might get out of hand.

The town is wrestling with developing an affordable housing plan. Some people see all this talk as a veiled attempt to get "The Village" concept back. Others believe that, in the absence of a plan such as The Village concept, 600+ units will be built up on the O’Donnell property which will tax the daylights out of residents with increased schools and public service demands. And then there is an element in town which clings to the impractical, "Gee, maybe if we look the other way it won’t happen" notion.

As a 25-year resident, I don’t have the same bragging rights that the true "townies" do, although I’ve been here long enough to remember a time when you could dial only the last four digits of a phone number and get through, and when there were no traffic lights except for the blinking one at Hojo’s (sorry – Inn at Plymouth Bay). I certainly enjoyed traveling through town when traffic was lighter and there was more of a small-town feel to the community. And I understand the angst of the resident the other night who feared that Kingston will become "another Natick."

However, the town cannot stop legal development. Something will go up on the O’Donnell land. Probably something less tax-friendly than what was originally proposed.

At this hearing, there was a point made -- that nothing proposed by Mary O’Donnell has ever passed, which is not to say that some of those projects and proposals shouldn’t have. But there is a contingent in town who would never vote for anything that has Mary’s name tied to it — Village concept, affordable housing, or anything else. This is the crowd that, if Mary discovered the cure for cancer, would blame her for not having found it five years sooner. When will we, as a community, grow up enough to evaluate a proposal on its merits rather than who stands to gain a few dollars from its passing?

Voters rejected the Village proposal and our only prudent course of action at this time is to look at what the best remaining options are and how to shape a law that supports that viewpoint. The real question here may not be "why can’t we all get along" as much as "why can’t we seem to agree on something that will have the least detrimental effect on our town."

So it got a bit ugly at the hearing, and one speaker, Paul Gallagher, made an excellent point. He noted that when he and others raise issues there are eyes rolling and audible groans. It’s more than a little self-defeating for town officials and activists to constantly make the plea for greater involvement and then not afford speakers the right to air their views. No matter what a person’s view, or street address, that individual should be encouraged to contribute to the discussion. The hearing, though very worthwhile, should have been marked by a more civil tone.

However, that hearing was a lovefest in comparison to a recent Planning Board incident. That brings me to my nomination for "Least Civil" in the town. That honor goes to Fred Tonsberg, Sr., noted builder and developer. Fred’s disdain for the Planning Board, who insists on holding his feet to the fire and making him do what he should, was evident at a recent meeting.

There were a few incidents that apparently sparked Tonsberg’s recent outburst. A while ago, he hooked up street lights at his entrance to the Indian Pond golf course without permission to do so. Because of the higher elevation of the street and the brightness of the lights, the residents along Brook Street claim that they can literally read in their back yards at night and have, rightly, asked for relief. Repeated efforts by the planning board to get Tonsberg to reduce the intensity of the lighting have been met with comments such as "Make me."

Then there was the issue of emergency access for his subdivision to allow ambulance and fire vehicles from the Smith’s Lane station to respond in a timely way without having to go all the way around Brook Street and Indian Pond Road. In Tonsberg’s plan there is a provision for this emergency access through an electronic gate. The electricity hasn’t been hooked up; though he blames the electric company, the problem has gone on for three years, and there is still no emergency access.

On September 9, Tonsberg had a hearing scheduled with the planning board to discuss condominiums that he wants to build near the golf course. When the board pressed him to clear up the existing problems before starting new work and postponed the public hearing on his condos until November to give him time to do this, he stormed out of the meeting, shouting back to call planning board member Ed King and Town Planner Tom Bott "morons."

Obviously, the board is not dealing with a Dale Carnegie grad here. Fred’s treatment of them is galling, particularly given that they are simply trying to look out for the well-being of the residents of Brook Street and Tonsberg’s subdivision. I know both Ed and Tom; they are valued players in the planning arena and are anything but morons. I’m not sure I know Fred well enough to make the same claim.

He builds a great house, has constructed an excellent golf course and by all accounts runs a first-rate restaurant, but he definitely needs a crash course in "people skills."