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March 2002 

• Name Game • Condemnation Lifted • Police Contract • Susan Farrell • Question 1 • Nosing Around • No Signs • Lights, Camera • Baseball Rosters • Three Races • Teacher Contract • Kindergarten Issue • Audit Pressure

NAME GAME: Back in early December of 1997 The Pottle Fields Committee was brand new. They were officially known as the Community Center Building Committee. That name made it sound like something was being done for Kingston's senior citizens. The next step was to actually put a few seniors on the committee; adds to the appearance that we're really talking about a real building. Fact is, the Ringside Observers have gleaned through all the minutes of this committee and don't find anything close to a serious consideration of a for goodness sake senior center. Maybe a small structure for equipment storage or a room with a round table for those with VIP cards. But so far as a legitimate complex for the widespread use and enjoyment of seniors… get over it. The Ballfield Commit… ooops, the Community Center Building Committee says they are $50,000 under budget, but the Senior Center is not in the expense account. And besides, they're already saying that the building size is the place where all budget cuts will be absorbed. To the seniors of Kingston: It ain't gonna happen! This is all about baseball and soccer fields. You want a Senior Center? Either embarrass this group to find a few "volunteers" to make good on the promise, or flex your collective muscle and get it done at Town Meeting. God knows we've spent money on everything else. Demand that it now be your turn.

CONDEMNATION LIFTED: We are pleased that the condemnation order imposed by the Board of Health for that property over at 3 Riverview Avenue was lifted on April 8. The property owner made good on his pledge to work faster on the cleanup operation. Upon inspection by the Health Agent it was reported that all rooms had been cleared of debris, including the basement and bathroom. Based on that report the board lifted the order.

POLICE CONTRACT: It's been about two years now that the cops are working without a new contract. Now that the teachers have settled, what about the police? We hear some bitter remarks out there in the streets and understand that negotiations are pretty tense. After more than a few years of turmoil in the department in years past, things have been relatively calm during the years that Gordon Fogg, one of our own, has been Chief. Gordon came up from the ranks and has quelled the complaints from within. Now the bad guys are the Selectmen. Let's get this thing out of arbitration and settle up.

SUSAN FARRELL was appointed to fill the vacancy on the Planning Board created by the retirement of Ed Corrow. Now there is a positive move… and a no brainer, we might add. Susan, you may recall, served as a planner for many years and stepped down some time back for family reasons. She served most of those years as chairman and was a guiding light when the town re-crafted its zoning regulations. She represents the total package: bright, fair, articulate and dedicated. It's nice to see another woman on a major board to shake up the boys. We remember, about 10-12 years ago women formed a lobby group to take on a more active role in municipal affairs. Is it time for the conclave to meet again? What do you say Pine, Dona, Peggy, Marge… and we're sure Christina Willis would be there in spirit.

QUESTION 1: You've read a lot about it in this issue and you have seen the ads. The Ringside Team will only chime in for a few thoughts. Taking not one, but two offices from the ranks of the electorate is to diminish the role of the voter. For well over 200 years we have elected these two officials. When our town is praised and we speak of our love for it, it is the net result of all who have served that we credit. We have not only survived, we have thrived. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We are a growing community with a wealth of talent to draw from. The Selectmen must feel we were capable of doing the right thing when we voted for them. Now they worry we'll falter in our other voting choices. That's the talk of sun gods, somehow they draw power from a source we have yet to discover. And to word the Article in a manner that could never be understood by the general public is a disservice to the voter. We join all the others who say Vote NO on Question #1.

NOSING AROUND: Check out the ad on page 6. You can actually make money by putting your nose to work for you. One of our Ringside Sniffers actually has been a part of the activities… and, aside from making a few bucks, has enjoyed herself. It's kinda like inhaling a scent and placing a name to it, kinda like" hard to explain. Check out the ad, it beats giving blood.

NO SIGNS: Where was Dick Kenney's head when he dreamed up, or was advised on that one? Says he has been committed to dealing with 'sign pollution' during his three years on board. When did we miss that little ditty? Let's see… Selectman candidate Kenney put up signs four years ago in a losing effort against George Cravenho. Kenney put signs up three years ago when he was successful in a three way race for two Selectmen's seats. Before serving out one year he ran an unsuccessful campaign for County Commissioner, with signs. So, what are we missing here? We'll tell you what's missing… subtlety. The move was obviously politically motivated and directed against the challenger. And we'll never buy the notion that fellow incumbent Richard Cretinon wasn't a party to this. Without being overly ugly about this, what we have here is a couple of guys ganging up on Marjorie Cadenhead and trying to put her in a no win situation. Classic case of the guys ganging up on the woman. First, they create a false premise, put the challenger in harms way, then blame her for having to put up signs themselves. Apparantly, sign pollution is restricted only to races in which Kenney is a candidate. It did not go unnoticed that Kenney had alerted all the papers to his scheme even before Cadenhead was informed. Typical, he's done it before. Then again, 'sign pollution' might be the major plank on the Kenney platform. We tend to think of it as a colorful, albeit somewhat annoying form of democracy in action.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, action! Speaking of Richard Kenney, his next amateur pre-election production will air next week when he has asked all former Selectmen to come on down to the Faunce School to serve as a backdrop for his next Infomercial. Since the Board never authorized, discussed or planned this event, Kenney heads an all-star cast of… one. Southie politics at its best. Not often you can dream up a scenario, star in it and pay less than union wages to your walk-on players. Folks, don't miss that meeting on April 23. Now that you know the purpose behind the event, watch awkwardness behind the smile. You can bet he'll chair that meeting. Kenney is a clever manipulator. Aside from embracing all popular causes, he has placed the 'honored guests' in a no win situation (sound familiar?). The array of former Selectman really have to show up. To do otherwise would appear rude and ungrateful. The remainder of the current board are also placed in an equally awkward position of required graciousness for what is obviously a self-serving agenda.

BASEBALL ROSTERS: Why is it that kids from outside Kingston are appearing on the roster of a few teams here in town? Is that fair considering there is a waiting list of Kingston kids? We are told that there is also a coach who is from Plympton. Keep in mind, our neighboring town all have their own programs, so what's this all about? Will someone write us and clarify this matter?

THREE RACES: Everybody must be generally satisfied with our leadership or content with mediocrity. Here is the rundown. Marjorie Cadenhead challenges incumbents Richard Cretinon and Richard Kenney, a rare Recreation race features incumbent Norm Harbinson with challenges from Robert Pinato and Linda Marie Rohr. The top two will take the two available seats. Dennis Randall and Mauro Mazzilli will face off for a two year seat on the Health Board. Expect a write-in initiative for Elementary School Committee. There was an open seat and nobody pulled papers. Write-ins in the past have yielded some quality people. Trivia question: Who was the candidate to run on a sticker (write-in) campaign and top the ticket against two people who appeared on the ballot, and what was the position? Hint: It was in the late 70's.

TEACHER CONTRACT: So, it's done. The teachers now have a contract and everybody can go back to loving everybody again. Probably not. It's a fact of life… you always loose something in close combat encounters. It will take time for the wounds to heal... despite the platitudes to the contrary.

KINDERGARTEN ISSUE: The child's introduction to school has always been a half day venue here in town, until now. Expanding it could carry a $2250 price tag. Our first thought is that either it's free to everyone or you don't do it at all. There is no question that spending a full day in kindergarten will carry with it academic advantages to those able to pay. Public Schools have never been based on the individual's ability to pay. This is why private schools exist along with supplementary programs outside of school. This is establishing a caste system among the most impressionable of students. Frankly this idea stinks. Is this really about education or subsidized day care?

AUDIT PRESSURE: Guess who was just named to the Audit Committee? Our own financial scholar extraordinaire, the aggregate wizard of ballfield debris, the poster child for "wanna see how far I can go and not be spanked", and the prestigious award for Chameleon of the Month award for personal makeovers made easy, who am I really" …Ted Alexiades. Talk about putting the fox in the henhouse. This guy can crunch numbers into oblivion faster than PacMan of old. The Audit Committee had an opening on February 11 and it was filled 10 days later courtesy of Selectman George Cravenho who personally ushered in this task for the Finance Committee to vote for from a list of one. Nothing like messin' with the purity of the audit process. Kinda like putting Lee Harvey Oswald's mother on the Warren Commission. Don't laugh, this is Kingston; the dead zone for political common sense. More on this later.

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