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May 9th 2008

• Bridge Work • Political Musing • Folks Remembered • Foliage Please?  • Skid Marks • Access Resolution • David Eck • Crystal Ball • Call Waiting • Grounds Crew • Adelphia Internet

BRIDGE WORK: Work has commenced on the 3-A bridge outside Bickford’s. Rep. Tom O’Brien got to the bottom of it and filed a report with the Ringside Observers. We did additional followup and here is what we now know: The Kingston Water Dept. seized upon an opportunity to lay in new water lines within the bridge frame prior to closing it up. This saved the Town over $100,000 rather then doing it later, when it would have to be installed under the bridge. Now that the water is in, gas lines will follow. Will the bridge re-open sometime soon? Not so, according to Water Superintendent Matt Darsch. He told us that the concrete used in the bridge construction has to have seven straight days of outdoor temperatures in the 40’s. That will not happen at this time. Therefore, the bridge will remain in it’s current state until Spring. Even then, the job will continue in three phases: The side that’s being worked now, then the center, followed by the opposite side. None of this is really good news…except the money part. But then again, how much are the police details costing us?

POLITICAL MUSING: The only thing that’s changed on the Selectmen’s front is that DeMacedo’s loss for County Commissioner will insure the fact that he will run for a fourth term. Still joining him in the crowded field will be Paul Barry, Brian Caseau and that Indian Pond person we hear is FinCom member Jean Landis Naumann. Mark Beaton seems to be acting less and less as a candidate, but one can never predict with Mark. There will be no Planning Board race, no Elementary School Committee race, but there will be two “new” candidates for two seats on the Regional School Committee. Mark Guidoboni will run for a three year seat (He is currently there on an appointed basis), and Town and Country’s John Creed will run for the two year seat. Wayne Bouley will not run for either seat, nor will anyone else. Dan Sapir will seek a fourth term on the Health Board and will face opposition that will surface after the first of the year. The Rec Commission should remain stable as will Library Trustee, Moderator and Assessors. Should be a quiet season as fewer people jump into the fray. But…we always leave the door open for surprises. Count on two spirited races, no more. SpongeBob SquarePants has been declared ineligible because of residency issues.

FOLKS REMEMBERED: The smoke filled Ringside back room served as a meeting area for two faces from the past. From out of nowhere came former firefighter Ken Cushman. Up from Florida for a visit, we had not seen Kenny in over 10 years. We were sadenned to hear that his wife passed away. It was so good to see him and our only regret was that is was a brief visit. Next, we got a visit from former Board of Health member Alan Gnospelius. We were one of the few folks that could not only pronounce his name, but spell it. Alan was up for a family funeral. He has been living in Texas for about 15 years and can be reached at agnos004@neisd.net.

FOLIAGE PLEASE? With all those dreadful pumping stations sprinkled about town, it would be nice if a few more plants could be planted by the Town to camouflage them. Have you spotted the one in the center of Town by the railroad station. It looks like three twigs assigned to hide an elephant.

HOUSE GALLS: How long is that open excavation pit going to be left in its current state at Selectman Cretinon’s Pembroke Street digs? No fence, no safety, no foolin’. Picture that lawsuit waiting to happen. On the flip side, our ubiquitous little public official underwent gall bladder surgery last Monday. The laproscopic procedure took place that afternoon and he was at the Selectmen’s meeting that night. How’s that for dedication? Others might say, get a life.

SKID MARKS: Have you seen the road barriers separating Tura’s Pharmacy from the new Weymouth Bank? All blackened from tire tracks that have careened off them. The Planning Board said they were not necessary but the ZBA, feeling slighted, rose up and demanded them. And there they sit, a scuffed testimony to appointed ego.

ACCESS RESOLUTION: It didn’t take new Silver Lake Superintendent Gordon Noseworthy more than a few minutes to inform a School Committee Sub-Committee that they would not be meeting at the Administration Building. The Ringside Observers contacted the Super’s Office complaining that Geralde Buckley, School Committee Chairman, had scheduled a meeting there, which is not handicapped accessible. She never learns, (an odd trait for a woman in her position). Kudos to Noseworthy.By the way, we attended the meeting which was moved to the High School Library Conference Room. It was, ironically, the Policy Sub-Committee meeting. Why Buckley told us that Noseworthy is on that Committee is confusing. The Superintendent, although serving as a help mate, can never be a member of any School Committee or Sub-Committee. As a matter of fact, the creation of the Policy Sub-Committee to include Buckley and Katherine Carbonara of Halifax is rather dubious at best. How and when did that little group take over those reigns? And why is Plympton not represented? Process, process, what ever happened to process? 

DAVID ECK’s courtroom wars took on a new tone this past month. Last month we reported that although he put up a valiant effort to thwart paying three “false” alarm charges of $50 each ($150.00 total), the Judge ruled against his position and ordered that Summer Street resident Eck pay the fine in 30 days. Eck issued a check on October 21 but had it returned on the 25th claiming the courts will not take personal checks. As a surprise bonus, a second memo informed Eck that since he was now outside the 30 day pay period that a Default Warrant has been issued for his arrest. He is being required to appear before the Court to pay up (with either bank check, cash or money order) and have the warrant released. Well, Eck told the Ringside Staff that he was not going to send in any payments and would wait and see what developes. While that is happening, we were curious about the personal check issue, and called the Court. We spoke with a young woman named Jill (very pleasant and helpful…a rarity for the courts). She said Eck should have been given a Probation Money Slip the day he first appeared in court and lost. She pointed out that the slip clearly states (in red), that there are no “personal checks accepted”. But wait, there’s more. She told us that the Plymouth Court had not and would not issue an Arrest Warrant for Eck. Sounds good, huh? No. Instead they submitted it for Registry of Motor Vehicle action. That means that the next time David Eck renews a license, registration, or anything else pertaining to a vehicle or the ability to drive, buy or register one, the long arm of the Courts will reel him in…and we’ll be there, for the rest of the story. Naturally, the structure is fully handicapped accessible with an elevator and all other ADA compliance, long awaited features that have been lobbied for years. The state has held off on any enforcement against the town because of the forward movement of the new facility. 

CRYSTAL BALL: Who will be the next Regional School Committee member? How will the votes break out? Try this on for size. Mark Guidoboni and Geralde Buckley will opt for Wayne Bouley. They are both strong willed with their own aspirations, John Creed is too outspoken for them…you know, a threat. Brian Caseau will go with Creed. Now for the Selectmen: George Cravenho will go with Bouley, he always does. Cretinon, DeMacedo and Kenney will go with Creed. What’s that 4-3? Who does that leave? Oh, yes. Mark Beaton. He will either create a tie, or it goes to John Creed We’ll come back to this in a moment. Creed is a new face in town, politically. He was a 13 year veteran of the Marshfield School Committee. Bouley has moved in and out of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee. If asked, both will say they will run for the position if appointed (appointments are only good until the next general election). Only one will mean it. Our call…Creed 5-3.

CALL WAITING: Olly DeMacedo must be irate. He pre-paid for a service that would have placed 61,000 phone calls to voters in Plymouth County in the days leading up to the election. Tim Cruz paid for and received the same service. Reportedly, Cruz was pleased with the results. What happens is that the candidate records a 30 second personal message and it is played to recipients of a computer operated telemarketing campaign. The out-of-state company claims to have an 8-12% success rate and for DeMacedo that could have made a difference in a tight race. The problem for Olly however, is that the company screwed up and never launched the call campaign. Even though his check is being returned, that is hardly the issue. If DeMacedo knew the program was going to be scuttled, he could have invested in another venue to get out his message. Whether any of this would have ever made a difference for the Kingston Selectman…one will never know. 

GROUNDS CREW: Once the 10-11 fields on Pottle Street become operational after next year, we are wondering what the annual bill for maintenance will be? We’re also wondering under whose jurisdiction the fields will fall? Wanna bet there could be a move to elect or appoint a special board for this job? Once done, some might find it hard to turn over the reigns…but to whom?

ADELPHIA INTERNET cable service in town has subscribers screaming. Lately the broadband access has been off-line more than on - ISP shouldn’t stand for Intermittent Service Provider.