LOTSA’ WORK going on at the old Town Hall structure, which as you probably know, is under private ownership. It looks like they will be maintaining the steeple structure since it was being worked on the other day. We have no idea what is in store for the old landmark but it will probably have to be residential in nature. We recall that Town Meeting, on several occasions, turned down business zoning for the property. Time will tell. Actually, we believe that within the next 12 months there will be another attempt to get that piece rezoned. In Kingston if you keep coming back to the well, it eventually gives water.

MAIL TAG: Have you noticed the tags on the Post Office Boxes down at the Center? Used to be a time when you were placed on a waiting list. As a matter of fact, there was such a need for boxes that they added the row on the opposite wall from the original boxes. What with the economic crunch is it any wonder that even a small savings like $70. annually can be a welcome relief. We heard people grousing that Duxbury charges less than half that amount. Do you really that that the overall service at the PO is really worth that kind of money. There are a few of the folks down there that do a great job…then there are the others…you’ll know when you have one of the “others”…the line will be out the door.

SPRAY ZONE: For those wondering what all the activity was down at the Mathias Bogs a few weeks back, they were the site of some Ocean Spray commercials. What better a place for the shoot than a pastoral setting right here in Kingston. It’s not like we don’t hold our number of bogs, even though Massachusetts has been replaced as the cranberry capital of the United States. We want to say Michigan or Wisconsin hold that honor.

DOUBLE DEALING: The engineering firm of Weston & Sampson had, some time ago, been placed in charge of the question as to whether or not the old capped landfill could be utilized for several ball fields. You may remember that mega developer Lloyd Geisinger, in his attempts to gain support from baseball enthusiasts, pledged fields at the site, at his initial expense. W & S was awarded the contract to analyze, test, calculate and essentially do whatever was necessary to draw a conclusion. At the same time, much was made by those same sportsmen to get a committee underway to get the dream moving into a reality stage. We think the group may have met on about four (that would be generous) occasions, then turned the work over to W & S and stopped meeting while that matter was being determined.

It is interesting to note that the last, and only set of Minutes from that Reuse Committee is coming up their first anniversary of inactivity. Obviously if W & Sampson had something to report, the Committee would have met. So, for the time being, we can kiss of the ball field question. It is important to note that although it was Thorndike that put up about $15,000 to do the study, the engineering firm was working for the Town as a peer engineer. Thorndike’s money was placed into a town account and it is the town that pays W & S. Get it? Weston & Sampson is our engineer. Now, about a year later, we learn that Lloyd Geisinger has hired Weston & Sampson to look into creative ways to treat effluent at his 40-R location. We are disappointed that Town Administrator Kevin Donovan gave his blessing to this unholy alliance because, it our humble opinion, it is difficult for anyone to serve two masters, more troubling when you’re an engineer. Get the picture? Get paid by the town to evaluate a baseball site proposed by Geisinger, then get paid by Geisinger to answer sewer options. Who do you think will pay Weston & Sampson more? We believe, Kevin’s  opinion notwithstanding,  a conflict of interest. This seems to be a trend with Geisinger, develop a municipal relationship with key people, and then hire them…just ask R. Lindsey Wilson how those capers work…typical lawyer move. We think Wilson was the guy who inspired most of the lawyer jokes.

We have no idea as to what W & S will come up with. It’s highly probable that neither do they,]…yet. But it is safe to assume that the baseball deal will die based on some issue about the moldering garbage under the cap. Geisinger will be free of that matter and is more concerned in whittling down the cost of getting his sewerage treated for the 40-R. He desperately wants to shake loose Camp, Dresser, McKee (CDM) from his life…forgetting they are the engineers of choice by the Sewer Commission. It will be an interesting ride…one that I will sorely miss reporting.

MORAN AGAIN: You may remember that during the hay day of the Design Standards Committee that there was a member by the name of James Moran. We tweaked this guy on a number of occasions for not being a registered voter. Not that you have to be…but if someone is going to recommend certain actions that we should take…it’s a cozy thing to know that you have taken the effort to be a registered voter. Well, that committee’s work is done. While some tout the results of the committee, the one result we didn’t see achieved was Mr. Moran stepping into the Clerk’s Office to register. Others in his household have done so, but not Jim.  Well, Jim is back, this time as the newest member of the Green Energy Committee. Well Jim, unless you are not a US citizen, do you think you can muster enough energy to become a registered voter. You might want the opportunity to vote on some of these things that you have misshaped. Sorry, shaped.

SPEAKING OF the Green Energy Committee, it was interesting to note that their “Wind 102” meeting on October 21 was held without a quorum. Four of the sevem members were A.W.O.L. There only three in attendance for this “meeting”, they being Chairman Brian Spires, Pine Dubois and Mark Beaton. Members not taking the effort to attend this highly publicized event were Michael Kelliher, James “I’ll register someday” Moran, Michael O’Meara, and Stephen Sechovicz. So, even though the group disseminated four color slick pass outs and posters, even though those flyers describe the event as a “meeting”, and even though October 21 is a regular posted day in which the Committee meets, they went on without a quorum. When the Ringside attendee pointed this out, a red-faced (he’s better check his blood pressure) Mark Beaton became belligerent shouting out that “we don’t need a quorum” claiming the materials presented and discussed were only being done as an informational session. Well, that session coincides with their meeting night and the session was billed as a meeting. It was Ralph Calderaro who said, “If the process is compromises, so too will be the result.” Our little “Green Giant” could learn something from that (See separate story elsewhere in paper). By the way, what does “Wind 102” mean? It sounds like one of those Beaton inspired names like 1021 Kingston’s Place. That worked, what the hell!

BIRTHDAY THOUGHT: We paused for a moment on Halloween Day remembering how fit it was that Mauro Mazzilli would be celebrating his birthday on that date.

40-B COMMERCIAL USE is something newly added to the mix. The courts have ruled that the inclusion of commercial ventures is not out of the question under 40-B applications. The matter is being reviewed as we speak next door in the Town of Duxbury on property even closer to our borders. A 40-B project in Duxbury is proposed at Island Creek which is residentially zoned. More recently, a project change is imminent with the commercial inclusion that would be looking for shops to be allowed within the application. This could have far reaching ramifications with much localized concerns. There are several 40-B applications right here in Kingston that could be eying this new reward for developers. We have action on Baker Avenue, Indian Pond Estates, Sunrise off Grove Street, Wapping Road, and Geisinger’s off Raboth Road. Pizza anyone?

PAUL’S ABSENSE: What can’t help but wonder what is going on in Paul Gallagher’s life that has caused him to miss the last several Selectmen’s meetings. Nobody seems to know what the problem is but it was one that had him hospitalized about four days. For the Chair to miss consecutive meetings without explanation is unusual. While we have a bumpy ride in our relationship with Paul, we certainly are as concerned as the next guy. Paul is a decent man with a strong commitment to his wife and children; he has done much for Kingston in positive ways and at times his passion becomes his enemy. We continue to consider him a friend and prefer his presence over his absence.

POLITICAL POT: While it’s a bit early we do want, while the opportunity exists, to give some consideration to the political season that will be upon us before we know it. There are two seats up on the Board of Selectmen; Jean Landis-Naumann and Mark Beaton. Our guess is that each will probably be back on the ballot. Jean likes the authority and relishes those Executive Sessions where her mean spiritedness can come out with no public witness. Mark will certainly run again, saving the world takes more than two terms. He’s still needed to ram 730 houses up our nose along with 44 apartments and several windmills. That would mean that John Haas couldn’t run for those seats. His fealty is for those two and he can’t upset that applecart. Instead Haas will probably run for Joel Michaud’s seat on the Planning Board and keep the ZBA, after all, Lloyd Geisinger and buddy Lindsey Wilson need to tip the Planning Board back to a more malleable position where Haas can shill for Lloyd on the 40-R  while salivating on the 40-B as ZBA Chairman. His reasoning will be that Dennis Randall is doing it. We reproduced a section from a Geisinger mailing that is almost two years old showing the full effect of our happy wanderers and what they had to say back then. Wilson is now a partner with Thorndike. We also see information discovered on-line that Haas is an owner of a development company. Maybe somebody will ferret that one out. One of our on-line readers pointed out that Haas, almost two years ago, before the 40-R was victorious, cited the fact that he was in favor of 40-R for the adjacent land also. That adjacent parcel, unknown to us then, is now the site of the Geisinger 40-B. How did Haas know about that parcel almost two years ago? So, anyway, that’s what Haas is up to when he’s not logging on to message boards promoting his own aspirations as “guest.” Ron Gleason is still waiting in the wings for redemption after his Planning Board loss last year. Gleason and Haas would never run against each other because they share the same dreams. With races only in these two positions, it will be a season of minimal suspense. It will be interesting to re-read this item in about six months.