Friday, October 29, 2010

Hey now... School choice is being considered

From the MWD:

In search of ways to control costs, the school board took a first step toward reevaluating the district's school choice program Wednesday night.

School Committee Chairman Michael Bower said the board asked officials to develop a map showing how the district would look with a neighborhood school model. Officials were also instructed to find the cost and transportation patterns of the plan.

The report will help the board compare school choice and neighborhood school models.

Under the current school choice system, families have the option to send their children to any school in the district. In a neighborhood school plan, students would be assigned based on where they live.

Bower said both models have benefits and drawbacks.

The board is reexamining school choice after this month's special Town Meeting suggested it.

"Town Meeting was very clear they wanted us to put a price on the school choice system," he said.

my words:
I take back everything I thought of Mr. Bower.. he does listen and I think the one thing the school committee could do to cut costs is eliminate school choice. It's clear, some are using it to get just to get busing.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Once again, the legislature fails to protect children from internet predators

From the Globe:

A federal judge blocked yesterday a new state Internet obscenity law meant to shield children from sexually explicit material, ruling that the statute was written so broadly that it would criminalize legitimate websites and general electronic communication.

The decision was celebrated by civil rights advocates, but it frustrated prosecutors who have encountered difficulty in convicting Internet predators under outdated laws that fail to cover new technologies.

“Due to this preliminary injunction, we are unable to enforce this much needed law,’’ said Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz, whose office prosecuted the online predator case that led to yesterday’s ruling.

In that case, a Beverly man was convicted of sending sexually explicit instant messages to a deputy sheriff posing as a 13-year-old girl. But the convictions were overturned in February by the Supreme Judicial Court, which said Massachusetts law did not cover Internet communication and urged the Legislature to update the statute.

After lawmakers hastily passed new language, a coalition of booksellers and website publishers sued, arguing that the new law would hold criminally liable anyone who operates a website with nudity or sexual material, potentially including a vast range of subjects, from art to health information on pregnancy. They said the law failed to distinguish between open websites and obscene material sent knowingly to a child.

In granting a preliminary injunction against the law yesterday, US District Judge Rya W. Zobel said the plaintiffs demonstrated “without question’’ that the law violated the First Amendment by inhibiting free speech, which civil rights advocates called a clear victory.

If elected, I will consult with the ACLU before proposing any laws that stop free speech or any laws that will end up being challenged in Federal court. So many well intentioned, but carelessly thrown together, not thought out well, laws face constitutional challenge. Many of these half-assed laws do nothing to stop or prevent more problems and are nightmares to enforce. This makes at least three laws, Bulling, Texting and now the predator law that don't do anything to resolve the problem.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Another drug company pays big ( 750 million) for fraud.

From the Globe:

Federal prosecutors in Boston yesterday said British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline PLC agreed to pay $750 million to settle civil and criminal charges that it made and sold adulterated drugs, including the antidepressant Paxil, to Medicaid and other government payers.

The settlement, one of the largest ever in a health care fraud case, burnished the reputation of the US attorney’s office in Boston as the premier federal office for investigating health care fraud. It has been responsible for recovering about $6 billion in health care fines and claims in the past decade, about 25 percent of all recoveries nationally.

I know some of you may get tired of reading these type of posts.... but give it 2 minutes to sink in. Some.. drug companies are doing more damage to society than anyone could imagine. And note the figure... the Boston office has recovered 6 BILLION dollars in health care fines in the past 10 years, which is 25% of ALL recoveries. I wonder how much lower health care costs would be if companies stop trying to game the system. This weakens my confidence in the FDA.

I stand by my opinion that there is at least 1/2 BILLION dollars in Massachusetts alone in medical fraud and medicare/medicaid fraud that should be stopped... as soon as possible.

SMOC lawsuit done, time to lick our wounds

Whether or not my proposal to SMOC last month had anything to do with the settlement is unclear at this point and I will not look for any credit or acclaim. But we now can try to pick ourselves up from this dust up and move forward.

While the original perpetrators,(Town Meeting members who wanted to see what a drunk looks like) claim some sort of victory for the Town, I believe, they couldn't be any more wrong in their claim. As someone who has sued a Town and won over violating my free speech rights, I can tell you, since that happened 17 years ago now, I can go to any public place, park, etc, in this state and will not be denied access. The very same thing holds true for SMOC and others who want to set up shop.

This case is landmark and will be cited around the state and country for ever. Anyone who stands in the way will be mowed down in court, righfully so, discrimination is just that and is against the law.

Like most of us know, any time you file a claim on your insurance, your premiums go up... the larger the claim and the more often you file claims ... your premiums go up. The insurance company may well end up dropping Framingham over this or ask for huge increases. Keep in mind, this lawsuit is just one of four that are on going. You can bet, the recent actions by a few bad apples at the police department will add to our premiums when those cases come to trial.

When the zealots tried unsuccessfully to stop the Veterans shelter, I knew then the Town had gone to far. Whether you agree with me or not, the facts are clear, SMOC would not be here if our society didn't need their help and it's those who have served this country who rightfully deserve it. One out of three homeless people in this State are veterans and by all indications, recent veterans are having more trouble adjusting to civilian life and the rate of homelessness for them is outrageous considering returning veterans from Vietnam took 5 to 10 years before they ended up homeless. Today, many recent returning veterans are homeless within a year.

In the settlement agreement, some Town leaders will be required to take a class on how to be better human beings... could be a lengthy 4 year coarse for some.

As far as money goes, SMOC is in for for at least a million or so in legal fee's, we have spent 750,000 (thank you Cris Petrini and Associates) and it's clear, more litigation would have made each party cough up a another million or so. The biggest waste of money to come down the pike since I've lived here. TM should be ashamed.

One thing is also clear, the Dover Amendment will be something we have to spend some time at the legislative level resolving it's definition before more lawsuits are brought forward.

It's time to get past this, stop the outrage, anger, slander and hatred towards the disadvantaged in this Town. We must pull together, work out our differences, talk till were blue in the face with those who can reason, deduce and play fair. Spending time and money on defenseless arguments must make way for common sense and reason.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The last days of this election season

For those of you who want to ask a question of the candidates this Monday night (at 7 to 8PM), please forward them to moderator John Xenakis at john@GenerationalDynamics.com, or call in that night 508 875 1846.

As many of you already know, the League of partisan voters has canceled their candidates night last week. No other group in Town has stepped forward to bring any voter attention to this race. The hapless, partisan Metro West Daily News, who usually does a candidates night long before the election has has all of a sudden arranged a candidates night for next Thursday evening at the main library from 7 to 8 pm.

If anyone who has followed this blog for the past two years and wants to support me as a candidate for State Rep, you have the opportunity to write a note to Rick Holmes at the Metro West Daily News. They will publish the letters in Sundays paper before the election. His mail address is 33 New York Ave, Framingham Ma 01701 or e mail at rholmes@cnc.com.

notable fines and no jail time

In case you missed it, former CEO and two others from Country Wide have agreed to pay 67.5 million in fines to settle the civil fraud and insider trading case. The former CEO, Mr Mozilo 71,has agreed to a lifelong ban from serving as an officer or director in any public company. The criminal case still is still in progress, and as I see it, he along with a few others, like Madoff, will spend some time behind bars. We should adopt the very same policy for legislators who violate the voters trust here in Massachusetts.

CVS in Rhode Island was fined 57 million dollars for not keeping controls over products like sudafed whose components can be extracted to make crystal meth. The charges are for years 2001 and up. We would not have the amount of meth on the streets if the companies who sell and manufacture key components would just stop their greedy ways.

Busing revelations at Town Meeting

I hope all of you who witnessed last night's TM were as surprised as we were to hear the SC Chairman say they didn't want the money, could return the money or spend it somewhere else. I went into last nights meeting thinking about the kids who had to make their own way to school and all the sacrifices parents had to make. But after hearing Mr. Bower speak, the choice was clear.

And if you noticed, school choice came up a few times from the floor. It's time for the SC to do a quick feasibility study, with their software program, to determine what if any savings could be seen if school choice were eliminated.

The victim comes forward... bad news for Perry

From the Globe:
Breaking her long silence, a woman who was illegally strip-searched in 1991 by a Wareham police officer under the command of Jeffrey D. Perry, then a police sergeant, said that Perry was nearby during the assault, failed to stop it, and tried to cover it up after the fact.

The accusation against Perry, now a congressional candidate, was made Tuesday in a statement from Lisa Allen, who was 14 when she was assaulted near a Wareham cranberry bog.

“He had to hear me screaming and crying,’’ said Allen, who released the statement to the Globe through her lawyer. “Instead of helping me, Jeff Perry denied anything happened.’’

Scott Flanagan, the officer who conducted the strip search and a similar assault on a different girl in 1992, admitted to the crimes and was convicted in 1993 of civil rights violations and indecent assault of a child. But Perry initially said that he was in a position to see and hear everything that happened that night and that the assault never occurred.

Ever since Flanagan’s guilty plea, Perry, now a state representative from Sandwich and the Republican nominee in the 10th Congressional District, has faced questions about his role and statements in the case.

“Perry did not care about protecting teenaged girls in Wareham from police officer Flanagan,’’ Allen said. “Jeff Perry cared only about protecting police officer Flanagan.’’

Perry was not charged in either the 1991 or 1992 assault. He resigned from the Wareham police 17 days after Flanagan was indicted, but has said his leaving the force was unrelated to the strip-search cases.

My words:

It will be sickening to see this slime ball get elected to congress and even more sickening to know he returns to Beacon Hill if he is not elected to congress.

Friday, October 15, 2010

crime and the criminals, the DA's complain

The government’s most comprehensive crime survey indicates that violent and property crimes continued to decrease last year even as the nation’s economy slumped, confirming an earlier FBI report.

The National Crime Victimization study, released yesterday by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, showed violent and property crime last year reached the lowest level recorded in the survey, first published in 1973.

The survey estimated that violent crime dropped by 11.2 percent and property crimes 5.5 percent from 2008 levels. The survey interviews more than 135,000 US residents, so it captures not only crimes reported to the police, but also those that went unreported.

Last month, the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report showed a 5.3 percent drop in reports to police of violent crimes last year and a 4.6 percent decline in property crimes.

Professor Alfred Blumstein of Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz School of Public Policy, a specialist on crime trends, said the data on crime victims bolster the FBI’s report, which seemed to buck historical trends of higher crime rates during periods of economic distress.

I got a letter from the States DA"s the other day and wondered what this was all about. The Globe tells the rest:

The Massachusetts District Attorneys Association sent a letter last week to candidates for state office, complaining that last year Massachusetts spent $92 million for district attorneys to prosecute close to 300,000 cases, and $168 million to finance public defenders in two-thirds of those cases.

“The system is broken,’’ Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said yesterday. “The funding for defending criminals is out of control, while the district attorneys are starving for dollars.’’

But defense attorneys strongly disagreed. Representatives of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, as well as the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, attended the event, with many defense lawyers sitting in the back of the room, arms folded, as the prosecutors talked.

“Your numbers are disingenuous,’’ said Rosemary C. Scapicchio, a Boston criminal defense attorney.

The defense lawyers argued that the boost in their funding occurred because court-appointed lawyers were at the time among the worst paid in the country. They also argued that the funding has helped to establish a good defense system for indigent people, making Massachusetts one of the best states at providing constitutionally protected legal counsel.

The defense lawyers also said the prosecutors’ numbers do not reflect the millions of dollars prosecutors receive in federal grants and from drug forfeitures, as well as contributions from investigative agencies such as local and State Police, state crime laboratories, and the state medical examiner’s office.

The district attorneys raised other arguments: Even with the boost in funding, the Committee for Public Counsel Services has routinely overspent its budget: Earlier this year, the Legislature approved an additional $33 million in funding because of budget overruns, according to the district attorneys.

The district attorneys argued that the system has encouraged some attorneys and court experts to depend on income from the state. In 2008 and 2009, for instance, the Public Counsel Committee paid more than $1 million to two psychologists who testify for indigent defendants in sexually dangerous person cases, according to the prosecutors.

The prosecutors also said the average assistant district attorney handles more than 400 cases a year, while the average criminal staff attorney for the Committee for Public Counsel Services handles about 100 cases.

The prosecutors’ group called for an equal distribution of funding to both prosecutors and public defenders, saying “the state’s budget priorities and values are out of synch with the public, and it is the public that is clearly paying as a consequence.’’

Please note... that the DA"s office, State and Local Police do NOT have to report their share of civil forfeitures proceeds, estimated to be in the multi millions. And, if the DA's would spend less time prosecuting low level drug possession, they'd have more time and money to prosecute real crime AND at the same time, freeing up public defenders to defend real criminals.

Our economy and the banks

If you haven't heard, all 50 states now have stopped ALL foreclosure proceedings. It turns out that hundreds of thousands of foreclosures may have not been done right. This action by some the biggest banks could spell the end of a few if investigators discover it was done intentionally. The foreclosure crises is getting bigger, with 102,000 just last month and on target for over a million by years end.

In an insult to this country, Wall Street is on target to pay 144 BILLION dollars in compensation to it's employees for 2010, up from 132 BILLION in 2009. The best line in an article for the WSJ was a quote, Many firms say if they don't adequately compensate employees, they risk losing top talent".

A recent UMASS study suggests that our economy is doing better than most in this country, "the recovery is fragile and uneven", but recognizes there are still to many people who cannot find work. Three hundred thousand in this Sate are still unemployed.The State has added 60,000 new jobs in the last 6 months and cut the unploymernt rate by a point, but it's clear to me, we will have high unemplyment in this Sate for years to come.

And today, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave the clearest signal yet that the Fed is about to act to further spur the sluggish U.S. economy, stating that "there would appear...to be a case for further action."

The Fed chairman, in a speech in Boston Friday morning, said persistently high unemployment poses too great a threat to the economy, and that the central bank needs to weigh the risk of weak prices, rather than focus on its traditional concerns about inflation. He suggested the battle against inflation has largely been won by the Fed.

I say: Look for another stimulus program similar to the "New Deal", were billions are spent on infrastructure rebuilding roads and bridges. We can't just wait until things turn around, we must act.

Renewable energy projects... will make a differance

All around us and in our back yard, millions will be spent on manufacturing and research and development. This week, Middleborough based Mass Tank Sales announced they will build and supply Cape Wind with the pilings that hold the turbines to the sea floor. They will partner with EEW Group from Germany, the worlds biggest manufactures of structural parts for wind turbines. They expect 100 jobs here in Mass and will begin marketing their products world wide. Siemans, the manufacture of Cape Wind turbines will also be opening an office in Boston... more jobs for Mass residents.

Google and a New York financial firm have announced they will invest heavily into a proposed 5 Billion dollar transmission line, 10 miles off the east coast and run from Virgina to New Jersey. This transmission line will enable wind turbine farms to cost less to build and operate, thus making electricity from their facilities, cheaper to the consumer. The construction is due to start in 2013 and will help navigate around permitting, which has been the reason many projects take years to approve.

This week UCONN has received a 1.8 million dollar grant from the DOE to build a bio refinery capable of making 200,000 gallons a year of bio diesel from hemp. This award signals the administrations willingness to incorporate hemp into the green energy program. And if our state can pass the Massachusetts Hemp Farm Bill, we would be able to supply UCONN with the necessary feedstock to make bio diesel. I will seek out grant opportunities for Massachusetts to build one in western mass.

On a not so brighter note, the Feds have given approval for blending more corn-based ethanol, from 10% now, to 15% for new cars. The new blend will be for cars and light duty trucks built after 2007. More testing is ongoing to see if the higher percentage ethanol can run in cars and trucks made from 2001 to 2006.

Not only does ethanol drive up the costs of food for humans and livestock, but now will obsolete many of our vehicles. Perhaps many of you will remember when un-leaded cars hit the market in 1974/75 and we were scrambling to find Getty stations for un-leaded gas.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Rescue of a miner with a happy ending

The world was moved to tears when that first miner was pulled out. Over a half a mile straight down, in a small dark room, these miners are being plucked from the clutches of hell. What a sight it was to see the first miner come out the top of this steel pipe in the ground. I bring this matter to your attention because an Amercian company used Amercian technology to get to the miners in record time. Not only have lives been saved, but we helped save them.... Good for us, I say.

And for once, a happy ending for those rescued, the industry and the whole world....

Friday, October 8, 2010

Sinking to new lows... The League of Woman Voters

Last month I e mailed the League of Women Voters and asked if the debate scheduled for the October 13th was going to be televised live from the Town Hall.

As far as I can remember, the League of Women Voters has always sponsored a candidates night. Now comes word they are canceling the event on the 13th. This is the type of dirty politics that has corrupted the voting public and is NOT what the League is all about. If it were not for the debate Stephany has arranged for the 25th of this month, hardly a voter in this Town would have ever been able to see the differences in the candidates.

The League should be ashamed of themselves in lite of thier mission.
"Serving the people of Framingham, Massachusetts"

"The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization that provides voter education and encourages active participation of citizens in government".

e mail Co-Presidents Rosemary Weich and Andrea Haynes, http://framingham.ma.lwvnet.org/contact.html and tell them how disappointed you are in their very partisan decision.

Jim,

It's scheduled for town hall and (with some luck) they're always televised.

Good luck.
Rosemary

On Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 10:27 AM, Jim Pillsbury wrote:

Good Day,

Is the debate scheduled for October going to be televised Live from the Town Hall?
Thanks
jim

Yes.
Rosemary


Yes, basically very few members. I'm really disappointment.
See you at Temple Beth Am on the 24th I hope.
Rosemary

On Fri, Oct 8, 2010 at 12:40 PM, wrote:

Rosemary,

How unfortunate for the voters of Framingham, is there a reason?


Jim Pillsbury

On Oct 8, 2010, Rosemary Weich wrote:

Jim,
Sorry to report that the candidates' night for the 13th will not only not be televised, but has been canceled.
Rosemary

The long bus ride

Last nights School Committee meeting regarding the busing issue was discussed and more questions seem to surface. The hour and a half bus ride for kids is just to much. About 700 students currently ineligible for transportation should be on buses by the end of the month, the superintendent told the School Committee last night.

But it was noted by transportation director Rick Gallagher that the problem is exasperated by kids being bused across Town. (my words.... because of school choice)

"I'm just worried about it," said board member Adam Blumer, who feared some parents who applied for bus passes wouldn't get them. "I'm tired of getting into another situation where we send out a mixed message."

Parents (who can afford it) are stuck between paying 270.00 or so each child or making other arrangements. I wonder what else could have been cut to keep the busing that way it was... and still have not had an answer from the school committee, on how much would be saved in costs if school choice were eliminated.

The plot thickens at the Cahill camp

Just when you thought this election season was without controversy, Cahill has sued the 4 past members of his election team. The judge has barred them from using inside information. This litigation could shape the field and if it is discovered that the competition has something to do with this, Baker could end up the loser here.

The e mails don't lie and it appears that plans were in the making, by the defendants a while back to gather dirt on Cahill. More sleazy politics is not what this Sate needs..

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Tax increase after election?

Gov. Deval Patrick accused his Republican challengers of "a new low" Tuesday after one -- the Senate's GOP floor leader -- suggested that the administration had not fully explained the state's financial health and hinted that a postelection tax increase might be needed to close a budget shortfall.

Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei, the running mate of Republican gubernatorial challenger Charles Baker, said earlier he would block action on a $420 million supplemental budget bill until Patrick explained to him and his fellow Senate Republicans if there were any other budget shortfalls on the horizon.

The supplemental funding comes from the federal government and must be spent before the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2011.

"I kind of feel like this whole exercise ... is putting our fingers in a dam that's about to burst, because we don't know all the facts," said Tisei.

The Wakefield senator, who would take over as lieutenant governor in January if he and Baker win on Nov. 2, then said, "Things are being swept under the rug until after the election. There's a lot of talk here already about a major tax increase after the election."

Asked who was taking about that, Tisei responded, "I've heard. There's talk around."

He then used a standard Baker campaign line, saying, "It's the only way out for people who refuse to reform and restructure state government."

Patrick complained about the accusation in a statement issued hours later.

"Republican electioneering on Beacon Hill has reached a new low," he said. "While we try to avert plans to close prisons and group homes for people with profound disabilities, Richard Tisei makes baseless insinuations about looming postelection tax increases. These charges are both ridiculous and irresponsible."

The governor added: "Tisei should not let his obsession with his political campaign interfere with the responsible discharge of the people's business."

The state is just three months into its new fiscal year, providing fodder for the supplemental budget debate.

When Patrick signed the spending plan into law, he pronounced it both balanced and on time. He has repeated that claim on the campaign trail.

Yet the budget included sharp service cuts because the state had yet to receive some federal Medicaid money at the time it was passed. Massachusetts subsequently received the funding, but it's using some of the $420 million to close shortfalls in other areas of the budget.

By some estimates, the budget remains $600 million out of balance for this year, and $2 billion out of balance for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

I'm taking bets on whether we see an tax increase or not.... any takers?

Five O can rake in the bucks

93 officers on the state police payroll earned over $150,000 last year.

9 actually earned over $200,000, including 1 trooper (not a sergeant or Lt. or Captain, a trooper)

And they still get Quinn money.

I trust it's mostly detail pay and overtime, but one has to wonder how this happens in these troubled times.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Cahill's sinking ship.. is the end near?

From the Herald:

Independent gubernatorial candidate Timothy Cahill, who has seen top aides defect from his campaign, is now losing his running mate.

Paul Loscocco today will announce he is dropping off the ticket and will endorse Charles Baker, the Republican candidate, The Boston Globe has learned.

Amy Birmingham, Cahill's spokeswoman, did not immediately return calls seeking comment on Loscocco's defection.

"I ran to have a spirited debate on the issues and to advocate for new ways to create jobs, lower taxes, protect personal freedoms, and fight for the principles of Ronald Reagan who inspired me to become a Republican as a young man,'' according to a Loscocco statement released this morning.

However, last week, John Weaver, a former chief operative for McCain, quit the Cahill campaign and endorsed Baker's candidacy.

The following day, Cahill campaign manager Adam Meldrum resigned from the campaign

More trouble for this Town

From the Herald:
An on-duty Framingham police detective accused of pulling over to relieve himself in a private yard, then drawing his gun on the home’s resident, has been indicted on criminal charges, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office announced yesterday.

Detective Scott Brown, 38, of Mendon was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and making threats stemming from an April 29 incident taking place on private property in Framingham, said spokeswoman Cara O’Brien.

Prosecutors say Brown, who was on-duty but not in uniform and driving an unmarked vehicle, got out and began to urinate. A woman who lives at the unidentified address approached and asked what he and his partner were doing, O’Brien said.

After Brown allegedly told the woman to “stop looking” and returned to his cruiser, her husband - upon hearing the commotion - drove over in his golf cart and stopped next to Brown as he was pulling away, O’Brien said.

The two exchanged words, and Brown then got out and drew his firearm, pointed it at the victim, and said, “Move it or get shot,” prosecutors said.

The wife called 911. A video surveillance camera on the property captured the incident, O’Brien said. Messages left with Framingham police were not returned. Brown could not be reached for comment.

Questions that need to be answered: why hasn't this officer been charged with indecent exposure? why has it taken since April to charge the officer? Were his weapons taken away?

Law Enforcement and the DA's office can only cover up so much and if it were not for the episode being recorded on tape, perhaps they would have sweep this under the rug. But if convicted you can bet there will be a civil suit against the officer and the Town. One bad apple does not spoil the whole bunch, but there needs to be more scrutiny by administrators of all the officers for competency.

The offer to SMOC

For those who have followed this quagmire our elected officials have gotten us into.. the short story is SMOC can continue it's lawsuit against the Town on discrimination charges, among others things. We have already spent 750,000 in legals fee's and there's no telling what the BOS have planned for the future. The fact that they even have a say in this is mind blowing. One way or the other, it seems very likely, a jury will find Framingham did indeed willfully engage in illegal activity and just as likely, this Town will suffer in reputation and monetary damages.

Herb Chasen has been working diligently to try to negotiate a deal, but at a meeting early this week with SMOC, it's painfully clear, the Town has nothing to offer. At the meeting, I asked Mr. Cuddy and Mr. Desiletes to ask the board of directors at SMOC one question: will SMOC drop the suite if all of those named in the suite who are elected officials, resign. Mr. Cuddy stated he will get back to me after the board meeting and if they say yes, I would propose asking the ALL the residents in this Town, should we continue to spend more money on leagl fees, possible fines and damage to our reputaion by continuing to defend our side, or ask those who got us in this trouble to resign, thus stopping the law suit?

I'm interested in knowing what our readers think of this idea and how you would vote.

The Master Plan and Nobscot blight

Last night at Heritage Hall, Ken Buckland, a consultant with The Cecil Group, gave an overview of possible goals for the Northside's future. But it was very clear, the Nobscot Shopping center was the hot topic. The owner of that land has refused to do anything to lesson the eye soar, even turning down a proposal by the Nobscot Neighborhood group to paint the big sign in front. The abandoned gas station is part of the blight and as we heard, there is no forcing the owner into action. I did hear from Carol Spack, we as residents can demand from the selectman enforcement of rules that govern blight. The new master plan, which the Planning Board hopes to present to annual Town Meeting next spring, will replace one adopted in 1988.

Once again, it appears the residents need to be more vocal about the center. Write a letter, e mail or call and ask what is being done to make the shopping center, vibrant and attractive. Also, please tell them you would shop there if there were more stores.

Center Corp
600 Loring Ave. Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 741.4740
Fax: (978) 745.1223

Acquisitions
Mark Klaman, Principal
mark@centercorpretail.com
Office: (978) 741.4740

Andrew B. Rose, Principal
andy@centercorpretail.com
Office: (978) 741.4740

Property Management
Terri Desjardins
terri@centercorpretail.com
Office: (978) 741.4740