Approximately 1:14 into the meeting Mary Ryan is providing expert testimony as an RN (27 years) to the ZBA and those in attendance.
MR= Mary Ryan GR=Gus Ruth JP= John Pasquarelli
JH= John Hann (chair) AH=Allen Humes, (co-chair)
(Mary Ryan is speaking about health hazards and the implications of an asphalt plant)
MR: And that’s the next issue – fugitive dust. This is put out by the State of Colorado. Out west they have a lot of quarrying and mining going on. Fugitive dust is a big problem and they talk about the health effects of the fugitive dust. This is involved from beginning to end of production. It’s involved in the blasting, it’s involved in the crushing, it’s involved in the moving. From beginning to end – DUST.
Health effects: exposure to particles can lead to a variety of serious health effects. Course particles, such as those found in wind blown dust, and fine particles, such as those found in smoke and haze, pose the greatest problems, because they can get deep into the lungs.
Scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems including decreased lung function, development of chronic bronchitis –
JH: Gus?
(Gus Ruth grabs the microphone from Mary Ryan)
GR: All this information is very nice for the next planning board. If you are gonna go through this all again. And I’m on the planning board and I don’t want to hear it. See. What you gotta start with is the plant on one site or the other, and not what it’s gonna produce or what it’s gonna put out through flues or anything else.
MR: I’ve already covered that and…
(There is an uproar among the crowd) Hann says something about staying on the subject.
MR: I know. But she (Irene Ruth) brought up the issue of health, so I am providing you with lots of evidence about health. Here’s the woodstove part. Someone asked a question about wood stoves. This part here says – this is a study. This is a study that says household woodstoves produce a tiny fraction of the amount of pollution of an asphalt plant. There you go.
JH: I am interested in information about the special exception.
MR: And I already gave you that but you pretty much ignored it. Because everybody …..
JH: You have chosen to deal with the confusion, not the issue. Why don’t you give me the rest of your documents.
MR: The first thing I brought up was the ordinance, and I was explaining that a non-conforming use in the agricultural zone cannot be followed by another non-conforming use. And that was ignored. So we continued on. So that’s was why I addressed the other points. I would have been happy to end it with the non-conforming use. Where it should have ended.
JH: Just a second. Just a second. Except I would like to hear from some other people in addition.
MR: These are further medical reports. In case I haven’t given you enough of those.
AH: I do think this is germane, in that to answer the question of will it adversely effect the adjacent area. That is one of the criteria, and I think it is germane to that.
(someone asks “what are we here for?”)
AH: We are here to grant the special exception. One of the criteria that it must meet is that it will not not adversely effect the adjacent area.
JH: and we know that in the adjacent area an asphalt plant is allowed.
Multiple people state in unison, “No, it’s not.”
JH: OK. John.
JP: My name is John Pasquarelli, and I’m just a stupid convenience store owner right up the road here. All your information, Mam, is very good information . . . I breathe more crap in my store every single day . . . whether this plant goes in or not . . . from the highway of route 10 out here. So if they’re gonna shut. . . if you shut down the road for me, Mam, put me in a glass bubble, and make sure I get nice clean air.”
This conduct is unacceptable; it is quite clear just how arrogant and self serving some people on our town boards are. Gus Ruth was asked twice to recuse himself from future PB meetings because of his conduct and refused, he and John Hann participated in Conservation Commission meetings where they openly discussed approval for this plant which has resulted in a lawsuit and John Pasquarelli; a Margaret Sharra hand-picked alternate on the Planning Board and a member of the RED Committee who endorsed this plant at a recent meeting also was asked to recuse himself; he refused and chairwoman Sharra didn't feel his conduct warranted it.
Just how does the public stand to get fair and just treatment at these meetings when our public officials abuse their power?
16 comments:
So, now will Mr. Ruth and Ms. Sharra finally act like grown ups and resign before we have any more lawsuits. We do not need two year olds running the town.
John Pasquarelli for selectmen 2010!
Wow! What a mental-midget. The town voters deserves this guy.
John that pollution and smoke your talking about, as you call yourself just a stupid store owner isn’t coming from Route 10.
Absolutely disgusting behavior they should all be ashamed of themselves and Gus and John P. should immediately resign, they are an embarrassment to us all. No wonder no one attends these meetings, they don't listen to you anyways as evidenced by this.
Here's a perfect example of "how you can help" Dan Carr; see previous topic)... you can go to these meetings and let it be known that the behavior of some of the Board members is unacceptable! Additionally, they call on John P intentionally to allow him to spew his ignorance publicly...he is a stupid man! If route 10 was shut down, he would continue to be a stupid man, but no longer be a stupid store owner, as he would be out of business. Is he complaining about route 10 when this is the only access to his convenience store! .No one is asking for a sterile environment, but why add toxins that are known to be hazardous.
Please don't invite our illustrious Representative Parkhurst. He would be just as embarrassing as JP & Gus!
Doesn't seem to matter what our regulations are or what we the people vote into law at election time. Time and time again these people who have been elected or appointed go against the town in almost every decision they make and waive our regulations for these contractors and businesses, so I ask; just what is in it for them to make them do so over and over again ? You can not tell me they are looking out for the best interest of our town and it's people especially when they are getting sued left and right year after year. There is clearly something else going on here with Margaret, Gus and John Hann based on how they constantly are rude to the public and vote to approve everything that comes down the pike. Has anyone looked into their finances lately?
There is only one way to remedy these problems and that is for people to educate themselves with what is going on in town, how these decisions affect us all and your children's future in Winchester and then get out and vote for change come March; otherwise you can expect more of the same from these people who control your future in this town.
Gus Ruth had it right " know who you are voting for" It's too bad people did not take his advice.
You're right Informer, voting them out is a must do, but getting people in Winchester to vote is tougher than winning the lottery. As past counts show, most just don't care enough about the town, their kids or themselves.
You're stuck with Margaret for another two years. John Hann is appointed. John PSquared's polictical career is over in March.
Be careful though - some on the ballot in March might be some of the bozos returning...
Directly from the minutes:
L. Fox asks if the emissions are the same as from a woodstove.
Mr. Snedecker, for Mitchell, responds yes they are.
Ms. Ryan continues her comments when Gus Ruth interrupts and reminds her that the information she is presenting is for the Planning Board (PB) not the ZBA.
J. Hann comments Mr. Ruth is the author of the APD ordinance. (John Hann did NOT say this)
J. Hann agrees with Mr. Ruth, much of the discussion is about PB issues. This is creating confusion.
A. Humes disagrees, he believes this is relevant. This information may show the proposal may affect the adjacent area. (Allen Humes is correct - the ZBA determines the environmental affects - NOT the Planning Board)
John Pasquarelli comments he breathes more crap at his store on Rt.10 everyday than what this plant could do. He asks if Ms. Ryan can shut down the world from all emissions.
There you have it folks - twisted minutes. How do they reflect what actually happened? They don't! Other than Gus & John were very rude and had no business saying anything!!!!
The actual recorded minutes will reflect that Sharra inserts words and whole sentences that were never said, leaves out complete conversations with supporting testimony and slants the minutes to make certain people on these boards look like they are doing everything correctly and respectfully where in fact they are doing just the opposite. This is why she insists she takes the minutes for both the ZBA and Planning Board; to control the information released to the public and has been backed by Ruth, Sepe and Fraser; a huge mistake and a real ethical question which is eventually going to lead the town into a lawsuit it just will not win and cost us thousands more in tax dollars because of it.
There is nothing fair or just with the way real and truthful information has been controlled in this town by a few. Just try and make any sense of minutes being posted by the BOS for instance. Do you really have any idea of what is going on? Do you care? They are banking on the fact that most of you don't and so far they have been right, that you're simply not interested in where your tax dollars are being spent and because of your apathy they continue to operate in a very shady and secretive way.
There is no openness, no honesty, no integrity; just ruse and misinformation.
How much longer are you going to allow this to continue before you demand true accountability?
Boy, Mary, did you get the impression that Margaret doesn't like you? "With all due respect", we don't want to hear what you have to say.
Another showing of just how arrogant and rude Margaret is when people go against her wishes. Why was it okay for that Snedecker to continue beating his chest and bringing up unproven facts time and time again; but when people from the audience tried to present facts from studies she did not want to keep hearing it? It was quite evident how she was attempting to control the flow of the meeting and what the public could offer to the board. She really is a control freak and needs to go. As much as I hate to say this, I hope those Swanzey and Winchester residents fighting this take the town to court and win. We don't need this type of behavior at public meetings or an asphalt plant in Winchester either.
Did I see and hear right last night? Ken Berthume our former Selectman and Planning Board member testifying how bad this would be to allow this plant in Winchester and how toxic it is and how it will not only affect our water but the air we breath. My God, why won't this board listed to even one of their own on this matter?
We also need to pay attention to Margaret's tricks. She may try and slide changes through the planning board that will benefit her friends. Like increasing the number of animals that can be kept on property. We all know that it is not in her back yard so she does not care. If these changes go through there are some of us that will smell horrible odors and there will be nothing that can be done. You all know that on a hot day pigs, horses, sheep and cows smell. Perhaps we could convince one of her neighbors to raise pigs!
For those people who supported her and voted her back into office, I sure hope it's one of you or more who end up with a problem because of her doing. Maybe next time you'll think twice before casting a vote and backing this self appointed "queen"
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