Saturday, July 2, 2011

Does This Sound Familiar and Ring Any Bells?

How is ‘no’ so unclear?

The following is a letter sent in to the Opinions section of the Keene Sentinel. 

Looks like Winchester isn't alone when it comes to the voice of the people falling on deaf ears.

As we approach this 4th of July weekend, I have to wonder if “we the people” means anything here in Acworth to our local government.
“We the People” the hardworking, taxpaying people of Acworth seem to be having a hard time making the selectboard understand our town meeting votes, because they keep disregarding them, and here we go again!
The town votes no and the board of selectmen ignores it. So does your vote count? I am writing to tell your readers after attending the June 27 meeting, that it apparently does not matter how we vote, the board is going to buy an excavator even though it was voted down.
This past March at town meeting, we voted against purchasing an excavator for $62,900. This article failed 86-59 after a very lengthy discussion. Remember that?
The board was told we were in a recession, we were a small town with a limited tax base and people could not afford this at this time.
Of course, when voters disagree, we are criticized and told how stupid we are. I remember reading in one of the papers, and I quote Selectman Tom Esslinger: “People don’t realize how hard our roads and our geography are on equipment,.”
Oh, really? We have equipment too — cars, vans and pickups. And we have to repair those.
Perhaps more potholes should have been filled this spring before shelves were built in the town garage. We who drive on these awful Acworth roads don’t need to be told we don’t understand. We understand very well and our repair bills constantly remind us.
And now the board is disregarding our vote and is determined to sign a lease to purchase an excavator.
And the board had the nerve to say they are doing this to save the town money.
I ask you, what part of “no” do they not understand and what is their definition of ” save money?”
We just paid our taxes — more than last year. So glad the town has our money so they can save it instead of us.
Two years ago we voted for one loader but that vote was ignored and we got another loader for more money (no savings here).
And, we bought it from a selectman by vote of the other two selectmen and not the town.
Now, we voted no on an excavator but the board members in their great wise and infinite dictatorial leadership are proceeding to buy one anyway at a cost of $90,000.
When I went to school (which was in Acworth by the way, but God forbid I play the native card) $90,000 was more than $62,000 and I knew what democracy was and what “no” meant.
What does democracy mean to you? “We the People” need to speak up and speak out and speak loud enough to be heard. If we don’t, what rights will be taken from us next here in Acworth?
Happy 4th of July! Hope you paid your taxes. The board wants more and more money to save so they can buy more and more equipment after we vote “no.”

Resident
East Acworth

 

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yup, sounds just like Sherm and the crew. Buy this buy that no matter how we vote. They sure do like spending money and handing out raises dontcha Sherm?

Watch dog! said...

To choke a chicken you grab it by the throat, this is the year the Winchester chicken gets choked...

As far as Acworth goes...its call Cheshire County Superior Court


There is a new day coming to Winchester.... Support your planning board reps.

jealous said...

The chosen few get another 3 day work week.

Anonymous said...

Wanna bet half of them show up late for work today?

Anonymous said...

Hey Watch dog, I don't get your comments what are you saying bud?

jealous 2 said...

Not only show up late, but come and go as they please.

Anonymous said...

How idiotic is it for our Highway Sup. Dale Gray to take and pours a tanker load of tar, rock, sand and dump it all over our streets. It has been spread all the way from Forest Lake Road to the Old Westport Road’s, his crap is picked up by your tires, sticks to your car paint chipping the paint around your tire wells. Wait till your car starts to rust out....

It is high time the title of highway superintenden position should be taken away from the selectmen’s control and made an 3 year elected position by the voters. The selectmen hiring a guy that mowed lawns for a school in Northfield, Ma.and is now incharge of a $450,000 budget that is making a mess of our streets is a shame. Someone without any civil training or special schooling to be qualified for a $62,000.00 job including benefits as we pay him. For our money we could hire a person with a degree. This will also stop and illuminate people tempted to taken kick-backs on gravel, salt and tar.

Anonymous said...

Just how many times are they gonna recover this road? What the heck is so special about Lake Road that we taxpayers have to keep paying for it to be sealed? Who authorizes this waste of tax dollars every year? This is asinine and a stupid waste of our money. There are many roads in town that need attention, stop placating summer residents and fix our main streets. FOOLS !

Anonymous said...

It's not Lake Road, it's Forest lake down by the dump and what a waste of money. That crap is already peeling off showing bare pavement. The highway dept and Dale should be fired for that mess and waste of our tax money. The BOS should be held accountable for authorizing this crap. Just another example of incompetence, and people not knowing how to do their jobs and that goes for those pompous arses we have on that selectboard, they never hold themselves responsible for anything that goes on in this town.

day of reckoning ? said...

Heck, the amount of hours that hwy actually work in a week, it doesn't seem like they could do to much damage. By the time they get rolling in the morning its almost time to get back for lunch, and who knows how long that's going to be.Most jobs, lunch is from stop work to resume work, if that's the case in Winchester its about 2 hrs Daily. Would not want to have a nice car and live on one of the chip seal roads and then have to pick the rocks off the lawn. I think the budget committee is going to have a lot of questions for Mr. Gray this year.

Richard said...

Well, on the bright side, we're not the only town with issues...

Anonymous said...

Whatever roads were redone, the same case is true for all of them. It was awful work last time and this time is an abomination. The company that did it both times should be sued not to mention pay for the damage done to countless cars I hear. Our two cars have tar all over them and our brakes are wrecked and who know what else was damaged. Time for town hall to step up to the plate and do something about it.

Frustrated said...

re: anonymous 7/6 & 7/7..Town highway is DEFINITELY NOT placating Lake residents with the road chip sealing. Many were furious there when it was done closer to the lake a couple years ago, for all the stated reasons, and are still picking stones from lawns. Walk it in on your shoes and it will ding your wood and vinyl floors too. It's a ridiculous process, or they just don't know how to do it. Come Winter they plow the stones all off the crowns of the road. Take a look at Woodard Ave coming from 119 for that one. And now, they just did that road AGAIN. More tax dollars ill spent.

Do you think anyone cares? said...

Don't know what they may have given the road agent for a gift for getting them the job but after having to redo these roads they may be wanting it back. Glad I don't live on one of these roads.

Word to the wise said...

If I remember correctly a few years ago when Dale though his job was in jeopardy he went to Warwick Ma to apply for work at there hwy.dept, when he found out what they paid he said, " guess I'll got back to Winchester, my little golden goose." If I was Dale I would be the best super in the state, it would be a hard job to replace.

Anonymous said...

A friend stopped by after traveling the Old Westport Rd after Dale Gray and crew finished taring, there was 4 small piles of black stones where he parked. This black tar stuck to his paint and when we tried to chipped it off it left a sticky black stain. When he left WOW! Did his wheel squeal.

Several years ago it cost the state of NH a lot of money when they repainted the lines on Route 9 in the rain, the paint stuck to people's vehicles and wouldn‘t come off. The state had to pay for many vehicles to be detailed and some repainted. Everyone should make a complaint to state police or attorney general’s office and have there vehicles detailed or repainted. Your vehicle will rust. It wouldn’t do any good to complain to town hall.

Yes! Dale Gray better have some good answers saved up for budget committee. He can bet his arss on that!

wants accountability said...

Story in yesterday's Sentinel about a Henniker hwy official accused of stealing diesel fuel from the town of Weare. Wonder how Dale keeps track of the mileage and diesel use on our town trucks when they keep no logs and don't have to account for what they spend on gas or diesel. Seems to me there would be lots of room for fraud and stolen fuel. especially in the winter when trucks are taken home loaded with diesel that can be burned for fuel to heat homes. How about it Dale, do you know where every drop of fuel is going that gets bought and can you prove to our budget committee how it was used?

Anonymous said...

Funny how a few years ago some highway dept personnal and Dale Gray traded their gas pickup for diesels. A few years ago I received a call from a Winchester citizen stating that they saw Dale Gray suspiciously driving behind the town garage late one night after returning from a camping trip.

Past years Sherman Tedford the appointed selectmen rep to the budget committee refused to buy a meter for the town highway diesel pump. Isn’t ironic how the Winchester selectmen allow the foxes to protect the hen house.

You voted for these people live with it. OH! How is the enjoyment of your property going these past few weekends. How about the mud boging without a permit.

Anonymous said...

The owner of the company is extremely chummy with Dale! How many roads in town are in desperate need of patching/repair? Why does this one keep getting all of the attention? Granted no one in their right mind would ever want this kind of job done in front of their house

The good news - Sherman Tedford lives on that road too.

priorities ? said...

Not sure what the name of the road is, its across rte. 10 from Burt hill rd, may be an extension of Burt hill rd and it ends up in North field Ma. That road looks like a war zone and never gets any attention, guess no one of any importance in town lives on this road.

Anonymous said...

we should all make a list of the streets in town including the ones we live on that should be worked on or resurfaced, post it here and maybe after all have commented take it to the BOS and demand they get off their arses and have Dale do the roads that need it most and stop wasting out tax money.

Anonymous said...

Ashuelot Street - especially now that everyone is avoiding the bridge construction!

I was also going to say Back Ashuelot, but that is FINALLY getting paved.

?????????????? said...

So we redo Hawkins rd[ long driveway that the town owns] after the owner logs it off and sells the house. Might be a friend of the town hall crowd getting a little help when the people in the south end keep destroying there vehicles on the worst pothole road in town. Cant help but wonder if the log trucks may have helped to destroy Hawkins road.

Anonymous said...

Answer to ?????? - That would be Tim Hill Sr,(used to work for Earl Beaman).