What was Gerry Skelton thinking...

...about 252 project - as I see it.

Gerry Skelton wanted, very much, to get a new Town hall. He really wanted it. He thought he would go down with his wife by his side as the “Mayor” of Templeton, embracing the love and adoration of the townspeople. However, to get to his goal, he chose the path of “slight of hand” instead of “being real” with the people.

Gerry was the person who signed for the application for the USDA 1.9 million dollar loan. With so many different dates on the application, it is difficult to tell when it was sent out. Let’s just say that Gerry was probably not the Chairman of the Select Board but he was probably the Chairman of the Municipal Building Committee. Now he really wanted to get this building done, and a couple of his buddies wanted it too. They also wanted to be remember as “the ones that got it done”. So they agree to move forward, trying to use slight of hand (look at this hand, while the other is hiding something). Gerry signed the loan, why? Because he thought that he would be on the Board of Selectmen when the deal was done. He and his bride would build their castle, their piece de resistance, their legacy. So why would it matter that maybe he went outside the lines, things were gonna be just fine. He had Carol in place, he had a good chunk of the select board in place. He probably knew that Dennis O’Brien should not have voted for anything to do with 252 because Dennis is an abutter. But Dennis is stupid, or someone is stupid for not knowing what someone on the BOS can and cannot do. Voting to do something that you know will raise your own property value as a person serving as a Selectman, let alone Chairman, is against the law. Ah but who will notice, Gerry and Carol will handle it.

One of the things that bother me about this whole thing is that I was one of the people that voted to move forward with that building. Look at it, it is a dump. But the location makes great sense in creating a presence right off the highway for Templeton. Hell that whole area makes great sense for a lot of reason to use for Municipal Buildings. And they sold me, someone kind of paying attention, wanting Templeton to grow and be prosperous, put on a face of “come live here, come work here”. What sucks, is that they chose to try and use slight of hand rather than being real with people.

As far as why Gerry didn’t want to go through with the whole 21E testing, and tried to fool us with – The first part says we don’t have to do the whole one. But Gerry, the loan application says that for the loan to go through the full 21E needed to be done. Are you stupid and did not just read the thing you signed? No, I think not. Maybe you knew what had gone down in and around that building and that made you scared to know the truth. Maybe if that testing came back and the soil was bad, your legacy would be gone. Better not to risk it. Use slight of hand, act like a bully and get his way, like he had been doing for years. I don’t know him well, but I know who he is. Bullying, and skirting the truth with a smile is who he is. At least that is what he comes across as to me. Regardless of that, he chose this path of deception by bending or having someone bend the words of the law to his favor.

But the election didn’t go his way. I bet he was pissed! Maybe even so as to not think quite straight, and decided to strong arm the Town Clerk. She knows she’s been breezing through, no certificate. Why bother, no one is going to run against her. Besides Gerry and his gang will look out for her. Right? Well perhaps Gerry wanted to be Selectmen so bad, to get what he wanted, that he comes down on her enough to somehow get the vote to go his way. What if? Well that could be a reason why all the confusion happened surrounding that fateful election.  The ultimate outcome would prove that Gerry lost.

But remember Gerry REALLY wanted this building. And come Hell or high water he was going to get his way. What happens next? Well almost the worst thing he could imagine, Carol got fired.

HOLY CRAP! Now what? What the hell is going on? We must continue, we must win, we must retaliate, but how? Lawsuit! That kind of worked before. Those bastards will pay for what they have done! And by God, Gerry will build that building! Its his legacy! At least Bob is still on the Board. We NEED a recall! That could work. We’re liked in town. We will get back at those bastards on the BOS, put Carol back in place and cram that building down their throats. They did us wrong! To Hell with you and  your taxes, we’ll burn you out.

Can you imagine if the conversation went something like that. Obviously I can. Again, whether it went down something like that or not, it sure looks that way to me, someone who started as an impartial observer. Remember I voted at that 3rd night meeting, I thought it was a good idea, but I was also ignorant to the particulars and got sold some nice new white walls on a crap car. Call me a sucker. Call me stupid. It won’t be the first or last time.

The kicker is, they pulled off the recall and have now finally been able to right at least one of the wrongs. How many more things need to be righted? I am sure the list is long and won’t stop until Gerry gets his vision of legacy back. One problem though. The town of Templeton woke up on its 250th anniversary. Some of us rubbed our eyes, blinked a couple of times and said “What the Hell is going on here?” Gerry’s need to win has outreached the peoples’ ignorance. He just could stop himself. In his mind Carol needed to be in that office. Now maybe this is where the need for K&P to come back plays a role, maybe it has played a role since they “botched” the job and lost the town MILLIONS of dollars that will eventually come out of your, or your children’s, or your grandchildren’s pocket. Hey why not Gerry, you’ll be long gone before that bill gets paid in full.

So Gerry’s problem is that things went way off his plan. He has been trying to right the ship since. Time will tell if that building is turned into a state of the art town hall or is left as an eyesore for us all to drive by. An eyesore, that proves one man’s folly and his attempt at slight of hand. I wish that he had been real with the townspeople for their, our sake. It was a good idea. They just tried to hide too much, pay off buddies, skirt the truth and play us as stupid and sleepy. I wish there was a way to turn this around. Make the whole situation a win-win for everyone. I just don’t see it.

I moved into this town because I saw something beautiful. Sure maybe a little rough around the edges, but beautiful and full of potential. I can’t leave and I won’t leave. But maybe I can make it better. Make it into what I saw. Maybe you can too. Maybe Gerry is thinking the same thing. Maybe he had a vision of what Templeton could become at some time. Maybe that is what Gerry Skelton was thinking. And ALL of that is in my opinion only.

Templeton First, Reality Second

The following is my take on Templeton 1st and their propoganda

Templeton 1^st Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide the public with information which will allow them to make informed decisiopropoganns regarding the community in which they live (Candidate Bob Columbus has already failed this misston, as information needs to be dragged out of him ans is not provided freely). We will promote projects (252 project & maybe a new dump) and activities that will lead to the betterment of the town. We will seek to support candidates for local election that we believe are fiscally responsible and will work in the best interest of the town as a whole (as long as you feel that spending wildly on K&P is fiscally responsible). As a group we value our town and would like to see it continue to be a desirable place that we may all be proud to call home.

Templeton 1^st Issues

We must remember why we needed a change in our town government (The following list could be written FOR Julie Farrell and AGAINST their candidate):

Undemocratically run Select Board

Mishandling of town finances

Unfair firing of a town employee

Jeopardizing the town in legal matters

Ignoring public opinion

If we want to keep the town moving in a positive direction we must continue what we have begun!

 Town Government Run in an Open and Respectful Manner:

Do you want a town government you can trust? Do you want elected officials that listen to your concerns? Do you want a town that is welcoming and unified? (Templeton is getting NONE of this with Bob Columbus)

The supporters of Templeton 1st answer "yes" to all of the above, which is why we believe that we must continue to move Templeton (Backward) forward. On February 6th the people spoke at the polls, the people wanted a change (because of the lies that they were told) and we must now work to maintain (the lies) that change. It has only been a few short months since the election and much (lying) work is left to be done

The current Select Board has been faced with many difficult tasks left by the previous board members and some decisions that may not appear to be "politically correct" (like the unfair dismissal of Mr. Ritter as Town Coordinator or the persistent 252 project), but are truly in the best interests of the town. Some wrongs need to be righted and mistakes need to be corrected in order for the town to move forward. (Does mean that Carol Skelton is coming back?) The people need to think long and hard before casting their vote on May 7th. Do the people want to move forward, or do they want to return to what they voted out in February? (Return to what some people voted out because they were lied to by this group)

The selectmen that were voted in on February 6th, as well as our current candidate, will work toward a more (bankrupt) unified town and in the best interests of (some of) its citizens. No one will ever agree with every (Bob Columbus and Isaac Matson) decision 100% of the time, that's what makes us all so different, but when the decisions that are made are in the best interests of (some of its citizens)  the town, then you can be assured that your elected officials are working for (anyone but) you. The townspeople must not hinder the work of the Select Board, (Or What? Is this a veiled threat?) but must work with them in order to make Templeton a better place.

Currently, the town as a whole, has become very hostile and we all need to work together to change that situation (People are brought together through acts of Love. There is not much love being spread by Bob Columbus) . Supporters of Templeton 1st would never hide behind anonymous names or false profiles (instead, they will just outright lie to you) in order to start rumors or make scandalous accusations about elected officials, town employees or other citizens (Some might just tell the truth about the scandalous behavior of our elected officials). They also would not make threats of violence toward elected officials or townspeople. Is that behavior that you would choose to be associated with? (no one wants that, but do you want to be associated with someone that has multiple complaints of bullying as their legacy?) We, as a community, need to leave the schoolyard bullying of finger pointing and name calling behind and work together to unify Templeton. We must support our town government and allow them to get on with the business of the town so that we can once again put (some of the chosen few in) Templeton 1st!

Unfair Dismissal of a Town Employee:

As employees we expect fair treatment from our employers. When an employer dismisses an employee without cause, simply because of a "feeling", then justice is not being served. This is exactly what has happened in the Town of Templeton, and we must work to right that wrong (Does mean that Carol Skelton is coming back?). Our former Select Board Chairman chose to dismiss a long time (complacent, self-serving) town employee without even looking at the employee's past record (written by her husband) or service to the town. Is this how you want your town to be run?

Templeton 1st believes that all town employees deserve to be treated fairly. Templeton cannot afford to loose valued employees simply because one individual makes a subjective decision. We cannot allow the town to go backwards, we must continue the forward momentum (How can the rehiring of K&P and the return to Carol Skelton be considered moving forward?) that was begun on February 6th and we must right the wrongs of the former board (Does mean that Carol Skelton is coming back).

Ignoring Public Opinion:

When you as a citizen attend a board or committee meeting and have questions or concerns you expect to be able to voice those concerns, that is the premise for democracy (Agree). This has also been the norm in the town of Templeton (Disagree) and all citizens should expect fair and equal treatment (Agree). The current Board of Selectmen are attempting to bring back that philosophy which seemed to be haphazard at best under the previous chairman (Disagree). At times the public was not even allowed to speak (As to not open the Town to lawsuits) and some were even forced to leave the meeting (Virginia Wilder, because of her not following the rules). During this time when the board chose to ignore public opinion, the citizens remained civil (Untrue, candidate Bob Columbus called other BOS members “Chicken Shit” which can clearly be heard at 31:36 mark of the 9/26/11 BOS meeting before the meeting had been adjourned) and allowed the business of the town to continue.

Since the change in the make up of the board, many more citizens have chosen to attend meetings on a regular basis. This, on the surface, seems to be a move in the right direction, increased citizen involvement. The current chairman of the Select Board has repeatedly worked to allow these citizens time to voice their opinions and ask their questions in a respectful way (Questions are asked, but not answered). Unfortunately, many of these citizens are becoming increasingly disrespectful and unruly (Unlike the crowd at the 9/26/11 meeting?), thus hindering what work (The unfair dismissal of a Town employee, Mr. Ritter?) should be happening at these meetings.

All the citizens of Templeton have a right to their opinion, but those opinions must be voiced respectfully and appropriately in order for our town to move forward in a positive manner. Let us continue to keep a Board of Selectmen (that is not) willing to hear your concerns and (not) work with you, not a board that muffles your opinions and tosses you out the door (Like what Mrs. Wilder would have done to you).

A Centralized Town Hall:

During these tough economic times a centralized town hall just makes fiscal sense (not if you look at the actual numbers this 252 project will cost the town). All town offices under one roof where departments can interact more easily, costs can be shared, staff can work as a team and citizens can go to one location for all of their town needs. The time for this concept (East Templeton) is now!  

For many years a group of dedicated citizens have put countless hours into the project of a new Municipal Building. They have worked tirelessly to look at many different options and have gotten the approval of (around 100 of) the citizens of this town (on the third night of town meeting at 19pm with a non-unanimous vote, no matter what the Moderator says) to go forward with the project. A building was purchased (via email, no address on the email, and signed by only 3 selectmen) and plans were laid, but new hurdles emerged and now the project has been halted (because the majority of the town VOTED to stop this project). The town has invested many hours and much money into this building and it now stands empty and the efforts seem to have been wasted (the fault of a select few who tried to pass a quick one by the town). Is this a responsible use of your tax dollars, (over)spend them on a project and then leave it unfinished and wasting away? (No, but it was the supporters of Templeton 1^st that did it!),

The foundation of this project has been set and it must (not) continue. The current town offices continue to cost us increasingly more each year and we have a very viable solution within our reach (the former East Templeon school). Templeton can move forward and on into the future (by voting for Julie Farrell), or we can remain stagnant and be left in the dust (by voting for Team Columbus), always trying to make ends meet, but never quite making any progress.

We must put Templeton 1st and think of (ourselves in) the future.

Trying to put some pieces together

The following are some questions that I have about Templeton's past. Can someone, please fill me in....

...about the Dump:

Some people within the town of Templeton wanted to put in a dump site. Who and why?

Would this dump have been able to accept trash for not only from Templeton residents, but also accept trash from outside of the town?

The initial people who would profit from this creation of a dump would have been the land owner who sold the property to (whom? the town? Cassela?).

Others involved in making money from this venture would have been people hired to maintain this dump (Mr. Mullins as some kind of overseer and or the town itself?) and whom else?

What was promised to the town from Cassela in exchange for this dump site?

Cassela gave the town monies for the creation of a Landfill Enterprise Account?

Were there any other parties that contributed to this fund?

Some of that money in the Landfill Enterprise Account was somehow put into the Water Dept. funds? What did the Water dept have to do with the dump?

Did the money in the Landfill Enterprise Account need to be returned to Cassela? Would the town have been sued by Cassela if the money had not been returned?

...about Affordable Housing:

Does the town of Templeton need an Affordable Housing Director? Is there some kind of mandate from the State that demands one from each town?

What are the responsibilities of this Director?

...about the Light and Water department:

How were these two separate Enterprises joined into one?

What fund was used to make this union happen?

Was it more expensive in total for the townspeople to have these two separate Enterprises?

...about the Sewer Department:

Why were the Sewer commissioners not allowed to use their department funds to go after the monies owed to them by American Tissues of Massachusetts?

Who would have profited in any way by not going after monies owed to the town by American Tissues of Massachusetts?

If the Sewer dept was taken over by the town, would this lead the town to raise the pay of the Town Coordinator and their pension?

...about Gerald Skelton:

Did Mr. Skelton pay the town back for the money he received for being on the BOS before the recount found that he should not have been on that board?

Is he legally responsible to pay that money back to the town?

Did Mr. Skelton’s pension grow from being on the BOS during this time period?

If so, how much did it increase by?

If so, has that increase been reduced back to where it was prior to the election in 2011?

Did Mr. Skelton profit in any way from the building of the Sewer treatment plant?

I would appreciate answers to any or all of my questions. Why, you ask? Because I enjoy researching my surroundings.

Thank you for your help.

Can someone please fill me in on what the hell is going on in the town of Templeton, Mass.