I’m just back from my Sunday morning breakfast at ML Shaw’s with my Mother, one of my daughters and three grandchildren, and later will spend the afternoon with three other grand children and out of the 6, 5 of them are or will be attending Dracut Public Schools.

I guess its also important to note that my sisters and I all went to Dracut schools and my father  before us.

I just mention this before I get into this because I obviously care about the Dracut Public Schools and want them to be of quality and not  what Robert has said… and while I’m at it Robert Palmer, if you are strong enough why don’t you come in and debate me on the subject.

As you know I give your pal Cowan all the free air time he wants and have invited anyone interested to come in and tell their story.

The difference with me is that I have a great understanding of these issues and their consequences and I’m not a guy that’s going to agree just because everyone else in the crowd does

So, I’m pleased to tell you that over the years I have supported the schools in many ways. I did the site designation work on the current Junior High and was part of a group of school committee/selectmen collaboration that got that school built without any tax increases.

Imagine that… a school board and BOS that worked together to make things happen

Also got the money for the ball field at the end of the Brookside (Rowe field) and developed it with donations and private work, including sending my own equipment down at Shaw Farm’s expense.

In terms of budget and operations, I supported the schools every year and took the school board to task when they got rid of a perfectly good leader- Mrs Espindle

So when I hear people like Cowan and Palmer questioning my commitment to our schools get annoyed.

You might think these people discovered the lean revenues we deal with.

The reality is we have been dealing with this problem for decades, and despite our efforts, the tax base hasn’t changed and won’t unless you want to take a chance on Cowan’s brilliant idea of building a bridge over the Merrimac to Andover and hope that changes our luck.

Getting back to the override, you should be open minded to understand that there are different ways to look at a solution. Just because the school board decided to take a certain path does not mean anyone that disagrees with that path is anti-education or anti-children.

I understand and respect their commitment to their cause but it is my belief that the problem could have been solved in other ways that would not hurt the people on limited income and the people that attempt to make a living in town.

While I’m at it, for those of you that there is a lot of money in Dracut, try to make a living here, or better still talk to a local banker and ask what they see

Local business deals with the same exact reality that our schools do, trying to survive on limited income because of where we are.

But we don’t have the power to tax.

My job at the radio station is about opinion, and I have plenty of them and I’m not going to be bullied into submission by anyone

I will never intended to get involved in this thing other than on SML but this latest outburst of ignorance has me rethinking.

See comments below.. Rob Palmer claims credit as does Kathleen Parsons (real name?)

Rob is the one i had to earlier ban from posting because he was posting using multiple names.

Still waiting to hear more..

Well, word it all over the place about Rich Cowan, or is it Palmer.. self appointed spokesman for the $2.9 million dollar override, having called for a boycott of the 100 year old Dracut businesses associated with the Shaw family, because Warren Shaw does not agree with their point of view.

I’ve been holding off commenting because I didn’t get the actual posts yet, but I heard directly from Warren this afternoon, and now from Gerry Nutter the same thing.

By pushing him too hard, you could force Warren into the position of leading an opposition.  I know him. Don’t doubt this.  Its not something he wanted to do, until now.

So far the radio program has had people on both sides on as guests, and welcomed callers on both as well. Cownan has called in every week as far as I know.

Mike Sancartier made the point that after this is over, everyone needs to be able to get along. At this point, if they remains a spokepeople for the proposed override, it is harming your cause. The town will remain bitter and divided into the forseeable future.

I join Gerry in calling for a public renunciation of this action by the leaders of the tax proposal, the school administration and committee members.

The small businesses are not the targets, and families should not be attacked for the opinions of one of their members.

Update: Rob Palmer, a member of the Stand Up for Dracut group, claims it was he who started the boycott discussion.

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By Dan Phelps,  copied from the Lowell Sun

People in Dracut, relax.

You will have your chance to override Proposition 2 1/2, thus raising your own property taxes higher than the state-allowed limit so you can give the School Department more of your hard-earned money.

Selectmen did not, on Tuesday night, vote to deny you your state-given right to pay more money for fewer services.

Selectmen did not vote to overrule the will of Town Meeting.

Two of the five selectmen — Joe DiRocco and Cathy Richardson — did, in fact, question the size of the override amount of $2.9 million, and did move to delay setting a date for the special election so selectmen could have more time to debate the amount of money sought through the override.

The other three selectmen — Tony Archinski, Bob Cox and John Zimini — while agreeing to put the vote on hold, were unequivocal in their belief that what Town Meeting voted on is what the rest of the town should be allowed to vote on in a special townwide election. That doesn’t mean they’re in favor of the override. It simply means they feel that the town should honor what Town Meeting decided.

Read the rest

At the Library
Tuesday June 25, 2013
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Join doctor Leana S. Wen, M.D., M.S., for a discussion of her book, When Doctors Don’t Listen : How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests. Dr. Wen is a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School and an emergency physician at A
Brigham & Women’s/Massachusetts General Hospital.

[This event was rescheduled from Thursday, June 13th]

M.G. Parker Memorial Library. 28 Arlington Street. Dracut, MA. 978-454-5474. www.dracutlibrary.org

Senator Barry Finegold and staff will hold open office hours on Friday, June 28th in Dracut at the Parker Library, 2nd Floor.

Office hours will be from 3:20 to 4:20 p.m.

Alternate locations on the same day include:

Lawrence: Lawrence Public Library, 3rd Floor (Robert Frost Room)
51 Lawrence St.
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Andover: Memorial Hall Library, 1st Floor (Activities Room)
2 North Main St.
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Tewksbury: Tewksbury Public Library, 2nd Floor (Study Room)
300 Chandler St.
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The Department of Revenue responded to a question from Dracut as to whether the Selectmen have to present the whole 2.9 million dollar override on a ballot question.

The DOR said that the Town Meeting voted an appropriation of up to $2.9 million, but that the Selectmen actually decide how much to put on the ballot question.

Any amount from nothing up to $2.9 million is allowable to be presented to the people to vote on.

This is fascinating, in that the town meeting thought that they were voting for a $2.9 million override to be put on the ballot, but in actuality they voted an appropriation.

The question is, but was stated outright, can they propose multiple options?  I know a number of us would be more apt to agree to a lesser amount for the override.

Tony Archinski stated that he would only honor the full amount, but is uncomfortable that a lesser proposal was not put there as an option.

Others spoke that it is “worthy of discussion” to wait until the July meeting to decide what to do about this issue.

By doing so, they put off a decision of when to hold the special election. But it looks like it will go to September.

There will be two questions if not more.. one for schools, and one for the municipal side (up to $200,000 for that one).

Update: Poor Betsy Murphy can’t get no respect. Over at the Sun in this morning’s article she’s Betsy Johnson, and earlier I had her as Becky.  Don’t worry, we’ll eventually get it!