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Letters to the Editor January 2008
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by Paulette Boyko
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Its that time again. Nomination papers will be out shortly. Will
this be the year for new faces? Lord knows we need new people to
get involved. We thank leaders who have been involved for many years,
truly serving for a better community. But it's time for fresh faces
and ideas. Before taking papers out, there are several questions
a person should ask themselves: Why am I running? Am I running to
help make the community a better place or is this self serving?
Do I have the time available to commit to this position? If elected,
will I have a conflict of interest? Perhaps I would better serve
my community by not running vs being in conflict? Will I recuse
myself because of a conflict? What effect will that have on the
vote of the committee or community I represent? In the situation
of a 4 member x 4 member board representation as with the school
committee, if, two or three people from Blackstone cannot vote for
whatever reason, that is certainly putting the Town of Blackstone
at a disadvantage. Perhaps I can serve in another capacity where
there wouldn't be a conflict of interest? People lose faith in their
town government when cronyism & nepotism runs wild and laws are
not followed. Some say, things will never change. Let 2008 be a
time of change, a positive change. For residents who haven't been
involved to become involved. For seasoned politicians to take a
break and support new people, new ideas. A change to support honesty
and integrity. To support the laws and to be truthful with the residents
and taxpayers. Let's not just say we want change, But lead by example,
how we want that positive change to be. Nomination papers will be
available on January 17, 2008 and must be returned by Tuesday, February
19, 2008. Thirty qualified signatures are necessary to municipal
offices and 35 qualified signatures are necessary for the BMR District
School Committee.
The positions open for Blackstone Town Election April 08 are:
Position Name
Assessor of Taxes - Carole A Whiteley
BMR Dist School Comm Blk Lynn M Landry
BMR Dist School Comm Mil Joanne R. Forbes
Blk Housing Authority Lynn J. Morin
Health/ Board of William T. Walsh
Moderator Frederick J. Stone
Parks & Recreation Comm Kathleen Joyce
Planning Board Thomas J. Bik
Selectmen/Board of Robert J. Dubois Selectmen/ Board of Constance
D. Perreault
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Thank you
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Tis the season for the Blackstone Fire Dept. to say "thank you"
to the area residents, and businesses for their contribution to our
annual Toys for Tots program. Our Christmas season got off to a rough
start this year. On the Saturday morning following the Thanksgiving
holiday, we held our annual Toll Road at the Main St. intersection,
which happens to be our only fundraiser. This festive event for our
firefighters, and visiting characters was interrupted within an hour
or so due to a water line break. That closed our toll road, and made
our special team of elves wonder how we were going to help the families
in our community. Without the generous assistance from the following,
we could not have helped these families celebrate the holiday as many
of us do. Dean Bank in Blackstone and Bellingham, Unibank in Bellingham,
and Main Street Café all set up Christmas trees with tags on them
for their employees, and customers to remove and shop for gifts with.
Mrs. Stephanie Anderson and the members of SADD at BMR organized a
Penny War at the high school and donated their collected money and
time to our families. Mrs. Ilene McTigue, also a teacher at BMR, and
her students from FBLA adopted a family. Mrs. Cheryl Martino, with
her pack of girl scouts, adopted a family. The students of the Middle
School collected change from a drive lead by their Student Council.
CVS Pharmacy in Blackstone and Bellingham set up bins for toy collections
in their stores. Both stores also donate all of the products we use
for the wrapping process. Brian Bernier, who adopted a family, and
Bill O'Coin, with a personal donation, can not be forgotten. And finally,
a big "thank you" goes out to all those in the community that helped
in any way with this special program. This holiday season we brought
smiles to the faces of 19 Blackstone families, including 46 children!
Being a part of Toys for Tots warms our hearts each and every year…
Thank you for being a part of this.
Ken & Mary Cotnoir and the Blackstone Fire Department |
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Thank you
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I would like to express my appreciation to the citizens and elected
officials of the Town of Blackstone for their support during the past
year of my tenure as Town Administrator. Your reception to new ideas
is a strong sign that the Town of Blackstone is eager to be in the
forefront of good government practices. It is my opinion that we have
a team of dedicated public servants, Board and Commission members,
and municipal employees ready to respond to our needs in setting the
proper vision for a strong future. In this short time, we have seen
accomplishments throughout the community, due to citizen input and
volunteerism efforts, and cooperation from all sectors. We should
be pleased that our community has such pride. My family has been welcomed
into your community and I thank you for making us feel part of this
vibrant Town. Our wish is that each person will be graced with good
fortune and prosperity.
Very truly yours, The Bianchi Family Ken, Brenda, Andrew, Leah |
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