April Fools Again?

Ken O’Brien

For going on four years now I’ve been preaching that the wailing and gnashing of teeth that comes every December when the tax rate is set is pointless.

Once the town budget is approved by the town council the tax rate is effectively set.

It has been shown repeatedly that Southbridge has the highest tax rate of all local communities.

What we hear in response is that the tax rate has to be viewed in relation to the assessed valuation of the properties in the community. We can’t judge simply on the basis of the tax rate because it doesn’t tell the whole story.

In reality that’s what the less politically correct of us call bullshit.

Quotations From (former) Chairman Meow

Ken O’Brien

Southbridge Town Councilor and former Chairman Catherine Nikolla has a distinguished history of injecting memorable bon mots into legislative discussions.

Who can forget her characterization of a segment of the town’s population as “pigs and barnyard animals”?

Then there was her catty reference to citizens in attendance at one meeting as “the peanut gallery”.

Let’s remember her infamous description of the Casella contract during the original debate on its adoption. “I’ve read this contract. This is a good contract”. That certainly wasn’t her sentiment during last November’s update on the remaining life of the landfill.

Southbridge’s Axis Of Dumb

Ken O’Brien

Clichés are clichés precisely because they are true.

Hence, it comes as no surprise that back in August Salon Magazine ran an article titled “The definition of insanity” is the most overused cliché of all time.

For both of you unfamiliar with this aphorism, it goes, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”.

Southbridge has got to be the poster child for this particular bromide.

It seems that the town will never learn that giving in to political expediency always comes back to bite us in our collective asses.

December 23 - Happy Festivus (Video)

                                           Ken O’Brien

Are you feeling a little left out!? Are you put off by the crass commercialism of Christmas?  You don't celebrate Chanukah. Kwanzaa just isn't your thing. And, you don't even know what Divali or Ramadan is.

Then, come and experience the joy and the miracle of Festivus. One might say that the Festivus holiday is a miracle in itself.

Still not sure if Festivus is for you? It's non-denominational. So, everyone can partake. The Festivus slogan is "A Festivus for the rest of us!" And, that means you, too. So........... 

Eating Crow For Thanksgiving

Ken O’Brien

Councilor Nikolla’s words from the night of the vote on the Casella contract still echo in my ears. “I’ve read this contract. This is a good contract.”

I was among a number of those who disagreed with this assessment. The most ardent of the opponents were John Gatti, Jr., and Larry and Ann Beinema. We all suffered for our outspoken disagreement with the merits of that contract.

Monday night the chickens set loose by the decision to adopt the contract came home to roost.

Bylaw Brigandry?

Ken O’Brien

Councilor Nikolla

Apparently there are some things that former Town Council Chairman Nikolla has learned.

One is clearly how to undertake a major project and keep the product out of public view until it is a fait accompli.

Such is the case with the work of the Bylaw Review Committee.

The lesson learned came from the experience of the Charter Review Committee (CRC).

Sunday Photo-'Toons 1.31

Ken O'Brien

Sunday Photo-'Toons 1.30

Sunday Photo-'Toons 1.26

Ken O’Brien

As we enter the season where the leaves turn and begin to fall, we witness similar behavior among some of the denizens of town hall.

Concern as well as questions began to mount regarding the revelation that cell phones as well as police and fire department radios have less than reliable reception at the newly opened Middle/High School.

The town administration conceded a procedural lapse in the adoption of a motion seeking to change the terms of legislation relating to amending the town charter. 

Sunday Photo-'Toons 1.24

Ken O'Brien

As we close the door on another exhilarating week in the land of O’Z, we look back with fond reminiscences.

We enjoyed a nicely entertaining town council meeting, followed by a snooze fest of a school committee meeting. (No mention of MCAS, hmmm.)

On the national scene, Willard continued to slide in the polls. Fortunately, he was joined by the non-mainstream media in protesting that such samples were clearly inaccurate if not tilted. (This did create somewhat of a conundrum for Faux News whose own poll showed Mittens behind by five points).

My Open Meeting Law Complaint

Ken O’Brien

The O’Zone has documented at great length the black comedy of errors that has constituted efforts to amend the Southbridge Town Charter.

First we witnessed the ineptitude of the town council in dealing with the original charter amendment proposals by the Charter Review Committee after a year’s work.

Then we saw the newly elected council dispense with all that work in two subcommittee sessions and ram through the politically driven result. 

Sunday Photo-‘Toons 1.20

Ken O’Brien

We closed last week looking forward to the week ahead.

Unlike most of you, my untempered anticipation resulted not from looking forward to an upcoming weekend of debauchery marking the traditional end of summer.

It certainly wasn’t marked by the fact that over that weekend I would be a virtual prisoner in my own home, unwilling to risk the prospect of going out and having to try to get home behind a caravan of vehicles heading to the Woodstock Fair given the detours on routes 131 and 169. 

Sunday Photo-‘Toons 1.12

Ken O’Brien

Well, the local elections are over and we are settling into the dog days of summer.

While the new school committee has shown it has a bite, it’s beginning to look like the town council will be just more barking.

While temperatures are tending to moderate after yesterday’s swelter, we may have to crank up the A/C Monday night around 7 pm to stay cool.

But right now it’s Sunday morning. So sit back, relax and unwind. Enjoy those eggs Florentine along with that mimosa or bloody mary. Then you can get to work making enough of those refreshing jello-shots to get you through Monday night’s council meeting.

Southbridge Town Council Pre-Election Charade

Ken O’Brien

I will have a more extensive review of last night’s town council meeting after I’ve had a chance to watch it again.

In essence it was an encomium to how wonderful everything is under the current regime, with the chairman’s and town manager’s announcement amounting to a defense of all their shortcomings. Clearly rehearsed appearances during citizen’s forum reinforced the “don’t worry, be happy” theme with which the leadership sought to lead into the final week before the town election next Tuesday. 

Breaking News: EHS Subcommittee Votes In Favor of Reducing Trash Fines

Ken O’Brien

At it’s meeting of Wednesday, June 13, the Education and Human Services Subcommittee voted to request the town council to discuss at its next meeting a reduction of the current trash fines to $25, $50 and $100 for the first, second, third and subsequent offenses. This would be a dramatic reduction from the current level of $250 for a first ticketed offense.

The vote was three to one with the only dissenting vote coming from citizen subcommittee member Holly Christo.

However, there is no guarantee that the item will appear on the Monday agenda. The town charter provides that the agenda is made up by the council chair. 

Sunday Photo – ‘Toons 1.6

Ken O’Brien

Welcome back aboard the Starship O’Zone.

This week’s journey from the galaxy of the black hole of civic despair into the universe of mirth and merriment is brought to you courtesy of the Southbridge Town Council and the Southbridge School Committee.