Southbridge Chiefs Comment On Arson Epidemic - Video

Ken O’Brien

Over the last month Southbridge has been struck by eight fires determined to be the result of arson.

On Monday, May 5, the Fire Chief and Chief of Police appeared before the Southbridge Town Council to provide information about the situation.

Below is a video of their statements and their response to inquiries from Town Councilors.

Where’s The Outrage Southbridge?

Ken O’Brien

Parody post from Photo-'Toons 1.25

Last Friday the Southbridge Evening News carried an article titled, “Council planning to fix radio issues at school”.

It opened with the following three paragraphs:

“Almost as soon as the new Torrey Road school opened last month, staff discovered the building gets no cell phone service.

It didn’t take much longer to find that police radios didn’t work there either.

According to Chief Daniel Charette, that was actually known earlier. Back in November 2011, he started talking with the contractors about fixing the issue, but the individual involved left the company and it fell by the wayside.” 

Sunday Photo-‘ Toons 1.25

Ken O’Brien

As the October chill envelops us like a foreclosure notice on the warmth and comfort of a home in the New England summer, we review the tumult of the prior week.

Local events of note were relatively sparse, eclipsed by the week’s developments on the national scene.

We did have the spectacle of the state representative accepting an invitation to debate and then beginning to tap dance around petty points of contention. We also learned that our new Middle/High School was in a wireless dead zone. But not to worry. Like everything else in Southbridge, we can buy our way out of it. Let’s just hope that nothing critical requiring such resources happens in the meantime.

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).

Southbridge Council Asks State For Police Department Audit

Ken O’Brien

Chief Daniel Charette

Following a sometimes tense discussion the Southbridge Town Council voted 6 to 3 to adopt a motion requesting that the State Auditor conduct an audit of the Southbridge Police Department from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2012.

The motion had been presented by Councilor Laurent “Butch” McDonald and was signed onto by all eight other councilors.

During discussion, council chair Catherine Nikolla conceded that she had signed off on the request but that she regretted it almost as soon as she did. 

Sunday Photo-‘Toons 1.19

Ken O’Brien

Without a town council or school committee meeting it’s been a pretty quiet week in dear old Southbridge. As the saying goes, these are the times that try a critic’s soul.

A couple of subcommittee developments have provided some saving fodder for the foolish.

In addition we always have the endless well of silliness provided by races for national office. 

Oversight: A Contrast Of Imbalances in Southbridge

Ken O’Brien

Two issues have come to a head in Southbridge and will result in either decisions or ongoing indecision in the near future.

The issues are the question of whether there will be one or two Principals at the new Southbridge Middle/High School and the growing disaffection between the Chief and the rank and file in the Southbridge Police Department. 

Southbridge Police Set To Issue “Letter Of Concern” Regarding Chief

Ken O’Brien

At the end of May The O’Zone reported that the Southbridge Police union had taken what was initially termed a vote of “no confidence” in Police Chief Daniel Charette.

After a  month and a half of back and forth with their attorneys, the union is about to release what is being termed a “letter of concern”.

The letter is set to be issued to the town manager, the town council and local press outlets. 

Southbridge Police Union Votes “No Confidence” In Chief

Ken O’Brien

The O’Zone has received confirmation from multiple sources that the Southbridge Police Association recently took a vote of “no confidence” in Southbridge Chief of Police Daniel Charette.

Indications are that the final text of the union’s statement is being reviewed prior to a formal public release.

The action will undoubtedly pose a difficult situation for town manager Christopher Clark who is the Chief’s immediate superior. Regardless of the specific grounds for the resolution, the fact is that any police department is in essence a paramilitary organization. The loss of confidence in a superior officer poses serious issues of morale as well as discipline.

More details will be forthcoming as they become available.

UPDATES: 9:15 am – 5/30: An additional preliminary report indicates what was actually termed a vote of “no faith” in the chief carried by a vote of 15 to 0.