Why Not Start Cutting Here?

Ken O’Brien

Back on November 17, 2014, Councilor Vecchia read a pledge signed by himself and four other Councilors.

The pledge vowed to cut the budgets for all town departments by at least 1% in Fiscal Year 2016.

Tonight’s Town Council agenda provides an opportunity to get a jump on that pledge.

Item 11 on the agenda reads, “Vote to ratify the amendment of Schedule 5 to reflect the wage/classification rate change for the Recreation Director from $16.35/hour to $21.00/hour for 20 hours, as detailed in the Town Manager’s memo attached.”

The Burning Bird Blister

Ken O’Brien

One possible side effect of the addition of chloramines to the Southbridge water supply warrants investigating. While I know of no research supporting the conclusion, casual observation of events in town inclines me to believe that they may lead to the long term loss of short term memory.

Case in point; it’s my understanding that when someone is given an interim appointment, it is pending the hiring of a permanent employee for the position in question. 

We Don’t Need No Stinking Rules

Ken O’Brien

As we are all well aware, the town manager has appointed former Southbridge Evening News Editor Walter Bird as Director of the town’s Recreation Committee.

It was formally announced in the Southbridge Evening News of February 16, 2012.

The O’Zone had reported that this appointment was in the offing on two occasions prior to the official announcement.

In both of those articles I raised the question why this appointment could be made when the current town bylaws read as follows: