Sunday Photo-'Toons 1.28

Ken O'Brien

Sunday Photo-‘Toons 1.9

Ken O’Brien

Well, town elections are only a little over a week away 

Just as spring is marked by the blooming of flowers, so this season sees campaign signs sprouting all over the local landscape.

In the spirit of environmental preservation, The O’Zone confines its campaigning to cyberspace.

With that proviso, let’s season your Sunday breakfast or brunch with our unique mixture of cynicism and sass.

Sunday Photo-‘Toons 1.8

Ken O’Brien

Frequent O’Zone contributor I.M.Townie was apparently on an inspired high recently. The result is a six frame series that takes on his/her favorite subjects.

As a result this week’s offering takes on a heavy school committee focus. 

What I Want To Know – Questions for Southbridge Town Council Candidates

Ken O’Brien

Back in April The O’Zone published an article titled “Where’s The Beef”.

Since then we have seen precious little in the way of concrete proposals from those who claim to want to run our town.

Lacking anything substantive thus far from most of the candidates, and having gotten word that a town council candidates’ debate is tentatively scheduled for June 9^th, I’ve decided to put forward some questions to which I would like answers.

I’d be interested to know what other questions O’Zone readers would like to ask the candidates.

I’m not looking for empty and vague generalities. I want specific, actionable proposals that will go before the council.

I will gladly publish replies from ANY candidate who chooses to respond.

Local Groups Prepare for Town Elections

Ken O'Brien

Well, the New Year has come and gone, and in Southbridge that can mean only one thing - the start of election season.

While town elections don't happen until June, various local groups are already preparing for the event.

There is of course the town council as a whole (or at least seven of nine) who are hoping to place their planned charter distortions on the ballot. Their nefarious ambitions were bolstered today by an email from state representative Peter Durant (R - Spencer).

Southbridge Town Council - A Year in Review

Ken O’Brien

The last year has been a tumultuous one in Southbridge politics ("So what else is new?").

The year was marked by a major power shift on the town council as a result of a special election in February to fill the unexpired term of Councilor Laurent E. McDonald who passed away in November of 2010.

The election resulted in the councilorship of Larry Spinelli, widely perceived as the candidate of the Future of Southbridge coalition.

The power shift was consolidated in the June election which returned councilor Nikolla for her third term (and re-ascension to the chair) and the election of Darlene Marcucci and David Langevin, both of whom had served on the council in previous years. All of these were similarly viewed as the candidates of the same coalition.

Now, as 2011 comes to a close, and before the inevitable emergence of a new campaign season, it seems appropriate to review and analyze what the result of this shift in power has been on Southbridge's town council.

The Sleaze Factor In Southbridge Politics

Kenneth M. O’Brien

It would be nice if politics were transparent.

In reality, we all know that it is not.

But, when there is an organized effort at deceptive rumor-mongering, then it deserves to be exposed.

Regrettably, for reasons that I have addressed previously, that is unlikely to happen locally.

Anybody who has not been living under a rock in Southbridge for the last five years knows that there is a clear division that is represented on the town council.

In my experience, one of these groups has acted in a concerted manner. Increasingly, that group has also acted in a manner that, in my opinion, is both deceptive and unscrupulous.

The other group reminds me of nothing more than the famous words of Will Rogers. “I’m not a member of an organized political party. I’m a Democrat.” That is not to say that members of this group are all Democrats. They are in fact split 50/50 between registered Democrats and Republicans.