Pizza, Palaver and Planning In Southbridge

Ken O’Brien

Todays’ Southbridge News featured a front page article titled “Master plan generates interest, ideas.”

Mark Ashton wrote, “Maybe the timing was finally right, or the stars were properly aligned for a change.
Maybe it was a matter of putting enough information into enough hands in enough offices and organizations that their group efforts could no longer be ignored.
Maybe it was just the free pizza.
Whatever the reason, or reasons, last Wednesday’s Master Plan Visioning Meeting in Southbridge Town Hall drew….nearly a hundred people…”

Collective Onanism?

Ken O’Brien

As those who read The O’Zone are aware, I am not a fan of Master Plans.

To my mind they are nothing more than what the character Alvy Singer in the movie Annie Hall referred to as “mental masturbation.”

This was brought to mind again today by a letter in the Southbridge Evening News titled “Add your voice to Southbridge’s future plans.” It was signed by “SOUTHBRIDGE MASTER PLAN STEERING AND SUBCOMMITTEES AND THE FRIENDS OF THE MASTER PLAN VOLUNTEERS.” 

Planning Piffle

Ken O’Brien

Cassandra Acly

Back in January The O’Zone addressed the vapid nonsense of the hyping of the most recently announced round of Master Planning for the town.

The article cited references to the last round of this exercise in mental masturbation financed by state grants (i.e. tax dollars) to justify the continued existence of the town’s Planning and Economic Development Department that has grown from one person 12 years ago to four now.

On Saturday Go Local Worcester ran an article titled “The Fastest Growing Communities in Central Mass”. 

Where is the Plan?

Lynne Pledger and Brent Baeslack

Though our small, densely populated state generates enough waste yearly to fill 74 Fenway Parks, Massachusetts residents may not think much about the trash and recycling they set out at the curb, as long as it gets hauled “away.” They know that someone somewhere is in charge of the safe and appropriate disposition of the Commonwealth’s discards. And surely this considerable responsibility is guided by a set of policies and plans for the long term – a master plan for waste management.

Well, yes and no. 

Sunday Photo ‘Toons: The Next Generation

Ken O’Brien

Well, it’s Sunday again.

Once again I’ve taken up the challenge of trying to provide a little levity regarding the dire madness in which we are immersed. Heaven knows, the pressure is becoming intense.

I hope you won’t find the effort too disheartening.

Let’s Waste More Time and Money

Ken O’Brien

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” ― John Lennon

In January 19^th’s Southbridge Evening News the headline read, “Seeking vision, town needs people for master plan process”.

The article went on to say, “To Economic Development Director Sandy Acly, ‘The master plan is definitely a visionary process.’ As such, it will need as many people to be involved as possible.”