Telegram Opinion Piece Targets Southbridge Schools

The following article appeared in today's (January 13) Opinion section of the Worcester Telegram.

A system in turmoil

The public schools in Southbridge face more than enough challenges for any system, including a need to raise academic achievement and help many of their students find stability and direction. The last thing the town needs is instability in school administration. Unfortunately, that has been the case for years. 

Meeting in emergency session last Wednesday night, the Southbridge School Committee accepted the immediate resignation of Patricia Gardner, who had been superintendent for less than a year, and was the target of complaints from system employees over what has been called "a serious account of unprofessional behavior." 

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Ken O'Brien

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Ken O'Brien

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Ken O’Brien

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Ken O’Brien

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Ken O'Brien

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Ken O’Brien

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Ken O'Brien

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Ken O'Brien

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Ken O'Brien

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Ken O’Brien

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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. 

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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.

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Ken O’Brien

I received another three photo-‘toons this week from long-time contributor IMTownie.

The submissions caused me to think how much he has participated in this dubious enterprise. 

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Ken O’Brien

The political scene was dominated this last week by the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Wednesday night the Big Dawg, Bill Clinton, actually got better ratings than the opening game of the official NFL season where the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

On the local scene there were a couple of town council subcommittee events and the release of the agenda for next Monday’s town council meeting.

Finally there was the first day of school marking the opening of the new Southbridge Middle/High School. Aside from some to-be-expected opening day confusion on which buses students were to board at the end of the day, all apparently went relatively smoothly. Kudos to teachers and staff for a challenge well met.

With all that now behind us we sit down to a brunch of Eggs Florentine with a white wine spritzer and conjure up our own take on the week in review.

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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. 

The Democratic Gun Control Plan

Ken O’Brien

The Democratic Party is gearing up for the start of their national convention on September 3^rd in Charlotte, North Carolina.

One subject which has been a recent topic of conversation on The O’Zone that has received little attention on the national scene is the Party’s position on gun control.

All of that is about to change.

Tonight's Southbridge Town Council Meeting

UPDATED: August 29, 2012

A Tribute To “My Chairmanship”

There have been NEW additions! READ ON!

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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.