Governor Announces Funding For Innovation Center At QCC In Southbridge

Ken O’Brien

Speaking today at Incom, Inc. in Charlton, Governor Deval Patrick announced $2 million in advanced manufacturing equipment grants to the Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) to support the creation of a new Innovation Technology Assistance Center (ITAC) that will prepare the school's students with the skills for careers in advanced manufacturing.

“We are committed to choosing growth and enhancing the competitiveness of the state’s advanced manufacturing industry, for today and the future,” said Governor Patrick. “By providing our students with proper skills and training, we are supporting opportunities in this critical industry and ensuring a strong economic future for our Commonwealth.”

Southbridge Town Meeting Petition Is A Fraud

Ken O’Brien

One of the sponsors of the petition to reinstate the town meeting form of government in Southbridge has recently demonstrated on his blog an affection for using common-world definitions in a legal context to support an opinion.

With that in mind, I’d like to invoke the Merriam-Webster definition of fraud as it applies to my opinion of the petition and its sponsors. “Fraud: a: deceit, trickery; specifically:  intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right b: an act of deceiving or misrepresenting:  trick”. 

The School Budget And the Tax Rate

Ken O’Brien

The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting of the Southbridge School Committee seems to add to the tax woes of Southbridge residents.

This analysis is being prepared on the basis of only partial information. As such, it seeks to provide questions to which we need answers in anticipation of the upcoming Town Council vote on the FY 2015 budget.

The original school budget as proposed by the Superintendent was for $26,282,197.00. The budget to be voted upon is for $25,273,485.00, a reduction of $1,008,712.00 or 3.8%. 

Southbridge School Committee Meeting Agenda - May 13, 2014

SOUTHBRIDGE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING

LOCATION: Robert G. MacKinnon Council Chambers, 41 Elm Street

DATE: Tuesday, May 13, 2014

TIME: 7:00 PM

AGENDA

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.

Southbridge Town Election Candidates 2014

Below is a list of candidates for contested positions in the June 2014 Southbridge Annual Town Election who had submitted papers with a sufficient number of signatures as of yesterday’s deadline and who have not withdrawn previously submitted forms.

            Town Council                        School Committee
              (3 openings)                             (3 openings)
            Miguel Estrada                        Brent Abrahamson

            James Marino                          Scott Lazo

            John Pulawski                         Christopher Olivo

            Gus Steeves                            Raymond Page

            Albert Vecchia, Jr.                  LeAnn Pate

            Paul Zotos

Charter Schools – Havens For Waste, Fraud And Abuse?

Ken O’Brien

May 4th through the 10th is National Teacher Appreciation Week. It is also National Charter School Week.

In what may be regarded as a poke in the eye to that latter occasion, a new study has been issued that focuses on what it maintains is a culture of criminal behavior that infects charter schools around the country.  Titled “Charter School Vulnerabilities to Waste, Fraud and Abuse,” the report focused on 15 states representing large charter markets, out of the 42 states that have charter schools.

The report, co-authored by the Center for Popular Democracy and Integrity in Education, makes the point that the problem of charter school waste, fraud and abuse, which it focuses on, is just one symptom of the underlying problem: inadequate regulation of charter schools.

NRA “You Can’t Have That Gun”

Armatix iP1

As a teenager, Omer Kiyani was shot in the face with an unsecured firearm. He still struggles with the trauma. But the Detroit engineer now believes he has created a device that would have saved him and may save thousands of others.

He calls it "Identilock," and while it still needs final adjustments to the prototype and further investment, Kiyani expects to launch his smart gun technology in U.S. stores within a year, retailing for around $300. 

Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day

Southbridge Town Council Meeting Agenda - May 5, 2014

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

COUNCIL CHAMBERS

 TOWN HALL  

May 5, 2014 –7:00 PM

AGENDA

1. Pledge of Allegiance

2. Roll Call

3. Consider and accept Town Council Meeting Minutes of Monday, April 28, 2014. 

Three More Suspected Arson Fires In Southbridge

From Fox News 25 in Boston

Tell Council “Take Control Of Budget And Tax Rate”

Ken O’Brien

In February of last year The New York Times reported, “Since the official recovery began after the recession’s June 2009 trough, labor market weakness has been most pronounced in the public sector (and particularly among state and local employment): 5 million jobs have been added in the private sector (a disappointingly low number), while the public sector has shed 721,000 jobs.” 

Steeves Takes Scalpel To Marino “Plan”

Ken O’Brien

Gus Steeves

Local commentator, former Evening News reporter and prospective candidate for Southbridge Town Council Gus Steeves has published a new installment of his column “Earthborn” in the May 2 edition of the Southbridge News.

Titled “Red flags fly over petition” he examines what he terms “…a disturbing and potentially dangerous conflict”  in the petition designed to return Southbridge to a town meeting form of government.

Mr. Steeves elaborates on this assessment as follows:

Joe and Nancy, sittin' in a tree...

May The Fourth Be With You (with A Big Bang!)