Was Councilor AuClair Involved In A Fundraising Scam?

Ken O’Brien

In a previous post I addressed whether Southbridge Town Councilor Kristen AuClair had misled voters about her role in denying the historical evidence on the existence of dinosaurs.

During her campaign for her current seat on the Council she claimed that her comments on the matter were little more than satire.

As another blogger has noted, “Sadly, I think they actually believe what they’re saying, although we may never know for sure. Between their Facebook page, Twitter feed and Youtube channel, they seem dumbfoundingly earnest. And would anyone put this much effort into their website if they didn’t really mean it?”

Whether or not Councilor AuClair was pursuing an earnest belief or was in fact engaged with others in a high level piece of performance art, one of her group’s efforts, in which she was involved, raises serious concerns. 

Satire Or Smokescreen? Councilor AuClair and Dinosaurs

Ken O’Brien

Back during the recent campaign for town council a story emerged about then candidate Kristen AuClair.

According to this story, Ms. AuClair had maintained that dinosaurs did not exist.

Seeking the truth to this matter, I posed the question to her to which she responded that what people were referring to were merely satirical pieces.

Recently, however, a commenter referred me to a number of videos posted on YouTube.

These do not appear to be works of satire, but a reflection of strongly held beliefs. 

Trump Leads In CNN National Poll

Donald Trump has won his party's trust on top issues more than any other Republican presidential candidate, and now stands as the clear leader in the race for the GOP nomination, according to a new CNN/ORC poll.

The survey finds Trump with the support of 24% of Republican registered voters. His nearest competitor, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, stands 11 points behind at 13%. 

Southbridge School Committee Meeting of the Whole - August 17, 2015

Southbridge School Policy Subcommittee To Meet

A meeting of the Policy Subcommittee of the Southbridge School Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, August 19^th. 

The meeting will be held in the Superintendent’s Office at 25 Cole Ave. at 6 pm.

According to the agenda, several items of importance will be discussed. These include (but are not limited to):

·         A discussion of school uniforms/dress code;

·         Review of physical restraints of students policy;

·         Review of bullying prevention policy; and 

·         Review of wellness policy.

Southbridge School Committee Of The Whole Agenda - August 17, 2015

Southbridge School Committee

Committee Of The Whole Meeting

25 Cole Ave, Room M100

August 17, 2015

7 PM

Agenda

Consumer Watchdog Agency Gets $14 Million For Bank Customers

For those who have forgotten, Massachusetts’ senior Senator Elizabeth Warren first made a splash as chief architect of the legislation that created the Consumer Financial Protect Bureau. Not long after Republicans blocked her chances of becoming head of that agency, she embarked on her Senate campaign.

By way of updating the performance of the CPFB, it has caught another bank cheating its customers and again has secured millions in refunds to said customers. This time it's Citizens Bank skimming off the top of customers' deposits.

Citizens Bank agreed to refund at least $14 million and pay $20.5 million in fines for shortchanging customers who made mistakes on their deposit slips, federal regulators said Wednesday. 

Southbridge School Committee Meeting - August 11, 2015

He Who Laughs Last…..

Last night the sole remaining member of the Big Mac bobbleheads bid us adieu.

The fat cow and her crew of suckling calves are finally gone, leaving in their wake a school district driven to the brink of dissolution.

Let us never forget the relentless impact of such a rare combination of ignorance and arrogance.

It’s too bad their treachery will not receive the kind of publicity accorded to having driven the porcine presiding potentate to crocodile tears over her resemblance to a massive blueberry. 

Ah well, maybe I paved the way for Donald Trump.

Southbridge Town Council Meeting - August 10, 2015

Southbridge School Committee Agenda - August 11, 2015

School Committee Meeting

MacKinnon Council Chambers

August 11, 2015

7:00 PM



AGENDA

Southbridge Town Council Agenda - August 10, 2015

Town Council Meeting

MacKinnon Council Chambers

August 10, 2015

7:00 PM

AGENDA

Rosemary Scrivens - Economic Development Director Candidate - Background

Experience

Regional Director

MA Office of Business Development

June 2010 – April 2015 (4 years 11 months)Worcester, Ma

• Managed the State’s Economic Development Incentive Program for the Central region (66 communities). This program provides two levels of tax incentives for businesses investing in the Commonwealth and creating jobs.
• Facilitated rapid connections to wide array of resources and incentives for businesses of all sizes and industries throughout the Central region. These included non-traditional financing, workforce training and development services, site searches, exporting guidance, marketing and business plans. 

Southbridge School Committee Meeting - July 28, 2015

Heavy Social Media Use Linked With Mental Health Issues In Teens

From The Huffington Post

More than two hours of use per day can spell trouble

Most members of Generation Z can't imagine life without Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter. Nearly one in four teens reports being online "almost constantly," with much of that online time dominated by social media. 

But the effect of social networking on teens' mental health has been largely unclear, since so little research has been conducted on the matter. A new study warns, however, that frequent social media use may indeed take a toll on a young person's psychological well-being.