Virginia Wilder
Templeton
To the Editor:
The other night, I attended the joint town meeting with other residents from Templeton and a contingent of Phillipston residents. The purpose of this meeting was, once again, to vote on the Narragansett School District budget.
Members of the finance advisory boards from both towns, members of the Board of Selectmen from Phillipston, the School Committee and three attorneys all sat before us. Each, in turn, had their opportunity to defend or explain their position on this vitally important vote. Obviously missing from those sitting before us was the Board of Selectmen from Templeton. The moderator informed us that the selectmen from Templeton had declined the opportunity to do so.
The impact of this vote, no matter which way it went, was to be significant. For the school, not getting this extra money would mean having to make drastic cuts in areas such as teachers, programs, sports, busing and other areas. For the town, there would also be dire circumstances. If the school got their budget request, the town would have to decide where to make approximately $551,000 in cuts or find an alternative method of funding this amount of money.
So, I would ask, why would the board of selectmen from Templeton not want to explain this to the people and defend their position before the vote was taken? The potential here is that many town employees will either lose their jobs or have their hours drastically cut. If I were a town employee, I would not be very happy that their leadership did not even try to have some say before this vote was taken.
Prior to this meeting, there was much talk about the consequences of this vote on private blogs and on other non-official sites, but there were no comments from the board of selectmen on the official town website or in the local newspaper. The people of Templeton, particularly town employees, deserve better than this. The board of selectmen and the town coordinator should have formulated a contingency plan long before this happened. Instead, they have left their employees out in the cold.
I do hope that the people of Templeton will give serious consideration to an override vote for some portion of the needed money. I do not believe that an override vote will happen in this town for the entire amount. The selectmen and the town coordinator need to do their jobs and pare down some departments and maybe even eliminate some positions.
A few years ago, a nearby town eliminated all department assistants. Maybe that is something to think about.
It would not solve the whole problem, but it would be a beginning. There are many avenues to take, but I believe that the people are waiting to see them do some serious work before asking residents to vote for an override.
There is no happy ending to this. It is good that the school has adequate funding for this year. It concerns me that innocent hard working people may lose their jobs to accomplish this. It also concerns me that public safety departments will need to be cut. It concerns me that I will be paying more taxes for fewer services. In my opinion, this should not have happened. The lack of any plan going forward concerns me.
The school has adequate funding for this year, but their needs will increase next year like all other departments, so what is the plan?
It is time for the selectmen to stop blaming everyone else in the world for their problems and take responsibility for what is happening under their watch.
Virginia Wilder
Templeton |
Wow V.W.,I guess the nap didn't help any. For you to say anything after leaving the town elected position of selectmen is whats known as being a buss driver without vision. I as a town employee don't feel the people working to better Templeton are to blame it's the past people + Quiters like you that have jeopardized the future of Templeton.
ReplyDeleteIf you were so concerned for the things you point out why did you give up on us.
I knew when we had our talks about Templetons problems you just did not understand what you were going to do about any of it. As you point out about money and why it is like it is you will never understand what it takes to decide the problems solutions. As you state a lesser override and pare down of department would be a solution? Would the school pare down as the rest of the people hit by a failed method would have to? Guess not,lets say try it again? The concern you should have would be for the people that have been held down and squeezed from raises and money they earned and should get. Not anything but. Your concern should be for the past failure they had to live with,while paying for it in the future. Templeton is in the ditch because the way the driver's used to drive the buss,over the employees backs.The plan is simple for Templeton to work together and provide the money needed as it makes the world go around. Please support the override and if it's to short for anyone who works for the town consider your buss driving skills poor. I support what Templeton needs to get better not worse. We need a new beginning not more old failed cutting tactics. We found that plan won't work and never will when all departments don't share the load.
Quiet remember you "Quit"!
So Virginia it's not okay for any school employees to lose their jobs but when you say lets eliminate the department assistants, it's okay for town employees to lose their jobs? If you have the answers why did you quit the board. Weren't you on the board back when they took the money away from the employees. Did you even think that if any of the selectmen had gotten up to speak about the devastating effects to the town 1) they would have been heckled and 2)accused of trying to threaten the town. You did plenty to destroy this town with your personal agenda (remember the former treasurer).How about what you did to the town coordinator. Now stop blaming the current board for what they did or did not do and offer some help and suggestions so people will not lose their jobs and help spread the word to voters that we need an override.
ReplyDeleteI am afraid Virginia enjoys sitting in the audience, so she can make remarks and heckle like she did Monday night at the selectmen's meeting. I taped her on the shoulder and when she turned around, I said "gee, you should have stayed on the board". She smiled, and no more was said. She should know how difficult it is to do a job, where you can not make everyone happy. Bev.
DeleteBev, I heard what you said when Mr. O'Brien entered the room..."They must've shaken the nut tree." So you too are guilty of heckling once in a while. And don't forget, this very blog has had its fair share of name calling also...remember what Mr. Columbus is usually referred to? Boob. Isn't that right?
DeleteAs Templetonian keeps saying, we ALL need to do a better job of treating each other fairly and moving forward so we can begin to heal our divided, little town.
My dear Gina, I will use their name when they earn some respect, so do not hold your breath. Mr. O'Brien earned his picture on the front page of the Gardner News. Bob will always be Bubba in my book, and It took me the longest time to think of Scrappy's name, but if it makes you feel better, I'll call them by their given names. The damage these people have caused, will never heal, but in the spirit of moving forward I will try to do better. Bev.
DeleteVirginia always says she's for the school but she throws them under the bus ever chance she gets! So let's get that right! She is no ones friend!
ReplyDeleteYou've got that right. She is the poster child for Backstabbers.
ReplyDeleteUmbrella, I wasn't at any sub committee meetings so I cannot say what happened there and I thought and it seems to be that she supports the school, but I will say that at an advisory board meeting after the override didn't pass and lots of people came to a Gansett Greatness meeting Virginia was there and I thought at first was being helpful but in the end it was destructive to us. That made me question trust and that was a sting for me that will be felt for a long time. Do not tell me one thing and go and tell others something different. I would prefer you speak directly to my face and we can work that out. Trust, that is earned and once it's gone it's very hard to get back. I see Bev's point in that respect that it was lost and it was lost in a large way with many of the past leaders.
ReplyDeleteDiane, you are absolutely correct!! It is hard enough to build trust & sometimes almost impossible to rebuild it. My opinion, also. Thank you for contributing so much to Pauly's site with another perspective of how you & others may feel about what you have & have not been told in truth. A pleasure to see your respectful thoughts, views & comments. I've learned from your research into things real estate related, as well. Thank you.
DeleteMy opinion is this, Sit with your back to the wall, so you won't get stabbed! Bev. Also, watch what you wish for, you may get it! OOPS!! I think Ms. Wilder, finally figured out how bad the people in the town offices really will be hurt. Kind of late for 20/20 vision. Bev.
DeleteYes Bev, you are so right. Many of us, who were "innocent" to the dirty politics from years ago still have the scars to prove it. Always sit with your back to the wall & watch ever so carefully. If you can't do that then find someone who can help watch it for you. That is hard to come by these days, it seems. But looks like we are working on it. These things that were done to us, as a town, have gone very deep. It takes a bit longer for the deeper scars to heal, don't you think? Thanks to everyone who is trying to fix our broken system & heal these deep wounds.
DeleteYou're welcome. Are you following the Tuesday in Templeton Blog and Facebook page isteach? I don't talk much real estate there and I have been so busy I haven't had much time to post or blog at all in the last many months, but I am getting back to it. I posted a video today that I made a couple of years back about our town through pictures, it was fun to do and put together. I love the history and I think if I could go back in time it would be to the earlier days when there was a lot of commerce here, the train depot too or when they first started to put in and build the electric company... I would have loved to stay at the inn and visit the post office in the country store building and sit on the porch ... that's where my love for this community begins ~ I like how the church and the historical society are right there in the center representing our beginning and our history.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, Diane. I will check those sites you mention. Also your description brought up the grand image of years ago. I would also have loved to see that old glorious Inn on the Common. Wish it was still there. We have a very interesting town & heritage. You are correct in that it is worth fighting for & saving our wonderful Templeton. Thanks again to all who are doing just that!
ReplyDeleteThere are benefits to being as old as I am. My friend Marcia Rod and I climbed up into the tower of the Templeton Inn, when they were starting to tear it down. The view was so beautiful. I remember going up the stairway, looking at the beautiful front room. I only wish I was old enough to have stopped them from tearing it doen. Kerry Valiton's grand father Mr. Hawks was the janitor at the Center School, he also wound the clock every day at the church. He took me to the top of the church steeple years ago. What a experience! The Templeton Inn had a modern septic system, at least for the times. Everything was piped down through the Wellington Road behind the houses, and into a field. I know some of the houses on South Road were hooked into it, until not so long ago. When I was in junior high, I would wait for my dad at the Country Store, for a ride home. Everyone used to stop there for the paper on their way home. We had no Cumbys in those days. I asked to use the bathroom and Mrs. Sarah Warrammer,(I'm Not sure of the spelling) took me down the stairs, to a small bathroom. There was a big walk in cooler, with a big oak door. I don't know if it is still there. Sarah was a beautiful Finnish woman. I remember wanting to buy sanitary pads. She took the bag, brought it out from behind the counter, and put what I needed into the bag, thus saving me from the embarrassment of having to walk up to the counter with a box of pads, in front of the men in the store. The horse chestnut tree meant so much to so many people, that is why they were upset when Alan had to finally cut it down. You can see the tree, in early pictures of the Inn. In some of these pictures, it is only five or six inches around. I would love to know how many children cherished the smooth feeling of the nut, after you pried it from it's picky protection. Some were on the ground, waiting to be picked up, already out of it's picky container. Others were still hanging on the tree, tempting you to try to get them down. These are the roots some of us are lucky enough to share, others will set their own roots, and with understanding and the support of this community, thrive. Bev.
DeleteThere are benefits to being as old as I am. My friend Marcia Rod and I climbed up into the tower of the Templeton Inn, when they were starting to tear it down. The view was so beautiful. I remember going up the stairway, looking at the beautiful front room. I only wish I was old enough to have stopped them from tearing it doen. Kerry Valiton's grand father Mr. Hawks was the janitor at the Center School, he also wound the clock every day at the church. He took me to the top of the church steeple years ago. What a experience! The Templeton Inn had a modern septic system, at least for the times. Everything was piped down through the Wellington Road behind the houses, and into a field. I know some of the houses on South Road were hooked into it, until not so long ago. When I was in junior high, I would wait for my dad at the Country Store, for a ride home. Everyone used to stop there for the paper on their way home. We had no Cumbys in those days. I asked to use the bathroom and Mrs. Sarah Warrammer,(I'm Not sure of the spelling) took me down the stairs, to a small bathroom. There was a big walk in cooler, with a big oak door. I don't know if it is still there. Sarah was a beautiful Finnish woman. I remember wanting to buy sanitary pads. She took the bag, brought it out from behind the counter, and put what I needed into the bag, thus saving me from the embarrassment of having to walk up to the counter with a box of pads, in front of the men in the store. The horse chestnut tree meant so much to so many people, that is why they were upset when Alan had to finally cut it down. You can see the tree, in early pictures of the Inn. In some of these pictures, it is only five or six inches around. I would love to know how many children cherished the smooth feeling of the nut, after you pried it from it's picky protection. Some were on the ground, waiting to be picked up, already out of it's picky container. Others were still hanging on the tree, tempting you to try to get them down. These are the roots some of us are lucky enough to share, others will set their own roots, and with understanding and the support of this community, thrive. Bev.
DeleteThose are wonderful memories to share Bev. The house I grew up in here in Templeton is the site of the Narragansett Zoo. My father always made us believe that monkeys lived in our home in our garret so we wouldn't go in there...in all reality it's where they hid the Christmas presents. LOL ~ Joyce Provencher has Princess Rock in her woods and she has told me stories about that. I could by penny candy, bread and cigarettes for Dad and then walk back home. I served tea at the Historical Society when we had to dress the part in bonnets and period long dresses. I actually loved that. We had a parade for Memorial Day or July 4th (I forget which) and the high school marching band was large. The Ice Cream Barn was the place to go when we were little in our pajamas for ice cream and then when we were older we could go get grinders too! I remember collecting chestnuts (and stray animals) and bringing them home and your right about wanting to climb and get them and the feel of them. Do you remember the firemen's musters right at the fire station? I wish they still had those. I would go up to the dairy farm on South Road and hang around and watch the cows be milked or play in the fields. I left after high school and still came to visit, but when I came back to live so many things had changed...Ryder Farm ~ wow it's all houses and the school was expanded and they were building condos and well the biggest change for me was people were not as "together" as they used to be and your neighbors were too busy to chat as they lived here but worked elsewhere and ya, it's just a different feel. I have wanted to change that and really get folks involved as neighbors in simple ways. It's getting there I believe as we talk and share ~ thanks for the story I love a good yarn.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of rich history here and many, like yourself, to tell it. I have wanted to sit down with people and write it out; the memories and make a book. Timing isn't always on my side with a busy life but that would be a dream to do.
"It is time for the selectmen to stop blaming everyone else in the world for their problems and take responsibility for what is happening under their watch." These words from former selectman Virginia WIlder and the rest of her letter upset me so much, I had to taking several days off from reading the blog until I could write comments with a cooler head and not explode with a million expletives. So, I'm not sure if I'm too late to respond on this blog post or not. But I do feel the need to point out a couple of things.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone new to Pauly's blog, this letter is the perfect example of the kind of attitude the town DOES NOT need in order to move forward. Ms. Wilder was a member of the BOS who chose to give up her seat and quit the position for whatever reason, it doesn't really matter. She also used to be a member of the Advisory Board. One would think she would be a great contributor to make suggestions on how to improve the town situation with all her past experience. Instead, she chose to take another route and continue to further a long standing feud amongst a handful of people who are bringing the town down. I'm disappointed to see she didn't take any responsibility for any of the FY13 budget decisions that happened on her watch seeing that she was part of the talks with the school as well as the talks of the town budget. She was at the BOS meeting Mon night and heard the reason and process for the BOS to handle next steps in the budget issue. She was part of the Advisory Board and should know firsthand their role in town government. So, I'm not understanding why she's still so confused over what is going on and why she felt she had to write a letter such as this one.
We no longer have the luxury or the time to squabble over personality differences and popularity contests. The time has come to put those distractions aside and focus on solving our problems with rational thought and intelligent research. If someone is doing something distinctively wrong, of course it should be pointed out and addressed. But automatically tearing down town officials (including Ms. Miller) will solve nothing. Making blanket statements that someone has done something wrong without being specific is pointless.
The town needs an influx of money. Some can be acquired by a successful override. That will just be a band aid, however. There are many other issues that will need funding and we need to explore every avenue in order to use what available money we have in a responsible way. I know its hard to comment when, in the heat of a moment, emotions run high. But, if we can discourage further comments, like the letter Ms. Wilder just wrote, we'll keep our energy and focus on the things that will bring resolution and positive results to our town.
Those are great sentiments and you always write well and your thoughts are too the point and give much to think about. Thank you. You are totally right. I join your resolve and I hope I have not been disrespectful to anyone here and I hope all your thoughts prove to be the direction people go...forward. There is much to learn from our past as so many have pointed out to me and to not ignore, but fueling the fire gets us no where. Your points are well taken and will be remembered in my head when I am writing. I always like what you write. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete