Gab with the Gazette: Recent Comments

Comment on Letter: CLYNK: Too much information for me (May 16, 2008)

Amy — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:13:16 GMT

While you wait 20 minutes in a sticky smelly filthy redemption center, I'll be over at the immaculately clean and fresh smelling Clynk for all of five seconds.
And Hannaford may be clumsy about keeping information secure, but I'm not worried because everyone knows that Clynk is a completely separate, Maine-based company that merely has a contract with Hannaford. Stop being so paranoid.

Comment on Weekly Interview: Emily Rines (May 16, 2008)

Scott — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:24:50 GMT

A resource being use to improve kid’s nutritional status is a new book “The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.” Out only a few months and already being bought in quantity for class use. I hope parents and teachers interested in getting kids to develop a friendly attitude towards fruits and vegetables should take a look at it.
It is designed for kids of all ages as it is two books in one – children first learn their alphabet through produce poems and then go on to hundreds of related activities. Coauthored by best-selling food writer David Goldbeck and Jim Henson writer Steve Charney. More at HealthyHighways.com

Comment on Cliff White's Notebook: Goodbye, Gazette (Printed April 25, 2008)

Colleen Marshall — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:46:56 GMT

Editor’s note: The Gazette staff and the rest of the Mainely Media LLC editorial department would like to thank Cliff for his hard work and dedication to covering our five communities – as well as for his constant smile in our newsroom. We wish him good luck and happiness in his future endeavors – as well as a continued passion for seeking out the next big story.

Comment on Budget deficit questions continue (Printed April 18, 2008)

Jeff Grinnell — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:56:13 GMT

"So we don't need a Town Manager in Buxton...?"

To the editor,

“There needs to be better accountability, there needs to be better policy and procedure, and better internal monitoring of programs to see what is working and what isn’t."

Auditor Ron Smith's second to last statement in this article sums up perfectly the need for a town manager in the Town of Buxton.

A few weeks ago I submitted a letter voicing my support of the petition circulating in town, started by Mr. Andy Townsend, to hire a town manager and how doing so would streamline the town's financial system and improve efficiency. The current financial situation in the town's recreation dept. would not have happened if Buxton had a town manager.

It is common practice within town governments to move monies from one budget line to another to cover over expenditures as long as at the end of the year, the department finishes in the black. Things happen during the year that are unforeseen and you have to be flexible. And sometimes, due to a mistake or underestimating, a department does go over and that department head must explain why at a special town meeting. And hopefully he would have a good answer. But to have over expenditures due to sloppy billing and accounting practices is inexcusable. And a town manager would not allow that to happen. A manager would have the time to spend reviewing account status and if a program was not sustaining itself, he/she would be able to fix it or shut it down.

To paraphrase select woman Pulsoni from a few weeks ago, "These are tough economic times". But apparently the times are not tough enough yet in the rec department to ensure that the bills were sent out and to pursue collection on outstanding invoices, to the tune of $30,000 dollars. Isn't that what the rec directors position salary is? In theory, the department isn't taking in enough money to that. Apparently, the recreation director is applying the practices he learned at his other career as a representative in the Maine Legislature of "have the program now and pay for it later" school of thought.

A good town manager would demand that any program that any department head wanted to pursue be presented with a serious need, cost benefit analysis, and a way to financially support the program through the most cost effective means. And if the program is approved, he would have the time to follow up on the program, and its status, thereby giving the taxpayer the most for their tax dollars and good quality assurance.

Please support Mr. Andrew Townsend's petition to allow a vote on a full time town manager. There are petition are at most of the town stores or you can contact him directly at his published phone number.

Jeff Grinnell
Buxton Maine

Comment on Weekly Interview: Sue Richardson (Printed April 11, 2008)

Potato Richardson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:56:53 GMT

This article blows my mind. I live in the west and stray dogs are not a big problem here. The fact that efforts and expenses of this sort are made to rectify a problem that is caused by immoral people is a sad testimonial of the human mentality that has developed. We are all animals and each and every one of us should respect all animals.

Comment on Ease on down, ease on down the road (Printed April 4, 2008)

Kelly Weymouth — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:16:51 GMT

"The project has full state approval, Lukas said, and approval from the Buxton Planning Board is the only obstacle in the way of commencing progress on construction. A date for when the planning board will take public comment has not yet been established."

I dislike this comment made by Suzanne Lukas. I commend our (Town of Buxton) planning board for doing their JOB! Many questions have been raised regarding this project with no concrete answers given. Some of the answers given have been changed many times or are outright proven lies. The Buxton community needs to be active in the public hearing regarding this project or year after year we are going to be approached for funds to fix problems with a new school.

Comment on Standish Baptist Academy student sets sights on Japan (Printed Jan. 18, 2008)

Michael Walker — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:11:25 GMT

I know what will you do without me? Well for all you people reading this article I am doing very well in Japan, an if you would like to contact me you can at MichaelWalker@Japan.com

Comment on Petition seeks to hire Buxton town manager (Printed March 7, 2008)

Jeff Grinnell — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:05:27 GMT

To the Editor,

I support Mr. Andy Townsend's proposal that the Town of Buxton should hire a town manager and it needs to do it soon. I support maintaining the current town meeting/selectmen form of goverment,but there needs to be a manager to streamline and economize the day to day operations of the town. If you think of it this way, it may make more sense. We as a town, through the town meeting form of goverment, or through the selectmen, can set the strategic goals that we wish to accomplish. The town manager, working with the department heads, can carry out the tactical decision to accomplish those goals. It would be a much more efficiant way to operate a town.
A comparison to bordering towns to Buxton is difficult since Standish, Gorham, Scarborough, and Saco all have gone to a council form of goverment. But a quick web search can find towns in the smallest county in Maine that all have smaller populations and have town manager/selectmen form of goverment. The Knox county towns of of Union, Warren, and Thomaston,as well as the Lincoln county town of Waldoboro, all have less then half our population work within this system.
Selectperson the slectmen are worried about hiring a manager in these storm economic times. In my opinion, these times are exactly when you need a strong manager to daily watch over the towns finances. Someone who will be able to streamline the operation and make our tax dollars go as far as they can. A well educated manager would be able to seek out grants to help fund our services. It would also give the department heads one person that they can go too for a final yes or no answer. The manager would be able to co-ordinate our resources which would in turn save the tax payer money.The list of positives goes on and on.
In our time, the form of goverment we now have has become to cumbersome to handle the needs of a fast paced work enviorment. Just human resource management alone is something that needs to be delt with on a daily basis, never mind the overwhelming paperwork required to keep the town going. Do the people realize the manhours it now takes just to take care of the weekly payroll for the town of Buxton, never mind the billing?
Do the peope realize that it takes 3 days to cut a check to pay one bill? Bills or invioces have to be in no later then Tuesday each week to be able to be placed on the warrent forthe Wendsday night selectmen's meeting to be voted on, which means the check will not be cut and sent till Thursday. And at the Selectmen's meeting, time could be saved by not having to vote to alow a person to take vacation. They vote each week to pay the payroll for town employees. Dosen't it seem strange that we have to vote to pay your people each week?
The time has finally come that the town must hire a manager to keep the wheels of progress moving ahead.

Jeff Grinnell
Buxton Maine

Comment on Tapping the taste of the sweet sap season (Printed March 14, 2008)

Pam — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:57:43 GMT

This is very interesting and informative. Kudos to those who do all this work, so we can enjoy a little sweetness on our food!

Comment on Finding Faith: Ignorance, bias and minority movements (Printed Feb. 15, 2008)

Jerry Jones — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:28:28 GMT

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