AABBB: All Aboard Brunswick’s Breez Bus!

              

We know it’s a bit early to judge the success of the new Metro Breez service between Brunswick and Portland, but we can’t help but wonder how the lovely ladies of All Aboard Brunswick are coping with the new approach to inter-city transport.  Are local pharmacies running short on smelling salts?  Or bicarbonate of soda?  Is Hannafords seeing a decline in demand for bubbly and caviar? 

If nothing else, at least Staples should see slight growth for printing new stickers for the ladies to hand out to Brunswick’s always faithful but unrealistic transport groupies.

If so, we wouldn’t be in the least surprised.  The schedule and route flexibility of the Breez service simply blows away Downeaster service between Brunswick and Portland, and by extension, between Brunswick and Boston.  Not to mention the same for Freeport and Yarmouth.  The Breez will get you to Portland for $3, with far greater schedule and stop location than the Downeaster could ever hope to offer.  We can think of no credible reason to choose taking the Downeaster to Portland over the Breez other than fanatical devotion to trains, which in many places in the world, makes one a “foamer.”

For those who want to go to Boston, there is no reason to select the Downeaster as the way to get to Portland as part of that journey.  Taking the Breez to Portland, aside from its far more frequent runs and drop off choices, will get you to the Portland Transportation Center (PTC) where all the options for heading further south open up.  You can choose a Concord Bus to take you directly to your gate at Logan Airport, or choose the Downeaster to drop you off at North Station, where you can get to your downtown Boston destination by other means.

Let’s be honest.  Frank Lee, the combination of the Breez to Portland with the options for getting to Boston from the PTC simply cannot be matched by Downeaster service.  We expect the latter will soon have to put special fare discounts in place to compete with the Breez.  This would increase the annual subsidy required for the train, which if Portland North service were discontinued, could be used to more than cover Breez operations.

This situation is a perfect illustration of why passenger rail service has all but died over the last several decades; it simple doesn’t make sense from any perspective in all but the very fewest cases.  Digging heels in and demanding that no matter the evidence, the Portland North train service must continue, is a breach of the public trust, hanging on to a legacy boondoggle that benefits the few at the expense of the many.

The condition of our roads, bridges, and the rest, especially locally, should make it clear to all but the most gullible and intransigent that it’s time to acknowledge the mistake that was made and correct it.

We don’t see how anyone could look at the details available here and conclude otherwise:

http://gpmetrobus.net/

We could simply copy the schedules and route graphics, but that won’t suffice.  You need to look at the information yourself.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,transportation,Downeaster,buses. public transit,MetroBreez

Correspondent’s Notebook

“Could Not Be Reached”

While we’d be a bit presumptuous to call ourselves an investigative journalist, we do admit to a certain curiosity about the underlying particulars behind a story here and there.  Every now and then you find an onion with mule’s ears, and other times you discover a quarter-million dollar forgivable loan to local well-connected businesses.  So it is that we went in search of the rationale for the above story on WGME, which we talked about here: http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/2016/12/councilor-kathy-wilson-recent-election.html

We pursued two possible sources for more information, and we think they’re exactly the sources most readers would pursue if they were in our socks.  Four days later, neither has replied to our  inquiry.  So we’re going to stick with our original inclination, which reads thus:

Absent any such evidence in the local newspaper of record, we’re left to infer that Councilor Wilson trumped up these accusations in order to incite media attention, inflame local emotions, and reinvigorate the Task Force.

Always intereste in more in more details, we repeat that Councilor Wilson, or anyone with more information, can contact us if they like.

Life Is Just A Bowl of Olives

                             

Those of you who enjoy an adult beverage from time to time may recognize this garnish caddy once common at traditional bars.  We don’t know if they still are common.  Not because we don’t enjoy such beverages these days, but because we normally have them served at our table, rather than while seated at a classic ‘bar,’ like a Bogart wannabe in a tux.

But we do recall from time to time asking for an extra olive (or two) in our classic icy Martini, and not having to pay extra for it.  Come to think of it, we may have nipped an olive or two from the caddy years ago when the barkeep was looking elsewhere.

                                

On occasion we find ourselves on the ‘other side’ of the classic cocktail axis, ordering a Manhattan “up,’' especially in colder seasons.  This drink is typically garnished with a maraschino cherry, providing a sweet counterpoint to the taste of bitters used in the recipe.

As Chance would have it, we found ourself in just such a situation recently at a local establishment.  We asked our server to make arrangements for us to have two (2) cherries in our drink, and indeed we did when it arrived.

                           

For those not well versed in such trivia, these cherries range from low end, rather small and lifeless without stems, and looking a bit maimed from automated processing.

                          

To those looking much more sassy, full of color, stems intact, juicy and plump, and relatively undamaged.

From time to time, we’ve had the full range of specimens presented on anything from a wooden toothpick, to one of those little plastic swords or spears, to simply lying in the bottom of our drink.  The stemmed versions, obviously, are less in need of such accessorizing.

On this recent occasion, our two cherries were from the first category above, and absent any accessory to make them easier to enjoy.  We were left to treat them as finger food, or fish them out with a utensil; we won’t tell you which we did.

But we will tell you that the two, sizewise, were at best the equivalent of one of the proud examples in the second photo.

By now, you’re probably saying ‘so what,’ and wondering why we’re bothering you with this story.

Good questions.  And here’s the answer.  Because when our bill came, we had been charged $1 for the extra cherrry, limp as it was, on top of the price of our drink.  In a place whose food prices we found beyond normal expectations.  And whose table settings were wrapped in paper napkins and standing in a little bucket on the quasi picnic table we were seated at.

That’s why.  What’s next?  Charging by the packet of sugar for one’s coffee?

We’re pretty sure the management has no idea what an impression this gave us, because we didn’t complain.  But we can assure you we will not gladly return because of it.

As our spouse likes to tell servers, “he doesn’t get out much anymore,’' and that’s true.  But we did spend twenty years or so of our career getting out a lot, and eating at some of the finest establishments around.  And not a one ever charged us for an extra olive or extra cherry.

At our age, we suppose, it’s only right that we get all the pits, figuratively speaking.

Fair warning: don’t ask for a warmer on your coffee if you haven’t priced it first. 

Technorati Tags: Dining out,cocktails,garnishes

Hoodies for Hope; or is it Home-Rooms?

            

Regular readers know we harbor chronic objections to the behavior of the Brunswick School bureaucracy, specifically the School Board and Department administrators. 

They systematically employ the successful strategy that more money is always needed, and always the solution, no matter what other realities, such as declining enrollment, may dominate the factual basis.  And if you don’t agree with them, you ‘don’t care about THE CHILDREN.’

Nothing else is worthy of public airing or debate as to school policy.  We wouldn’t say it, but we wouldn’t take offense if others concluded they really don’t know how to evaluate and improve school department performance by any other measure than how much they spend.

Unless you include the need to replace assets where due attention to basic maintenance has been ignored until such time as demolition and new construction is the ONLY realistic option.  Don’t even get us started on PDT’s Svengali in such matters.

Nor on discussions of bathroom administration or school ‘climate’ evaluation.  If we can find our lost muse, we hope to address these things in future posts.

Studying history is always informative, especially as it records the innovation of Super P – Department Superintendent Paul Perzanoski.  How long has he been here?  Seems like it must be 10 years or so by now.  Our cherished memories of Jim Ashe seem at least that old.

Some years back….2010….to be specific, Super P put forth a public plan to place loose change jars around town in various business establishments so that guilt-ridden local taxpayers could empty their pockets of loose change to help lift the Department out of its constant state of abject underfunding.  Read the first few posts at the link below to refresh your memory.  (Be mindful of the reality that town leaders discourage such glimpses into recent history.  They don’t help current efforts to increase taxes no matter what.)

http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/search?q=change+jars

We recall that at the time we submitted an op-ed to The Ostrich suggesting that such pan-handling on the part of a town department was unseemly, at the very least.  And we made the same point in a brief radio spot on MPBN.  All to no avail; though the effort ended.  It would be presumptuous of us to think we had anything do do with that, but you’ve got to take your amusement where you can find it when it comes to fighting city hall.

      

      

     

Now comes word that Super P has evolved his thinking on innovative fund raising approaches to support government schools, which as you know, are always having their budgets cut.  You do know that, don’t you?  You’ve been told over and over that it’s true, so it must be, right?  Here’s a snippet from the BSD web site:

Fund-Raising Project – Support Public Education

Superintendent Paul Perzanoski has announced a fund-raising project for the Brunswick School Department. In an effort to raise funds for the development of summer programs for students, the School Department is selling hooded sweatshirts, long-sleeve t-shirts, and t-shirts with the … Continue reading →

Posted on January 14, 2016

Back many, many years ago, we sometimes bought hooded sweat shirts because they protected us against chills in the air on morning jogs and such.

For more than two decades now, hooded sweat shirts, commonly called ‘hoodies,’ have evolved towards a completely different purpose: to hide one’s identity, or at the very least, create the image of one not to be messed with.  Weather has nothing to do with it. 

Don’t believe us?  Be more attentive as you drive around town, and you’ll quickly notice there is a ‘hoodie demographic’ in our midst, and we doubt you’ll react positively to their ‘image.’  They are, to say the least, ‘all weather gear.’

For those living on an island, in both the literal and figurative sense, Hoodies may not evoke such reactions.   So using them as a fund raising mechanism for government schools and ‘the children’ is entirely an innocent pursuit.  Even if it does convey a certain cluelessness towards contemporary social practices.

But then, cluelessness is a standard part of school budget discussion, for the reasons we mentioned earlier and various others.  The town council regularly stands on round heels in the deliberations, as they demonstrated in folding like cheap suits in the recent back and forth over a drop in the bucket.  They fell for the same old con they always do.  Or maybe they’re in on the game; only the shadow knows.

After years of watching entirely predictable behavior, cloaked in the rhetoric of ‘tough decisions’ and ‘concern about tax rates,’ we conclude that the majority are more interested in keeping their positions as masters of the local domain, and being beloved of the mommy mafia, than they are in managing the economic sustainability of the town enterprise, and guarding the interests of taxpayers overall.

A review of school spending shows their budget has increased by more than $4 million since the change jar idea hit the streets.  And enrollment is down by more than 300 (over 10%) in the same time frame.  We’re sure, however, that Rich ‘Numbers’ Ellis can demonstrate through slight of spreadsheet that these numbers portray a stark reduction in ‘school spending.’

 

We think Rich and the School Board’s time could be spent by coming up with more creative ‘back door’ approaches to squeezing discretionary dollars from local taxpayers above and beyond their always increasing tax levies.  Why not pass an offering plate around the official table at the start of each council and school board meeting, for instance, as a symbolic way of ‘modeling’ the desired generosity on the part of the citizenry?

We’ll gladly count the take from each meeting, under the watchful eye of local constables, and report the results here.

And one of these days, maybe the board could try to figure out just what it means to measure school system performance, and that of the teaching corps, and use the results as a launch point from which to improve things.

Instead of using dollars as their only yardstick, and their only tool.

Doing so might demonstrate a commitment to ‘the children’ in a tangible way, and actually foster a culture of improvement. 

Instead of a culture of more spending, which is all we can see from our vantage point.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick schools,budgets,fund raising

A word to the "wise?"

We realize that the item we just came across could be some sort of publishing anomaly.

Never-the-less, we want to suggest that John Swinconeck, named the new Managing Editor at the Times Record just yesterday, not get too, too comfy in that top level position.

At least if you look here: http://jobs.editorandpublisher.com/jobs/ads/managing-editor-2/

Note in particular the date, which in our universe at least, is today.

Welcome aboard, John.  At least we think so.

You have a proud heritage to protect, no matter how brief your stay.

Benevolent industry colleague that we are, we think we should also offer a word for Michelle: you might want to take that listing down, Madame Publisher.

But thanks for reminding us that attention to detail has always been one of the Times Record's prominent characteristics.

A face look makeover, courtesy of Facebook.....

                     

Don’t know if you’ve heard about this story yet….it’s getting pretty wide coverage.  But it’s too good, and too instructive, not to pass along with a thought or two.  At the risk of indulging in too much cultural analysis, for which we have no special qualifications other than life experience, here we go.

For some time we’ve considered the fascination with tats (tatoos) and body piercings, and especially the escalation in expense, number, size, and locations, is simply the modern day way to say “hey, look at me; I’m different than everybody else!”  When ‘fashion statements’ become déclassé for all but the 1% as a way to differentiate yourself from the societal hordes all seeking to be different by conforming, ever more garish and outrageous body art and kinky body aberrations come to the fore.

We consider that Facebook fits within this broad rubric of looking for the attention of others as a way to self-validate and build self-esteem, especially in a comparative way.  This is why, in our view, social media has seen such explosive growth.

And such blatant public displays of stupidity, like those criminals who brag about the heist they just pulled on Facebook, for example.  Now comes a 50 year old retired nurse from Maine, who you would expect to know better than to do what she did.  Read about it here:
http://www.centralmaine.com/2015/05/29/vassalboro-robbery-started-with-facebook-post-police-say/

Ironic, isn’t it, that Face is the operative word here.  The gist of the story is as follows:

The Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office has described the suspect in the Vassalboro home invasion as a slim white man wearing a hoodie sweatshirt, baggy jeans and a black-and-white bandanna over his face. 

Five minutes after Paul (the husband) left for work Thursday, a tall, thin man armed with a box cutter and a bandanna over his face showed up in their living room archway. Sarah, on crutches because of recent hip trouble, was reclining in a chair.

“Where’s the Vicodin, bitch?” the man said.

He assaulted her, punching her several times in the face before she gave him her prescription painkillers. He left the house and probably fled in a vehicle, according to Capt. Chris Cowan, of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the assault that sent Bizier, 50, a retired nurse, to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta with bruises and a cut.

Police say the man probably knew about the drugs because of a Facebook post by Sarah the night before that mentioned that she had been prescribed Vicodin. Cowan said it’s the first time his office has encountered a crime that probably started that way.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” Bizier said in an interview Friday. “He was so angry and so desperate at the same time.”

On Wednesday, Bizier took to Facebook intending to warn friends, writing that she was “stupid not to make time to get proper pain control,” telling people to “learn from my mistakes.” The Facebook post twice said that she had Vicodin.

And then the wake-up moment:

“It just blows my mind that over a handful of pills, someone would do that kind of damage,” she said.  “It changes the way that you view other people,” she said. “I hate having to feel like I can’t trust the world, you know?”
              

It’s times like these when you remember the famous line Fronk (Martin Short) said to George Banks (Steve Martin) in Father of the Bride:

“Vel, velcome to da nindies, Mr. Bonks!”

Welcome to the real world, Ms. Bizier, and we hope your object lesson leads to millions of Facebook accounts shutting down.  But we won’t hold our breath.

Intelligent behavior doesn’t mean what it used to, does it?

 

 

Technorati Tags: Facebook,social media,cultural trends

It’s almost here….

Hint 1:  7 more days

Hint 2:  921 and counting as of 6 pm, June 2, 2014

                 

Can you guess what it is?

Technorati Tags: Admin,Other Side

Ah, yes. The always reliable, always accurate Ostrich

          

Here’s yet another example of why you can always trust what you read in The Ostrich.

McEvoy’s nomination to rail board approved in House

The Times Record

AUGUSTA Brunswick resident and Downeaster Maintenance Layover Facility opponent Robert McEvoy’s nomination to the board that oversees the passenger train line was unanimously approved by the Maine House Transportation Committee.

 

And expect them to be a ‘watchdog of government.’  As rural folk like to say, “that dog won’t hunt.”

Well, at least they got the Augusta thing right; we wouldn’t have been surprised to see them report the story as occurring in Auburn.  After all, both cities start with an A and have two u’s in their name.  How often does that happen?

If readers didn’t already know on their own, our report on the McEvoy approval yesterday filled you in.  This nomination was not ‘approved in House.’  And the vote was not taken by the ‘Maine House Transportation Committee.’

The hearing and the vote were by the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation.  You can find the details here:  http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/jt_com/tra.htm.

All the legislative committees that we know of in Maine State Government are “Joint” in nature, meaning they are comprised of members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

If you’d like to know more about the subject, you can read the material here: http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/jt_rules/jtr_3.htm.

Within five minutes, you can know more about the subject than the Ostrich staffer trusted to report on such matters, and the editors who oversee and ensure the accuracy of their reporting.

                              

We could point out some more nits in the print bite above, but why bother? 

We’ll just let the work speak for itself.  And remember what the recently departed Managing Editor said: 

“Times Record readers are some of the best-informed, most influential people in Maine,”

Too bad he couldn’t say that about his staff, himself included.

As for Side, we hope you’ll think of us as ‘a dog that will hunt.’  And reward us appropriately.

Whatever you decide to do, we’re glad the Ostrich gave Side a chance to LOAO on a Friday afternoon.

                   

Technorati Tags: Ostrich,Brunswick,journalism

Introducing the Other Side ‘Back Side’ awards

                    

As many of you know, or at least should know, this ‘media outlet’ was founded to provide a different view of what goes on in Brunswick; the proverbial “Other Side” of the story.

You’ve surely heard the old saw about how there are three ways to do things: the right way, the wrong way, and the Navy way.

We like to think that there are three sides to every story: the back side, the front side, and The Other Side.

The ‘front side’ of the story is the typical pap spewed out for public consumption with the least possible effort, for the lowest common denominator reader.   The ‘back side’ is far more provocative, and is a distant relative of what  you sometimes hear called the ‘back story on this item.’  

We speak from experience when we tell you that we’ve been exposed to the ‘back side’ of Brunswick more times than we can count.  Or said another way, that Brunswick displays its ‘back sides’ on an all too frequent basis.

So we’ve decided to institute a “Back Side” award that we can bestow on deserving individuals, events, and other civic miscellany here in the town we affectionately call Cape Brunswick, except when we’re calling it Lake Basebegone, or Perfect, or the richest little town in America.

And we’ve decided to make the award at five different levels.  This is akin to some national news outlet, we can’t remember which, assigning one through five Pinocchio’s as it evaluates the factual accuracy of news reports elsewhere.

But instead of Pinocchio’s, we’ll be using Donkeys.  Let us begin with our inaugural awards, of which we have two.  The envelopes, please.

    

The first award, at the four donkey level, goes to……(the tension mounts)…..rip…..Jim Grant, Chair of the Brunswick School Board, for this performance in a ‘leading role:’

Despite the board's last-minute maneuver to approve the trip, board Chairman Jim Grant said it was an easy decision for him to support.

"I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is to show how good we are competing against private schools and charter schools," Grant said. "I hope to show that we are an educational leader throughout the world. ... It's a price Brunswick should be willing to pay for this kind of cultural exchange and educational experience."

We almost awarded him four and a half donkeys, because it’s clear that he’s not putting his money where his mouth is; he’s putting OUR money where his mouth is.  But it’s not worth ruining a perfectly a good donkey on his behalf.

                    

The next award, at the three donkey level, goes to….(rim shot, please)….rip….Suzan Wilson, Chair of the Brunswick Town Council, for this performance in a ’non-leading role:’

"PS: I don't think you need to be upset.  Bigger fish to fry.  Tempest in a teapot, in my humble opinion.  Regardless, it is/was not a Town "loan" ; or taxpayer money.   Private funds property of nonprofit econ development entity.  There are many of them in the state,  and indeed, the USA.”

We’ll close for now by doing as Hollywood says: “always leave them wanting more.”  So here’s a glimpse of the five, two, and one donkey award symbols:

                 

              

The suspense of who these might be awarded to in the coming days is probably more than you can bare, but you’ll just have to.  And know that the four and three donkey level awards can be replicated as often as needed. 

Donkeys love to breed, you know, and if the past is any indication, we’ll be needing lots of them to recognize the deserving. And we’re all about giving credit where credit is due.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,back sides,awards,town council,school board

Stossel On Infrastructure

We’ve recently come across two reporting ‘segments’ from John Stossel, the well known challenger of ‘myths’ willingly swallowed by the general public.  Each of the items we pass along here have to do with the folly of ‘government help’ as it relates to infrastructure.

Particularly in the form of Amtrak expansion and subsidies, which is especially applicable to our town.  If you think about it, Cape Brunswick seems to be increasingly defining itself as a node on the great federal network of non-self-supporting rail routes.

Maine Street Station is seen as the crown jewel of our identity.  The danger, of course, is finding ourselves a one trick pony, just about the time that pony rides are no longer a favored federal enterprise, because windmills and hot air balloons have become the favored cuts of pork.

You know the old saying: live by the subsidy, die by the subsidy.  While we weren’t here for the events that led to it, we assume that the failure of the prior ‘Maine Street Station’ stems from a similar fickle transition in favored charitable community developments.

Unfortunately, we’re having trouble posting YouTube clips in the usual fashion, for reasons we can’t explain.  So we ask for your indulgence in clicking on the links we provide, and otherwise following our instructions.

Here’s the first one, which all of a sudden is working as we would like:

Here’s the second one; you’ll have to move the time marker to 30.15 minutes to start at the point we want you to see:

After you watch both, let us know what you think. 

And be sure to clean up after your pony.  There’s nothing less welcoming than stepping off a train and stepping on a pony-pie.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,Amtrak,trains,Maine Street Station,government help

Howler of the Week

Everybody needs a good laugh (in) from time to time, and Side may need it more than most, given the dark and humorless underbelly of the subject matter on which we typically report.

So we thought we’d delve into the annals of TV comedy for inspiration.

               

This week’s “Fickle Finger” goes to Rich Ellis of the Cape Brunswick School Board, who somehow evaded the attention of The Ostrich in the Abelmann op-ed on which we just reported.  But he more than made up for it with this gut-buster stand up routine highlighted in The Forecaster.

The best one-liners include these (punch lines highlighted so you know when to laugh):

Board member Rich Ellis, chairman of the facilities committee, said the meeting will effectively serve as a "reboot" for the board's process on the school facilities plan, because its estimated cost is far more expensive than what the board was expecting.

"The size of the estimate that came back will require us to go back to evaluate our assumptions and our process."

When the board begins discussing the school facilities plan again, Ellis said the bond's impact on taxpayers over the next five to 10 years will be a major consideration.

"How do we roll that into a budget in a way that doesn't adversely impact taxpayers?" he said.

All of which reminds us that there is more than one meaning to the term ‘punch line,’ if you think about it.

           

We trust you know what straining credulity means.  In case you forgot, see the photo above. 

We know one thing for sure; Ellis has a uniquely personal understanding of what the meaning of “adversely impact taxpayers” is, is.  He’s been the most reliable “money grows on trees” voice of the school board since he was elected. 

He’s found every imaginable distraction to prove that Brunswick is thrifty and spends less than any other town on the planet in its schools, and should be generously rewarded for allowing per student costs to rise from less than $7,000 per student a dozen or so years ago to something like $15,000 per student now.  While at the same time making it clear (in his mind) that whatever budgetary distress we may find ourselves in, it is not a function of spending, but instead, of failure of others to provide whatever is needed to cover the increases.  He’s a real pencil whipper and spread sheet illusionist, twisting himself in knots to convince the public that thrift is at the heart of everything the school department does. 

                         

Who knows; may be he has ambitions for higher office, especially one that may be opening up very soon.  At least he hasn’t yielded (yet) to the three and four name affectation so ‘en vogue’ at his favorite Facebook page, where other school board members, past and present, hang out.

We know this: if he keeps honing and polishing his ‘bits,’ we may be moved to start thinking of School Board Meetings as latter day episodes of Hee-Haw, where they often woke up sleeping dogs with their irreverent ‘shtick.’

Their meetings are beginning to look like an ensemble show anyway, when in the same week you get Ellis and his routine, along with the Chair’s audition as reported in The Ostrich item we posted on earlier today:

School board chairman Jim Grant says he had “no knowledge” of what was discussed during Wednesday night’s executive session, when Brunswick’s top in-school administrator was given a graceful out just weeks before graduation.

It’s amazing what a good swaller from a jug of Kool-Aid can do for you, ain’t it?

We’ll close with a paraphrase of the famous line from Laugh-In, one which our elected betters seem particularly fond of:

“Sock it to them.”

Technorati Tags: School Board,laughers,budgets,Brunswick

Fiddles, bows, and a culture of well, you can decide….

                     

Knowing you were so delighted by our prior multiple choice question, we decided to present you with another.

Question:  Would you prefer to be governed by officials who:

A) deceive us?

B) or who game the system?

C) or who are clueless?

D) or who are incompetent?

E) or all of the above

Why do we ask?  Because what we are about to tell you brings all these possibilities into play.  We have discovered an act of such conspicuous malfeasance that it raises a number of critical questions, and we will do our best to list them for you.

So let’s get to it.  In a post earlier this month, we explained that the School Board apparently was asked to vote on a teachers contract without seeing the document.  We further explained that the School Superintendent provided an erroneous summary of the contract salary increases to the town council, and as it turns out, to the general public after the vote to approve the contract.

We now know that the School Board vote to approve the new teachers contract, conducted in executive session on April 11th, was based on a written summary that materially and substantively misrepresents and distorts contract realities resulting from ‘negotiated’ salary increase figures.

Some would say that using these erroneous figures is an act of fraud.  Some would say no; other factors may be involved. Hence the multiple choice answers given above.

In the worst case, all are part of what transpired.  This all goes to whether misinformation was willfully provided, or those involved were willfully uninformed.  These are terms handed down to us some years back by the editors at The Ostrich, you may recall, when they accused certain councilors of not behaving diligently regarding the Oxford Aviation proposal.

We responded that The Ostrich has been willfully misinforming and uninforming readers for decades.  It’s one thing to have a newspaper that does so; but what do you do when your government and its elected officials are distributing and acting upon critical information that is shamefully incorrect?

Here’s how things played out to the best of our knowledge.  Negotiations between the school board reps and the teachers union were all but concluded when incoming school board members were sworn in (December, as we recall).

Not a word was made public about the ‘negotiation results’ for months, so all the ‘softening up’ presentations provided by the School Department before serious budget voting was to take place were conducted without knowing what effect the salary demands in the contract would have.  Conversely, agreement between the negotiating parties was reached before a full understanding of budget effects and tax effects were known.

In other words, in keeping with the priorities we asserted in recent posts, the teachers’ raises were negotiated and agreed to long before any other budget particulars. 

Yet the School Board was not asked to vote on the results until April, nearly 3 months after negotiations were largely completed.  Just as inexplicable, the new contract is not yet available, nearly two months after the vote on the 11th of April.

Now the kicker.  We are in possession of the document used to inform the school board at the Executive Session in April as they prepared to vote.   You can see it here.  The document was no longer confidential as soon as the vote was taken; it became a part of the public record.

You can see very clearly that the document includes the deceit that step increases are 2%, which is absolutely false, as we illustrated to you, the town council, and the school board with these documents:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/92872339/Teachers-Contract-Forecast-for-Town-Council

http://www.scribd.com/doc/90562543/11-12-Brunswick-Teacher-Salary-Table

The School Board now looks like a string section with the union and the School Superintendent wielding the bows; and by extension, the public and the town council have picked up their instruments and allowed themselves to be played in the same way.

We’ll give Brunswick Community United an award for most  supportive accompaniment to the establishment, led by a willfully uninformed and mis-informed Associate Professor of Art, of all people.

Is this fraud?  We’re not an attorney, so we can’t say.  But we can say that since the School Department and the teachers union have the current and past contracts in hand, the characterization provided to the School Board for the vote appears to have intentionally distorted the facts to achieve a desired outcome: approval of the new contract.

Now the relevant follow-up questions.

- Who prepared the one pager: was it the teachers union, who then provided it to the Superintendent, or was it prepared by the Superintendent and his staff?  (We suppose it could have been prepared by the Board members who took place in the negotiations, but we doubt it.)

- Was the School Superintendent a part of the negotiations? If so, why, and what role did he play in them? Isn’t this supposed to be between the board and the union?  And why is he in the Executive session when the vote is taken?  Isn’t he supposed to be a neutral party?  (Yah, sure!)

- How long has this been going on?  How long has the 2% deceit been used to mask reality?  Did they use 1.5% in the past?  Have School Board members read and understood the contracts?  Ever?  Given conversations we’ve had with past board members, we’re inclined to think not.

- If so, how could they have stood by and let the Superintendent state that there was a ‘salary freeze’ in the current contract?

- How do we know that the annual dollar costs of the salary increases in the summary are correct?

- Does the School Board really negotiate with the teachers union, or does the latter, together with the Superintendent, decide how it’s going to be, and leave the Board with virtually no say?

- What was the foundational basis for negotiations between the board and the teachers union? What numerics were on the table to inform the discussion? Was this a case of the blind leading the blind, or a one eyed king leading the blind?

- What should happen to a contract that was approved on the basis of a willful misrepresentation of the particulars?

- Who is the main perpetrator of the fraud?  How should they be held accountable?

And then of course, the opening question.  After reading the foregoing, you can ponder whether deception, gaming, cluelessness, or incompetence is at the heart of the issue.  Or all of the above.

We have our own conclusions, but we’ll keep them to ourselves, at least for now.

The real shame (and crime) here is that in all likelihood, there will be no consequences for this abuse of office and trust; no one will be held accountable; no one will take responsibility; and nothing, repeat nothing, will change. This will at best be a footnote in the annals of the Brunswick Hall of Shame, and nothing more.

So who should we blame for allowing such an atmosphere to exist and thrive?  Hint: if you’re about to pass a mirror, look away; you may not like what you see.

Now would somebody wake up our government watchdogs, please?

Really, we like the one below best; we are dog-lovers, you know.

It best captures the essence of keeping an eye on things in our local government, as practiced by our media outlets.  Especially the ones who don’t pay their property taxes.

Oops….one more question before we sign off; have you ever heard “Who’s zooming who” played on a fiddle?

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,schools,teachers contract,School Board,deception

Frosty’s Update: A real barn-burner!

By all reports from the new owners, Nels and Shelby, the re-opening of Brunswick’s one of a kind donut shop has exceeded all expectations.

On Friday, they were handing out free samples while they lasted.  They opened officially on Saturday, and we understand, were sold out in two hours.  The same thing reportedly happened on Sunday.  A friend waited in line for a considerable time (outside) on Saturday, but got still warm ‘twisties’ for her efforts, and she was aglow.

Side headed over yesterday (Monday) a little after 11 am hoping to have a cup of coffee and a tasty treat to go with it.  The ‘sold-out’ sign was on the front door, but they were still open, so we had a cup of Wicked Joe’s “Frosty’s Blend,” which tasted great.

The place looked fresh and alive, and people continued to stream in looking for the donuts at the end of the rainbow, to no avail.  The new owners looked a bit overwhelmed by the great response they’ve gotten from local aficionados.

This morning we were there a little after 7am, in our sleeper, the one with the attached footies, hoping to get some to bring home.  We scored a quick dozen from the dwindling selection, but people were streaming in, and our guess is the remaining 4-6 dozen in the case were gone in a matter of minutes. 

Back in the kitchen, however, two or three happy busy workers, including John Frost, were working energetically to cook up some more, probably lots more.  Oh, if you were lucky enough to get there at the right time to get them while they’re still warm, you will be addicted, if you weren’t already.

Here’s hoping the owners, after all the hard work of getting ready to open, can adapt well to the demand and the hours.  It will be interesting to watch how the supply is matched to the demand over the long haul.

This reporter’s habit has never been a 7am one.  It’s been just the opposite; head over for a mid-day break when the rush is over, usually around noon or so.  Linger over a donut or two and a second cup, while doing a bit of reading.

The product, we can certify, and this goes for us and many others, is exactly what we’ve all come to love.  Which is to say irresistible.  We expect to see several new varieties over the weeks and months ahead.

We wish Nels and Shelby and their crew fair winds and perfectly heated fryers for the coming spring and summer and fall.  They have a challenge to optimize output vis-a-vis consumer desires, which at best, will vary all over the place.

And we have a challenge to match our preferred routine to the availability of our favorites. 

Good thing their phone number hasn’t changed.  Cause our tastes in such matters haven’t, other than being pent up after nearly a year of withdrawal.

Happy donuts to you!

Technorati Tags: Frosty's,donuts,new owners

Late news re the $10 million Police Station

Far be it from us here at Side to gloat; it’s so unseemly in polite circles.

So what; sometimes you’ve got to do it just for the sheer fun of it.

Honest to Pete, we didn’t look at tonight’s Ostrich until well after we had posted the lengthy essay asserting that a $10 million tab for the new Police Station was entirely possible, and actually quite likely.

We sat down and took a few minutes to see what version of news they were offering today, and lo and behold on Page 2 was an article on the old Times Record building on Industry Road.

The bottom line is this:

Brunswick officials will now weigh the possibility of giving the former Times Record building to the local school department for use as a bus garage.

That’s right, the operative concept is give.  The expectation is that the school department would demolish a good portion of the facility.

This exceeds even our low expectations for the town’s disposition of the facility.  From the sound of things, we’ll receive nothing in return for our $2 million investment, except a sense of gratification.

Which in these circumstances is the equivalent of wetting one’s pants in a dark suit – it gives you a warm feeling, but nobody notices.

Taxpayers should be pleased though, since the demolition, even if not complete, will eliminate much of the visual evidence of just how improvident our leaders can be on our behalf.

We’re feeling better already about the possibility.

Think about it; the Ostrich, which walked away from the building with $1.3 of our taxpayer money in their hands, now stiffs the town on their property tax bill.  Surely there must be some accommodation that can be reached to set things right.  Like evicting them from their new building and sending them back to the old one.

Don’t you just love the way government does business?  Maybe the town could teach the MRRA a thing or two on prudent stewardship of public assets.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,police station,school department

Gown to Town: Stuff it, you ungrateful cretins!

We confess that it’s been some time since we gave thanks for the presence of Bowdoin College and its students in our otherwise hapless and hopeless town.  We have not been faithful in conducting a weekly homage to St. Polar Bear in gratitude for the Administration and students’ forbearance toward we the unwashed and unenlightened of Brunswick.

So it is with some humility that we pass along a well deserved wire-brushing from one of our betters in the Bowdoin class of ‘12.  Here are a few tempting tidbits from his (or her) letter in the Bowdoin Orient:

You know what's awesome about Brunswick? Bowdoin College. Without Bowdoin, what is Brunswick?

However, the point is Brunswick thrives on the presence of Bowdoin College, both financially and culturally. 

And definitely don't welcome Brunswick residents into your lives, because they tolerate you less than you could ever imagine.   

Suitably chastised, we realize now that we should be thanking these transient party animals for the influence they exert over our local election outcomes.  And how grateful we should be for the pennies on a dollar the College pays in property taxes compared to the rest of us.

Color us suitably ashamed. We’ll announce a sackcloth and ashes parade through the campus as soon as we get approval from the President’s Office.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,Bowdoin College,elitism

So that’s what ballots and elections are for!!

Who’d have guessed that our democratic process of elections could provide so many opportunities for cognitive dissonance, mischief, and downright distortion of common sense.  At the same time they allow us to tell our elected officials what we think about things they have nothing to do with, or have no say about.  And to purposes we can’t comprehend.

Here’s some examples.

• In this state, election law has been so neutered and perverted that the simple act of asking for ID at the polling place can be interpreted as “voter intimidation.”
• The voter registration process, and maintenance of the resulting voter rolls, are so lacking in rigor and discipline that they are an embarrassment, if not a threat to election outcome integrity. 
• Selective compliance with residency law, which itself has been manipulated to the point of absurdity, is perfectly OK.  You’re supposed to get a Maine Driver’s License within 30 days of becoming a state resident.  But if you suggest registrars should ask to see your license as proof of residence, out come the intimidation claims again.  You’ll be registered as a resident on the thinnest of claims, including a simple signature affirming that you are one. 
• There is absolutely no follow up to see that you comply with other requirements of residency, like a Driver’s License, vehicle registration and excise tax payment to the town of your residence, and filing Maine Income Tax returns.

While these are largely generic issues, they are particularly applicable to Bowdoin College students, who frequently vote in large enough numbers in our elections to effect the outcome of local races for town officials, and even members of the state legislature.

• During the prior school year, editors of the Bowdoin College campus newspaper, The Orient, opined that it is entirely appropriate for students to vote in that locality where they “most feel like a resident,” and that it’s perfectly acceptable to change their registration from election to election based on where they would like to effect the outcomes.

I suppose if you’re used to getting your way, no matter what it means to others, that makes perfect sense.

And now, let me touch on the recent local event that stimulated this particular post.  It has to do with the proposal of two town councilors to place a “non-binding resolution” on the November ballot.

From the Forecaster on 9 September:

The proposal was: “We, the citizens of Brunswick, want our tax dollars spent on education, health, safety, environmental protection and the infrastructure of Brunswick, rather than on war in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.”

Atwood ….. emphasized that the matter was “not about whether any of us agree with that statement; it’s about whether we are willing to give Brunswick residents a chance to tell us whether they agree with it or not.”

Trains, part deux

You’ve probably noticed that our return to active posting has been a slow process, to say the least.

Which is why we’re grateful for an “offer we can’t refuse” to step up our pace, even if it takes away from snooze time in the well-worn Lazy-boy.

Notwithstanding cousin Earl sweeping through the area last night, with much needed moisture for our lawns and gardens, our local publications offered the ‘perfect storm,’ as it were, in their latest editions.

I refer to the Ostrich, and Maine Insights. Both items to be discussed exemplify the phenomena we discussed just a few days ago in this post.  In a word, completely missing the point, because seeing the point would make their argument irrelevant.

Yesterday, the former printed a lead commentary entitled ‘In praise of ‘rat holes’’ by erstwhile town councilor Jackie Sartoris.  (And here I thought we were supposed to call her Jacquie)

Ostensibly a response to Fred Blanchard’s analysis of the economic viability of Amtrak service to Brunswick, her offering quickly revealed itself as an archetypical feelings and emotion based tirade that the author became known for in her years as one of our elected ‘leaders.’  She mentioned his ‘calculations,’ and then scrupulously avoided addressing them in everything that followed.

Instead, she offered a near hysterical rant about the planet and children and everything but the facts attendant to the subject.  It was reminiscent of her high dudgeon over the “Fireman’s Prayer” monument at the Cooks Corner Substation.  Those of you who follow such things will remember that she publicly bemoaned the challenge of explaining such injustice to her daughter.

It’s probably a waste of time to comment further about her column.  Let’s just say that you have no idea how much we miss her presence on the town council.

Things came together, in that odd way they often do, as we read the article in Maine Insights while we gobbled our sandwich at the Big Top yesterday.  This publication is an offering from Ramona du Houx, the mother of our local member of the Maine Legislature, Alex Cornell du Houx.  It was formerly known as The Maine Democrat, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

In an article entitled All Aboard on page 6, Ms du Houx dabbled in analysis of the facts and economics associated with the extension of Amtrak to Brunswick.  The fact that Maine Insights is a clearly partisan, slobbering tribute to all things associated with the Democrat Party in Maine aside, even her fawning discussion of the issue is reason for concern.

Let me explain.  The article contains this passage:

So far the Downeaster is having our best year ever, with more than 474,000 riders and $6.7 million in revenues, to date.

My calculator says that means an average revenue of $14 per rider for folks traveling between Portland and Boston.  Wow; at that rate, recouping $50 million or so in front end costs, coupled with millions a year in recurring costs, should take….oops…the batteries just ran out in my calculator.

But don’t worry, things get better.  As demonstrated in this additional passage:

Patricia Quinn, executive director of NEPRA, says the expansion will boost ridership by another 36,000 passengers each year.

“This is just the beginning,” said Rep. Alexander Cornell du Houx. “Brunswick’s economy is already seeing new opportunities from this project.”

Hmmm….36,000 new passengers, at $14 a rider or less…well, you might just be looking at roughly $500,000 per year in new revenue.  In other words, if the optimistic projections come true, another half million dollars a year.

No wonder our former town councilor decided to avoid the facts and wax eloquent on environmental theology.

We’re open to cogent arguments on the economic value of extending Amtrak service to Brunswick.  And as soon as we see them, we’ll post them here on Other Side.

Until we do, we’ll hold to the position that this whole concept is founded more in fantasy than in reality.  And in political posturing.  LIke the grandiose pension and health care benefits promised by state and federal government.

Which means it seems like a big load of du Houx to us.

Technorati Tags: Maine,trains,Brunswick,Press,Democrats

Yes, Virginia, there might be a Santa Claus

Occasionally, we’re greeted by news that restores one’s belief in the Tooth Fairy, Fairy Godmothers, and yes, perhaps even Santa Claus.  All too infrequently, of course, but when we do, it behooves us to shout the news from the rooftop (where we maintain hope the state will soon fund a solar water heating system, just like Bowdoin’s), and to give credit where credit is due.

It’s all part of the jolly holly folly image we’ve worked so hard to establish for Other Side.

Just a few hours ago, always vigilant for the next breaking story, our offices received notification of the agenda for the town council meeting of this coming Monday, April 5th.  In recent months, we haven’t lived up to our own low standards for tracking and reporting on such matters, and we hope to make at least partial amends here.

We did, however, recently comment on a council motion to modify rules for public comment in this post.  Other Side, and others more credible, held that the proposal would figuratively, if not literally, kill off the public comment segment instituted not all that long ago.

So it is with considerable surprise and gratitude that we pass along this note from the agenda for the upcoming meeting:

(Please note that the item relative to changing the Council Rules of Order to have Public Comment after new Business Items has been withdrawn by the sponsors, Councilor Favreau
and Councilor Wilson.)

We know for a fact that our thoughts on such matters have no effect, so we can only assume that others in town took the sponsors to the woodshed, and after extended ‘counseling,’ convinced them to think better of their proposal.  We commend the public servants involved for coming to their senses.

Much as we would like, we cannot end on this high note.  The same agenda includes this item under New Business:

44. The Town Council will hear comments from Councilor Atwood relative to the relationship between the Federal budget and local budget challenges, with a focus on federal dollars allocated for war spending, and will determine if any future action is necessary. (Councilor Atwood)

As anyone who knows us can imagine, this sorely tempts your correspondent to launch into an Andy Rooney style “spot,” featuring our trademark irreverence and irascibility.  In the spirit of the moment, we choose not to yield to the urge.  Yes, we can be bigger than you at times.

We simply suggest that Monday’s meeting should prove more entertaining than usual, and we will gain immeasurable insight into how our public servants interpret the bounds of their authority.  In the past, we’ve had motions about policy regarding Cuba; this agenda item holds all the promise, and more, of that core municipal responsibility for foreign relations, national defense, and assorted other global matters.

One’s imagination, left to run free, could come up with all sorts of cosmic and transcendent issues for future debate at council meetings.  Why limit ourselves to drones, vernal pools, faerie shrimp, and other mundane details of community?

Readers are encouraged to submit their ideas directly to the council, or if they prefer, to us here at Other Side, where we will see that they receive the visibility they deserve.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,town council,public speaking

Claps and Slaps....

Claps for the Town Council

After years of speaking before the town council at regular and special meetings, I have come to expect nothing more in response than a polite "thank you."  There were occasional memorable episodes in the past where I'd be called various names, but fortunately that has not happened in more recent years.

Now I learn that last night the council, spurred on by other events as well, took up the subject about which I spoke, and decided to take action.

So in the spirit of outreach, Side hereby rises to deliver a standing O to the council for last night's discussion, and we look forward to reporting on the outcome of future actions.

Slaps for this Reporter

Conversely, you can color Side embarrassed for having left the meeting shortly after finishing its "testimony," and before the discussion just referred to occurred.  The reason is plain enough; after dozens of occasions speaking to the council, and watching those being addressed riff through papers, yawn, look unhappy, or otherwise wish the yapping would come to an end, there seemed to be no good reason to stick around for a one in a million chance of follow-up.

Last night that was the wrong thing to do, and so we offer a sitting raspberry for our own behavior.

Slaps for MECEP "founding principles" claim

Slaps in copious quantities are in order for the Maine Center for Economic Policy, or MECEP, arguably the leader in lobbying for nanny state policies here in Maine, which means they lead the way in ensuring we have an unsustainable economic future. It's headed by the well known Kit St. John, who is a widely seen agitpropist around the state, and has a sidelight pursuit here in Brunswick.

An MECEP analyst is one of the "featured columnists" for the Brunswick Times Record, where they have a twice a month slot on the op-ed page. You can judge for yourself what the following says about the quality and integrity of their bi-weekly featured columns. I've seen enough to know.

The excerpt below is from one of their email updates. As I noted elsewhere, I am a relative newcomer to the study of our nation's founding and the principles involved.

I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night, so I'm confident enough in my knowledge to know that the statements made below, in which MECEP claims to "follow" our country's founding principles, and then proceeds to enumerate them, are as close to pure, unadulterated bravo sierra as you will find in today's political and non-profit climate. It infuriates me, and it should anger you as well. It is a perfect example of the distortions endemic to political discourse in this era, and especially in blue state Maine.

Other than the fact that the claim of devotion to our "founding principles" is patently false, and that said "principles" then enumerated are not remotely close to anything from the founding, the rest of their assertions are probably accurate. Which leaves you with the Flag visual and the dates.

I am left to wonder whether those staffing MECEP are truly this ignorant of our founding, or are simply engaging in revisionist history to justify their own very anti-founding agenda. I'm not sure which view would be more "charitable," but no matter. The fact is, this is utter politically driven propaganda of the worst sort, and shame should be heaped on them for such bastardization of the facts. And it reflects as badly on the electorate as it does on them, truth be told. (Note: I have slightly edited the format of the original for clarity.)

Spotlight: Our Founding Principles

Maine became a state in 1820, forty-four years after the Declaration of Independence. It was 174 years after that when the Maine Center for Economic Policy was founded. Nevertheless, we try to (sic) follow our countries founding principles.

• Liberty and equality achieved through shared prosperity;
  
• life that is enhanced by affordable health care for all;
  
• fair taxes and budgets that represent the people's will and ability to pay;
  
• the pursuit of happiness based on adequate food, shelter, educational opportunity, environmental stewardship and livable wage jobs.

"Crazy for You" at the MSMT

A standing ovation for the Maine State Music Theater's production of "Crazy for You." And that's exactly what they got, and as wild a one as I can recall in the more than 50 productions the Poppycocks have attended at the Theater.

It's loaded with memorable music, energetic production numbers, a perfectly talented cast, and a classic musical comedy type story line. It's exactly what many of us are looking for in the way of summer theater diversion in the musical comedy vein. It's a marked contrast to "Light in the Piazza," which was well done, but simply nowhere near as engaging.

Now if MSMT could just do something about those who choose to smoke at intermission within steps of the theater entrance and the refreshment stand, Other Side could give another standing O.