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Much ado about ‘nothing’
Posted on April 1, 2008 by Michael Ballway
Filed Under Clinton, Mike's posts, Sterling |
Lance Harris over at No Drumlins feels “insulted” by Selectmen Chairman Robert Pasquale’s comments to a Sterling selectman last week. Talking about local opposition to Nestle drilling for water at the Wekepeke reservation, Pasquale said Sterlingites’ fears were “concern about nothing” and that “those people up there in Sterling have a lot of time on their hands.”
While it seems clear that Mr. Pasquale couldn’t care less what the people of Sterling think, he could at least be polite to our elected representatives. It’s particularly disrespectful that a Clinton Selectman would make this comment with his equal from Sterling in attendance.
Along the same vein, at ClintonMass.com Pasquale’s critics and defenders have been out in force. The latter remind us that Bob recently underwent painful surgery, and speculate that he might have felt badgered by what he feels are unreasonable demands from Sterling community activists.
Either way, however, Pasquale is Clinton’s highest elected official and the tone he strikes reflects upon the town, just as certainly as the president’s snubbing of a foreign leader would reflect upon America. One of Bob’s charms is that he speaks his mind, but a little honey here and there, especially when speaking from the seat of power on Wednesday night, doesn’t hurt.
Meanwhile, former Times & Courier editor (and current Sterling resident) Karen Sharpe writes about Wekepeke in yesterday’s Worcester Business Journal:
… that battle has already begun in Clinton and Sterling, where the value of water and land preservation is up against the pressures of municipal pocketbooks and corporate greed. Global food behemoth Nestle, like a salacious boy preying on a vulnerable girl, has come to court Clinton, telling the town everything it wants to hear, that it will pay a lot of money to pump water from deep beneath nearly 600 acres of Clinton-owned land in Sterling …
She goes on to question Clinton’s legal claim to the aquifer and say it’s “insulting and irresponsible” for the town to fail to maintain the reservoirs for 40 years, and suddenly become interested in them only when profits can be made.
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3 Responses to “Much ado about ‘nothing’”
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For a guy who lives in Lancaster, Lance spends an inordinate amount of time fixating on the goings on in Clinton. It also seems like he has a bone to pick with certain public servants in Clinton. Just like another blogger (except for the recent epiphany to the contrary), surprisingly Lance seems to find fault with the two Selectman running for re-election.
In regards to Karen Sharpe’s less-than-pithy expose of naked greed in Clinton’s municipal government, I disagree with one of her main postulates. In her WBJ piece, she claims that “is arguably our planet’s most valuable resource”. I couldn’t disagree more! Clear-headed thinking and the use of God-given brain power is our most valuable resource. The response by agitated and overly-concerned Sterling citizens to the potential use of Clinton’s Wekepeke water resource demonstrates that more bile and adrenaline are being used by opponents, rather than gray matter.
A peek at the opposition website, http://sterlingcitizens.org, clearly demonstrates that the opponents have transitioned from concerned citizens to bottled water haters! So much for the discussion that they crave so much and have excoriated Bob Pasquale for his sharp response to the Sterling selectman.
I just hope that the municipality of Clinton smartens up and finally posts the Wekepeke property as “NO TRESPASSING”, because it’s obvious that our valuable land and water resource is being used for recreational purposes by the ingrates who have circulated mis-information concerning and who demonized the proposed Nestle water pumping deal.
As for Ms. Sharpe’s assertion that Clinton is “a town plagued by a reputation for small-mindedness”, it is obvious from the hysterical response to a HYPOTHETICAL agreement to pump water that Sterling has a similar reputation, excepting that they have demonstrated a “no-brained” civic reputation!
I live in Sterling. I have an interest in Clinton because I lived there for 11 years and because the town of Clinton is fielding proposals to develop land in my town. While I oppose the Nestle proposal, I am not a member the “Council of Informed Citizens” or the “Concerned Citizens of Sterling” or any other organization. I have never met any of the five Clinton Selectmen.
You appear to be assuming that all opposition or criticism must be coming from some cabal or conspiracy to oppose the candidates or positions you support. Perhaps that has been your experience with others, but that is not the case with me. My opinions are mine, and mine alone.
What is it about former Times & Courier writers and striking a balanced tone toward Clinton? Am I going to get this bad when I finally leave? (ridden out of town on a rail, no doubt)
I hadn’t noticed that “small-mindedness” comment. That’s a good catch, Tony. Wouldn’t want Clinton’s ignorance pointed up by a denizen of that world-renowned cosmopolitan hub of culture, Sterling. (*** NOTE TO ANGRY STERLINGITES: This is humor. Once upon a time I worked in your fair town as a middle school teacher and enjoyed it very much. You have wonderful children and beautiful schools. But come on, Greenwich Village you ain’t. Please don’t start a Web site now dedicated to exposing the truth about me. I’ve been put in enough halls of shame already this year and I don’t think my letter carrier can handle any more hate mail on his route.)