The media driven Bullshite regarding swearing in Middleboro, MA

It's time to clear the air about the whole issue of swearing in my hometown of Middleboro, MA.

1. The anti-swearing rule has been on the books in Middleboro since 1968. 

Yes, read that again 1968. 

The statute was approved that year and was designed to make use of vulgar language similar to what they now call " hate speech" where police could summons someone to court for use of vulgar language in a manner that would be similar to verbal assault and battery.

2. The "new" aspect of this is the Chief of Police simply was trying to make a change so that his officers could issue a ticket for this type of issue instead of having to go through an arrest or summons.  The local ordinance would be still in effect with that one minor change.

3. The MEDIA have ginned this up into something it is NOT.  Like many issues, the MEDIA reported it wrong and the story has gone around the world and has attracted this low-rent activist to come to our fine village to put on a Media covered spectacle.

4. The citizens of Middleboro would like the reporters to work on producing stories about how our country is failing in education, falling behind on innovation, better ways to create good jobs for the citizens and leave stories like this where they belong, lining the bottom of a bird cage.

As a resident of Middleboro, I would like to tell the media types who will cover this huckster's demonstration that there are larger problems that need coverage and you should all focus your attention on our country's REAL problems ( The economy, unemployment, the Federal budget, failing politicians, lack of trust in ourleaders, etc. etc.) instead of the sideshow that will take place on Town Hall lawn today.

To the media idjits, I would ask how about you go back to being journalists for a change ??  It would be a much welcome change from the crappola I see passed off as news.


Town OK with activist’s cuss-fest demonstration
By Laurel J. Sweet  |   Monday, June 25, 2012 
|  http://www.bostonherald.com  | 

A tart-tongued activist hosting today’s “Free (Expletive) Speech Demonstration” at Middleboro Town Hall to protest the town’s $20 fine for cursing in public is inviting President Obama — in Boston today — to come on down, take up a bullhorn and join him in swearing up a blue streak ... for freedom!

“In fact, I invite all politicians who believe in freedom of speech to join us,” Adam Kokesh, a libertarian Internet talk show host, told the Herald in a phone interview from New Hampshire’s Porcupine 2012 Freedom Festival.

Town Moderator Wayne C. Perkins said TV trucks were parked outside town hall yesterday as interest in the swearing story persisted. He said Kokesh doesn’t need a permit so long as he and his supporters limit their outburst to dirty words and he has “no security concerns.”

“Let’s face it, people have a right to voice their opinion,” Perkins said. “If I see Secret Service here, then I’ll be concerned.”

Kokesh said the only exchange he plans to have with police is, “Have a nice (expletive) day.”

The “swear-in” is set for 12:30 to 1 p.m. — Kokesh said he wants to be foul-mouthed, but he doesn’t want to be disruptive — and he expects as many as 200 people to blaspheme about the 183-50 Middleboro Town Meeting vote earlier this month to establish a $20 fine for potty talk. The measure is under review for its constitutionality by the Attorney General’s Office.

“This is about standing up to a bully — maybe a bully in the form of 183 voters and a police department, but a bully nonetheless,” said Kokesh, 30, an Iraq war veteran and anti-war protester who stumped for Ron Paul’s campaign for president.

“I think it’s child abuse to tell your children that certain words have an emotional power that can cause sensitivity or hurt people’s feelings. Language is a tool. You can use it for good or bad. But a word should never be taboo,” said Kokesh, who was arrested in Washington, D.C., last year for taking part in a flash mob protesting the prohibition of dancing at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Selectman Stephen McKinnon, who said he’s been approached about the ban by reporters from ABC News and the BBC, said he doesn’t have much time for the ban himself. “We have bigger problems in our town than worrying about cussing.”

Female Soldier From Middleboro, MA Awarded Purple Heart

(Enclosed picture is of the Town of Middleboro, MA Veterans Park, built by the Veterans of Middleboro, MA)

It is no surprise that MIDDLEBORO, MA produces men & women who go on to serve in our military with distinction. Middleboro has produced TWO Medal of Honor recipients, Patrick Regan from WWI and HM3 Wayne Caron, Navy Medic from the Vietnam War.

The history of Middleboro shows that this farm community in the Southeastern Massachusetts also holds the distinction of being home to a Revolutionary War Hero, Deborah Sampson who served disguised as a man for a few years until gravely wounded on the field of battle.

BRAVO ZULU to our own, Deidra Neeley - YOU make all of Middleboro proud for your dedication to country and selfless service.

Female Soldier From Middleboro Awarded Purple Heart
May 21, 2011 2:32 PM
WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Doug Cope reports

MIDDLEBORO (CBS) – A Middleboro servicewoman received a huge honor on Saturday.

Deidra Neeley became the first female ever in Massachusetts to receive a Purple Heart.

Neeley was a combat medic when she was wounded in on August 27, 2009 in Afghanistan.

“It’s an honor. Of all the firsts I could have done, I definitely wasn’t choosing to get injured,” said Neeley.

Both Neeley and her husband remain on active duty and work at Walter Reed Hospital Washington, DC.

MIDDLEBORO VOTES FOR CHANGE - Allin Frawley & Ben Quelle are elected to the Board of Selectmen

Last August, I wrote a piece about how the Town of Middleboro, MA had some pretty poor leadership in our local Selectmen...the post is here.

http://usnavyjeep.blogspot.com/2010/08/all-politics-is-localthat-goes-double.html


Well the Voters decided that " politics as usual" was NOT what they wanted....Selectmen Marsha Brunelle and Muriel "Mimi" Duphily were shown the door as newcomers Allin Frawley and Ben Quelle handily defeated them in town elections Saturday by a margin of 3 to 1 - That's a real arse kicking in local elections where people get to know you well.

For too long, the " That's the way it's always been" crowd have been in charge and now we will have some new leadership. Marsha & Mimi were the poster children for the old way of doing business in town. I spoke with both Allin & Ben and they are committed to change....they understand that Towns like Middleboro have to be run like a business not like the Taxpayer is an unending source of $$$ for waste and entitlements for town employees.

In the Navy, a job well done is signified by the term, BRAVO ZULU or BZ... BRAVO ZULU to Allin & Ben for running good campaigns. You have done well.

Now the real tough work begins....Taking on the town employees who are dedicated to taking as much as possible from the taxpayers and getting rid of the "entitlement mentality" that is too much part of public sector employment. While not all are of that mind, too many have seen the town government as their private piggy bank...Change is needed and long overdue.

Tip O'Neill said " All Politics is local "....never more true than here in Middleboro, MA.

Last of Middleboro's Pearl Harbor survivors dies

With our condolences and sympathy to the Fortin Family...He has our thanks for his dedication and service to our country.


Last of Middleboro's Pearl Harbor survivors dies

HERVE FORTIN: was a crew member on the USS Detroit when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 - March 10, 2011

MIDDLEBORO, MA — Senior Chief Boatswain Mate (retired) Herve Fortin, the last of the six Middleboro survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 died in California on Thursday, Feb. 17. He was a seaman first class crew member of the USS Detroit (CL8) at the time of Japanese attack.

The ship was moored at Ford Island in the center of Pearl Habor. Mr. Fortin went topside at 7:30 a.m. on that day to relieve a fellow crew member on the motorboat. The motorboat was still out on a mission at the time. Herve turned around and reported to the Petty Officer in charge of the gun tub area of the ship right at the same time as two low flying Japanese planes came in and dropped their bombs. These bombs and those of the next two planes missed the USS Detroit but hit their intended targets of the USS Raleigh and USS Utah. Herve went to his battle station in the sky control amidship over the galley. Due to the intensity of the battle, the sky control position was curtailed. He spent the rest of the battle assigned to three-inch anti-aircraft gun number 5.

Mr. Fortin went on to have a long and distinguished career in the Navy and retired in November of 1970. His time in service spanned three wars: World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
Back in 2004, Mr. Fortin made a sizable donation to the Middleborough Veterans' Memorial Park project to have a section of the park dedicated to the Middleboro Pearl Harbor survivors. A Pearl Harbor survivors memorial brick in the walkway into the park denotes this section of the park and below that are individual bricks for each of the six men. His fellow local survivors were Army TEC SGT Aldo Tonari, Army SGT Emerson Ray, Army CPL Manuel Costa, Army PFC William Vassar, and Army veteran Dominic Falconieri.

At the time of the dedication of the Middleborough Veterans' Memorial Park on Memorial Day 2005 only Mr. Fortin and Mr. Tonari were still alive. They both attended the park dedication ceremony and also the reception held later in that day at the Zachariah Eddy House Bed and Breakfast for Middleboro Pearl Harbor survivors and their family members.

Proclamations of recognition and appreciation were given to Herve Fortin and Aldo Tornari by the Midleboro Board of Selectmen at the 2005 event, along with the proclamations given to the family members of their fellow survivors that had already passed on.

All Politics is local.....That Goes Double for Middleboro, MA - TIME FOR MARSHA TO GO.....

The Great Tip O'Neill, who was a legend in local politics in Massachusetts was famous for saying, " All politics is local." - no truer statement could ever be made about this issue or how Politics is viewed by those who live in Massachusetts.

My hometown of Middleboro, MA is no exception. We have had our share of donnybrooks and struggles over how the town is run, who runs the town and what the Town should/should not allow. Google " Casino" and Middleboro will pop right up. Not the first time it has happened in town, nor will it be the last time.

There is not only a local, but also a national dissatisfaction with the incumbents in office due to the way things have been done and the less than stellar results of Government on Local, State & Federal level. The Taxpayers are fed up and have had enough. Those who are in the position of being " Public Servants" have instead placed themselves as the "Lords of the Manor" and are using their positions of being politically connected to alter how things should be.

Example number one this week is Marsha Brunelle, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. She has instituted a new set of rules for weekly Selectmen Meetings that effectively stifles all public dissent from occurring. The new rules are so restrictive that it would be near impossible for a town citizen to appear to speak unless they have full approval from the Board.

This is not only counter to what the purpose of the Selectmen's Weekly Meeting is for, it is against the long standing tradition of being able to show up, listen to the deliberations of the board and contribute in a respectful manner to the discussion.

Marsha Brunelle has had a series of ethics issues, mainly due to her inability to proper handle the responsiblity of her position, and being married to the Director of IT for the town, Roger Brunelle, another person who has had a long standing history of ethical issues. The two of them act like they can do whatever they please and there is no one who can hold them accountable.

Marsha wants to cut off all dissenting opinions which is further evidence that she should not be in the position of deciding town matters as her use of the "rules" to limit challenge to her position is a sign of her lack of ethical behavior. No person should see themselves as above reproach. All of those who work in public service should be willing to have all their actions subject to review and comment from the public. If you are unwilling to do so, then STEP DOWN.

There is no gray area in this issue - it is purely black & white. You should allow the public to contribute in an open and traditional manner as you were elected to manage the town's affair as a representative of the people's will. If you put in place restrictive rules stifling dissent, you have become a dictictorial Hypocrite who is unworthy of the position.

Enclosed is a copy of the editorial from this week's Middleboro Gazette.....Time to go MARSHA....take your less than ethical bag of troubles with you, and retire with your HACK husband to somewhere you won't deprive others of their right to challenge town leadership. You'll be living off the taxpayers for the rest of your life, not caring who has to pay the bill.

The disgusting abuses of the municipal pay & retirement system is rife in our town and others across the country. The self-serving people who were trusted with the public well-being have instead turned the rules around to satisfy their own needs. It is a total betrayal of the public's trust and a perversion of what was established as a way of providing a retirement.

Alllowing Muncipal Governments to get out of control and become unresponsive to the avergae citizen is something we and our children will regret for the rest of our lives.




A spirited discussion may be shaping up here
August 12, 2010 11:07 AM
Jane Lopes - Middleboro Gazette

I had a dream last night that was more like a premonition. I dreamed that I saw Vic Sylvia, Paul Stiga and Larry Carver marching on Town Hall.

Well, it might have been a dream but there's no doubt in my mind that if it's possible for people who have passed on to make a return appearance, this trio will be at the next selectmen's meeting.

Vic, Paul and Larry no doubt have better things to do now, but surely they glanced down Monday night as they heard the selectmen talking about a proposal drafted by Chairman Marsha Brunelle that would, as one onlooker put it, severely restrict if not stifle the public's ability to participate in meetings of the Board of Selectmen.

After a majority of the selectmen twice rejected a proposal that they adopt Robert's Rules of Order as their guidelines for conducting meetings, the board received a letter from former selectman Adam Bond suggesting that they need some sort of rules to run meetings by, and offering guidelines adopted by other communities as examples. Ms. Brunelle instead came up with a six-page document that goes well beyond providing a structure for the board's weekly meetings. In terms of the meetings themselves, the document — which was not voted upon Monday night — Ms. Brunelle is calling for "all matters to be placed on the agenda" to be submitted by noon on Wednesday prior to a Monday night meeting. And that goes for anything that a resident might want to bring up during the "public comment period" that Ms. Brunelle reluctantly retained when she took over again as chairman from former selectman Pat Rogers earlier this year.

"If a resident desires to make an inquiry or comment during the public comment portion of the meeting, notice to do so must be given to the Board's secretary by the deadline stated above (Wednesday noon). This allows time for appropriate research if required," the proposed rule reads.

Resident Allin Frawley, who regularly takes advantage of the "public comment period" opportunity, read this paragraph and rightly envisioned, well, a muzzle. After the meeting, Ms. Brunelle allowed that she is aiming to limit what she views as obstructive chatter from the audience. And the alleged obstructionists are not limited to the audience, since the proposal to require board members to get on the agenda in order to speak is also designed to limit discussion — say, like the proposals to adopt Robert's Rules, which came up under "Other." "Other," an agenda item designed for board members to raise issues, is to be as circumscribed as the "public comment period."

Mr. Frawley's consternation would surely be echoed by the aforementioned Vic, Paul and Larry were they available for comment Monday night. Because Allin Frawley and the others who regulary participate in selectmen's meetings come from a long and honorable tradition in Middleboro, one that has been fiercely defended by Vic, Paul, Larry and others like them over the years. Two of the three men, Vic and Larry, served as selectmen at different times, but for most of their public lives they, like Paul Stiga, made their contributions from the audience in the selectmen's room at Town Hall on Monday nights.

The chairman of the board suggests that other government bodies do not provide for the public input that Middleboro residents enjoy. Well, Ms. Brunelle, we live in Middleboro, and in Middleboro we speak our piece. As chairman you have the right to cut off someone who is disrespectful, who has long since made his or her point, who is holding forth on the subject of apples while the board's discussion involved oranges. It's up to the chairman to ensure that meetings run effectively and adjourn in a timely manner unless there's pressing business that dictates otherwise. But the tradition in Middleboro is that the selectmen's meetings on Monday night are the place where people can get their questions answered and make their opinions known, albeit certainly within reason.

There was little comment Monday night about the proposed guidelines, and it was indicated that there will be discussion at the next meeting. Since Ms. Brunelle seems to have already adopted her own recommendations, given the lack of input allowed from the floor Monday night, the discussion may be limited to the board members themselves. The proposed guidelines are available on the town web site with the Aug. 9 selectmen's agenda items for those who want to read for themselves.

So far the Town Hall has been investigated for paranormal activity and spirit beings with limited results — mostly a ghostly voice or mysterious light source here or there. The investigators might want to stop by for the next selectmen's meeting. I'd be surprised if some folks weren't there in spirit. Certainly someone needs to be present to object to the those physically present in the audience being seen, but not heard.

Back Home.....

The arrival back home has been enjoyed and it is great to see family and friends....I even took my 1963 Willys Jeep down to the Halifax Car Show on Friday evening.......36 hours after leaving Kandahar, I was at the Car Show with my best friend smoking a few fine Cuban Cigars and humbly accepting the kind remarks of those who admired my Old Jeep......

Time passes quickly and soon, it will be time to reverse the process and head back....But until then, I'll enjoy & savor each moment with the knowledge of this is what we all work hard for....Friends & Family, time at home, and the comfort of all that is cherished.

Summertime in Southeastern Massachusetts is an awesome time of year and all should take in the splendor of the season and all that it offers.....The Middleboro Veterans Memorial Park is one of the sites to see when you come to Middleboro, MA for a visit.....I am proud to be part of the group that created and built this beautiful and solemn memorial to all our Veterans, past & present.

More to follow as time allows.....time is fleeting and it waits for no man....off to play with my old cars and spend an afternoon celebrating " Beberday", a local and not so well known holiday in these parts.....