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In This Corner - Robert Slager

School Committee should be ashamed

This was supposed to be one of the most glorious weeks in Wareham High School history. The boys basketball team captured the Eastern Massachusetts Division 3 title on the famed parquet floor at the Garden on Monday, earning a shot at the state championship on Saturday. There was palpable pride in the eyes of every single student at the school. It didn’t matter if the were jocks or geeks or Goths. This week they were all Vikings. They were unified. They were one. All of Wareham was one.

On Wednesday night, under a shameless swirl of tired partisan politics, members of the School Committee decided to put their egos ahead of everything else. They decided to steal some of the thunder of the young men and women they are supposed to represent. And then they had the temerity to claim it was all for the children.

The School Committee’s decision to vote no-confidence in the Board of Selectmen on Wednesday night had nothing to do with the students of Wareham High School, or any other student for that matter. It was about pride and power. It was about protecting turf and protecting egos.

Two weeks ago selectman Brenda Eckstrom made a Power Point presentation about the school budget during her board’s meeting. She was very careful to acknowledge that selectmen have no authority over the School Committee or school budget. As a mother of four, she simply wanted to point out that while school programs and supplies have been cut to the bone, school administrators are being given raises each year. She said her constituants have repeatedly expressed concern to her about cuts at the school. The School Committee had been invited numerous times to attend joint meetings with selectmen to discuss those concerns but have never accepted the invitation.

Apparently the School Committee considered Eckstrom’s Power Point presentation to be part of an on-going political “attack” on its members. So, at the end of their meeting on Wednesday, the School Committee decided to vote “no-confidence” in the Board of Selectmen. Eckstrom sat in the audience after the School Committee had invited selectmen to attend. But Eckstrom wasn’t allowed to speak, even when she came under attack by the committee. She was told she should have spoken during “Citizen’s Participation,” which took place before the School Committee launched its attack on selectmen.

School Committee Chairman Robert Brousseau tried to justify that decision by saying Eckstrom never personally asked to be put on the agenda. After the meeting she personally asked to be placed on the agenda of the upcoming March 24 meeting agenda.

Brousseau, who is not seeking re-election to the School Committee, told the Standard-Times “I control the agenda. I'm inclined to think that if we have a joint meeting it might be best to wait until after the (April 6) election.”

Well, there you have it. This isn’t about the children. This is about the election. This is about the School Committee playing shameless partisan politics.

It started last summer when School Committee member Geoff Swett, who also happened to be a board member of the political group Citizens for a Better Wareham, suddenly brought concerns about the town’s Health Care Trust Fund to the attention of other School Committee members. The School Committee was so concerned that school employees had overpaid their share into the town’s health insurance plan they hired an auditor to look into the situation and asked the town to pay for half of it.

The problem was the School Committee hired the same auditor the town had used for several years before deciding not to renew his contract. Essentially the School Committee wanted the town to pay a person they had already parted with to review his own previous audits of the Health Care Trust Fund.

Selectmen and then interim town administrator John Sanguinet wisely refused to be strong-armed into such an illogical plan by the School Committee. So the School Committee decided to pay for the auditor with school funds. Of course the auditor backed up earlier School Committee claims that the town owed its employees $1.9 million because the fund was not administered correctly.

The School Committee then held a press conference, notifying only the partisan Standard-Times, to announce the “mistake.”

The selectmen took the prudent course and hired an independent auditor, who discovered that the fund was actually in a surplus, not a deficit. Town employees hadn’t been ripped off. The former town accountant had simply made it look that way by screwing up the accounting of the fund.

No one from the School Committee ever apologized for pressing the panic button. Not a single member of the committee showed up when the independent auditor made his final report to selectmen last month. The Finance Committee was able to make it. Several of its members had the class to apologize for jumping the gun. But not the School Committee. Apparently that would have been too hard on the old ego.

During a School Committee meeting in January, when massive cuts to the school budget were announced, School Superintendent Barry Rabinovitch actually suggested to parents that if they don’t like cuts to the budget they should vote the selectmen out of office.

“Support someone who will put youth first,” Rabinovitch said.

That quote was not from the Wareham Observer. It was in the Wareham Courier.

Anyone who knows anything about town government understands that selectmen have nothing to do with the school budget. It is formulated by the School Committee and presented for approval at Town Meeting. Certainly Rabinovitch knows that. If he doesn’t he should be fired immediately.

It’s obvious he was trying to lay the blame for school cuts on the selectmen, knowing full well they had nothing to do with it. That’s what upset Eckstrom so much. The school superintendent was telling parents to vote selectmen out of office because they don’t care about children, even though it was the School Committee who crafted the school budget. It was a political cheap shot of enormous magnitude.

In response to that claim, Eckstrom prepared a Power Point presentation to show the raises school administrators have received as school programs were being cut. She also noted that any increase in the school budget means town services will be cut. She’s absolutely correct about that. The town has no spare change. The School Committee is now asking for nearly $1 million more for the school budget than last year. That money has to come from somewhere. Should the library and the Counsel on Aging be closed to accommodate this request? That’s not an exaggeration. That is a very real possibility.

It appears that members of the School Committee are attempting to pass this political hot potato into the hands of selectmen because they don’t want to be held responsible for failing to keep the school budget under control. They are being held accountable for their actions and they don't like it. So they are playing shameless politics in order to pass the buck to someone else.

There are other examples of this kind of thing. The VoteApril6 political group has made a concerted effort to gets its material into the schools. Members passed out buttons inside the middle school during a recent Charter Review Committee meeting. Rabinovitch said he has no idea how a box of VoteApril6 buttons found its way to his desk. He said he has no idea who is behind the group.

VoteApril6, of course, is run by Dick Wheeler, a board member for the Citizens for a Better Wareham, just like School Committee member Geoff Swett. VoteApril6 signs always seem very close to signs for candidates seeking to replace current members of the Board of Selectmen.

Then there was Bob Brady’s “community” meeting last summer at the middle school, a meeting in which only those opposed to the current Board of Selectmen were allowed to attend. Who approved the use of school property for that politically charged meeting? If you guessed the School Committee, go to the head of the class. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that Bob Brady’s girlfriend works in the school superintendent’s office.

A few years ago Observer founder Elizabeth Pezzoli witnessed Brousseau extending his right arm in a Nazi salute in the direction of Bruce Sauvageau while standing in the parking lot of Town Hall. The Observer called on him to apologize, noting that such behavior is completely unworthy of member of the School Committee.

Brousseau never did apologize. Now, just weeks before Sauvageau is up for re-election for a fourth term, Brousseau voted no-confidence in the Board of Selectmen. That, of course, came just weeks before Brousseau will step down from the School Committee.

One last classless gesture on the way out the door.

Yes, there is a political game being played right now. It’s being run by the School Committee. And what’s really sad about all this is that this week should have belonged to the young men and women of Wareham High School. This was their week to celebrate. This was their week to be proud. The headlines in the papers should have belonged to them.

If anyone deserves a vote of no confidence it’s the School Committee.

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In This Corner - Robert Slager - 5 opinions posted

Wareham takes the Garden by storm

STATE OF PURE JOY: Wareham beats Bedford! State championship game awaits on Saturday!

    BOSTON - The Wareham High Vikings dreamed a very big dream at the start of the season, and now that dream is just a single game away.
    The boys varsity basketball team took to the parquet floor of the TD Banknorth Garden Monday afternoon in the Division 3 semifinals and soundly defeated Bedford, 63-49, to earn a shot at the state championship Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester. Game-time has not yet been announced.
    The Vikings will face New Leadership, a charter school from Spingfield that defeated Whitinsville-Christian on Tuesday.
    Jordan Rezendes and Jules Tavares put on a show in the biggest game of their lives. Rezendes took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points to ice the victory. Tavares brought the crowd to its feet with an alley-oop dunk that would have impressed Kevin Garnett, who has thrown down a few of his own on the very same floor for the Boston Celtics.
   Perhaps lost in the highlight reel but no less important to Wareham's victory was the monsterous effort of senior center Ryan Pina, who completely disrupted the Bedford offense with his tremendous interior defense while pulling down 22 rebounds in his spare time.

   Wareham, which improved to 24-1 with the victory, struggled at times on offense, especially early on when big-game jitters gripped both teams. But the Vikings slowly took control with their relentless man-to-man pressure, which led to a blizzard of Bedford turnovers that turned into transition baskets on the other end.
    Rezendes, who battled early foul trouble after being whistled for two first-quarter charges, responded as he usually does: With ice-water in his veins when the stakes are at their highest. He finished with a team-high 20 points. Tavares tallied 16 and Pina chipped in with 12.
     Michael Ingram-Rubin paced Bedford with 21 points.
     Wareham got off to a slow start, missing a string of 3-pointers in the early minutes of the first quarter. With Bedford shifting from a 2-2-1 zone to a 1-2-2 zone, the Vikings had trouble getting their motion offense in high gear. Razendes took care of that after taking a smooth pass from Tavares, driving to the basket and getting the hoop and the harm. His three-point play gave Wareham its first lead, 3-2.
    The Vikings extended the lead to 5-2 after Pina spun inside for the deuce. But Bedford went on a 10-3 run to take a 12-8 advantage. Wareham Coach Kevin Brogioli had seen enough and called a quick time out.
    After Bedford led 14-10, Wareham ended the quarter in style, with Darren Gray draining a foul-line jumper, the Vikings forcing a turnover, and Tavares calmly drilling a shake-and-bake 3-pointer from the top of the key with a second left of the clock.
    "That's the thing about this team, if somebody's not hitting on all cylinders somebody is there to pick them up," Wareham coach Kevin Brogioli said of his team's shaky start.
    Wareham slowly pulled further ahead in the second quarter. After a Bedford 3-pointer cut the Vikings lead to 20-17, the Tavares show continued. The senior guard slithered inside for another hoop. A few minutes later he banked home a trey, looking like he intended to do just that, to give Wareham a 29-19 advantage.
     On the other end Pina was just warming up. After disrupting shot after shot in the paint, he finally sent one back with fury, prompting a roar from the Wareham bench. It looked every bit as imposing when the replay was shown on the Jumbotron.
    The Vikings took a 36-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.
    Tavares gave the Vikings a 13-point advantage a few minutes into the third quarter when he took off down the weakside, took a pass over the rim and slammed it home with both hands.
    "That's just sick," said one fan.
    "It's not fair," said another.
    Things turned a bit physical after that as every loose ball sent players scrambling in a scrum to the floor. Senior forward Pat Murphy picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter, forcing Brogioli to go to the bench once again. Bedford couldn't take much advantage of that, trimming only two points from the lead, 47-39, heading into the fourth quarter.

"We were able to maintain that 10-point cushion even with three starters on the bench," Brogioli said.

The final eight minutes belonged to Rezendes, who scored the 1,000th point of his career earlier in the season (Tavares did the same against Cardinal Spellmen in the Div. 3 South title game at UMass-Boston on Saturday). Rezendes found himself on a 2-on-1 in open court, which Tavares looking ready for liftoff on the other side. With a Bedford defender choosing to lean toward Tavares, Rezendes took in all the way home. A few plays later he powered down the lane for another basket and followed that with a short jumper, giving Wareham a 55-44 lead.
Pina then powered inside for another hoop. After hitting four straight from the line, Rezendes offered a hint of a smile as the Vikings extended the lead to 17, 61-44. The 14-5 run to open the quarter put the game away.

   "We'll take tomorrow off. They deserve it," Brogioli said. "They got banged around and banged up tonight."
    Brogioli said his team will be ready for Saturday.
    "They know what's at stake. They've had pressure on them all year long and they've come through all year long," he said.

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Robert Slager - 5 opinions posted

School Committee gives selectmen thumbs down

   The Wareham School Committee voted no confidence in the Board of Selectmen Wednesday night after members of the committee accused selectmen of interfering in their business and playing politics during election season.
    Last week Selectman Brenda Eckstrom offered a Power Point presentation during a selectmen meeting in which she questioned the need for cuts to school programs while school administrators were getting raises.
    That did not go over well with members of the School Committee, who have come under fire in recent months for their handling of the Health Care Trust Fund controversy. On Wednesday School Superintendent Barry Rabinovitch claimed that Eckstrom did not take into account pay increases based on promotions of school administrators.
    Eckstrom, who attended the School Committee meeting on Wednesday, was not allowed to speak on her behalf. School Committee chairman Bob Brousseau indicated that Eckstrom should have used the time allowed during Citizen’s Participation earlier in the meeting to address the committee.
    In an interview late Wednesday night, Eckstrom said she was stunned by the School Committee’s decision to vote no confidence in the Board of Selectmen, a move she termed "clearly politically motivated."
    "The School Committee has been attacking the selectmen for eight months," Eckstrom said. "And for them to sit there tonight and to try to accuse me of being political because I am trying to address the constituents that they are ignoring is both hypocritical and juvenile."
    Last summer the School Committee claimed there were issues with the town’s Health Care Trust Fund, which provides health insurance to town employees (the majority of which work for the school district). The School Committee hired the same auditor the town used for several years to audit the fund. Selectmen questioned the wisdom on such a decision, especially after that auditor did not have his contract renewed by the town.
    Selectmen hired a second auditor, who determined that town employees were not owed $1.9 million, as initially claimed by some Finance Committee and School Committee members.
    Eckstrom, a mother of four with three children in the school system, said her decision to address the school budget during the selectmen meeting on March 2 had nothing to do with politics.
    "I am fighting for people who work at the schools. I’m fighting for the teachers and the students and the parents. They don’t have enough paper for the children. My kids’ teachers have asked me not to buy them gifts at Christmas but instead purchase hand sanitizer for their classrooms. They are cutting everything, and it’s not just programs. For me it has always been about the children. The School Committee wants everyone to believe they couldn’t hire a superintendent for less than $150,000 a year. They sat there and accused me of being political while not even allowing me to speak in my defense. They were painted with politics throughout the whole meeting."
    Eckstrom then referenced a Standard-Times article on Wednesday in which Rabinovitch said Eckstrom "made assumptions with the wrong numbers" about administrative raises. Eckstrom denied that accusation, noting that Rabinovich himself received a $4,000 raise this year.
    "Rabinovitch is playing semantics to hide the fact that school administrators have been given raises while programs are being cut," she said. "The School Committee had an opportunity to keep salaries in check every time an administrative position became available. But they didn’t do it. Paying top dollar for a school superintendent in his first year in that position, in my opinion, is not financially responsible given the cuts in programs the school have seen."
    Eckstrom believes the vote of no confidence for the Board of Selectmen was done in retribution for her speaking out against the School Committee last week.
    "If these people want to be mad at me, be mad at me," Eckstrom said. "For them to attack the entire board is ridiculous. No one on the board knew what my presentation would include. I asked to be put on the agenda, as any citizen has the right to do, regardless if they are a town official or not. The School Committee is just playing politics, and that’s the last thing this town needs right now. We all need to work together for our children."

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Robert Slager - 8 opinions posted

The new fleet of police cruisers

Calling all cars - Police receive new cruisers

Sgt. John Walcek of the Wareham Police Department stood in front of the police station Friday afternoon, his back to traffic on Route 28. A tall man, Walcek seemed to stand even taller as he surveyed a fleet of eight new police cars filling the station’s arched driveway. He tossed a rhetorical question into the air and then added the answer.

“Is this impressive? Absolutely. State of the art. It brings us up finally to where we need to be,” he said.

The fleet has been leased to Wareham for three years through a grant obtained by Police Chief Rick Stanley. The grant covers the cost for the first year. Stanley said after that the cost of the leases will be included in the police department’s budget for two years. If Town Meeting voters don’t approved the necessary funding, Stanley said he’ll find the money within whatever budget amount he is granted.

“I had to sign that one in blood,” Stanley said with a grin.

A lot of smiles flashed back and forth on Friday between Stanley and Bruce Sauvageau, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. Pride glistened in Stanley’s eyes when he glanced toward the gleaming fleet. He said Wareham’s police officers chose the cars. The choice was Crown Victorias or Chargers. The officers chose Chargers, adorned in black and white.

Sauvageau told Stanley that in the seven years he’s been selectmen he’s never seen as many good things happen as he’s seen recently seen; not only in the police department, but in the town as well. Sauvageau noted the arrivals of new town accountant Elizabeth Zaleski, COA director and acting library director Marsha Griswold, CEDA director Christopher Reilly, and new town administrator Mark Andrews.

“We’re seeing positive movements, a direction we can be proud of,” Sauvageau said.

“Since arriving in August I’ve met with nothing but cooperation from the department, the town and the community,” Stanley said. “I’ve had discussions about my vision. (Selectmen) have had some questions. They’ve held my feet to the fire.”

Stanley glanced at the late afternoon sun casting gold across the roofline of the police station as his officers gathered together, their eyes set upon the cruisers.

“It’s been good to be able to take something that was in this turmoil and do this,” Stanley said.

“The change has been miraculous,” Sauvageau said.

For a few minutes Sauvageau and Stanley joined other selectmen and police officers as they walked among the cars. Officers opened doors , turned on flashing blue lights, and then pointed to new equipment, which include 911 terminals that allow officers to file reports directly from their cars, radar equipment front and back (older vehicles only have front radar), state-of-the-art scanners, and a flash warning system that connects to the traffic lights in the mall area, resetting them so that cruisers in the process of emergency response can pass through the area without being impeded by traffic.

Then one by one Stanley, Sauvageau and Andrews stepped up to a microphone to speak about the new fleet, a cooperative effort and a promise fulfilled.

“I want to express to the community my appreciation for all of the support. Change does not come easily. I promised people when they came back in the spring they would see a new police force. This fleet is symbolic of the new police force,” Stanley said.

Stanley looked from the selectmen to his officers, the gleaming cars, and beyond.

“You deserve the best. I promise you will have the best,” Stanley said.

Stanley closed his remarks with one final burst of appreciation.

“I can’t thank enough the efforts of the board of selectmen, and especially chairman Sauvageau. I have worked closely with them. None of this would have been possible without them,” Stanley said.

Stanley relinquished the microphone. Sauvageau and Andrews stepped forward, each echoing the town’s appreciation. Then the fleet (with selectmen, town administrator, and reporters as passengers) rolled onto Route 28 and across individually chosen routes for an official first tour of the town.

Officer Michael Phinney, this reporter as his companion, guided a new cruiser through the center of town. There was a gasp from Phinney as a driver coming from the opposite direction, apparently distracted, started to swerve into Phinney’s lane.

“Don’t be wiping out the new cruiser, lady,” Phinney said with a grin.

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Andrea Smith - 1 opinion posted

In This Corner - Robert Slager

Dreaming with eyes wide open

The dream still comes to me every few months. A small school from Northern California is punching a giant hole through a ceiling of belief. With their best player en route to the hospital, a victim of a flagrant elbow to the face that detached his retina, this motley group of young men leads the defending Division 2 State Basketball Champions by two points with just seconds remaining on the clock.

The crowd behind the bench grows so loud the floor begins to vibrate. The best player in league history takes the ball as the clock winds down. He spins to his right near the corner. The crowd counts down.

Five, four, three, two, one …

The ball is in the air, a 73-game winning streak on the line. The greatest upset in league history hangs in the balance.

The shot skids off the back rim. I grab the rebound and throw the ball to the rafters. I am mobbed by a team that was as close to me as family.

On Monday at the TD North Garden, the Wareham High Vikings heard the echo of every screech from every sneaker on every gym floor that they’d stepped foot upon. They saw every rim on every playground that rested underneath a sun slipping from the sky. They were little boys again, stepping out on the parquet floor of the Garden, the same floor adorned with the invisible footprints of Bill Russell and Bob Cousy, Hondo and Bird, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Pat Murphy looked up at the Jumbotron hanging high above center court for a moment. Jules Tavares looked out over the crowd. Jordan Rezendes watched a basketball move from his fingertips to the floor and back again.

There was more at stake Monday afternoon that just the outcome of a basketball game. Yes, winning the Eastern Massachusetts Division 3 championship with a 63-49 victory over Bedford was a monumental achievement. Wareham was expected to be good heading into the season, but then Wareham is always expected to be good. Murphy, Tavares and Rezendes had all tasted post-season glory over the past few years, but the Vikings were never quite able to get over the hump in the South Section tournament. They never had the chance to play at the Garden. They were never able to get past their one-on-one tendencies when the game was on the line.

But something changed this year. Head coach Kevin Brogioli said it perfectly when he noted on Monday “That’s the thing about this team - if somebody’s not hitting on all cylinders somebody is there to pick them up.”

Anyone fortunate enough to attend Monday’s game witnessed something remarkable. The Vikings have blown past most of their opponents this season with their traditional “don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it” fast-break attack. Opposing team know they’re in for a track meet on sneakers every time Wareham steps on to the court. Extra oxygen hasn’t helped.

But Bedford had little interest in letting Wareham open the flood gates. The Buccaneers decided to go toe-to-toe with the Vikings, throwing bodies around like human catapults. The game grew so physical that the referees stopped play several times to calm things down. Despite that, Bedford had succeeded in making Wareham play the Buccaneers’ game. The game turned into a war of attrition, just the way Bedford wanted it.

What we all learned is that Wareham has a few warriors of its own.

Ryan Pina was an absolute beast inside. The senior center contested every single shot while pulling down 22 rebounds, an astonishing number for a game of this magnitude. As bodies were flying all around him, Pina fought for the ball like it was the last slice of pizza at a fraternity party.

If anyone ever questioned the heart that beats beneath those Wareham uniforms they got their answer. Murphy, who had hoped to join Tavares and Rezendes in the 1,000-point club on Monday, couldn’t hit water from a pier against Bedford. All but one of his shots spun painfully off the rim. But he found a way to help the Vikings win but playing some of the best defense this side of the National Guard. If there were a record for floor burns in one game Murphy would have his name etched on a plaque.

Everyone else stepped up on the offensive end. Darien Fernandez scored four points in less than two seconds during one amazing sequence, leaving the Wareham crowd chanting “He’s a freshman, he’s a freshman.”

The Bedford fans tried chanting something in response, only to be met by a sound wave of “Scoreboard! Scoreboad!”

Nothing quiets opposing fans quite like that.

In the game’s waning moments, when it became clear that Wareham would be heading for one final game – the Division 3 State Championship on Saturday in Worcester – Brogioli began to empty his bench. No matter how many minutes anyone played on this team this year they all shared the same dream – to play at the Garden just once in their lives. Brogioli, as classy a coach as you will ever hope to find, gave that dream to everyone on his team on Monday.

But this dream isn’t over yet. If the Vikings win on Saturday they will be the Division 3 State Champions. And for the rest of their days, no matter where the road of the futures may lead them, no one will ever be able to take that dream away from them. They were part of something amazing. That will be with them always.

It’s been more than 27 years now, and my dream still comes to me at night. In that dream a team from a tiny school in Northern California beats the defending state champions. But when I wake up my heart breaks a little bit every time because that 3-point shot did not skid off the rim. It went straight through the basket. A joyous mob did not engulf me. It formed in front of the other team’s bench. I fell to my knees and sobbed.

I hope the Vikings never have to wake up from their dream.

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In This Corner - Robert Slager - 4 opinions posted

Selectman Brenda Eckstrom

Eckstrom blasts raises given to school administrators

Apparently it’s not a good idea to suggest that selectmen don’t care about school children.

During a School Committee budget meeting in January, School Superintendent Barry Rabinovich told those in attendance that if they didn’t like the proposed cuts to the school budget they should get out and vote.

“Support someone who will put youth first,” he said.

Selectman Brenda Eckstrom, a mother of four with three of her children in the Wareham school system, took offense at that politically charged remark. She finally responded on Tuesday with a Power Point presentation that showed the school budget wasn’t being decreased by $750,000 as had been suggested during the School Committee meeting in January. The proposed school budget ($26,586,684 for FY11) actually shows a requested increase of $950,719 (3.6 percent).

Eckstrom doesn’t believe the level of cuts proposed in the school budget is necessary.

"I am frustrated at the lack of supplies and the resources that we give our teachers and I'm also frustrated that when choices need to be made the children always come out on the short end," Eckstrom said.

Eckstrom opened her presentation by noting that the top five school administrators have been continually getting raises while programs at the schools are being cut. She said she understands that the School Committee and not the Board of Selectmen is responsible for crafting the school budget but later told the Observer that she is dismayed as a mother that misinformation is being given to parents of school children.

“This is about making choices,” she said. “This is about doing what’s right.”

During her presentation Eckstrom said that the top five administrators at the school will be receiving raises this year, including the school superintendent. Those administrators received a combined salary of $583,139.44 in FY10, a raise of $20,471.44 from FY09 and an $83,181.44 increase from FY08.

Eckstrom noted that bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers have received less than a 1 percent raise in their current union contract while teachers received a total of 3 percent over three years.

“When everyone’s budget is tight, everyone needs to tighten their belts,” she said. “Sports activities are being cut and classrooms are running out of paper while the top five school employees are continuing to receive lucrative pay raises.”

The school administration line item for FY11 shows a $95,000 increase. Rabinovich had previously failed to respond to an inquiry from the Observer asking him to explain the $95,000 increase and how much of it will go toward administrator raises. Eckstrom said the Board of Selectmen has not been given that information either.

When asked by e-mail to comment for this story, Rabinovich finally responded in turn, writing (unedited) “I will wait to respond until I have a copy of Brenda Eckstrom Power Point. From what I have heard their were many misrepresentations of the Truth.”

The Observer sent a subsequent e-mail that read: “You made several comments to Wareham Week this morning, Mr. Rabinovich. You were quoted as saying Eckstrom's figures regarding salary increases painted a false picture because of promotions among administrators. Could you please elaborate on that? Also, the line item for administration in the proposed FY11 budget shows a $95,000 increase. What is the reason for that?”

Rabinovich responded by writing “My salary increased 4000. 10k for global connect, 66k for anticipated negotiations with custodians, cafeteria workers, teaching assistants, unit B. And administators. Approximately 16k for a retiring employee benefits.”

Rabinovich later said these are contracted services through the superintendent's office.

Rabinovich told Wareham Week that he will be receiving a 2.6 percent increase in 2011. He said that because the School Committee rated him “very good” during his evaluation he is entitled by contract to a $4,000 raise, which will push his FY11 salary to $153,140. Rabinovich also noted that salaries of administrators increased over the past few years because of promotions they received to replace administrators who left. Rabinovich was promoted two years ago when Jim Collins retired as superintendent.

Information from the Department of Education web site, however, noted that almost 10 percent of the school's $340,988 budget increase in FY09 went toward raises for school administrators.

During her presentation Eckstrom noted that superintendents in other communities have taken voluntary pay cuts to protect programs under their watch. The entire middle school sports program is facing elimination in the current proposed school budget.

“The superintendent in Ware offered to put an addendum into her contract so she could take a 20 percent pay cut in FY10 in order to stave off layoffs,” Eckstrom said. “The superintendent in Springfield had deferred his contractual pay raises in order to save programs,”

Eckstrom explained that the town currently spends the required amount mandated by the state for the school budget. Because of that any further reduction in state aid or any increase in school spending has to come from the town side of the budget. Eckstrom said in order to provide the school department the money it is seeking the town would have to find nearly $750,000 in its budget.

“We would have to close data processing, the Council on Aging, the library and animal control,” Eckstrom said, offering one of several examples of the impact such an increase would have on town services.

School officials have previously noted that a big financial issue for the district is yearly increases in fixed costs such as energy and insurance benefits. They said level funding actually represents a decrease in what can be spent on students, teachers and programs because of increases in fixed costs.

Eckstrom said the School Committee needs to focus on areas of the budget to cut that don’t include programs for children. She noted that several questions she has asked of the School Committee have remained unanswered.

“Did the person who took gate receipts and promised restitution ever pay? How much did he pay? When did he pay it? Where is the money that was left (to the school district) by the Minot teacher who passed away? What about the school van that was involved in an accident? What are the legal fees from that? I have no idea,” Eckstrom said.

During last week’s selectmen meeting Eckstrom invited the School Committee to be present for her presentation. But according to School Committee Chairman Robert Brousseau a formal invitation via e-mail did not arrive until late Friday afternoon, which would not have allowed the School Committee to post a meeting of its board 48 hours in advance, as required by open meeting law.

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Robert Slager - 9 opinions posted

Wareham High principal leaving for Barnstable

   Patrick Clark, the principal of Wareham High School, will be leaving that position to become principal of Barnstable High School on July 1.
   Clark will take over for Patrica Graves, who is retiring from Barnstable High.
   Clark, who graduated from Barnstable High School in 1990, was selected by a search committee on Thursday. He, along with Barnstable High assistant principal John Mika and Falmouth High assistant principal James Demers, was a finalist for the position. There were 18 applicants for the position overall.
    A search committee in Wareham will commence to choose a replacement for Clark. The Observer will update this story as more information becomes available.

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Robert Slager - 2 opinions posted

Woman killed in I-495 wreck

    Penelope H. Dickens, a 57-year-old Oak Bluffs woman, was killed Monday night in a one-car accident on Route 495 in Wareham.
    According to State Police, the accident occurred around 8:10 p.m. when Dickens lost control of her 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee heading south near Exit 1. The vehicle swerved into the woods before bursting into flames.
    Dickens was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.

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Help drive the hate bloggers crazy!

LIVE CHAT!

Please join us for LIVE CHAT Sunday beginning at 7 p.m. There's a lot to talk about as election season rages in Wareham! Please share your thoughts! Cheers!

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435 opinions posted

News

Wareham adds two police dogs

Police Department's bark now every bit as bad as its bite

    Police Chief Rick Stanley introduced his K-9 unit to selectmen on Tuesday night, and the two dogs brought to the meeting left quite and impression.
   Although muzzled, the animals – Cago and Rolf - snarled and barked at each other with fury.
"They will have a tremendous deterrence effect to those who want to break into houses and cars," Stanley said.
Stanley said some suspects are not intimidated by police officers. He doesn’t believe the same will be the case with the dogs.
"Nobody wants to feel a bite on the leg from one of these guys," Stanley said.
Stanley said the dogs are not yet fully trained.
"When they’re fully trained and without muzzles they’ll be fine," Stanley said.
  The animals are being trained by the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department.
  The equipment for the dogs was purchased by San Diego Chargers linebacker Stephen Cooper, who played at Wareham High School in the late 1990s.
Officer Joseph Cardoza and Michael Phinney will be working with Cago and Rolf. Cardoza played football with Cooper while at Wareham High.
   The Board of Selectmen thanked Cooper, who was not in attendance, for his generosity.
  According to Stanley, the dogs will also be of great assistance in searches for lost children and Alzheimer’s patients.

    Former selectman and current political activist Bob Brady appeared before the Zoning Board of Appeals recently to answer claims that he has been running a dog grooming business on his property without the appropriate license.
    Brady contested that accusation, saying that he holds a kennel license and believes that should be sufficient to allow him to conduct a grooming business.
    Acting Building Inspector Jay Collins disagreed. He said a commercial kennel license is necessary for Brady to conduct a grooming business on his property in Wareham.
    The issue came to light after Brady began advertising for dog grooming services in an advertisement in Wareham Week.
    At Brady’s request ZBA Chairman Ken Ferriera read the town by-law definition for a kennel into the record. The definition included three kennel categories: small with four-five dogs; hobby with less than 11 dogs, some breeding, and limited litter sales and commercial, which in addition to allowing breeding and litter sales includes grooming.
    Ferriera asked if Brady had received a letter of ruling on the complaint from Collins. Brady said he had not. Ferriera told Brady that a hearing can not be conducted until a ruling has been made. Collins, present for the hearing, indicated he would make such a ruling and provided a written copy of it the nest day.
    Ferriera informed Brady that after Collins put the ruling in writing Brady had two options: He could either appeal the ruling or apply for the special permit for a commercial license.

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Andrea Smith - 2 opinions posted

The Buzz Read More ...

Political Corner

A fund-raiser hosted by the Committee to re-elect John Donahue, Town Moderator will be held on Thursday, March 11 from 6-9 p.m. at Stevie’s Pier View Restaurant, 201 Onset Avenue.
Donahue will meet, greet, and answer questions. Refreshments will be served. Donations of any amount will be gratefully accepted. For further information or to send a contribution, contact the Committee to Re-elect John Donahue, P.O. Box 426 Onset, Massachusetts 02558.

    Please join John Cronan at his re-election campaign cocktail party. Light Hors D’oeuves will be served at Baily’s Surf and Turf, 3056 Cranberry Highway, Monday, March 15, 2010, from 6-8 p.m. $25 per ticket. Cash bar.
    For tickets call (508) 291-0006 or at the door.

    There will be a fund-raiser for Mary Ann Silva’s reelection bid for Wareham Town Clerk at Steve’s Pierview Restaurant located at 201 Onset, Ave. Onset, on March 17 between 6-10 p.m. Refreshments and musical entertainment will be provided.

Selectman Bruce Sauvageau, who is seeking re-election, would like to invite local residents to Lindsey’s Family Restaurant on Sunday, March 21 between 5-7 p.m.
Complimentary buffet dinner will be served. Sauvageau said questions will be welcomed and asks that all donations to his campaign be directed toward to the Wareham Cape Verdean Cultural Center please.

Elks leader Dave Carson presents Observer publisher Robert Slager with the 2009 Citizen of the Year award Saturday night.

Observer Publisher Robert Slager named 2009 Citizen of the Year

Observer Media President and Publisher Robert Slager has been named the 2009 Citizen of the Year by the Elks of Wareham.

Slager received the Elks' “Distinguished Citizenship Award” during a dinner award banquet Saturday night at the Wareham Lodge of Elks.

Slager, who lives in Halifax with his wife Liza and daughters Sara and Nicole, is not a member of the Order of the Elks. His proud family was in attendance on Saturday.

Dave Carson introduced Slager, saying “The award that really means the most is our citizen of the year award, the most distinguished citizen, given this year to Robert Slager of the Observer.”

Carlson presented a plaque to Slager for “outstanding and meritorious service to humanity.”

Slager said he was deeply humbled by the honor.

“It's because it comes from you, the Elks, one of the most charitable organizations in Wareham,” he said.

Slager then thanked Andrea Smith, calling her the heart and soul of the Observer.

“We never would have made it this far without you,” Slager said.

Then Slager thanked his wife.

“They say behind every good man is a strong woman. You must be Hercules for standing beside me for this long,” he said.

Then Slager’s eyes fell on his 9-year-old daughters, seated in the front row.

“Sara and Nicole, I want you to remember this night. I want you to understand the importance of being good citizens, to do all the things the people in this organization do. That would make me very proud.”

Afterward, Slager said he had been contacted by Carson last month about the award.

“I was deeply moved by this honor, but I wanted to make sure that Mr. Carson and the Elks understood that I do not live in Wareham,” Slager said. “He told me he would check with other members to make sure it was OK. It’s really humbling that they made this choice considering I am not a member of their organization and that I don’t live in town.”

Slager said he was very grateful to have the chance to share the moment with his wife and daughters.

“I really wanted my daughters to be here,” he said. “The Observer has not been easy on my family. I wanted my girls to understand that being a good citizen can mean even more than making a lot of money.”

Slager said it was equally important to share the moment with his wife.

“She has been the rock behind this family,” he said. “I know that the Observer has made her life difficult. She has never fully understood why it’s so important to me to try to help this community because she has never breathed Wareham the way I have. I think she finally understands.”

Liza Slager said she is extremely proud of her husband.

“It was wonderful that they thought to honor him for all his good work,” she said.

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Andrea Smith - 37 opinions posted

Setting the Facebook record straight once and for all

Dear readers,

Over the past two weeks a group of individuals representing the local political group Take Back Wareham has publicly accused me of creating a Facebook page in order to view pictures of underage children. This sickening accusation has absolutely no basis in fact and must be addressed immediately.

A little more than two weeks ago I created a Facebook page under the user name Wareham Observer, assuming people may know that name better than my own. The intention of the page was to create a community forum accessible to anyone with a Facebook account. The page has become exactly what I hoped it would be – a place where people could share thoughts, photos and stories while also promoting events, local business and charities. There is absolutely no objectionable content on the page. I invite everyone to view the page by following this link:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000711579213#!/profile.php?id=100000711579213

Almost immediately after the page was created, individuals from Take Back Wareham tried to force Facebook to remove it. They claimed the page should have been set up differently – as a business page instead of a personal one - but I chose the format used by the Wareham JROTC, the Wareham Color Guard, the Wareham Middle School PTA, and the Wareham Junior Basketball Association because the Facebook page is not about the Wareham Observer. It’s a forum that I created to promote the community, not the Observer. The page does not contain advertising or subscription offers. I don’t even list a phone number for Observer Media. Please visit the page to confirm that.
Will Take Back Wareham now go after the Wareham JROTC, the Wareham Color Guard, the Wareham Middle School PTA, and the Wareham Junior Basketball Association?

After Facebook received numerous complaints from Take Back Wareham members I decided to change my Facebook user name to Robert Slager. I did that to ensure there was no way anyone could claim the page was somehow misrepresenting its intention. I assumed that would be the end of this nonsense, but I was mistaken.

After Take Back Wareham failed in its attempt to have the page removed its members began to publicly accuse me of being a “pervert” for allowing “underage” children access to the page. Furthermore they claimed I intentionally set the page up as a “personal” account rather than as a “business” account in order to gain greater access to private photographs of children.

This is where I draw the line. These are absolutely shameful allegations. For the record, Facebook has declined to remove the page, ruling that the page in no way violates its terms of service. I have not received a single phone call, e-mail or letter from anyone complaining about the page. The only complaints have come from members of Take Back Wareham, many too cowardly to use their real names.

Facebook has more than 130 million personal pages. Every single person who has a personal account can view anything made public on another member’s page. According to Take Back Wareham’s logic that means more than 130 million people set up personal accounts because they are “perverts” seeking photos and information about children. Most of the members of Take Back Wareham have personal pages. Are they "perverts" as well?

Anyone who has a Facebook account knows that the program makes “friend” suggestions. In the first few days I took advantage of this feature, sending out invitations to members of the Wareham High School football team, which I have been covering for years. Then I quickly received hundreds of requests to join from people throughout Wareham. Many Facebook members do not list their ages in their profiles and often use non-identifying photos (such as celebrities) on their pages, but knowing that Facebook does not allow anyone under 13 to have an account I accepted every single request to join.

This is nothing more than a politically-motivated attack against me and the Observer. The reason is clear. Take Back Wareham, now also operating under the name VoteApril6, has made a concerted effort to get their political message into the school system. In 16 days nearly 700 people have joined my Facebook page. In eight months the Take Back Wareham Facebook page still has fewer than 300 members. It is obvious that these people somehow view my Facebook page as a threat to their political ambition and they are trying to get it removed or to discredit it by any means necessary.

My Facebook page doesn’t debate local politics. It’s a forum in which people can promote the community. If the Take Back Wareham people really cared about the community the way they claim they would support such an effort. But they have made it clear time and time again that they will try to silence all voices other than their own.

I know I am outspoken on local issues. Any criticism directed at me for that is not only welcomed but encouraged. But these baseless claims that I am some sort of “pervert” and "sexual predator" for creating a Facebook page are not only an attack on me but an attack on my family. My wife is a Brownie troop leader. My daughters are nine years old. To try to label me a “pervert” for purely political reasons is the most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed. I have never done anything to harm a child, nor would I. I have never been arrested for anything in my entire life.

I call on the good people of Wareham to say "enough is enough" to those people within Take Back Wareham who are responsible for this shameless personal attack. There are some lines that must never be crossed.

- Robert Slager

Commentary

Cheers and Jeers

    Dr. Barry Rabinovitch – This is a rare boomerang jeer. In a Standard-Times article this week the superintendent of the Wareham School District took the art of spinning to an entirely new level. He was quoted as saying “I’m not sure what (Selectman Brenda Eckstrom) meant when she said the school budget is being cut $750,000 by the town.”
    Rabinovitch was referring to comments Eckstrom made during recent selectmen meeting. The only problem is Eckstrom said exactly the opposite of what Rabinovitch claims she did. Eckstrom took Rabinovitch to task for suggesting during a School Committee meeting in January that the town was cutting the school budget by $750,000. The Observer covered that School Committee meeting. Rabinovitch clearly conveyed to parents in attendance that the town had cut the school budget by $750,000 when in fact the proposed school budget shows an increase of nearly $1 million. Rabinovitch went to far as to tell parents they should vote for officials who care about children, which is what Eckstrom took offense over in the first place.
    If that wasn’t shameful enough, Rabinovitch actually has the audacity to try to put his words in Eckstrom’s mouth. Everyone who witnessed that School Committee meeting knows what Rabinovitch said. Everyone who witnessed the selectmen meeting knows what Eckstrom said. The only confusion here is in Rabinovitch’s head.
    The school superintended also said Eckstrom “made assumptions with the wrong numbers” when she said school administrators received raises as programs were being cut. He claims she didn’t take into account promotions received by school administrators.
This issue was addressed in last week’s Wareham Observer. Rabinovitch will receive a 2.6 percent increase in 2011. He said that because the School Committee rated him “very good” during his evaluation he is entitled by contract to a $4,000 raise, which will push his FY11 salary to $153,140. Information from the Department of Education web site notes that almost 10 percent of the school’s $340,988 budget increase in FY09 went toward raises for school administrators.
    It’s one thing for Rabinovitch to try to spin things for his benefit. It’s quite another when he tries to spin things for the detriment of a selectman with three children in the Wareham School District.
    He should be ashamed of himself.

Features

Wareham Free Library

Opening a whole new chapter at the Wareham Free Library

    Interim Library Director Marsha Griswold said she is "thrilled" by the response to a recent appeal for volunteers.
    Sixteen new volunteers stepped forward, bringing the library’s volunteer staff to 26. Volunteers will be working throughout the library and its grounds, helping with everything from shelving books to exterior landscaping.
    "I love (the influx of volunteers). I think it adds a dimension to the library. I think it’s wonderful. I hope this will take on a new enthusiasm and a life of its own," Griswold said.
    Griswold said the first volunteer group meeting, which was held two weeks ago, went very well. Volunteer meetings will be held monthly.
    Asked what she wants the library’s volunteers to experience, Griswold said, "I hope they feel Wareham belongs to them; that not only are they contributing to the town but that they are part of the town as well. When you roll up your sleeves you get to know people. You get a sense of what the town is and of being part of the town and really making a difference."
    Kate Furler is assisting Griswold with coordinating the program and training volunteers. Formerly an educator in an alternative school (one of three responsible for managing 95 teenagers), Furler she said she knows how to think on her feet and keep people moving. Furler has volunteered at the library for a year and is delighted to see the list of volunteers growing.
    "When you volunteer there’s a sense of giving back to the universe. There’s a feeling of doing something productive," Furler said. "This is not something people have to do; it’s something they are giving. It’s an act of generosity. There’s a satisfaction that comes from the work. This is a finite task and you can see the product immediately. There aren’t a whole lot of things you can do in the community where you can see the beginning and the end. You can complete a task in the two hours you are there."
    The library’s good news extends far beyond new volunteers. Two staff members have been added through state grants as well as through federally funded Citizens for Citizens programs, which assists those age 55 and over who wish to return to the work force within non-profit and government entities. The new staff additions will provide 40 hours of labor at no cost to the town.
    An intern from U-MASS Dartmouth will also join the library this week. This individual will work along with the Wareham Historical Society archiving photos and documents in the Stone Research Room. Griswold said she’s looking forward to some of the photos being released to local media so that readers can help identify them.
    The library will also be premiering its own newsletter this month. Available at the front desk, it will contain book reviews and recommendations written by library patrons and staff. Submissions for the newsletter from children and adults are encouraged.
    While excited to have so much good news to share, Griswold is hoping they’ll be even more in upcoming weeks. There is still plenty of room for volunteers at the library. Specialized skills are not required. Training will be provided. Volunteers can commit to as few as two hours per week. All that is asked is that volunteers plan to commit to the same time slot each week. CORI checks and an application are required.
    Those interested should call (508) 291-3130.

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Andrea Smith - 1 opinion posted

Tri-Town Observer

Little Neck Village in $tate of grace

Thirty-six seniors on the waiting list for affordable housing in Marion have just moved a lot closer to having an affordable rental unit to call their own.
    Gov. Devall Patrick announced on Jan. 8 that Marion’s Little Neck Village is among 26 projects which will benefit from $153.9 million in resources leveraged from various affordable housing programs, American Recovery and Reinvestment funds, and private investment support.
    Funds made available for Little Neck Village will make possible the demolition of 12 aged existing units of senior housing and the construction of 48 new units. Demolition of the current units will not take place until the first phase of construction is completed, allowing current residents to remain on-site.
    Both consultant Dick Heaton (H&H Associates/LLP Bolton) and Dana Angelo (senior project manager for developer EA Fish) attributed Little Neck’s successful progression through planning stages and assignment of funding to the overwhelming support given the proposal by Marion’s town government and residents, as well as congressman Barney Frank, state senator Marc Pacheco and Rep. Bill Strauss.
    "This is very representative of a community getting behind an idea and making it happen," Angelo said.
    According to Heaton, approval of Little Neck for funding was based upon a ranking system for which points were given. Among the many aspects considered were financial, environmental and community support issues and market demand.