Friday, May 11, 2012

Shutesbury Library: Neverending NO



Today attorney Alan Seewald and town attorney Donna MacNicol received official notice that Shutesbury pro-library override proponents are appealing the decision last week of Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup who sustained the judgment of the Shutesbury Board of Registrars allowing the challenged no votes of Joan and Richard Paczkowski.

The judge, however, threw out the yes votes of Jacob Holtzberg-Pill and Shoshana Holzberg-Pill (grown children of attorney Michael Pill, initially allowed by the Board of Registrars) bringing the total vote tally to 522 against and 520 in favor of the $1.4 million override for a new library.

The new library total cost is $3.5 million but the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners granted the town $2.1 million towards construction costs.  After the second defeat at the ballot box the Library Commissioners voted to extend the deadline until June 30 to give the town time to unite behind a single design plan, but made it perfectly clear there would be no further extensions.

12 comments:

  1. So much radioactivity, such a tiny valley.

    Yeah, I'll raise a family there.

    Mm-hmmm, riiiight...

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  2. they are making Amherst look good...

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  3. Dr. Ed (colors: red/white/green)May 11, 2012 at 5:50 PM

    Well, at least it hasn't gotten to the point where things have sunken to DownEast right now...

    http://www.wtop.com/209/2861046/Lobster-hostilities-lead-to-boat-sinkings-in-Maine

    The town really is called "Friendship" and I always did wonder who had those big Blue & Red bouys. The ones that somehow aren't hitched to a trap anymore and come drifting ashore -- amazing how this happens....

    Of course, it is still spring. Things could still get uglier in Shutesbury. They could all resort to the tactics of the mASSgop....

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  4. WAY TO GO SHUTESBURY! YOU'RE REALLY DOING A GOOD JOB AT TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN THAT NO MEANS NO!

    AS MY GRANDMOTHER ALWAYS SAID, DO AS I SAY....NOT AS I DO!!!

    CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR WHAT THE RESULT OF THE APPEAL IS AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT THEY DO NEXT WHEN THE ANSWER IS NO!!

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  5. Shutebury--where Yes means Yes and No means Maybe.

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  6. Shutesbury - where NO means you will have to ask the poorer people to try and come up with money that they don't have to retain a lawyer they can't afford to fight for NO for the (fourth?) time. I guess the YES people will just keep going until the NO people are out of money. I will no longer wear my Shutesbury hats and clothing. It's no longer a place I'm proud to call home. Sad!

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  7. Shutesbury - where NO means you will have to ask the poorer people to try and come up with money that they don't have to retain a lawyer they can't afford to fight for NO for the (fourth?) time. I guess the YES people will just keep going until the NO people are out of money

    My dark side says take the legal fees out of the existing library budget. And if that is not enough, then you proceed to take it out of every budget that provides a service that the schmucks care about.

    It is the converse of the Maria G approach, but quite similar -- because we don't have the money, we can't do "X", "Y". & "Z."

    Yes it is "hardball" but if the left doesn't care, why should we?

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  8. I am in Amherst but have friends on both sides up there. What I see is that those who want the library are not listening to those who dont. I hear those that dont say its not that they dont want a new library, but its just to much. All the proponents hear is NO library, and make them out in the media to be anti library and bad bad people.Its really sad that they wont listen and compromise. Even my teenager gets that it is alot of money for a tiny little town.

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  9. Neither the Friends of the Library or 7 of the 9 plaintiffs are involved in the appeal. The Library trustees were never plaintiffs.

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  10. I used to like living in Shutesbury. Now I am embarrassed to be associated with this community. If I didn't own my house, I would seriously consider moving elsewhere.

    NO means NO. How difficult is it to understand this?

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  11. This has got to be the biggest case of bullying that I have ever been unfortunate enough to be involved in. Grown adults behaving like spoiled rotten brats! Collectively making snide remarks while in the presence of opponents. This is the kindest way I can describe the overall attitudes of those who want this "library." The very idea that any one, living in this town, who does not want this "library" (more than half) are not concerned about the future, for the children, yell at those who do care, and are ignorant back wood people is disgusting! Honestly it is the most embarrassing adult conduct I have yet to witness. I wish I never moved here. I wish I had money to move away and lastly I wish they all go broke in their ignorant, blind fight to build a fantasy community, library that can only house ill will, and angry sick attitudes! :(

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