Just when I thought it was safe to come out in the open now that the Town Meeting and local election have passed into history; just when this opinion columnist could stifle his views and concentrate on musing about important things like bathroom tissue perforations, where is Pine Island, Stumpy the late cherry tree, and of course pickle ball; just when this intrepid reporter could relax and enjoy the summer, the machinations of smalltown politics rear their ugly heads.
It is not enough that the circus in our Nation’s Capital has grown beyond all expectations to include the acquisition of Greenland, the creation of a 51st state to our north, and…well, no need to elaborate. Suffice to say I have a chronic headache. Now our quaint village has recently spawned a collection of new issues this scribe cannot ignore.
The move to increase the size of the Select Board (which seasoned observers of government assumed, was buried when the current board tabled the issue) has been resurrected and is on its way to reality, thanks to the persistence of its supporters. The issue goes on to the legislature where no doubt it will be approved, because in Boston, bigger is always better. The good news is that many more people will be getting involved in town government. Right?
Speaking of the Select Board, one of our distinguished selectpersons has announced their candidacy for Congress to replace our current representative, Bill Keating. That strikes me like applying for the job of Captain of the Titanic, but that’s just one man’s opinion.
You may not know that the newly minted candidate is a real-life captain and is a star of a TV show on the Discovery Channel. According to Google, the show is about tuna fishing and “focuses on the intense, high stakes world of harpooning bluefish tuna.” Our selectperson/captain is described as a “seasoned harpooner with a deep knowledge of fishery.” Washington could surely use someone with a sharp stick. But I digress.
Apparently, the glitter of showbiz has instilled a desire to join the circus that is Washington. Maybe a seasoned captain who can right the ship would be welcomed where fishy business abounds.
This would create another vacancy on the board, which no doubt will be filled by one of the many candidates wanting to take a dip in the waters of public service. Hey, whatever floats your boat. Right?
A vacancy on the Select Board before the two new members arrive would leave his mates adrift on a sea of paperwork because approval of the two new seats might not arrive for 18 months.
While we are talking about running… well walking or biking too… there is a controversy surrounding parking issues at the rail trail. It seems the new arrivals have created unreasonable noise, slamming of car doors, parking in private yards and littering. Along with the prohibition of parking at the nearby boat trailer lot (come on boat trailers have rights too) neighbors are not happy. Enough being enough, the police have erected no parking signs along Railroad Avenue along with a big electronic sign to boot.
You have heard of the phrase “If you build it, they will come,” a tagline of the popular baseball movie Field of Dreams. Well, we built it (the rail trail not a ballfield) and they (walkers and cyclists not baseball fans) came. Did we expect otherwise, right? Right?
Mattapoisett resident Dick Morgado is an artist and happily retired writer. His newspaper columns appeared for many years in daily newspapers around Boston.
Thoughts on…
By Dick Morgado