Along the campaign trail… 8/1/18

August 1st

1. This morning I met Lois and Ed on County Street (Near Fourth Street). Wonderful folks in their 80’s. They couldn’t have been nicer. Both of them are lifelong Attleboro residents. Ed worked full-time till he was 83 as a manager of a tool shop. He was fascinated by my bike and cautioned me several times to be careful when on the roads. In a span of 5 or 6 minutes Ed and I bonded and he watched me ride away till I was totally out of sight… He could have been my kind uncle.

2.  Then I met Maria on Dennis Street. She moved to Attleboro from Hyde Park two years ago. Maria has 5 children, 11 to 24, and is very happy with the friendly folks in Attleboro. Our school system is a big plus after raising her children in Boston schools. She insisted on putting up one of my signs this fall.

3. Next I stopped to say hi to Dan M. walking along County Street after relaxing in Capron Park. I biked up to him on the sidewalk. He was delighted to meet me. We only talked briefly but I could tell he is a happy man.

4. At the end of the afternoon I knocked on Diane B.’s door…. she peered through the glass and asked if I recognized her. We had met 25 years earlier when we both performed in “Christmas Carol” with the Attleboro Community Theatre! I played Schooge and Diane was Mrs. Cratchit. We recalled being in “Christman Carol” together  and she offered complete support of my candidacy.

5. Last but not least… around 6:15 pm I knocked on Rhonda’s door on Jackson St. Rhonda loved my idea to create a Senior Center job for someone to visit homebound seniors, mostly in their 80’s or 90’s.

I meet a lot of wonderful people on my campaign trail!

Regards,

ty

Christmas cheer for everyone!

Dear Editor: (Letter submitted to the Editor of The Sun Chronicle.)

I am appalled that the Mass. Dept. of Children and Family Services can’t keep track of the children in their care. A recent state audit discovered that DCF was unaware of 42% of the injuries, abuse, and crimes committed against our foster childen in 2014 and 2015! Drug overdoses, burns, broken bones, and even attempted suicides were overlooked. The auditors discovered 260 injuries over a two-year period that were not listed in DCF records.

      It’s hard to think about suffering children in Massachusetts during Christmas, 2017. It was also hard during Christmas in the 1840’s in London, wrote Charles Dickens.

      I suggest that you come down to see “A Christmas Carol”, performed by a wonderful cast at the Attleboro Community Theatre (ACT) this coming weekend, Dec. 15-17. You’ll see Ebenezer Scrooge (superbly performed by Dave Almeida), ignore and scorn the DCF of his era. He didn’t want to hear about the poor,  the abused, and the injured children in London’s care. He was too busy making a good living.

      You know the rest of the story. Bob Cratchit (well played by Bob Lively) struggles to keep his family fed and housed properly while Scrooge turns a blind eye to the suffering all around him. Scrooge’s shriveled soul is revealed by the Ghost of Christmas Present (Bob Messier) until he finally sees the error of his ways.

      DCF, our Massachusetts government, and each of us can still spread Christmas Cheer into the lives of our foster children. Thanks to our State Auditor, our eyes have been opened. This is the true message of “The Christmas Carol”. Scrooge finally saw the suffering of the children…. and did something about it. Tiny Tim was saved in the end. Let’s save our foster children.

      I’ll see you down at the Attleboro Community Theatre this weekend. You’ll love this ageless story.