From the Eagle Tribune;
Consentino will be paid $100 a year to lead elderly affairs
By Eric Parry
eparry@eagletribune.com
ATKINSON — Philip Consentino soon will receive his first paycheck as the town's director of elderly affairs.
The police chief has volunteered for the position for 16 years, but the selectmen decided Monday night to pay him $100 a year for doing the job.
As the director, Consentino brings elderly residents to medical appointments and social events. He also sends birthday cards, holds an annual flu clinic, and is planning a Christmas party next Tuesday, where he will hand out hundreds of dollars worth of gas cards, restaurant gift certificates and other gifts.
Selectman Bill Bennett said it was time to designate the job as that of being a town employee since Consentino was putting himself at risk driving town vehicles with elderly residents to medical appointments from Boston to Manchester.
"The issue is a liability for the town and for Phil," Bennett said.
At Town Meeting in March, residents will vote on a warrant article to make the position official with the $100 salary.
"They never officially created the position," Consentino said.
The position will remain appointed and Consentino will have to be reappointed if voters approve the article at Town Meeting.
That's the final step in clarifying Consentino's roles as elderly affairs director and police chief.
Last year, the state attorney general's office received complaints about the way Consentino operated elderly affairs as a division of the Police Department. The two departments were separated last year, but Consentino still heads both departments.
Over the last seven months, selectmen have been asking Consentino to sign a document outlining his responsibilities as volunteer director of the department. But Consentino said he had refused to sign, saying he was being singled out and the only volunteer being asked to do so.
Before Monday's meeting, Consentino said he would be forced to resign from the Elderly Affairs Department if the selectmen continued to pressure him to sign the document.
Bennett said he's not concerned about the article being approved by voters.
Voters will face another warrant article asking them to approve the purchase of a fourth vehicle for the Elderly Affairs Department.
Consentino said there are five drivers and sometimes it can be difficult to arrange rides for seniors when they are getting five to seven requests per day. Last year, the department provided 1,644 rides.
"They've been using their own cars at times," Consentino said of the other four drivers.
The warrant article calls for buying a 2010 Subaru Forester from Singer Subaru in Plaistow. It would cost taxpayers $12,000.
An anonymous donor has given $7,000 toward the new car, lowering the price tag for taxpayers from the $19,500 the dealer is charging, Consentino said.
"I think the people should be happy to vote for that," Bennett said.
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83 comments:
He's not supposed to be running two departments to begin with.
And it's cheaper for the town to use CART than to pay for this scam.
And now he wants a fourth vehicle? Where is the backup that this is even needed. I want documented proof that this is needed. This is a SCAM. Personel records and mileage records AND the list of elderly getting services. Every time I drive by that PD there are at least 2 EA vehicles there and most of the time there are 3.
Where is he getting the hundreds of dollars for gift cards? If he is getting them from his ""charity"" (i.e. private slush fund) then the moneys have to be accepted by the town IN PUBLIC.
"That's the final step in clarifying Consentino's roles as elderly affairs director and police chief."
BS. He is still operating as one department and now is known to be using the PD staff to operate his PRIVATE slush fund.
Well Bill, you are WRONG. I NEVER vote for that.
The selectmen are RIGHT to make this a paid town employee position. This will eliminate the subterfuge that has existed regarding this "volunteer" position. As to the new car, I drive past the PD at least twice and usually three times per day, and there are usually 8 vehicles parked there, two of which are elderly vehicles. I have never seen all the elderly vehicles gone. That having been said, if we REALLY do NEED this fourth vehicle for elderly, then why not roll over one of the 8 police vehicles that we own. We only have ONE patrol officer per shift, why do we NEED 8 vehicles?
Oh, and chief, it was 1944 rides last year, according to your statement in the Town Report. 1644 the year before. Not that any of these numbers have been verified.
"An anonymous donor has given $7,000 toward the new car, lowering the price tag for taxpayers from the $19,500 the dealer is charging, Consentino said."
When was this publically accepted?
The good news is he can not run for selectman again. State law only allows one person to hold two positions of profit within the state! So we won't have to endure the three years of corruption, yelling at residents, ordering police to remove little old ladies, screaming and threatening other little old ladies, and court orders to obey the law, that we had to endure during his reign of terror.
They've been asking him to sign a document outlining his position for 7 months and he's still employed ?
Why wasn't he fired?
As long as he is employed by this town we will be enduring the harassment and bullying.
He has got to go.
What happened with the missing FEDERAL grant equipment?
The BOS should be getting to the bottom of this before anything.
Before the State does, or the FBI or the DHS or the attorneys.
What we need is to dissolve EA and use CART.
We pay lots more for this service than we should be paying.
Did the anonymous donor of $7,000 get stopped in town or arrested and has to pay the piper to get it to disappear?
1. ''Over the last 7 months, the selectmen have been asking Consentino to sign a document outlining his responsibilities as volunteer director of the dept. (Elderly Affairs). But Consentino said he has REFUSED to sign...'' and additionally has had the gall to threaten and blackmail the selectmen with his threatening to quit if they continue to pressure him for the information which they and the townspeople have a right to know.
So, gutless selectmen, show some backbone and stand up to him -- call his bluff. There are many others in town who would be willing to step up and do the job. Phil is definitely replaceable. BTW, Phil so much is addicted to political power that he would never give up an opportunity to control or influence the elderly vote in town.
So Phil AGAIN defies the selectmen and his butt-kisser former police officer Bill Bennett rewards him for his defiance and blackmail threat by pushing through an annual $100 stipend for Phil. Unbelievably stupid move by Bennett and the other 2 bozos.
2. Atkinson has always worked well because it is a volunteer town run by dedicated volunteers.
No other volunteer board or commission members are now to be paid. No special stipend payments for planning board, zba, recreation commission or conservation commission members, or the many volunteer various other study groups are being singled out for special compensation. Only Phil.
Shame on Bennett and the other two of Phil's boot-lickers.
Now as an employee of the town and head of the Elderly Affairs, he gets FREE taxpayer paid legal fees when he's sued. Don't buy into the "It’s JUST a $100 a year" argument, within a few years it will increase to $250,000 a year. Nice sanctions, if you can get it.
Another taxpayer car is ridiculous. Next year Consentino will want a new police station with a great big parking lot to put all his unnecessary cars in. He’ll want a new 200 foot 2 million dollar antenna for his radios and a direct line to the president.
Good grief, we need to say NO, Just say NO to this tax and spend police chief. If he won't supply a complete accounting of Elderly Affairs, let him pay for it out of his own pocket. Elderly Affairs needs to be taken out of the police department and made a separate department with a different director. It’s nothing more than a VOTE GETTING SCAM at taxpayers expense.
I have to disagree with Mark. Nothing will change if they make this a paid job.
Wow. An extra $100.00 to spend on Mrs. Snitcher.
yeah, we'll have to stop calling him Chief and call him Tiger.
He always pulls this when he wants a new car.
I really want to know where this money is coming from.
So they have 3 cars sitting in the PD parking lot and the drivers use their own cars?
I don't believe it and they had better not be requesting mileage reimbursement from the towon if we have cars to use for this purpose.
I don't want to pay $12k for a car we don't need just becasue he squeezed $7k out of some old lady with no sense.
You are right. The budget committee was never able, at least during my tenure, to get verifiable numbers from elderly affairs. It took 4 years of asking just to get officer Anderson to tell us in 2005, that 61 people used the program that year. Even though the logs of dispatches and miles driven, locations driven to, and man-hours used should be readily available public information, the Chief has consistently refused to provide that information. Usually the number of rides given appears to be little more than a spur of the moment made up number. I say that only because every time anyone has tried to analyze those numbers against money spent, time and mileage used, they don't work out.
I have no problem with an elderly affairs program. The voters have repeatedly expressed their desire to fund this, and that is good enough for me, what I want is TRANSPARENCY in how my tax money is spent. Anyone should be able to review those logs for accuracy.
I subscribe to Benjamin Franklin's dictum, if it has to be secret, it can't be good!
There must be a reason why they'd make the position a paid one, even if it's barely a paid one.
My mind tells me that they chose the insignificant pay rate to get people to vote for it.
My mind also tells me that this is to cover us something else.
What?
Who would benefit from this arrangement and how?
I have absolutely no data to support this but if I take a Machiavellian view of this, perhaps, just maybe, this could be the first action aimed at replacing him. There is a pension involved here, and complain as you may, this might be a way to allow him to keep it when he is removed as Chief.
Do I like it. No. But you also have to face reality. He is not going to leave as chief unless there is another path for him to take. Repeated pleas from this forum that he be shown the door will not do it. Maybe the BOS figured a new way.
And as far as the SUV goes. You all know how this works. You don't want it, SHOW UP AT THE DELIBERATIVE SESSION and vote it down. He gets away with it because there are too many people in this community who do not care.
JMHO
How about the budget committee do their job and verify the number of rides he does?
They do that with all the other agencies that give rides in town, why not his?
How could there be any pension for a job that pays $100.00 per year? Your pension benefit depends on your salary.
The only path he should take is to the slammer.
The board of selectmen should be held account for misconduct legally, when it occurs.
This is exactly why they end up as defendents. They always look the other way, allow this type of disobedience and insubordination go without punishment.
And we are stuck with the schmuck.
"How could there be any pension for a job that pays $100.00 per year? Your pension benefit depends on your salary."
Pension depends on your years of service with the town and the salary paid over those years. The longer you stay on the job, the larger the pension. This is why he won't leave. And it certainly will not be based on a $100/yr salary.
By first creating a job he can move to, and he continues to earn his pension rights, the BOS now has a way to move Phil out of the way with less fuss from him.
I never said it was pretty, but if this is what the BOS is thinking, it may be the easiest way.
Now, if this is really the plan, it would be really nice if it could be put into action before a certain person on active duty returns.
In its own perverted way, this could be a win-win. Step outside of the box for a moment and think about it.
If Consentino thinks a scam up and the Selectmen approve it, it's not good for the town. Period
There is no pension for Consentino. He is part time. He does not pay into the retirement sysem. He is not a Group 2 employee in NH.
Second, why $100.00 a year? Don't most of these "volunteer" jobs pay $1.00 a year?
Why are they proposing that taxpayers foot the bill for a 2010 vehicle to taxi the elderly?
I can understand having a service for people that don't have family to help them. However, it should be the family's responsibility to either pay for the transportation or arrange to drive the family member. There has to be some sense of responsibility here.
Asking taxpayers to pay $12,000 for a brand new vehicle which only services only some residents is financially irresponsible.
Further you already have 3 elderly vehicles. They do not get used on a daily basis. If you don't believe me check the mileage.
He won't 'let' anyone see mileage logs.
This guy has GOT to go.
"There is no pension for Consentino."
Are you sure about that? I do believe there is indeed a pension.
That is a good question to ask at deliberative session or beforehand.
Why in the world would logs about rides given to elderly people, with information on mn-hours spent, mileage driven, number of rides given, etc. EVER NEED TO BE CLASSIFIED? Only in Atkinson!
Also only in Atkinson are police logs kept secret, and you have to fill out endless forms, make repeated requests, give a "valid" reason for wanting them, before you are given logs with the "personal information" redacted out!
Most REAL police forces PUBLISH their logs in the local newspaper!
Speaking of recording things, why haven't the selectmen's meeting minutes been posted on the town web site since April? Other committees are up-to-date with their minutes.
'Cause the PD doesn't want anyone to know what's going on it town. If they weren't hiding anything, this info would be in the paper just like others towns.
They probably have nothing to do all day and could not justify all the cars, employees or the budget.
They don't want anyone to know who was arrested, in case they want to make it go away in exchange for a favor.
It's a complete scam.
Because if the police logs are published then Phil can't call you up and offer to make the ticket go away, then remind you later when he needs your vote or support, that he did you that favor.
Patricia A. Goodridge says:
I am in the process right now of trying to research in the Atkinson Police Log prior to 2009.
Chief Consentino told me that I could not see it because it had personal information in it. He told me that I would have to pay a clerk to cross out all of the personal information.
I want to research back to 2004.
Chief Consentino told me that he had copies of the police log ready for the newspapers, but no one came to pick them up.
Funny thing is that the Atkinson Police Log for 2009 through mid November is posted on the Atkinson Police Dept web site. Someone at the police department believes correctly that the information is public record. The link can be foune at:
www.atkinsonpolice.us/log
People, this is unprincipled.
It is an assault on democracy.
Mrs. Goodridge
ALLLLLLLLL AAAAABBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRD!!
Hop on board the vote buying scam. Phil needs more votes and he gets em from seniors he gives free rides to.
Aint no such thing as a free ride from the Chief!!
Vote for a ride! Vote for a ride!
Come on we need to pay up for nuther car cause we taxpayuhs gut the dough. Poor Phil needs votes to get Fred re-elected. You know Fred Childs is on board dis train!
Mrs. Goodridge someone police statistics off the old PD website and tallied up the actual police activity and posted it on the Atkinson Taxpayers website.
http://www.atkinsontaxpayers.org/pdf/PDStats2002-Oct2005.pdf
Its under Town Depts, scroll down the page and you'll find the link.
Crime numbers from 2002-2005 were pretty much the same year over year. They PD changed how they report incidents now so you'll have a hard time comparing what you see in the document to the time period from 10/1/05 - present. Funny how that fuzzy math works.
Police logs are public and so are the calls. Remember when someone called the police to report the Havard Professor breaking into his own house? The caller and the professors information was made public, because it IS public information.
Consentino doesn't follow the law, he makes his own rules. He has been blacking out information on the logs for years but he should not be doing this. You used to be able to go to the PD and read the logs but not anymore. Even then, he blacks out whatever he wants.
The BOS know about this and allow him get away with it but the time will come when they will all have to pay for violating the law.
Every day I get more upset with the way this town operates and I hope someone good steps up this year to win the open BOS seat. We need to stamp out this corruption.
I've defended certain board members when I thought they displayed some courage with regard to Consentino but reading all this just makes me think one thing...
We have been cursed with the biggest series of gutless wonders when it comes to managing our police department. Unbelievable...
If you truly believe than you must join us to get rid of Consentino. He's not the only big problem in this town, but HE IS THE BIGGEST!
jmo
I am a little confused... if the chief has the logs ready for the newspaper to publish, but no one came to pick them up(odd since he does not routinely publish police logs) then why would you have to pay a clerk to black out "personal information"?
Police log
hampstead
From the Tribune
Saturday, Nov. 21
Criminal mischief: Lewis Lane
Tuesday, Nov. 24
Criminal trespass: Russet Lane
Stalking: Mills Shore Drive
Thursday, Nov. 26
Arrest: Ethan Detora, 20, 5A Westville Road, Plaistow, charged with shoplifting, criminal liability for conduct of another, transporting alcoholic beverage by a minor and unlawful possession of alcohol.
Burglary: Mills Shore Drive
Monday, Nov. 30
Arrest: Daniel Anderson, 31, 28 Stage Road, Atkinson, charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct, theft, and criminal mischief.
Londonderry
Monday, Nov. 30
Arrest: Sarah Charbonneau, 46, 4 Georgetown Drive, Amherst, charged with driving under the influence of drugs or liquor, 11:05 a.m.
Larceny: Lori Lane, 11:52 a.m.
Arrest: Scott Murley, 42, 243 High Range Road, charges not listed, 9:35 p.m.
Salem
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Fraud: 401 Main St., 10:15 a.m.
Warrant arrest: Robert Ellington, 31, 106 Heritage Drive, Tewksbury, Mass., charged with shoplifting,
12:37 p.m.
Warrant arrest: Joseph Forgetta, 48, 59 Davis St., Quincy, charged with shoplifting, 12:37 p.m.
Warrant arrest: Ian Stanisewski, 23, 391 Old Gage Hill Road, Pelham, charged with robbery, 8:15 p.m.
Burglary: 12 Salem St., 8:50 p.m.
Hey, keep posting those Hampstead logs.
Wonder how much support comes from the criminal element being grateful they can operate without their and their victims NAMES being public.
Here in Atkinson!
Interesting, and sad, that not a single one of Phil's detractors on this blog recognize the actual good that he does for Atkinson's seniors. Telling both sides of the story doesn't suit their interests.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Phil helping Seniors. Good for him.
It's the way he's been doing it that has been so troubling. It is hard to tell where where the Police Department ends and Elderly Affairs begins.
All the shenanigans around the finances. The fleet of cars. The apparent Elderly Affairs works being done on Police time. The installation of one way glass at the Police Department to hide that activity. The chief's use of his grateful elders as a voting block. The list goes on.
He truly wants to help the Elderly in an ethical way - There needs to be a absolute clean split between the two departments. Two different heads, two different facilities, two sets of books, and no politicizing in either. Other facility could be the community center.
This is why he has detractors. Until the situation is truly cleaned up, he will continue to have detractors.
So, I'd be happy to change my tune, as soon as the chief does.
And one more thing about the chief. He seems to have absolutely no concern over the difficult economic times many of us are enduring. His budget is way out whack and he seems to have no willingness to trim it. And when he's asked to do his fair share we are treated to a hissy fit and voodoo math. This to has to stop. His precious elderly should keep this in mind when they get their tax bills.
Are you volunteering to head Elderly Affairs?
I noticed that the posting of the Hampstead police log includes an arrest of one Daniel Anderson (any relation to the EA driver and Atkinson cop of the same name? hmmmm??). Well, Daniel lives at 28 Stage Rd. This is a known of cards: drugs, guns, felons, DUI's, code violations, etc. You name, it happened at this address and the PD have IGNORED for this for at least 20 years.
WTF?
"Are you volunteering to head Elderly Affairs?"
No. I'm doing my part in other ways. But thank you for your consideration.
"Are you volunteering to head Elderly Affairs?"
I would as soon as Consentino is out of the picture. I would stay out of the politics, do the job cheaper, serve more people and run it out of my home as compared to the police station. I would keep the logs, report the actual results to the budget committee and be an honest director. I would be and do everything that Phil refuses to do. In addition, I would take that line item out of the town budget.
The chances that I would take the job = 100%
Phils chances of giving up the job = 0%
Why? The control of ou vote is to important to him.
And for $100/year?
I post here a lot, and I'm a vocal critic of the Chief. That said, I don't think his mistakes completely erase the good he does for Atkinson's elderly folk. I'm willing to give him credit for it.
Could you please tell me how the good he does for the elderly erases the things he is criticized for here?
> Lawsuits and payments costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars arising from his harassment of town citizens
> His using his access to criminal records to against Fred Childs when Childs was his enemy (and Lord knows how many other times he's used that system to try to attack his critics)
> His continued hiding of information regarding the police and elderly affairs
> His need for wasting money on an endless number of vehicles, in a town of only 6,000 people that has only one cop patrolling at a time...
> Using selective enforcement of laws (postal regulations) to harass critics, while letting others do the same thing without a word against it
> Continually embarrassing Atkinson in the press with silly outbursts and his ignoring of court orders
> In general, being a petty tyrant in a little town that just doesn't need or deserve this type of silly crap
I'm not going to waste my time continuing the list of ways he has violated the whole idea of an open and representative democracy. If you're ignorant of his offences, you most likely choose to be ignorant.
But please, understand the simple concept that someone's good doesn't erase all the negative and damaging things they do. Hitler could have given a ton of money to charity, but it wouldn't have made him a better person, would it?
>
You give 16 words of "credit" in your lengthy post that were relevant to the posted topic and article: "the good he does for Atkinson's elderly folk. I'm willing to give him credit for it."
I will not debate the validity of the rest of your oft repeated charges, that are brought out in just about every thread on this blog, when they eventually are twisted around to focus on the chief. I am sure that some are true--but I am equally sure that some are false--as he has been acquitted, legally, of some of what you charge.
The bottom line is that to "get the chief," as you and others want to do, will mean that either Elderly Affairs suffers; or the town ends up paying a lot for something it got for free, or at least less than it appears any other option will cost.
Will you and others make sure that the elderly do not become the real victims here--as you seek revenge and vengence--or would you walk away from making arrangements for them--patting yourselves on the back for a job well done?
Are the costs of "getting Phil" worth the expense? Where is the draft warrant article to fully fund Elderly Affairs as a separate standalone department? Would you support it, and fund it?
The chief's story is that elderly affairs dept. cant work without police dispatch. I remember a budget meeting, or town meeting a few years ago when Phil said that, and Acciard's response was to have the elderly affairs number re-routed to his cell phone, and he would dispatch the drivers, and keep the records, and they would be open and accesible to the selectmen and the people. I remember him saying that it was no different than dispatching employees to different jobs.
The open and accountable would be nice, and shouldnt be so hard to get!
HOW IT SHOULD BE (but isn't ever)...
WE. your selectmen, William, Friel, Fred Childs, and Bill Bennett, promise you, that we will personally insure that the next time you make a call for elderly services you receive immediate attention and complete and cooperative service. We will check with the driver both before and after service is provided to you to insure you received prompt service. WE have designated Bill Bennett to visit Chief Consentino TOMORROW…to lay down our concerns so he is fully prepared to do his duty when you call. WE will inform him that his job as EA director is contingent on your receiving rides to visit your wife in the hospital every Friday.”
“Furthermore, Bill Bennett, guarantees you, Mr. Smith, that on the board's authority, he will obtain the police records you seek regarding your robbery in 2007.
Since Mr. Bennett was a police officer under Chief Consentino, he will personally pick up the police logs at the police station after checking with the state as to what, IF ANY, material must be excised. If they state no information is required to be excised by state officials, he will provide you the logs as written."
"Thank you for your patience and the considerable time you wasted contending with our rogue police department/Elderly Affairs department...or Elderly Affairs/police department...whatever."
Your most honorable Board of Selectmen -
William Friel
Fred Childs
Willaim Bennett
4:29 AM:
I do support services for the elderly (I am a Democrat and believe that a society should support those that need help; my question back to you would be do YOU support services to others that can't get them, or are you a senior and only interested in services for your own demographic group?).
That is a seperate issue than the lack of management of this police chief, and whether this police chief has abused his office to the point where he should be dismissed.
For all the charges I listed earlier, do you actually believe that the town should ignore all of them because this person provides a service (which is not likely 100%out of the goodness of his heart by the way, I'm sure you know the elderly have the highest rate of voting, right?)?
And, while you're posting, could you also tell us how you felt about the chief contacting people who had signed a warrant article that would have begun to fix the problems he has created in this town? Do you think it's right that he called and complained to people belonging to a vulnerable group that could suffer if he withdrew his services?
Was trying to refocus discussion on Elderly Affairs, and not chief. Should be possible...guess it isn't...so forget it.
It doesnt get it for free. Baldwin does the day to day operations in th PD, 80% of the work Phil does while in the PD is elderly work, hence the $24,000 we pay him to be a police chief is really paying him to do elderly stuff.
Now we're talking! Do we reduce the police budget to fund Elderly Affairs, or do we provide new funding--and strictly enforce the separation of the two departments--accepting the additional costs?
Other options?
I am asking,please,please, don't allow this person to create another appointment. If it is his doing you can be sure there is a reason for it that will never benefit the people of the town.
His current position is not even sanctioned by the town. We will have another position thet will never go away.
There is not one person on the BOS that will stop this outragious zealot
???
How about we start with the BOS appointing someone to the "officially vacant" appointment of police chief? Phil's appointment EXPIRED on May 1, 1999. Since that time he has been serving without appointment, because he has constantly been surrounded in controversies of his own making, and the board didnt want to deal with the outcry if they revealed that they were going to reappoint him.
Thought the subject was Elderly Affairs?
Your comment..."Thought the subject was Elderly Affairs?"
Consentino created elderly affairs and the police department ONE AND THE SAME but to appear otherwise on paper. In fact, there is no separation regardless of the new $100 camouflage attempt by the discredited board of selectmen---- and all the other weird attempts to make 'a sow's ear look like a silk purse'.
You want to see separation?
There is separation alright. Separation between the public and what really goes on at the police department.
Go and try to look over the new reflective barrier covering the
police department window. If you do you will see Atkinson police staff putting aside police matters to leisurely apply stamps on mailings to the elderly. And this is done at taxpayer expense!
An eye witness to this disgusting violation of the public trust has come forward and is willing to testify.
You said, "Thought the subject was Elderly Affairs?"
Yes, it is Elderly affairs and Atkinson police malfunction. You got the topic straight? Glad to help.
"Was trying to refocus discussion on Elderly Affairs, and not chief. Should be possible...guess it isn't...so forget it."
Patricia A. Goodridge says
If you really want to focus on elderly affairs, here goes a thought.
I want to be so self-sufficient it aches.
But I as a senior, who had a heart attack this summer, I need a person to shovel me out when it snows over your boots. A person I would pay. I pay to have my small driveway plowed, so we are talking mainly about the deck to the front door, the bird feeders and the barbecue.
Because of my arthritis, the women in my neighborhood have shoveled me out for years. I am grateful, but when it snows deep I feel guilty.
When I was a girl, to make pocket money we would go around and ask the neighbors if they wanted to be shoveled. Problem is I live in a neighborhood that has older rather than younger people.
Don't get me wrong I am keen on living in New Hampshire on the edge of Big Island Pond, and still take pleasure in being snowed in by a good Nor'easter, ( not an ice storm like we had last year, that was dreadful.). This year, however, I am fretful due to my new limitations.
I always wonder if the high school or maybe the college would set up a program if they knew there is an issue. I cannot be the only senior that needs to be shoveled.
Any thoughts?
Mrs. Goodridge
Mrs. Goodridge:
The Elderly Affairs List of Reliable Services/Contractors link on the town website:
http://www.town-atkinsonnh.com/APD%20Elderly%20Contractors.htm
lists two people that shovel for a reasonable fee. I used the first one of the list this morning, having had heart surgery, myself, in August. He was fast and reasonable.
Thank you so much for replying so quickly.
A week ago, I did check the list as it appears on the Atkinson Police site.
I know that you are referring to one of the services, but which one? Is it under handyman, landscaping?
Mrs. Goodridge
Scroll down, and look under "Snow Plowing," first one does shoveling with/without plowing.
Chief DID NOT CREATE elderly affairs dept. It was created by Paul Grant, son of Carol and Ken Grant as an Eagle Scout project. Paul is not a Major in the U.S. Army.
Carol Grant was the first "director of elderly affairs" appointed as such by the selectmen, who did not want to be bothered with running a program for them.
Carol ran it our of her home, with no budget, and no town funds. She gave elderly rides, cooked for them, Ken and Paul would plow or shovel for them, Carol researched State and Federal program info for them, she even brought elderly who were alone to her home for Thanksgiving dinner. Phil moved into it in '93 or so, and has been expanding it ever since. He even got poor old Ruth McPherson to leave the donation acct. $25,000 when she died, and he signed the court papers accepting it as "Trustee" of the town donation acct., which he never had anything to do with other than begging for money out of it.
How do you propose we do Elderly Affairs right, without just using the question as an excuse to bash Phil?
What would work? Not what doesn't work.
Separate elderly from PD. Move it into the community center, and merge it with all the rest of the senior programs. The director can have a cell phone bill paid by the town, in return for having the elderly number routed to that phone. Director can dipatch directly. Can keep paperwork, cars can be parked at comm center.
We pay over $40k for this program and I think we could run it for a lot less if we used CART as all the surrouding towns do. We could sell all the cars, no insurance bills, no need to pay for drivers salaries either. We could take all the equipment that is stored at the PD (walkers, wheelchairs, canes, etc) and lend it out as needed. We could ask for vounteers to fill in gaps where other services were needed.
Save money.
No electioneering.
No bullying.
Everyone gets services.
Get the BOS to put that line item on a warrant article and we can decrease the funding to 1/3.
Other towns are putting their social services on warrant article to see if the voters pass them before just sticking them into the budget.
I think this is very responsible and I wish our BOS would do the same for any non necessary expenditures.
I see there are some newbies to the conversation.
Phil for years has pandered to the seniors by giving them more and more services for free, at taxpayers expense. The ole obligation scheme to get votes. He manipulates our most vulnerable citizens to get his buddies elected and keep him in power. Use PD funds to get rides and administrate the marketing machine. More budget, more cars, drivers, etc etc.
ITS NUTS this is run out of a Police dept. The cost is probably 3 or 4 times the budget they claime which oh by the way wasn't 19K but 40K, but is really a 100K. do the math. But he has a voting block in fear of losing services if he isnt supported at the town meeting. Until 100 people show up at deliberatives session to effect change and 1000 show up to vote the same, it will continue the way it is.
Have you ever been in our PD? It is a DUMP. Mismanaged beyond belief. All priorities are to give seniors rides, flowers, fuel, medical devices, whatever it takes to get their vote.
What a pathetic misguided individual in need of psychiatric help using police powers to oppress his detractors that threaten to expose his scam.
BUT HE DOES SO MUCH FOR THE ELDERLY - SHUT UP WITH THAT LINE OF GARBAGE. Tis only to serve his own political ego and nothing else.
JMO
Like my philosophy professor used to say....
Beware the man who screams from the rooftops about hi virtue, and selflessness, because he has neither.
To anonymous 12/6/09 3:56
Sad news is that the first snowplowing contractor on the Elderly Affairs reference list has sciatica. He would try to enlist the aid of some high schoolers but he did not call me back.
Good news is Kate a neighbor and friend referred me to Tom, a plowing contractor who also lives on the pond. He sent a temp for this storm to plow and shovel me out. He told the young man to think about Mrs. Goodridge as he would his grandmother. Young Mr. "Z" was wonderful.
What a relief it is to know that I will be dug out of my cottage this winter.
Thanks to Kate, Tom and Z plus all the girls in the neighborhood who have shoveled me in the past.
This might not get read because it seems the line has run out on this posting, but I want to thank the blog and anonymous too. It was a great way to advertise for senior help.
Mrs. Goodridge
Too bad you couldn't rely on the reliable contractors list or the Elderly Affairs Dept do help you. They always brag about helping the elderly but all the elderly I know never get any help from Consentino.
Thats funny, because I offer a 20% discount to all Atkinson residents including seniors, but I am not included on the elderly affairs reliable contractors list, despite two tries at being included. I wonder why?
For those who are interested, A Very Good Cleaning Co. will give a 20% discount to all Atkinson residents who need Carpets, rugs, upholstery, drapes, or tile and grout cleaned.
Mark, I think you should send a letter or email to the BOS and ask them to be put on the reliable contractors list.
I don't think these guys realize the extent of the corruption and political favors.
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