• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Eastwick Press Info
  • Contact Us

The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

  • Community Calendar
  • School News
  • Sports Outdoors
  • Obituaries
  • Letters & Comments
  • Church Directory

Letter To The Editor – Grafton Government In Turmoil – Overwhelmed And Misrepresented?

April 1, 2011 By eastwickpress

To the Editor:
Generally, I look forward to reading The Eastwick Press in order to keep abreast of community events, politics, view the photos and read there related stories. Although, I enjoy reading many of these local articles, I was overwhelmed by the attention the Grafton Town Board meeting received in the March 25 edition. What surprised me even more was how misrepresented my statement to Kathleen Bly was written and that it appeared without quotes. For this, I would like to set-the-record straight.
For those who have been following Grafton Town politics, I have always supported and worked hard to provide funding for the Town’s Official Website. The citizens attending the Town Board meetings in recent years have echoed their sentiments to have the website available and regularly updated. It is my belief the citizens of the Town should know how to access their representatives; obtain general information and guidance on procedural issues. This information could be made available through the Town’s Official website. Unfortunately, the funding for the website was eliminated during past budget negotiations. My purpose for answering Kathleen’s question was that she and the citizens attending the meeting deserved an explanation from their Town Officials.
In any event, I do believe my comment was misrepresented, impart due to the absence of quotation marks identifying my statement. While the absence of quotation marks may be an oversight, the article gives the impression I am in support of raising property taxes to provide funding for the website. While, I am in support of the website, I do not support increasing property taxes unnecessarily. In fact, I was the only Town Board member who voted against the proposed 2011 Town budget, as I felt it did not adequately represent the issues presented at the public hearing.
In closing, I would urge all citizens to become involved with their government and get to know those who represent you locally. It is through this process that government can be held accountable and remain responsive to the people they serve.
Barbara Messenger,
Town Councilperson
NY Rt. 2, Grafton

Editor’s Response: Why be overwhelmed at the attention the Grafton meeting got in our last edition. The beginning of the story and the letters in these pages attest to the need for some in-depth coverage in Grafton, a need we have  not met in recent years.
Regarding Messenger’s “misrepresented statement,” I, too, would like to set the record straight. When a statement is attributed to a public figure without quotation marks it is a paraphrase – most readers understand that. This is what I wrote – Board Member Barbara Messenger said that the Board had briefly discussed the issue of the cost of renewing the maintenance contract for the website during the budget discussions.
This is what my recorder says she said, which I will put in quotes – “Kathy, I can tell you that both of those topics [Town Clean-up Day and the website] were discussed at a budget workshop meeting, that I can tell you. However, they didn’t make it to the budget, unfortunately.”
The reader can decide the level of misrepresentation. In this letter, clearly, Messenger is for funding the website. She might have explicitly said so at the meeting.

Filed Under: Grafton, Letters & Comments, Local News

Primary Sidebar

    Archives

        Footer

        Local News

        Brunswick Town Board Highlights

        by Denise Wright The March 13th Brunswick Town Board meeting was filled with conversation and resulted in the passing of two resolutions. During the Building and Codes report, 25 building property inspections and 22 follow-up complaints were reported for the month of February. The State Uniform Code Administration Compliance Report has been prepared. The historian […]

        March 21st, 2025 Edition

        View this week’s entire newspaper: You must be logged in to view this article.

        Stephentown Board Highlights

        by Denise Wright The Stephentown Board’s St. Patrick’s Day meeting began with a moment of silence to honor former town board member Gerry Robinson. Robinson focused on “improving local service opportunities, protecting Stephentown’s unique rural environment, and increasing local jobs and amenities by encouraging economic development appropriate to the size, atmosphere, and well-being of our […]

        School News

        Berlin School Board Appoints New Superintendent

        Submitted by BCSD Communications The Berlin Central School District Board of Education selected Mr. Kenneth Rizzo to be its next superintendent of schools, effective July 1st. Mr. Rizzo was unanimously appointed by the board at its meeting on March 6th. You must be logged in to view this article.

        Wildcats Compete at the New York State Indoor Track Championships 

        Hoosick Falls CSD Indoor Track Submitted by HFCSD Communications The Wildcats put forth a great effort at the New York State Indoor Track Championships on March 8th. The girls 4×400, consisting of Emma Waugh, Mihaly Blake, Ava Salvsevold, and Erin Conety, had a huge upset in their race. Going in as the underdogs, the girls […]

        Winter Scholar Athletes and Varsity Teams

        Brunswick CSD Submitted by Brunswick CSD Communications Brunswick CSD is proud to announce its winter Scholar Athlete sports teams for the 2024-2025 season. The school fielded seven varsity teams, including Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Boys Wrestling, Competitive Cheerleading, Unified Bowling, Boys Indoor Track, and Girls Indoor Track. In addition to the exciting lineup of winter […]

        Copyright © Eastwick Press · All Rights Reserved · Site by Brainspiral Technologies