AN INSIDE LOOK

A Challenge To All Those "Yes" Voters

They did a great job, but both sides need to get more involved in town issues.

Over 3,000 people voted “Yes” in the special election recently. Many of them were people who could be classified as school supporters. They did a great job of turning out to support education in Norton, both at Town Meeting and at the polls. They should be congratulated for their dedication and commitment. But now I’d like to issue to them a challenge. I ask them to try and stay involved in their town on other issues beside education, issues that may not affect them as directly but certainly have an impact on their lives and the lives of their friends and neighbors. Norton could certainly use their help. There are other priorities in town that need to be addressed. Our police and fire departments have manpower issues, and money is the …

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PATCH FACTS

5 Things You Need To Know Today: June 12

Your Patch Facts for the day.

Five Things You Should Know Today is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Check back later for more, and let us know what you think of the feature in the comments section. 1. Today showers and a possible thunderstorm are possible. There will be patchy fog before noon with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. 2. Norton’s 300th parade will begin noon at Henri A. Yelle Elementary School and will end 4 p.m. at J. C. Solomnese Elementary School. Be there to see Senator Scott Brown, Clydesdale horses and even the infamous dog who survived a tornado. 3. Borderland State Park, 259 Massapoag Ave., North Easton, presents Nature in Your Backyard 4 to 4:30 p.m. Learn about the plant and …

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Brian

6:54 am on Monday, June 13, 2011

Hi Soapbox. The map was put together to follow the parade route. Seeing that the route went from the school complex to Chartley the historical places you mentioned were not part of the route. If you were watching from the common you missed one heck of a parade. As for the Honey Dew, the committee reviewed the map 10 times over and we missed it. So the volunteer who spent HOURS drawing that up had…   more ›

UPDATE: Norton Votes 'Yes' For Special Election Override

4,474 votes cast Saturday, June 11.

After all the meetings, information sessions, rallies and debates over the $34M high school building and track and bleacher projects, the “yes” voters came out in full force, passing both override questions at Saturday’s Special Election.  Despite the rainy weather, 4,474 of Norton’s 11,615 registered voters cast their ballot with an unofficial count of 3,138 “yes” votes to 1,329 “no” votes for question one, the high school addition and renovation project, which will receive a 64.42 percent reimbursement from Massachusetts School Building Authority, and 3,164 “yes” votes and 1,300 “no” votes for question two, that would repair the high school track and allow for the purchase of new bleachers. There were seven blank votes for question one …

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Saturday's Vote is About the Town, Not the Schools

Letter to the editor by Deniz Savas.

Norton has a very big decision to make this Saturday.  There is an awful lot of money on the line and we all have a vested interest in how it turns out.  As I waited for the Town Meeting to start on Monday, I read through the articles up for vote.  They were long and complicated and difficult to follow, and that is coming from someone who has spent the last year dissecting this project.  I don’t say “needlessly complicated” because the unfortunate reality is that they do in fact have to be legally exact.  This ensures that we vote on the issue as we believe it to be.   But what exactly are we voting on?  Some in town say they are for education so they will vote yes.  Some say they are against taxes so they will vote no.  But neither of …

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AN INSIDE LOOK

School Supporters Haven't Won Anything Yet

Town Meeting victory will mean nothing without a win Saturday at the polls.

Norton’s large Town Meeting is over, and the results are in. Both school-related debt exclusion articles passed easily and overwhelmingly. Today, school supporters and many parents are no doubt feeling good about their victory and relaxing after a difficult and time-consuming exercise in democracy. But guess what? It means nothing. Absolutely nothing.  They haven’t accomplished anything except getting a step closer to their ultimate goal of renovating and adding on to the high school. All their hard work, all their efforts, all their sacrifices and time spent preparing for and attending Town Meeting – it doesn’t mean a thing unless the Special Election this Saturday also results in approval of the project. Overrides and debt exclusions …

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Regina

12:55 pm on Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I was being facetious above...I wanted to say THANK YOU to all who worked so hard to get the vote out, to motivate and excite all members of our town, and who did such an excellent job in making this happen! I look forward to seeing the new high school down the road, and I look forward to seeing the town's property values go up as surrounding communities see the investment our town is willing to …   more ›

AN INSIDE LOOK

Is Norton A Town Divided?

Political signs indicate a town involved more than a community divided.

As we move into the week of the Special Town Meeting and the Special Election, a drive around town makes it clear something is going on in Norton. You can’t go a mile without passing by a “Yes” or “No” sign asking for your vote at those two events. So that raises the question – is Norton a town divided? Are there two distinct factions in town, diametrically opposed to each other? Is this just a constant and ongoing battle between those who claim to want to advance the cause of education, and those who claim to be dedicated to more fiscally conservative government? I believe the answer is Norton is no more divided in this regard than most other communities. To some extent, every town fights this battle. Educating children is expensive, and …

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AN INSIDE LOOK

Voters Need To Put Up Or Shut Up

Tired of the same old complaints, columnist tells folks it's time to step up.

If you are looking for some politically correct dialogue here today – look elsewhere.  This columnist is ticked off, and it is time for some plain talk to the good citizens of Norton. I am tired of listening to certain complaints from Norton voters. So many of you (and I know it is not all of you) are just so full of yourselves. You want what you want in this town, but you don’t think you should have to work hard or get your hands dirty to get it. You want things done, but you don’t want to stoop to “politics” to accomplish them. You somehow think you are entitled to certain things, and seemed surprised and insulted when they aren’t handed to you. Well, get over yourselves. It is time the voters of this community got off their lazy butts …

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Norton High Renovation Project – An Opportunity We Can’t Afford to Miss

Project to go before voters this June.

TO THE EDITOR: It is my hope that at this point most Norton residents are aware of the High School Renovation Project opportunity. If not, now is the time to get informed. If you do, you will quickly and easily see how this project can benefit us all in so many ways. Ensuring this project moves forward is important for all residents, whether you have children in the school system or not.   It is common knowledge that the Norton High School is in dire need of improvement. The building is 40 years old and has insufficient space for students and equipment, inefficient heating/electrical systems, outdated science labs, insufficient facilities to support today’s technology–and this list goes on. If you are unfamiliar with the extent to which …

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