Former Front Page Stories and Some Still Current Issues in Tewksbury

There are more incidences of course just like this. We think that John Ryan should pre-medicate before sitting at another Selectmen's meeting.

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From the "Thank God No One Listens to My Politically Motivated Predictions" and the "You Still Think Tewksbury State Hospital Should Close It's Clean Wells and Switch to Tewksbury Municipal Water" Departments:

Two Obvious Reasons why the State Hospital Should NOT Switch to Tewksbury Municipal Water:

Obvious Reason 1: Last year at a rather contentious Selectmen's meeting focusing on the State Hospital's use of it's own well water for supplying its patients with water, Joe Gill and most of the Selectmen (yes, the usual ones) wondered strongly out loud why the State Hospital was still using it's own wells for water? The Selectmen in fact insisted over and over again that the well water was contaminated and unfit for human consumption. Joe "Nostradamus" Gill, in an incredible feat of precognitive prediction, stated the following:

"Let me make a prediction, that by next year the State Hospital will no longer be using its own wells and will be on Tewksbury's municipal water supply."

Need we say more:

(Photo of one of the State Hospital signs pointing out one of the two locations that the State Hospital has graciously made available to the public for water due to the recent discovery of perchlorate salts in the Tewksbury municipal water supply. We are very fortunate that the State Hospital did NOT shut down their wells as certain Tewksbury Selectmen insisted they wanted them to do. Why would they insist so last year? There are a few politically motivated reasons. Click on photo to discuss)

Obvious Reason 2: This is the Town Of Tewksbury's water inlet station where the entire town gets it's supply of water, from the Merrimack River, the normal river banks of which are just past the trees. The Water Department workers need this boat (outboard motor of boat visible in bottom right of this photo), to get to the Inlet Station due to the river overflowing it's banks after a rather lengthy storm in May of 2006. Tewksbury used to have the best water in Merrimack Valley when we ran our own Town Well system, opting later instead to retrieve our water now from the Merrimack River and all of the inherent problems an open water source has like perchlorate contamination, gasoline and other chemical spills from roadways, and  raw sewage dumping that happens during freak storms like this. During this latest storm, millions of gallons of raw sewage was dumped into the Merrimack River downstream from us, in Haverhill. Tewksbury was spared this time, but in the past, Lowell, which is upstream from us, has dumped raw sewage directly into the river.

Yet despite all this, some of our Selectmen have almost demanded, in the very recent past, that the Tewksbury State Hospital shutdown it's comparatively clean wells so that they join into Tewksbury's Town Water Supply. Fortunately they have not done this as last year, due to perchlorate contamination, the Tewksbury State Hospital graciously opened it's outside taps for use by gracious Tewksbury residents since the town's water supply was unsafe to drink for a few months. Remember that??

Do you think the State Hospital should shut it's wells down?  Why would some Selectmen want such a ridiculous thing? Maybe these Selectmen and the Town Manager want the State Hospital to shut it's wells down so that the town would then take over the million gallon water storage tanks on the State Land and also to lift the Ground Water protection area around the State Hospital (which would no longer be needed) all for the purposes of fostering more development for revenue (and their friends pockets), because as the Town Manager has said, his yearly budget expects five percent revenue growth per year. Of course, this is just our opinion.

The Tangled Sullivan-web continues to spin itself: John D. Sullivan borrows 2.2 million, yet is being sued for "alleged" non-payment to Contractors on his Foster School apartments that He got from the Town for only 200,000 dollars net:

We were not surprised to hear that John D. Sullivan was being sued by two separate contractors for work that the contractors performed on the Foster School. Civil Action No. 03-1115: BST Electical Services. Inc. Glen Burlamachi, Controller (Plaintiff) vs JDS Enterprises and John D. Sullivan (Defendants). This Civil Action alleges that John Sullivan owes $18,031.60 to BST for Electrical work on the Foster School. Civil Action No. 03-1114: Richard M. Debay d/b/a Affordable Plumbing and Heating (Plaintiff) vs. JDS Enterprises and John D. Sullivan (Defendants). This Civil Action alleges that John D. Sullivan owes Richard M. Debay $60,000 dollars for plumbing work on the Foster School.

In a separate note, John D. Sullivan borrowed $2,200,000 dollars from NNA Associates, a general partnership having a principal place of business at 875 East Street, Tewksbury (Demoulas Warehouse), on October 6, 2000. Three properties were put up for collateral. 1) 1039 Main Street, 2) 940 Main Street, and 3) 9 Pike Street. Possibly money used for the Foster School? Apparently not enough to pay the electrician and the plumber, allegedly.

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Want to Know Where Your Tax Dollars are Going? We Want to Know Why Town Employees Supposedly Can't Live in Tewksbury Due to High Housing Costs. Have you Seen these Salaries?? Employee Earnings -- Source -- FY2002 Annual Report Town of Tewksbury Massachusetts:

We Here is a list of the top 50 earners under town employment:

154,378.36 Police 124,439.01 School Department 117,501.80 Fire Department 112,689.29 Police 111,422.89 Town Manager 110,415.11 Fire Department 108,346.92 Police 105,914.81 Fire Department 103,146.72 Police 98,725.12 Fire Department 98,399.00 Police 97,378.70 Police 97,207.95 Fire Department 95,366.97 Fire Department 94,886.92 School Department 94,731.51 School Department 94,645.76 Police 93,031.07 School Department 92,737.89 DPW 92,482.64 Police 91,815.02 Fire Department 91,141.42 Police 90,886.47 Fire Department 89,640.28 Police

88,592.07 School Department 86,608.42 School Department 86,528.67 Police 86,508.10 Police 86,436.69 Police 86,170.11 Fire Department 85,988.78 School Department 85,259.10 School Department 84,288.84 Fire Department 83,975.00 Fire Department 83,646.64 School Department 83,049.14 Police 82,923.86 School Department 82,716.98 Police 82,686.24 Fire Department 82,525.19 DPW 82,423.55 School Department 82,283.35 School Department 80,763.95 Fire Department 80,717.06 School Department 80,318.08 Planning Board 80,302.09 Fire Department 80,065.75 Fire Department 79,877.00 Fire Department 79,646.49 School Department

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A BIG Welcome to Tewksbury State Hospital's own "East Street Farm Stand"!!!:

Products currently available: Local dairy Shaw's Farm fresh Ice Cream (sold out on the first day), Homemade Pies, Fresh fruits, vegetables. Bread products from Piantedosi's Bakery, Organic Dog Treats, Crafts, Candies, Fresh-Brewed Armeno's Coffees, and of course the Freshest Corn and Pumpkins (when in-season)!!!! Many more products will soon be added as the Farm Stand grows! (pun intended!) Help support the Tewksbury State Hospital, it's patients, and the protection of our community. Visit the Farm Stand often!

Many years ago, the state hospitals were pretty much self-sufficient entities that were communities in their own right. Able-bodied patients were put to work as part of a program to "keep their minds sharp" and to teach many new skills. In this same vane, Governor Romney had asked what the current day hospitals could do to help them be more self-sufficient and in that to help them protect more of their land from sell-offs. Tewksbury State Hospital has certainly stepped up to the plate with many new and superlative ideas. T.H.E Farm which is an equestrian-based patient training program which allows patients to develop or maintain their current motor skills, and help balance their emotional well being. For a small fee, local residents are also able to enjoy the wonderful world of horse riding. Now, to be followed by the launch of the latest project, the East Street Farm Stand. Already visited by hundreds in it's first week of operation, promises to be a big success not just for the Tewksbury State Hospital and it's patients, but also for the local community that has embraced it with open arms! Welcome!

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