#1 2009-08-04 14:30:30
I found this article an interesting read considering current complaints against the Wareham Observer :)
Selectmen disavow claims about EMS
By Ruth Thompson/CNC Correspondent
Thu Feb 28, 2008, 03:52 PM EST
Marion -
A discussion of possibly merging the Marion Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with the Marion Fire Department erupted into name-calling and accusations at a Feb. 19 selectmen’s meeting.
Selectmen Chairman Roger Blanchette addressed the meeting regarding the report he and Town Administrator Paul Dawson had put together, after months of investigations and research, the effects of a possible merger as well as the issue of bringing in a third-party billing agency for the EMS.
“We’ve been to countless numbers of meetings not only with members of the EMS but with other departments and interested citizens,” Dawson said. “We’ve been working on this since November.”
Dawson and Blanchette prepared their report as a recommendation for the selectmen.
Blanchette acknowledged there had been some “distractions” in the local press that shifted the focus of the issues at hand. He said the report would help to clarify some of the “false information” that had been printed about the Marion EMS.
“The Marion EMS is doing exactly what it should be doing,” Blanchette said. “We have proven this without a doubt. We have done our work and looked at this very closely.”
He said allegations in articles in the Tri-Town Observer were “inaccurate” and “mean-spirited.”
The Tri-Town Observer had reported that the Marion EMS had more than 500 license violations.
“He indicates that Marion EMS has violated its license, but he hasn’t cited one example where they’ve done so,” Dawson said, referring to Tri-Town Observer Publisher and Editor Robert Slager.
Slager also publishes the Wareham Observer, the Fairhaven Free News, and an online publication.
At the Feb. 19 board meeting, Blanchette said the violations “simply did not happen.” He also said the article in the Tri-town Observer was based primarily upon information obtained from Fred Fowler, executive director of the Southeastern Massachusetts EMS Council.
“That information has proven to be inaccurate,” Blanchette said. “Mr. Fowler, to his credit, has acknowledged that certain information provided to the media was incorrect. He has admitted his error and issued a formal apology.”
However, speaking in rebuttal to Blanchette’s remarks, Slager stood by the information printed in his paper.
“Our coverage of the Marion EMS controversy has irked many powerful people in Marion,” Slager read from a printout of a commentary he said had been posted on the Observer’s Web site earlier that evening.
Slager said the Marion EMS would be aided by its “political pawns” to bring forward a letter from Fowler where Fowler claims he unwittingly provided the Observer with misinformation. He said he was in receipt of Fowler’s letter and found it “makes no sense whatsoever.”
Fowler eventually took the podium and spoke before the board and Slager, stating he sent the letters to the Tri-Town Observer and to the Marion EMS after discovering information that proved his initial comments about the Marion EMS were in error.
“I feel horrendous for the suffering I have caused the Marion EMS,” he said.
He also put to rest any notion that he had been instructed by an outside party to write the letters.
“At no time has anyone ever requested a letter from me,” he said.
Slager also read from his commentary that he anticipated Dawson “to try to attack the Observer during the meeting.” He indicated that he felt Dawson would “lie” about logs the Marion EMS kept of their calls and responses.
“I don’t know why he honed in on me,” Dawson said. “Marion EMS did not violate its license, plain and simple.”
It is stated on the Observer Web page “the EMS provided us the names of every member of its department that responded to each call. We checked to see which of these responders were licensed as paramedics. The logs show case after case when the EMS Department did not respond with a paramedic when one was required. It’s really that simple.”
“He somehow thinks this is some sort of cover up, and it’s not,” Blanchette said.
On a recent Observer Web page, Slager writes that the Marion Selectmen’s Feb. 19 meeting was “full of smoke and mirrors” and an “ambush, one filled with so many distortions and lies that it would have been laughable if it wasn’t so sad.”
The newspaper publisher invited Blanchette and Dawson to a live debate on public access television.
“No audience in the room. No moderator. You present your side and I will present ours. But you won’t be able to hide behind the rules of parliamentary procedure this time,” Slager said. “You will actually have to explain the basis behind your attack on us.”
However, Blanchette said he is not interested.
“I think I have said everything I need to say,” the selectman chairman said. “We, as a town, have proven beyond a doubt that our EMS is doing exactly what it should be doing. I’m not going to discuss these issues with him anymore.”
Distractions aside, and based on the recommendations by Dawson’s and Blanchette’s report, the board voted not to combine the Marion EMS with Marion Fire Department at this time. It was agreed that more time would be dedicated to further study the options.
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#2 2009-08-04 14:39:26
http://www.wanderer.com/blogs/index.php … &tb=1&pb=1
Another article on the same subject. Some of the quotes are priceless!
Marion Officials Defend and Decry Recent Media Attacks Against EMS - Categories: Marion - Ken SOUZA @ 10:02:38 am
A regular meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen was called to order in the Marion Town House on Tuesday, February 19 at 7:00 pm by Chairman Roger Blanchette. Also present were Selectman Andrew Jeffrey, Selectman Jonathan Henry, Town Administrator Paul Dawson, and Secretary Helene Craver.
The board first approved the minutes of the January 22 meeting and then voted to appoint Harbormaster Michael Cormier to serve on the Bird Island Lighthouse Restoration Committee as Chairman pro tem in the wake of Charlie Bradley's recent resignation.
The board then considered an article to be placed on the upcoming Annual Town Meeting warrant to adopt a recall provision for the Town of Marion.
"This is something I think should be done, I'm in favor of it," Chairman Blanchette said.
"My opinion is I don't think we need a recall process," Selectman Henry said. "There is a provision to remove an elected official from office for malfeasance, (but) if somebody is that bad then the ballot box usually has the final say and people just don't get re-elected."
"I agree with (Selectman Henry)," Selectman Jeffrey said. "Every once in a while somebody makes headlines, but if you look at the number of elected officials in each town across the state, I think it's very very minimal. This has already gone before the town last spring and it was voted down ... I just don't think I can support a warrant article for it."
With that, the board voted against placing the article on the warrant via majority vote.
Under the Town Administrator's report, Mr. Dawson began a discussion which took up the remainder of the meeting to first consider whether the Marion Emergency Medical Service (EMS) should be merged with the Marion Fire Department and also whether billing for Marion EMS calls should be turned over to a third-party agency as per an inquiry which began last November.
In meeting with Selectmen Chairman Blanchette, Mr. Dawson said they have prepared a final report with their recommendations for the board.
"There have, as you know, been a number of rather public distractions and issues that have been raised in the media ... which have turned our focus elsewhere," he said. "That being said, I think we have done a lot of digging, a lot of investigating, a lot of uncovering and we've received a lot of information from a lot of people."
In reading from the final memo prepared by Mr. Dawson, Chairman Blanchette noted: "We were asked to examine whether or if the town should consider the consolidation of EMS with the Marion Fire Department. In addition, we were asked to examine the possibility of instituting a third-party billing system. Lastly, we were asked to make recommendations for the board's consideration."
"This charge, while straightforward on the face of it," Chairman Blanchette read on, "has become complicated by recent reports and allegations in the press. These reports have served not only as a distraction from our directive but also as a mean-spirited attack on a town department that has served our community for many years. These reports are filled with innuendo, half-truths and absolute inaccuracies.
"We intend to address these issues, not with 'stone cold silence,' but with information that is factually correct. However, as these reports have been a distraction, we will first address those matters that the board has requested we examine."
In short, the report recommended that the Marion EMS and Fire Departments should not be consolidated at this time, but planning should be undertaken in the near future to "ensure the future viability of each of these operations."
"I've gone on record previously as being in favor of this idea, but I also concur completely with the recommendations that you've made," Selectman Henry said. "It's mainly because of staffing constraints that I would consider making the move to (merge the EMS with Fire Department)."
"The only concern I have is not that a decision is made to either join the two or not, I think the report should bring us to that conclusion," Selectman Jeffrey said. "But I think if we don't set up a timetable at this time, we're going to lose that opportunity. I think it should be studied as you suggest so we look at all sides."
With that, the board voted to not merge the Marion EMS with the Fire Department at this time, but agreed to set a timetable to study the option further within the next six months.
As for the third-party billing, the report recommended the town commence with hiring an agency to handle billing for all EMS calls to collect a projected "$180,000 in annual revenue" for this service. While some resisted the billing idea because they feared it might preclude someone with an inability to pay from seeking medical service, Chairman Blanchette stressed that "all patients (would) be treated regardless of their inability to pay."
The Town Administrator will be responsible for drafting collection and billing policies for the board's adoption.
Selectman Henry suggested they set a July 1 target to begin billing with the commencement of the next fiscal year. "We won't know how much we'll collect until we begin the process," he added.
"I absolutely agree that we should go along with this and I also agree that everyone should have access to this," said Selectman Jeffrey. "The billing should not have anything to do with the service being provided."
"The Marion EMS as people know it is not going to change," Mr. Dawson added. "The billing procedure will, but certainly we don't want to have anyone fear calling 911 because of their inability to pay."
Lastly, the report set out to correct some of the "assertions, allegations, and false information that has been printed in the press" regarding Marion's EMS Department.
"We have nothing but the greatest respect for the Marion EMS Department and all of its wonderfully talented professionals," Chairman Blanchette read. "They have provided high quality service to the residents of Marion for many years. That they have had to endure this attack on their credibility, their integrity, their judgment, and even their physical ability to perform their jobs is a sad testament to the power of the media."
Referring specifically to articles published in The Tri-Town Observer, Chairman Blanchette cited a headline claiming the Marion EMS Department had violated its license more than 500 times.
"We want to assure the residents of Marion that the Marion EMS Department did not violate its license," Chairman Blanchette said. "It simply did not happen. It appears that the reporter (and likewise the editor) relied heavily upon the information it obtained from Fred Fowler, the Executive Director of the Southeastern Massachusetts EMS Council. That information has proven to be inaccurate. Mr. Fowler, to his credit, has acknowledged that certain information provided to the media was incorrect. He has admitted his error and issued a formal apology."
Upon setting the record straight, Chairman Blanchette concluded: "Any media outlet has an obligation to its constituency to report the news in a fair and impartial manner. In the present case we recognize that, to a limited extent, The Tri-Town Observer was relying upon information it received that has proven to be incorrect. We think that the newspaper owed it to its readers to check and double-check its information. Relying upon incomplete information, (Editor Robert Slager) has undertaken what can only be described as a crusade against the Marion EMS. It is our hope that, finally confronted with factual information, he will take a higher ground."
Mr. Slager then asked for a moment to rebut what was said regarding his publication's recent coverage of the Marion EMS issue.
"Our coverage of the Marion EMS controversy has irked many powerful people in Marion," Mr. Slager said, reading from an update he claimed was posted earlier that day on his publication's website. "We have called for the department to be disbanded after the EMS repeatedly violated its license. That has put the EMS in full scramble mode in a desperate attempt to retain its autonomy. Now the department, with the help of its political pawns, plans to unveil a letter from Fred Fowler, the Executive Director of the Southeastern Massachusetts EMS Council, in which he claims he provided The Observer 'misinformation' that we used in one of our recent stories. The Observer has received a copy of this letter and, frankly, it makes no sense whatsoever."
"(Mr.) Dawson will likely also try to attack The Observer during the meeting," Mr. Slager went on. "He will say that the Marion EMS did in fact keep logs of their activities, and that the reason we were charged $163 was because we wanted information not generally included in EMS logs. That would be a lie."
"I've been called a liar before, but it's never been proven," Mr. Dawson said. "I'm not sure Mr. Slager could say the same thing. Let me set the record straight: Marion EMS did not and has not violated its license. Plain and simple. The fact of the matter remains, regardless of who likes it or not, I didn't ask Mr. Fowler to admit he had made an error. He did it on his own because he realized he made a mistake. That happens."
Mr. Fowler, who remained sitting quietly in the back throughout the meeting, was then invited by Chairman Blanchette to speak.
"At no time has anyone ever requested a letter from me," he said. "After finding additional information, I did discover I was wrong and I feel horrendous for the suffering I have caused the Marion EMS. My information that was originally provided was the best information and best knowledge I had at that point. It was incorrect and remains incorrect to this day. That's why I issued two letters -- one to (The Tri-Town Observer) and one to the Marion EMS."
"These new kids on the block here don't understand Marion at all," said resident and EMS volunteer Eunice Manduca. "They came in just wanting to make waves."
The board then voted to go into Executive Session at 8:41 pm.
By Kenneth J. Souza
Last edited by Larry McDonald (2009-08-04 14:44:32)
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#3 2009-08-04 14:51:17
There is also an interesting article I could not retrieve from Cape Cod Today from March 17, 2006:
http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index … te?blog=53
The headline reads:
Sauvageau rips assistant for conducting investigation
I could not pull the article up, but read the first bit and I wonder how many people think the tables have turned?
Of course, it was written by Robert Slager!
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#4 2009-08-04 15:30:31
Sorry to interrupt this, I was wondering earlier if Paul Shooter would also be covering the Tri-Town area, it turns out that in keeping with his new policy of hiring only reporters with Comic Book Tough Guy-Sounding Names, look out for the following lineup.
Paul Shooter will continue to cover Wareham. Tank Thunder will be covering Marion. Adam Atomic will bring us the the Mattapoisett news...and Rickie Von Rocketship will Report from Rochester.
Sorry for the interruption, please continue, because yes, from what I hear, the people in Marion are none too pleased with Bobo either.
Last edited by Hamatron5000 (2009-08-04 15:31:48)
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#5 2009-08-04 15:32:48
We should get signs that say "Hate Bloggers want P SHooter" and have a silent protest outside the Selectmen's meeting? We won't hate anymore if we can have P Shooter covering the news.
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#6 2009-08-04 15:43:33
Also, Spiderman will report the weather, Dr. Doom will do movie reviews, and Batman and the Joker will debate each other on the opinion page with a series of Point/Counter-Points.
Yes Larry, for many years, Bobo has complained that the "elitists" will not talk to him. Well, all that is over, because I'm sure all of the BOS critics will agree to sit down for a series of hardhitting interviews with Paul Shooter, because if you can't trust Shooter, then who can you trust?
Last edited by Hamatron5000 (2009-08-04 15:44:06)
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#7 2009-08-04 15:49:09
I'm really interested in that article from march 17, 2006. I can't get the link to work..hmm, perhaps on purpose?
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#8 2009-08-05 07:00:49
Friday, March 17, 2006
Cronan addresses criminal record
By Robert Slager/ rslager@cnc.com
John Cronan, one of the four candidates for an open seat of the board of selectmen, told the Wareham Bulletin on Wednesday night that pleaded guilty 11 years ago to accepting a gratuity while working as an inspector at the National Guard Air Base.
Cronan said he intended to make a similar statement Thursday during "Candidate's Night" at the Dudley VFW Hall in Onset. The Bulletin goes to press Thursday afternoon.
"I just wanted to be up front and honest about the situation," Cronan said. "It happened 11 years ago, in 1995. "I had a contractor who came on to the base to do some landscaping. When he was cleaning up and getting ready to leave, I told him he did a nice job. He offered to do some work for me, but I told him not while he was working on the base"... [more]
Sauvageau rips assistant for conducting investigation
By Robert Slager/ rslager@cnc.com
Selectmen chairman Bruce Sauvageau, calling it one of the most blatant abuses of authority he's seen in town government, says an administrative assistant... [more]
Police station plan moves forward
By Robert Slager/ rslager@cnc.com
Claire Smith hopes that plans for a new police station reveal the shape of things to come. The chairwoman of the police feasibility committee (PFC)... [more]
10 questions . . . for Jim Potter
What professional qualifications will you bring as selectman? Professionally, I have a Bachelors of Architecture from Roger Williams University and... [more]
Court orders anger management for Onset Water Superintendent
By Robert Slager/ rslager@cnc.com
Wareham Water District Superintendent William Gay had his assault and battery and drug possession trial continued until Sept. 5, 2005. According tocourt documents, the charges will be dropped if Gay completes an anger management class, abstains from alcohol (with mandatory random testing), pays court costs, and has no further brushes with the law.
Gay was arrested on Nov. 23, 2005 and charged with assault and battery and possession of a class "D" drug. According to police reports, the incident stemmed from an incident with Gay's wife.
Gay was arrested a total of four times in 2005. In addition to the Nov. 23 incident, he was twice arrested for domestic abuse. On another occasion, he was arrested for possession of a class D drug.... [more]
Ear to the ground: Adventure goes awry for Decas students
By Robert Slager/ RSLAGER@CNC.COM
A couple of 10-year-old Decas Elementary School students decided to go for a little adventure after school on Monday. They wound up creating a thorough... [more]
Read these Wareham Bulletin stories and more here, and comment below.
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