Westport
in Brief
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday,
March 27, 2011
Quick Article Index . . .
Herald News Op-Ed lambastes Town Clerk
Marlene Samson.
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EverythingWestport.com Sunday, March 27, 2011 Photos/EverythingWestport.com
"I want to end my current working life
surrounding myself with things that feel and look beautiful," said the
energetic new business owner of Sisters
of the Wool. "The process of using yarn to make an article is a
pleasure and a joy." Close to realizing her dream, Brost has invested in a new retail concept selling
extensive lines of yarn products at Westport's Village Commons, taking over
space recently vacated by Kountry Kollectibles and A. Z. Gems. She has created a modern,
spacious, state-of-art setting specializing in yarn products from the very
traditional to the most luxurious of fiber products. Brost
has never met a skein she didn't like. Her well stocked store has just about
everything for everybody. "If we don't carry it, we will
cheerfully order for you," Brost said. Her funky sign hanging in her store says it
all: "Wear Wool. Support The No Sheep left Behind Act." "I want Sisters of the Wool to be the
kind of store I would like to visit," Brost
said. Grand
opening April 1st through April 3rd. Sisters of the Wool will have its grand
opening on Friday, April 1st from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring refreshments, door
prizes and a free gift to the first 200 visitors who fill out a simple email
form. The grand opening will continue on Saturday, April 2nd from 10 a.m. to
8 p.m., and Sunday, April 3rd from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. "We'll announce regular business hours
by then," Brost said. Sisters of the Wool is a concept whose time
has come.
"In 2004, industry trade sources
estimated 7 million knitters in the United States. Today, that number has
grown to 17 million; one of three women now knit. Brost
feels the economic downturn has encouraged more people to spend long leisure
hours knitting rather than more expensive activities like going to cinemas,
theater, and dining out. Sisters of the Wool is a virtual cornucopia
of color and yarn fiber. And if Brost can't answer
a question about yarn, well then you just don't need to know.
"We even carry a line of hand-dyed
yarn products from Araucania, Chile where 29 local
women through their hand-dying operation support the entire village. These
women are keeping people alive through their work," Brost
said. There is a
lot in a name. Sisters of the Wool is more than just a
name for a store. "My three knitting pals and myself
were working one evening when my boyfriend, Steve, came home, took one look
at us, smiled and said, "Oh, sisters of the wool." And that's how we came about our store's
name." "All the women in our lives are
sisters," Brost said.
Pat Brost invites
everybody to drop in and say hi. "We will have a man cave with flat
screen TV, comfortable furniture, and a wireless network for a laptop,"
she said. "Don't be afraid to bring your significant other along with
you." Brost
plans a community knit program where participants can get together at Sisters
of the Wool, and "knit helmet liners for our troops overseas, and chemo
caps." Sisters of the Wool will be carrying
accessories like needles, notions, patterns, and books, as well as baby, sock
and coarse yarn. "We will carry lace yarn, multi-color
yarn and felting," Brost added. Call Pat at (774) 264-9665, or just drop in
to say hello.
Herald News Op-Ed lambastes Town
Clerk Marlene Samson. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, March 24, 2011 Oh, how
much trouble a simple preposition can cause. Editorial: Showing complete disregard for facts, state-wide
election law and common sense, a Fall River Herald News Op-Ed decided instead
to mock Massachusetts election law, disrespect Westport and make a scapegoat
out of Westport's long-time Town Clerk in the process. Read
Our View from the Fall River Herald. Anyone who is acquainted with Marlene
Samson knows she is fair, firm and forthright. The only foolish one here is
an editor who chose to ignore the basic tenet of reporting: double check your
facts. The recalcitrant candidate's certified
nomination papers were ready for pickup two weeks before the deadline of
March 8. As a courtesy call, the town's Assistant Registrar even called to
remind him on March 7 that his papers were ready. He promised the papers
would be picked up that very same day. But it never happened. Candidates can pick up their papers as soon
as they are certified and signed by three members of the Board of Registrars,
a process that is usually not more than a few days after the papers are
initially received for certification. Simply put, a candidate has almost two
weeks prior to March 8 to deliver the goods to the Town Clerk. So what is all this hoopla that the
certified nomination papers can ONLY
be delivered to the Town Clerk on March 8?
It' just not true. Read the statue; it's ON or BEFORE March 8, not just ON
March 8. It's all about the preposition. Candidates can declare their intentions and
pick up their nomination papers in early January from the Town Clerk's
office. They have until 5 p.m. on February 22 to hand them over to the
Assistant Registrar for voter signature certification. Now for
the mystery of the misunderstood preposition. Massachusetts General Laws MGL Chapter 53,
Section 7 require nomination papers with the correct number of voter
signatures to be delivered to the town's (assistant) Registrar for
certification ON or BEFORE February 22 at 5 p.m.. The candidate is told at that time when
they can expect to pick up the certified papers for delivery to the Town
Clerk. The process usually only takes a few days. The certification of the signatures must be
completed and the papers signed by three members of the Board of Registrars ON or BEFORE March 8. The certified papers can be picked up, when
available, and delivered to the town clerk ON or BEFORE the end
of business on March 8. That can give a candidate (this one waited
until the last minute to file with the Registrars), or his designee up to two
weeks to deliver certified papers to the Town Clerk. Got it? What's this you say? ON or BEFORE a
specific date, not just ON a
specific date? How can that be? The Herald Op-Ed can't be wrong! The candidate can't be wrong. And certainly
Judge McQuire can't be wrong. But they are. They didn't check the facts
either. Laws make tradition; tradition doesn't
become the law. The Town Clerk is responsible for the
integrity of town elections and the ballot process. Her "rigidity"
is required, and every candidate expects she will follow the election
procedures to the letter of the law. There is no room for IFS and BUTS, those pesky conjunctions. Oh, these kooky requirements, woe be it to
these foolish ballot rules. Blame those unnecessary impediments (sorry, not prepositions.) In a time
long ago and far away . . . Let's be clear. MGL Chapter 53, Section 7
was written long before you or the Op-Ed writer was born. Long before there
were telephones, email, tweets, and yes, even automobiles. Back in the good ol'
days a candidate was required to hoof the papers around town and eventually
get them to the registrar and finally to the town clerk. Unless the town
clerk and assistant registrar were cohabitating, this could be a very long
buggy ride across town. Where does it say in MGL Chapter 53,
Section 7 that the a registrar is required to deliver certified nomination
papers across town, on horseback, to the town clerk? It doesn't. Now for a little history. Our founding fathers had the insight to
build in checks and balances to prevent collusion and government malfeasance
in our electoral system. The process of a candidate shuffling his papers to
and fro was to ascertain they were delivered on time and free from government
mistakes, interference and corruption. A jilted registrar or town clerk estranged
from a family member running for office could have the unfortunate
candidate's papers misplaced, or heaven forbid, eaten by the dog. No copiers
back then either. Best the candidate walk the papers through
the foolish, arcane and kooky ballot law procedures.
She was instructed by the state Elections
Board to print the ballots without the candidate's name. And who was there to
fight the good fight for her? Town Counsel was asleep at the wheel. Incumbent Selectman Brian Valcourt is on the ballot, and most would say that our electoral
process is the better for it. But then who is to blame for the waste of
money and time? Samson was a good target. Good ol' Marlene. Always there when you need something. Always
helpful, always available, always dependable. She won't mind. Please remember, the Town Clerk is an
elected position. However, the town clerk is required by state law to be on
the Board of Registrars. Samson is just one of four members. Registrar members are appointed to the
board by the town's Selectmen. Only three Board of Registrar members are
required to sign certified nomination papers. Samson signed them this year
because the Board was short one member due to an unfortunate death. In 1787, Westport made a decision to
separate the offices of Registrars and Town Clerk. Some other towns combined
the offices. Their choice. State law is very clear how each deals with the
town electoral process. It seems the only one laughing at Westport
politics is the Herald's Op-Ed editor. By the way, Marlene Samson is unopposed this
year, as she has been in many previous years, because she is very good at her
job. And that is no laughing matter. © 2011 Community
Events of Westport. All rights
reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
