Diversity

I do not often editorialize on this blog, today’s entry is the exception to that rule; with the General Election just a week away I feel it is important that a few things be brought to light.

It is important to have a diverse town board; not only to create a realistic setting for discussion, but also to encourage the growth of a town while stepping outside the boundaries to entertain exploring new ideas.

A town board that always agrees is not necessarily a good thing if it means it keeps the town at a standstill and does not move towards the future. It is the obligation and sworn duty of each elected official to make decisions for the whole towns future, not simply to agree and go with the flow.

Furthermore, is having a board that always agrees and does not discuss issues of the town a wise way to approach the situation….  This strategy would be a great detriment to the town. At some point the issues that had been avoided would wait no longer and need to be addressed. What then?

Thurman has some concerns in a couple areas and we need elected officials who will work for the whole town, not a select few. Our town needs board members that can agree to disagree and still maintain to see it through for the betterment of the voting public.

Bio's and Platforms welcome

The following is an open invitation to all Thurman Candidates seeking election to present themselves to the voting public with Bios and Platforms.

The purpose is to make a level playing field for all Candidates to present themselves.

To inquire further or submit a Bio or Platform please email andytemp55@gmail.com or kathy.templeton37@gmail.com

Below please find Bio and/or Platform links of some of the Candidates and we look forward to more.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1wkysqpjovb9rg9/Evelyn%20M%20Wood%20Resume.pdf?dl=0


https://www.dropbox.com/s/4w1grndep73qk1g/John%20Youngblood%20Revised%20Letter%20of%20candidacy.pdf?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qyel1o82v0kaf10/Kathy%27s%20Bio%20in%20Word.docx?dl=0

Defining Values

     This blog has been up for a little over two years.
     Recently, we were offered the opportunity to receive three cents per pageview.
     We have had, so far, about 11,000 pageviews.
     We will not enroll in that program. We believe folks should be able to get good, factual information without it being commercialized or having to deal with distractions.
     We are going to continue to do our best to give the voters the information they need to make an informed decision when voting.

Written by Andrew Templeton

What is a Debate

   This post is about Debate/Rational Arguments.
   In a debate speakers must justify their claims.
An argument or debate is not a fight or a quarrel.
Debating/arguing is a creative and productive activity.
   Think not of a shouting match, but of a group of people seeking the best solution to a problem.  It is a creative and productive activity that stimulates critical thinking.
   Although, formal debate can develop critical thinking, its weakness is that it can turn argument into a game of winners and losers rather than a process of cooperative inquiry.
   Argument/debate entails a desire for truth; it aims to find the best solutions to complex problems.
   It will be beneficial to the voters to see and hear all the candidates at the debate on Oct 21.


Written by Andrew Templeton

Videoing vs. Security Cameras

There seems to be some confusion about the videos of the Board Meetings. There are two different recordings at Town Board Meetings. There are security cameras, yes. At the recommendation of the Sheriff’s Office, but they are not used for anything other than security footage of the meetings. Anyone who has ever seen security camera footage knows it would not be suitable for high quality video like the videos of the meetings that are posted online.

 

The videos posted online are taken using Evelyn’s personal video camera. She does this at her own initiative, and it is not town related. She is not using town equipment, funds, or time to supply the town with the videos. She posts them on her own YouTube channel and it is has nothing to do with the town website. And she started videoing the meetings before the security cameras were even installed. Even before Warren County started videoing their meetings. The security cameras and the video of meetings provided to the public are two different things entirely.

 

The Board cannot stop anyone from videotaping their meetings. News crews, cable TV, or people with cell phones or tablets could all videotape meetings. There was a court case about it and in 1994 the court ruled that videotaping could not be banned at public meetings just because the board didn’t want to be recorded. A lot of opinions from the Committee on Open Government also talk about videotaping being permitted at meetings, especially now that the cameras are so small they can record video without disruption.

 

Bottom line, Evelyn spends her time and effort to give us better access to our government, and that has nothing to do with the security cameras.

 

 

Court Case: Mtr. of Peloquin v. Arsenault, 162 Misc. 2d 306 - NY: Supreme Court, Franklin 1994


Written by Andrew Templeton

Facts about the New York State Award Winning Thurman Whitespace Project

The following is information that was provided to us by Fred Engelmann of Rainmaker Network Services.

Here are some facts that should be public. Anything different is not accurate information.

Property classifications and street addresses are from the tax assessment rolls.

The current coverage area makes service available to about 40 households (see map and property addresses linked below). Of those, 13 households have subscribed so far.

https://batchgeo.com/map/2e127b0f67e4504ffeac3dc755c59add


A second pole has already been installed further west up Garnet Lake Road. Electrical and equipment will be installed through July, by multiple contractors and National Grid, depending on their schedules.

This will make service available to another dozen or so households in that area.


Two more poles are scheduled to be installed on Monday 22 June. Electrical and equipment will be installed through this summer, by multiple contractors and National Grid, depending on their schedules.

This will make service available to about 40 households available in those coverage areas (see map and property addresses linked below).

https://batchgeo.com/map/400a52d92b9e4dd5aa6e9160989be017

Certificate of Thurman Town Clerk Regarding Petition for Permissive Referendum