To The Editor,
I want to thank Gary Gilbert for his letter to the Cricket in support of our town volunteers and town workers. His letter has inspired me to join in with my support of our Town’s hard working employees and volunteers.
Having worked at Town Hall for 30+ years I have first-hand experience at how hard our town administrators and town employees work. I worked with three different Town Administrators; Rosemary Cashman, Wayne Melville, and our current Town Administrator Greg Federspiel and Executive Secretary Paul Bockelman (my boss before the town had a Town Administrator). Every one of them had different strengths and weaknesses but they always had the Town’s best interests at heart and worked long and arduous hours to do their jobs well. Over the years, I also served as clerk to many, many Selectmen and worked with many other town employees and volunteer board / committee members. I have always been impressed by how much time and energy so many of these volunteers devoted to the town and sometimes wondered why anyone would volunteer for those positions when there was constant criticism. Admittedly, most of the criticism has come from a very small but very vocal group.
I am not saying that we always have to agree with the decisions being made, but the cutting and hurtful comments about these employees / volunteers in the local paper and on Facebook are disturbing.
Please, please stop the nastiness. There are ways to question actions without being disparaging and hurtful.
Beth Heisey
Manchester
