Nefarious Suggestions
Sharon Wilbur
It appears from a recent editorial that New Hartford Plus’ reporter has some questions about the way the petition ended up in my hands.
After voting on Tuesday morning, sometime after 10:00 a.m., I stopped in the Town Clerk’s office and requested a copy of the petition. I chatted with my cousin about the family while the Assistant Tax Collector (who also doubles as Assistant Town Clerk in the Town Clerk’s absence) made the copies. After I paid my $3.25, I was on my way. None of the folks mentioned in the NH+ editorial had any clandestine hand in that process. The petition was entered into public record by the Friends of Brodie Park South when it was presented at the Rec Commission meeting. It is available to anyone who wants to pay for the copies. It’s FOI. Ms. Moore knows that.
Free speech goes in both directions. If a signer is asked by a friend or neighbor, they have a right to say whatever they like. Third parties are friends and neighbors. No one has been hired to hunt down the signers. Note the comments by a poster whose friend was going to request her name be removed.
Only the people who signed know how they were approached by the petition gatherers. If there is nothing to hide, there is no reason to protest.
The petition wording seems innocuous; we question its intended use.
newhartfordbeacon.com 
Wouldnt it be nice if New hartford Plus stood behind “freedom of speech” by publishing any comments that do not agree with their commentary? I have sent in numerrous reponses that are non-confrontational, not abusive or threatenting, just showing the other side of the issue and she does not even have the decency to email me back to tell me she will not publish them. Shame on that type of “journalism”
Agree with you completely. People who try to post comments with a different point of view and/or facts that contradict her statements get blocked from that blog and FB page. The claim that it is journalism is as false as the many other false statements there. This latest rant is even more defensive and illogical. As Sharon pointed out, free speech only works in one direction? Not true.
Well, she is right in stating that everyone is entitled to their opinions. But when she has tried so hard to shape those opinions by shutting down the other side of the story while being the only town news source, she’s wrong. It’s unethical. On another thread here there was a poster who called us bullies for defending ourselves and accused people here of hounding residents who signed the petition. Obviously nobody is going to harass the signers and if anyone does, it certainly isn’t one of us from this site. It is their right. This is the mentality we’re up against. It’s sad, really. Reasonable people respect other people’s right to think freely. This whole “controversy” has been created by NH+ and FoBPS by their inability to compromise as well as spreading half truths at best while using NH+ – willfully unopposed – as a means to communicate their side — and some people call US the bullies? I know, weird.
I think Ms. Moore has really lost it this time!
Hey Beacon, can you get a question to Mrs. Moore for me? I don’t hate kids & sports, so I’m not welcome at nh+. “Mrs. Moore, was it supposed to be a secret petition?”
Secrecy in government always works out well.
The Freedom of Information Act, which allows any person to access public records (such as petitions submitted recently at the Rec. Dept meeting) is of benefit to us all. We’re adults, let’s act like it. There is no infringement on free speech here, as Maria insinuates. I see an attempt at honest discussion. Freedom of speech allows freedom of speech. It doesn’t hide you from others having an honest, non-threatening discussion about your opinion. That would be the opposite of democracy now, wouldn’t it?
Maria is well aware of the Freedom of Information Act, and is once again trying to create drama and slander the innocent to further her agenda. Maria and the FOBPS have used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the names and addresses of New Hartford dog owners recently, to organize a mailing insinuating that the football program was somehow looking to restrict dog owners access to town parks during the recreation commission’s recent rule revision. Absurd, since the FOBPS were responsible for requesting the decades old, widely ignored rules, would again be enforced. Maria obtained a copy of the posted petition herself, when she requested her copy of the same meeting minutes. She understands that it becomes available to anyone who requests it, shortly after it is submitted at a town meeting. To write a post insinuating some corrupt underhanded dealings in town hall is despicable. It’s never smart to trust a snake oil salesman. Since I’ve been blocked from commenting on New Hartford Plus for pointing out facts that didn’t jive with Maria’s agenda, I’ll ask her here. Maria, please keep the discussion honest. That being said, I don’t think anyone should be harassed for signing any petition, and I have no knowledge that anyone has been harassed. I do believe an open and honest discussion among confident, informed adults, of the issues surrounding use of Brodie South is long overdue.
I’d also like to comment that in a reply to Anne on her website, under her “Sad Day for New Hartford,” Maria makes a very strong suggestion that The Beacon had a copy of the petition days before it hit Town Hall.
Unless I got it from Friends of Brodie Park South, that would be impossible.