Ready for the next step

To the Editor:

In response to Our Views in the 1-06-11 of your paper, "Paris must move on:"

There is a need to move on. At the same time, however, any air travel passenger knows that before moving off the plane, it is critical to make sure one has all one's correct things, #1; to be clear about the next leg of the travel plan, #2; and to watch for information heading travelers in the right direction, #3.

For the traveler, it is not enough, in fact it would be unwise, to simply move on.

A new and different investigative reporting style has become a refreshing addition to the Advertiser Democrat in recent months. There has been much less of the emotional rhetoric and personal judgments and pronouncements that often accompanied many of the articles during the time Paris was struggling with some very difficult issues that eventually led to a recall of two Paris selectmen almost a year ago.

And wouldn't it be nice to think we could "continue on the path to reform," as you put it?

But reform is not quite where we are at the moment, never mind continuing on that path.

No, public flogging is not a solution; nor would "the biggest, baddest individual standing alone in the town office" be much of an option for Paris citizens either. We do have a member or two on our selectboard who get overzealous with their self importance from time to time, and we have outspoken citizens who attend meetings and speak their minds as well.

However, it is important for folks who are not Paris citizens and privy to the actual facts of the town's history, folks not on the newspaper scene in the Oxford Hills before July 2010 or so, to take a moment to walk in the other guys' shoes before making sweeping statements.

Paris as "a finger-pointing, paranoia-inducing climate that has made CYA the first priority of every municipal employee and official." Wow - that's a lot of employees and officials. It takes two pages in the Paris Town Report to list "every municipal employee and official." For the record, last we heard, it was one police chief and one sitting town manager who recently endured verbal floggings.

As for reform, before there can be a next step taken, there has to be a clear understanding of the expectations for leadership at the helm in Paris. Being hired as a replacement town manager by the five-member board's majority of three - two of whom were subsequently recalled, and the third who resigned - does not guarantee a manager immediately awed and respected. Leadership skills are expected and will be noticed.

It is also fair to point out that the current selectboard emerged into power, when the first two individuals were re-elected in November 2009, two more elected the following March, then one more added in June. It hasn't been a cake walk for them, coming in on the heels of a negative regime, a lame duck interim manager, and finally, a new, completely unknown and unexpected full time manager. Not to mention a skeptical citizenry.

It would be a serious mistake, however, to sell Paris short. We have every intention of moving on. But, not until we're sure we have everything we need, and not until we know where we're headed.

Kathy Richardson

Paris