Peter Gay: Am I the only one …? | Columns | thesunchronicle.com – The Sun Chronicle
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It’s time once again to compare your local knowledge and opinions with mine. Do we agree? Do we disagree? Let’s find out.
Am I the only one who did not know there was once a water tower on what is now King Street in Attleboro? I saw a reproduction of a photo last week that shows a tower on the hill overlooking Riverbank Road. My guess is that is what was used as the primary tank before the city constructed the much larger tower on Ides Hill.
Am I the only one who did not know that Attleboro High School already offers a vocational course in television and radio? Thanks Bill Runey, principal at AHS, for pointing that out to me when I was lauding the city in my column two weeks ago for the new high school that is being built.
Am I the only one who thinks North Attleboro is lucky to have Mark Hollowell as its director of Public Works and Steven Carvalho as Park and Recreation director? I deal with the two men often and always come away impressed with their knowledge and passion for the town they serve. The same can be said for Anne Marie Fleming and the staff in the Board of Health office, Fire Chief Christopher Coleman and the fire department’s staff, and everyone who works for the town.
Am I the only one who is tired of the excessive noise made by motorcycles and pickup trucks on area streets? The noise is an obvious cry for help by the men driving them to make up for shortcomings elsewhere.
Am I the only one amused by efforts in area towns to reduce speed limits to 25 mph? The days of patrol cars parked behind a billboard waiting for speeding motorists are long gone; police officers are extremely busy and there aren’t enough of them to enforce the limits currently in place. If you don’t believe me, check out how many people obey the 20 mph limit in front of schools when they reopen in a couple of weeks.
Am I the only one who is disappointed when a municipality constructs new sidewalks and uses asphalt instead of cement? I suspect it’s because tar is less expensive than concrete. It makes me wonder how cities and towns were able to afford cement in the past. What has changed?
Am I the only one who can’t watch parents at local school committee meetings argue against a mask mandate? I watched a woman last week from a community outside this area tell committee members she had done research and found that teachers and students wearing masks contract the virus more than those who don’t. When asked where she found the information, she told the board that it is no longer available because it was censored. You might have heard me screaming at my computer, “IT’S BECAUSE IT WAS NOT TRUE!”
Am I the only one who was shocked at the story in the newspaper on Thursday? The largest teachers’ union in Massachusetts announced it supports requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all employees and eligible students in the state’s public schools and colleges.
Am I the only one who wasn’t surprised when hearing the news that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tested positive for COVID-19 last week? The news preceded the ruling by the Texas Supreme Court rejecting Abbott’s ban on school mask mandates.
Am I the only one who chuckled when the writer of a letter to the editor of this newspaper accused the paper of being “unfair” to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis? The Republican is in the same boat as Abbott by fighting mandatory mask mandates in the state’s schools and deserves every bit of criticism he receives.
Am I the only one who won’t be surprised when Abbott and DeSantis announce they’re running for president in 2024? How else would you explain their willingness to let innocent people die?
Am I the only one who doesn’t care if Gwen Berry turned her back on the American flag during the playing of the national anthem at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June? While I would never do it, isn’t she free to do so? Many of the people claiming to be upset with her actions say mask mandates are an infringement on their freedom. At least Berry’s expression didn’t endanger the lives of others. I have to wonder if the controversy has anything to do with the fact that she is Black.
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