Editorial
Mayor, council don’t have any good options
Maintaining that delicate balance between want, need and have is the primary assignment of elected officials, even though every one of them is likely to list this obligation as the most troubling. Although holding office does have its rewards — a little bit of prestige, public recognition and influence — all that goes out the… Read more »
Gazette Cartoon
School children learn about mass shootings
As parents become more vocal about what they believe children should be taught in school, they may not have given much thought to what their kids have been learning: that they can be shot in their classrooms for no reason. That has to be a more of a problem for young minds — and parents… Read more »
Gazette Cartoon
Fire depts. must be reimbursed for calls
Two or three decades ago, local volunteer fire departments were flourishing in terms of membership and finances. People wanted to join them not just for the sake of the community, but also for the prestige associated with what was then one of every town’s most powerful organizations. They were politically powerful, socially connected and, because… Read more »
Gazette Cartoon
Planners face tough problem with growth
As the Town of Berlin begins to reassess the direction of its 10-year comprehensive plan, the question officials, their advisers and residents will have to answer is how large can a small town become before it turns into something else. Exactly what that something else might be is subject to debate, since the definition of… Read more »
Gazette Cartoon
Towns, OP and county play annual tax game
When Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino said one of the budget requests from the Town of Berlin on Tuesday shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of county taxpayers, he overlooked a significant point — Berlin taxpayers are county taxpayers too. All taxpayers in Worcester’s municipalities are also county taxpayers, and they contribute a huge portion of… Read more »