There has been an empty chair at the Charlestown Town Council table ever since John Craig resigned in June. Soon after John left, Bruce Picard took advantage of that extra space and moved over to place the empty chair between himself and Jim Mageau. This could have meant no more than a desire for legroom, but in the months that have followed Bruce has begun to express more independence from Mageau. Perhaps he literally had to get out of Mageau's reach before he felt free to vote independently. It was Bruce's vote that allowed the Charter Changes including Recall to go to the voters. At the last Council meeting Bruce voted for measures that will protect the Coastal Ponds and improve Charlestown's Zoning Ordinance and other votes in contradiction of Mageau. Bruce has voted consistently to support the Supreme Court case, while Mageau voted against the appeal and would make us vulnerable to a casino. Bruce’s most recent independent move will give Charlestown residents an important opportunity to protect themselves more from a casino. James Mageau is vehemently against giving the people of Charlestown the opportunity to vote to acquire land that may otherwise hold a casino. Casino operators have approached a landowner who owns the last best place for a casino in Charlestown. That landowner would rather sell to the town. Mr. Picard broke free from Mageau and voted with the other two counselors to create a majority in favor of giving the people of Charlestown a choice on the land purchase. Mageau didn’t even want to allow us to vote. He says he’s against letting the land become tax-exempt if the Town owns it. But if the Tribe owns it, it will be tax exempt! One wonders whom Mageau represents.

Bruce has had to endure Mageau's hostile glare in public, and we imagine a lot of angry words and bullying in private for those independent votes. Mr. Picard of course did much to enable Mageau's tyranny in the first year of their term, but as this Town Council term comes to a close, he has more and more votes to be proud of and there is more we need to remember to thank him for.

Ruth Platner