Wednesday, 28 November 2007
BY GALEN McGOVERN

CHARLESTOWN – On Monday, I met with a distinguished panel from the Charlestown Citizen Alliance steering committee – Dan Slattery, Tom DePatie, Milt Kranz, Leo Mainelli, and Tom Gentz.

As Kranz, a retired doctor explained, “Many of us feel we are fairly responsible people. We have the interests of the town at heart.”

The resumes of the CCA members present were indeed impressive. All of them are retirees, have been involved in their local community, and most have lived in Charlestown for significant amounts of time.

One doctor, one IBM executive, one healthcare manager, one engineer, and one high level U.S. government employee.

So why did they want to gather to meet with me? In two words: James Mageau.

They all related unethical and unflattering incidents allegedly perpetrated by Mageau and are worried what may happen irreversibly to the town in his last year in office and beyond. They also cited what they consider conflicts of interest – with recent town board appointees and their lines of work.

“When I moved here I was absolutely appalled,” Slattery said, who is the lone newcomer as a one-year

Charlestown resident. He spoke about the need for public input to make public policy decisions – something he said is sorely lacking in the current government of Charlestown. “None of his [Mageau’s] complaints have ever been proven,” Slattery said.

He also called the town Democratic Committee to task for not speaking out publicly against Mageau.
Aside from venting their concerns, the group wanted the Chariho Times to publish the CCA’s chronology or what Slattery termed the “Citizen Report Card” of events in Charlestown.

As Slattery summarized, the chronology includes: a listing of alleged open meeting violations, frivolous complaints, violations of the town charter, a disrespect for public service, attacks on citizens and commission members, roadblocks to progress (Mud Cove project and others), and a pro-gambling agenda.

“We lack an open government in Charlestown. We really have no forum,” Slattery said. He expounded and said Mageau’s pro-development, pro-gambling, anti-environment, anti-open space agenda is forcing good people off of boards and commissions and harming the environment. “It’s very disturbing what is transpiring here. We want to neutralize the harm they [council majority] can do to this town.”

Mainelli said the intent of publicizing the chronology was to 1)Make all things visible to citizens 2)Get people mobilized to influence council votes.

Kranz and Gentz both spoke of the sense of accomplishment, community, and thrill when the will of the public swayed a council vote at meetings.

According to all CCA members present, the chronology is factual and accurate. We include it here for you to decide. The document ends with a plea to the citizens of Charlestown to pay attention to the issues and candidates for public office and to consider running for office themselves.