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This week's stories: (if headline link
doesn't work, scroll down)
 Neighbors
remember man, 89, killed by motorcycle
'A
surprise' : Ross resigns from parks and recreation post under
pressure
Pinkerton
staff woes spell trouble for proposed academy?
Yaghoobian:
Academy may be on ballot in March
CSE
asks for rehearing on sign fines
Emergency
service demand on upward swing
From August 5 Former
state CSE director pleads guilty to phone-jamming charge
Neighbors
remember man, 89, killed by motorcycle
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By JENNIFER CLAISE
Staff Writer
jclaise@yourneighborhoodnews.com
A week after an 89-year-old Bedford man
died of injuries he sustained when he was hit by a motorcycle
on Back River Road, his friends and neighbors are still reeling
with shock.
Andrew Parker, of 164 Back River Road, was hit by a motorcycle
near the intersection of Meadowcrest Drive on Wednesday, Aug.
4, at about 2:20 p.m., according to Bedford police Sgt. Scott
Plumer.
He was transported to Elliot Hospital and later airlifted to
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. According to friend
and neighbor Carol Lewis, Parker's injuries were severe and included
bleeding on the brain, and he passed away shortly before 7 a.m.
on Thursday, Aug. 5.
Police identified the driver of the motorcycle as Paul Smola,
53, and his passenger Debra Silvia Smola, 48, both of Bedford.
Neither was injured. According to Plumer, speed and alcohol do
not appear to have been factors in the collision. The cause of
the accident is currently under investigation by the department's
traffic accident reconstruction team.
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MEMORIAL OFFERINGS Ira
Martucci (left) and Hannah Blake, 7, place flowers on the spot
on Back River Road where Andrew Parker was struck by a motocycle
on Wednesday, Aug. 4. He died of his injuries the next morning.
Neighbors held a memorial service at the spot on Saturday, Aug.
7. (Courtesy Photo)
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Lewis said that on the day of the
accident, she had just seen Parker pass her home at 107 Meadowcrest
Drive on one of his daily walks around the neighborhood. He was
only a few hundred feet from his home, she said. Moments later,
she heard a woman's "bloodcurdling" scream coming from
Back River Road, but no sound of screeching breaks or impact.
"When I got to the road, he was just lying there, right
in the middle of the road," Lewis said. "Someone had
stopped and parked their car in front of him, blocking the road."
Lewis said she knelt down with Parker and held his hand while
her neighbor, Bob Bourque a former Bedford EMT removed
Parker's false teeth, which were obstructing his breathing.
Lewis said she remembers asking "What hit him?" and
Smola, who was standing on the side of the road, said "I
did."
Both Lewis and Bourque estimated that an ambulance responded
within approximately six or seven minutes, although Lewis said,
"It seemed like forever."
Parker's neighbors have all been especially hard hit by his death,
Lewis said, because Parker was no ordinary man.
"He was so, so very loved," Lewis said. "He was
just this unbelieveable European gentleman who would always tip
his hat to you, and call you "Miss" until you gave
him permission to call you by your first name."
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Born in Hungary, Parker
came to the United States in 1949 unable to speak a word of English,
according to friend and neighbor Charlotte Fahey, who said he
learned the language primarily by reading with a dictionary by
his side.
He was also a poet, who proudly showed off his book of poems,
and entertained his friends by singing and playing his banjo,
she added.
Lewis also said that Parker competed as an alternate gymnast
in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. His athleticism continued
right up until the last day of his life, Lewis said.
After suffering a heart attack and a quadruple bypass surgery
about eight years ago, Parker would take walks faithfully twice
a day, often averaging over five miles a day.
"He was certainly not your typical 89-year-old," Lewis
said. "Most younger people couldn't even keep up with him."
And his walks are what connected him to the community, Lewis
said. Eventually, everyone in the neighborhood recognized him
and would stop and talk with him each day.
Fahey and her husband, Edward, said that Parker would often stop
by just to sit and relax in their back yard, which he called
"his oasis." |
Andrew Parker, who lived
on Meadowcrest Road, was remembered by his friends and neighbors
as a gentle, active man who seemed much younger than his 89 years.
He was killed while on one of his daily walks around the neighborhood.
(Courtesy Photo)
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And Lewis said that it was Parker's
ritual to check her mailbox each day to see if her newspaper
had been delivered. If it had, he would bring it up to her front
stoop for her.
If she had already gotten it, he'd give her a little salute and
continue on his way. Parker's neighbors were also amazed with
his razor-sharp memory, admitting that they were shocked by the
way he could instantly remember the names of everyone in his
neighborhood, including the children and even their pets.
Lewis' fiance, Russ Poirier, said that everyone in the neighborhood
had a special connection with Parker. "
You could walk up and down this street and ask everyone, and
you'd hear the same kinds of things," he said.
Parker lived with his only son, Tom, and Tom's wife Annette,
on Back River Road, Lewis said. He is also survived by two grandchildren
and one great-grandchild.
His family, who was in Florida on Tuesday attending Parker's
funeral, was not able to be reached for comment.
Parker moved to New Hampshire from Florida seven years ago after
his wife died and he suffered his heart attack, Lewis said.
Last weekend, Lewis organized a small memorial service for Parker
on Back River Road, near the spot where he was hit.
Several people from the neighborhood attended with very little
notice, and Lewis said that she read aloud one of the poems that
Parker had written.
And although police have said that speed does not appear to be
a factor in the accident, Parker's death has mobilized his neighbors
to voice their concerns about rampant speeding on Back River
Road.
"Although this accident had nothing to do with speed, the
town does need to address the speed issue out here," Bourquet
said.
Charlotte Fahey agreed. "If they don't so something about
it, there are going to be more fatalities here, period."
'A surprise'
Ross resigns from parks and recreation
post under pressure
By DEVON CORMIER
Staff Writer
dcormier@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Parks and Recreation Director Brian Ross
has resigned, saying only that his leaving is due to disagreements
with Town Manager Keith Hickey.
"I didn't initiate this but I guess my work isn't appreciated
or respected," Ross said. "It wasn't just one thing,
but it was a surprise."
Hickey and Ross both declined to comment on specifics of Ross's
resignation, which was announced at a late June meeting.
It was an agreement on Brian's and my behalf that it would be
appropriate for him to look for other opportunities," said
Hickey.
Ross has been the parks and recreation director for 15 years,
becoming Bedford's first full-time director after leaving the
Salem Parks and Recreation Department in 1989. He is a Londonderry
resident.
Ross will be leaving during what he said is most likely Bedford's
most profitable year for the department.
Ross started projects that include the Bedford Cultural Series
and the Bedford summer day camp program. Several fields were
created during his tenure, including Legacy Park off New Boston
Road. The park includes a skate park, ball fields and cross country
skiing and mountain biking trails.
Ross is also credited with spearheading the renovation and rebuilding
of the town pool. The pool is a source for much of the department's
revenue, and helps the pool to be self-supporting.
He also headed the Heritage Trail project, 3 miles of trails
along the Merrimack River, among many other things.
"It has been rewarding," Ross said. "It's a good
feeling to see people taking advantage of the opportunities they
have in Bedford."
Ross said he will continue his job until the end of October at
the latest, and will then move on to other things.
Ross said he isn't sure what he will do next, but he will look
to continue his work in parks and recreation or with nonprofits
such as colleges or universities.
No one has been hired to replace Ross as of yet, but Ross said
they should be coming in at a good point. Ross said most of the
big projects, like the pool and the new Joppa Hill fields, are
almost complete, and the budget should support maintenance of
pre-existing programs.
Academy
Questions
Pinkerton staff woes spell trouble for
proposed academy?
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Bedford academy supporters have long touted
Pinkerton Academy as proof their concept can fly. But a local
high school supporter who is representing a Pinkerton faculty
member in a labor dispute says the town may be in trouble down
the road if it follows the academy model.
Though it now accepts tuition from area school districts to educate
public school students, the 190-year-old Derry school keeps all
the vestiges of a private prep school a headmaster,
a board of trustees and a private-school pay and benefits scale
for teachers.
And at the heart of the Bedford academy concept proposed by Haig
Yaghoobian is the idea that a private Bedford high school could
use those prep school attributes to achieve significant savings
over a public school plan.
The biggest single area of savings in Yaghoobian's concept is
in the area of staff salaries and benefits. Yaghoobian says,
unlike a public school, a Bedford academy would be a nonunion
shop making salaries negotiable and allowing teachers to
be paid on merit.
But Bedford resident Chuck Grau, a public high school supporter
and lawyer who happens to represent a Pinkerton Academy faculty
member, is claiming this pay scale could be a Bedford academy's
undoing.
Grau, a former Bedford school board chairman and attorney with
the Concord law firm Upton and Hatfield, says a group of Pinkerton
faculty members are disgruntled with the current pay and benefits
system at Pinkerton. A Bedford academy based on the same system
would lead to trouble, he said.
Grau represents Steve Rodrick, an English teacher and tennis
coach at Pinkerton, who is one of 28 faculty members who signed
a January 2004 letter of protest against the school's compensation
system. Specifically, the group is unhappy with the school's
retirement package, which they say is unfair.
The dispute directly undermines Yaghoobian's main argument that
an academy could successfully use the same system as Pinkerton,
said Grau.
"It raises the question of aptness of the analogy (to Pinkerton,)"
Grau said.
Grau said he believes the group of disgruntled Pinkerton staff
have been contacted by the National Education Association's New
Hampshire branch about the possibility of organizing into a union.
Though Yaghoobian has said an academy staff won't be union, Grau
said the possibility is very real.
"Pinkerton's experience raises a number of questions about
that," He said. "Pinkerton may not be organized now,
but it may be in six months. There's no legal reason why they
can't be."
Grau said union or not, it's clear "bungling" of the
retirement benefits, or a similar problem at a Bedford academy,
could lower the quality of instruction. He points to the text
of the January letter, which claims the school is already "stuck
with an aging faculty at one end and a young, transient faculty
at the other."
"The 28 teachers who signed (the January letter) made it
abundantly clear that the way the retirement issue has been bungled
has destroyed Pinkerton's ability to attract and retain qualified
teachers," said Grau.
"If Pinkerton is the example, then I think we have to ask
ourselves if it's an example we want to follow," Grau said.
"Because a young and transient faculty is not what we want
teaching at our high school."
Yaghoobian not concerned
Yaghoobian said he was reluctant to even respond to the concerns
and questioned Grau's credibility.
"I don't believe anything that comes out of Chuck's mouth,
first of all," Yaghoobian said. "He's a person who's
shown time and again to have unscrupulous motivations. So I really
don't have any care to comment on that."
Yaghoobian said that, as far as he knew, Pinkerton is a "very
well run place." He said he's culled much of his concept
from conversations with former Pinkerton headmaster Brad Eck
a member of the Bedford academy team and current
headmaster Mary Anderson.
Yaghoobian said he trusted their advice over Grau's and several
other pro-public high school advocates. Grau and his associates
are "promulgators of hate and discord," Yaghoobian
said, who in the past have "acted to ruin this town."
"I have the lowest opinion of them," he said.
As for general concerns that a Bedford academy faculty might
organize into a union, or go on strike, Yaghoobian claimed the
possibility was "remote."
"The advent of unions, in my mind, is symptomatic and inextricably
tied to bad management," Yaghoobian said. "If you have
excellent management, if management cares for their employees,
takes care of their well-being, gives them opportunities for
advancement you don't have an atmosphere where unions
are necessary."
Yaghoobian:
Academy may be on ballot in March
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
With no indication the school board will
change its mind on signing a letter of intent for the Bedford
academy, rumblings of an independent effort are being heard in
political circles around town.
Bedford academy chief proponent Haig Yaghoobian gave school board
members a deadline of Thursday, Aug. 12 to comply with a request
that they sign a letter of intent for his concept. Yaghoobian
says such a letter is necessary to secure the help of investors
who are thinking of investing in the concept.
Board members voted 4-1 against signing such a letter at their
Aug. 2 meeting. At press time, the deadline for the SAU to post
notice of a school board meeting for Aug. 12 had passed with
no action.
Yaghoobian said he would wait until the deadline passed, but
was not optimistic the school board members would change their
minds.
"I've sort of been in wait mode," he said. "I'm
not being unrealistic about it I'm not necessarily expecting
a different word about it."
Before school board members even voted against signing a letter
of intent, members of the Bedford Taxpayers Association had already
begun a campaign to convince the school board to sign on with
Yaghoobian.
Six large signs, paid for by the BTA, were posted at key intersections
urging residents to call the SAU and express their support for
Yaghoobian's plan.
BTA President Roy Stewart said his group was supporting Yaghoobian
because the academy concept may be the cheapest option the town
has.
"It's doubtful that any public school could come up with
a plan that's going to have a lower cost per pupil than the academy's,"
Stewart said.
Despite the BTA's support, SAU officials said the response had
been lukewarm at best. As of Tuesday, Aug. 10, two days before
the deadline, SAU officials said an unofficial tally had counted
seven phone calls only one in favor of the academy.
School board criticized
Yaghoobian repeated claims he made the week before, and said
school board members had never been interested in supporting
his concept.
"I think (their refusal to sign a letter of intent) was
as disingenuous as you can get," he said. "There was
not so much as a call or a question about what I had sketched
out for them (at an earlier information session about a letter
of intent.)"
"I thought I was being pretty open minded," he said.
"But not a single call. Not a discussion. Not a thing."
Brock expressed a sharply different view of the situation. Although
he claims he felt no "obligation to reach out to him,"
Brock said he specifically instructed Superintendent Ann Remus
to ask Yaghoobian to call him if he wanted to work.
"Indeed we reached out to him and there was no response,"
Brock said.
Brock reiterated earlier statements that the choice of whether
the academy concept would die, "is his decision, not ours."
"All along, this has been proferred as a private solution
to a public problem," Brock said. "Yet when there was
a need for private money, he turned to the public sector."
Brock was referring to Yaghoobian's specific request that the
school board promise to pick up any development or land costs
which could run as high as $300,000 if the academy
concept falls through.
"It's wrong for the public sector to solve a private problem,"
Brock said. "If he wants to keep the planning effort alive
great."
Though critical of the school board, Yaghoobian thanked the BTA
and the Bedford chapter of Citizens for a Sound Economy for their
support.
Academy on ballot?
Assuming no last-minute changes in policy by the school board,
Yaghoobian said he was planning to take the academy concept off
the table at least for the school board directly.
Yaghoobian said he now envisions the academy concept going before
voters, who could order the school board to carry out the plan
if enough approved.
"I presume the town will have an opportunity to weigh in
on the matter," Yaghoobian said "If they do vote it
in, so to speak, then they'll direct the school board accordingly."
He did say he might not play such an active role in promoting
the concept. Instead, Yaghoobian predicted, the concept would
continue forward on its own momentum.
"Quite honestly, I'm not sure that I will (continue promoting
the concept), as 'it' will," he said. "My guess is
there will be a lot of people who will weigh in."
Regardless of how the academy concept goes forward, he said,
it would remain as a measure for the public school planners to
try and beat. That effort, being carried out by a committee of
public high school planners, is scheduled to be completed later
this fall.
Yaghoobian predicted that plan will measure up poorly against
the academy concept.
"It would not surprise me if the thing is $60 million, and
maybe more than that," he said, also questioning whether
it would be able to open in 2008 as has been stated.
"When people see the results of the public school planning
process, they'll look back at the Bedford academy plan,"
Yaghoobian said. "It will always be there as a benchmark
against which anything else will be measured."
Concept copyrighted
Backing up his early assertions that Yaghoobian was responsible
for maintaining the academy campaign, Brock said he'd be open
to the possibility of developing a hybrid proposal a
public school plan that utilizes the academy's best features.
"If he'd like to work with us and share some ideas
good," Brock said. "And we can see if some of the good
ideas from the private sector can work their way into the public
school planning process we welcome him. Glad to have it."
Yaghoobian seemed less open to the idea, and warned his group's
ideas could be legally off-limits for the school board.
"I've already taken steps to copyright the work," he
said. "It's proprietary information."
Yaghoobian had board members sign nondisclosure forms prior to
entering talks with them, and said he would request they return
all information he has already given them.
Yaghoobian promised to try and block any effort to incorporate
his planning into any other plan.
"The answer is yes (I will block that)," he said. "This
is our proprietary work. We own it. We developed it. They do
not have any rights to use it never did for any other
purpose than the Bedford academy plan."
CSE asks for
rehearing on sign fines
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By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
The Bedford chapter of Citizens for a Sound
Economy (B-CSE) have asked for a rehearing on an appeal of a
$4,950 fine stemming from illegal signs posted in February. In
the run-up to the March school district election, B-CSE members
posted a number of political signs, including a set that advertised
"Taxpayer Radio" a local radio show that B-CSE
members are frequent guests on.
The group argued the signs were pointing voters toward information
sources, but Town Planner Karen White ruled the signs did not
advocate action in an election, and therefore were not considered
political speech.
As a result, the group was fined for illegal offsite commercial
advertising. Although the B-CSE has a policy of not speaking
to the press, member John Heneage spoke publicly on the matter
at an Aug. 4 meeting.
"They're the only bureaucracy in the state that can't tell
the difference between a political sign and an advertisement,"
Heneage said.
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SIGN IN QUESTION This
sign is one of those for which the Bedford chapter of Citizens
for a Sound Economy must pay a fine of $4,950 for posting before
the March election. Group members are asking for a rehearing,
arguing that others have posted signs and were not prosecuted.
In small print on the lower left of the sign, members assert
that the sign is "a POLITICAL SIGN protected by the "Free
Speech" clause of the U.S. Constitution, Amendment Number
1." (Russ Choma Photo)
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In June, the national CSE organization
paid the fine on behalf of the local chapter. At the request
of the local chapter, the national organization withdrew their
offer to pay the fine so the B-CSE could challenge the appeal.
They lost that challenge on July 20, when the zoning board of
adjustment voted against their appeal.
B-CSE President Michelle Corcoran has filed for a rehearing on
the appeal, which will be heard at the Aug. 17 zoning board meeting.
In written testimony submitted by Corcoran, the group said they
plan to appeal the board's ruling they were late in filing their
appeal. According to statements made at the Aug. 4 meeting, the
B-CSE also to argue at their appeal that the fine against their
group was an arbitrary, politically motivated action by the town.
As evidence, they plan to point that other political signs violated
the same rules.
"It is a form of political oppression and selective enforcement,"
Heneage said.
As evidence, he presented a sign he picked up from the roadside
that had been posted by Congressman Charlie Bass' re-election
campaign. The signs simply say "Bass" and urge no call
to action or Charlie Bass.
White declined to comment, citing the ongoing appeal, but Town
Manager Keith Hickey responded to Heneage's comments.
"Selective enforcement is not something we partake in whatsoever,"
he said. "That's a baseless claim."
At Aug. 5 meeting, Heneage brandished several signs his group
believes should have been found illegal, and criticized the town's
enforcement.
"The sign Nazis have failed to enforce the law," Heneage
said mockingly.
Hickey took issue with the comment.
"I obviously don't appreciate being called the 'Sign Nazis,'"
he said. "and I suggest some people would be very offended
by Mr. Heneage, or anyone else using a term like that."
"When comments like that are made, I think, unfortunately,
it eliminates any credibility an organization or an individual
has in their arguments," he said.
B-CSE members also discussed the possibility that Town Council
Chairman Michael Scanlon, who also sits on the zoning board and
voted against the group's appeal, should have recused himself.
Because Scanlon spoke out against the B-CSE and their signs earlier
this year, prior to the board's decision, the group claims he
failed to qualify as an unbiased "juror."
Scanlon said he is not sure his comments appliy to the situation.
"I do not believe that any of (the comments) had to do with
the CSE filing their appeal in a timely manner," he said.
"That was the reason they were denied."
Scanlon pointed out the group did not request his recusal.
"In hindsight, if they had brought up that concern during
their hearing, I may have recused myself," he said.
Scanlon said he would consider recusing himself at the Aug. 17
meeting.
"I am not sure I have to, but it will just take away another
one of their baseless accusations," he said.
Emergency
service demand on upward swing
By JENNIFER CLAISE
Staff Writer
jclaise@yourneighborhoodnews.com
The demand for fire and emergency medical
service has increased "quite a bit" so far this year,
keeping suit with what has become a yearly trend in Bedford,
Chief Scott Wiggin said.
According to his records, Wiggin said that from Jan. 1, 2004,
through the end of July, the department responded to 294 fire
calls and 599 medical calls; this represents a 13 percent increase
in fire calls and a 9 percent increase in medical calls over
last year.
"There is quite a lot of demand for service," said
Wiggin, who estimated that the department should "definitely
exceed" last year's numbers.
But Wiggin said these increases, though significant, are not
unusual for the town; in fact, the department has seen similar
increases over the past few years.
"That's the trend here in Bedford," he said.
Part of the reason for the continued increases lies in Bedford's
population growth, Wiggin said. According to U.S. Census data,
there were 18,274 people living in Bedford in 2000, with 6,401
housing units, and an average of 557 people per square mile.
Through 2003, Wiggin said that the population has increased by
1,907 to 20,181.
"We've finally outpaced places like Manchester and Nashua
as far as having people move in," he said. "Along with
that comes more and more demands for public safety."
Other possible reasons for the increased demand include a growing
elderly population living in nursing homes and assisted-living
communities, whose residents require greater medical assistance,
Wiggin said.
The steady flow of traffic through the town also leads to more
demands for service, he added.
"Our transportation network funnels people from outside
communities like Amherst, Weare and Goffstown all
through Bedford," he said.
The main transportation routes, which include routes 101, 293,
114 and the Everett Turnpike, lead to more traffic, accidents,
hazardous spills, and car fires, Wiggin said. The department
is looking for ways to meet this increasing demand while staying
within the bounds of what Wiggin called a "bare bones"
2005 budget proposal. Right now, in the early phases of the budget
process, Wiggin said he thinks he will be requesting two additional
firefighters for next year.
Currently, the department has 21 full-time firefighters and 12
call-force members. At full staffing, there are five full-timers
assigned to the day shifts, and four during the night shifts.
The call force responds to the scene whenever they are needed,
he said. And, given the increased demands for service, that is
the case with a majority of the department's calls.
"Years ago, when the call volume was relatively low, there
was not as much of a need for the call force to go out on every
call," Wiggin said. "Now, eight to 10 calls a day are
not uncommon, and it's especially difficult since many of them
are back-to-back calls."
The result? "Burnout," he said. "Not all of the
guys can be expected to run on every call." Wiggin stressed
that his request for additional firefighters is just a preliminary
proposal that, like all proposals, will be reviewed by the department
heads, the town manager, and the town council before reaching
the public session in March.
"We make sure that there's no fluff in the budget,"
Wiggin said.
COLOR="#0000ff"From
Aug. 5: Former state CSE director pleads
guilty to phone-jamming charge
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By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
MANCHESTER A former close associate
of the Bedford chapter of Citizens for a Sound Economy is facing
as much as five years in prison for his role in an illegal election
scheme during the 2002 election.
Chuck McGee of Concord pleaded guilty to a federal felony conspiracy
charge for helping to organize an illegal "phone-jamming"
operation against Democratic call centers on Election Day 2002.
At the time, McGee was the executive director of the state Republican
party. After allegations of his involvement emerged, he resigned
from that position and quickly became director of the New Hampshire
chapter of Citizens for a Sound Economy.
During the buildup to the November 2003 special election, McGee
became involved with the local chapter's efforts to organize
a boycott of the election.
Because B-CSE members refused to speak with the press, McGee
acted as spokesman for the local chapter. When the election failed
to get enough votes, McGee proclaimed victory for the B-CSE and
said the group was quickly establishing themselves as the most
legitimate taxpayer group in town.
"This isn't about CSE winning," McGee said on election
night after the results had been posted. "They hope to establish
credibility in the long run and be seen as the tax-fighting group
in Bedford, and we hope to do that in a professional manner."
McGee continued to work with the B-CSE through the March election.
He stepped down from his CSE post later this spring, but was
not formally charged until earlier this month.
Even before official charges were brought against McGee, B-CSE
opponents regularly used McGee's involvement in the 2002 scandal
as political ammunition.
One of his most vocal critics was resident Kent Richeson, an
outspoken public high school supporter who has frequently clashed
with members of the B-CSE.
When Dick Armey, former congressman and then-chairman of the
national CSE organization, made a November 2003 visit to Bedford,
Richeson picketed the event and handed out fliers questioning
McGee's credibility.
Richeson's flier, labeled the B-CSE as "Bedford Citizens
with Suspicious Ethics" and pointed out McGee's resignation
from the state GOP.
Asked about Richeson's fliers, McGee dismissed them as mudslinging.
"In my business there is an adage: If you can't beat the
message, kill the messenger," McGee said at the time.
Following news that McGee had pleaded guilty, Richeson said it
did not shock him.
"I am not surprised that longtime Bedford CSE front man
Chuck McGee pleaded guilty," he said. "McGee's dirty
politics mirror those of the Bedford CSE."
Richeson said these and other events have led the national CSE
organization to cut ties with the local chapter, who he described
as "small, selfish and single-minded."
The B-CSE has released a statement declaring speculation over
a rift between the national and local groups to be untrue.
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