Public relations folks thrive on creating venom instead of reasonable discussion.
Memories of Middleboro's unnecessary division caused mostly by outsiders trickle in.
It seems that Foxborough residents are working to avoid the worst.
Let's not stand by while outside forces tear at the fabric of our community (full text)
Published: Thursday, March 29, 2012
NOTE: This letter was originally posted online without the last three paragaphs and the author's name -- our apologies)
To the editor: This letter is not to argue for or against the casino proposal in Foxboro. Rather, I would like to cite an example of how this issue is pulling apart the fabric of our town through verbal attacks on our community members.
Specifically, I call into question recent comments from Scott Farmelant, a paid spokesman for "Jobs for Foxboro," hired on behalf of Steve Wynn. Both The Sun Chronicle and Foxboro Reporter carried the same article citing Mr. Farmelant's anger toward Erin Earnst, a Foxboro resident and casino opponent who is involved in the "No Foxboro Casino" movement.
Full disclosure, Erin and I are friends, which I hope will not detract from my thoughts on this.
My concerns:
1) In the article ("Email sparks anger in battle over casino"; The Foxboro Reporter - 3/22/12, The Sun Chronicle - 3/20/12), the Jobs for Foxboro spokesman called an e-mail to a local mothers' distribution list as "false and misleading" because it referred to a website www.foxborocasino.com that featured an ad for Wynn Resorts, as well as ads for a gentlemen's club and a strip joint.
I read about this site in a Boston Business Journal article before I saw the e-mail mentioning the site, and I'm puzzled by these comments. What is false and misleading about the e-mail?
Is this a real website? Yes. Did it at one point post the ads mentioned above? Yes - until Mr. Farmelant brought a cease-and-desist order against the creator, Michael Quish. Did the website and the ads exist before the casino discussion started? I assume not, which leads me to make a reasonable leap that the casino discussion attracted both the website and the ads as the e-mail proposed.
Perhaps his anger should be directed toward Mr. Quish, who has kept the website name, pulled down the ads, and subsequently added a drawing of a scantily-clad female construction worker while it was "under construction" (and has since changed it again to something more neutral, for now).
2) Any portrayal of Erin as simply a casino opponent is a stick drawing at best. This image does not capture Erin's volunteer work at the Taylor Elementary School, including Book Fair co-chair and room mother. It does not recognize her involvement in Meals on Wheels, which she reluctantly gave up a couple of years ago due to schedule challenges - but first searched for a new volunteer to replace her.
Erin is a committed supporter of Birthday Wishes, which brings birthday parties to homeless children. She is always quick to offer rides to the children of schedule-challenged parents or to organize group gifts to thank parent-volunteers. These many commitments to her community are in addition to her full-time employment as an educational software content developer, communicant at St. Mary's Church, wife and mother of two.
When I think of the threads of the fabric that makes Foxboro such a special place, I think of people like Erin. Are these really the threads that should be picked apart? I do recognize that this applies to community members on both sides of the issue.
3) Whether or not you agree with Erin’s stance on the casino topic, you cannot deny her commitment and passion. Mr. Farmelant is a paid spokesman for Jobs for Foxboro. Although I’m sure he brings passion to his work, he is paid to do so. If he hadn’t been hired to push for Mr. Wynn’s casino proposal in Foxboro, I’m sure any of the other prospective casino developers looking at our state might have hired him for his public relations skills, and he would be the paid spokesman for ‘Jobs for’.
This is not a criticism, it’s simply the nature of the business. When I Googled his name, I only found one state resident living in another town far from here. So it would seem that he is not a thread of the fabric of Foxboro, nor will the potential traffic problems and other casino impacts affect his family and daily life.
No matter what side you are on, or even if you want more information before you decide, we cannot let this tear apart our community. We can respectfully disagree with each other, but we need to be vigilant that outside forces not be allowed to tear at the fabric of Foxboro so much that it cannot be repaired.
Mary Flaherty
Let's not stand by while outside forces tear at the fabric of our community (full text)
Published: Thursday, March 29, 2012
NOTE: This letter was originally posted online without the last three paragaphs and the author's name -- our apologies)
To the editor: This letter is not to argue for or against the casino proposal in Foxboro. Rather, I would like to cite an example of how this issue is pulling apart the fabric of our town through verbal attacks on our community members.
Specifically, I call into question recent comments from Scott Farmelant, a paid spokesman for "Jobs for Foxboro," hired on behalf of Steve Wynn. Both The Sun Chronicle and Foxboro Reporter carried the same article citing Mr. Farmelant's anger toward Erin Earnst, a Foxboro resident and casino opponent who is involved in the "No Foxboro Casino" movement.
Full disclosure, Erin and I are friends, which I hope will not detract from my thoughts on this.
My concerns:
1) In the article ("Email sparks anger in battle over casino"; The Foxboro Reporter - 3/22/12, The Sun Chronicle - 3/20/12), the Jobs for Foxboro spokesman called an e-mail to a local mothers' distribution list as "false and misleading" because it referred to a website www.foxborocasino.com that featured an ad for Wynn Resorts, as well as ads for a gentlemen's club and a strip joint.
I read about this site in a Boston Business Journal article before I saw the e-mail mentioning the site, and I'm puzzled by these comments. What is false and misleading about the e-mail?
Is this a real website? Yes. Did it at one point post the ads mentioned above? Yes - until Mr. Farmelant brought a cease-and-desist order against the creator, Michael Quish. Did the website and the ads exist before the casino discussion started? I assume not, which leads me to make a reasonable leap that the casino discussion attracted both the website and the ads as the e-mail proposed.
Perhaps his anger should be directed toward Mr. Quish, who has kept the website name, pulled down the ads, and subsequently added a drawing of a scantily-clad female construction worker while it was "under construction" (and has since changed it again to something more neutral, for now).
2) Any portrayal of Erin as simply a casino opponent is a stick drawing at best. This image does not capture Erin's volunteer work at the Taylor Elementary School, including Book Fair co-chair and room mother. It does not recognize her involvement in Meals on Wheels, which she reluctantly gave up a couple of years ago due to schedule challenges - but first searched for a new volunteer to replace her.
Erin is a committed supporter of Birthday Wishes, which brings birthday parties to homeless children. She is always quick to offer rides to the children of schedule-challenged parents or to organize group gifts to thank parent-volunteers. These many commitments to her community are in addition to her full-time employment as an educational software content developer, communicant at St. Mary's Church, wife and mother of two.
When I think of the threads of the fabric that makes Foxboro such a special place, I think of people like Erin. Are these really the threads that should be picked apart? I do recognize that this applies to community members on both sides of the issue.
3) Whether or not you agree with Erin’s stance on the casino topic, you cannot deny her commitment and passion. Mr. Farmelant is a paid spokesman for Jobs for Foxboro. Although I’m sure he brings passion to his work, he is paid to do so. If he hadn’t been hired to push for Mr. Wynn’s casino proposal in Foxboro, I’m sure any of the other prospective casino developers looking at our state might have hired him for his public relations skills, and he would be the paid spokesman for ‘Jobs for
This is not a criticism, it’s simply the nature of the business. When I Googled his name, I only found one state resident living in another town far from here. So it would seem that he is not a thread of the fabric of Foxboro, nor will the potential traffic problems and other casino impacts affect his family and daily life.
No matter what side you are on, or even if you want more information before you decide, we cannot let this tear apart our community. We can respectfully disagree with each other, but we need to be vigilant that outside forces not be allowed to tear at the fabric of Foxboro so much that it cannot be repaired.
Mary Flaherty
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