Springfield native honored at banquet
Springfield native honored at banquet
June 14,2012
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield High School Alumni Association will honor Springfield native Bob Flint at their annual banquet Friday.
Flint is well-known in the community through the various careers and positions he has held throughout the years. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1980 and from Syracuse University in 1984 with a degree in telecommunications management.
He worked at local radio station WCFR of Springfield and was the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. Flint is now the Springfield Regional Development Corporation Executive Director and is responsible for economic development within the region.
He has also served on many local boards including the River Valley Technical Center, Connecticut River Valley Workforce Investment Board, Vermont Aviation Advisory Council, Northeastern Economic Developers Association and the Regional Development Corporations of Vermont.
The banquet begins at 7 p.m. and the Springfield Elks Club is at 49 Park St. For reservations call Mary MacMahan at 885-3170 or Brenda Markwell at 886-8085.
Really?
ReplyDeleteFlint is the Springfield Regional Development Corporation Executive Director and is responsible for economic development within the region.
Keep your hand on your purses and wallets.
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ReplyDeleteYou may not be a fan of Bob Flint but the Hitler comment was ridiculous. At least Bob tries to help Springfield. What have YOU done?
DeleteYou don't think it is suspicious that it is announced only right before the banquet that has been planned for most of a year at a time when people are finally starting to question what has been going on in Springfield with these projects and suddenly the one guy involved in all of them is going to be suddenly "honored"? How dumb to you think the people of Springfield are?
DeleteHere's a guy who has spent his entire adult life trying to make life better for the residents of Springfield. He's not lining his pockets with gold for all of his efforts! Does he always make the right call? Probably not. Do I always agree with him? Definitely not! But his heart has always been in the right place. We need more residents like Bob Flint who utilize their time and energy trying to make this a better place to live and work, and less residents who utilize there time and energy criticizing the efforts of others.
ReplyDeleteHaving worked with Bob for several years now, I can vouch first hand that Springfield is exceptionally fortunate to have someone as competent and dedicated as Bob. The obstacles to attracting and keeping jobs in Springfield are significant. No question, many of the good jobs that remain are due to his efforts.
ReplyDeleteLeast you agree, only have to recall the tenure of CL, and the abysmal efforts, and nepotistic appointment of PMP.
Thanks Bob.
Thanks for the unbiased opinion from someone who works with him. Will his family members be posting here too? Maybe an aunt or uncle next?
DeleteBob is a dedicated public servant who is dealing with some of the most difficult problems in Springfield.
DeleteAre you the town puppet? You spend your days defending all of the boondoggle projects that the town promotes that are heavily funded with tax payer monies. You defended the broken school system blaming it on the poor people that the projects in Springfield attract. You want to poison the environment with the biomess plant and now you are here defending Bob. You are always in favor of spending other peoples money on restoration pipe dreams. One might think that you are not just an innocent bystander with an opinion.....
DeleteI don't think there are any innocent bystanders in some of the debates going on in this blog. I am, however, a progressive that wants to turn this town around. Springfield has not been as aggressive as its neighbors in trying to improve itself and going after grants, and it shows. We have too many people vocally supporting the stagnation which comes from promising growth from reducing taxes -- this form of wet blanketism has resulted in many missed opportunities and loss of revenue to the Town. Bob Flint has been desperately trying to turn the tide and though we may not always agree with his approach, I believe he should be commended for trying to accomplish something. Unfortunately, Springfield held onto its declining mills for too long and is now behind the curve in the long process of getting the environmental problems that they left behind. I support the biomass project because it will be good for the economy, will help reduce the water rates, and is inherently local in its spin-off benefits. The people proposing it have demonstrated a willingness to react to criticism and change plans where they felt the criticisms were valid. I do not share the complaints being leveled by some North Springfield residents who have houses next to the industrial park, we expect industries to locate in industrial parks.
DeleteIt seems clear from the posts that there are two distinct groups in Springfield. Those who are optimistic about our future and are working hard to make things better, and those who are pessimistic about our future and therefor have given up trying.
ReplyDeleteI for one am rooting for the optimists!
You're an idiot.
DeleteThere are indeed two forces at odds here in Springfield. One compromised by parasites and fools that have achieved NOTHING of significance in their pathetic, unproductive existence. Yet, demand no end of public funding for their self-interests.
The other force composed of oppressively taxed, hard working home owners that fuel this fetid rat hole and ask for NOTHING in return.
And the thing we're most pessimistic about is that you're unlikely to die soon.
I agree Anonymous 7:02. One group is struggling to improve the community, the other is desperately clinging to policies that result in stagnation and further decline. Wet blanketism has done considerable damage to this town and put us behind our neighboring communities.
DeleteWho are you kidding? It is OK for people to oppose developments that damage the town and rip money from their wallets. Always trashing those that dare to question the idiot policies of Springfield management that bring one boondoggle after another to the town. Some these same people opposed the building of a prison here which has turned into a nightmare. The restoration "projects" are a joke. The proposed BioMess plant that you clowns are promoting is an environmental nightmare while Bob Flint declares “It’s a home run”. All of these boondoggles involve the use of public funds and all of the public will be impacted by them not just the select few that will profit from them. Stop trying to stop people from speaking their minds with your demeaning tactics.
DeleteLet's see "demeaning tactics", you mean like calling people idiots and public projects being described as boondoggles, or public funds being referred to as other people's money? Or referring to private projects which stimulate the local economy as "environmental nightmares." You mean that kind of language...oh wait, its your side that is using that language...
DeleteYour job is to label anyone opposed to these boondoggles as "negative" or "not a visionary". How did that prison boonddoggle work out? Seems that attempt to "improve the community" failed miserably. Even the clowns like you blame the failure of the Springfield school system on the "demographics" created largely by the prison. How about someone actually focusing on the school system instead of promoting more damaging projects? Maybe it is time for the town to remove the management and stop the conflicting projects that are continually failing to improve the quality of life for All of the citizens of Springfield?
DeleteAnonymous 11:52 AM, exactly what is your vision for Springfield?
DeleteI am not an uncle or an aunt. I am not a family member of any kind. What I am is someone who greatly respects Bob Flint's tireless efforts on behalf of Springfield. As someone else stated earlier, I haven't always agreed with some of his decisions but I have never once doubted his sincerity, his passion, or his dedication to his hometown.
ReplyDeleteAll right, Bob Flint!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many alumni actually voted for Bob? Two? Is there a record somewhere?
ReplyDeletestarting to hit the bottom of the barrel arent they......
ReplyDeleteBob Flint. Part of the problem and not part of the solution?
ReplyDeleteAnd your solution is?
DeleteStill waiting for your solution.
DeleteFirst things first. Remove the failed town management and remove those running the school system. How many years can you support clowns in office? Hire someone who doesn't answer why the school system in Springfield has failed and remains so with the excuse of blaming demographics. Put someone in charge that will actually fix the problem who has a proven track record. Fix the schools first. I am not suggesting the problem would be solved by building a palace. Either retrain or hire new teachers who get it and that can demonstrate the ability to work with lower income students successfully. Fix the schools first. You won't attract quality employers without doing so. Stop trying to save all of the junky old buildings that are not anything special with tax payer funds. The Gear Shaper was not a unique building. It was a simple design that added nothing to the aesthetics of Springfield. Give up trying to promote a wood burning plant that will poison the air, deplete the forests and add to global warming to say nothing of destroying already depressed property values. There are plenty of scientific studies the question the realities of certain "green" energy games that are dependent on public funds for survival.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 7:48 Not sure I understand your definition of "junky old buildings". The school building which is probably in the worst condition in Springfield is Riverside? Are you recommending that we vacate Riverside? It certainly doesn't add to the aesthetics of the Town. I suspect there might be some support for vacating Riverside and moving the Middle School to Park Street. Since they have basically rebuilt Union Street, the second junkiest building in the system is probably the current High School building which was built on the cheap and ontop of a bog -- what is your proposal with respect to it. Park Street is old, but it is definitely not junky, neither was East School when it was abandoned. Did you go on any of the tours that have been occurring lately with respect to Park Street? Or are you just shooting from the hip.
DeleteThe Gear Shaper complex was, and I assume still is, amazing and it lies in the heart of the town. Its redevelopment was long overdue and is key to the revitalization of the Town.
I agree that imaginative, innovative, and creative leadership is needed to improve the schools. Unfortunately, demographics are a major factor which can only be ignored at our peril. Understanding the demographics and then implementing an educational program with them in mind is going to be important in improving the schools. Springfield Community Schools currently does a good job with high achieving students, it also does a good job with students who have learning disabilities or are otherwise slow learners. It is the kids in between that sometimes get short changed especially if they are from poor families which means most of them. We have to inspire these kids and still maintain the quality of the learning community for the other two groups. We will not do that by defeating budgets and Tea Party type rants, but rather by focusing on the issues.
Not recommending anything about Riverside. I was referring to all of the crappy old buildings in town that were poorly designed and had nothing of historical or architectural significance worthy of preserving with public funding including that toxic waste site called the Gear Shaper.
DeleteYou resort to blaming demographics again for the failure of the Springfield School System. The poor demographics were created by the poor management of the town and the poorly run school system. Crying about that while the town continually fails is ridiculous. Where is the active plan to save our children? All of them? Where are the lazy school administrators? Springfield is not the only community facing this challenge yet it appears to be one of the few not willing to do anything significant about it. Why are the same clowns running the school system and the town when all they have done is make the situation worse through bad decisions every year? Why is there no massive focus on the school system instead of bringing nonsensical projects to Springfield? Biomass? This town should be ashamed. Will they bring back the Shoddy Mill next?
Well I think Riverside pretty much qualifies as being poorly designed, has nothing of historical or architectural significance. Would have to disagree with Gear Shaper, have you walked through it? Not sure about the longevity of the people running the school system, seems like the shelf life of a school superintendent and/or school principal in Springfield is about 4 to 5 years, the shelf life of an individual school boardmember is usually about 6 years maximum although some come back to the board after being off for awhile. The Selectboard has tended to remain the same and the Town Manager has been around for quite awhile. Are you targeting the Selectboard and the Town Manager...or just engaging in generalizations without specific content?
DeleteI am not targeting Riverside for anything at this time. That is your attempt to distort the conversation. And yes I am targeting all of the management of the town and the school system because both groups have failed miserably for a very very long time. It is time for replacements of all the failures. This isn't about building new schools or restoring old ones with taxpayer funds. It is about getting competent people in place to fix things with the broken school system being first on the agenda. Its about the people involved and the students and improving their education.
ReplyDeleteI think you missed my point. You are targeting all of the management of the school system because it has "failed miserably for a very very long time", but we haven't kept any management in place with respect to the school system for such a period of time. We tend to go through Superintendents and Principals at a fairly stable clip which suggests either that hiring pool is somewhat dismal, or that management isn't really the heart of the problem. I might be more tempted to agree with you regarding the Town government, but the mob with the pitchforks is normally going after the School.
DeleteI don't know Aethelred, he might have a point with respect to the Town. They say that if a Town isn't ready to run a Town Manager out of Town on a rail within four years that he isn't doing his job. We have been running the Superintendents out of Town at a slightly slower rate than that, but pretty close so I suspect they have been possibly doing something right. The Town Board on the other hand and the Town Manager seem to always be getting a pass on things. Is that because they do a pretty good job of not rocking any boats or attempting to actually change anything?
DeleteThis was pretty funny and true.
DeleteNice distraction guys but where is the comprehensive plan to right what is wrong the school system? No where. . Demographics are the cause of the problem, demographics are the cause of the problem, demographics are the cause of the problem, etc., etc. Excuses, excuses, excuses.
DeleteWhere are the people that are fixing this like they are in other municipalities? I think those running the town are either completely incompetent or they feel that focusing on fixing the school system will detract from their pet projects that gobble up public resources and line the pockets of a few. I think someone needs to examine this that is completely independent from Springfield and all of its tenacles.
So your comprehensive plan is to fire all of the management? Let's see, oh Aethelred the Unready said we have been firing the management at a steady clip -- that sounds like a simple approach, let's keep doing that sooner or later we might hit the lottery and actually accomplish something. Meanwhile lets go back to concentrating on cloud rooms and hefting the pitchforks! Oh wait, you want to bring in outside consultants to tell us how to run the school, is that the plan?
DeleteNow, now, now the Selectboard in Springfield has always been a bastion of conventional thinking. We don't want to rock any boats, or take any risks ... just barely spend what is needed to maintain the status quo. Remember the Government doesn't create jobs, only the private sector creates jobs...and you guys are just a bunch of whiners because those jobs happen to be over in a free capitalist country like the People's Republic of China. If you would all just settle down and behave like the poor uneducated obedient peasants you should be we can have a civil discussion about hanging murals to cover up town eyesores, and putting up fancy streetlights. Course we will have to pay for those by taxing the Rec Center...but that's okay you can all use the delapidated Community Center so my wife can pay for her dressage horse competition...course you might all want to learn Chinese so you can be understood by your new employers.
ReplyDeleteWell put. It appears that there are more than a few in Springfield ready for a clean sweeping of all that is wrong in Springfield.
DeleteCourse we don't happen to know what is wrong, but it always feels good to say throw the bums out! Its so much easier to blame "them" than actually try to figure out what needs to be improved.
DeleteAnyone here suspect that Alpin Jack and Aethelred are one and the same people? Huh? If they are not I suspect they are coordinating their posts and possibly may be posting for someone else who dares not to post here.
ReplyDeleteHm, let me talk with myself for a minute. Nope, myself and I agree I am not Alpin. Why would you think that? Because we are more positive than most of the blog comments? Hm? Depends on the subject I guess. Anyway, guess the singular person theory is a prelude to both of us being accused of being related to someone else, who is related to someone else who is afraid to make comments under Anonymous? Wonder how many of the Anonymous are the same person?
DeleteNasty liberals they all look and sound alike, can't tell the difference between them with all their positive syrupy socialist solutions. Now, while I was at Bain Capital I showed them how real American capitalists do things. Yes, I fired everybody, then drained the capital out, and bankrupted the companies. Created some very fine empty buildings. Now that is what I call progress, the private sector knows how to create jobs look at all the great jobs it has created here in Springfield since Reagan showed us the light.
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