June 22, 2013
Massachusetts

Turbine supporter accuses Kingston Selectman Dennis Randall of online bullying

By Kathryn Gallerani | Wicked Local Kingston | Posted Jun 21, 2013 | www.wickedlocal.com

KINGSTON – A member of the Kingston Town Locals Facebook page has accused Selectman Dennis Randall of bullying and harassment.

Jeanette Pasquale said she has contacted an attorney and is in the process of filing a defamation and harassment suit against Randall based on his “conduct” on Facebook.

This relevation led Selectmen Chairman Elaine Fiore to stop Pasquale from continuing to read from a statement she was presenting to the board in open forum Tuesday night.

Some of the selectmen were already uncomfortable with Pasquale’s statement when she started naming residents upset by the siting of the Independence turbine. Then she used the word lawsuit.

Describing herself as a supporter of the wind turbines, Pasquale said there are many turbine supporters who are afraid to speak out in favor of the turbines because of the negative feedback they receive when they do, citing Town Local page entries when people have expressed approval of wind energy.

“There are more residents in Kingston who are in support of the turbines but do not come forward,” she said.

Pasquale said she has no confidence, based on an opinion she said Randall expressed in an email he sent her soon after the town election this spring, that he can be impartial about any turbine-related decisions the Board of Selectmen might take.

Randall responded in the meeting that he took an oath of office to act based on the facts presented to him and denied there has been any prejudgement. After the meeting, Randall said he was taken aback by Pasquale’s claims. He said he will make any decisions fairly and impartially.

“Until you’ve heard the facts, you don’t know what to deliver,” he said.

While noting that the town of approximately 12,000 residents has received 36 complaints about the turbines, Pasquale referred to two families, in particular, causing the initial discomfort among selectmen. Selectman Sandy MacFarlane said open forum is not a time for personal attacks.

Pasquale specifically accused Leland Road residents Doreen and Sean Reilly and Dan Alves of telling conflicting stories about how the turbines impact their lives. She said she has been outside the Reilly home both at night and during the day and has never heard the noise they have described at public meetings. The Reillys and Alves did not respond in open forum.

During a break in the meeting, Pasquale, the Reillys and Alves all left the meeting room and headed out through the Town House to the parking lot. Outside, Doreen Reilly told Pasquale she doesn’t know what her family has been forced to live with because of the turbine.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/06/22/turbine-supporter-accuses-kingston-selectman-dennis-randall-of-online-bullying/