Update: Look what we got from The Associated Press, Woodstock Early Birds: A press release about Saturday’s South Woodstock accident!
Isn’t that interesting? We called and asked about the accident and asked for information four times between Saturday and Tuesday and never got a call back.
Thanks to Vermont Public Radio who provided their source of information (The AP) on the incident and Wilson Ring at The Associated Press, who emailed us a press release, we have now learned what happened in our own town.
This small pick-up truck, now released from Woodstock Police as evidence, was involved in Saturday’s accident on Rt. 106 in South Woodstock
Seems Woodstock Police Officer Joe Swanson finally sent a press release to the AP and the Valley News late yesterday afternoon (right before quitting time 4:53pm):
Press Release sent to The Associated Press THREE DAYS after the accident:
On Saturday March 30, 3013 at approximately 11:20 am Lawrence Allen (11/8/1948) was driving his 1994 Ford Ranger when he struck two women who were on horse-back. Anne-Marie Savino (2/27/1959) and Christine Phillips (12/1/1984) were riding their horses single file heading south on VT Rt 106 in South Woodstock, VT.
Savino and Phillips were transported by Woodstock Ambulance to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, treated and released for their injuries. One horse had to be euthanized on scene by a veterinarian for injuries it sustained from the crash. The second horse is being treated by its veterinarian.
The crash is still under investigation by Woodstock Police Department and criminal charges to the driver are pending the completion of the investigation.
Officer Joseph Swanson
What follows is a post Woodstock Early Bird wrote on Saturday, but has been”sitting on”out of respect for, and hope, that our public officials would be forthcoming with information in a timely and respectful way. That was not the case. They did not even seem interested in providing The Vermont Standard — the newspaper “of record” with the information in a timely manner. Due to good reporting, The Vermont Standard was able to get some details from people on scene on its own and comments that added to the story but STILL did NOT provide official word:
Woodstock Early Birds, multiple sources have told us of a “bad accident” in South Woodstock Saturday morning, around 11am.
We have no firm details on what happened despite calling Woodstock Emergency Services and Woodstock Police three times. One report — completely third-hand — and NOT confirmed — said a horse and a vehicle were involved.
The first time we called Woodstock Police, soon after the accident, we were told Police were not available and that someone would call back. We left a number for the officer on duty. We never got a call back.
The second time we called, we were told the Policeman on duty for the accident had gone home for the day and had not left a press release or ANY information that Dispatch could release to the public.
We have put in calls to Green Mountain Horse Association, Kedron Valley Stables and South Woodstock Fire Department for any information but were not able to get through to anyone.
The third time we called, having waited until Monday, so that we might get an “official word” from Chief Robbie Blish, we had to leave a message asking for a press release. We never got a call back or a press release on Monday
So, thanks to the Woodstock Police’s public information reporting system — No system at all and ZERO INFORMATION — We, the general public, will have ZERO OFFICIAL INFORMATION and will have to rely on rumor and hearsay as usual.
Lots of unsubstantiated detail on Facebook and in comments around the blogosphere but nothing official from police. This is completely unprofessional.
Anyone notice how the so-called “Police Blotter” is getting smaller and smaller in your local weekly newspaper? Less is more, right?
Why does this matter? Because a well-informed public makes a community safer, not less so. We will get details about the Rt 106 accident possibly 48 hours after it occurred – if we are lucky.
We pretty much go along and try to work within the system, but the lack of public information out of our police and town officials is getting to be appalling.
We were shocked that at Village Meeting when someone made note of rather large legal fees (a “one-time” event) that we will all be paying for and were told it was a “Personnel Matter”, that no one asked “WHAT PERSONNEL MATTER! ?” Everyone just nodded as if, “Oh, okay…” and rolled right over as if they don’t have a right to ask where their money is going and what the “personnel matter” was, exactly?
In fact, we have learned that a recent memo from Vermont Secretary of State Condos actually indicates going into “Executive Session” for “Personnel Matters” or any other business is not something that can be listed as an agenda item. Whether or not an issue becomes a private “Executive Session” item is supposed to be a decision of the PUBLIC attending any given meeting after they learn the subject and not at the discretion of the Municipal Manager.
Here’s the deal, people, with regards to a ” Personnel Matter” and Legal Fees – because there’s a connection:
Who exactly is missing from our Woodstock Police Department?
Before we tell you, we acknowledge you might be excused for not knowing who is and who is not serving on our Police Department. Both Woodstock Early Bird and at least one private citizen have several times asked for “Bios” on our police force so we might get to know them (and their credentials). ” Sure,” we’re told, “We’ll get right on that.”
We have never gotten a list of names so that we know who is attending to our well-being. Are there any Police Patrolman names listed in your Town or Village Reports? We don’t think so. So, you might be excused for not knowing the roster unless you’re paying attention. So much for accountability.
1. Officer Lisa Wilding is missing. Where is Lisa? Why is she no longer with Woodstock Police?
We hear a series of situations in which Officer Lisa asked for more standard professionalism and more thorough investigation of some cases that were being ignored. When asked, which we did, several Trustees and Selectboard members said they couldn’t talk about it because, you know, “Personnel Matter.”
2. Officer Jennifer Hutchins is missing. Where is Jennifer? Why is she absent from Woodstock Police?
We asked about it. Woodstock Police Chief Robbie Blish says he couldn’t talk about an incident where an off-duty police officer broke up a bunch of unruly kids at Suicide Six a few weeks ago. (Just as any adult should have done).
When asked what was going on, Blish had no comment on his patrolwoman, only referred us to the Vermont State Police. The story, it seems, is some parents are angry that their kids were disciplined (asked to stop fighting) and filed a complaint against the well-intentioned adult (Officer Jen?) who intervened, hauling the 5th and 6th graders into the Base Lodge. Officer Jen, when asked about the situation, said she had been advised to not comment.
We will comment: Just because someone is off-duty doesn’t mean their duty to serve and do what’s right gets checked at the door.
Vermont State Police have not returned calls concerning the investigation into Hutchin’s alleged misdeeds.
However, we can confirm — NOT because Chief Blish told us — that Officer Jennifer Hutchins was SUSPENDED pending the investigation.
This is for an investigation which we will come right out and say is nothing more than part of what we perceive to be a continuing witch-hunt. This time it’s over an incident that shouldn’t have been made into a big deal in the first place.
We’re pretty sure Woodstock Early Bird, as either a private citizen or as a National Park Service Ranger, would have done the same thing.
Woodstock, if you would like your police force to be all-male, all-the-time, keeping all that goes on private and privileged without the intelligence, dedication and hard work of WOMEN like Officer Lisa and Officer Jen, then, guess what? You’ve got it! Are you happy?
Right now, there are no women on “active-duty” serving Woodstock Police. We know for a fact that both women love public service and understand the nature of working well with their partners and fellow police officers. We have no doubt of their efforts at doing the right thing.
In the meantime, there is a plan to put a male officer currently at the Police Academy into a full-time slot, according to Chief Blish’s report at Village Meeting.
Back to the original reason for this post: If you want to know the official word on what happened in South Woodstock or any other situation, incident at any other location at any other time, good luck!
Because, right now, Woodstock Early Bird is here to tell you, you are NOT being served by either your Town or Village Government who work pretty hard at NOT providing information to you.
The Village Trustees and the Woodstock Selectboard should start squirming — and start answering for people’s right to know — because they are culpable in this situation.
Lots of excuses: Police are too busy, they’re too understaffed to put in the 15 minutes to file a public information release on the day of the incident (or simply print out an extra copy of their official report which they DO have to file to leave with Dispatch), but heck, they sure know how to spend our money on the lawyers, the outfits, the cruisers, perhaps an extra hour of over-time here or there while they are training off-site (We’d include spending money on the automatic rifles but we understand that police officers get the privilege of buying their own!)
We find it amazing that being surrounded by professional police forces who do understand the important relationship of information and the public interest that Woodstock Police would not want to step up to the plate and become truly as professional as their brethren. If you don’t know how to do it, get some training!
Makes us wonder if Woodstock has something to hide? We try to think otherwise because we actually LIKE our Police and Town and Village Officials. They have come to our assistance when called. Yet, this public information reporting issue comes up time and time again. Maybe no one is asking for better?
If they wanted to, if YOU asked, Woodstock Police could file a public report or a close-to-real-time Twitter feed after each and every incident: It is what police across the country DO! Officers file the report BEFORE THEY GO HOME. They also give the time and place of every incident so we know what and where things are going on.
And, if asked by the press, they are required to give out information requested.
Stalling, lack of callbacks for days or weeks is just not acceptable. It’s just plain lazy, unprofessional, not to mention illegal.
We make an effort to deal on the up-and-up with our public servants and assume and respect that everyone is doing their job as well as they can. But, once again, they’re letting us down in such a simple, uncomplicated way.
There is only so much the press can do. If you don’t want or need to know THE TRUTH, heck why should we?
The next time someone asks Woodstock Early Bird for official information (as MANY Woodstock residents did over the weekend) we’ll tell you to just make up your own story and spread THAT rumor around. See what a frenzy that gets everyone into.
We work very hard NOT to spread rumor, but to spread good, official information. However, our information is only as good as our officials’.
What you got this weekend was no information. We’re sure YOU wondered, “WHERE is Woodstock Early Bird on this?” We were asking, we were waiting, we were trying, but we did not want to print hearsay.
As The AP’s Wilson Ring told Woodstock Early Bird this morning, “In cases like these we try to go with the official word.” WEB got her training with the AP and still likes to do things “the old-fashioned way.”
But, really it’s up to you: If you care, then ask your Municipal Manager, Village Trustees and Woodstock Selectboard to do better: Demand PUBLIC INFORMATION in a TIMELY MANNER! That’s what the CITIZEN COMMENT portion of every meeting is for.
Don’t roll over. It’s your money. It’s your community. It’s your information. It might even be your safety.
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 