Thanks grommit! Please submit your suggested questions for "Meet The Candidate" directly to program producer Richard Schultze at his email address as shown in the news story above. John LaPoint GCTV Community Outreach View Comment

Will Smiley be able to tell us about the historic 1828 Blackstone Canal? View Comment

The answers to your questions are in the Upton Railroad Fact Finding Committee Report - officially accepted by the Upton Board of Selectmen and readily available on line View Comment

Maybe Smiley just wanted to ask Tim Murray if he is really going to run for Governor......http://greatergrafton.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/gggu1.jpg View Comment

Massachusetts General Laws ch. 268 sec. 35 - Unauthorized use of town seal; making or possessing badge of town officer Massachusetts General Laws > Part IV > Title I > Chapter 268 > § 35 - Unauthorized use of town seal; making or possessing badge of town officer Current as of: 2009 Chapter 268: Section 35. Unauthorized use of town seal; making or possessing badge of town officer Section 35. Whoever, without being duly authorized thereto, prints, stamps, engraves or affixes, or causes to be printed, stamped, engraved or affixed to any paper or other article a representation of the seal of a town in the commonwealth, with intent to give to such paper or article an official character which it does not possess, or, without being duly authorized thereto, and with intent to assume an official character which he does not possess, casts, stamps, engraves, makes or has in his possession a badge or thing in the likeness of an official badge of a police officer, member of a fire department, or other officer appointed by a town in the commonwealth, or by any department of such town, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars. View Comment

I guess it is far too much to ask that Harpoon and others who think they know all about what has happened in Upton, Hopedale, and heavens, now at Edaville and Cape Rail, would have even bothered to reference the 182 page report from the Upton Railroad Fact Finding Committee. Come to think of it, apparently some of our Grafton town officials couldn't take the time to read that very same Upton report - it was that kind of thorough research and Upton town attorney's sound advice that helped the Upton Selectmen decide not to bring any legal action against the railroad. Thank you Ishmeal, for being one person who is doing your research and adding to a balanced, truthful discussion View Comment

I attended a meeting with town staff, including the building inspector, on November 8th - the first half hour was spent discussing the railroad's draft report to the state fire marshall. View Comment

What we really want to know.... will Smiley be in Federal Court next Friday? View Comment

This can't wait until Monday.......( ) loves Smiley TOO!!! View Comment

Well said - but how do you think the G & U gets its freight rail cars - the centerbeams with wall board going to Hopedale, and the tank cars going to West Upton? CSX brings these cars in from the west to Worcester - and the G & U loads go to the Westborough facility before they are transferred back to the North Grafton yard. View Comment

So - here's the difference - One town (Westboro) works with a railroad for economic development - another town (Grafton) goes to court. http://westborough.dailyvoice.com/business/ribbon-cut-24m-csx-facility-westborough View Comment

Well said - imagine being on the Economic Development Commission and trying to attract new business to Grafton. View Comment

As of this hour, there is nothing in any of the stories from West Virginia that places blame on anyone or anything for the WV gas LINE explosion - let along placing any blame on Government inspectors - maybe in one's attempts to spread fear of the unknown we should 1) disconnect the natural gas line serving the new high school, 2) rethink the "Honeywell" project about converting the schools over to natural gas, and 3) shut down the Tennessee gas pipeline that goes through Grafton View Comment

120 feet in length View Comment

One of the five selectmen is a member of the EDC. While it is difficult for some to accept the federal laws as they relate to railroads, the fact remains that railroads are not required by law, to submit plans for local "review." They are, however, encouraged to discuss what they want to do with communities by the STB and the FRA. This is certainly not the first time that what the different railroad companies want to do in Grafton has been questioned - the town of Grafton lost a legal decision in 1990 concerning this very same North Grafton rail yard. Members of the EDC have consistently advised selectmen and other town officials to be pro-active in talking with the five different railroad companies so that the town would not again find itself in an adversarial relationship. View Comment

Members of the town's Economic Development Commission have been actively talking to and engaged with all five of the railroads that are here in Grafton, and have been doing so over the past15 years. The EDC met with the previous owners of the Grafton & Upton RR, and have also had meetings with people from the marketing department of the Providence & Worcester Railroad. We've talked with Mr. Delli Priscolli from the first days he became involved and we have also been diligent in providing members of the town's Emergency Management team with safety contact information for all five railroad companies. View Comment

May I suggest you ask our public officials to see the new piece of fire safety equipment that was donated to the town of Grafton by the G & U Railroad - the railroad also donated similar equipment to the Upton Fire Department - as verified by their fire chief! View Comment

Hmmm, does Smiley call it a Christmas tree, or a holiday tree? View Comment

The Economic Development Commission has voted to fully endorse and support the zoning change article - all with the intent of moving forward with implementing the South Grafton Master Plan and, as the master plan states - "create an atmosphere of economic incentive for new development in South Grafton." Now tell us Aladdin, tell all of the good people in South Grafton who support this - just what does any of this rezoning and the potential mill restoration have to do with you and your family who live on South Street? Is it your keep South Grafton under the thumb, I'm against 40R bias showing again? View Comment