Opinion

Opinion: Anthony Amore for Auditor

To the Editor: I am proud to join Governor Charlie Baker in enthusiastically supporting and wholeheartedly endorsing Anthony Amore for Auditor. Anthony Amore has a stellar résumé, graduating from the University of Rhode Island and earning a Master...

Opinion: Tom Hodgson is the right person to serve We, the People of Bristol County

To the editor: Sheriff Thomas Hodgson is a man of honor, character, loyalty, integrity, compassion, sincerity, and faith. I could not be prouder to work for him as his Administrative and Legislative Assistant at the Bristol County Sheriff's Office...
Most Popular

Opinion: Time for a change at the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office

To the editor: Sheriff Thomas Hodgson is asking for six more years. If elected, this would bring his tenure to 31 years at the end of his 5th full term in office. We’re talking nearly a third of a century! That’s a big ask from such a controversial...

Opinion: Greg Edgcomb has earned the job

To the editor: I recommend hiring Greg Edgcomb, the Acting Chief of Fire District 2, into the permanent role. Compensation in the range of $115,000 is appropriate. Voters approved this salary at the annual meeting. This salary is lower than DFD 3...

Opinion: Let’s drop the charade, Boulay and Coutu

To the editor: As a long-time resident of Fire District #2 (44+ years), I have never seen such unprofessional behavior by the Prudential Committee. There appears to be some hidden agenda that is being kept from the people who voted two new members...

Opinion: Sign(s) of the times

To the editor: The colossal, in-your-face “Keep Tom” signs that stalk Route 6 in Dartmouth tell us a lot about Sheriff Hodgson. These signs–many on for-lease commercial properties—are meant to project an aura of power and permanence around the...

Opinion: Dartmouth, a dumping ground for New Bedford?

To the editor: During the last several years, the Town of Dartmouth has grappled with the extent and liability of soil contamination in what has been delineated as the Bliss Corner cleanup area. Pursuant to an order by the Massachusetts Department...

Opinion: To deny a chief of such talent a contract and the meeting majority approved salary is in no one’s best interest

To the editor: During the annual meeting at the Dartmouth District 2 Fire Station, a firefighter assigned there rose to speak. He praised Chief Edgcomb saying he had full confidence in his decision making capabilities in crisis situations. The Aug...

Opinion: The $15,000 war

To the editor: Acting Chief Greg Edgcomb was appointed to his position in November 2021 after the former Fire Chief, Timothy Andre, resigned from his position. 27 years ago, Greg Edgcomb began his career at Fire District 2 as a call firefighter...

Opinion: Sheriff Hodgson takes action

To the editor: In reply to much vitriolic criticism of the record and reputation of Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, I ask that opponents pause and reflect on a few facts. First, and perhaps foremost, Sheriff Hodgson’s continued goal is to...

Opinion: We must not lose Edgcomb

To the editor: In the short time that Acting Chief Edgcomb has led Fire District 2, policies he instituted produced significant improvements. Among achievements but not limited to those listed below are: Improved firefighter communication including...

Opinion: We are lucky to have someone representing us who has no hidden agendas

To the editor: I am writing to support the re-election of Chris Markey as the Representative for the 9th Bristol District. He has served since 2011 and has been an outstanding representative for the varying needs of his district.He is a champion for...

Opinion: Owners and developers must play by the rules

To the editor: As reported in Dartmouth Week, the Dartmouth Board of Public Works (BPW) held a public hearing on Aug. 24 to discuss the after-the-fact felling of 12 mature Black Locust trees (diameter 18 inches) on town-owned property facing Wilson...

Opinion: Markey is out of step

To the editor: Thanks for your coverage of the debate between incumbent State Rep. Chris Markey and challenger Cameron Costa . As a Dartmouth voter, I watched the debate online and had two strong reactions: first, I was shocked that Rep. Markey...

Opinion: Is saving $15,000 worth a man’s life?

To the editor: I hope everyone in District 2 reads the recent article on Fire Chief Greg Edgcomb saving a life at the Allen's Neck Friends Meeting Clambake. It was his quick thinking and experience that saved that gentleman's life. Two members of...

Opinion: Why I am supporting Andrea Campbell for attorney general

To the editor: It has become increasing rare to find a candidate for public office who supports the goals and aspirations of the citizens of this Commonwealth. It is even rarer to discover someone whose personal story is both so tragic and yet...

Opinion: Kudos to the Dartmouth police and SWAT team

To the editor: The recent standoff with a Dartmouth resident who ostensibly suffered from mental problems was resolved without injury or death, which is a testament to police and SWAT de-escalation tactics. With proper training and awareness of...

Opinion: Concerns about search for new District 2 fire chief

To The Editor: As Fire District 2 residents we are writing to express our concerns about the process of selecting a new Chief. The following items describe the issues at hand: 1. Acting Chief Greg Edgcomb held two helpful educational meetings in...

Opinion: Hodgson must go

To the editor: Sheriff Hodgson’s brutal methods are well-known. We also know that he had his ICE facility closed because of it. What’s the result of his approach? More people return to jail under the current sheriff than any other jailer in the...

Opinion: Let's vote for competence, not cruelty

To the editor: For John Macedonio of Somerset, bleeding heart liberals coddling criminals has caused a surge in crime and the only solution is for "the one person" he trusts — Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson — to "punish" prisoners behind bars. The thing...

Opinion: We are all safer with Tom Hodgson as sheriff

To the editor: Law enforcement matters. We are seeing a huge spike in crime across the nation because progressives don’t believe that criminals should be punished. They think we should make a better effort in understanding them. While it is a...

Opinion: It’s Elizabeth Warren vs South Coast dairy farmers, ranchers

To the editor: Sen. Elizabeth Warren is seen as a leader in Washington who “stands up for the little guy.” I’ve seen her in Senate hearings. It’s mostly sincere. To keep her Democratic Party credentials intact (she was a Republican in the ‘90s), she...

Opinion: Show us the tape, Sheriff Hodgson

To the editor: In a Boston Globe editorial on May 7, 2020 Sheriff Hodgson was challenged to release the tape, he claimed to have made, of the melee that had occurred at the Bristol County Immigration Detention Center on May 1, 2020. Hodgson publicly...

Opinion: I like reading fiction

To the editor: I like reading fiction, it provides a fine escape from the everyday. I am not proficient at writing fiction however, at least not as proficient as some scribes I read in the Dartmouth Week. Two of my favorite fiction writers are Betty...

Opinion: Far-right sheriffs planning to seize voting machines in the next election

To the editor: A couple of years ago Massachusetts state representatives Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford) and William Straus (D-Mattapoisett) sponsored H.5083 , An Act Relative to Polling Place Security and Integrity . The bill limits...

Opinion: The real threat posed by sheriff Hodgson

To the editor: With the increasing anger fueled divisiveness in this country it is important to call out public officials who perpetuate or enhance their careers by joining the chorus of hatemongers. Massachusetts residents do not have to look to...

Opinion: Bristol County needs Paul Heroux for sheriff

To the editor: Recent letters to the editor from Jonathan Darling, Sheriff Thomas Hodgson's media guy, fondly describe a long-standing and warm relationship between the two, but there is little to recommend the Sheriff's continued employment by...

Opinion: More documented Hodgson deception

To the editor: In December 2021, the Bristol County for Correctional Justice, in alliance with other groups, staged a rally in front of the New Bedford Ash Street Jail, protesting the continuously reported appalling conditions endangering the health...

Opinion: The public has a lot to be proud of when it comes to the sheriff’s office

To the editor: I’ve worked at the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office for six years, and spent more than a decade before that in the newsroom at a daily newspaper. I’ve seen and read about elected officials coming and going, about elected officials...

Opinion: We backed away, they sued

To the editor: This is to refute the statement in the article “Land trust, family clash over land” attributed to Dexter Mead, director of the DNRT, “When the property owner later notified DNRT that they did not want DNRT to make any effort to assist...

Opinion: Further elaboration

To the editor: This letter is intended to elaborate on information contained in the Dartmouth Week article under the headline: “ Land trust, family clash over land dispute .” The Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust is suing us because we refuse to...

Opinion: A sheriff who will reduce crime and taxpayer expenses

To the editor: For over 25 years the voters in Bristol County have been subjected to, and enticed by, Sheriff Thomas Hodgson’s tough on crime position that has not only contributed to an increased crime rate but has also cost taxpayers millions of...

Opinion: More on Hodgson's financial abuses

To the editor: Betty Ussach's letter describing Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson's financial abuses doesn't even scratch the surface of the sheriff's contempt for taxpayers. Hodgson didn't bother waiting until being elected to start wasting...

Opinion: The true cost of Sheriff Hodgson

To the editor: In addition to the millions of dollars paid for legal representation of Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, in the many law suits brought against him and his personnel, during the many years as sheriff of Bristol County, can be added the many...

Opinion: A difficult decision

To the editor: I have been a lifelong Republican since I first voted for 'Ike" in 1952. Now I have not always voted only for Republicans but have tried to vote for the most qualified candidate for each office. I would classify myself as a "...

Opinion: Paul Heroux for Sheriff

To the editor: This Fall, Bristol County voters will finally have a chance to elect a sheriff who will come to work each day and do a sheriff's job. Professionally. Paul Heroux, who has a bachelors in Psychology, a masters in Criminology, and who...

Opinion: Support Right to Counsel for renters

To the editor: Recently the NAACP New Bedford Branch hosted a conversation with Annette Duke , Staff Attorney with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and the Massachusetts Right to Counsel Coalition on the benefits of Right to Counsel for...

Opinion: Encouraging signs

To the editor: Despite a referendum instead of thoughtful community discussions on the Indian mascot, I've been encouraged by recent statements coming from the Select Board, especially David Tatelbaum, which point to the Town taking up the issue...

Opinion: A response to Hodgson's claim of the SJC decision

To the editor: Sheriff Hodgson’s big claim to victory in the recent Supreme Judicial Court decision is not at all what he says it is. While billing it as a “benefit to taxpayers”, Hodgson obscures the fact that the court simply ruled that given the...

Opinion: Which interpretation is correct?

To the editor: In the recent release of the Supreme Count draft decision on Roe v. Wade , Justice Samuel Alito held that the court must use the word meaning of the founding fathers. In the Constitution, the founding fathers gave us the...

Opinion: Sheriff Hodgson’s generosity with tax payers’ money

To the editor: Just as sheriff Thomas Hodgson has devoted his entire career to self promoting activities, with his time and energy, he has also distributed monies to projects and organizations, but barely to those who are incarcerated in his...

Opinion: Ash Street opponents are wrong

To the editor: It being an election year, it’s no surprise that a big issue I’ve seen in the media with regard to the Sheriff’s race is the Ash Street Jail and Regional Lock-Up in New Bedford. The jail opened in 1888. It’s more than a century old...

Opinion: A simple question for Betty Ussach

To the editor: I have one question for Betty Ussach, as simple as it may be, has she ever toured the facility and spoken to Sheriff Hodgson about his programs? I am willing to bet she has not. Margaret A. Sweet, Dartmouth

Opinion: Should three become one?

To the editor: In a recent edition, the budgets of the three fire districts of Dartmouth were published. I also received a letter from my district (two) asking if I would like to have an additional service. Now, Fire Districts have a long and...

Opinion: Sheriff accountability must be reformed

To the editor: Sheriffs should be held to the same law conforming, financially transparent and oath abiding standards as all other elected officials in Massachusetts. Because the tenure of office is six years, and therefore significantly longer than...

Opinion: Jail programs do not come without cost

To the editor: I’d like to thank Betty Ussach for her continued concern for both the inmates and staff of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office . While it’s nice to be cared about, unfortunately Ms. Ussach doesn’t know what she’s talking about...

Opinion: Sheriff’s 25 years speaks to his commitment to everyone in Bristol County

To the editor: I’m going to be upfront with your readers. Not only am I a local resident having lived most of my life in New Bedford before recently moving to Dartmouth, but I am also an employee of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office, where I have...

Opinion: True democracy had its day on April 5

To the editor: On April 5, the Town of Dartmouth held Town Elections for the offices of Select Board, School Committee , and a few other offices or posts. On the ballot was a question about keeping the Dartmouth High School logo as the "Dartmouth...