MOOREcol.02-10-05 . . . . . .29 Hed : The certain, The improbable. The ever-changing By BOB MOORE What you've been complaining about, the S.I.V. [Selectmen Inertia Virus], is beginning to pay off. At least three eligible candidates are determined to wipe out S.I. come Election Day April 5. Namely, Finance Committeeman Dennis Giombetti, Town Meeting activist Ellen LaRose and former State Rep. John Stasik. They know what work is - week-by-week effort to keep alive the initiative called for. I suppose you were surprised, as I was, recently when Selectman Katie Murphy, a vocal member of the 4-1 board, told a reporter everything's working fine - the board directs and the manager follows. Tell that to residents. Just tell that to two political leaders who worked hard to elect Murphy, Charlie Sisitsky, Esther Hopkins, and Chris Ross and see what you get. Those leaders, former Selectman John Kahn who's served in most every executive position and Jerry Desilets who's been the talent scout for new officeholders for years. Kahn and Desilets are working overtime to get someone to replace Hopkins and Ross who have chosen not to run. Recently Kahn called the board "dysfunctional." Some feel April 5 results will mean a new majority on the board - a rescue of Selectman Ginger Esty, who's popularity with the public is outmatched against other board members. Nothing can be certain. Desilets refers to Murphy as "the next chairman of the new board". Murphy's heavy backing resulted in a 32-vote margin against a political newcomer. Precinct One Town Meeting member Ellen LaRose is currently also a member of the Government Study Committee. Among other things, that committee is evaluating the working of the Town Manager system which has come under fire. We'll have to see. The residents have a chance this year to make a vote that counts. How it counts is another matter. LaRose has the support of "minority selectman" Esty. Backers of Esty seem to stick with her through many elections.  They claim her 500-vote margin over then-Chairman Sisitsky in the last town election indicates a power that cannot be ignored. This year residents who have shown a reluctance to vote have a chance to make their vote count. It remains to be seen what follows. HARMFUL - I must say that I will no longer read seriously the weekly preachments in The Daily News . . . . all about how seriously it pursues the truth against all odds. The Helen Lemoine case was brought to a conclusion this week with a simple news story about the indictment of two men who consciously smeared the name and reputation of Helen . . . . and stood by as their lies were reprinted, serially, in the newspaper. Michael Weissman told police he had been hit and seriously injured by a car driven by Lemoine and Edward Murray of Sharon told police he was Weissman's witness to "the accident in a Stop & Shop parking lot in March 2003. Lemoine and fellow passengers denied the charge. But for more than a year, as the hit-and-run charge against Lemoine was continued, details of the charge were reported in detail on each occasion. Under a cloud, the Planning Board chairman Lemoine pulled out of her race for re-election. In July 2004, Lemoine was found not guilty and we now learn that Framingham police began an investigation that had been pursued by Lemoine's insurance company. Turns out that despite initial denials by Weissman and Murray that they knew each other, the two men had been involved with one another for some time. What worries me about the prolonged portrayal of Helen Lemoine as a hit-and-run driver is the nature of the news stories. At one point it reported that an alert court reporter had discovered that the case was on the docket. The newspaper then gave full coverage. Each continuance of the case brought out a recital of the Weissman-Murray allegations in full. The pall hung over Lemoine after her acquittal. It is only with the reporting this week we learn that since last July Framingham police had been uncovering the previous acquaintance of the two men in this two-year-old hit-run scheme. The pair have pleaded not guilty to insurance fraud and filing a false crime report. They face prison time and heavy fines if convicted. They will be back in Framingham court next month, nearly two years after the incident that damaged Lemoine's public reputation. So much for dogged pursuit of the truth. JOY-LESS - They come and they go. Last fall I reported that Bob Joy was through as director of Human Resources - the person who sets up terms of employment. Town Manager George King issued an instant denial. When I asked Joy to deny or affirm, he did not reply. So I reported that by June King's right hand man would be gone. Well, sooner than expected the word was out a month ago that Joy had been cleared for "clearance." OK. Then a week ago, Joy was seen leaving for good. This week King tells the media that he wasn't aware of the change or why it had occurred. He mused : Joy probably had some reasons but Bob had not told George. OK. They seem to be drifting away and who's left in the Administration leadership; it's hard to tell. Or be told. Assistant Town Manager Mark Purple got his fingers caught in the ringer when he couldn't recall just how he'd come up with the words he'd used in testimony in the Comcast contrast case. They were - Well, like the words used by town lawyer Peter Epstein in a similar case against Comcast. You've got to be on the ball when it comes to cross-examination. Making mistakes there makes a lasting impression with the boss. No, I don't think Purple is on the verge but they tell me in the Memorial Building that Joy was not on good terms with the manager for some time. They come and they go. We've now had three Chief Financial Officers since 1999.  The third, Virginia Cahill, left after seven months on the $100,000 a year post. Town Accountant Richard Howarth has now been stepped up to full-time CFO.  And I suppose that someone will be moved up to take Bob's joyless position. ------------------------------- You can reach Bob Moore at edmoore4@aol.com or at 1-508-620-1449.  [Let it ring; he's looking for any "new" news.] To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@syslang.net with body unsubscribe frambors (the subject is ignored). Please read the Frequently Asked Questions maintained online at http://frambors.syslang.net/faq/about.html before posting or replying.