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Highlighting News Stories for Our Town for the week of June 3, 2002 |
Election Results
The annual election is now a part of our local history. There were no big surprises or upsets or loud debates. A moderate turnout of voters came to vote.
Perhaps, though, the big result of the day will be a continuing discussion concerning the issue of banning smoking in our restaurants and bars and pub areas.
In responding to the ballot question, voters did not want to ban smoking – by a narrow margin of 55% to 45%.
Now, the Board of Health, having voted in February to ban smoking, will sit down with the selectmen and owners of eating establishments in Walpole to consider the vote and their rationale for issuing the ban.
Consider the following pieces of this puzzle.
1. The Board of Health is appointed by the Board of Selectmen to monitor health issues in the town of Walpole. The Board of Health studied the issue of second hand smoke and concluded that an outright ban on smoking in bars and pubs was the best approach to safeguard the health and welfare of residents in town. 2. The businesses in town and many citizens contend that it is a matter of individual rights. People should decide on their own whether to go to certain restaurants or not. 3. The matter of the authority of the Board of Health to issue regulations is clear. The Board has such authority. 4. Thus, in reflecting the majority view of the town, and considering the concerns of local business owners, the Board of Selectmen is in the middle. 5. This puzzle will not be solved overnight, nor will the issue just drift away. It could well be the major question for this year.
Stay tuned
for future developments.
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