Letters to the Editor
Repeal the Town Hall Beverage Act of 2007

To the Editor:

I respectfully request our new Board of Selectmen to repeal the Town Hall Beverage Act of 2007. The act, which bans all beverages other than water, was declared after an alleged incident of spilled coffee on the new town hall floor. It is rumored that the violator must have been a man since a woman surely would have cleaned it up. At the risk of sounding sexist, there is probably merit to that argument, so shouldn't the act only apply to men? … Hmmm …

Seriously, it is the citizen's town hall and people are there doing the citizen's business. Personally, if I am going to a two-hour town finance meeting after a long day, a warm cup of coffee helps me to stay alert and focused. I really don't think that the general citizenry disapproves of us drinking beverages in their town hall.

In the spirit of the Boston Tea Party, we should revolt, dressed as Indians, marching on town hall with coffees in hand. Well, in keeping with the politically correct times, dress as Native Americans and saunter on town hall with half mocha decaf lattes.

Let the people have their coffee.

Keith Harding

Westminster

Molly Bish Child ID kits are heart of Kid Expo

By John and Magi Bish

We are both proud to be partnering with Mount Wachusett Community College on this year's Molly Bish Kid Expo events. This marks the fourth time the Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety at Mount Wachusett Community College has brought critical elements of a child-safety plan to area parents.

In addition to this year's event at HealthAlliance Hospital on Saturday, May 19, we will hold a second Kid Expo Saturday, June 2, at Mount Wachusett Community College's Gardner campus. Although these events provide an incredible variety of entertainment, food, music, giveaways and fun, the Molly Bish Foundation Child ID Kits is at the very heart of what we do.

Established in memory of our daughter Molly Bish, who was abducted in June 2000 from Comins Pond in Warren, where she worked as a lifeguard, the Molly Bish Institute works to ensure the health and safety of all children in Massachusetts. We see Molly in every child who attends these events. This partnership with Mount Wachusett Community College lets us make children in this area safer.

Now that it is our fourth year, we know many parents already have a Child ID kit for their children, but we want to urge everyone to get a new ID kit every year. We all marvel at how fast our children grow. As they do, their appearance changes, so we need new photos every year. We urge you to think of this annual activity the same way you do a trip to the family dentist and doctor. Also, it creates a great opportunity for dialog between kids and parents about child abduction. A kit also can be used in cases of fire, natural disaster or a terrorist attack.

The photograph:

One of the most critical tools in recovering a missing child is a current photograph of the child's head and shoulders. It is important that the photograph be of clear, professional quality and portrays the child's everyday appearance.

After our daughter's abduction, we were asked for current pictures of Molly, and realized we did not have an appropriate picture readily available. We had special occasion pictures, such as a prom picture in which Molly was wearing her hair in a fancy "up-do" that was not her everyday hairstyle. We also had professional quality photographs that were two years old and showed Molly with a shoulder-length hairstyle that she no longer wore.

We needed to crop several group pictures in order to produce photographs that depicted Molly's most recent short haircut and facial features. This cropped photo was then used to produce missing person posters that were distributed throughout the region.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, many of the photographs that they receive are inadequate. Our Child ID kits allow parents to save valuable time when it is needed most.

The Fingerprints:

Few parents would think to have their children fingerprinted until the unthinkable occurs. When Molly went missing, police had to come and lift prints from Molly's room - a time-consuming process that is not as effective as a set of professionally made and clearly labeled fingerprints.

Fingerprints can allow police to trace a child's whereabouts by ascertaining if a child was in a certain location or if he touched certain objects. Fingerprints can also be enlarged and scanned to other police departments to help locate a missing child. Any effort that can lead to a child's recovery in the critical first hours after a child is reported missing can help prevent tragedy.

In some respects, fingerprints are like the identification that we place upon our vehicles; both can be a deterrent to crime. Just as identification helps in the recovery of a stolen vehicle, fingerprints can aid in the recovery of a missing child and can serve as a deterrent by making it easier for perpetrators to be apprehended.

There are several kits on the market that provide materials to make fingerprints at home, however, it is preferable to have a professional set of prints made by the local police or at a child-safety event. We advise parents to have fingerprints updated every year, since the child's fingers become more clearly defined with age and the child may develop new scars or markings that need to be documented.

We continue to do this important work every year, because children have no voice. We are their voice, and they're telling us they want to come home. And we believe as well that they want those found who have endangered them, so that no other child, no other family, will have to endure this immense sadness.

The Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety at Mount Wachusett Community College and HealthAlliance Hospital in Leominster will host the Molly Bish Kid Expo, Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. till 1 p.m. at the hospital. This event will feature health screenings, healthy snacks, numerous free giveaways and much more.