Clearing the Record: Dr. Jo-Anne Bessette

There has been unfortunate news coverage regarding the landfill and the former group Citizens' United for a Healthy Future due to several members of that group who took part in a legal settlement with the City of Northampton.

I want to clear the record of one member of that group, Dr. Jo-Anne Bessette. 

Dr. Bessette refused to accept the City's offer of legal settlement although she was pressured to by other members of the group. Jo-Anne devoted countless hours to Citizens' United on behalf of the residents living near the landfill.  She also spent a large amount of her own money towards legal costs in battling the landfill expansion.

Dr. Jo-Anne Bessette felt that she was in this fight for the entire community and not just for the economic benefit of a few individuals. In our opinion, she fits the definition of hero. She has been an absolute asset in aiding us as we formed our new group to continue the fight against the landfill expansion.


 
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Comments

  • 8/4/2009 1:56 PM Patrice Woeppel wrote:
    I cannot believe that I am hearing this group maligning the very people who worked so hard and so long, and gave so much to lay the groundwork that you now are continuing in the fight to stop the landfill expansion.
    Reply to this
    1. 8/4/2009 2:51 PM Water Not Waste wrote:
      I am sorry if you think that I am in any way maligning the work done by the group Citizens' United for a Healthy Future.  My intent was to distance Dr. Jo-Anne Bessette from the actions taken by several members of that group. Dr. Bessette devoted countless hours as well as countless dollars to the fight against the landfill. She felt that the community might consider that she had taken part in the settlement with the city. I wanted to clear her name in case anyone felt that she had turned her back on the residents living near the landfill.
      I believe that the members of Citizens' United did a tremendous amount of work to benefit the community. I also believe that the persons who took part in the legal settlement were suffering due to the landfill odors and the knowledge that the city would drag this along for as long as possible.
      Again, I was trying to clear the record of Dr. Jo-Anne Bessette who has been a great help in aiding us, as we formed this new group, with our understanding of the landfill and the politics of the city.

      Thank you for your comments.

      Reply to this
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