Yes...it's been awhile!

Of course its been awhile I'm recuperating ya knuckleheads! Anyways things are going well on this end and recovery is right about where it should be. I am merely a few days away from losing the cane and walking on my own! Anybody ever says "don't get back surgery" to you have them call me. I know sometimes it doesn't work, but in my case I had no choice! I could walk, my spinal cord was partially compressed, but the surgery has worked.

Moving on, I see the fire station was defeated and honestly I don't think anybody should fault the Fire Chief for trying. As a department head he has the responsibility to bring forth what he believes is necessary for his department to function. He had a plan and the voters didn't see the need. Usually it takes a tragedy in the community to get things done! I am glad to see however that the Finance Committee stated publicly because I won't let them forget it either that "schools are the priority in this town now." More on that later on.

Nice weather is here, enjoy it because rain will come because the carnival is in town. Don't forget this is River Rat Weekend. There is a spaghetti supper Friday night at the Athol Congo Church and of course the Pancake Breakfast on Saturday morning!

Hi-del-he-hoe!!!!!! Just Vote No???

Sometimes in life you just got to laugh as current happenings in Athol government. I knew it would be sooner, rather than later that some key figures would resurface in town politics. Having stayed the course and not become embroiled in any talk about the proposed downtown fire station, I just to clarify a few things I read today in an editorial in the local paper.

Having served on the Needs Assessment Committee at the time when it was the most politically fired up process, I can assure you..the FIRE department never said NO to a public safety complex. In fact it was my desire, still is today to have built a building that would have satisfied the needs of the Fire and Police departments for years to come. We traversed many evenings being banged about the forehead by individuals that had individual hatred towards the police, or towards the fire department. We bantered between Lyman Ward for a complex, 206 Exchange Street etc.

In twenty years of serving on the fire department one statement that clearly shows a lack of understanding of the time factor in Fire/EMS or even Police response is ......" The whopping three minutes it takes to get downtown." Well I say you hold your breath for three minutes. Don't move, don't breathe. The difference is life or death. I think the key here is that people need to get out and vote on April 7th and make their own informed choice.

In Recovery.........

Well, I made it back from the halls of UMASS Memorial in Worcester and am home recovering from the back surgery. I have some pain in the surgical site area but the leg and butt pains are gone! The foot numbness is still in the left foot but should subside in a week or two. I am still looking at probably 6-8 weeks before I can return to work on a full time basis. But thanks for the concern and I'll be around!

A few thoughts........

Well as you can see when having trouble sleeping, pain twinges, etc. you tend to be up at weird hours typing away on the old keyboard. Of course there will probably be no sleep tonight awaiting the big day in the city on Wednesday. I got my fill of pre-operative testing Monday. It's funny go in for back surgery and the pre-op moves you from room to room- EKG this, blood work here, stand up, sit down! Ummmm, people do you see the crutches? My big thrill though was to get the showering instructions for tonight and Wednesday morning. They gave me the antiseptic soap- yeah the orange stuff. What a complete thrill as I will certainly look like The Great Pumpkin that I am sure even Charlie Brown wouldn't want!

I did have a couple of people email and ask me for the right email to send well wishes and even a couple more asked for my mailing address: The email is lchauvette@verizon.net and the mailing address is Lee Chauvette, P.O. Box 592, Athol, Ma.01331. Again I truly appreciate the support this blog and the new website are getting. As soon as I am able to return to the keyboard, probably Friday or Saturday I'll update you on the progress. Course some have always implied I was a pain in the back side, but a little lower than my proposed surgical site! Thanks again.

Surgery Day!

Well finally folks, the old Brightomaster wilh have his day in Worcester on Wednesday March 26. The back/spinal surgery will take place at UMASS Memorial Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Arno Sungarian. From what I am told I am very lucky to have him and to have such a speedy date for the operation. Now I know some have said "don't have surgery" well after a month with no ability to bear weight on my left leg and not being able to walk without crutches or a walker....IT's TIME. I have researched on my own and surgery is the answer that keeps popping up. It will be about a 6 week recovery period. But if I don't stop picking on the Boston Poilticians I may have alot longer recovery period! My posting from below regarding the Casino vote made its way to the Worcester Telegram website blog and also on myfoxboston.com which is Fox 25's blog! Anyways thanks again for the emails, prayers and hope.

The survey says...........POW!

I am quite disappointed today to see that the House of Representatives caved to Speaker of the house Sal DiMasi's usual politic antics and voted down Governor Patrick's casino bill. Apparently the House feels they can under DiMasi's leadership find hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to replace casino gambling. They are:

1. Multiple bake sales in the Rotunda of the State House.
2. Two Democrats and two Republicans that support the bill will sell candy bars at the chamber doors before the next session.
3. Several spaghetti suppers planned throughout the next session.
4. A sausage booth on Yawkey Way during home Red Sox games.

All these and many more ideas will save Education, Local Aid and will bring thousands of jobs to the Bay State. Oh yeah one more thing, there will now be a booth located just prior to the Connecticut border with Massachusetts students in it waving and holding signs that say:

" Now leaving Massachusetts, and the Connecticut economy thanks you!"

The verdict is in........

I just returned from Worcester where I saw Dr. Sungarian who is an absolute professional and we discussed all options available and unfortunately we have settled on back surgery early next week. (which is good) He had hoped to be able to be as non-invasive as he could but feels he may need to perform a "discectomy" on at least one disc which is causing the entire leg issue. I feel confident under his care, I will fully recover however it appears I will be out of work for at least another 4-6 weeks. So Brighto and the Blog may suffer a bit with update for a week or so but we'll get through it! Again I personally appreciate the calls and emails of those concerned and thank for your prayers as well! Lee

Well today is the day!!!!!!!

Today is the day I go to Worcester to meet with the neurosurgeon to discuss what options are available to me with regards to my back and pinched nerves. Hopefully what ever the option chosen is, it will be scheduled right away. It took four long weeks to get the appointment. So at least that wait is over. I will update the readers of this blog later on tonight. Thanks for your readership and your concerns!

You asked for it, you got it....BRIGHTO

I have been asked by many readers of the blog to return the full Brighto website, so you will be fortunate enough in life to go to http://www.brighto1.net/ and see the full website! There will be a link on the site to the blog as well. IT'S READY!

Thanks!!!

I just wanted to update the readers of the blog on my condition as I have received emails and calls of concern from alot of people. Here is the current status. I recently began traction during physical therapy. Let me first state that I have been very fortunate to receive such quality and compassionate care from the Physical Therapists at Athol Memorial Hospital. It was a good session, not a lot of pain during the traction. Today, I am paying for it a little but bad. I am still in need of crutches and the walker.

I am travelling to Worcester next Tuesday the 18th to see Dr. Arno Sungarian who is a Neurosurgeon and one of the best in the area I have been told. My wishful thinking wants me to be admitted Tuesday and surgery on Wednesday to get it over with. It has in fact been a long haul dealing with this injury and all because of shovelling. Hopefully I am on the road to recovery so I can return to my full time job as well as the Daily Grind very soon. Again thanks for the well wishes. Don't be afraid to email either! You can use jezalou@yahoo.com or lchauvette@verizon.net

Stop, No...Yes..Go...No...Stop, I don't know!

Now I was born at night, but just not last night and sometimes I appear to have gone to night school during the day, but can someone please explain to me the "Jungle of Lights" theory at the intersection of Main and Pleasant Streets in Athol? (Ath-awl) As the person in town who has probably watched that intersection the most in the last five years I am truly astonished at the amount of traffic lighting it will take to allow traffic from Pleasant Street onto Main Street, left or right.

Now if you are familiar with Tatnuck Square in Worcester, Mass (Woo-stah) then you probably realize there are more lights at Main and Pleasant! Now one would have to think during a fine New Snow storm it will be a wonderful event trying to stop and then start on Main Street near the CVS store. Also where is the traffic study on the impact to The Daily Grind, Dennis' Citgo and CVS? There isn't one! I will not be able to get cars in and out of the parking lot for a "turnover of TO-Go Coffee" because traffic will be backed up at the Pleasant Street side or in the front entrance on Main Street!

Another brain storm is when the lights are ready to be used they will be turned on "Flashing" to get people to recognize they are there. Now pardon me for not being a traffic safety engineer, nor have I ever played one on TV, but for the life of me, those lights have been hanging in the air since October. I think everybody pretty much recognizes they are there! Furthermore why if the intersection is so congested now are we going to "flash" the lights for two weeks? Who goes now, nope its my turn , ROAD HOG!! BEEP BEEP. For cryin-out-loud people. Turn the lights on and let people learn to deal with the ACTUAL traffic pattern!

LATE DAY Addendum to current story...

Well now what a surprise turn of events in the ongoing saga of... yes you guessed it...the sign to the left here. While I spent the day trying to get my disc to pop back into place so my feet would release I cruised the Internet in search of what I guessed all along. Yes, the negative feedback because of the action taken by the Selectboard Tuesday night.

This is easily searchable yourself if you don't believe me. I am up to over 100 websites that have this sign, and our town as the lead feature! I saw it in Philly, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Chicago, San Fransisco, (I guess I left my heart there too, along with my community pride) as well as one publication called Examiner, TheTrucker.com and many more. See the problem is most of these sites have comments and forums. One such posting said, " well if the Selectmen didn't whine, nobody would have known about it, so they are all ATHOLS there!" Now isn't that a pretty picture to paint. Buried in the back of the Herald at the bottom of the page was this OH-SO-OFFENSIVE ad that nobody saw... Now we're all being chastised for it. Can we now go back to Economic Development??

Not offended by ad, offended by action

Now taking both sides of the recent flurry of activity surrounding the running of an ad in the Boston Herald and examining which side is actually more offensive the ad, or the action voted by the Selectboard and I for one will take the action of the Selectboard. So now let's look at this from outside the box. Why is it necessary to take a board vote on the subject matter of the personal feelings of one member? Shouldn't votes be taken that positively reflect the town's best interests? Now we are the town that can't take a joke. Now we are now longer the "Tool Town" , we are the "Johnny was picking on me at recess, Miss Crabtree" town.

Personally I would prefer the board to be working on economic development, looking at how town by-laws serve the community and working on things that matter to the community as a whole. Again while I respect every man or woman's right to their opinion and their freedom to voice their opinion I just don't think personal opinion should be voted policy of the town. I for one like many, many others was not offended by the ad and ComCast had no reason to apologize.

Brighto Video Moment

This spot may also at some points contain video that is shot around the North Quabbin Region. Well once the videotographer is healed! If you have local snipets that are of local scenes or events please forward them to jezalou@yahoo.com

What's up Doc?

Now consider me a trifle bit cynical here but is it really necessary to have the Athol Selectboard draft a letter to the Boston Herald and ComCast stating they are opposed to the use of "Athol" in advertisements? I just think that economic development, building a senior center and finishing other projects are more important to the board than one member's disdain for the newspaper. I guess it's in the eye of the beholder if " We can pronounce Worcester, without sounding like an Athol" is offensive. It's actually spelled out using two "Entering" signs with the two names. I don't know but "We can pronounce Worcester, without sounding like a Petersham" just doesn't fit.

Now using the town's name "Athol" which is a public domain entity in advertisements is certainly not something under the jurisdiction of the Selectboard. Quite the contrary I believe that any creative ad agency knowing about the letter from "Athol" will capitalize on the moment. Try out http://www.atholgear.com/ and see for yourself. (Picture of tee shirt courtesy of atholgear.com) I don't see anybody busting down her door like the "Athol"Idaho police.

I do contend that anybody has the right to voice their opinion in opposition to anything but when a vote occurs as official business it may work in the reverse and have a negative impact on the town. Hey by the way in The Daily Grind, I have an Athol Idaho mug....."I'm a real Athol without my coffee!" Boy it's true, I am!

Poster child for Ergonomics!

For those of who have stumbled onto my blog, are well aware of my current health situation. I wanted to discuss it openly for everybody to see and hear directly from me. On Dec 28th I was in the midst of trying to cooperate and abide by the Town of Athol's snow removal bylaw by shoveling the snow from a "brand new" sidewalk installed at the intersection of Main and Pleasant Streets in front of my business. Now mind you the by-law states "reasonably able to be removed" and "upon completion of snow removal operations by the town." Now being the civic minded individual I am, decided well "I'll just cut a path through that new sidewalk so folks don't have to walk in the road." Keep in mind now this sidewalk never existed until the Main Street Project.

I shoveled my way from the Pleasant Street side all the way to the front of this new sidewalk. I had numerous people drive by and honk as they aren't used to seeing me do any form of manual labor! Upon reaching the very end there was a portion that I had no choice but to stand on the road side of the sidewalk. I put the shovel into the snow pile and pulled as it was the last shovel full. The result? In amongst the two levels of new sidewalk, the road and the pole was a gap that I got caught in. Upon trying to shovel, a sharp pain ran across my back and I had to immediately stop and stagger back to my car.

I placed the shovel on the ground and said a few of my favorite four letter words. I thought at that time it was merely a pulled muscle but I would soon learn I was wrong. I did make it until Jan 1, 2008 when I had to go the hospital to be checked out. After treatment there, I followed up with doctor a few days later, had an xray that showed nothing, which they usually don't. I stayed out of my full time job for 4 days and then returned with a slight limp and no pain in the back, but some running down my right leg. I wrote it off as a muscle pull in my thigh while nursing the back. I lasted three weeks like this even after trying to get an MRI paid for by my insurance company, but that's another time and posting.

On February 9, 2008 the shoveling act took its toll while walking across my living room the injury returned with full force and vengeance. I have been out of work ever sense. I can't even go to my own business. I am remanded to the house using a walker inside and crutches outside. Finally an MRI diagnosed a severely herniated L5 disc which is the precise area the pain was after throwing the shovel. I also have a condition that was unknown as Spinal Stenosis which is a narrowing of the spinal cavity. This never was known or had bothered me. The herniation in L5 has left me with numbeness in my lower left leg and right foot.

I have tried the chiropractor and physical therapy for pain relief. Now I must travel to UMASS on March 18th to meet with a neurosurgeon to discuss my next options. All this for trying to maintain a sidewalk in front of my business that was never there. Trying to do the right thing and follow the municipal by-laws of my town. Now I am out of work for up to two months, facing neurosurgery and losing ground everyday that I can't be at my business. It's always something....

Category....." Just another bafoony"

Now is it me or does he just not realize what he says have the time? The Prez made quite a spectacle of himself this week at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue when the World Champion Boston Red Sox visited. He welcomed the champs the White House and congratulated them on a great victory. That's perhaps where he should have stopped and returned to the Rose Garden or the Oval Office. He pondered as to why Manny Ramirez wasn't in attendance and asked those gathered " Hey Where's Manny? Did his Gramma die again?" Now what in the hell kind of a statement is that? Apparantly the Hollywood Writers are back to work but George Bush's writer must have been in the men's room and George had to act on his own. He best summed it up though when he quipped " Dice K and I both have trouble answering questions in English"

You have arrived in life!!!!

You know you have arrived in life when......

6 Your 80 year old father takes you out of your home to go to the MRI.

5 Your 80 year father wheels his 42 year old son in the hospital in a wheelchair.

4. You have to wait 4 weeks for an approved MRI.

3. You wait 4 weeks for an MRI, only to get freakin' stuck in the MRI Machine because you are a big boy and they have to pull you out and send you in feet first.

2. YOU GO TO PHYSICAL THERAPY AND NOW HAVE A WALKER (YES A WALKER) to get around with until you heal.

1. You know you have arrived when you have the guts to disclose on the internet you got stuck in the MRI machine and have a walker!

Jez-a-lou! I am back.

Well certainly alot has happend over the course of a year or so sinse my original Brighto site went off the air. I certainly am devoted to covering local happenings but in an effort to market the site or blog I must also interact on larger scale issues as well. For example: Do I really care that the Demon of Rock and Roll aka Gene Simmons has a secret sex tape? Absolutely not! He's involved in an open relationship with Shannon Tweed and they are content. Leave them alone! Besides he's quite possibly the most talented Business Marketer alive today!

As almost mundane, doesn't the US Congress have enough to deal with without worrying about what Rocket Roger Clemens injected into his butt cheek eight years ago? Now I realize that growth hormones, enhancements etc have no place in professional sports at all. But shouldn't baseball handle that as his employer with policies for that stuff? I mean we as a society still can't figure out if it was one shot from the Book Depository or Two Shots from a Grassy Knoll that killed JFK! My God stay away from the Rocket's butt and handle foreign policy!

IS the media responsible for the apparant down fall of Brittany Spears? I mean day after day we hear about her driving too fast, in and out of hospitals, no care for her kids and all that jazz that is for tabloid sales! Do we really need to provoke or poke fun at her apparant mental situation rather than start a support network for her rehab? Woops, she did it again!

All in all it's good to be back and I look forward to bringing you local, state and national news as well as commentary and information.