The old saying "time flies" is one on which all of us can agree. It seems like only yesterday that Jessie Levine came to town as Bedford's new Town Manager. But in September, the milestone of her first anniversary in the position was reached, and it brought to mind how many of us then speculated as to how she would do in navigating the sometimes churning waters of town politics in our little Bedford bubble.
Aside from dealing with a Town Council that was then becoming best known for its internal bickering, and aside from the almost immediate task of developing her first budget for the town, she was also faced with escalating tension over internecine battles on such things as the deplorable state of the Joppa Hill Farm and the feasibility of the construction of a Bedford dog park. Those two issues alone had clearly defined and drawn battle lines of people ready to proverbially shed blood over their resolutions.
And then came the Quesada home invasion that rocked the town, and set into motion a Town Council reaction that was wickedly insulting to the integrity and hard work of our Bedford Police Department, and agitated some residents into stirring up a cauldron of venom.
In the months since, there would be discussions on things like changing the Town's charter and revamping the Town's fiscal year, along with hot-button issues like the building of an additional fire station, a $30 million road bond issue, and how zoning decisions will be made in the future, with the latter three far from being settled. Some issues are big, and some are small like whether or not to have a town employee appreciation luncheon this year, but all of them wound up before the Town Manager with the job of recommending workable and acceptable solutions.
For Jessie Levine, it has been a year of challenges, more than a few headaches, notable advancements, and more than likely, some wondering about what the heck she got herself into with her new job in our bubble.
Starting today, you'll have the chance to hear Jessie discuss her first year in Bedford, issues tackled, and hopes for the future in a new "Tell It Like It Is" show that will air on BCTV Channel 16. Titled "Anniversary Reflections", the broadcast schedule from today until Thursday night, October 17 is as follows:
Friday/Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday - 11:00 AM, 9:00 PM
Saturday/Monday/Wednesday - 2:00 PM, 10:00 PM
If that schedule is inconvenient or you do not have cable, you can watch the show at anytime by going to the show's website at www.tellitlikeitisnh.com. On the top toolbar, simply click on Issues, and then click on Most Recent Shows. The show will be permanently archived on the website.
We've got a big year coming up in Bedford, so residents need to bone up on the issues. The show will help you to do that, and will also demonstrate that Jessie Levine has proven to be more than skillful at traversing Bedford's perplexing issues and continuing challenges.
