To hear the ranters on the Transcript's Topix forum tell it, Don Sommer, chairman of the Adams Selectmen, wants to tear apart town government and recreate it in his own image - whatever that is.
One nameless accuser - on Topix, they are all nameless, more's the pity - goes so far as to wonder when Adams will pull down the McKinley statue on Park Street and replace it with one of Mr. Sommer.
While we have disagreed with him on some occasions, we don't see any problem with reviewing the town charter, which is all Mr. Sommer has proposed. The document was, after all, written in 1983, and a lot has changed in 26 years. Maybe the newly appointed Charter Review Committee can find some efficiencies or ways to modernize, as Mr. Sommer has suggested. Maybe not. Whatever the case, becoming deeply familiar with how your municipal government works is not a bad thing - the Selectmen, among others, may learn a few things over the course of this review. A report is due by April next year. The naysayers might want to wait and read it before trying to pounce.
One thing they and everybody else will soon find out is, it's not easy to change a town charter. Not only must town meeting approve any alterations, but also the state Legislature must give its OK. Then, it's back to the general populace, which must vote upon any changes during the annual town election. That's a lot of safeguards.
Adams officials have made more than a few mistakes over the past several years, and it appears
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