McWhinnie & Bishop fail in attempt to oust police chief

To The Daily Sun,

After reading Michael Mortensen's front page article (March 14) regarding Gilmanton's Police Department, I felt compelled to speak to the following:

The headline of Mr. Mortensen's article suggests a far more legitimate side to the story than actually exists. Reason being, that former selectman Steve McWhinnie and Selectman Marshall Bishop's initiative against Gilmanton's police chief, and the department he heads, was nothing more than a personal vendetta played out to appear as a legitimate issue.

For years, McWhinnie and Bishop did everything they could to discredit, disrupt and distract Gilmanton's Police Department and its chief, all under the guise of public service. Not able to find any weaknesses in the department, they set about to create them. In fact, by design, they meddled and harassed to the extent that two officers were compelled to resign. Even after a judge ruled against the board, they continued to push their so-called directives, claiming that the safety of Gilmanton was at risk. It never was! And no one knew it better than McWhinnie and Bishop.

Many in Gilmanton believed, and still believe, that McWhinnie and Bishop's goal was not to strengthen the Police Department, but to weaken it, all in their misguided and pathetic attempt to either force the chief to resign, or for them to fire him.

Former selectman McWhinnie's involvement of Municipal Resources (MRI) — at great expense to the taxpayer — to evaluate Gilmanton's Police Department is a perfect example of this. The Daily Sun's article states it is 71 pages long. Mr. McWhinnie will be forever frustrated that he was never able to get his lawyer-dogs (again, paid for by the taxpayers) chewing away at that document. What a disappointment that must be for him — and for Mr. Bishop. Certainly in 71 pages the lawyers could have found some crack to drive a wedge into.

In a series of creatively written and thought-provoking letters by Gilmanton's Don Guarino, Mr. McWinnie and Selectman Bishop became characterized in print as the "King and his Bishop," as they ruled their kingdom, suppressing, harassing and heckling the Knights and their minions. To that, I would like to add the following:

Knight to King's Bishop: Checkmate. Mr. McWhinnie: game's over!

Al Blake

Hanover, Pennsylvania