Candidate explains why he answered questionnaire with information from Web sites

I’d like to clarify an issue regarding my responses to questions recently asked by the Vernon Taxpayer Association. As a high school history teacher I do recognize the severity of plagiarism, and I appreciate the opportunity to refute the accusations so that we can move on to the real issues that face our community. On Sept. 27, I received an invitation to answer the Vernon Taxpayer Association’s questions by their deadline of Oct. 3. My initial response on Sept. 28 was: I will be unable to respond by that date, because I will be out of state attending my son’s graduation from The Basic School for Marine Officers, I will be attending a memorial 5K for my friend’s son who was killed in Iraq, a 5K fundraiser for my cousin who died of cancer last year, and I will be speaking to students next week regarding domestic violence and date rape. However, despite my weekend itinerary, I thought it necessary to answer the questions and accept the opportunity for my opinion to be heard. Thus, I offered my responses on October 3. I did not have the time that weekend to construct my finalized answers. However, I researched many articles to obtain information to formulate solutions based on the actions of other communities. I do believe that our community can establish similar plans and experience positive outcomes. Any lack of citation was not deliberate and was due to miscommunication via e-mail correspondence. I acknowledge that I referenced proposals by individuals outside of our township, and I see no fault in doing so. As a high school history teacher, I understand the importance of doing research, amassing ideas and learning from the successes of others. Harry J. Shortway Vernon