This Week's Winchendon News
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of April 17 to April 24, 2025
What makes Winchendon what it is...How we're making Winchendon even better
Town Election - Monday, May 5, 2025
8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m, Old Murdock Senior Center (all precincts), 52 Murdock Ave
Annual Town Meeting - Monday, May 19, 2025
7:00 p.m., Murdock High School Auditorium, 3 Memorial Dr
Public Hearing on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant
Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 6:30 p.m., at Town Hall 2nd floor auditorium, 109 Front St
Candidates' Night to be Held at the Beals Memorial Libray
The Beals Memorial Library in Winchendon will be hosting a Candidates' Night on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the library's auditorium. The evening will offer registered voters a chance to meet, and ask questions of, the candidates running for elected offices in Winchendon. Inanna Arthan, publisher of the Winchendon Courier, will be the moderator.
The candidates running for a seat on the Selectboard include Aubrey Lebrie (incumbent), Tiffany Newton, Yvonne Senecal, and Christine Haslam-Giovannucci. Running for Moderator are Glenn LaRochelle, and Rick Ward (write-in). Running for a seat on the School Board are Tara Teixeira, Greg Vine (write-in) and Michael Gaynor (write-in).
The public is encouraged to attend, and may submit questions for the candidates through the moderator. There will be time following the program to personally meet the candidates.
The Beals Library is located at 50 Pleasant Street in Winchendon. For more information, please call the library at 978-297-0300, or visit our website at www.bealslibrary.org.
Town Manager Presents Draft Town Meeting Warrant to BOS and FinCom
In a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee on Monday, April 14, Town Manager Bill McKinney presented the first draft of the warrant for Winchendon's 2025 Annual Town Meeting. The warrant comprises 33 articles, and may be revised slightly before it is voted on by the BOS. Annual Town Meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday, May 19.
Article 1 is the usual article that begins every Town Meeting, and asks voters to "hear and act on" the reports of the Finance Committee, Board of Selectmen and any other officers or committees who are required to report. Usually, only the FinCom gives a report.
Article 2 asks voters to approve using $24,418.92 from Free Cash to pay three bills from Walgreens for Veterans' Services, which are left over from FY2024. Mr. McKinney explained that normally bills like these would come before Fall Special Town Meeting, but in 2024 there was no fall Town Meeting.
Article 3 asks voters to approve using Free Cash to cover a deficit in the Snow and Ice Account for FY25. The article doesn't have a dollar amount yet. Department of Public Works Director Brian Croteau rose to say, "it's a good thing we're all sitting down," and then said the number will be between $300,000 and $350,000 when all the bills are in.
Mr. McKinney said that Free Cash is not yet certified so we don't know exactly how much there will be. He expects to have a report by Town Meeting. FinCom Chair Tom Kane said that several articles in the warrant specify allocating Free Cash, but what if we don't have enough? Mr. McKinney said that the overtime for Snow and Ice can be carried forward and paid in the next fiscal year, and other articles might have to be passed over.
Article 4 asks voters to approve using an unspecified amount of Free Cash "to fund other operating costs of FY25." Mr. McKinney explained that this is a "placeholder" article. If it's not needed for any actual expense, Town Meeting can pass over this article.
Article 5 asks voters to approve using funds from the Water Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings to cover additional expenses for the Water Department. This doesn't have a dollar amount yet, and it might not be needed. But Town Meeting has to approve spending from the Enterprise Funds. The retained earnings in each fund are certified at the same time as Free Cash, Mr. McKinney explained.
Article 6 is the same as Article 5, except for the Wastewater (Sewer) Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings.
Article 7 is the same as Article 5, except for the Transfer Station Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings.
Article 8 asks voters to approve the maximum amounts that can be spent by various revolving funds during the fiscal year. Mr. McKinney said the numbers carry over each year without changing. These are not statements of what will be spent, simply caps on what can be spent.
Article 9 asks voters to approve $7,700 for the Senior Tax Workoff program. This is a program that allows senior citizens to do work for the town in exchange for an offset in their property taxes. The amount is the same as last year.
The next three articles ask voters to approve three versions of the town's General Fund budget.
Article 10 presents a summary of the "level-funded" budget of $18,221,055 that will be adopted if there is no override passed. It does not include funding for the Beals Memorial Library, Senior Center or Recreation Department.
Article 11 presents a summary of the "level service" budget of $19,284,155 that will be adopted contingent on a Proposition 2-1/2 override of $1.9 million being approved. It includes tightly trimmed budgets for all departments.
Article 12 presents a summary of the budget of $19,684,155 that can be adopted contingent on a Proposition 2-1/2 override of $2.9 million being approved.
Mr. McKinney gave a breakdown of how the additional $1 million would be allocated if the $2.9 million override is approved. $200,000 would be put into the town's Stabilization Fund. The remaining $800,000 would be equally divided between the school district and the town. Of the town's share, "$200,000 would go to road paving. $50,000 was going to go to legal expenses, so that we can try to move on some of the blighted properties in town. Unfortunately, it takes money to be able to move on them and try to do a tax taking through Land Court, or whatever it takes to to try to get them either torn down or fixed up or even converted into town property," Mr. McKinney said. The police and fire departments would each get $50,000, the library and Senior Center would each get $25,000.
Members of the FinCom suggested that a sheet with explanations of the exact differences among the three budgets should be created for voters, because it could be confusing.
Mr. McKinney clarified that either override must pass at both the town election on May 5 and Town Meeting on May 19. In the past, it's been more common for the ballot vote to take place after the override has passed at Town Meeting. In this case, Mr. McKinney said, they wanted to avoid the additional expense of holding a special extra election, just for the override. If both overrides fail at the ballot vote, the level-funded budget will be voted on at Town Meeting and the two higher budget articles will be passed over.
Article 13 asks voters to approve the budget for the Water Enterprise Fund, which is funded entirely by water receipts (payments by the water ratepayers).
Article 14 asks voters to approve the budget for the Wastewater (Sewer) Enterprise Fund, which is funded entirely by wastewater receipts (payments by the wastewater ratepayers).
Article 15 asks voters to approve the budget for the Transfer Station Enterprise Fund, which is funded entirely by Transfer Station receipts (payments from transfer station users, for stickers, pay-as-you-throw bags, special fees and so on).
Article 16 asks voters to approve the budget for the Cable Public Access Enterprise Fund, which is funded entirely by PEG access receipts.
The next three articles present three versions of the school district budget, contingent on an override passing or not.
Article 17 asks voters to approve the baseline school budget of $17,432,926 if no override is passed.
Article 18 asks voters to approve the school budget of 18,051,070 that will be adopted contingent on a Proposition 2-1/2 override of $1.9 million being approved.
Article 19 asks voters to approve the school budget of 18,451,070 that will be adopted contingent on a Proposition 2-1/2 override of $2.9 million being approved.
Article 20 asks voters to approve $633,000 for the town's assessment of its share of the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School budget.
Article 21 asks voters to approve a grant of $27,500 to the Winchendon Community Action Committee, Inc. If no override passes, this article will be passed over.
Article 22 asks voters to approve funding to the school district "for a feasibility study and schematic design for potential replacement of windows, roofs and doors at Toy Town Elementary...and Memorial Elementary...and the potential replacement of the roof at Murdock Middle High School." This amount may be reimbursed through a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).
Article 23 asks voters to approve funds for a new boiler at Murdock Middle High School, dollar amount to be determined by Town Meeting. This is the only capital improvement on the warrant that the town is being asked to pay for. Mr. Croteau said that it would probably be about $500,000 for the boiler and installation.
Article 24 asks voters to approve spending for a new police cruiser, for $74,000, which will be paid for through the 911 Grant.
Article 25 will only be voted on if the $2.9 million override passes. It asks voters to approve moving $200,000 into the Stabilization Fund. The current balance in the Fund is about $1.4 million, Mr. McKinney said.
Article 26 asks voters to approve conveying the property at 4 Summer Drive, which is owned by the town, to the Board of Selectmen, who will then convey it to the Winchendon Redevelopment Authority so they can "get it back on the tax rolls," Mr. McKinney said. This is the building that was being renovated for Bull Spit Brewing, which is no longer in operation.
Article 27 will be passed over. It asks voters to approve conveying the property on Beech Street, where the new Gateway Park is being constructed, to the Board of Selectmen from the Winchendon Redevelopment Authority, but Mr. Croteau said they're actually not ready to convey that property just yet.
Article 28 asks voters to approve conveying the property by Juniper Street where the bike path has been extended from the Winchendon Redevelopment Authority to the Town.
Article 29 asks voters to approve an amendment to the General Bylaws of the Town of Winchendon, Section 62-1, defining the procedure for serving the warrant for Town Meeting. The sentence stating that a postcard will be mailed to every household occupied by a registered voter will be deleted.
Article 30 asks voters to approve accepting an Act passed by the state legislation called the Hero Act, which gives veterans a greater exemption on their property tax. Mr. McKinney said that they're waiting for complete information from the Assessor about how much the exemption will be and how it will impact the town.
Article 31 asks voters to approve a 12-month moratorium on Waste Plastics Incineration projects in Winchendon.
Article 32 asks voters to approve amending the Town Bylaw to add a section controlling and regulating the handling of contaminated soils, such as COMM-97 materials, that are brought into the town by commercial businesses.
Article 33 asks voters to approve amending the Town of Winchendon Zoning Bylaw, Article XI Residential Development, Section 300-11.10 Maximum Number of Dwelling Units, Subsection H, to delete the phrase "provided the maximum number of dwelling units is not exceeded." This gives the Zoning Board of Appeals leeway to grant a special permit for any number of dwelling units in the PD and R10 zones, allowing apartment buildings to be constructed in these zones.
Board of Selectmen member Erika Eitland suggested that the language in the articles be clear and simplified rather than legalese, so that voters can easily understand what they're voting on. Perhaps there could be additional explanation appended to the formal articles.
FinCom member Adam Gardner said, "I think presenting the differences between the budgets is going to be much more effective communication than presenting the full line item for every document. That's a lot to gloss over, and just seeing the plus-minus would be really helpful to distill meaning to everyone who's reading this for the first time."
Residents Speak Out on Draft Warrant to BOS and FinCom
Following the first presentation of the draft warrant for Winchendon's May 19 Annual Town Meeting, residents attending the joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee on Monday, April 14 were invited to come forward with comments.
Resident Christine Haslam-Giovannucci, who is a candidate for Board of Selectmen, rose to echo the comments made by Board members about giving voters clear explanations of the articles. "Some of the language in here might be hard," she suggested. "It would be very helpful to have a little blurb, like layman's terms on what these articles mean, how they're going to change things. It might be helpful, because residents might vote no on things, not knowing what they are or what they mean."
Board of Selectmen Chair Rick Ward agreed, "We've seen it six times, eight times, and we just assume everyone knows. We get a booklet before the Town Meeting which has an explanation for us to give to the public, which explains the article. So maybe, as we get that thing created, we can put that online, some of the information that comes out that we give as a backup to some of these."
Board of Selectmen member Erika Eitland suggested a "cheat sheet" of terminology, explaining what an Enterprise Fund is and how it works, and explanations of where money is coming from and how it's spent. Mr. Ward suggested a "glossary" in the warrant. Ms. Eitland said that it needed to be out there before Town Meeting, "because for some people, it might be the first time they see that article and then, flip through a glossary, it ain't gonna happen. And so I think whatever way we can make it easier, even if it's a two-pager that gives a two sentence definition to some of this stuff."
Resident and Chair of the School Committee Karen Kast rose to explain a question asked by Fincom member Dr. Maureen Ward about article 22, funding for a feasibility study for work to be done on the school buildings. The warrant contained no dollar amount, and Dr. Ward asked if this was a "blank check" to the schools. Ms. Kast explained that the procedures for applying to the Massachusetts School Building Authority required a dollar amount, which was estimated at $200,000, but the district can't do a formal request for quotes until they have the funding. The district is also looking for a state earmark through Senator Jo Comerford's office as an alternative source of funding. Voters will be given a concrete dollar amount in the motion on Town Meeting floor, Ms. Kast explained, they won't be expected to vote in "a blank check."
Ms. Eitland added that when the work is done, Winchendon qualifies for a 77 percent reimbursement from the state, which is higher than many other towns. The feasibility study is the first step in getting something at a discount that the town really needs.
Resident David Watkins rose to talk about the override requests. "The 1.9 and the 2.9, that's an awful lot of money...people are struggling, so I think we need to rethink this empire building that's going on in our town. I understood from everyone that level funding was off the table, but I think that we're going overboard with the amounts. I think the town is going to have to work within their budget. I spoke to a gentleman today from Westminster, a police officer. He said, 'Everybody knows that Winchendon is in trouble,' dire straits. He spoke about the schools. He spoke about different drains that's happening on the budget. We're overspending."
Mr. Watkins spoke about other towns, saying Westminster hasn't had an override in years. "So there's other towns that are working within their budget," he said. He predicted that Winchendon will be so expensive with high taxes that people will move away because they can't afford to live here, and "the town's going to be a ghost town." He added, "So I think we need to understand we need to cut. We need to cut the schools. We need to cut, cut."
Dr. Ward responded that the town can't cut the schools, because of mandated net school spending.
Mr. Watkins returned to respond, "We have a lot of students at home school. That's a cost we have. We have kids that are going to school choice. That's still a cost. We have all this busing. That's a huge cost. I don't think that's mandated to have a huge cost of busing. Maybe we need to look around and find a cheaper way of transportation. We need to keep the kids here so we need to offer a curriculum that keeps the kids here, I would say it needs to be more trades. Not everybody wants to go to college or is capable of doing that. So I think we need to inject something into our system that's really going to grab these kids, plumbers, electricians, something that's going to help the school system right now, we're just throwing money at it now, whether it's mandated or not...And we need to also rethink the fact that there are other towns that are not approving these overrides so that the town can rethink, regroup and cut costs." He again evoked the possibility of houses being boarded up and empty.
(For those who would like to look up other towns' Proposition 2-1/2 override votes, as Mr. Watkins suggested, that information is available on the Mass DOR website at https://dlsgateway.dor.state.ma.us/reports/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=Votes.Prop2_5.OverrideUnderride. In 35 years, since 1990, Westminster has had 30 override attempts and passed 12 of them. Winchendon has had 12 override attempts and passed 2 of them. Westminster last passed an override in 2017, the same year that Winchendon's last override attempt failed. Winchendon last passed an override in 2014, 11 years ago.)
Resident Barbara Zisk rose to say she saw that there would be an Executive Session later tonight on the BOS agenda. She said, "I would hope that you would show in good faith to the people of Winchendon, until after the May 5 vote is taken and has been made that there would be no changes in any of the financial situations at this time regarding pay raises to anybody, unless it is in a union contract."
Resident Paula Whitaker rose to say, "I just don't quite understand the drastic measures that are being cut. Have you looked at a part time Librarian, have you looked at part time at the CAC, have you looked at part time at the Senior Center? I know a lot of those places are run by volunteers, and they have grant money coming in. The CAC has quite a bit of money that they use on their own. So I'm kind of confused if that's been looked at or not. I've been in institutions where we don't cut drastically, we cut a little bit, and we are able to and come back and manage it."
Winchendon is "coming up again," Ms. Whitaker said. "A lot of things are positive. We have two little bakeries in town that have come in. We have the amphitheater, we have things that are positive in town. So I'd hate to see this strap the people of our community and not be able to afford it. We have a lot of elderly, we have a lot of people who aren't able to probably pay this increase. And I'm just wondering if there's other avenues, like, there's so much money out there, you just have to have somebody to write the correct grant to get money for our organizations in town that are being considered being cut."
Mr. Ward responded that all of these things have been considered. The library needs a certified librarian and must stay open a minimum number of hours. The money simply isn't there. All of the town departments get as much grant money as they possibly can now, but "grants are very specific." Grants pay for things like a new elevator but not for general operating costs. "These are costs that, many of them are $1,200,000 or more, we don't have any control over. These are increased costs throughout the state. We have no control. We can't stop it. The 1.9 is the minimum to keep everything alive. Now the voters will have their say. If they don't want it, then Winchendon will lose all that we have. No, we can't do anything about it. If they want it, they'll vote for the 1.9."
Resident Monique Connor rose to say, "Everybody here is talking about the override...plain and simple, most of the people want to know what the Finance Committee is doing, what the Board of Selectmen is doing, and what the town and departments are doing to make money, change things around and get the proper utilization of departments. I'm sure the DPW can make cuts somewhere, fire department can make cuts somewhere, not that they have not already, but that's going to be for this year, if it goes through. What about next year? What are you guys doing? How are you coming up with a plan for the following years?"
Member of the Board of Selectmen Audrey LaBrie said that the BOS would be discussing formation of an Economic Development Task Force in their meeting immediately following the joint board meeting.
Resident Rick Lucier rose to ask, "What is the contingency plan for this town? I know we have an industrial park. But it's hard to get people to go into an industrial park when you're going to spend more money to slam through ledge before you can put a building in that darn park. So that's a troubling point to start. What I'm not happy with is some of the stuff. You're going to punish the children by getting rid of their library. You're going to punish the seniors by getting rid of the Senior Center after finishing it with renovations and stuff. You're going to punish the poor in despair by not funding the CAC, the ones that can least afford any more cuts. There needs to be some plan."
Mr. Lucier said the town needs to freeze wages. There are administrators at the school who aren't under contract. The town engineer could be put on a per diem basis. "There are going to be other ways, and you are the ones that are going to come up with them," he said. Parks & Recreation have some acts under contract. Saying that the DPW won't be able to plow as much raises a question of public safety. Mr. Lucier echoed Mr. Watson in saying that residents' costs for insurance and everything else are going up as much as the towns'. The town will be empty because people can't afford to live here and will move out. The small retail and service businesses aren't enough, Mr. Lucier said, "You need warehousing, industrial and you need manufacturing." He stated Mylec was going to close because "a lot of people do not play street hockey." (Mr. Lucier stated that Saloom Furniture has closed, but a representative at the company told the Courier that this is not the case, and referred us to owner Linda Saloom for more information.) Mr. Lucier also said that a report in the Worcester Telegram showed Winchendon Public Schools paying higher salaries than surrounding towns.
Ms. Kast rose to say that the amount Winchendon pays for education isn't just for the Winchendon school district but also pays for school choice, charter school and other tuition fees. "It pays for the education of every single student that lives in Winchendon and wants to go to a public school in Massachusetts," she said. "It's nice to say, cut more from schools. We've cut, we've cut, we've cut, and we've cut. There's nothing left to cut." She concluded, "What it comes down to is that this town, you need to decide what kind of town you want to live in and where you want to be. I will vote for both the 1.9 and the 2.9 because I'd rather tighten my belt at home to make sure that this town has schools and a library and a Senior Center, because without those, we don't have a town and your property values sink, all of ours."
This closed the public comment period, and the Finance Committee adjourned. The BOS remained for their regular meeting after a short recess.
Residents Have Major Concerns with W.L. French Capping Operation on River Street
At the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday, April 14, residents brought forward serious complaints and issues with the ongoing Mabardy landfill capping operation being run by W.L. French directly behind homes on River Street. Also running on that site, independent of the landfill capping, is a sand and gravel removal operation.
When the meeting was opened for public comment at the beginning, the first resident to speak was Frank Allen, who lives on River Street. Mr. Allen wanted to report on conditions on his own property and on the "COMM-97 hill" directly behind it, saying he had emailed the Board some photos earlier today. "That email shows all of the photos of the trash and construction debris, but I'll try to stay in woods here, so on my side, flooding of my property. The hill itself has huge runoff trenches, and this hill has been there for over a year. The silt fence has been washed out up against my property line, within my property and that water has flooded over onto our property. This has happened since last year...The company has been down there. They're aware of this. There's been tire tracks and tractor tracks going by it, but they've chosen not do anything about it."
Mr. Frank said that he walked along the borders of the property, along the river and up on the Army Corps-owned parcels. "There are multiple locations of debris from Mabardy," he said. "It's over the hill and down, going down towards the river on the Army Corps side. That's how far his trash was buried. And it's still there, still exposed, and it's running down the hill going further down. There are multiple washed out silt fences everywhere. There are multiple trenches." There is also a pond full of water, which is overflowing toward the Millers River. Since last August, the debris field "has grown immensely," Mr. Allen said. "There are photos of actual trash, photos of construction trash and photos of construction debris, some of these pieces multiple feet long. Okay, the limit of solid debris, I believe, is six inches. And we're talking about pieces that are feet out there for everybody to see. There were pieces that are literally in my face. When I look at it, I see these giant concrete things. Now, I don't know what that hill is, but it is just disgusting."
Board of Selectmen Chair Rick Ward stopped Mr. Allen because he had exceeded his three minutes for a comment.
Resident Theresa Langdon then rose to speak. "After reviewing the video of the April 27 2024 Board of Selectmen meeting and listening to the testimony of Keith Kent regarding what he described as a meeting that included town officials and French representatives. He addressed the buried batteries. I came away as disturbed as I felt when I originally attended that BOS meeting." She asked why any town official felt they could withhold information of this kind from the public. Trust in local government is lacking, she said, "in large part, citizens are demanding increased transparency. Withholding of this information further impacts this situation in a negative way. At this meeting, it was expressed by a Board member that was present during the inspection of the site that they would take responsibility for not following up on this important issue. What specifically have you done in one year? Because it's one year, in a few days." (The video of the BOS meeting referred to may be viewed at https://winchendon.cablecast.tv/CablecastPublicSite/show/87?site=1%C2%A0%C2%A0. Mr. Kent begins speaking at 1:06:15 on the video.)
Resident Jennifer Allen rose to say that Town Engineer Pat Wood did do a report in December, 2024. "Unfortunately, the major modification, which is the portion that Frank is talking about, which is directly behind our house, has never been photographed. There's nothing showing the flooding behind our property and onto our property," she said. She also asked for clarification and explanation on the report's mention of elevated dioxane levels, which might be a carcinogen. All of this will be getting into the Millers River.
Resident Barbara Zisk rose to say "we're here again," and asking why, after residents coming forward over and over, there isn't been a resolution. Why is the town engineer not reporting on his inspections? There is a high incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in town, she said.
Resident David Watkins rose to ask why no core samples and deep water testing have been done. Contaminants could be getting into private wells. "These need to be done for these people," he said. "This is being done to them." He asked why the town engineer wasn't at the meeting, with this issue on the agenda. "These things need to be done right away. So what are we going to do about it?"
Mr. Watkins told everyone to Google "buried batteries." The state sees them as a "skull and crossbones situation," he said. The area needs to be tested, or we'll need to put caution tape around the whole area and move the abutting residents out. There needs to be some follow-up by the Boards who have been hearing about this for over a year now.
Mr. Watkins said that he'd gotten calls from people at work telling him that there were muddy tire tracks all the way down the road from the entrance to the site. Obviously the wheel wash machine was not working or not being used, as required. The tires were tracking contaminants all the way down River Street.
Town Manager Bill McKinney said he would talk with the town engineer. He said that the reason the wheel wash was not being used was because it isn't used when temperatures are below freezing.
Following the public comments, the Board voted to take the agenda item, "Update on Landfill (River Street) Capping Project" out of order. Mr. Ward explained that he had received letters from residents Theresa Langdon and Christine Haslam-Giovannucci, pointing out that the last updates were a year ago this month. He forwarded their question to W.L. French. A year ago, W.L. French was promising that delivery of the COMM-97 fill would end in about 14 months, and the project was forecast to be complete in 2026.
Jarrett Everton, with W.L. French and 580 LLC, rose to speak. "Just as a quick update on it, we reported we have about 80,000 tons remaining of the total amount that we were supposed to bring in there, which is about 5.5 percent left," he explained. "So we're in the home stretch of this project, almost done. There's been some decrease in the housing market as far as construction. So the amount of soil that we've been bringing in has dropped off significantly, especially in February. We've brought in about 3,000 tons. The weather didn't help out. Even in February, we're typically bringing in about 20,000 and during some of the higher months, we're bringing about 40,000 so that's led to a little bit of an extension of the project. But I think overall, we should be done the soil import within six months. I would say, I can pretty much assure you it'll be done by the end of the year 2025. We should definitely be done with soil import before then. As far as the capping itself, we're still projecting about 12 months, maybe 18 months, all the cap on top of it."
Asked what the steps were for the capping, Mr. Everton said, "After the last truck pulls out, then we install sand on top of it, gets final graded with some sand on it, the cap, the actual 40 mil geotextile membrane, goes on top of that sand. There's a gas venting layer that's part of the sand. And then there's 12 inches more sand on top of the geotextile membrane, those six inches, and then there's six inches of loam that goes on top of that. That's final grading, and then the grass seed, and then that's it."
Reminding Mr. Everton of Keith Kent's presentation a year ago ("couldn't forget it," Mr. Everton said), Mr. Ward asked what the company had decided to do about that situation.
Mr. Everton stated that their engineer looked into the testing. Mass Department of Environmental Protection was also on-site. They found one battery, he said, not multiple batteries. "We didn't inspect every inch of the sub grade out there, but what we're installing is the cap that is going to protect the surface water from coming into contact with anything that's below grade, making leachate getting into the groundwater," he said.
Board of Selectmen member Erika Eitland said that "what worries me most" is that they're capping an unlined landfill. "Over time, that stuff is going to migrate." Ms. Eitland said that she works in the architectural industry, and she has gone to highly contaminated sites under construction and heard, "Oh, we know where Winchendon is, because French took our refuse from that project." This is material they don't want under a school building in Boston but now it's in Winchendon. What kind of risk remediation is W.L. French taking?
Mr. Everton said that the cap prevents water from getting into the COMM-97 soil, and it doesn't touch the soil itself. The landfill isn't as bad as the closed town landfill--it isn't municipal trash. It's concrete waste with "mildly contaminated" soil on top. "The cap goes on top of that and secures it for the future. They say there's 100 year warranty on the cap itself, but once you put it on top of there, the soil, they estimate that the life of these is over 1000 years."
Ms. Eitland said that the issue isn't just surface water; there's water underground and it's moving. When W.L. French leaves, they're gone.
Mr. Everton said there is bond in place for 30 years, and they're liable for the life of the landfill. They have a network of monitoring wells around the site and they're sampled twice a year.
Ms. Eitland said that W.L. French, as a company operating in the town, should have some meetings with the Board of Health and the town engineer, and have a dashboard on their website with the results of all their annual testing. Mr. Everton said that all results are sent to the DEP and can be looked up on the DEP website. Ms. Eitland spoke strongly about the need for transparency, and the need to "translate" what the DEP says in a way that everyone in town can easily understand. "People don't understand what they're saying," she said. "It could be visible in plain sight, and we just don't know. So we are also looking for that transparency and that support of being able to break down what some of this means."
Mr. Everton said, "I get it, but sometimes when you hand out the data, and people aren't qualified to interpret it, they don't understand what it means, and then they get triggered and more scared of the data, because they think there's something there that's not what somebody had mentioned. That's really a qualifier. That means it's a reporting issue with the laboratory. So those are the types of things that you know. When you hand out the data, people think they're scientists, but they're not. And you need to know how to interpret the data."
Mr. Everton also said that Mass DEP has visited the site every week, and the town engineer, who is paid by W.L. French for these visits, has inspected every month. If there were real issues, the town would have been notified.
Board of Selectman member Audrey LaBrie asked about silt fencing, who installed it. Mr. Everton said that the fencing was updated every spring. The snow can tip over the fencing. If the bales deteriorate, they're replaced. "We're going to be doing it probably within the next month," he said.
At this point Mr. Allen became so emotional, Mr. Ward ordered him to leave the room, which he did, not quietly.
Ms. LaBrie and Mr. Everton continued discussing the silt fence. Mr. Everton stated that water flows away from Mr. Allen's property, not toward it. There has been a great deal of rain in the last eight weeks. They hadn't heard any complaints before now. "We're never pushing stuff down the line. That's not what we do. We get it fixed right away." He promised to look at the silt fence the next day. He stated that "every single time it rains, they have to walk the boundaries of the site."
Department of Public Works Director Brian Croteau rose to say, "I'm going to have the town engineer on site tomorrow. This is the first I've heard of the silt fence being knocked over. Pat has done monthly inspections." Mr. Croteau said that he would make sure all reports have been uploaded to the town website. (They may be seen at https://www.townofwinchendon.com/zoning-board-appeals/pages/mabardy-2021-2025-reports.)
Mr. Everton said that when the wheel wash isn't operating, the street sweeper is operational.
Board of Selectmen member Andrew Beauvais asked, "Mr. Chair, was it not in the original contract that if this ever became a nuisance, we could put a cease or pause the project, I believe nuisance was in the language, and this is certainly a nuisance, especially the dust and contaminants and the particulates. And I think if that is written in the language, we should look into that, and we should use it to our advantage and put a pause on this." He asked if W.L. French could install something like a berm between the site and homeowners' properties. Mr. Everton said a berm could go in some places, but there was no room in between the Allens' property.
The Board agreed to look at a future meeting with the Board of Health and W.L. French about all of these concerns.
For previous Courier coverage of the landfill capping, see:
"BOS Hear More Serious Concerns from Citizens About Landfill Capping Operation: Residents Want to Know What's Really in That Landfill" in the
April 25-May 2, 2024 edition of the Winchendon Courier
"Residents Raise More Questions in Continued Debate About W.L. French Landfill Capping" in the
March 28-April 4, 2024 edition of the Winchendon Courier
"Citizens Pack BOS Meeting in Beals Auditorium Looking for Answers about W.L. French Landfill Capping on River Street" in the
February 29-March 7, 2024 edition of the Winchendon Courier
"W.L. French Announces Purchase of Winchendon Landfill: Facility Will Help Contractors Safely Dispose of Construction Materials in Massachusetts" in the in the
April February 4-11, 2021 edition of the Winchendon Courier
A Courier Series: Winchendon and Proposition 2-1/2
Part 3: Does Winchendon Have High Taxes? How We Compare to Our Neighbors
How does Winchendon stack up to our neighbors when it comes to fiscal management and tax rates? Are we really managed that badly, not "living within our means," and constantly trying to raise taxes with overrides just so we can spend more money?
Conversation about Winchendon's current financial crisis--and it is a crisis--have included some accusations of mismanaged funds and enormous amounts of missing money, and claims that the town administration is so pathetically incompetent the town has "gone bankrupt four times."
There is no missing money. The town has never been "bankrupt." Bankruptcy means you're defaulting on your debts, which Winchendon has never done.
The town has had to scramble numerous times to make cut-backs in order to balance its budget. But this isn't because Winchendon wastes money. It's because Winchendon hasn't balanced its needs--as a town with over 10,300 residents--with its revenue. As commercial tax revenue dwindled, Winchendon didn't adjust.
Compared to other cities and towns, our tax rates are quite low.
Property tax rates in Massachusetts range from $2.65 (Edgartown, on Martha's Vineyard) to $21.12 (Longmeadow, just south of Springfield). Winchendon's current tax rate, $11.75, is in the lower two fifths of the state--140th of 347 municipalities.
You could say that it's not fair or meaningful to compare our town to the entire state. Let's look at how we rate among our 26 immediate neighbors in this region. Although these cities and towns have many differences, we all share a great deal of history and experiences, and we have an overlapping regional economy.
"North Central Massachusetts" is formally defined as comprising 27 towns and cities. Here they are:
We'll move higher on the chart if we pass either of the two Proposition 2-1/2 overrides being requested. But we still won't be near the top. Here are what our tax rates and our standing will be if we pass the $1.9 million or $2.9 million overrides. Even with the higher override, we'll still be just above the median tax rate for our region.
But in our region, we have passed a lower total dollar amount in overrides than any other town that passed any overrides at all (some have never passed an override), except for Royalston. Winchendon has passed exactly two overrides since 1990, one of them for a 911 phone system. The last time Winchendon voters approved an override was in 2014, eleven years ago.
Some people are talking as though Winchendon was the municipal equivalent of a person who doesn't know how to manage money, wastes all their cash on frivolous shopping trips and then asks their friends for loans when it's time to pay the rent and their bank account is overdrawn.
But this analogy doesn't fit. Winchendon is suffering from deferred financial maintenance. We're like a person who doesn't want to get a higher-paying job or update their skills because they're comfortable and attached to where they are. When the check engine light comes on, they bang the dashboard with their shoe until it goes off. When there's a leak in the back bedroom, they just close the room off and pretend it's not there. I can't afford to deal with this now, they say. And we all know where that ends up.
Winchendon hasn't wanted to change for too long. It hasn't been really committed to growth because we all love our town's rural character, acres of woods, rivers, lakes and natural beauty. But if we want a bigger commercial tax base to spread out the burden, we've got to be willing to trade a little peace and quiet for a little more hustle and bustle. At a recent Board of Selectmen's meeting, resident Rick McKenzie related how he asked a neighbor what the town's plan or vision was, and was told, "our plan is we don't have a plan, and we don't want to plan because we want to keep it just the way it is. And there's a saying that goes, without a vision, the people perish."
He's right.
Spring Break Fun at the Beals Memorial Library
During the week of April school vacation, the Beals Memorial Library will be offering several fun programs and activities to keep kids busy! Here's what's happening:
On Wednesday, April 23, at 1:00 p.m., enjoy Beginner Birding for Kids! Come learn more about the local birds in your yard and how to start identifying them. Begin the easy journey into birding by learning more about these beautiful creatures that are an essential part of our natural world by learning a few common bird songs and create two simple feeders to attract local birds. Participation is limited! Contact the library to sign up.
On Thursday, April 24, at 1:00 p.m., kids ages 5-10 are invited to get their hands dirty with some fun experiments doing Springtime Science with Melissa! Can you really make a bouncy ball? Can a fairy house grow something? And what do mentos and diet coke have to do with science? Sign up to find out!
Lastly, on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 a.m., young fans of the Dog Man comic book series by author, Dav Pilkey, are invited to join in for a fun Saturday morning celebrating the hit book series and its animated film release! Enjoy a variety of Dog Man themed activities inspired by the comics. There will be games, creative activities, and snacks. Then, at 11:00 a.m., there will be a screening of the new Dog Man movie! Part dog, part man, all hero! The movie follows Dog Man, a half-dog, half-man police officer sworn to protect and serve as he doggedly pursues the feline supervillain Petey the Cat.
These programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Beals Memorial Library and are free to attend. Contact the library to sign up!
The Beals Memorial is located at 50 Pleasant Street in Winchendon. For more information, contact the library at 978-297-0300 or visit their website at bealslibrary.org.
Community Connector
Your One-Stop Guide to What's Happening in your Town!
FRIDAY APRIL 18
Good Friday Service at United Parish 6:00 p.m. We invite you to join us for service here in the sanctuary for our Good Friday service, as we listen and learn about the Road to Redemption from Pastor Jason Cox. Following service, the Youth Group program will be doing the traditional United Parish Lock-in with the Youth Group members. At United Parish, 39 Front St, Winchendon.
Good Friday Service 6:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross at 3:00 p.m. At Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, 52 Spruce St, Winchendon.
Line Dancing Lessons with Marylee 6:30-8:00 p.m. No experience necessary. Open to anyone who wants to join. This is an all genres music class. $10 per person. No outside drinks. Cash bar available. Come enjoy the fun and stay for Singo bingo at 8:00 p.m. At the Snowbound Club, 130 Baldwinville Rd, Winchendon.
Singo 8:00-9:30 p.m. This is the musical version of regular bingo! Instead of listening to numbers, listen to your favorite songs! Feel free to sing along too! No cost to play and chances to win gift cards! Club opens at 6:00 p.m. We have pool tables and dart boards too! Cash bar available. At the Snowbound Club, 130 Baldwinville Rd, Winchendon.
SATURDAY APRIL 19
Easter Egg Hunt & Photos with the Easter Bunny 11:00 a.m. Join us for an egg-citing day at Winchendon Community Park! Bring the whole family for a fun-filled Easter Egg Hunt and a chance to snap a picture with the Easter Bunny! Free to all. For more details contact Shaina at 978-297-3155 or scunningham@winchendon-ma.gov. Sponsored by Winchendon Parks & Recreation. At Winchendon Community Park, 86 Ingleside Dr.
Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil Mass at 7:30 p.m. At Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, 52 Spruce St, Winchendon.
SUNDAY APRIL 20
Sunrise Service in Old Centre 6:00 a.m. Join us on the Old Centre Common at the top of High Street as the sun rises, singing hymns that celebrate Jesus' Resurrection. You may even hear a rooster crow! Sponsored by United Parish of Winchendon.
Easter Sunday Mass 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. At Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, 52 Spruce St, Winchendon.
Easter Service at United Parish 10:00 a.m. Special Easter songs will be sung by the choir that they have worked so hard on with Wendy McKean. And a short performance with the Sunday School children that have worked so hard too, celebrating Jesus' Resurrection! Then following service we invite the children to gather on the front lawn for our Easter Egg Hunt! At United Parish, 39 Front St, Winchendon.
Easter Service and Egg Hunt at UU Church of Winchendon 11:00 a.m. Join us for a family-friendly Easter service led by Rev. Inanna Arthen, "Shining Light on the Word." Let's roll the stone of darkness away from the true message of Jesus' words and how they inspire us to make change for good. Pianist Sharon Beaty and Murdock High School vocalists will provide live music. After the service, we invite children and adults to partake in our egg hunt around the church grounds. At UU Church of Winchendon, 126 Central St.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 23
Beginner Birding for Kids at the Beals 1:00 p.m. Learn some facts about birds and how to identify them, and make two simple feeders. Participation is limited! Contact the library to sign up, at 978-297-0300 or visit their website at bealslibrary.org. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St, Winchendon.
Proposition 2-1/2 Override Information Session 3:00 p.m. This is your chance to ask questions and get answers from the Town Manager and Town Department Heads about the override, or about town government in general. At Winchendon CAC/The HUB, 5 Summer Dr, Winchendon.
Proposition 2-1/2 Override Information Session 6:00 p.m. This is your chance to ask questions and get answers from the Town Manager and Town Department Heads about the override, or about town government in general. At the Pearl Drive Community Room, Winchendon.
THURSDAY APRIL 24
Bob Jordan at the Old Murdock 11:00 a.m. Enjoy the music of Winchendon resident Bob Jordan, who performs a mix of folk, rock, and original songs. For more information, call the Senior Center at 978-297-3155. At Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave, Winchendon.
Springtime Science with Melissa at the Beals 1:00 p.m. Ages 5-10. Can you really make a bouncy ball? Can a fairy house grow something? And what do mentos and diet coke have to do with science? Sign up to find out! Call 978-297-0300 or visit the library website at bealslibrary.org. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St, Winchendon.
Our Neighbor's Kitchen Dinner 5:30 p.m. at UU Church of Winchendon. Dinner will be served in the Parish Hall; take-out available after indoor diners are served. This week's menu TBA. Free-will donation $2 per person, $5 per family; no one turned away. 126 Central Street.
A Night With Patrick - A Worship Experience in Support of the Library, Senior Center & Rec Dept 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Free to all. RSVP to 978-894-4844. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St, Winchendon.
BINGO at the HUB 7:00-9:00 p.m. Play 15 exciting games, just 50 cents per sheet of three squares! Last game is a COVERALL for $1 a sheet, with a GUARANTEED $75 pot! Bring your friends, grab your lucky charm, and get ready for a fun-filled evening of bingo and prizes! Sponsored by Winchendon Parks & Recreation Commission. At Winchendon Community HUB, 5 Summer Dr.
FRIDAY APRIL 25
Trivia at the HUB 7:00-8:00 p.m. Join us for a fun evening of Trivia at The HUB! Whether you're looking for a night out with friends, family fun, or a chance to unwind, we've got you covered. Purchase Beer and Wine to help support the CAC while you bowl! Join us for a fantastic evening of bowling, drinks, and community fun! Brought to you by Winchendon Parks and Recreation! Tag your friends and let's make it a strike! 2nd and 4th Fridays January through April. At The HUB, 5 Summer Dr., Winchendon.
SATURDAY APRIL 26
Art Critique with Care 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Are you looking for encouragement and support from other artists? Bring up to 2 pieces of your artwork (finished or unfinished) to share with your circle of artists' friends. Join us even if you don't have art to bring! Free to all GALA members. Please RSVP to Janet, Jandu516@gmail.com. Sponsored by GALA. At Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave, Winchendon.
Dog Man Saturday at the Beals 10:00 a.m. Games, creative activities, and snacks inspired by the comics. At 11:00 a.m. will be a screening of the new Dog Man movie. Part dog, part man, all hero! The movie follows Dog Man, a half-dog, half-man police officer sworn to protect and serve as he doggedly pursues the feline supervillain Petey the Cat. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St, Winchendon.
Open House Family Fun Day at the American Legion 12:00-5:00 p.m. Come see what we have to offer! Sponsored by the Winchendon American Legion Auxiliary Unit 193. At Winchendon American Legion Post 193, 295
MONDAY APRIL 28
Doc & Talk at the Beals 6:00 p.m. Documentary film and discussion series. Now showing: Life, Animated (2016). A coming-of-age story about a boy and his family who overcame great challenges by turning Disney animated movies into a language to express love, loss, kinship and brotherhood. Shown as part of Autism Acceptance Month. Rated PG. Free to the public! Popcorn will be provided. In the auditorium at Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St, Winchendon.
TUESDAY APRIL 29
Dementia Care Training at the Senior Center 5:30 p.m. This month, "Forms and Stages of Dementia: Exploring the Present and Anticipating the Future." Trainer: Olivia Companion, certified Dementia Practitioner and Montessori Dementia Care Professional. Fee: $25. Call the Senior Center at 978-297-3155 to register. At Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 30
Classic Movie Matinee at the Beals 3:00 p.m. Now showing: The Great Dictator starring Charlie Chaplin. Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime. Rated G. Free to the public! For more info, contact the library at 978-297-0300 or visit https://bealslibrary.org. In the auditorium at Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St, Winchendon.
THURSDAY MAY 1
Proposition 2-1/2 Override Information Session 2:30 p.m. This is your chance to ask questions and get answers from the Town Manager and Town Department Heads about the override, or about town government in general. At Ipswich Drive Community Room, Winchendon.
Fitchburg Art Museum and Farmers Market Trip 2:00-5:00 p.m. Free admission to the Art Museum! Sponsored by Old Murdock Senior Center. Home pick up available upon request or meet at the Senior Center (52 Murdock Ave, Winchendon) at 1:30 to get a ride. RIDES MUST BE SCHEDULED TO CONFIRM YOUR SEAT ON THE BUS. You can sign up online at https://www.townofwinchendon.com/council-aging or call the Senior Center at 978-297-3155.
Culinary Workshop for Teens 3:00-5:00 p.m. Cooking lessons with Growing Places for youth age 13-18. Every other Thursday, free of charge. Learn how to make cookies and soup! Products made will be sold at The HUB and served to seniors every other Friday! Participants will gain hands-on cooking experience and give back to the local senior center by cooking a delicious meal for them! Please fill out a separate RSVP form for each participant you are registering at https://www.the-hub.org/event-details/culinary-workshop. Workshop is held at The HUB, 5 Summer Dr., Winchendon.
Our Neighbor's Kitchen Dinner 5:15 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Served in the Parish Hall. This week the menu is Pasta Fagioli with garlic bread by Beverly & Christine. Free-will donation $2 per person, $5 per family; no one turned away. 52 Spruce Street, Winchendon.
FRIDAY MAY 2
Singo 8:00-9:30 p.m. This is the musical version of regular bingo! Instead of listening to numbers, listen to your favorite songs! Feel free to sing along too! No cost to play and chances to win gift cards! Club opens at 6:00 p.m. We have pool tables and dart boards too! Cash bar available. At the Snowbound Club, 130 Baldwinville Rd, Winchendon.
MONDAY MAY 5
Town Election 8:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. At Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave, Winchendon, 2nd floor auditorium.
WEDNESDAY MAY 7
Mount Wachusett Community College Outreach 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. Curious About College? Meet Michelle from MWCC! Michelle, a Recruitment Counselor from Mount Wachusett Community College, will be at the CAC for a meet-and-greet with inquisitive residents. Have questions about college? Wondering if "The Mount" is the right fit for you? Stop by! No appointment needed--just bring your curiosity and questions. We can't wait to see you there! At Winchendon CAC, 5 Summer Dr.
THURSDAY MAY 8
Our Neighbor's Kitchen Dinner 5:30 p.m. at UU Church of Winchendon. Dinner will be served in the Parish Hall; take-out available after indoor diners are served. This week's menu is spaghetti with hand-rolled meatballs. Free-will donation $2 per person, $5 per family; no one turned away. 126 Central Street.
SATURDAY MAY 10
Taste of Winchendon TBA. Hosted by the Winchendon Youth Ad Hoc Committee. At G.A.R. Park, Grove St and Murdock Ave.
Old Murdock Open House 11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Come by and meet your local Senior Center! Free activities, food, yard sale, bake sale and fun for the whole family! Held in conjunction with Taste of Winchendon. At Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave, Winchendon.
TUESDAY MAY 13
Dementia Caregiver Support Group 5:30 p.m. Meets second Tuesday of each month. Facilitator: Olivia Companion, certified Dementia Practitioner and Montessori Dementia Care Professional. Free of charge. Call the Senior Center at 978-297-3155 to register. At Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon.
WEDNESDAY MAY 14
Murdock Middle High School Fine Arts Festival 6:30 p.m. Enjoy displays of student artwork and performances by student musicians with special guests the Winchendon Winds. At Murdock Middle High School, 3 Memorial Drive, Winchendon.
THURSDAY MAY 15
Culinary Workshop for Teens 3:00-5:00 p.m. Cooking lessons with Growing Places for youth age 13-18. Every other Thursday, free of charge. Learn how to make cookies and soup! Products made will be sold at The HUB and served to seniors every other Friday! Participants will gain hands-on cooking experience and give back to the local senior center by cooking a delicious meal for them! Please fill out a separate RSVP form for each participant you are registering at https://www.the-hub.org/event-details/culinary-workshop. Workshop is held at The HUB, 5 Summer Dr., Winchendon.
Our Neighbor's Kitchen Dinner 5:30 p.m. at UU Church of Winchendon. Dinner will be served in the Parish Hall; take-out available after indoor diners are served. This week's menu TBA. Free-will donation $2 per person, $5 per family; no one turned away. 126 Central Street.
FRIDAY MAY 16
Singo 8:00-9:30 p.m. This is the musical version of regular bingo! Instead of listening to numbers, listen to your favorite songs! Feel free to sing along too! No cost to play and chances to win gift cards! Club opens at 6:00 p.m. We have pool tables and dart boards too! Cash bar available. At the Snowbound Club, 130 Baldwinville Rd, Winchendon.
SATURDAY MAY 17
Annual Town Wide Clean-up Day 8:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. There will be a large dumpster, trash bags and gloves for anyone who can help! Huge thank you in advance to those who come help!! Organized by the Winchendon Board of Health. Clean-up Central at Town Hall, 109 Front St, clean-up wherever you see the need!
Bike Rodeo at Winchendon Community Park 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.A bike rodeo is a fun, hands-on event where kids learn bicycle safety and skills. They'll ride through obstacle courses, get their bikes checked, and learn the rules of the road. Bring your helmet for a proper fit--and decorate it with stickers! The MassBike Instructor will go over the rules of the road course with appropriate instruction. For Elementary aged students, primarily 3-5 graders. This event is hosted by Winchendon Parks and Recreation and Safe Routes to School, partnered with Winchendon Public Schools and Winchendon Police Department. At Winchendon Community Park, 85 Ingleside Dr.
MONDAY MAY 19
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING 7:00 p.m. At Murdock Middle High School Auditorium, 3 Memorial Dr, Winchendon.
TUESDAY MAY 27
Dementia Care Training at the Senior Center 5:30 p.m. This month, "Activities That Matter: Finding Joy and Purpose in Dementia Engagement." Trainer: Olivia Companion, certified Dementia Practitioner and Montessori Dementia Care Professional. Fee: $25. Call the Senior Center at 978-297-3155 to register. At Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon.
THURSDAY MAY 29
Culinary Workshop for Teens 3:00-5:00 p.m. Cooking lessons with Growing Places for youth age 13-18. Every other Thursday, free of charge. Learn how to make cookies and soup! Products made will be sold at The HUB and served to seniors every other Friday! Participants will gain hands-on cooking experience and give back to the local senior center by cooking a delicious meal for them! Please fill out a separate RSVP form for each participant you are registering at https://www.the-hub.org/event-details/culinary-workshop. Workshop is held at The HUB, 5 Summer Dr., Winchendon.
Our Neighbor's Kitchen Dinner 5:30 p.m. at UU Church of Winchendon. Dinner will be served in the Parish Hall; take-out available after indoor diners are served. This week's menu is Mexican casserole and southwest corn & bean salad. Free-will donation $2 per person, $5 per family; no one turned away. 126 Central Street.
FRIDAY MAY 30
4-Year Anniversary Prayer Conference 6:00-8:30 p.m. Guest speaker, Zac Acosta Pihop. Register at https://twrhouseofprayer.org/4years/. At TWR House of Prayer, 10 Pond St, Winchendon.
SATURDAY MAY 31
Operation Winchendon Cares "Military Apprecation Month" Drive 8:30-10:30 a.m. Drop off donations to fill packages for our Winchendon-associated military personnel, or stay and help stuff packages to send. At Winchendon American Legion Post 193, 295 School St.
4-Year Anniversary Prayer Conference 9:00-11:30 a.m. Guest speaker, Zac Acosta Pihop. Register at https://twrhouseofprayer.org/4years/. At TWR House of Prayer, 10 Pond St, Winchendon.
SUNDAY JUNE 1
4-Year Anniversary Prayer Conference 6:00-8:30 p.m. All Town Prayer Meeting. Guest speaker, Zac Acosta Pihop. Register at https://twrhouseofprayer.org/4years/. At TWR House of Prayer, 10 Pond St, Winchendon.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 4
Mount Wachusett Community College Outreach 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. Curious About College? Meet Michelle from MWCC! Michelle, a Recruitment Counselor from Mount Wachusett Community College, will be at the CAC for a meet-and-greet with inquisitive residents. Have questions about college? Wondering if "The Mount" is the right fit for you? Stop by! No appointment needed--just bring your curiosity and questions. We can't wait to see you there! At Winchendon CAC, 5 Summer Dr.
THURSDAY JUNE 5
Fitchburg Art Museum and Farmers Market Trip 2:00-5:00 p.m. Free admission to the Art Museum! Sponsored by Old Murdock Senior Center. Home pick up available upon request or meet at the Senior Center (52 Murdock Ave, Winchendon) at 1:30 to get a ride. RIDES MUST BE SCHEDULED TO CONFIRM YOUR SEAT ON THE BUS. You can sign up online at https://www.townofwinchendon.com/council-aging or call the Senior Center at 978-297-3155.
SATURDAY JUNE 7
Founders Day 12:00-9:00 p.m. Join us for a fun-filled day of live music, delicious food, and family-friendly activities! Bring your family, friends, and lawn chairs for a full day of entertainment, local vendors, and community fun.
Live Music Schedule:
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM - Winchendon Winds Professional Concert Band
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Jared Moore
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM - BriezyJane and the Hurricane
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Anderson Daniels (Headliner)
Food Trucks & Local Vendors! Games & Activities for All Ages! Don't miss out on this amazing day of community celebration. See you there! At Winchendon Community Park, 86 Ingleside Dr.
TUESDAY JUNE 10
Dementia Caregiver Support Group 5:30 p.m. Meets second Tuesday of each month. Facilitator: Olivia Companion, certified Dementia Practitioner and Montessori Dementia Care Professional. Free of charge. Call the Senior Center at 978-297-3155 to register. At Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon.
THURSDAY JUNE 12
Culinary Workshop for Teens 3:00-5:00 p.m. Cooking lessons with Growing Places for youth age 13-18. Every other Thursday, free of charge. Learn how to make cookies and soup! Products made will be sold at The HUB and served to seniors every other Friday! Participants will gain hands-on cooking experience and give back to the local senior center by cooking a delicious meal for them! Please fill out a separate RSVP form for each participant you are registering at https://www.the-hub.org/event-details/culinary-workshop. Workshop is held at The HUB, 5 Summer Dr., Winchendon.
Our Neighbor's Kitchen Dinner 5:30 p.m. at UU Church of Winchendon. Dinner will be served in the Parish Hall; take-out available after indoor diners are served. This week's menu TBA. Free-will donation $2 per person, $5 per family; no one turned away. 126 Central Street.
SATURDAY JUNE 14
Annual Summer Lawn Fair 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. at UU Church of Winchendon. Crafts, retail items, raffle baskets, concessions, free cycle table and more! Fundraiser to support Set in Stone masonry restoration and operations. 126 Central Street.
Solstice Fair through the day, times TBA. Road race, parade, vendors, town organizations, food and live music. On Central Street and around the Clark Memorial YMCA, 155 Central St, Winchendon.
SUNDAY JUNE 15
Winchendon Winds Concert Band Performance 2:00 p.m. Conductor Lindsay Bronnenkant leads this professional wind ensemble in a program titled Heroes." Free and open to all. Refreshments sold before the concert. At Unitarian Universalist Church of Winchendon, 126 Central St.
SATURDAY JUNE 21
Snowbound Annual Brewfest 2025 2:00-8:00 p.m. Kick off summer with us! Tickets $30 per person for brew tasting. Positive ID required. Includes sampling glass. General admission with the no brew tasting $5. Entertainment by Two for the Road and The Willies. Portion of proceeds to benefit local animal rescue. There will be food trucks, raffles, and shopping from local artisans. This is a family and dog friendly event. At the Snowbound Club, 130 Baldwinville Rd, Winchendon.
SUNDAY JUNE 22
Winchendon Winds Concert Band Performance 2:00 p.m. Conductor Lindsay Bronnenkant leads this professional wind ensemble in a program titled "Holiday." Free and open to all. Refreshments sold before the concert. At Unitarian Universalist Church of Winchendon, 126 Central St.
TUESDAY JUNE 24
Dementia Care Training at the Senior Center 5:30 p.m. This month, "Dementia Challenges: A Montessori Approach to Success." Trainer: Olivia Companion, certified Dementia Practitioner and Montessori Dementia Care Professional. Fee: $25. Call the Senior Center at 978-297-3155 to register. At Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon.
THURSDAY JUNE 26
Our Neighbor's Kitchen Dinner 5:30 p.m. at UU Church of Winchendon. Dinner will be served in the Parish Hall; take-out available after indoor diners are served. This week's menu TBA. Free-will donation $2 per person, $5 per family; no one turned away. 126 Central Street.
SATURDAY JUNE 28
Food Truck Festival and Battle of the Bands 12:00-7:00 p.m. Get ready for a day of great food, live music, and local creativity at the Winchendon Food Truck Festival! Featuring over 15 incredible food trucks serving up a diverse selection of ethnic cuisine, this festival is a paradise for food lovers. Enjoy craft beer and wine, browse unique handmade goods from local crafters and artisans, and experience the energy of our Battle of the Bands, where talented musicians compete for the top spot. Don't miss this ultimate community celebration of food, music, and fun! Free admission! Sponsored by WooTrucks and Winchendon Parks & Recreation. At G.A.R. Park, Murdock Ave and Spruce St, Winchendon.
SUNDAY JUNE 29
Winchendon Winds Concert Band Performance 2:00 p.m. Conductor Lindsay Bronnenkant leads this professional wind ensemble in their final program for the season titled "Organ - The Pipes, the Pipes are Calling." Musical selections will feature the band with both grand piano and pipe organ! Free and open to all. Refreshments sold before the concert. At Unitarian Universalist Church of Winchendon, 126 Central St.
FRIDAY JULY 11
G.A.R. Park Concert Featuring The Ed Sullivans 5:00-7:00 p.m. The Ed Sullivans - Bringing Classic Rock to Life! Get ready for the best of the British Invasion & American Rock from the '60s & '70s! Band Members:
Donnie Sadowski - Drums & Vocals
Tom Yates - Guitar & Vocals
"Arizona" Doug Urquhart - Bass & Vocals
Follow us for updates, live performances, and classic rock nostalgia! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063503257588. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theedsullivansbandworceste8018. Free to all, bring your own lawn chairs or blankets. Sponsored by Winchendon Parks & Recreation. At G.A.R. Park, Murdock Ave and Grove St, Winchendon.
FRIDAY AUGUST 8
G.A.R. Park Concert Featuring The Faceless Hobos 5:00-7:00 p.m. Meet The Faceless Hobos - a duo born out of pure passion for music! Pat Townsend and Dave Romanowski first started playing together in 2019 but, like many, were disrupted by the pandemic. However, their love for music kept them going, even jamming in a freezing garage with gloves on! Fast forward a few years, and they've made their way onto the local music scene, performing at open mics and small gigs--always with the goal of having fun and sharing the stage with fellow musicians. You might even catch Maggie Neff joining them for a jam! Their style leans toward Americana, influenced by legends like Guy Clark, John Prine, and Hayes Carll, with a few original tunes in the mix. Free to all, bring your own lawn chairs or blankets. Sponsored by Winchendon Parks & Recreation. At G.A.R. Park, Murdock Ave and Grove St, Winchendon.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 11
Fall Fest 2025 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. On Central Street from CVS to Cumberland Farms--vendors, live music, demonstrations, food, local businesses, crafters and much more! https://www.townofwinchendon.com/9th-annual-winchendon-fall-festival for updates and information. 2025 application for vendors is available at https://www.townofwinchendon.com/9th-annual-winchendon-fall-festival/pages/2025-fall-festival-vendor-application
ONGOING
SUNDAYS
Bowling 12:00-5:00 p.m. $25 for a lane per hour for up to 5 people. At The HUB (Winchendon CAC), 5 Summer Dr.
MONDAYS
Pickleball 9:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Chair Yoga with Paula 11:00 a.m. $5 suggested donation per class. This class is suitable for all abilities. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Friends Book Sale 1:00-3:00 p.m. The Friends of the Library Book Sale is back! Browse a wide selection of used books, DVDs, puzzles, music and more that the whole family will love. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St., Winchendon. We are also happy to share that we are now accepting DONATIONS! Item acceptance is at the discretion of the Friends. All items not accepted WILL be returned to the donor. Donations will ONLY be accepted during book sale hours. Donations should not be deposited in the Library's book drop-off box.
We will NOT accept the following:
* Textbooks of any kind
* Encyclopedias
* Dictionaries
* Any item that contains obsolete information (i.e. medical books)
* Any item in poor condition (scratched or damaged)
* VHS or Cassette Tapes
AA Meeting 7:30 p.m. Open meeting, all are welcome. UU Church of Winchendon, 126 Central Street.
Lego Club for Kids at the Beals 4:00-5:00 p.m. Join us for fun-filled afternoons building Lego creations straight from your imagination! For for information, contact the library at 978-297-0300. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St., Winchendon.
TUESDAYS
Pickleball 9:30 a.m. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Family Friendly Story Hour at the Chapel 10:00-11:00 a.m. For preschool age children. Parents must stay with their children for the story time. At the Chapel Downtown, 286 Central St, Winchendon.
Strength Training and Fitness Classes with Mary Lee 9:15-10:15 a.m. through Nov 7. Beginner class at 9:15 a.m., Intermediate at 9:45 a.m. Get fit with these fun exercise classes that are customized for all abilities. $5 suggested donation. Sign up online at www.townofwinchendon.com/council-aging or call the Senior Center. Rides available upon request. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Line Dancing! with Mary Lee 10:30-11:30 a.m. from Sept 5 through Nov 14. $5 Suggested Donation. No one will be turned away if unable to pay. Register at www.townofwinchendon.com/council-aging. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Yoga Classes with Paula Lashua-Brisbois 4:30-5:30 p.m. All skill levels welcome, mats and blocks available if needed. Open to adults and teens. $10 per class. For more info, contact 978-297-0300, bealsmemoriallibrary@gmail.com or visit https://www.bealslibrary.org. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St., Winchendon.
WEDNESDAYS
Pickleball 9:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Ukelele Ground 10:00 a.m. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Zumbini 11:00 a.m. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Bingo! 12:30 p.m. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Meet-Up With the Kiwanis 6:30 p.m. 2ND AND 4TH WEDNESDAYS EACH MONTH. All are welcome! Come join in community projects, make new friends, make your community better, have some fun! Younger folks welcome. For more information, call Cailte Kelly, 978-413-9930. Hosted by Kiwanis of Winchendon MA. At the Clark Memorial YMCA Community Room (in new gymnastics building down by the bike path), 155 Central St., Winchendon.
THURSDAYS
Pickleball 9:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
CFCE Preschool Playgroup at the Beals 1:00-2:00 p.m. Join us for an afternoon of free play, a craft, story time and music & movement. This program is in partnership with the Winchendon CFCE. Contact the library at 978-297-0300 for more information. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St., Winchendon.
Friends Book Sale 5:00-7:00 p.m. The Friends of the Library Book Sale is back! Browse a wide selection of used books, DVDs, puzzles, music and more that the whole family will love. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St., Winchendon. We are also happy to share that we are now accepting DONATIONS! Item acceptance is at the discretion of the Friends. All items not accepted WILL be returned to the donor. Donations will ONLY be accepted during book sale hours. Donations should not be deposited in the Library's book drop-off box.
We will NOT accept the following:
* Textbooks of any kind
* Encyclopedias
* Dictionaries
* Any item that contains obsolete information (i.e. medical books)
* Any item in poor condition (scratched or damaged)
* VHS or Cassette Tapes
FRIDAYS
Pickleball 9:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. At the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. 978-297-3155.
Story Time at the Beals 10:00 a.m. Join us for a fun half hour of stories with Ms. Kristin and Ms. Melissa. This program is in partnership with the Winchendon Community Playgroups & CFCE. Contact the library at 978-297-0300 for more information. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St., Winchendon. Starting Feb 16
Bowling at the HUB 5:00-9:00 p.m. $25 Lane/Hour/Up to 5 People, and shoes included! Sunshine cafe selling snack and beverages Beer and wine for sale. 100% proceeds go to fundraise for the CAC programs and services. At The HUB (Winchendon CAC), 5 Summer Dr.
SATURDAYS
Shopping Transportation to Rindge for Seniors 9:15 a.m. Leaves from the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. Must reserve your ride one week in advance. Call 978-297-3155.
Shopping Transportation to Athol for Seniors 2:00 p.m. Leaves from the Old Murdock Senior Center, 52 Murdock Ave., Winchendon. Must reserve your ride one week in advance. Call 978-297-3155.
Bowling at the HUB 5:00-9:00 p.m. $25 Lane/Hour/Up to 5 People, and shoes included! Sunshine cafe selling snack and beverages Beer and wine for sale. 100% proceeds go to fundraise for the CAC programs and services. At The HUB (Winchendon CAC), 5 Summer Dr.
Friends Book Sale 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. The Friends of the Library Book Sale is back! Browse a wide selection of used books, DVDs, puzzles, music and more that the whole family will love. At Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant St., Winchendon. We are also happy to share that we are now accepting DONATIONS! Item acceptance is at the discretion of the Friends. All items not accepted WILL be returned to the donor. Donations will ONLY be accepted during book sale hours. Donations should not be deposited in the Library's book drop-off box.
We will NOT accept the following:
* Textbooks of any kind
* Encyclopedias
* Dictionaries
* Any item that contains obsolete information (i.e. medical books)
* Any item in poor condition (scratched or damaged)
* VHS or Cassette Tapes
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