American Legion Post 193 Celebrates with Grand Reopening

by Keith Kent, Winchendon Courier Correspondent
The Winchendon American Legion Post 193 celebrated a public Grand Reopening on Saturday, June 26. It was the first calendar event for members and the public at large since the facilities were officially reopened on May 29, after being shut down for over a year due to the global pandemic.

With the event taking place from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., there was a little something for everyone who came out to support the cause. Food, drinks, live entertainment, and vendors with a variety of products and edibles brought the facility to life.

The Pavilion, which can be rented alone or in conjunction with parts of the building, was filled with people enjoying each other's company while listening to live music provided by the group Neon Alley all afternoon long. Cheeseburgers, hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, and beverages of all kinds both non-alcoholic and adult were also enjoyed by all. Those attending were happy to be able to sit at each other's sides and enjoy the social aspect of life they had missed for over a year.

Those looking for jewelry, Scentsy Candles, or plants found them for sale. Delicious candies, essential oils, home made maple syrup from Sweet Water Sugar House of Royalston, and a wide variety of family farm meats from Ridge Hill Farm of Boxboro, MA, a family farm operated since 1682, were available.

Karin Wyson, who serves as the facility events coordinator and bar manager, organized the event, making the vendors, entertainment, food and much more all come together in just the last three weeks.

Wyson said, "I just want to let people know we are here and we are reopened at the American Legion. We are open to the public today so people can see what the halls look like, where the members' lounge is. To be able to come every day you have to be a member. You could be a Legionnaire, who is somebody who has been in the military, you could join the Sons of the American Legion if you are a male or female child of a person who has been in the military, or you could join the Auxiliary, which is now allowing men to be in it also because there are wives who are serving in the military while the husbands are home. Potential members should also know they can bring up to three guests."

Wyson expanded, "The Auxiliary also allows juniors to join who are teenager children or relatives of Legionnaires members to join while they are in high school, who help with events, fund raisers and more, and in return get to earn privileges to earn or ask for scholarships for college."

"This event today is our way of saying come check us out, this is who we are and this is what we have to offer," Wyson added. "These are the facilities we have to offer if you want to use them or rent them, and we have over five hundred members and we are looking for more. If you qualify as a junior we are also looking for more members and you can call the Legion and ask to speak to anybody and they will help you. I can tell you personally, I have only been here a few months and this has become my new family, and when you're a member these people are here for you."

Asked about facility rental costs, Wyson detailed that the downstairs hall which holds up to 100 people costs $75 to rent, the upstairs hall which holds many more costs $300 to rent, the outdoor pavilion $75, and the pits are also $75. Depending on crowd size and how many bartenders you need, bartenders are an additional cost per event.

It was very important to point out, Wyson said, that "without the Sons of the Legion, we couldn't have held this event today. During the shut down, all our old coolers died. The Sons purchased two new beer coolers for the bar downstairs at a donation cost of $3,000 and one cooler for the upstairs at another cost of $2,000. They really came through for the American Legion."

Legion member Lisa Gauthier is the outgoing Auxiliary President and is now becoming the Department of Massachusetts American Legion Auxiliary Historian. Gauthier wanted people to know, "We are a community based organization. We help veterans and their families based in our community. We are vested in children and youth programs. We also participate in Girls State and Boys State and every year we send three girls to the week at that camp. We just talk to their guidance counselor and they let us know they want to go. We are happy to support many causes."

Wyson was asked about the importance of being around people can who relate to you or your situation. Wyson replied, "If you join you get to meet other veterans and their families. You can talk about whatever you want to talk about and realize you're not alone, as somebody else understands. So many vets will tell you, 'You don't understand so I can't tell you' and if you didn't serve it's so true, you don't. All I know is what my father told me when I was a kid, it was bad stuff and you don't want to know. So this is a place were it's not just a great place to be a member, but the people do understand and you are not alone and you can talk to someone!"

In closing, Wyson said, "We have plans for many more events this year. Even for today's event, we will have a follow up event to be held inside the building on a later date to be determined. Please support your local American Legion, think about joining if eligible, and know we have so much to offer and we care about our members, and we care about our community."

Finance Committee Approves Transfers of $68,500 from Reserve Accounts At Town Manager's Request

Blighted Properties, Blair Square, Deferred Maintenance at Town Hall to be Addressed

by Keith Kent, Winchendon Courier Correspondent
The Finance Committee held a joint meeting with the Winchendon Board of Selectmen on Monday, June 28. The boards approved several transfers from both the Special Reserve Funds and Reserve Funds accounts for multiple causes ranging from a Blair Square intersection traffic hazard and roundabout study, to Town Hall emergency repairs.

Town Manager Justin Sultzbach, who has been vocal since his first day in office about addressing downtown traffic dangers, business district building blight, and other issues including recently discovered Town Hall exterior structural issues, made his case to the FinCom and BOS. He explained that the requests are not "wants," but "needs" and "must haves" for the town moving forward in the immediate future.

The first request to the FinCom was for the sum of $25,000 from the Special Reserve Fund Account (current balance of $126,782 per FinCom Chair Tom Kane) to address hazardous conditions at Blair Square. This would cover costs for an engineering survey and exploratory work for improving sidewalks, walkability, and pedestrian safety, including potential implementation of a roundabout to reduce intersection dangers and increase traffic flow. Early estimates provided a total project price tag of up to $2.25 million. This would require substantial funding from both the state and federal level, legally necessitating the proper studies to move forward with applications for assistance.

A proposal dated June 18 for engineering services and the potential Blair Square project was provided to Department of Public Works Superintendent Brian Croteau by engineering firm Tighe & Bond and was presented to the FinCom and BOS. The documentation included the scope of the work, a schedule indicating delivery of a roundabout study by August 16 and a topographic survey and assessment by September 30, estimates of compensation, planing sizing and spacial requirements, operations and safety analysis, life cycle cost analysis, and other details.

The Square and accompanying intersection have been the site of countless traffic accidents over the decades attended by both police and fire emergency response. When asked if local branches of EMS such as Chief Walsh of the Winchendon Police Department felt this area needed to be directly addressed, Sultzbach replied, "Yes, I have spoken with the Chief about this intersection and he has told me it has a long history of being dangerous and many problems over the years." The FinCom voted 4-0 to support the transfer from its Special Reserve Fund allowing the project to move forward. The fund then had a balance remaining of $101,782.

In a second request from the FinCom Special Reserve Fund Account, the sum of $26,200 was requested by the Town Manager to address blighted and hazardous buildings near Blair Square, one of several focal entry points accessing the downtown business district, located along the Millers River and Spring Street Bridge. The $26K would provide funding for studies and projections by BETA Group, Inc., paving the way for necessary testing and studies for potential purchase and associated remediation costs of the former auto repair garage located at 3 Beech Street and the now condemned duplex adjacent to it at 11 Beech Street. Both properties are under the same ownership.

The Town Manager informed Board members that the properties were formally offered to the town virtually for free, but since hazardous materials could exist in the structures and surrounding grounds, the town couldn't accept the offer due to potential site project costs. Sultzbach explained that if the town were to purchase these blighted sites to remove and clean up the properties, studies for projected potential cost evaluations were mandatory to apply for any state or federal grant funding. The potential project costs could be at least $250,000 or higher.

The Town Manager also discussed a proposal by BETA Group, Inc. which did a Limited Subsurface Investigation (LSI) at the properties of 3 and 11 Beech Street. One is a 0.223 acre parcel and the other is a 0.12 acre parcel. The LSI discovered the following conditions:

1. The presence of hydraulic lifts with underground oil cylinders, one of which is inoperable and may be leaking;
2. Numerous drums, tires, and other potentially hazardous materials, associated with the tenant's business;
3. Floor drains which had been filled with concrete but may have been re-activated by the tenant;
4. Observed oil emanating from the rear of the building's foundation near the pond. Extent of leakage/staining couldn't be determined due to heavy vegetation of the area;
5. Tenant reported the Winchendon DPW encountered "Contamination" for the excavation of a drain line;
6. Historic use as an auto repair shop;
7. Age of the site buildings indicates possibilities of hazardous building materials;
8. Possibility of underground storage tanks, though no evidence (fill or vent pipes) was observed and the tenant said he was not aware of any tanks;
9. Tires forming the bank of the pond.

Other tests yet to be performed include testing for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), mercury components, other oils and hazardous materials, which would be done by BETA Group Inc., as well as soil borings, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), ground water monitoring and sampling, and testing for asbestos, lead, and other contaminants.

At a previous FinCom meeting in June, Sultzbach stressed the need to have a long-term plan to attract businesses and progressive long-term tax revenue to the town, and said in his opinion businesses will not want to come to Winchendon or invest in the downtown business district or elsewhere with multiple blighted properties in its center showcase. After a brief discussion, Sultzbach's transfer request from the Special Reserve Fund account was approved 4-0 by FinCom members, leaving an account balance of $75,582.

Next came a request for the Finance Committee to transfer the entire remaining amount of $17,500 from its Reserve Fund to cover emergency Town Hall repairs, based on a professional study provided by Building Conservation Associates Inc. The comprehensive study covered Condition Assessments, Treatment Recommendations, Priorities and Phasing, Opinion of Probable Costs, Comprehensive Reports, and Terms and Conditions. The company provided examples of similar services to the municipalities of Boston, Cambridge, and Tyngsborough.

Recently, upon inspecting the rear of the building himself, Sultzbach discovered the material between brickwork, and even the bricks in the walls, were either falling out or able to be taken out by hand. He also reported pulling out twenty feet of vine which had worked its way from the exterior to the interior wall and superstructure of the building. Additionally, even the cupola on top of the roof had wooden sections failing onto the top of the building, along with many more issues that will need to be addressed down the road.

Sultzbach explained he could have asked for $100,000 for Town Hall repairs that have fallen behind, but he knew it couldn't be done at this time. After further discussion regarding the BCA Study, the FinCom approved the transfer of the last $17,500 from its Reserve Fund, of which $7,500 is earmarked to fund a conditions assessment, and the other $10,000 designated for emergency repairs. This finished the FY21 fiscal year with a zero balance in the account, as this transfer needed to be completed before the new fiscal year, FY22, began on July 1.

Additional transfers were approved jointly by the FinCom and BOS, allowing for departmental budget balancing before the current fiscal year ended on June 30, and the new fiscal year began on July 1, with all FinCom members voting yes, 4-0, and all BOS members voting yes, 5-0. The transfers include the following:

1. $2,000 from the Unemployment Insurance Account to DP Software Support.
2. $1,075.20 from Unemployment Account to the Life Insurance Account.
3. $15,000 from the Water Operator Account to Water System Maintenance.
4. $20,000 from the DPW Assistant Director "A position deleted" to an End Of Year shortage.
5. $3,000 from the Fleet Maintenance Account to the Highway Operator for a End Of Year shortage.
6. $5,000 from Fleet Maintenance Account to the Highway Overtime Account.
7. $3,000 from Transfer Station Account to the Transfer Station Foreman budget.

After all transfers and joint transfers were completed, members of the FinCom asked for closing comments, and adjourned their portion of the meeting. The BOS meeting continued. The FinCom's next regularly scheduled meeting will convene Tuesday, July 13, when it will introduce new member Austin Cyganiewicz, who formerly served as a member of the Winchendon BOS.

Simply Grounded Yoga and Pilates Holds Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

by Keith Kent, Winchendon Courier Correspondent
Simply Grounded, a new yoga and pilates studio, held an official ribbon cutting ceremony and Grand Opening to welcome the public on Tuesday, June 29, offering current and potential new clients something unique as well as new opportunities in the field of health and wellness.

The Grand Opening was attended by multiple elected and appointed public servants, active local residents, State Representative Jon Zlotnik (D-Gardner) along with Senator Anne Gobi (D-Spencer), Town Manager Justin Sultzbach attending Winchendon's first new business opening under his leadership, Selectman Rick Ward, and many others.

Opening the ceremony, Town Manager Justin Sultzbach said, "Thank you all for coming here today, and getting new businesses to come to our town is a large priority. Stephanie has really taken the initiative to get this business going, and we are really excited to have this opening in town. As we also have members from the state delegation here, I would very much like to hand it off to Stephanie Simon so she can tell us all about her new business and what she is now offering here in town."

Shortly before the ribbon cutting, Simply Grounded studio owner Stephanie Simon addressed attendees. "Thank you all for coming out, as I know it's so hot, in sharing this celebration for our community. As many of you know I have already established a strong connection in our lovely community of Winchendon. First as one of the Health & Wellness Directors of the YMCA, to one of the original leaders of the HEAL Winchendon committee, cooking demos with Beth Hunt at Not Just Produced, working with seniors at the Senior Center and Broadview Assisted Living, and working at teaching at the Winchendon Community Park. However nothing feels as good as being grounded in my own business!"

Simon continued, "My mission is to shift the mindset of our community on what we consider healthy, through the Sutras of Yoga, mindfulness, perception, shape, and misperception. There is a saying in fitness of where your arms go your legs will follow. So in yoga there is a saying, where your mind goes, your body and breath will follow. My goal for 2021 is to celebrate community, connections, being healthy, and celebrate life!"

After Simon's opening words, she and fellow instructor Mary Lee Harrington jointly cut the official grand opening ribbon, to the applause of all in attendance.

Senator Anne Gobi said, "Thank you, Stephanie, for opening a business, which normally is challenging, and to do it during a pandemic, is not an easy thing to do! I am glad to see you choose to open here, as Winchendon has a great support system and the people are wonderful. On half of the State Senate I want to thank you, Stephanie, for being here and being a positive part of the community."

State Representative Jon Zlotnik added, "After the last year we have all had, I think we could all use to lose some tension with wellness and stress relief, and what better way to do that than with yoga, so I would like to present you with a citation from the House of Representatives congratulating you with your new business opening."

After the ceremony Simon was asked how the support and community turnout felt as a new self-employed business owner. "It felt wonderful," Simon replied. "I just felt so very welcomed and supported by the community."

When Simon was asked if she had a target goal for new clients over the first several months, she responded, "My goal isn't about a number, my goal is quality. So my business is growing by word of mouth. I try to give individual attention and work, and that is helping me to grow by leaps and bounds."

Simon, a former Health & Wellness Director of the YMCA for four years who decided to make a go of it on her own, now has a normal business workday with clients starting at 6:00 a.m. and ending at 7:00 a.m., with individual classes usually filling up the slate from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Due to the schedule, Simon explained she brought in assistant Mary Lee Harrington to help teach classes at the newly renovated 1,000 square foot studio, where even Silver Sneakers and Senior Fitness, Senior Yoga, and other classes are offered.

As Simon's assistant, Harrington was asked how it felt to see the new venture all coming together in fruition. Harrington paused and then replied, "It makes me very happy. Stephanie has worked very hard to grow her business, and there are so many new possibilities now that she has her own place also for many community events, and personally I can't wait to add to the schedule as I'm doing the evening classes, and I am sharing in a passion, and get to kind of create my own program.

"Often I usually see people say they are not flexible or comfortable, and I am not in shape and I am not going to do very well with it. If they would give it a try they would realize there is a place for everyone and there doesn't need to be a comparison for the person beside you. I am very passionate about that as I am putting together a yoga beginner series for those who have never tried it before, so I am doing a program on Monday nights where everybody will be new to it and it will be a six week series building each week on the knowledge of what you have done the week before."

As she also has a Zumba background, Harrington spoke of future things in the months to come such as Friday night dance parties, possibly with a black-light setting, Yoga in the park, men's only yoga, Power Yoga for people who have been doing it looking for a challenge, and even a movement in music class, teaming up with what Harrington called a very dynamic instructor from Ireland, who is a teacher and high school music instructor.

In closing Simon said, "I think everybody should give it a try, because I have had great success working with and helping people, with clients I have even had for fifteen and sixteen years. Most people are looking for connections and to feel good, and that is what I am able to provide."

If you are interested in yoga, pilates, or any of the other offerings above and would like to find out more, you can call the studio at 978-868-4546, email them at simplygroundedyp@gmail.com or visit on the internet at www.simplygroundedyogapilates.com.

It was hot, muggy, and lots of traffic, but that didn't stop Winchendon Gardening Club member Tina Santos and assisting friend Jennifer Couture during a heat index of 100 degrees, as they completely weeded, dug up, and replanted flowers also adding new mulch at the divider island located at the intersection of Central and Front Streets on Monday, June 28, in the clubs continuing mission to maintain and beautify many gardens, monuments, and intersections around town.The club recently adopted the traffic island back, as it was previously formally beautified by the Comeau family of To Each His Own Design with their dedication.
Photo by Keith Kent

Keeping DCR busy as a beaver! A pair of mated beavers have been keeping local DCR employees quite busy since the start of spring along New Boston Road in the Lake Dennison State Park, as they have rebuilt a dam blocking a drainage culvert no less than five times since the snow finished melting forcing DCR to continually remove it. DCR recently placed a protective cage in front of the culvert, to which the busy beavers responded by building a dam in front of it also.
Photos by Keith Kent

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