BOH Meets with Family Dollar District Manager and Central Plaza Property Owner

Health Agent Emphasizes "No Issues At All" With Rodents in Building, Debunks False Statements on Social Media

by Inanna Arthen
On Monday, January 10 at 5:00 p.m., the Winchendon Board of Health convened a special meeting to address the emergency closing of the Winchendon Family Dollar last week and establish a constructive action plan going forward. In attendance were Winchendon Health Agent James Abare, Family Dollar District Manager Daniel Eshoo, Roy Serpa (co-owner of Alfa Donuts LLC which legally holds title to the property which includes the Central Plaza and Dunkin Donuts buildings) via Zoom, and Town Manager Justin Sultzbach.

Following this meeting, Family Dollar was fully cleared to open for regular business hours by the Health Agent per his inspection on the morning of Tuesday, January 11. All issues were deemed resolved or in the process of actively being addressed.

Before the discussion commenced with the two guests, Mr. Abare asked to make a statement. "It was brought to my attention that there was some online comments on social media and that type of thing, of speculation of why it was closed, I just want to make sure that it's very clear, that there were some issues with leaks, recurring roof leaks, and also some housekeeping issues," he said. "There were no issues at all with any rodent activity. The two businesses that we license do have pest control companies that do inspections monthly. Those inspections have been clear. So I just wanted to make that abundantly clear, that we're here for the roof, and for the housekeeping issues."

BOH Chair Keith Kent recognized Mr. Eshoo. Recapping the situation (see "BOH Closes Winchendon Family Dollar Due to Health and Safety Concerns" in the January 6-13 Winchendon Courier), Mr. Kent said, "we want you to know that we honestly did not make that decision lightly, we didn't like to have to do it, because our community would really like to see this store opened in a timely manner. And we're truly hoping with tonight's meeting that the powers that be for the good of this community can get this store up to compliance as soon as possible." He then invited members of the Board to voice any questions or statements they had for Mr. Eshoo.

BOH member Lionel Cloutier began, saying, "The main thing I think I would like to see is a maintenance structure set up, so that it can be swept, the store can be swept, the floor, every night after you close. And then I would [figure] every two weeks to wash the floors, clean it. Also cleaning of the shelves. I mean, the shelves are so black, it's not right." He suggested moving the paper goods in the area of the leak forward to be out of the way.

BOH member Tina Santos spoke at length about issues with water leakage, water-damaged products, the length of time the problems had been recurring, and the cleaning issues. "One of the residents in town had bought an eight-pack of paper towels and when they opened it up, it smelled so bad, it was mildewy smell, and they had to discard it. So I think with the paper towels and toilet paper and those kind of products back there, those kind of need to be inspected for further cleaning and so forth as well, because there is the leaking back there." She added, "I think in regards to the cleaning schedule, I think that is definitely something that needs to be worked on...I guess just maybe some kind of training I guess, in regards to how to properly clean" was needed for the manager and staff.

Mr. Kent spoke at length about the concerns. "We're not here to financially harm anyone's business, we just want to see them playing by the same set of rules all the other businesses in town are expected to play by. There have been many people in town who have sadly said, 'we're glad to see it was closed.' That in itself is a shame that it came to that place," he said. "We make no decisions irrationally, without thought, without caring, without any potential implications, we think of many bases sir. A cleaning program moving forward, I think, could help alleviate a lot of the problems." He emphasized the need for everyone to be working together, and that the Board takes the situation very seriously.

Noting that this is his second week as the district manager, Mr. Eshoo then responded. "I understand where you guys are coming from. I come from a long line at Walmart, that's what we preach, is cleanliness. So what I did recently on Friday when I was in the store with Brian who the store manager is, I showed Brian what is expected of a sweeping and mopping, I mopped the whole store for him. It was dirty, it was unclean. And I understand as a customer's point of view, coming in there and seeing the floors all sandy and not up to standards...

"...every night before they go home, they're going to sweep. Every other day they can mop but the front they're going to mop every day, 'cause that's where high traffic is, that's where all the sand comes in, the salt comes in from outside, so I'm expecting them and him to mop at least the front of the store every night, and sweep it every night before they go home. With the shelves, definitely understand with the shelves they're dirty, I already started showing them how to clean the sides of the shelves and I told him he could use wipes, some Lysol wipes, some cleaning products to get the shelves clean and where they need to be, because it's not right for any customer to walk into a store and have to buy anything off of a dirty shelf, I understand."

Mr. Eshoo added, "I'm a firm believer that once we get the store clean, mopped and swept every day like we're supposed to, we will bring the customers' and the Board's trust back. So I will follow up daily and weekly if I have to every day, to make sure that Brian understands that our main focus is cleaning the store."

Ms. Santos asked about replacement ceiling tiles that had been purchased, expressing concerns about the insulation above the tiles remaining wet and possibly hosting mildew or mold.

"We don't have Brian changing the tiles, we had a ticket in, and already escalated the ticket for the ceiling tiles," Mr. Eshoo responded. "So they came on Friday. He's going to look at the insulation and the tiles, as soon as we get the roof leak patched up, he's going to go in there and be replaced, he counted a hundred ceiling tiles that will be replaced...I will [talk] with him about looking into the insulation if he needs to replace that too, because he's willing to do that as well."

Mr. Kent asked if Mr. Eshoo had talked to the property owners about the roof issues. Mr. Eshoo said, "I only spoke to the owner of the building once and he told me about what he's done in the past to get the roof fixed. He just said that he was willing to work with us to get the roof fixed, which is all I want too, get the roof fixed, so we can move forward and keep the store clean for the customers, so whatever he needs me to do, I'm willing to do, and I'm sure hopefully whatever I need from him, he'll do as well."

Mr. Kent then recognized Mr. Serpa, joining the meeting via Zoom, asking, "what have been some of the conversations about trying to fix the roof over this building once and for all?"

Mr. Serpa agreed that the roof has been an ongoing issue. "We've spent over $20,000 dollars on that roof and obviously it still has not been repaired. But I just want to clarify one thing. When we talk about patches, these are not five foot patches, these are thousand square foot patches, so it's more sections than patches...I have a company, it's Qualified Roofing, he's been my roofer for many many years, several years, he's in Winchendon as a matter of fact, great roofer. We're just...trying to figure out what's the best use of our time and resources. So he's been picking sections and re-patching. But again, the last one that was done was a thousand square feet, 20 by 50 section, and then there was another one done in November of 2020, so just over a year ago, that was 45 by 20."

Mr. Serpa added, "since we're bringing it up, we are going to do the entire roof. As a matter of fact, I met with two contractors already, and a general contractor, to do the entire roof including the IGA, all the way across. But we've already done a substantial amount. It's just obviously, it's not enough. I apologize for that." Mr. Serpa and the Board discussed the specific problem with water leaking around the HVAC unit on the roof, which the roofing contractor is aware of and working on.

Mr. Kent asked Mr. Serpa when he expected the full roof replacement to be done. Mr. Serpa said that he hoped it would happen in the early spring. "We're going to empty the IGA out, we're doing some new glasswork there, also. But the roof is the priority," he said. He noted that with a big roofing job, a stretch of dry weather is essential.

Mr. Kent said, "It's in the interest of the town to be able to come with both you gentlemen to an amicable, legal solution to this as good as possible. We have seniors who are shut in, who lack transportation, we have an elderly population that can't go far, we need for the good of the town as well as public health, we couldn't emphasize more caringly and politely that we need you gentlemen to work together as quickly as humanly possible for the good of our community."

Following this discussion, the Board entertained a motion, made by Mr. Cloutier and seconded by Board member Ed Bond, that if the store was inspected by the health agent the following morning and passed the inspection, the health agent could authorize the store to re-open for normal business. The motion was approved unanimously, 4-0, by the Board members present.

Mr. Kent thanked Mr. Eshoo and Mr. Serpa for attending the meeting, explaining their action plans and participating in the ongoing conversation about concerns. "We know that you gentlemen are out to make money for your company, and we also know that we have to look out for public health," Mr. Kent said. He added, "Especially for our populations with transportational issues, during a pandemic, where there are shortages of both product and income, please, we're extending the olive branch in a good faith effort, please work together with our health agent for the good of Winchendon."

Winchendon PD Awarded Grant Monies for Body-Worn Cameras for Officers

by Keith Kent, Winchendon Courier Correspondent
The Winchendon Police Department received good news with the announcement that Winchendon is one of three local towns to receive a competitive grant award providing departments with less than fifty employees the funds to purchase body-worn cameras for police officers. Winchendon, Templeton, and Ashburnham will receive a piece of the first $4 million of a five year, $20 million Massachusetts Capital Grant Program award.

The grant, which could total up to $250,000, yielded the Town of Winchendon and its Police Department $31,870 which will pay for twenty police issue body-worn cameras to help officers legally and accurately document all interactions with the public. This follows the 2021 $35,000 grant to the WPD from the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation to provide five police vehicles with in-car cameras for further legal documentation of any interactions with the public at large.

In total, some 64 Massachusetts Police Departments were selected for the grant award, including the neighboring towns of Templeton and Ashburnham, which received $24,500 and $28,604 respectively. Winchendon, with over 2,500 more residents than Templeton, and 4,000 more residents than Ashburnham, received $31,870 based on its department size and number of employees, among other criteria.

WPD Chief David Walsh explained, "Beginning with our department vehicles, we are going on a year now that the vehicle cameras have been in place courtesy of the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation. Expanding on this with the news of the grant award, we will be able to purchase twenty Watch Guard Vista HD body-worn cameras which are also compatible with the the cameras in department vehicles. These body-worn cameras will not only be available for both full and part time officers, but also allow the department to have spares as needed if the need should arise."

Asked about the public response to recording with the vehicle cameras during public interactions, Walsh said, "We haven't had any negative reactions to date. When the officers announce they are recording, I think people tend to have a tendency to be a little more cautious about what they do which adds a preventative measure as well. The officers have used them on a number of occasions, and the cameras give you a level of transparency, and an unbiased account of what is going on. Both the officers when they are being recorded are careful, and the public as well when being recorded is also. So I think it's a win both ways. The obvious benefit to this is it provides a level of transparency." Walsh also confirmed that camera usage can provide a level of deescalation as people may rethink their actions before taking them.

Currently listed on the website Data USA, there are 812,000 police officers currently employed in the United States. Of those, 692,000 or 85.2 percent are men, and 120,000 are women. By 2013, one third of police began or were already wearing body-worn cameras. By 2016, 47 percent of law enforcement agencies in the United States had acquired body-worn cameras, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).

In closing Chief David Walsh said, "In essence the cameras give you an increased level of transparency and more unbiased account of what may of or may not have happened, and can be used to either confirm or disprove accusations or complaints. I feel that an unbiased account of an incident is paramount, and the most important thing you can have. It can work in favor of the police, and can also work against the police. In the end, I think it is money well spent."

To view the requirements and specifics of the grant application online, please visit www.mass.gov/doc/bwc-program-agf-updated-july-26-2021/download (PDF).

Community Pitches In to Make Winchendon Community Park Ice Rink Dream Come True

by Keith Kent, Winchendon Courier Correspondent
As the continuing combined efforts of many great people continue to bring ideas and dreams to life, the next chapter of the Winchendon Community Park has now been written. The dream of one person has again been realized through dedication, hard work and inspiring others to join the charitable cause, with the creation of a new seasonal ice rink now providing another exciting option for area residents and children to enjoy.

Mrs. Shawn Vaillancourt of Phillipston, who previously worked in day care for 25 years, for the last 14 months has been one of many dedicated public school bus drivers who serve the Winchendon Public Schools district as essential employees, navigating a difficult and ongoing public health pandemic. As a driver who listens to her young student passengers, Vaillancourt overheard them talking about limited "Free" options for things to do in Winchendon. Also hearing how the children wished there was more to do outside in the wintertime, Vaillancourt was not only motivated, but inspired, and came up with the idea, "How about trying to fund a seasonal public outdoor skating rink!"

Beginning with a strong fundraising effort, Vaillancourt collected some two dozen raffle prizes from generous donors, which were raffled off at the December 11, 2021 Holiday Craft Fair in the Town Hall auditorium. From hand crafted holiday figurines to electronic devices, and even a cord of wood and 50 gallons of home heating oil, the ticket purchases for the charitable cause raised the first $405 toward the project. Adding to this, Vaillancourt said, an additional $380 was raised on a Facebook fundraiser for the cause.

Asking for suggestions about others who could pitch in, Vaillancourt received offers for practical project donations. Everybody knows you can't have a skating rink full of ice without water. The Town of Winchendon did not have to pay for a single drop of water for the 96 foot long by 36 foot wide skating rink. On Monday, January 10, the Winchendon Fire Department donated its time in between duties, delivering the water for the ice. WFD trucks made seven deliveries to the Winchendon Community Park, with a total of 8,750 gallons of water, all donated and paid for by Winchendon resident and Department of Public Works Superintendent Brian Croteau and his family as a gift to the town and Community Park. When asked about the delivery assistance, WFD Chief Tom Smith said, "Regarding being able to help in ways that allows us to give back, we love being able to help in anything that can make the community and Town of Winchendon become better."

The family of Alex Ufema and Ufema Contracting Inc. of Petersham, while located several towns away, donated all the rebar, screws and fasteners, constructed two wooden benches placed next to the rink and then donated the labor to construct the entire 96 x 36 foot rink frame. Owner Alex Ufema said, "Mrs. Vaillancourt put it on Facebook that she was looking for help with donations, and people recommended us to her at Ufema Contracting, and we try every year to make sure we contribute to a cause for something. We are a Christian based organization and Christian owned, and we really try to find a way to give back." When asked what it meant to Ufema to donate to this particular project, he responded, "Just to be able to help give the kids something to do in the town is a true privilege. When Mrs. Vaillancourt approached us, we knew it was a great cause, and we just wanted to give back."

Vaillancourt, along with some extra help, placed a 40 feet wide by 100 foot long roll of plastic base inside the 96 by 36 foot wooden frame. No sand was needed under the plastic as the existing level base of the field was sufficient. Vaillancourt explained, "The funds for the plastic was raised from the money from the auction at the town hall, and the lumber for the full frame was paid for with funds raised on Facebook from that fundraising part of the project." As the rink will need to be cleaned of snow for use over the winter, Vaillancourt added, "I have spoken with kids on my bus, and many said they would come by and help shovel the snow off as needed. I have one kid who lives on Brown Street who told me he would personally ride his bike over in the winter to help out with cleaning the rink off! The kids are really excited about this and want to help. There are even a couple of benches for children to sit on when taking a break or watching, this is coming out really nice."

Vaillancourt added, "There are a lot of kids on the bus who come and go to and from school who either don't have anything to do or have any friends to hang with, and we are a community who just comes out and children don't always get to pick and choose who comes together. So I ask the kids on my bus what do you do with your free time? I often hear there is 'Nothing for us to do for free in town' as many kids have told me, 'They don't want to burden their parents during tough times and feel bad about asking their parents for money', so this really got me thinking about an ice rink."

Vaillancourt continued, "We are hoping to try to also do things like rent this out for weekend hockey games, on Saturdays and Sundays for a small fee, and that money could go back in to something else. The money would go to the Recreational Department, with the hope to be able to build something else for the kids possibly in the spring like a life size Foosball game area, something else positive for the kids to do. As this is a soccer field, if it's a possibility, it would have to be something if potential that could be worked out."

In closing Vaillancourt was asked how she felt actually seeing all the fundraising work and ice rink finally taking steps coming together. She replied, "It feels so great to do this. It makes me want to do one everywhere for the kids and I would like to do one in every town!"

In an unexpected turn of events, shortly after the water was delivered, it was discovered that the water began leaking out of the lower right corner of the rink as seen from the access road. Due to either improper installation of the liner, or possible product defect, the heavy duty plastic liner began to leak, and all 8,750 gallons of donation supported water were lost, draining onto the snow covered field. The liner was not installed by Ufema Contracting who assembled the frame and benches only. A repair of the rink liner will have to be completed before the rink is again filled with water. Options are being looked into in order to get the project back on schedule for use as soon as possible.

Winchendon Public Schools Offering Vaccination Clinics

On Wednesday, January 12, Winchendon Public Schools partnered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Transformative Healthcare to offer a vaccine clinic for everyone ages 5 and up. The clinic was held at Memorial Elementary School.

The community's response to this clinic was incredibly positive, with every time slot being full, and over 50 injections being provided.

A second clinic will be offered on February 2, 2022 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. If interested, please click the link below and fill out the registration form to sign up for the clinic. This is open to anyone, aged 5 and up. Children do not have to be enrolled at Winchendon Public Schools. If you have any questions, please contact Mona Sergi at msergi@winchendonk12.org.

home.color.com/vaccine/register/transformativehealth?calendar=2cb026fa-02cf-4368-a958-45e72ac09106

North Central MA and Commonwealth Continue to See Soaring COVID Viral Numbers

With what was anticipated to be a perfect viral public health storm brewing, fueled by large holiday indoor gatherings, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with one of the highest vaccination rates in the nation, has entered a third consecutive week with significant positivity increases. Those who are not vaccinated continue to be the majority of hospitalized cases, pushing hospitals to their breaking point, as documented by both testing and insurance claim mandated reporting to the Department of Public Health. As of Thursday, the Massachusetts viral positivity testing average has reached a Commonwealth-wide 21.5 percent.

The town of Winchendon tested at a pre-holiday rate of 14.13 percent as of December 23. As of Thursday, January 13, Winchendon has reached 20.00 percent positivity based on 1,310 tests. The majority of municipalities not just surrounding Winchendon, but all through the Commonwealth, are experiencing the same or worse. After one month of no change in Winchendon residents' vaccination status, the town has finally moved up 1 percent, increasing from 53 to 54 percent fully vaccinated at a reporting of 5,777 residents, and 61 percent with at least one dose or partially vaccinated at 6,524 residents, out of a Massachusetts DPH listed population of 10,765 residents.

In the age group of 16 - 19, 43 percent of residents are listed as fully vaccinated, and 50 percent with at least one dose. The age group of 12 - 15 years registers at 38 and 41 percent fully and partially vaccinated, and the youngest group of 5 to 11 years old registers at 11 and 17 percent fully and partially vaccinated.

The testing averages, which are based on the last 14 days of testing, have yielded a 10 town area increase in just three weeks from 12.6 percent, to 17.1 percent as of January 6, a 26 percent increase, to 21.5 percent area positivity, another additional 20 per increase, and up over 58 percent area-wide in the last three weeks.

Locally in the seven days since the last report, Winchendon increased from 17.49 to 20.00 percent positivity. Additionally in our ten-town area, Ashburnham went from 11.29 to 14.30 percent, Ashby surged from 16.25 to 24.56 percent, Westminster skyrocketed from an already high 19.34 to 25.94 percent, Gardner moved up from 14.34 to 20.72 percent, Templeton shot from 16.13 to 20.59 percent, Phillipston slightly decreased less than a point from 21.84 to 21.20 percent, Athol jumped from an already high of 19.91 to a record high of 25.18 percent, Royalston realized a large increase moving up from 15.23 to 23.30 percent, and Hubbardston stayed high increasing from 18.76 to 18.94 percent.

The cities of Fitchburg and Leominster are 25 and 24 percent respectively. Small western Massachusetts town of Buckland tests at 45.63 percent positivity based on just 103 tests, and the City of Springfield currently registers at nearly 30 percent percent based 30,000 tests. To the east, Methuen, MA tests at 31.4 percent based on 9,300 tests, the city of Lynn at 32.59 percent, Chelsea at 29.68, Everett at 34 percent, and the hits just keep on coming as even the Island of Nantucket, separated and out in the ocean, tests close to 30 percent.

As of January 8, the Commonwealth now lists, 5,120,310 of it's 6,096,000 residents fully vaccinated. Please remember, being vaccinated was never a full proof guarantee that a vaccinated person could not get a viral infection, but is almost certain to keep you out of the hospital if you do become infected by significantly reducing symptoms. Additionally, many scientific tests have proven that natural exposure and traditionally accumulated antibody response is not only not as good, but falls far short of the antibody and T-Cell response created by vaccination. Scientific tests prove it to be the truth, no matter if a person wants to believe it or not.

In closing, our town, our area, and our Commonwealth as well as our nation are in a deep public health crisis and pandemic. Please take all proper precautions to protect yourself, your family, and your loved ones. If you are either immunocompromised or have pre-existing conditions, again, please take extra precautions.

Keith Kent
Chair
Board of Health
Town of Winchendon

To schedule a free COVID-19 vaccination, including a booster, at any time, go to www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine.

Legislators and Town Celebrate Grant Award for Winchendon Fire Department and DPW

BOSTON - State Senator Anne M. Gobi (D-Spencer) and State Representative Jonathan D. Zlotnik (D-Gardner) have joined with Winchendon Fire Chief Thomas Smith and Winchendon Department of Public Works Director Brian Croteau in announcing two grant awards via the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA).

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection administers the DERA program. Winchendon Fire Department was awarded $175,904 towards the purchase of a new Fire Pumper Apparatus, replacing a 1996 E-One Pumper. The Winchendon DPW was awarded $43,934 towards the purchase of a new Front end loader, replacing a 1997 Volvo loader. Both the fire engine and the front end loader are from a time period where the diesel emissions were considered less of a problem.

In June of 2021, Gobi's office toured the Fire Department and viewed the apparatus currently being used, which is a 1996 model fire engine. The fire apparatus does not include important safety features and lacks coverage for any onboard equipment. "I congratulate the town on these awards. Under the leadership of Chief Smith and Director Croteau these grants are well deserved," Gobi commented, noting the efforts of the two departments. "Chief Smith and his team have been doing their best to keep an outdated fire truck in service." The current apparatus is not well suited for current day emergencies and serves as an environmental hazard to Department personnel and the public. "Director Croteau has been struggling to even find parts for the 1997 Volvo loader," commented Senator Gobi. "The fire department grant, one of the larger awards, will enable Winchendon to have a cleaner, safer fleet of fire apparatus while the front end loader will do the same for the DPW. I applaud MassDEP for making this commitment to Winchendon and the people of the North Central Region."

State Representative Jon Zlotnik said, "Winchendon Fire Department and Winchendon DPW have managed to provide quality services, despite the challenges of antiquated equipment. Chief Smith has been innovative in his efforts to maintain the vehicle and keep it in service. With these funds, a more appropriate truck can be brought online to respond to the needs of the Community."

Chief Thomas Smith offered the following remarks. "Director Croteau and I look forward to a new era for the Departments, with this equipment. Our reliance on older vehicles put the department at a deficit, posing a risk to our team and the public. With the support of Winchendon Town Manager Justin Sultzbach, this grant will serve to improve both department's performances and protect the Town's firefighters and DPW workers. Additionally, it will help us to reduce our environmental impact which is a goal of everyone involved."

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