Winchendon Approved for $9.5M Federal Loan for Water Main
After keeping everyone in suspense for months, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) officially notified Winchendon that it had been awarded the loan in the amount of $9,560,000 to help pay for replacing the town's main water transmission line from Ashburnham, Town Manager Justin Sultzbach told the Board of Selectmen at their meeting on Monday, April 10.
"So as you may recall, that was something that we were left off of the draft list that was released sometime just after the holidays, and our team went toe to toe with the state and fought really hard, with help from our State House delegation and members in Congress," Mr. Sultzbach said. "The gentleman sitting behind me as well, [Department of Public Works Director Brian Croteau]. Thank you. It is not typical and there really isn't an instance that anyone can point to, where if you didn't land on the draft list, that you made it onto the final list, that's not a regular occurrence. So good work to the team."
Mr. Sultzbach said there would be "a little over 19 percent forgiveness on [the loan] as well. So that's going to be about just under a $2 million award to the town of Winchendon for replacing that pipe. So once again, we're out there working hard. We stuck with it. So good work, good work for this Board as well. And we'll keep moving through that process."
The loan is a fixed rate 2.4 percent interest 30-year loan. Voters approved the town applying for the loan at the 2022 Fall Special Town Meeting held on October 24, 2022. The article passed with 83 percent in favor.
Hole Discovered in Front Street Bridge
On Monday, April 10, Department of Public Works Director Brian Croteau was notified that the Front Street bridge (connecting the bottom of High Street to Blair Square) has a hole in it, Town Manager Justin Sultzbach told the Board of Selectmen at their meeting on that same day.
"There's a steel plate on it for now, we're gonna have an engineer come in and take a look at it," Mr. Sultzbach said. "It is a bridge that we own, and there is going to be an expense associated with that. We just don't know what it is yet."
Mr. Croteau said, "So tomorrow morning you're gonna see some measures going into place. There's going to be two STOP signs in place. So because [the hole is] in the lane that's going towards High Street, it's going to be directional traffic. So we have to stop traffic because we can't allow them to drive over it."
The restrictions are dictated by the state, which wanted to close the bridge entirely, Mr. Croteau said. "I said, can't we just do one way. The one benefit, if Lake Street wasn't one way, then we would have to close the bridge. Because Lake Street is one way we don't have to close the bridge, which is huge. I really didn't want to close the bridge."
Selectman Barbara Anderson, asking the question on everyone's mind, said, "Didn't we fix that bridge a couple of years ago?"
"We fixed the end abutments so the end closer to town has new beams," Mr. Croteau explained. "This is out in the middle. This is an older bridge starting to deteriorate. I'm hoping that I can have engineers out later this week, early next week. They can get in a boat underneath it and take a look to see how bad the damage is, and if we may be able to repair it, but for now these are the steps we need to take place till we can look into it further and figure out what's going on with it."
As seen in this photo, the Front Street Bridge as it appears at this time facing south towards High Street as if traveling towards Old Winchendon Center. Use extra caution as vehicles coming down High Street around the corner may not be familiar with the lane closure.
Photo by Keith Kent
In this view observing the lane closure, the Front Street Bridge can be seen facing northerly towards its intersection with Lake Street as if traveling towards the downtown business district and either the Spring Street or Central Street area.
Photo by Keith Kent
Beech Street Park Progress Continues to Advance
Taking full advantage of the newly found warmer weather and snowfall seemingly being at least at this time a thing of the past, DPW crews were hard at work both last and this week equally breaking up and removing the former concrete foundational flooring at the site of the former Four C's Garage once located at 3 Beech Street.
Both now demolished and removed as demolition, soft earth for the first time in many decades can again realize sunlight allowing just a glimpse of things to come as a future small waterfront park will provide a more inviting entrance to Toy Town's business district than a prior dilapidated crumbling building and hazmat site still in the progress of being cleaned up.
Photo by Keith Kent
Photo by Keith Kent
BEFORE AND AFTER! Seen in these before and after photos, we see both the former long defunct auto repair garage as it last stood, a view many long wished they could have forgotten much sooner, and the current view and photo taken just this week, with the sites large concrete slab floor completely broken up and now also removed, and only a lone connection pipe leading in to the ground remaining yet to be disconnected.
Draft Warrant for Annual Town Meeting Includes 28 Articles
At the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday, April 10, Town Manager Justin Sultzbach presented the first draft version of the 2023 Special and Annual Town Meeting Warrant to the Board. The Board had planned to meet jointly with the Finance Committee to review and discuss the proposed articles, but the Finance Committee cancelled at the last moment.
The draft Warrant is subject to changes, including wording of individual articles, before it is approved and finalized. The customary public hearing on the Warrant before the Finance Committee will be held on Wednesday, April 26. The Board of Selectmen will meet on April 24 to vote on the final Warrant.
As is customary, Special Town Meeting will convene and adjourn before Annual Town Meeting is opened. Generally, a Special Town Meeting handles business for the current fiscal year, while the Annual Town Meeting handles business for the new fiscal year which begins on July 1.
The Special Town Meeting Warrant includes three articles. Article 1 is report(s) from town boards or committees, which are usually restricted to the Finance Committee (but any board or committee with a report relevant to the business before voters may speak) and may be passed over. Article 2 is payment of bills from prior fiscal years. Article 3 is funding the deficit in the Snow and Ice budget for the Department of Public Works (following the very icy and snowy winter season just past).
The Annual Town Meeting Warrant includes 28 articles.
Article 1 is, again, report(s) from boards and committees. The Finance Committee usually gives a presentation with slides informing voters of the town's financial state and how the articles before them will impact that if they are all passed.
Article 2 establishes a PEG Media Enterprise Account. "As you may recall, in addition to our existing enterprise accounts for water, wastewater, and transfer station, we're proposing adding an enterprise account for our media or our broadcasting operations," Mr. Sultzbach said.
Selectman Barbara Anderson said, "I guess I'm not really wrapping my head around making it an enterprise account. And I'm really not understanding that, because an enterprise account is paid for solely by the users of that and yet so many more people who don't subscribe to Comcast actually use the product, if you will, they stream the meetings or they go, and so therefore, I'm really questioning the need to create an enterprise account."
Mr. Sultzbach explained, "It's a financial best practice to have an enterprise account for PEG media. If you actually look around other communities, it's pretty commonplace. And actually, I was kind of shocked when I got to Winchendon to see that we didn't have one established, and the reason being is that the Comcast funds that you negotiate, are supposed to be directly slated for the use of maintaining your system, contractually."
In Winchendon, Mr. Sultzbach went on, the Comcast fees "disappear" at the end of the year. "It falls to Free Cash and it's absorbed by the budget and it's spent wherever it goes in the form of Free Cash. As a financial best practice, those funds are supposed to be set aside and the reason you set them aside is, one, you're legally required to because that's what your Comcast agreement says, that it's for the maintenance of this, not for paying down your snow and ice deficit. The other reason is, as you can see, the system that we have in town is deficient. And the reason it's deficient is because those revenues that were supposed to be slated for upkeeping the equipment was spent in other places by previous administrations. So the intent of making that enterprise fund is to ensure that you're regularly maintaining your account, as you contractually agreed to in the Comcast agreement."
No other revenue or money would go into the PEG Media enterprise fund account.
Ms. Anderson asked why the town didn't just create a "budgeted account," why it needed to be an independent enterprise fund. "I hear enterprise and I'm sure other people in town feel the same thing. Your hackles just go up because you know, our enterprise funds have historically not been maintained well."
Mr. Sultzbach said he understood and his priority since coming to town has been to display fiscal discipline and communicate to citizens the costs of running the enterprise accounts. "I think the important piece is, if you continue to run your broadcasting as just a normal account, like the Board of Health or something else, that money gets turned back every year. You can't turn that money back. You're not supposed to be turning that money back. And so really the only way to make sure that money is captured and it stays in the form of recurrent retained earnings, like you're supposed to for water and wastewater, is by having an established enterprise account."
Ms. Anderson expressed concerns that the enterprise fund would be taken advantage of by residents who are not Comcast customers and not paying into it. Mr. Sultzbach pointed out that the town has technically been in breach of contract up to this point in allowing the money to return to the general fund.
Articles 3, 4 and 5 all relate to the opioid settlement that has been pending for four years. Winchendon will be combining its resources with other surrounding towns and contracting services through GAAMHA Inc. in Gardner. "The catch is that that money needs to be appropriated. The revenues, we'll call it revenues, the damages that come in from that need to be slated and appropriated in the same way any other expense and so what you're doing here is you are establishing an opioid remediation stabilization fund, Article Three, so when that money comes in, it has an account to go to so it doesn't just disappear into the general fund."
Article 4 directs the town to adopt the fourth paragraph of Mass General Law chapter 40, Section 5B, and article 5 dedicates the funds received from the settlement. "So what you're doing is authorizing the community of Winchendon to dedicate the specific revenue receipts that you're receiving from the opioid epidemic from that statewide settlement, specifically for the purposes we've described in those conversations with GAAMHA...We've met with Westminster, we've met with Templeton, we met with members of our state house delegation, and they're in agreement that this is the most thorough way you can go about doing it."
(see "Rep. Zlotnik Presents Proposal for Local Opioid Settlement Collaboration to BOS" in the August 25-September 1, 2020 edition of the Winchendon Courier)
Article 6 is a customary article setting the spending limits for the town's revolving funds.
Article 7 appropriates the funds for the Senior Tax Work-Off Program, which allows senior citizens to work at various odd jobs in town departments in exchange for an offset to their property taxes.
Article 8 appropriates a donation to the Winchendon Community Action Committee (CAC), an independent non-profit, to support its work in town. This has been increased to $27,500 from $25,000 in response to inflation and cost increases in food, utilities and other expenses.
Article 9 asks voters to approve the proposed 2023 Organizational Change to Staffing.
Article 10 is the town budget. The budget has already been finalized. A significant factor this year is that the town will be pulling most of the amount resulting from the Proposition 2-1/2 override in 2014 from the school budget to the town budget. The schools will retain about $50,000 and the rest, $324,659, will be applied to the reconciliation of the town's budget.
Mr. Sultzbach explained that they adjusted projected revenues very slightly to maintain balanced budget. Cannabis projected revenue has been raised from $50,000 to $160,000. The 911 grant was found to be too low as a result of a spreadsheet cell error, and has been corrected to $135,000. Altogether, adjustments in four areas cover the amount of the 2014 override.
Articles 11, 12, 13 and 14 ask voters to approve the Water, Wastewater, Transfer Station and now the new PEG Media Enterprise Funds to do their jobs.
Article 15 is the Winchendon Public School department budget.
Article 16 is the town's assessment for the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School budget.
Articles 17, 18, 19, and 20 are various capital expenditures, with funds coming from various sources. The capital plan was finalized about two months ago. Mr. Sultzbach said that a handout will be provided to voters at Town Meeting with a breakdown.
Articles 21 and 22 ask voters to approve $550,000 from Free Cash and $450,000 in borrowing for the 2024 Paving Plan, for paving town roads. Some of that is funded by cannabis revenue.
Article 23 asks voters to approve $12,250 for a leaf loader for the cemeteries.
Article 24 ask voters to approve $50,000 for "Cemetery Expansion." Mr. Sultzbach explained, "This isn't really buying land. It's not really buying equipment...the issue is, as we've explained in previous meetings, that the cemetery is rapidly running out of space. And so that money will go towards an expansion of existing town land that just hasn't been worked and finished out into cemetery space. And it's in conjunction with a request to [the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation] for some additional supplemental equipment. So with their powers combined, they should be able to expand and we're not going to run into a bottleneck issue down there."
Board Chair Audrey Labrie asked how many more years this would add to the town cemeteries. Department of Public Works Director Brian Croteau replied, "So when we did what we call the new expansion now, which has been there probably for about ten years, that's the new section that's in place now, the new section behind the [Glenn Café]. It's been there for about ten years or so, maybe a little bit longer. That bought us that much time. The goal is to put a couple rows out back, behind that there's some land, and then to start going into the lower end of the DPW yard and making that so, that's that section. So that's going to buy us some serious time. The ultimate goal is to eventually down the road, move the DPW off that site and just make that whole thing cemetery, but that's a long term goal."
There was no way to predict need for cemetery plots, Mr. Croteau said, but "we don't want to get in the situation to tell people that you can't be buried here because we have no more room. So we're trying to plan in advance. It's gonna take us a couple of years to get the grass to grow, to get the roads, and to get everything the way it is."
Articles 25 and 26 ask voters to approve the town to "accept the renumbering and revision" of the General Bylaws and the Zoning Bylaws respectively. The Board seemed uncertain just what these articles entail, and they may be moved back to fall Special Town Meeting to allow for more clarification and community input.
Article 27 asks voters to approve the revised Chapter 9 of the Zoning Bylaws dealing with signs. This was placed before voters at the 2022 Annual Town Meeting and received a simple majority vote in favor, but Zoning Bylaw amendments require a two-thirds majority, so the article failed. It is being brought back with some changes (see "Revised Signage Zoning Bylaw Will Come Before Voters a Second Time at May 15 ATM" in the April 6-13, 2023 edition of the Winchendon Courier).
Article 28 deals with the Stormwater Asset Management Project. This is same general arrangement as the Water and Wastewater Asset Management passed last year, but for the Stormwater infrastructure specifically.
As this was the first view of the draft Warrant, much more information will be made available in the next few weeks. Annual Town Meeting will convene on Monday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m., in the Murdock Middle High School Auditorium.
"Pipes and Platter"
Organ Concert and Dinner at UU Church Winchendon
UUCW's E.&G.G. Hook pipe organ, pulpit and choir loft
Photo courtesy of UUCW
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Winchendon (UUCW), 126 Central Street, is celebrating progress made on their Set in Stone building restoration with a special "Pipes and Platter" community event on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
The "Pipes" portion of the event will feature classical recording artist George Bozeman on UUCW's 1868 E. & G.G. Hook pipe organ. Mr. Bozeman will be performing a program of Chorale Preludes by J.S. Bach, closing with the beloved "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." The hour-long concert is free, thanks to a grant from the Winchendon Cultural Council.
True pipe organs are increasingly rare, due to their upkeep and the skill required to play them. Their wind-blown sound presents a unique listening experience. Many have been converted to electronic keyboards, and most modern organs built today are electronic. UUCW's pipe organ has been in continuous use since its installation 155 years ago.
George Bozeman, Jr majored in organ performance under the late Dr. Helen Hewitt at North Texas University in Denton. Following college he worked as an organ builder and studied in Austria under a Fulbright grant. In 1971 he founded his own organ building firm in Lowell, Massachusetts. Over 40 pipe organs across the country have been produced by George Bozeman, Jr & Co. In addition to organ building, Mr. Bozeman has continued an active career in musical performance. For many years a practicing church musician, he now frequently substitutes for organists in New England, and has performed as a recitalist all across the United States and in Canada and Mexico. He is an active member of the Boston and New Hampshire chapters of the American Guild of Organists.
The "Platter" portion of the event will feature a four-course, sit-down dinner in the church Parish Hall immediately following the concert. Diners will have the opportunity to meet Mr. Bozeman over a menu of white wine onion soup, baby spinach salad, garlic-sauteed chicken breast in a Dijon cream sauce over fluffed rice, and blueberry squares with lemon-yogurt garnish. Tickets for the dinner are $15 per person and will be sold at the door while quantities last. Advance purchase of dinner tickets is recommended at https://uucw.ncmuuc.org/ All proceeds from the dinner will be dedicated to the Set in Stone campaign.
UUCW kicked off its Set in Stone capital campaign to fund extensive restoration of its all-granite church in 2019. To date, they have raised over $300,000 from grants, donations and fundraising. Phase 3 of the multi-year, multi-phase restoration began this month. For more information about Set in Stone, visit UUCW's dedicated website: http://www.set-in-stone.org/.
Have a Wild Time with Animal Adventures!
Meet some special animal friends at Clark YMCA Field House on Wednesday, April 19, when Animal Adventures comes to visit!
Photo courtesy of Beals Memorial Library
Calling all animal enthusiasts! Join the Beals Memorial Library at the Clark YMCA Field House this spring break for an amazing, interactive animal experience with Animal Adventures! Come meet this year's furry, feathery, and scaly special guests on Wednesday, April 19th at 2:00 p.m.!
Animal Adventures is an exotic animal rescue center that visits libraries, schools, and other functions to educate children about the animals in their care. Participants get to meet some amazing animals, hear fun and interesting stories about them, and enjoy a unique learning experience that's fun for all! This program is free and open to the public.
This program is funded in part by Winchendon Cultural Council, The Beals Memorial Library, and the Friends of the Beals Library.
The Clark YMCA Field House is located at 155 Central St, Winchendon, MA 01475. For more information, contact the Beals Memorial Library at 978-297-0300 or visit bealslibrary.org
Winchendon Community Park Performing Arts Amphitheater is Getting Ready for Its Close-Up!
Seen in these photos taken late in the afternoon on Wednesday, April 13, are some of the most recent views of the Amphitheater still under construction. Just a few months away from its first hosted scheduled events, both the grounds and structures are truly taking shape showing many who both walk though the parks nature trails or stop in our of pure curiosity, stronger glimpses of what is soon coming to fruition in Toy Town. The amphitheater's Grand Opening will be Saturday, June 10 with performances including music, dance, theater and a magic show.
New Roof! Going up quickly with only the far right side showing its very first panels this past Monday, April 11, the entire roof while not cut to length, was in place in just several days by Wednesday, April 13, as documented in this photo.
Photo by Keith Kent
Perspective or color change? As seen in a Designer / Architectural display when entering the park facility, this rendering provided offering a future view of the Amphitheater once completed, seems to show a much lighter in color "under-roof" than what is actually caught on camera with new installation, while noting both look equally tasteful.
Photo by Keith Kent
Entering the theater. Seen in this photo still under construction however taking more solid form, is the theater entrance walkway view those attending events will first see after leaving the nearby parking area.
Photo by Keith Kent
A brighter staircase. As with indoor theater settings which often perform under dim or darkened conditions, this cement staircase along side the rows of the Amphitheater has built in individual lights to allow those both attending and exiting events to better be able see their way.
Photo by Keith Kent
A "Performers View". A look at the "Western side of the stage" if those performing were facing the audience, is actually the end of a small side access road complete with its own street lights, which allows those performing to bring the tools of their arts to the performance stage.
Photo by Keith Kent
Last quiet moments! This pair of normally "Noisy birds" by virtue of their own nature, enjoy what is probably some of their last peace and quiet at this location also on Wednesday, April 13, as they share each others company in a tree nestled between the Amphitheater parking lot and a bordering drainage pond, before the bustling of parked cars and many happy feet are soon to come!
Photo by Keith Kent
Beals Memorial Library Bookmark Contest
Calling all artists ages 3 to 18! The Beals Memorial Library is seeking creative designs to help us gear up for the 2023 Summer Reading Club by designing a bookmark that reflects this year's theme of "Find Your Voice." Winning designs will be printed and distributed throughout the summer as this year's official Summer Reading Club bookmarks and each winner will receive an additional prize from the Friends of the library!
The library is accepting entries of original artwork from April 18th through June 9th. One winner will be selected from each of the following groups: Ages 3 to 5, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 13, and Ages 14 to 18. Only one entry per person is permitted and all entries must be original artwork only. The designs should reflect your interpretation of the theme, "Find Your Voice," and may be created using crayons, colored pencils, markers, and/or acrylic paint. Please avoid using fluorescent or neon colors. Computer generated designs will not be accepted. Designs may run horizontal or vertical, but all entries must be clear and reproducible.
Winning bookmarks will be announced at the Summer Reading Club Kick Off Party on Wednesday, June 28th. The four winning entries will be printed and distributed, and all entries will be displayed at the library for visitors' viewing pleasure throughout the summer. Entry forms are available at the Beals Memorial Library or can be downloaded from our website at bealslibrary.org/bookmark.
The Beals Memorial Library is located at 50 Pleasant Street in Winchendon. For more information, contact the library at 978-297-0300.
Murdock HS Shines at Spring National Honor Society Conference
The spring NHS Conference sponsored by the Massachusetts School Administrators' Association (MSAA) was held on April 6 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. Winchendon School Committee member Mr. Larry Murphy was recognized at the beginning of the conference as a Friend of the National Honor Society in Massachusetts for his years of service to the state organization. Tiana Graessle and Angelina Dellasanta presented a workshop to other students about the Wreaths Across America program. The Murdock Chapter of NHS was recognized as a Commended Chapter (pictured is Tiana Graessle accepting that award). Angelina Dellasanta was awarded Student of the Year for the Central District, along with a $500 scholarship. The Everett Masters Advisor of the Year award went to Ms. Stephanie Rondeau.
Angelina Dellasanta (left) and Stephanie Rondeau, Central Regional Director
Photo courtesy of Liz Latoria
Tiana Graessle (left), accepting the Commended Chapter award from Rebecca Howe, Avon Middle School, South Regional Director
Photo courtesy of Liz Latoria
From left: Lillian Skawinski, Breylin Wightman, Jaden Lindsey, Tiana Graessle, Angelina Dellasanta, Stephanie Rondeau, WPS Superintendent Thad King.
Photo courtesy of Liz Latoria
Stephanie Rondeau accepting the Everett Masters Advisor of the Year award from Starr Pinkos, State Director
Photo courtesy of Liz Latoria
Photo copyright © Beals Memorial Library