BOS Hire William McKinney as Interim Town Manager
Bill McKinney on his second busy day in Winchendon Town Hall.
Photo by Inanna Arthen
After deliberating in Executive Session on Monday, June 26, the Board of Selectmen offered the position of Interim Town Manager to candidate William McKinney, who interviewed in person on June 20. Mr. McKinney accepted, and started work on Wednesday, June 28.
Audrey LaBrie, Chair of the Board of Selectmen, said, "On behalf of the Board of Selectmen, I'm pleased to welcome Bill McKinney to Winchendon as our Interim Town Manager. Bill brings with him his work experience as an employee for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in both the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and the Department of Labor Standards. He also previously held the position of CFO and Treasurer/Collector for the town of Weymouth. We look forward to working with Bill during the next months as the Board works towards the hiring of a full-time Town Manager."
Mr. McKinney generously made time to speak with the Courier on Thursday, June 29, in the middle of a busy day meeting with the Winchendon Council on Aging, Superintendent Thad King and department heads in Town Hall.
Asked what he saw as his biggest challenge as he walked through the door here in Winchendon, Mr. McKinney said, "I think it's just getting to meet as many people as possible. I just started yesterday and I've been getting out. I've met with many of the department heads, with the school superintendent, hoping to meet with the rest of the Board and with Audrey yesterday when I started with [Town Manager Justin Sultzbach]. So it's really getting out and getting to know as many people as possible. That to me is the biggest challenge and there's a lot of good things going on that Justin had put in place and so he's gonna give me the list of those so we can continue to move those forward. Also getting a sense from, what else can we be doing?"
Mr. McKinney said DPW Director Brian Croteau had taken him to see the new Amphitheater, which he praised as "a great community asset" that will be built up and added to over time. "I just really want to hear from the residents as well and get a sense of what it is that they're looking for," he said.
Mr. McKinney won't "officially" meet the Town until he attends his first Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, July 10. He invites town residents to come in and meet him in the Town Manager's office on the fourth floor of Town Hall.
Asked what he'd like to say to Winchendon's citizens, Mr. McKinney said, "I'd like them to reach out to me, let me know, from their point of view, how we're doing as a town or the things that we're doing well, are there things that we're not doing well, are there town employees that they want to compliment. I love hearing that, but if there's negative feedback, I like to hear that as well...I just think it's important that people feel connected to their government. And so I really hope that people come to the Selectmen's meeting, because I'll be there, or come by Town Hall, it'll be fairly quiet, especially Monday [July 3]. So if people want to come by and talk, you know, I'll be here."
To quote the message on the chalkboard on the Town Hall fourth floor landing: "Welcome, Bill!"
BOS, School Committee Hear from Eight Candidates for Vacant Seat on SC
At a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee on Monday, June 26, eight town residents explained why they were interested in filling the seat vacated by departing Committee member Alicia Jordan for the remaining ten months of its term. After a winnowing process by which the eight applicants were narrowed down to five nominees and then voted on, the two boards jointly approved applicant Anthony Findley to the seat.
All eight applicants who had submitted Letters of Interest or resumes to the BOS and/or School Committee were present at the meeting, although this was not a requirement to be considered for nomination. School Committee Chair Ryan Forsythe began by explaining the process. BOS Chair Audrey LaBrie would randomly select names from a bowl to determine the order in which applicants spoke. Each applicant would reply to two questions: first, "please give us one or two examples of what you see the Winchendon public school district is doing right and tell us...how you would strengthen and continue to grow those aspects of the district." The second question was, "please give us one or two examples of what you see the district is doing wrong or areas needing improvement, and tell us how you would address those issues."
Applicants were also asked if they understood the time commitment involved in being on the School Committee, which is not limited to twice-monthly meetings, and if they would be interesting in running for the permanent seat at the town election next May.
The first applicant to speak was Mike Gaspar. For positives, he said, "So some of the schools are coming out of DESE [Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education] oversight. I believe that's a huge success for the district. I believe Mr. King's handling that successfully and I would do whatever support he needs to continue that and hopefully get the middle school out of DESE oversight and continue giving students the opportunities that they deserve. Another good thing, I really liked the dual enrollment program at the high school. I think it gives students a huge leg up on college, they enter college already having credits under their belt. It's not only a financial benefit to them, but it just overall gives them a better position going into college."
For improvements, Mr. Gaspar mentioned the Special Education department and what seems to be a high turnover of staff and teachers. "My family's had difficulties with the Special Ed Department that's led me into becoming a layman's expert in special education. So I have some awareness of what DESE requirements are as well as student requirements. So I think I could be helpful in implementing policies and procedures that help students, administrators follow guidelines and achieve goals set out for them," he said.
Mr. Gaspar said he has children in the district who will be entering 7th and 9th grades. He was motivated to apply by the "issues" he saw, but he wants to help fix "all aspects of things."
The second applicant pulled from the bowl was Mike Barbaro. For positives, he said, "there's more than one thing that have gone right, and I think you need to point that out our early literacy program that the superintendent has been pushing the last couple of years. As you watched it the last couple of School Committee meetings, the success is coming through. You see the kids learning how to read and write and I think that is going to be big time benefits for the district going forward. Because the kids, there's been a huge emphasis on getting them to read and write and an earlier age. That's a huge success for the district going forward." He also cited grant money that paid for sports, food and other things.
For improvements, Mr. Barbaro also spoke about the numerous problems with Special Education. "I'm sorry, if the person that's [directing Special Ed] can't do the job, we need to put someone in there that can do the job. I'd like to see that position separated from Director of Pupil Services because Special Ed is Special Ed and that needs to be on its own," he said. He also cited staff turnover and the effect it has on morale among remaining staff. "One of the things that the state always identified as Winchendon having a problem with, we need to maintain our administrators," he said.
The third applicant to speak was Mike Gaynor. For positives, Mr. Gaynor praised "excellent administrative leadership including Dr. Jonathan Landman. Dr. Landman as you know, was hired mostly to be like a turnaround agent, a change agent for this district. He's the director or Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Planning and Instruction, I believe. So, those are the areas that we need to work on, how to get a standards based curriculum that's rigorous, challenging for our students, but we use them for their MCAT testing, and for college and career readiness."
For improvements, Mr. Gaynor echoed the concerns with Special Education, saying that he's been a teacher for ten years and a special educator for five years. He also said, "we need to keep our students safe. We need to build relationships with them. We need to understand where they're coming from, that social-emotional piece, and promote equity and inclusion. It's so important that our students feel like they're valued, that they're important, because it's all about them." Mr. Gaynor said he would be interested in the permanent seat. He teaches in the Nashoba Regional School District and believes a school committee needs to have teachers involved.
Fourth to speak was Kevin Nelson, who ran for a School Committee seat in 2022. He explained that he has had three children in the district in the past year, two of whom receive services from the Special Education department. For positives, he said that his children's school performance and grades spoke well for the quality of the teaching. For improvements, Mr. Nelson echoed the negative effects of staff turnover, and also mentioned the reported problems with bullying in the schools. "We recently went through a situation where a staff member that my daughter had reported bullying to went to the other child's parent and said, 'well, she's just exaggerating. I don't think it's a big deal.' Well, my wife and this child's mother have conversations. And you can imagine after that point, my wife had a conversation with the teacher who was like a deer in the headlights."
Fifth to be called forward was Adam LeBlanc. For positives, he said that much had already been said, but he added, "I believe that the last presentation with the Toy Town Elementary principal and teachers coming up with your analysis on how their students [are] doing, it's progressively getting better. I think that is excellent...we have the majority of teachers that want to be here, that want to teach, that have the enthusiasm and the drive to teach and I think that's what is needed."
Mr. LeBlanc cited the same improvement areas as the other applicants: Special Education, and staff turnover. He suggested that the staff situation be looked at methodically, rather than rushed into, so the district could understand how much salary and what kind of contract would attract good candidates.
As Mr. LeBlanc had spoken during public comments at some recent School Committee meetings, School Committee member Greg Vine asked, "you made it sound as though the district were just falling apart at the seams, and you suggested a wholesale change in administration. I'm just wondering, if you were to get this position, can you come in and maintain an objective assessment or be objective in the assessment of the people that you're going to be coming in to work with, including the superintendent and the principals that are still here?"
Mr. LeBlanc said he would be honest and admit if he was wrong, but call it as he saw it. "At the end of the day, it's for the kids. It's not just for my opinion, his opinion, her opinion. It's the children's futures what we're looking for," he said.
The sixth applicant to be drawn from the bowl was Anthony Findley, who has coached sports at Murdock High School. He graduated from Murdock and has children in the district. He saw the district's greatest strength as its teachers, and the small classroom sizes. "The teacher retention is good at the school," he said, despite the lower pay rates compared to other districts. "I'm there every day. Monday through Friday, I see the interaction with the teachers that stay after late with the kids day in and day out, because that was in the halls after the fact or during the classroom breaks in between. So there are fantastic teachers at all levels...So I've seen the teaching aspect and I love the teachers that are there."
For improvements, Mr. Findley said he's "seen a revolving door at the administrative level." He added, "it's really difficult because most people use this as a stepping stone. [Superintendent Thad King] is probably the longest person I've seen at a top level in the school in a very long time. And I think it's really fixable, in that you find people internally instead of going externally, because it has shown over the last 20 years that these people take this job and then they go elsewhere." He suggested a system for training people up into higher positions. "Teachers are always getting education. They're always bettering themselves. Maybe somebody wants to take that next step," he said.
The seventh applicant was Brandice French, who said she has two young children in the district, one of them in Special Education and one who is gifted. For positives, she said, "my son is exceptionally bright and I can say the work that the teachers have given him to make sure he was engaged in school--it was phenomenal. I didn't even have to ask. And I really enjoyed that. So one of the things that I think we could work on is [staff] retention." She also praised "all the activities they have outside of school for the kids." For improvements, she mentioned the Special Education department.
"I have kids, but our school system isn't just about my kids. It's not just about your kids. It's about the future of our town of our state and of our country," she said.
Last to speak was applicant Ed Ford, Jr., who ran for the Board of Selectmen in the recent town election. "I was actually asked from some of the student body to apply for the position," he said. For positives, Mr. Ford mentioned the Dual Enrollment program, and the school district's partnership with the Winchendon CAC, HEAL Winchendon and the Youth Changemakers. He agreed with everyone else that the Special Education department needs improvement. He also mentioned the reported problems with communications between parents and the superintendent, suggesting a special staff position to make sure parents were responded to.
With all eight applicants having spoken, the Board and School Committee members offered their nominations for the slate of candidates to be voted on. The nominees were Anthony Findley, Brandice French, Adam LeBlanc, Mike Gaspar and Mike Gaynor.
Each member of the Board and School Committee then cast their vote for a final candidate, resulting in a three-way tie: Anthony Findley, Brandice French and Adam LaBlanc each received three votes.
The Board and Committee members explained why they voted the way they did, and a second vote for just the three tied candidates was held, with the same result.
At this point, Mr. LeBlanc graciously rose to break the impasse by saying he would withdraw his application, and run for the seat next May. "That way we can get an answer tonight," he said.
Following a discussion about a possible conflict of interest with Mr. Findley serving on the School Committee when he was an athletic coach for the district--it was determined that his position as coach did not disqualify him from the School Committee--both bodies voted again for the two remaining candidates on the slate, Anthony Findley and Brandice French. Mr. Findley was chosen with the vote 6 to 3.
All the applicants were thanked for their willingness to serve on the Committee, and invited to run for a seat in the future.
Wild Flowers of the YMCA
While the Clark YMCA may have practiced "No Mow May" to try to help the pollinator population by not mowing its grounds this past entire month of may, its best results for assisting the local Bee population and others have actually been all month long in June and entering July. The grounds of its northerly facing hillside property bordering the adjacent track displays for those passing bye a brilliant kaleidoscope of natures colors for those only willing to simply observe its beauty, where nearly countless pollinators can be seen hovering from flower to flower and plant to plant.
Photos by Keith Kent
BOS, BOH Appoint Monique Connor to Board of Health Seat
At a joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen and Board of Health on Monday, June 12, two candidates were considered for a seat left vacant on the Board of Health after the 2023 Town Election on May 1. After hearing both candidates--former BOH member Ed Bond and Monique Connor--the boards voted to appoint Ms. Connor to the seat.
The seat was left open after only one incumbent, Tina Santos, ran for Board of Health as an official candidate. Two write-in candidates, Keith Kent and Ed Bond, received 13 votes each and were tied. According to Ms. Santos, this constituted a "failure to elect." All those interested in the seat needed to submit a Letter of Interest to the Board of Health and/or Board of Selectmen so that the seat could be filled by appointment until the next town election in 2024. At that time the seat will be filled by ballot vote, and candidates will need to pull nomination papers and go through the election process to be placed on the ballot.
At the Board of Health meeting on Monday, June 5, both candidates spoke before the Board about their Letters of Interest. Mr. Bond said, "I've been on the Board [of Health] for a few terms already. I've been a Selectman for a time. And I probably was a little lazy in getting my nomination papers in and it costs me this undue to the Board of Health and the Board of Selectmen. At the last minute, I decided I would seek appointment for the Board again."
Ms. Connor, who was a new face to the Board, explained, "I have recently semi-retired if you want to call it that. So I have more time on my hands. And I've actually wanted to get more involved with the Board of Health for quite a while. And now I feel it's my opportunity to do it. I have over thirty years experience in the healthcare system, between working at Heywood Hospital and also being a town EMT. Not anymore, I retired a while ago. I also have experience with construction. I'm aware of several laws and regulations. Do I know them off the top of my head? No, but I know where to find them. And I've been here in Winchendon all my life. And I've raised three kids. They've all graduated from Murdock. I graduated from Murdock. My husband graduated from Murdock, so we're lifelong Winchendon people."
Asked if she was related to Winchendon Housing Authority Executive Director David Connor, Ms. Connor said, "Actually, he's my brother in law."
The Board members agreed that they would vote on the candidates at the joint meeting on June 12.
At the June 12 meeting, BOS members raised some concerns about missing paperwork, saying they had not received Mr. Bond's Letter of Interest (Ms. Santos was out of town and not present at the meeting). BOS Vice Chair Rick Ward said, "this is a little problem I'm seeing with this whole process, that there was no word between the town and the Board of Health on this. And we asked for submissions to be sent to two different places. We got one in the town, and they got one at the Board of Health. We didn't get the Board of Health one. Nobody checked early to get this. So now we don't have the information we should have had. So I am hoping because we have the same situation coming up the end of this month, we're going to be picking a School Committee member."
Mr. Ward also asked Mr. Bond why, as an incumbent for the seat, he didn't turn in his nomination papers for the election. Mr. Bond replied, "I was taking it for granted, that I've been elected last two terms without turning the papers in, I guess."
The Board of Health members recommended Ms. Connor for the seat.
Mr. Ward said, "I want to thank Eddie Bond for the years he's put in on the committee. But I do feel that when you're on these committees, sometimes you take your duties for granted. And as Mr. Bond said today, 'I took it for granted that I would win.' You never ever take it for granted. You owe the citizens of this town the opportunity to see your name on a ballot. And it the fact that it ended up this way is probably a good thing. Because I know by law, you can do write-ins, but it's not fair to the public, you need to take get those 30 signatures, get on the ballot and let everyone see who's running. So with that, I thank him for his service."
The rest of the BOS agreed to follow the recommendation of the Board of Health as "they're the ones that have to work with this individual." Both Boards voted to approve a motion to appoint Ms. Connor to the seat for one year, until the next town election.
1,000 Attendees Fill G.A.R. Park as Winchendon Hosts 2nd Annual Food Truck Festival
With some 18 vendors on tap providing offerings ranging in everything from traditional North American fare to South American cuisine and more, there was something for everybody of all ages to enjoy no matter what your palate.
The threat of rain never materialized to the happiness of many this past Friday, June 23, as Toy Town celebrated its 2nd Annual Food Truck Festival at GAR Park. What once beginning with an early slow start, quickly picked up filling the historic grounds with people of all ages as many made merry with food, drink, and music on a warm summer night kicking back with satisfied appetites and live entertainment beginning their weekends with a very fun night.
Beginning at 4:00 p.m., things started out slow, with a lite crowd. However by 6:30 p.m. with people now out of work for the day, the rain slightly off both the east and west, "People started pouring in!" By 6:30 p.m., the crowd in attendance could easily be estimated at over 1,000 strong. Parking along all local streets, Toy Town Elementary, the Senior Center, and even a good 1/4 of the field behind the soon to be upcoming Veterans Housing, all visibly full. Good for the town, great for the Food Truck Festival, and even greater for the Winchendon Parks & Recreation Commission who again, put so much hard work in behind the scenes to make it all happen.
There was no shortage of food selections to say the least with some roughly 18 vendors on tap. From "Extreme Mac & Cheese" specialties by Mac Daddy to South American cuisine such as tasty provider Sabrosa Venezuela. Cannolis of all kinds via Uncle Joey's Cannoli, and even your favorite tacos from either the Taco Dude or Easy Street Tacos. Looking to go more traditional, how about a Trolley Dog special hot dog or a really dressed up potato other options from Potato Potato. Even other choices around the park such as loaded Tostones & Quesadillas, if you couldn't find it, you may have simply not been checking hard enough. No matter if from Atrévete a Probar with more south of the border delights, or downright delicious Polish foods from Simmy's Polish Express such as Pierogi's, Kaposta, or even their Lazy Golumpkies, many are most likely sure to go back for more!
Around the center of the park, there were vendors selling various items ranging from clothing to jewelry, children's stuffed animals and even skin care products. Even the Murdock Middle School Cheerleaders had a booth set up for their fundraising efforts taking full advantage of the event to their credit.
Seen in these photo, are just some of those in attendance who watched the battle of the bands participants during the Friday, June 23, Winchendon Recreation Commission Food Truck Festival which by 6:30 p.m. realized over 1,000 people at GAR Park.
During the festival, there was also a "Battle of the Bands" being held on stage via a four-band live music playoff during the hours of 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. The competition was paid for by both the Winchendon and Templeton Cultural Councils, along with the Winchendon Parks & Recreation Commission.Contestants this year were Hit the Bus Band, Sheep Dip, The Mighty Suicide Squirrels, and Kuusi Palaa. Bands would be voted on by those attending for who played the best to be chosen won t-shirts declaring such along with bragging and advertising rights. At the events end the people had spoken, and the winner was announced by the Recreation Commission as the band "Sheep Dip" who collected some 53 of the roughly just over 150 votes submitted by those who took the time to submit.
As the event drew near its scheduled ending at its 9:00 p.m. close, there were still several hundred attendees purchasing their last food to take home, finishing their last beverages from Bull Spit Brewery, and the last band had wrapped up its act. The Second Annual Food Truck Festival was now in the books, and thankfully for all, "The rain held off!"
Many vendors on hand said they again had a positive experience attending the Food Truck Festival in Winchendon for their 2nd time. One vendor, Simmy's Polish Express, paid Toy Town a very nice compliment when operator Andrew Simkewicz said, "The people of Winchendon are incredibly nice to serve. Two years running at this event, and not one person at our truck that is unable to be pleased. My wife Lauren and I had a conversation about this and this is not a common thing. Hats off to the people of Winchendon!"
Recreation Commission Chairperson Debra Bradley was pleased with both the event and turnout. When asked, Bradley said, "First I would like to say thank you to all the people who came out to support the event, because without the attendance, we would not be able to keep these events going. There was a great variety of Food Trucks to pick from, and the event started off as a 'Battle of the Bands' to our Friday night opening of our GAR Park concerts in the park."
Bradley went on to add, "This had ballooned into a full annual event now, so we have already gotten requests already looking in to next years event so we can get a date down, to expand on more collaboration with more vendors and more organizations within town. It's been a great received event and we look forward to doing more. We would also like to thank Brian Croteau and his staff from the DPW and also Town Manager Justin Sultzbach for all their assistance behind the scenes in helping make this work. We look forward to seeing people at many more of the Recreation Commission's events!"
Tiffany Newton who serves as Winchendon Recreation Coordinator was also very pleased with the events outcome. Newton explained, "When I spoke with the vendors on hand, they said it went great! They had gotten rained out at other events during the month, so they were very happy the rain had held out and the numbers came and showed up with a good amount of people. I thought it went really well, and I got a lot of positive comments throughout the night that they thought it went better than last year. It's not that last year went bad, just that things ran smoother so it was very positive in that way."
Newton was also additionally asked about the recent June 10 Grand Opening celebration of the Robinson Broadhurst Performing Arts Amphitheater, where the Ahimsa Haven Animal Rescue held a large raffle prize fund raiser, of which it announced it would donate 50 percent of all profits raised to the Winchendon Parks & Recreation Commission. Newton was happy to confirm, "Ahimsa Haven Rescue donated $555.00 to the Winchendon Recreation Commission from their fundraiser and yes we are very thankful."
In closing, Newton wanted to share gratitude. "I want to give a shoutout to my Recreation Committee. They helped with all the event planning. I would also like to thank Brian Croteau and those at the DPW because we can't do all these events without them being on hand to help with things like moving all the heavy stuff and then all the cleaning up. There is no way we have done it without them. I can now also say, we are really excited to move on to next years event planning as well."
If you would like to see an upcoming schedule of events at the Town of Winchendon Recreation Commission website on the internet, please visit https://www.townofwinchendon.com/parks-and-recreation
To sign up as a Parks & Recreation Community Days volunteer, please visit: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0944aaaf2cabfdc34-community#/
To sign up as a Parks & Recreation Amphitheater volunteer, please visit: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0944aaaf2cabfdc34-amphitheater1#/
Battle of the Bands. Seen providing the crowd with musical talent during the 4 contestants of the "Battle of the Bands" are in the first photo and first to play of the evening, "Hit the Bus Band," and seen in 2nd photo and rocking hard pumping up the volume are "The Mighty Suicide Squirrels," who were the 3rd offering of the night. Others were "Sheep Dip," who went on to win the contest, and "Kuusi Palaa."
"Funny Money" Discovered at Local Business
Tom Konan, Sr., a New Hampshire resident, contacted the Courier to alert readers to an experience he recently had with "copy money," as it is called, mistakenly being given to him at a local business. Mr. Konan wanted to emphasize that he is "NOT pointing the finger or trying to cause any financial loss to any local businesses or their employees. I have life long friends in this town and I value these friendships and doing business here."
Mr. Konan reported that on Saturday, June 24, at 5:49 a.m., he purchased coffee and a breakfast sandwich at the Winchendon Cumberland Farms, a purchase he makes almost daily. He paid with a $100 bill and received change in twenty dollar bills. Not long afterwards, Mr. Konan gave one of the twenty dollar bills to a sales associate at Market Basket in Rindge, who told Mr. Konan that the bill was "copy money."
"Copy money" is imitation currency designed to look absolutely authentic, except for having the words "copy money" printed on both sides. It is used by filmmakers and theatres, among others, and can be purchased in packs from Amazon.com. It can easily be mistaken for real currency without a close look.
Mr. Konan had never heard of "copy money" before. He contacted Winchendon Police via their business number. Winchendon P.D.'s Sgt. Gerald Gagne responded, examined the bill and the store receipt and took a full report. Sgt. Gagne said that the police would review the store security video and follow up.
On Sunday, June 25, Mr. Konan returned to Cumberland Farms and found that staff were all aware of the incident and the ongoing police investigation. Mr. Konan was reimbursed for the bad bill, and the store manager spoke personally to Mr. Konan and offered him a complimentary breakfast purchase for his inconvenience. Mr. Konan told the Courier, "Now, that's great customer relations right there! Kind of a lost art in today's world. I'm not one to be greedy or take advantage of a situation or person as I'm "Old School" and have been conducting business for 46 years. All the people at all the Cumberland Farms stores are consistently friendly and professional. Again, this sets them apart from the average 'convenience store.'"
Mr. Konan, himself a former "first responder," said, "I would also like to thank the WPD and Sgt. Gagne for a very prompt professional response." He hopes to "spare a lot of other unsuspecting honest hard working people of Winchendon and surrounding communities inconvenience and waste of time and money."
Scam artists who pass counterfeit money tend to be extremely clever about choosing the ideal times and circumstances (very busy store, early morning, and so on), using misdirection and "palming" methods, and other scam techniques. They often have a partner who will create a disruption while the transaction is being made, to distract the sales associate.
Winchendonians who sell retail, whether you have a store, vend at markets and fairs, or accept cash in any venue--forewarned is forearmed! Pay close attention to cash bills. Law enforcement reports that "copy money" scams (and other forms of counterfeit money crimes) are increasing.
Anyone with any information about where this "copy money" may have come from should contact Sgt. Gagne at Winchendon P.D., 978-297-1212.