Thanksgiving Surprise for Winchendon Schools as MMHS Boiler Totally Loses Its Groove

Building Closed for Foreseeable Future - MMHS Students Will Attend Class in Other Locations Starting Dec 4

by Inanna Arthen
Most families have stories to tell about "Thanksgiving catastrophes," from charred desserts to travel misadventures to badly timed weather events. But Winchendon Public Schools now has a Turkey Day story to beat them all. Early on Thursday morning, November 23, as teams, families and fans from Murdock and Narragansett High Schools prepared for the annual Thanksgiving football game, a boiler (strictly speaking, an oil-powered water heater) at Murdock Middle High School "malfunctioned" (it did not literally explode, as had been stated initially).

No one was in the building at the time, very fortunately as much of the building was filled with carbon monoxide and smoke, leaving heavy deposits of oily soot. Winchendon Fire Department and personnel from other area Fire Departments responded to a call at 7:31 a.m. from Director of Facilities Brian Croteau, who discovered the situation on his daily building check through a resounding CO alarm. Mr. Croteau contacted the district's insurance company and brought professional cleaning firm ServiceMaster on site to begin clean up. Meanwhile, the MHS athletes used Memorial Elementary School to change for the big game, which went on at 10:00 a.m. as scheduled.

On Friday, November 24, Interim Superindendent Dr. Ruthann Goguen messaged that there would be no classes at MMHS the following Monday and Tuesday (November 27 and 28). "The clean up is extensive and will likely take all weekend. Given the amount of soot, we are uncomfortable with opening the building until we receive the results back from an air quality test. Given it is a holiday weekend, we hope to have the results by Wednesday. We will keep you informed, and we thank you for your understanding."

The Courier was told (possibly humorously) that Mr. Croteau "moved his office over to the high school" in order to supervise the extensive process of repairing the boiler and cleaning the building.

On Tuesday, November 28, Superintendent Goguen released the following statement:

"I regret to inform you that school will be cancelled for the rest of this week at both the middle and high school. Even though we have a large crew of contractors working on the clean up, the building is not ready for us to return. I have reached out to the Commissioner of Education and he will not approve remote learning. We have secured adequate off site spaces for both the middle and high school for possibly the next two weeks. The detailed plans will be shared as soon as they are finalized.

"It will be required for the middle and high school students and staff to make up for this week of missed learning time, and we are looking at time during the February Vacation week (Tuesday through Friday) and the day after the last day of school.

"We understand that this is a disruption for the middle and the high school. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we maneuver through this crisis."

On Wednesday, November 29, the Superintendent's office sent out information to parents on plans to resume classes as of December 4 at two separate facilities in Gardner and Winchendon. Middle School students will attend class for a shortened school day in the 3rd floor of Gardner's Elm Street School, described by Superintendent Goguen as "a secure building and houses the Superintendent's office and Gardner Academy of Learning and Technology. The floors for these offices and school are locked."

High School students will attend class for a shortened school day at the Cornerstone Church, 122 Gardner Road, Winchendon. "This is a secure building, and the church staff have all been CORId, and they will be separately working in their offices, while students will primarily be located in the basement spaces/classrooms available," Superintendent Goguen told parents. Cornerstone has a capacity of 500 persons downstairs and is able to accommodate the 263 Murdock High School students, Dr. Goguen told the Courier. "They're doing us a big favor," she said.

Busing is being arranged for MMHS students who normally are dropped off or walk to school. Buses will depart from and return to the MMHS parking lot. Breakfast and bag lunches will be provided to the relocated students by MMHS cafeteria staff.

In a statement released on Thursday, November 30, Dr. Goguen gave further details about the incident and the building clean-up. The hot water boiler has been routinely serviced and maintained. The reasons for its failure remain to be fully analyzed and explained. This event was completely unpredictable. Mr. Croteau has been making daily fire checks on the building since a lightning strike fried the fire alarm panel in August. "The State Fire Marshal in conjunction with the Winchendon Fire Department have approved this current plan of conducting fire checks. The Director of Facilities has been working with Johnson Controls to secure the necessary replacement fire alarm panel parts. Due to supply chain shortages, we have been waiting for these parts since the panel was deemed non-repairable," Dr. Goguen explained.

She went on to say that the cleaning work on the building has been ongoing since the event. "ServiceMaster began an extensive clean-up process on Friday, and they have been working diligently since then. They are replacing 6000 square feet of ceiling tiles, cleaning 240,000+ square feet, scrubbing down everything, and air cleaners are continuously running. This is an extensive clean-up process, and most of the damage was in the middle school and gymnasium. There have been air quality monitors installed on all three floors since the boiler malfunction. Before the school is deemed safe for students and staff to return, a licensed environmental hygienist will take air quality samples and these samples will be tested at a certified lab."

An Emergency School Committee meeting was scheduled for Thursday, November 30 at 4:00 p.m., which included the MMHS situation on its agenda. Numerous parents attended to ask questions about the relocation plans, the length of the school days for the Middle and High School students, whether the students would be able to access their computers/Chromebooks for Summit Learning (yes), what about arts, music and other specials, and the safety of the cleaning materials and the building overall in the long term. The discussion of the building situation alone ran for well over an hour.

Dr. Goguen and School Committee members explained that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) refused to authorise remote learning for Winchendon, regardless of the crisis nature of the situation. All missed school days must be made up by the district. As long as students attend school for at least three hours, DESE counts it as a full day. The administration is waiting for an answer on whether DESE will waive the five days of this week from the make-up requirement, or whether it may be necessary to cancel February vacation week or make up the days some other way.

The shortened school day "is a strategic effort to make sure that the elementary school students don't get impacted by this crisis that is impacting the Middle School and the High School," Dr. Goguen explained. "Our principals are working diligently on schedules, there will be specials for students. They're trying to keep things as normal as possible. It won't of course, be a full day, but they're working to the best of their ability to make sure that this experience for our kids off site is not only educational, but fun. I think there's many ways to learn about life. This is one of them. You know we have to move our kids to a different location and I quite frankly can't tell you how grateful I am for Cornerstone Church and for Elm Street to have made themselves available, and to the bus company for what they're doing to make sure that we can bus our students and bus our walkers and bus our parent drop offs to Elm Street because the parking doesn't fit there. So everyone is putting forth their best effort. It is our goal to get back in the high school as soon as possible. We're certainly not going to put students and staff in there until we have certified air quality tests and all the cleaning is complete."

Dr. Goguen said they were working very hard to get students back into the MMHS building within a two week period, "if not sooner."

Mr. Croteau explained the cleaning procedures in more detail, stating that the cleaning agents used by ServiceMaster are safe. ServiceMaster specializes in restoring schools after natural disasters, it's what they do. There are 50 to 100 people on site every day right now, "scrubbing and wiping," Mr. Croteau said. Ceiling tiles are being sanitized, ducts are being cleaned because air circulates through them, and no fragrance or detergents that could be allergens are being used. "These guys are thorough. They're not rushing, they're making sure it's right. Because at the end of the day, like I keep saying, it's all about our students, the staff, they have to be safe," Mr. Croteau assured parents.

Parent Tina Santos asked about the stage and music areas by the auditorium, where equipment and props for the MMHS musical and other events are stored. Mr. Croteau said that fire doors throughout the building were closed, so the auditorium and the back rooms around it were completely unaffected.

The Courier will continue to report on this evolving situation as solid information is verified and forthcoming.

Public Hearing on Right of First Refusal Postponed to December 12

Solar Energy Reps, Conservation Organizations and Citizens Comment at BOS meeting

by Inanna Arthen
The required public hearing on the town's Right of First Refusal in the pending sale of roughly 1,100 acres of Chapter 61 forestry land in Winchendon to a solar energy developer was postponed at the last minute. The hearing had been scheduled during the Select Board meeting on Monday, November 27, at 6:45 p.m., in the understanding that 48 hours' notice was needed. Town council took a deeper look at the regulations and determined that two weeks' notice was required for the hearing. After public comment and discussion, the Board voted to reschedule the hearing to Tuesday, December 12.

Some 20 to 30 people attended the Select Board meeting on Monday, November 27. Although the formal hearing was postponed, Board Chair Audrey LaBrie said, "It is on the agenda and I'm going to open it up to the floor. We'd love to have people talk to us this evening. The public hearing itself will be rescheduled. We'll be discussing that a little bit later this evening."

Members of the Board had no comments. Resident John Walker rose to ask if the delayed hearing meant the town would lose the opportunity. Ms. LaBrie said they had 120 days from notification of the sale, so the town has until January 4, 2024.

If the town passes on the Right of First Refusal, Ms. LaBrie explained, "Nothing else needs to be done. Should the Board decide to assign that Right of First Refusal, then there are some steps that we need to take such as, filing with the Registry of Deeds and notification of landowners and such like that. January 4 is our deadline to get that done."

Mr. Walker also asked about back taxes. Ms. LaBrie said yes--in the case of a Chapter 61 sale, the difference between the reduced amount of taxes paid under Chapter 61 designation and the full amount that would have been paid has to be made up and paid by the seller. Ms. LaBrie wasn't sure how long the property had been under Chapter 61 and how much the taxes might be.

The next person to speak was Cliff Scher from Longroad Energy, who said he and his colleagues Chad Allen and Matt Kearns "really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you all about our preliminary plans for the property that we have a purchase and sale agreement with the current owner. Winchendon Forestry LLC is the seller of the property."

Mr. Scher went on to say, "Our plans are really focused around three core concepts: solar delivering 50 megawatts of renewable energy capacity to the grid and avoiding emissions of 41,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year, while at the same time conserving as much as 950 acres of the property and providing to the town potentially more than $800,000 in revenue per year."

Longroad Energy is based in Boston, Mr. Scher said, and is "focused on developing, owning and operating wind, solar and storage projects throughout North America. We've been successful in all three capacities, including a significant amount of renewable energy developed in Maine, not too far from here, solar and wind." Longroad wants to be good stewards of the land and responsible members of the communities where projects are located, he said.

Mr. Scher gave a specific example of one of their Maine projects, known as the Three Corners Project, in Kennebec County, Maine. This is a 100 megawatt project currently under construction, and is twice the size of the project proposed for Winchendon. "It's also a project where we paired solar and conservation in a similar way to what we're looking to do here. You could see that with this project, we conserved an additional 1,900 acres of land through working with a number of partners, including Maine Audubon, and others in the environmental community in and around Maine."

Mr. Scher showed a map of the "managed timber property" of about 1,350 acres, mostly in Winchendon, explaining that they plan solar development on about 30 percent of the acreage. The remaining 950 or so acres would be managed in other ways, whether by conservation or recreational use suitable to the public--"we're basically flexible" on that acreage, Mr. Scher said. "We think the best plan here is one that pairs solar and conservation."

Revenue benefit to the town, Mr. Scher said, would come from two sources. One would be a pilot agreement negotiated between the town and the developer, forecast to be around $7,500 per megawatt per year. "The additional source of revenue would be through an operations agreement that we'd be interested in working with the town on, where the town would take on the responsibility of some level of operations and maintenance of the land surrounding the solar, whether that could include fence maintenance, the scope that would be negotiated with the town to the level that the town was comfortable with," Mr. Scher said. "And also was agreeable to the Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources."

Indicating a map of the sectors planned for solar and the remaining property that could be conserved, Mr. Scher said there could be biking and walking trails, trails connecting the two lakes, and so on. "We'd be happy to to work with conservation groups and others as we seek to move this proposal forward," he concluded.

Ms. LaBrie asked if there would be roads, electrical towers and so on crossing the acreage marked for conservation, and was told the acreage marked for solar development included the areas where roads and so on would be installed. Ms. LaBrie then asked about a substation being included under "revenue opportunities." Did this mean the existing substation on Rte. 12? Mr. Scher replied, "We've had some initial conversations with National Grid and from our perspective, having a new substation on site and the property that we own makes the most sense. I understand that the East Winchendon substation might be due for some upgrades separate from our effort. So that would not prevent those upgrades from moving forward. But if we had our choice, we would prefer to connect to that line that crosses the site, that you can see where the substation is located."

Board Vice Chair Rick Ward asked who would actually own the some 950 acres that would be conserved. Mr. Scher turned the mic over to Matt Kearns, Chief Development Officer for Longroad Energy, who explained that with the Three Corners project in Maine, roughly 1,900 acres is in conservation, and the deed is held by New England Forestry Foundation [a non-profit actually based in Littleton, MA]. Longroad holds an easement to the developed property, which includes terms for access, management and maintenance of the land.

Mr. Ward raised some questions about six parcels of town owned land which he said the town Assessor was recommending the town take Right of First Refusal on. Board member Barbara Anderson said that she didn't want solar fields to be visible from the Rail Trail, and interfere with the view and enjoyment of wildlife and natural environments.

Mr. Kearns said, "These are preliminary arrangements for solar panels. So our view was to make sure that when we take input like [Ms. Anderson's], that we reflect that in the layout. So, for example, we don't have to put panels next to the bike path, we can relocate them, we can make adjustments like that, and that's exactly the practice that we engage in as we start through the preliminary design and onto the permitting process to take all that stakeholder feedback, and then bake it in. And in this case, the good news is we've got lots of land so we can move things around. We can shield projects from public view. We've got lots of trees to do that with and we can save land in perpetuity forever, so that the animals that you're talking about can live there forever."

They want to develop solar, protect a lot of trees and generate revenue for the town, three good things, Mr. Kearns said, and balance it all against the history of the town and the land. But if they can't get out of the gate, they can't balance these interests. "If we can't balance and we can't draft an agreement that is amenable to the town, you're not going to sign it, and I would suggest that we work together with stakeholders from the community to put together a binding agreement, that's not based on the trust that you have of a developer from Boston, but it's legislated, it is mandated. It is secured in the form of an agreement that has penalties, and we will have a permit that has penalties and we have to comply." He reminded the Board that Longroad has a purchase and sale agreement, and the ROFR could have stood in the way of them developing the property.

Board member Danielle LaPointe spoke up to say that because of the short timeframe, there wasn't space for a lengthy engagement with the public to build their trust. "So I think what people would need to hear is what kind of commitments and guarantees or resolve can come from your company where if we do decide to give up a Right of First Refusal and let this land be sold to you, what can we sink our teeth into, absent that time to come to that binding agreement to ensure that it's not all going to be solar, it's not three fourths gonna be solar."

Mr. Kearns said he would love to hear feedback, first from people who care about the issue, and second, to figure out how to codify what the town and Longroad are agreeing to.

After Mr. Scher and Mr. Kearns concluded, David Santomenna, Senior Director of Land Conservation for Mass Audubon, and Aaron Nelson, Project Manager at Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, rose to speak.

Mr. Nelson said, "we're here to talk about the Right of First Refusal that the town has and the possibility and we hope that you will consider to assign it to Mass Audubon, and see this entire property is conserved." Explaining that he didn't want to give the whole presentation twice, with the hearing still pending, Mr. Nelson said, "We took a really hard look at this property when we first became aware of the potential for it to become a large solar development. And we thought a lot about whether there was a compatible sort of conservation or mix given the scale of the development. And we think that really the scale of the development and the potential placement is incompatible with the conservation values the property has.

"The two main conservation values to focus on for us are that this property represents large unbroken tracts of forest land that actually stretches further than what you can see on this third map, it stretches all the way into New Hampshire and contains the watershed of the Millers River and Sunset Lake. And we think that the scale of the potential development here, the potential for land clearing and fragmentation would really damage the exceptional conservation values of this property, which is one of the most special conservation opportunities we think not just in Winchendon, but in the state."

Mr. Nelson said the organizations "are not anti-solar," they don't think the scale of the project is right for the property.

Mr. Santomenna said, "One of the things that we've done is to take a look at some of the town's printed documents, all of which identify this assemblage, this series of tracts as a place that's important to protect. And, I would say this, the state's open space and endangered habitat planning echoes that as well, so we're really feel like we're in the role of implementing some plans that have been long, long established."

Mr. Santomenna spoke of the problem of "fragmentation" of habitat. "400 acres doesn't seem like a lot in the context of that 1300 acre tract. But the way that it is distributed across the landscape really has an impact. It's somewhat out of proportion to the actual acreage involved in it. So it's very hard to quantify the impacts of that scale of development across a landscape...it's not a numbers game for us as much as it is just integrity of the habitat."

Mr. Nelson said that Mass Audubon was "ready and willing" to purchase the property. Mr. Santomenna said, "In the couple of weeks since the last time we were here, we've continued with our internal approval and planning process, and I've been working closely with the folks at Mount Grace, as well as at the state, which is ultimately our goal would be to re-convey the parcels to the state, probably Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. So we're continuing to work with them. They're fully on board and supportive of us taking the step of requesting the assignment, closing the property and holding it until they have the funds available."

Mr. Santomenna added that as 100 percent conserved land, all the property would be public access for passive recreation such as fishing, hunting and so on.

Fred Sellars, Environmental Director of the Far Hills Association, which comprises 300 homeowners and 60 landowners around Sunset Lake on the Winchendon/Ashburnham town line, rose to speak. "We were alarmed at the news of the potential development of a major solar farm on approximately 1400 acres of land immediately west of our lake surrounding Estees Brook, which is one of the lake's major tributaries," he said. "Much of this land...is mapped as critical wildlife habitat by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage Program. Developing a significant acreage in that forest, in our watershed, could adversely affect our lake."

Mr. Sellars said he is a "recently retired" enviromental consultant with a 40-year career in the siting and environmental permitting of major energy projects nationwide, including solar projects. "It's my professional opinion," he said, that using forest acres to build solar farms greatly reduces the environmental benefits of properly sited solar farms. "This is why the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources strongly discourages locations that result in significant loss of land and natural resources, including forest land, and encourages locations in industrial and commercial districts or in vacant disturbed lands. According to the department, there are more than enough suitable locations to meet the state's goal of 20 to 35 gigawatts of solar energy capacity by 2050 without compromising critical environmental areas, like the proposed site."

Mr. Sellars pointed out that Winchendon's 2015 Open Space Recreation Plan states a goal to preserve wildlife, habitat and enviromentally sensitive areas through, among other strategies, partnering with conservation organizations such as Mass Audubon, North County Land Trust, and Mount Grace. Now the town has the opportunity to do this.

Resident Richard Marshall rose to say that the property under discussion has been posted "No Trespassing" within the last few weeks, although Chapter 61 land is supposed to be open.

Resident Christine Haslam rose to say, "I'm not even really sure what to say about this. I'm just kind of taken aback. We moved to Winchendon a couple of years ago. And one of the things that drew us out there was you know, the natural beauty, the preservation of the forests, you know, outdoor things that you can do here. And to think that a company is going to come in and just destroy acres and acres of property of woodland, you know, I don't know I just find it very concerning and I'm really kind of upset about it."

Resident M.J. Galat rose to emphasize that "this is a key corridor connecting a lot of different parcels that have already been set into conservation. And it stretches more than just here. It goes all the way out. It crosses over to Nineteenth Hill. It goes all the way out to the state and town forests and the State Forest, out onto Mellen Road, and connects all the way to Gardner...this can impact a very, very large ecosystem. So I think we really have to do our due diligence. I know we're pressed for time, but I think it's really important for us to do what's best for our community, for our watershed and for all the other living beings that are connected and the recreational part that comes along with it because I know I'm out there, I'm hiking and snowshoeing all through that corridor. And there are a lot of people who take advantage of those areas."

Mr. Kearns rose again to respond to the points about contiguous properties. "If we can get to the starting gate on this and add conservation properties that are not conserved today, at our expense, not the expense of Mass Audubon...these are small pockets of solar that will have corridors extend between them," he said. "And I think that's an important point, because it's not that we're fencing off 1300 acres, we're talking about a relatively small series of pockets that almost mimic a natural forest, where you've got pockets that are cleared. We've got to think a little bit more in terms of sort of geologic time here. I mean, we're talking about our planet. And so I think there are ways to work together to map this property, figure out which areas should be protected and protect them. We agree on that, we have more in agreement than we do in disagreement, I think. So I think there's an opportunity to do solar, protect these contiguous properties that will create a bridge between multiple properties and I think there's a lot of value there."

After all comments were done, the Board discussed rescheduling the hearing. They agreed to schedule the public hearing on Tuesday, December 12, at 7:00 p.m., in the Town Hall auditorium. The snow date would be Thursday, December 14.

For more information from Mount Grace about the Right of First Refusal proposal, see "Winchendon Landscape Project" at https://www.mountgrace.org/about/news/post/winchendon-landscape-project

See Longroad Energy's Powerpoint Presentation slides at Winchendon-Solar-Overview-11-22-2023.pdf (PDF)

For information about the Three Corners project in Maine, referred to by Mr. Scher and Mr. Kearns, see:

Bangor Daily News: Construction begins on Maine's largest solar farm
Maine Dept of Environmental Protection, Tree Corners Solar, LLC
Maine Audubon, Thoughtfully Sited Solar

For previous Courier coverage, see:

"Citizens, SB Member Express Urgency On Right of First Refusal for Proposed Solar Property" in the November 16-23, 2023 edition of The Winchendon Courier
"Mount Grace and Mass Audubon Ask Town to Preserve 1400-acre Tract of Land Proposed for Enormous Solar "Campus"" in the October 26-November 2, 2023 edition of The Winchendon Courier
and
"Town Boards Hear Initial Pitch for 1,400-Acre Solar Campus in East Winchendon" in the November 17-24, 2022 edition of the Winchendon Courier.

Winter Bake & Book Sale at the Beals Memorial Library

Get ready for the holidays at the library! On Saturday, December 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the Friends of the Beals Memorial Library are holding their annual Winter Bake & Book Sale! Satisfy your sweet tooth with the holly jolly delights of homemade treats and stock up on some gently used books, media, and more, available at low prices. Stuff your stockings with cute, handmade gifts crafted by Friend of the Library, Louise Spofford. Please note: all baked goods available during this sale are homemade and have not been prepared in a ServSafe® certified kitchen.

The Friends of the Beals Memorial Library promote, encourage and support the educational and cultural programs at the Beals Memorial Library. All proceeds from their fundraisers support future library programs and the purchase of needed items and equipment for the library. The Friends also work to engage the community in raising positive public awareness through advocacy for the library.

Are you interested in learning more about what the Friends of the Library do, or in how you can get involved? Then contact the library at 978-297-0300 or visit their website at https://www.bealslibrary.org/friends.

NRT Bus Holding a "Stuff A Bus" Toy Drive

GARDNER, Massachusetts - Employees of NRT Bus, part of Beacon Mobility, a family of transportation companies dedicated to helping adults and children get where they need to go safely and on time, are donating their time this holiday season to "Stuff A Bus" with toys and gifts for local families in need.

NRT Bus provides mobility solutions for over 70 communities and school districts throughout New England, including Gardner, Winchendon, Westminster and Ashburnham. This year, the company is hoping to give back to the communities they serve by hosting toy drive events for the holiday season. The company will be collecting donations of new, gift-wrapped toys and holiday presents that will be distributed to local agencies including the Clark Memorial YMCA in Winchendon, the Winchendon Community Action Committee and The HOPE program in Gardner, among others.

The Stuff A Bus toy drive will be held at three different locations December 14 through 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The drive kicks off in Winchendon on Thursday, December 14 at the Wendell P. Clark Memorial YMCA (155 Central Street, Winchendon, MA). NRT staff volunteers will be on hand with a full-size school bus, dressed up in colored lights for the holiday season. In addition, Santa will be making an appearance, along with free hot chocolate and candy canes for everyone.

The Stuff A Bus event then moves to Westminster on Friday, December 15 at the Westminster Elementary School (9 Academy Hill Rd, Westminster) and on Saturday, December 16, will wrap up at Gardner Elementary School (278 Pearl St, Gardner). Hours for each "Stuff A Bus" event are from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Donations should be gift wrapped and indicate if they're for a boy or a girl and the approximate age range. The company is hoping to make the toy drive an annual event.

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