Town Election Official Results

As of February 24, 2024, Winchendon recorded 7,905 registered voters, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office (https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/download/research-and-statistics/enrollment_count_20240305.pdf). Of these, 1,048 are registered as Democrats, 998 Republican, 49 Libertarian and 5,724 Unenrolled. The percentage of Unenrolled voters who don't affiliate with any party has steadily increased in Winchendon since 2017, when it was 64.8 percent; now it is 72.4 percent. The total number of registered voters has increased by 1,041 since 2017.

578 voters cast ballots in the town election, comprising 7.3 percent of Winchendon's voters turning out to vote.

The Courier congratulates the elected candidates, and thanks all the candidates for being ready and willing to step up and serve their town.

Citizens Raise Questions About Superintendent Hiring Process for the 2024-25 School Year

by Inanna Arthen
At the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, May 7 (postponed from its usual Thursday day and time), several citizens expressed questions and concerns about the process involved in extending current Interim Superintendent Dr. Ruthann Goguen's contract another year, when the position had been posted as open and references were made in the agenda to a "superintendent search." In the following discussions, Committee Chair Karen Kast attempted to clarify and explain the situation, saying the Committee had voted to extend Dr. Goguen's contract on January 18, 2024.

Resident Michael Barbaro, who had just been elected the day before as a write-in candidate for a seat on the School Committee (his term will begin after Annual Town Meeting), rose first. "I'm looking at the agenda this evening. And I have some questions and more of a concern...further down on the agenda, you have a superintendent search discussion, having never seen a search committee formed, or interviews planned. And then seeing later on, further on down, the line going into an Executive Session. I'm trying to understand that, because Karen, one of the things you did say was being fair and transparent. Without a superintendent search, without a committee, if you vote for an extension on a superintendent without even talking to anybody else, that's not fair and transparent. And it's never been done." Citizens in the audience interrupted him with applause.

Mr. Barbaro continued that even if they wanted to keep the current Superintendent, "It's a process. To me, what it looks like is the process is being jumped. And with only three members here this evening, and not the other two members. Again, this is not a full Board. I urge you not to make any decisions on the Superintendent until a full Board is set. There are certain requirements and you're not following them."

Ms. Kast responded, saying that "the term 'superintendent search' is a misnomer on this agenda. The decision was made January 18." The Committee at that time "had a discussion by the full Board to either do a superintendent search, which would have involved bringing in MASC or one of the other search groups and doing a full superintendent search, which would have been much more comprehensive than us just posting a job posting, or extending the Interim Superintendent." A motion was made and seconded to extend the Superintendent's contract for another year, she explained, but because Dr. Goguen is retired, they will need to ask for a waiver for her to continue working in the position. Part of this is a requirement by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that the position be posted.

"We did not vote for a superintendent search in this body," she said. "And that was never the intent of this body. This body voted to do an extension of the Interim Superintendent." She urged those present to watch the video of the meeting in question, saying the minutes were not yet available but the video was.

Resident Kim Chambers, a teacher at Toy Town Elementary, rose to say that she had seen the announcement of the vacant position of Superintendent of Schools for the 24-25 school year, posted on March 13, 2024. "All of the requirements for successful candidates are listed. There is a place to submit applications, from what I understand we got over a dozen. Completed application must be received before April 15. The appointment will be made in May 2024. You just said the appointment was already made in January. So I'm wondering why a posting went out from you, which I believe is a legal posting, saying that the appointment would be made in May of 2024, if you did it in January."

Later in the meeting, the Committee returned to the topic, after discussing related issues including the $180,000 severance package paid to former Superintendent Thad King, and Open Meeting Law complaints over the lack of meeting minutes being available in a timely fashion (the most recent School Committee minutes posted on the town website are August 23, 2023, and neither minutes, video nor audio recordings for the meeting in which two Committee members including the Chair walked out are available).

Ms. Kast reiterated that the Committee had voted to extend Dr. Goguen's contract, but because of the rules of the state retirement system about maximum number of hours Dr. Goguen could work, they had to apply for a waiver. The application period for a waiver opens on May 1. "We had to post for superintendents, to see if anybody applied that might be of the same caliber, and with the same skill sets, and so on and so forth. So we did as required by the waiver paperwork," she explained.

Committee Vice Chair David LaPointe said, "We as the school committee, we don't have a lot of power, by the way. And one of the things we do have is the appointment of a superintendent. So we take that very seriously. And we don't just make it off the cuff. And we just don't vote for somebody because we vote for somebody. So we had to pull this information together on these applicants. And we looked at these applicants, there were 14. And you have to look at their qualifications." Dr. Goguen was one of the applicants, she had to apply for the position.

Of the 14 applicants, only two had any experience as a Superintendent, Mr. LaPointe said. One of them was Dr. Goguen. "She's heads and shoulders above all the others," he said. But he emphasized that this is not just the Committee's decision. DESE will review all the applicants as part of determining whether to grant a waiver for Dr. Goguen. The position is still Interim Superintendent. Next year, Mr. LaPointe said, they'll start a search in the fall, before many candidates are locked into contracts. "Right now, there's not a lot out there" for applicants, he said. Mr. LaPointe also emphasized that staff in the schools, and parents, expressed a lot of confidence in and support for Dr. Goguen. "What we don't want to do is start over again, this summer, and have somebody come in who is not qualified, or who isn't happy, or doesn't have the qualifications and the skills that Dr. Goguen has, so that we'll be doing an injustice to our students. I'm completely convinced of that," he said.

Committee member Jake Catlin chimed in, "I agree with everything that you've said there. And you just look at what Dr. Goguen brings to the table and what she's done in the short time that she's had here. And really jumping in practically as the school year was starting. I'm no administrator, I'm just a dairy farmer. But I can only imagine what that entailed and to get the amount of things done. You look at, she has over six times the superintendent experience than anyone who applied here, it's not even close." The Committee wasn't doing anything "shady" as one speaker had suggested, no "backroom deal," he said.

Ms. Kast said that they will probably start the search process for the following year in August or September, and follow all the procedures with a search committee and involvement by all stakeholders, such as teachers, staff, parents and the community as a whole. "I think that is extremely important," she said. "And as much as I would have liked to have seen that done this year, because of just one thing after another, and because we are getting our feet back on the ground after such a fiasco last year, that could not be done. So I apologize if people are disappointed that we did not do that now. But if we had tried to do that between January and now, we would not have been able to do it." She wanted everyone in the audience "to be involved 100 percent."

Resident Lisa Tenney asked if the Committee was really getting input from the teachers and staff working in the schools with the children. "Yes, everything looks great on paper," she said, "come into the school rooms, talk to the teachers."

Ms. Kast reiterated that the decision had actually been made in January, and not at this meeting. The Committee now needed to approve continuing with the waiver application process. There was always the chance, Mr. LaPointe had said, that DESE would turn the waiver application down.

For those who are interested, the January 18 School Committee meeting video is up on Winchendon TV and may be viewed at https://winchendon.cablecast.tv/CablecastPublicSite/show/54?site=1. The agenda for that meeting is at https://www.townofwinchendon.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif8401/f/agendas/sc_1.18.2024_amended_agenda.pdf and the topic is Agenda Item 9(c), "Superintendent Path Forward Discussion." The discussion begins at 1:03:20 on the video and is less than nine minutes long. At the time of the January 18 meeting, the first draft school district budget for FY2025 had not yet been completed.

ATM Warrant Article 32: Citizen's Petition
"Resolution in Support of Changing the Commonwealth Flag and Seal of Massachusetts"

The current Massachusetts state seal
image from changethemassflag.com

At Winchendon's Annual Town Meeting on May 20, voters will be presented with an article asking the town to adopt a resolution in support of updating the design of the official state flag and seal. This article is part of an initiative that has been ongoing for several years.

There will be a Community Discussion of this Resolution on Wednesday, May 15 at 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant Street, Winchendon. All are welcome to attend. For further information, contact Beth Ingham, noondayfarm@gmail.com or 978-894-4278.

David Detmold, a key coordinator in this campaign, sent the Courier detailed information for voters. He writes:

On Monday, May 20, a resolution in support of changing the flag and seal of Massachusetts will be voted on at the Winchendon annual town meeting.

Currently, 81 cities and towns across the Commonwealth, from Great Barrington to Provincetown, have approved similar resolutions in favor of changing the flag and seal of Massachusetts, which depicts a settler's hand holding a Colonial broadsword above the head of a Native American figure, with a Latin motto underneath that is commonly translated: "She seeks a quiet peace under the sword, but peace with liberty."

As Indigenous leaders of the Commonwealth have noted, quiet peace was in short supply between the Colonial settlers and Native inhabitants of this area, who were forcibly deprived not only of their homelands but also of their liberty. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Boston merchants routinely sold Indigenous people into slavery in the West Indies, and Indigenous people were also held in involuntary servitude in colonial households--including the home of Massachusetts Bay Colony governor John Winthrop, who kept three Pequot slaves as his personal property beginning in 1638.

In 2021, then governor Charles Baker appointed a 19-member statewide commission to recommend changes to the seal and motto of the Commonwealth, on which the state flag is based.

The Special Commission on the Official Seal and Motto, which included six Indigenous leaders from the Wampanoag, Massachusett and Nipmuc tribal nations along with a bipartisan group of state legislators, historians, the secretary of state's appointees, along with leaders from arts, humanities and tourism, voted unanimously on May 17, 2022, to seek a total redesign of the Massachusetts seal and motto.

On November 15 of 2023, the Special Commission issued a final report calling for Secretary of State William Galvin to appoint a working group to design a new "aspirational and inclusive" flag and seal for the Commonwealth. The Commission noted that the state's current flag and seal is "inflicting harm" and is easily interpreted as a "a celebration of the history of violence perpetuated by settlers against Indigenous populations."

If Winchendon town meeting approves the nonbinding resolution in support of changing the flag and seal of Massachusetts, the town clerk will be instructed to forward copies of the vote to Sen. Jo Comerford, Rep. Susannah Whipps, and Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, with the request that they advocate for a new flag and seal "that may better reflect our aspirations for harmonious and respectful relations between all people who now call Massachusetts home."

The Annual Town Meeting will take place at Murdock High School, 3 Memorial Drive beginning at 7:00 p.m. The resolution in support of changing the flag and seal will be the last item on the warrant, Article 32.

For more information, contact: Beth Ingham, resident and resolution sponsor at: 978-894-4278 or David Detmold, coordinator, changethemassflag.com, Montague at 413-863-9296.

Taste of Winchendon "Passports" Are Now Available!

by Inanna Arthen
The 4th annual Taste of Winchendon Celebration is fast approaching! Planned and organized entirely by Winchendon's youth, Taste of Winchendon will be held on Saturday, May 25 from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the lawns of Beals Memorial Library, 50 Pleasant Street, Winchendon. The event includes a wide variety of food representing the many cultural traditions and heritages found right here in Winchendon. There will be booths run by town organizations, vendors, and children's activities. A stage and temporary dance floor will feature ongoing performances and chances for audience participation. There will be things for all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. Attendance is absolutely free, and all are welcome!

Ongoing right now is the Taste of Winchendon / Buy Local Winchendon Passport campaign. Visit any participating Winchendon business and make a purchase to get your Passport and first stamp. From now until May 25, visit each of the participating businesses to earn another stamp. Each stamp earns you one entry for the raffles being held at Taste of Winchendon. The Passport Partner Businesses are:

Belletete's, 245 Central Street
Brooks Automotive, 25 Grove Street
C&S Pizza, 188 Central Street
Christo's Place, 51 Central Street
Friends Garden, 56 Central Street
Gabby's Pizza, 255 Central Street
Harbour Restaurant, 463 Maple Street
Not Just Produced, 290 Central Street
Pattie's Jewelry, 15 Central Street
Riverwalk Cafe, 302 Spring Street
Smith's Country Cheese, 20 Otter River Road
To Each His Own Design, 172 Central Street
Maker's Alley, 5 Summer Drive (the Community Hub, Saturdays)
Sunshine Cafe, 5 Summer Drive (the Community Hub)
Winchendon Farmer's Market, G.A.R. Park (Grove Street and Murdock Ave, opens May 18)

The Buy Local Winchendon initiative will be handling the raffles and Passports at Taste of Winchendon, look for their booth!

Vendors who plan to attend Taste of Winchendon so far include TMO Laser Woodworks and Engraving, Blue Crusaders, The Crafty Duo, SK Designs, Upcycled News, House of Peace & Education (HOPE), Slutty Muffins, Egg Rolls and Beyond, Kinda Sassy Creations, Bold Designs and Pathways for Change.

To stay informed of updates, RSVP at the Taste of Winchendon Facebook Event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1074405163820048/. You can also find information at https://www.thehealcollaborative.org/taste-of-winchendon and the attending vendors at https://www.thehealcollaborative.org/tow-vendors.

Taste of Winchendon is brought to you by The Heal Collaborative, the Youth Changemakers, HEAL Resident Leaders, the Local Makers Hub, and many partnering businesses and organizations. Free parking is available on street around the Beals Memorial Library, and in the municipal parking lot at 57 Pleasant Street. Join us for a day of community, creativity, and cuisine. Don't miss out!

Want to Participate in the 2024 Summer Solstice Festival? Parade and Fun Run Sign-up Now Open

by Inanna Arthen
Winchendon's 2024 Summer Solstice Festival will take place on Saturday, June 15 starting with the Morin Real Estate 5K Fun Run at 9:00 a.m. and continuing into the afternoon. The Festival takes place on Central Street and around the Clark Memorial YMCA at 155 Central Street.

The Morin 5K is a fun, moderately challenging 5K Fun Run. The Clark Memorial YMCA takes pride in welcoming runners from both near and far, whether you are a "seasoned" runner or taking on your first 5K. Walkers are welcome and encouraged to participate.

The first 50 participants will receive 2024 Race Swag!

All proceeds help support programs and services offered by the Clark Memorial YMCA.

Start times are as follows:
5K: 9:00 a.m.
1/4 mile (for ages 10 and under): 12:30 p.m.
Cost per participant: $10

Participants may register in person at the Clark YMCA, or online via the Facebook Event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/3703277196612478/.

The Summer Solstice Parade marches down Central Street starting at 11:00 a.m. Local groups are welcome to participate. There is no charge to march in the parade. Participants may create small "floats" to represent their business, organization or affiliation.

The parade application form, with information about the parade, may be downloaded at https://www.theclarkymca.org/sites/default/files/parade%20application%202024.pdf

Vendors will be set up outside around the Clark. Application forms for vendors and food vendors may be found on the Clark YMCA's website at https://www.theclarkymca.org/programs/special-events. At this same page is the application for volunteers--the event couldn't run without them! Help is needed with set up, clean up, the information booth, the road race and Kids Land activities.

For further information or specific questions, visit the Clark YMCA in person or contact them via the form at https://www.theclarkymca.org/about-us/contact-us, or call 978-297-9622.

Citizens Still Seeking Answers About $180K Severance Pay to Former Superintendent Thad King

by Inanna Arthen
In July, 2023 former Superintendent of Schools Thad King was paid $180,795.14 as part of a Separation Agreement which ended his employment by the Winchendon Public School District. The payment was made before all members of the School Committee had seen the signed agreement, and without a public discussion in an open meeting about how the payment would be funded in the budget, according to Committee member Karen Kast. Two Committee members, including the Chair at the time, announced their resignations from the Committee in the middle of a meeting on July 25 and walked out of the room.

Subsequently, Ms. Kast, who was elected Chair of the Committee, stated that legal counsel had been consulted and a "third party investigation" would be made.

(See "School Committee Members Walk Out as Winchendon Public Schools Turmoil Continues / Superintendent King Paid Over $180K As Part of Separation Agreement" in the July 27-August 3, 2023 edition of the Winchendon Courier.)

Since then, no further updates have been made to the public, and questions have been raised regularly both in Committee meetings and on social media about the payment to Mr. King.

At the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, May 7, citizens rose to ask again about the payment and what the status of the situation is.

Committee Vice Chair David LaPointe said that some of the situation still needs to be discussed in Executive Session and not in public. Discussions of possible litigation are involved. He stated that the Committee voted to overturn the Separation Agreement and are still talking about hiring an investigator "to investigate that transaction, what transpired leading up to that payout, and then that will become public information, and we may be able to act upon it to protect the interests of the taxpayers." These things "don't happen overnight," he said, adding that it doesn't make much sense to spend $180,000 to recover $180,000.

Asked "what had happened" with the vote to rescind the Separation Agreement, Ms. Kast said, "We found out after we took that vote that night, we were not aware at that time that the money had already been given to the Superintendent. The money was already given to the Superintendent unbeknownst to us. That was done without our knowledge, without the knowledge of the other members of the Board, or at least the two of us, and Anthony Findley. That was not known to us."

Mr. Lapointe said that at the time, the Committee's top priority had to be hiring a Superintendent and getting critical staff in place for the new school year, which was only a month away from starting. The vote the three remaining Committee members took to rescind the Agreement was valid, he assured the citizens present. But "we're going to be in litigation for years," he said.

"We'd all like to get that money back," Mr. LaPointe said, everyone on the Committee is a taxpayer. "It's going to take money, right through the investigation, time and effort. And in the end, it may be nothing, we may end up with nothing."

Citizens present asked the Committee to "make occasional updates. That's going to be super helpful" because then at least people would know that the matter hadn't been forgotten. Ms. Kast responded that there just hasn't been an update to give so far. "It hasn't been able to make it onto the agenda, because we have been dealing with, unfortunately, this has been a very tumultuous year. So we were trying to get our feet back on the ground."

One of the citizens present said that a resident had made a recording of the July 25 meeting, which was not recorded by the town due to technology problems and for which there were no minutes. Ms. Kast said they would be happy to work up minutes from that recording if they were allowed to use it.

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