Saturday, July 19 ~ 4:00-9:00 p.m.
Blues, Brew & BBQ
Get ready to kick back and enjoy the soulful sounds of Memphis Kelley featuring Cailte Kelley, followed by a powerhouse headlining performance from Grammy-nominated blues legend Anthony Geraci. Savor mouthwatering bites from top BBQ food trucks and sample a variety of brews that perfectly pair with the music and the mood. It's the perfect summer night out--great music, delicious food, and cold drinks under the open sky.
At Winchendon Community Park, 86 Ingleside Drive
Tickets $15 per person, available at www.eventeny.com/events/ticket/.
Sponsored by Winchendon Parks & Recreation Commission, Winchendon Community Park and Anthony Geraci
This Week's Winchendon News
Three New Members Appointed to Winchendon Youth Ad Hoc Committee
From left, applicants Madison Bradley. Bruanna Touseul and Ty Bishoff, and Youth Changemakers mentor Bonnie Lynn.
Photo copyright Town of Winchendon
At the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday, July 14, three Winchendon young people were appointed to the Winchendon Youth Ad Hoc Committee. Madison Bradley, Ty Bishoff and Bruanna Touseul came before the Board to explain why they wanted to serve, with moral support from youth mentor Bonnie Lynn and numerous family members in the audience.
Board Chair Andrew Beauvais thanked the applicants and asked them to introduce themselves and say a few words about their interest in the Committee.
Ty said, "I've lived in this town for about a good ten years, and for a while I didn't really know much about the town, and more recently, I've started opening up and wanting to help out around the town and learn more about the people in it and the place that I live."
Bruanna said, "I just moved here totally two years ago, and I just want to be more involved in making town decisions and including more youth."
Finally, Madison said, "I've lived here my whole life. I've always been involved with the town, and I've been trying to, as I'm getting older, get more exposed to what's going on, and understand the decisions that are being made. So Youth Changemakers is how I started, and I'd like to just keep going, and I feel like this is a good opportunity to do that."
Mr. Beauvais said, "It's exciting to see Winchendon's future come before us and being engaged. So thank you all for coming and thank you all for sitting through what was an exciting session." (The appointments having come to the table after a joint hearing with the Finance Committee that ran for more than an hour, and two five-minute recesses.)
He opened the floor to questions for the applicants from members of the Board. Board Member Erika Eitland said, "I don't have questions because I think already to step forward in this capacity means that, leadership starts at any age, and so the fact that you want to get involved, whether you've been here two years, ten years, your whole life, really makes a big difference, because we are looking for that commitment."
Dr. Eitland said that as Mr. Beauvais said, the applicants weren't just inheriting a future from their elders, they were contributing to it. "I really want you to see the five of us here as allies, as supporters, as partners of that, and we are fun. We may be old, but we are fun. So if there are things that we can help support, whether it's logistics, whether it's bouncing ideas, whether it's torturing Mr. McKinney, we're here to help you, because I think you are providing a really important voice, and we know from everything from schools to recreation that you all are contributing to. I think it's already a brave move to be up here tonight."
Board Member Melissa Blanchard said, "Echo all of that. I just want to say thank you. Thank you very much for stepping up. I know it's not easy coming up and speaking out in front of everybody, but I want thank you for that."
The Board voted unanimously to appoint all three candidates to the Youth Ad Hoc Committee.
A Bit of History...
The Winchendon Youth Ad Hoc Committee was formed in 2024 by members of the Winchendon Youth Changemakers and the Heal Collaborative. The initial team working on forming the Committee--Ben Fuller, Addison Mistler, Abigail Bradley, Tora Estes, Emily Croteau, Nikolaus Brauer-Chagnon, Kaiya Jess, Aden Pimentel and Eva Martin--appeared together at the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday, April 22, 2024 to give a group presentation about the Committee and its purpose. Forming the Ad Hoc Committee was the first step toward creating a formal Youth Commission for Winchendon as defined in Mass General Laws Chapter 40, Section 8E.
The team explained that they proposed an Ad Hoc Committee of seven members, age 14 to 19, all residents of Winchendon, to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen. They would work with other town boards and committees and offer a youth voice. The Committee would meet biweekly and continue projects launched by the Youth Changemakers beyond the scope of the HEAL Collaborative grants, which wouldn't continue indefinitely. Some of these included Teen Nights at The HUB, the Sunshine Cafe, and especially, the annual Taste of Winchendon festival. Eventually the Committee would be the core players in creating a formal Youth Commission.
At the 2024 Annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 20, voters were asked to approve the formation of the Youth Ad Hoc Committee, and did so resoundingly, with 89 percent in favor, 11 percent opposed.
For more details, see "Youth Changemakers Present Plan for a Town Youth Commission to the BOS" in the May 2-9, 2024 edition of the Winchendon Courier.
Winchendon Highlighted as a "Featured Town" by National Community Heart & Soul
Winchendon is prominently profiled as the "Featured Town" on the website for Community Heart & Soul, "a resident-driven process that engages the entire population of a town in identifying what they love most about their community, what future they want for it, and how to achieve it." More than 120 communities are now part of the Community Heart & Soul process.
In 2022, Winchendon was one of the first three communities in the country to receive a $10,000 Community Heart & Soul "seed grant" to initiate the process of engaging residents, building a picture of Winchendon as a community, and developing a set of value statements based on input from residents. A Community Heart & Soul task force met regularly, interviewed residents, staffed tables at town events, and gave presentations to the Board of Selectmen.
Winchendon Community Heart & Soul has made a specific and focused effort to integrate its work with the Town of Winchendon Master Plan. It has contributed to many projects and events in Winchendon over the past three years, with outcomes that (so far) include increased empowerment and leadership among Winchendon's youth, strengthened economic vitality, expanded access to arts and culture (both participating and enjoying), and securing a $500,000 grant for a local microtransit system.
To read the full Winchendon Profile on the Community Heart & Soul webpage, see
www.communityheartandsoul.org/towns/winchendon-massachusetts/
Winchendon's five core "Heart & Soul Statements" are:
Local Matters
Winchendon residents work towards a vibrant local economy that supports small businesses, provides employment, meets residents' essential needs, and contributes to the town's tax base.
People Matter
We value the potential for a small-town feel where all residents can know, connect, and treat one another with kindness. We embrace our different backgrounds, identities, and perspectives, and work together through our local traditions, events, and time-honored institutions to ensure that Winchendon is a viable and good home for all.
YOUth Matters
We strive to provide safe, healthy environments throughout Winchendon where our youth feel welcomed, heard, and valued for who they are.
We work together to ensure our youth have access to activities, a quality and responsive education, integrated civic engagement, and leadership opportunities.
Town Pride Matters
Winchendon residents value living in and contributing to a town that is well cared for. We are striving to provide safe, well-maintained roads, bike paths, parks, community spaces, neighborhoods, continued beautification of the downtown area, and the preservation of historic places.
People appreciate the many town-wide events and support working towards providing an effective local communication system.
Nature Matters
We cherish the quiet beauty of Winchendon's natural environment and all that it contributes to our lives, our health, and our sense of peace and well-being.
The Winchendon Community Heart & Soul webpage is www.thehealcollaborative.org/communityheartandsoul
Winchendon Redevelopment Authority Gives BOS an Update On Their Work
Les Goodrich (left) and Mike Barbaro of the WRA address the BOS
Photo copyright Town of Winchendon
At the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday, July 14, two representatives for the Winchendon Redevelopment Authority--Vice-Chair Les Goodrich and member Mike Barbaro--appeared before the Board to talk about what the WRA has been doing for "the last couple of years." The WRA meets once a month with the overall goal of bringing jobs and economic stability to Winchendon, and working on various beautification projects around town.
Mr. Barbaro began by summarizing some of the things that had been done. "If you remember, Grout Park was owned by the Redevelopment Authority, developed with the grant and given to the town. Part of the rail trail has been part of the Redevelopment Authority, and we own some property up on Webster Street that we donated this year to have the rail trail run all the way up into Rindge. Also, if you look at Beech Street, we're in the middle of beautifying that once dilapidated building [the former 4C auto shop]. We're almost done."
But, Mr. Barbaro went on, "the other thing we do is try to drive the economic engine for this community." He mentioned several examples. A property on Lincoln Avenue has been sold to a industrial business that sprays coating onto metal parts. Another property in that area is in the process of being sold to Oppure Oil, which hopes to establish a bio-diesel facility there, which will employ some people.
"We're in the process of working with...the Hillview project. [This is on Route 140, next to Mylec and across from the Irving gas station, and comprises several parcels.] We have sold one of the pieces of property there. We have a marijuana grower that we're working with to try to develop that property, if that comes to fruition, which we're hoping we're getting to the end of it, will provide a $25 million injection of a company, along with the stock of 80 different employees to bring that with, which will be Winchendon residents will have the first shot at getting the job. The other three parcels we're also looking to develop at the same time, which would bring in additional revenue to this community, which is sorely needed."
The WRA is also working on 4 Summer Drive. "It's easier for us to turn the property over, to get it on the town books, then they have to go through Town Meeting and so on and so forth. But our goal is always to try to get them back on the market as quick as possible," Mr. Barbaro said.
The WRA pays for advertising in the North Central Chamber of Commerce Johnny Appleseed guide for Fall Festival, and they've loaned money to some business start-ups.
Some "very exciting news," Mr. Barbaro said, is future collaboration with the North Central Chamber. "They have a big reach, and they're huge into economic development," he said. They lend money to businesses that have needs they can't afford, such as a new refrigerator for a food business.
"So what we're doing is, in working with the Town Manager in conjunction, is to to hopefully hold a seminar for our local businesses to explain what's out there for them, because we're isolated," Mr. Barbaro said. "One of these things driving it is to try to bring business up. We're in a key location between the New Hampshire border, close to the Vermont border, and close enough to Route 2. Our goal is always, to try to bring business into Winchendon. We go for grants to help us, but the town is generous enough to give us the property to turn over, and so we look to advertise that in many different ways, to get that back on the books. So it makes it easier to move the property and get it back on the books and try to get the development."
Mr. Barbaro allowed that with things like cannabis, many factors can slow things down, including financing. "It takes time, and we're a very quiet board, I guess you would say, but things happen," he said. "If you see any ribbon cutting, you always see Les there. It's all part of what we do. Our job is to make Winchendon a better place, and so our goal is to try to do that any way we can, and with the support of the Board of Selectmen. As far as turning abandoned properties over, we like to turn them over as fast as possible and put them back on the tax rolls. We've done some over the years, rehabbing houses. We've had that done and sold them. We've done some lot splitting, and so that allows us to grow that land that we we've taken, and a lot of the industrial properties, we have riders that when they're sold, we get a percentage of that, so it keeps it a revenue generator for us in the long run. So it behooves us to move the property."
Board Members Audrey LaBrie and Erika Eitland said they hoped the new Economic Development Task Force and the Redevelopment Authority could work together going forward.
Asked what kind of outreach the WRA does, Mr. Barbaro said, "We're with the Gardner Chamber. We work with Nicole Roberts downstairs. Now we're working with the North Central Chamber of Commerce, and we also work with the local real estate agent, Morin, in town to help us with properties and do some evaluations. We work with the town assessor to get the evaluation of the property, what it's worth. So it takes time to develop what to be worth." Old industrial properties, of which Winchendon has many, may have contaminated soils and other issues, so the state EPA has to come in and more expenses are incurred.
Also, the WRA doesn't take just any proposal. "If the business doesn't fit the town, we're not going to give it to someone just to give it to someone. What we're looking for is a fit for the community," Mr. Barbaro said. He added, "most of the time we're trying to get local residents to buy the property and invest in the community."
Upcoming Summer Events at the Beals Memorial Library
The Beals Memorial Library in Winchendon invites the whole community to level up their summer by joining their annual Summer Reading Club from June 23 to August 16! This year's theme, "Level Up at Your Library", centers around games and play, and the library will have fun programs, activities, stories, and more for the entire family to enjoy. Here's what's going on the week of July 21 to July 25:
On Tuesday, July 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., join the library and the Winchendon CFCE for an interactive reading adventure out on the library lawn with the third of this summer's Storywalks! Follow the path set up throughout the library lawn to discover an exciting, new story each week. The third Storywalk of the month will feature the book, Pig the Pug: Pig the Winner, by Aaron Blabey. Pig the Pug will do anything to win. Will he learn his lesson about playing fair? Find out by coming to the Storywalk! Each child will receive a free copy of the book while supplies last!
On Wednesday, July 23, at 2:00 p.m., come play some oversized versions of your favorite classic board games at Giant Game Day! What's even better than board games? We'll have giant Janga, life-sized Candyland, super-sized Snakes and Ladders, and more! Participants will also enjoy a frosty treat courtesy of Fidelity Bank's Frosty Flyer Ice Cream Truck!
Finally, on Thursday, July 24, at 6:00 p.m., enjoy an evening of regular-sized games at Family Game Night! Gather your family, friends and your favorite game! Don't have a game? No worries, we'll provide plenty of options for you, too!
The Winchendon CFCE is funded by a grant from the MA Dept. of Early Education & Care. The Summer Reading Club's programs and events are sponsored in partnership with the Friends of the Beals Library, the Winchendon CFCE, the Winchendon Cultural Council, the Winchendon Public Schools and the See Beyond the Spectrum Initiative.
The Beals Memorial Library is located at 50 Pleasant Street in Winchendon. For more information, contact the library at 978-297-0300 or visit their website at bealslibrary.org.
Student With Summer Job Will Be Selling Door-to-Door through July 25
Finley Gauger
Photo copyright Town of Winchendon
At the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday, July 14, a young man named Finley Gauger appeared seeking approval for a Solicitation Permit for his summer job with a company called Southwestern Advantage.
Mr. Gauger explained, "I do this for my summer internship. So I go door to door, and I help families with education. I just sell books and apps, helping the older ones get scholarships for college. I sell kids' books for helping kids with reading comprehension and getting excited and more confident for learning."
Board Member Tiffany Newton noted that Mr. Gauger lives in Chicago, and asked what brought him to work in Winchendon.
"The internship program I do is with Southwestern advantage," Mr. Gauger said. "So the company's been around since the 1860s. They started with Civil War veterans going farm to farm, selling Bibles. But actually today, they relocate college students, so thousands of college students, just like me, throughout the country, and then we help families with education. So my company is based in Nashville, but they relocate us out throughout the country."
Mr. Gauger explained that so far, he had pulled permits and worked in Dudley, Charlton and Leicester in central Massachusetts, so he has some familiarity with the area.
The application gave times of operation from 9:00 a.m. to "dusk." The Board asked Mr. Gauger to harden up the stop time to 7:30 p.m., which he agreed to. Board Member Melissa Blanchard also reminded him to respect "No Solicitation" signs on residents' properties.
Mr. Gauger drives a white Jeep Grand Cherokee with Illinois license plates.
The Board approved the permit for dates up to and including July 25.
