
Saturday, August 16 ~ 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Winchendon Comedy Fest
LOL Entertainment Night
A Summer Evening of Magic, Music and Comedy!
Join us for an unforgettable night filled with awe-inspiring magic, lively music, and side-splitting comedy! LOL Entertainment Night is the perfect summer event for all ages, bringing the community together with fantastic performances, delicious food, and refreshing drinks.
$15 per person
Tickets at https://www.eventeny.com/events/ticket/?id=17201&action=ticket&action_ticket=29270
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.: Magic & Music
Strolling Magician: Prepare to be amazed as a skilled magician dazzles the crowd with up-close tricks and illusions.
DJ: Enjoy a vibrant mix of music spanning from the '60s to today, keeping the energy high and the vibes just right.
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.: Comedy Showcase
Get ready to laugh out loud with an outstanding lineup of professional comedians:
Headliner: John Perrotta and Featuring: Scott Higgins, Rockin Joe Hebert, & Ace Aceto
This two-hour comedy show is packed with PG-13, family-friendly humor, ensuring a fantastic time for all!
Food Trucks: Indulge in a variety of delicious eats from local vendors
Beer & Wine: Enjoy a selection of beverages
At Winchendon Community Park, 86 Ingleside Drive
Presented by Winchendon Parks & Recreation
This Week's Winchendon News
Fire Chief Smith Presents Concerns About Department Staffing Levels to BOS
At the Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, August 11, Winchendon Fire Chief Tom Smith came before the Board with a detailed written report and an explanation of how staffing levels in the Winchendon Fire Department were below the standards they needed to be, and potentially put the town at risk should there be a major fire and rescue situation like the recent assisted living home fire in New Bedford.
"Right now, the Winchendon Fire department staffs three people around the clock," Chief Smith said. "That is below what's recommended from not only the National Fire Protection Association to even staff an engine, it also goes against OSHA's, where we are an OSHA state now, the "two in, two out" policy of attacking any interior fire. Basically, what that means is that you should have four people on scene prior to engaging in a firefighting interior operation."
Chief Smith explained that Winchendon has a combination department with a small number of call firefighters. All the Winchendon firefighters are cross-trained as firefighter paramedics or at minimum, firefighter EMTs.
It's common to have multiple calls at the same time, Chief Smith said. An ambulance call keeps the crew out for at least three hours. Sometimes there is only one person left on duty in town, not even enough to staff an ambulance. The department can call for mutual aid, but that means a longer wait time for a response.
Chief Smith said that he had a major concern about all the large old houses converted into apartments in town. "That in itself would be very difficult for a three man crew, if not impossible, to perform efficient rescues, or anything of that nature," he said. Increasing staffing would improve response time and the reliance of the department on mutual aid, as well as bring the department up to standards. "Right now, zero percent of our fire attacks are OSHA compliant when it comes to interior firefighting. I think that's wrong," he said.
The National Fire Protection Agency recommends a town's department have 1.7 career firefighters per 1000 people, which for Winchendon would be 14 to 18 full time firefighters. Winchendon currently has 10. Some towns, not necssarily wealthier than Winchendon, have four to six full time firefighters on every shift. "A lot of it has to do with they are planning to move their staffing forward so they get to a level where the town is protected adequately as it should be," Chief Smith said.
"We've had calls over the last year alone, I've had to send one firefighter multiple times to fires while the other two are off on ambulance calls, one of them being a structure fire up on Mill Circle," Chief Smith said. "We've had a barn fire where the initial attack was one firefighter and an intern. This is a recipe for disaster that we try to avoid. We do know that everything's not perfect when it comes to emergencies, and there's a lot that goes into it. We greatly appreciate the staffing we have been given. By no means is any of this an attack on what we've been given as far as staffing goes, or budgeting goes, but it's more of an awareness and an attempt to move forward and create a plan."
There were grants available for staffing, Chief Smith said. Over the past 13 years that he had been heading the department, they had been awarded over $2.5 million in grant funding. But it's never guaranteed.
Chief Smith said that he estimated it would cost $438,000 in the first year to bring staffing up where it needed to be, including additional gear and uniforms that have a 10-year lifespan. The following years would be an increased cost of $398,000.
"Obviously, adding $400,000 plus an annual payroll does create a increase in the Fire Department budget," he said. "We're attempting to utilize SAFER grants. Optimistically, we should have four firefighters on a fire call. We do understand that not always is that possible. Performing a "two in, two out" is a safety thing. We also would expect that as far as having the fourth person on round the clock, it would reduce overtime costs."
More staffing would also make ambulance calls more competitive. Even as things are, ambulance revenue is going up. July was the highest month for ambulance fee collections since Chief Smith has been fire chief in Winchendon. With the recent increase in fees, Winchendon is looking at a potential increase in ambulance revenue of $250,000 to $300,000.
Chief Smith said they proposed bring on additional firefighters gradually. "There is some revenue strategies and budget justifications to adding firefighters. It does increase your expense, but it also increases revenues, the increased ambulance revenue of not losing second ambulance calls to other towns and ultimately the service improvement. That's our ultimate goal."
Chief Smith suggested that the town could create an account for ambulance revenues, such as a return receipts account or enterprise fund, that would keep those revenues dedicated to offsetting department expenses rather than just going into the town's General Fund as they do now.
Chief Smith wrapped up his presentation with, "You know, we're doing our best with our funding. I just wanted to, again, put together plans, start figuring out something with you guys on the options. I do think it's something that we have to look at sooner rather than later, just out of the fact that we currently, if we're not covering the OSHA stuff, if we're not covering the national standards, we really aren't providing the townspeople with what they might be expecting if they're moving here from other areas of the country or in the state, as well as what they deserve."
The Board members thanked Chief Smith for his detailed report and presentation (the written document was nine pages long) and discussed the challenges presented by the clear need for more staffing, versus the question of how it could be funded. They asked if Chief Smith could make his written report available to the public. All agreed that this was a critical issue that needed to be addressed. "We don't know what the future holds, but it starts now, and it starts with having these open discussions and planning for the future," Board Chair Andrew Beauvais said.
Carnival Coming to Winchendon Sept 25-28
John Fanelli of Fanelli Amusements appeared before the Board of Selectmen on Monday, August 11 to request a permit for the 2025 town carnival, which will set up on the soccer field next to the Clark Memorial YMCA, times to be announced.
"There's going to be fireworks, one way or another," Mr. Fanelli told the Board in response to their question. "I'm working with Mike Quinn at the YMCA, trying to get some sponsorship money so that we can have a bigger display than we did last year. But I've already been in communication with the provider that we used last year. Gave them dates, and I just got a follow up later this week, Mike has a meeting with a few prospective donors, so that we have a better idea of how much of a budget we're gonna have for the display this year."
There will not be any large tents required special inspections or permits, Mr. Fanelli said, and the state inspects all the rides. The police details, food permits and similar arrangements should all be the same as last year.
Board member Erika Eitland asked, "Since you all operated here last year, is there anything you learned from last year that you're going to be carrying over and making this year successful, or things that, 'we're not going to do that again'?"
"I think everything went really well [last year]," Mr. Fanelli said. "The only issues we had was, honestly, the last day, the last hour there was unfortunately not police presence at that time, and some adults got into it over I don't know what. Those are things I can't really control, but we follow the protocols of the police department, what they requested for detail, and we plan to do that again."
He continued, "But beyond that, it was a great success, and I know the town really enjoyed it, because it was something that hadn't been here for, I think, at least 20 years, maybe longer. I know there's a lot of concern based on past events that happened from carnivals a long time ago, and I believe we reassure the community that we can have this type of event and it will not be over the top or crazy, just something for folks to do, and kind of nostalgic, and I hope that we can continue to do this for many years to come, make it a new tradition in town."
Board Chair Andrew Beauvais said, "I was really excited last year when you folks came into town, and I thought, Well, I hope this continues. So it was good to see that you guys are coming back and that we didn't scare you away. Hopefully, as you said, this becomes a reoccurrence and a tradition. It's nice to put Winchendon on the map and to draw folks here." He added that in all his years living in town he had never seen a carnival here before.
Mr. Fanelli said, "I've been in this business my whole life, and my family's had carnivals here a long time ago. And my grandfather always spoke highly of Winchendon. Said it's a carnival town. And I always kept it in the back of my head that I would like to have one here, because we're kind of local. We're just over the border in Greenville, so I wanted to come back and try it and see if it was true. And we had a great response last year."
Board member Audrey LaBrie said they shouldn't discount "the entertainment factor of watching the rides go up. Last fall, I was working the before-school program at the YMCA in the community building, that back building, and the kids got the biggest kick out of watching through those windows, watching the guys moving things around, and just, 'wow! So they live in those trailers?' just explaining to them a little bit about what goes on to put something like that on. So that was really fascinating for the kids."
"I appreciate that," Mr. Fanelli said. "We have a really great staff, and they are really efficient and get things moved quickly. Without them, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. But I know it's something rare to be seen, everything getting put together and set up, and it all comes together so quickly. I'm glad that they were able to see that."
The Board voted unanimously to approve the entertainment permit for the carnival.
Town Manager Bill McKinney Named Head of U.S. Contingent for World Scout Jamboree in 2027
"I was trying to keep it quiet," Town Manager Bill McKinney said to the Board of Selectmen at their meeting on Monday, August 11--but no such luck! Winchendon Scout troop leader Dr. Ryan Forsythe, Dr. Maureen Ward and Winchendon Scout Mason Forsythe came forward to "out" the Town Manager and make sure he got the acknowledgement he deserves.
Dr. Forsythe began, "So Scouting in Winchendon is robust. We have Girl Scouts. We have Scouting America Boy Scouts, and we have co-ed troops here in Winchendon, and for a town of 10,000 and change, to have so many Scouting opportunities and so many Scouts, really is impressive. Local Scouts do a lot for every community, and certainly here in Winchendon, but Scouting is definitely worldwide. The Scouting Jamboree takes place every year to recognize Scouts from all over the globe. The world Scout Jamboree, by the World Organization of the Scout movement, is one of the largest international youth education events in the world.
"So this is definitely a Scouting event, but on the scale of what we do for leadership and education of youth worldwide in all countries, this is one of the largest events. It's held every four years in a different country, bringing together tens of thousands of Scouts from around the globe. The Jamboree focuses on promoting peace, mutual understanding and developing leadership and life skills. Scouts between the ages of 14 and 16, like the one we have here with us tonight, from various countries, are organized into contingents and participate in a wide variety of activities, including things you would expect like outdoor adventures, learning opportunities, cultural exchanges most currently, the 25th World Jamboree took place in Saemangeum, South Korea, in 2023 and the next World Jamboree, the next enormous educational event for youth, is going to take place in 2027 in Dansk, Poland."
Dr. Ward then picked up the narrative with, "So when you have World Jamboree, each country designates a person to lead their country's Scouts. The head of the contingent helps to coordinate events, to organize their country and participants, and this person needs to be able to handle all the issues and the stress that comes with this, with diplomacy and patience. The person selected to head the United States contingent to the World Jamboree in Poland in 2027 is recognized for his dedication to Scouting, his support of youth programming, his effective coordination and organizational skills and definitely his patience and diplomacy. I'd like to congratulate Mr. Bill McKinney, our Town Manager, on being elected
to that position."
A blushing Mr. McKinney thanked everyone as the entire room gave him a standing ovation.
"We're expecting probably 1200 to 1500 people going, from all over the United States, over to Poland in 2027," he said. "So yeah, it was quite an honor to be chosen to head up the group. I'm actually heading over to Poland next month, having a head of contingent meeting so they can meet the heads of all the other countries that will be there. As I mentioned, they're expecting about 45,000 from all over the world, 140 different countries, to be there. In fact I just had an email today with the embassy over in Poland, as we try to anticipate anything that could go wrong, from someone losing their passport to things happening, and trying to get out in front of those. I was a Scoutmaster in Korea at the last World Jamboree, and they had a call to head the contingent going to Poland, and so I threw my hat in the ring and got chosen. So every night, on the way home from work, I'm making calls to people about Poland."
Board Chair Andrew Beauvais said, "Congratulations. And hey, we're making waves all over the world from Winchendon."
BOS Discuss Robinson Broadhurst Grants to the Town for 2025
At the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday, August 11, Town Manager Bill McKinney told the Board the amounts and purposes of the grants awarded to the town by the Robinson Broadhurt Foundation for the 2025-2026 grant cycle. The grants are:
Police Department:
$40,000 for taser upgrades
Planning and Development:
$10,000 for Fall Fest
Fire Department:
$57,000 for 15 sets of turnout gear
$16,000 for the drone program
Parks and Recreation:
$30,000 for artists and performers for the season
$50,000 for salaries and stipends for the seasonal coordinator and support staff
$20,000 for promotional campaigns and digital ads for social media
Department of Public Works:
$10,000 for seasonal and youth banner project
$55,000 for digital electronic signage at Grout Park
The Senior Center:
$40,000 for a heat pump
$5,000 for the Taste of Home weekly home-cooked meals
$11,000 for various other needs at the Senior Center
Board Chair Andrew Beauvais said, "That's fantastic. Thank you to the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, because without them, I don't know where we'd be as a town. They provide a tremendous amount of support, as we all just heard, financially." He then added, "I was kind of curious about the digital electronic signage at Grout Park. Do we have more information on what that's going to do, or will it be to replace the road sign?"
Mr McKinney explained, "it would be a permanent digital electronic sign. Just keep on top of everything that's happening in town, so you can have rolling messages. So I think when it was being looked at was in that little area near Grout Park, so the corner of Glenallen, right there. We want to set it up in such a way that it doesn't impede the view of people coming off and taking a turn. So it will be a double sided signage board."
Mr. Beauvais said that was great, because he had heard people say that they couldn't read the messages on the portable sign if they were heading toward Gardner and Rte 140. Board member Audrey LaBrie said that the sign should be respectful and "not detract from the sanctity" of what is a memorial park. DPW Director Pat Wood will be making the decisions about the sign.
The Board discussed the timeline for applying to Robinson Broadhurst for grants--the deadline, in November, is coming up within a few months. Board member Erika Eitland said that it would be good to compare the grants awarded to the applications made, so that town departments could consider their requests "strategically and holistically".
Residents and BOS Discuss Concerns About Door-to-Door Solicitation in Town
At the Board of Selectmen's meeting on Monday, August 11, resident Theresa Langdon rose during the public comment period to address a topic which was on the agenda for that night's meeting: permits issued to various out of town persons to go door to door soliciting business.
Ms. Langdon said, "I would like to ask the Board of Selectmen to consider either stopping the practice of giving out permits for companies to solicit business or implement a do not knock or no solicitation list or registry to allow residents to opt out of the door to door solicitation. Some examples of communities in Mass that do that do this type of thing are Ayer, Bellingham, Foxboro, Marlboro, Methuen, Rutland, Shirley, Sturbridge and Upton. Just as most people are against electronic intrusion to their homes by salespeople calling all hours of the day and night, pushing whatever they want to sell, would also compare that to door to door solicitation. When people come to your property, it's a couple of things that are troubling about it. First of all, it's a privacy issue. Secondly, it's a safety issue. In today's day and age, all you have to do is press a key on a computer or order something on the phone if you wanted door to door. Solicitation is intrusive and archaic and extremely unwelcome to many people, and the Board of Selectmen's mission, as I see it, is to represent the residents of this town and not the interests of community companies. So please consider banning or limiting this practice."
When Agenda item 7.8, "Discussion of Solicitor Permits," came up, Board Chair Andrew Beauvais said, "We still have this option for folks to come before us and seek a permit for a solicitation license. Most recently, we had that young man come to us, I believe he was selling books, and I heard that he did a really good job, and there was a lot of buzz around what he was offering. However, I've had some folks reach out to me stating that it's kind of an archaic or antiquated process, and that in this day and age, we have the ability to make phone calls or purchase things online, etc, so I wanted to bring it to the Board so we could have a discussion based on some of the resident feedback I've had."
Board member Audrey LaBrie said that she agreed with Ms. Langdon's comments about the practice being outmoded, but she suggested that this policy be considered as part of the overall body of policies and procedures that the Board was updating.
Board member Erika Eitland agreed. It was one thing if someone was offering to install solar panels on a home and needed to see the property, but the policy should be reviewed. The Board needed to be respectful of residents' time and what they would be comfortable with when a salesperson comes before the Board seeking a permit.
Board member Melissa Blanchard said that the Board should consider exactly what was being marketed to residents.
When Mr. Beauvais said that the Board could table this discussion and look at it along with all their policies and procedures, Ms. Blanchard moved that the Board "place a moratorium on approving any solicitor permits until such time as we review it through the course of our policy, procedure review and make any changes at that time." Board member Tiffany Newton immediately seconded the motion.
With no further debate, the Board voted to approve Ms. Blanchard's motion and place a moratorium on further approvals of solicitor permits.
The Beals Memorial Library Goes Fine Free for September
Do you have overdue library items at home or have you returned items late? Have you been concerned about the fines you have accumulated? Worry no more! For the month of September, the Beals Memorial Library will be going fine free!
From September 1 through September 30, library patrons can return any overdue materials to the Winchendon library, and the library will waive any fines as a thank-you. This applies to materials that may be overdue by a week, two months, or even two years. Two decades? That's okay too! Just bring them back! This includes most items checked out from the library: books, audiobooks, music CDs, magazines, DVDs, large print books, and more. There are some exceptions; the library will not waive fees for lost items, video game rentals, museum passes, or items from their Library of Things collection.
Do you have old, overdue fines on your account? Simply present your library card or ID to erase any fines up to $10 from your account. Can't find your library card? Visit the library to get a new one for free!
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/finefree.
Local 8-Year Old Demonstrates Bravery in Face of Brush Fire

Smokey the Bear and Brayden Roberts
Photo copyright Winchendon Fire Department
Winchendon, MA (August 11, 2025) - An ordinary walk in the woods turned into a heroic moment for 8-year-old Brayden Roberts this week, when he discovered a brush fire deep in the forest and took quick action to protect his community.
Brayden was walking nearly a mile into the woods with a family member when they came across smoke and flames spreading through the dry brush. Realizing the danger, Brayden quickly ran back home--covering the distance on foot--to make sure 911 was contacted. Without hesitation, he returned to the scene with another family member and a bucket to attempt to draw water from a nearby stream.
While awaiting the arrival of the Winchendon Fire Department, Brayden helped attempt to control the flames, showing determination far beyond his years. Fire crews quickly took over and extinguished the fire before it could spread further, but credited Brayden's quick thinking and swift response for helping prevent a more serious incident.
"This young man's actions were nothing short of courageous," said Winchendon Fire Chief Thomas Smith. "He recognized a dangerous situation, got help immediately. That's bravery."
Brayden's heroism is a reminder of how even the smallest members of a community can make a big difference when faced with an emergency.
Today the young hero was able to come to the Winchendon Fire Station to be thanked for his efforts by none other than Smokey the Bear. Smokey was accompanied by District 8 Fire Warden Patricia Correia. These events were something that the young hero will certainly remember for a long time.