Saturday, October 25 ~ 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Mega Monster Mash
Costume Contest & Party
6:00 p.m. - The party starts with Shed, a local band performing live
7:30 p.m. - Kids' costume contest, age 17 and under. $100 cash and trophy for the winner, prizes for the runners-up.
8:30 p.m.: adult 18+ costume contest. $200 cash and trophy for the winner, prizes for the runners-up.
Local Beer and Wine
Farm Fresh Food
Handmade Boba Tea
Pumpkin Spice Drinks
FOR ALL AGES - $5 ADMISSION - 12 and UNDER FREE
Brought to you by Winchendon Parks & Recreation and Farming Is Life
Winchendon Community Park
86 Ingleside Drive
for more info call 978-616-9955 or email info@farmingislife.org or richypena@yahoo.com
This Week's Winchendon News
"Haunted Happening" Draws Thousands of Attendees for Trunk or Treat and Haunted Trails Activities
Some 4,000 people of all ages converged on Winchendon Community Park in the late afternoon of Saturday, October 18 for "Haunted Happening"--a number that caught organizers by surprise and pushed the envelope of the site's parking capacity. This year, Winchendon Parks & Recreation combined their "Haunted Trails" event with the Clark YMCA's annual "Trunk or Treat", attracting families from far and wide. The line of costumed "trunk-or-treaters" ran from the park up past the parking lot for more than an hour, never seeming to get shorter. Nevertheless, spirits seemed high and attendees kept their good cheer--aided by the beautiful fall weather that blessed the day.
The treat-distributing "trunks" were arranged around the large field in a semi-circle, each vehicle or station decorated in its own unique (and not too scary) way. The rounds began at 4:00 p.m. Inflatable costumes were popular, especially dinosaurs, although the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters was also seen, with the green "Slimer" ghost in tow. There were many young princesses and superheroes, a remote-controlled giant spider roving around, and a crew member from the Enterprise who beamed down with her family.
For those finished with the "trunk" round, or just there for the show, Murdock Farm ran a free hayride. Tavern in the Square operated a food concession that sold entirely out of fare by the end of the evening. Acoustic dance band Tattoo played from the amphitheater stage, and the Animal Craze Petting Zoo had chicks, bunnies, pigs and goats. A number of local vendors had tables, including Miss Judy's Salsa.
The "Haunted Trails" tours began at 7:00 p.m., and were designed for an older and tougher audience than the little folks at the Trunk or Treat. Volunteers had stations around the wooded trails to the west of the amphitheater, making the most of blind turns and tall bushes to get intrepid attendees to shriek, duck, clutch at each other, and of course, laugh. The actors had instructions to keep things tamer for the first hour, but after that, it was anything goes to make their audience jump (all in the spirit of fun!).
The whole evening was free and open to all, sponsored by Winchendon Parks & Recreation, the Clark Memorial YMCA, Brooks Automotive and many other generous supporters.
Community Outreach Coordinator Shaina Cunningham said, "I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone in the community and across the region who attended the Haunted Trails event. Your support and enthusiasm helped make it an unforgettable experience.
"I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the incredible volunteers who helped staff the event, the organizations who brought the trails to life with their haunting creativity, the Police Department, the YMCA, the Fire Department for their spotlights, the DPW, and of course, our Parks and Recreation Commission.
"Your dedication, teamwork, and commitment were the driving force behind this event's success. Thank you all for making it such a memorable and meaningful community celebration."
Photos and video by Inanna Arthen
Mass Dept. of Fish & Game Hosts Opening Celebration for 1,325 Acres of Conserved Land in Winchendon and Ashburnham
On, Tuesday, October 21, a Winchendon Forest Conservation Celebration was held in the woods off of North Ashburnham Road, to officially open and celebrate one of the largest conservation projects in Massachusetts history. The celebration was hosted by the Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game (DFG), the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Mass Audubon and Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust. Invited were local leaders, community partners and neighbors from Winchendon and Ashburnham, which share parts of the conserved property. Some 75 people attended, many of them walking into the site from the parking area on Spring Street, enjoying a perfect fall day with blue sky, bright sun, mild temperatures and brilliant foliage at peak colors.
A small clearing off North Ashburnham Road was set up with tables, a lectern, a sound system, folding chairs, easels holding displays and large United States and Massachusetts flags. Stretched between two brass stands was a taut red ribbon. Refreshments included apple cider and apple cider doughnuts from Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, part of which is protected by a Conservation Restriction (CR) put in place with help of Mount Grace.
The ceremony itself started with the reading of a Proclamation by Town Crier Kathy Ann Becker, from Wendell, MA, dressed in 18th century garb and ringing a handbell to call everyone to attention.
Following this, Winchendon Town Manager Bill McKinney came to the lectern. He gave a summary of how this project happened. "We had a group that came that wanted to purchase this. They were looking to build a solar field. They had come, they made some presentations, I think was about 1500 acres. Most of it was here in Winchendon. The rest was in East Winchendon, also known as Ashburnham," he said, raising laughter from the group.
He went on, "They threw out a $6 million number to be able to buy this property, and they thought, okay, they're gonna have it. But because it was in conservation, the town had the right of first refusal, and the town didn't have $6 million to come up with." Then Mount Grace approached the town saying they wanted to match the offer. "We were looking at it, obviously, from a financial point of view. Another $400,000 a year in [solar] revenue would be helpful," Mr. McKinney said. "But the town came together. They packed that Board of Selectmen meeting in December, almost two years ago now. There never been that many people on the second floor of Town Hall. Fortunately, the Fire Chief looked the other way, so we could get everybody in there. And the public spoke. One after another, got up and said, We want to protect this land. We do not want these trees taken down. And that public outpouring really swayed the Board of Selectmen. You know, obviously times are tough all around for all communities, but the town spoke and the Selectmen listened, and thanks to all of you, we now have this land protected forever. So on behalf of the town of Winchendon and the Board of Selectmen, I want to say thank you for your outpouring of support and making this happen."
Many people that morning mentioned that Board of Selectmen's hearing with its historic high attendance. (For the Courier's report of that night, see "Huge Turnout For Public Hearing as BOS Makes Decision on Conserving 1100-Acre Property" in the
December 14-21, 2023 edition of the Winchendon Courier)
Tom O'Shea, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, said that this was one of the first things he was asked to work on when he was appointed as Commissioner two and a half years ago. "It's the sixth largest in the central district for the department in terms of acquisition," he said. "It's one of our largest projects ever. I believe that the Department of Fish and Game,have about 882 acres, and the remainder are with [Department of Conservation and Recreation] and Mass Audubon...some of the things that are really special about it, one is, it is really critical habitat for both rare and common plants and animals, including five listed species, which include some dragonflies and some other species are protected. It protects water quality. It's up in the headwaters of the Millers River. It's got a lot of these big, great trees that are really helpful at storing carbon. And really it's preserving what is a connected landscape, a large forested landscape all the way up to New Hampshire."
Commissioner O'Shea said that preserving and restoring biological diversity is a primary goal of the department. In Massachusetts they have a goal to protect lands and waters 30 percent by 2030, and they're now at 28 percent. They're aiming for 40 percent by 2050, focusing on 425,000 acres most important for wildlife, and knitting habitats together in large, connected corridors.
Nicole LaChapelle, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, echoed what Mr. O'Shea said, adding, "Given that October is archeology month, it's perfect that we're here today, and also to understand the deep history above and below these lands and where they have been in the course of stewardship well before us, and that it's up to us and all of our partners to keep that going forward again."
David O'Neill, President of Mass Audubon said, "I was at the Winchendon town hearing back in December 2023. I was stuck in the hallway because there was so many people there like hanging from the rafters, and I didn't know how the town was going to resolve this question, and I don't think that the town council did either in that meeting. We had heard they were sort of on the fence as to whether or not they're going to accept us purchasing the property. And I was struck by person after person after person for two and a half hours talking about the importance of these forests. I was blown away by it. I was blown away by the people who came in with facts and statistics about the biodiversity and the carbon rich forest and everything else.
"But what struck me the most was the people who talked about how important these lands were for them from a cultural perspective, the fact that these are lands we hike on, these are lands we hunt on, these are lands we fish in. These are places that I take my kids. I heard that over and over and over again, and we want to keep those places for the next generation, the next generation, and the next generation. And that cultural connection these forests to the people around here, it struck me was very deep, and I think it moved the council to ultimately make a wise and good decision for all of us."
Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust Executive Director Emma Ellsworth spoke of how moving it was to hear stories people told about their long connection to these very woods. One young man had learned to hunt from his grandfather there. Another woman, a grandmother with her grandchild at the meeting with her, said she was listening to the Board of Selectmen talk about what the town stood to get in revenue from the solar project. She said, "My granddaughter's access to open space, to wildlife, to nature, is worth a whole lot more than $29 a year. And if I pay $29 to go out to McDonald's for lunch, I can pay it for my kid to have access to nature." Ms. Ellsworth added, "We protect nature because we're honoring those that came before us and hoping to pass some of that on. And then we protect it just because it is and because it needs us, and that's part of our relationship and our partnership. And so it was just such a blessing and honor to be part of this project."
Fred Sellars, retired environmental consultant and Chair of the Ashburnham Conservation Commission, also spoke about how many people came together and went to their town boards to make a case for exercising the right of first refusal and conserving the land. He then said, "When a property is released from Chapter 61 protection, municipalities have the right of first refusal to acquire the property. One change in the process that I would like to see is a mandatory public hearing even when the municipality does not wish to exercise that right. The public needs the option to weigh in on any opportunity to preserve protected lands.
"I was impressed by not only the number of residents who showed up for the towns' meetings on the topic, but how important it was to people across a wide spectrum of ages, backgrounds, and political leanings. With the backdrop of the constant drumbeat of our nation's current political divisiveness, it was refreshing to see that the importance of preservation of our ecological resources was a powerful community unifier, something that people from all walks of life could agree on."
The final speaker, Winchendon resident Jane LaPointe, said, "In 2022, Winchendon's HEAL Initiative launched a Community Heart & Soul project. We spoke with people about what matters to them, what they care about, their hopes and dreams for Winchendon. We collected stories and data from many different voices, people from different backgrounds, people of different ages.
"Nature and access to the natural world rose to the top of what matters to Winchendon. 'Nature Matters' became one of our five Community Heart & Soul statements: '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.'
"Embedded in this Statement is the recognition of what nature contributes to our personal, our social, and our economic health and wellbeing.
"This point is recognized in our Town's Master Plan. The chapter on Economic Development highlights our natural and scenic resources and the potential for recreation as a catalyst for commercial, economic, and community development.
"The young people in our community also care deeply about nature and our environment. When a banner project was launched in town, featuring drawings of young people from our schools, pictures of landscapes, trees, nature, and wildlife were prominent features on these banners.
"So, it was obvious even before this land conservation issue--or opportunity--surfaced that the people of Winchendon valued and cared about the natural world and the environment that we live in."
When the speakers were finished, Ms. Ellsworth, Mr. Sellars, Mr. O'Shea, Mr. McKinney, and Mr. O'Neill grouped around the ribbon stretched in front of the lectern, while Ms. LaPointe did the honors with the giant scissors. Attendees applauded as the area was officially opened.
(Read the state press release at www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-celebrates-1300-acres-conserved-in-winchendon-and-ashburnham.)
Town Crier Kathy Ann Becker opens the ceremonies with a proclamation
Photo by Inanna Arthen
Ashburnham resident Fred Sellars speaks
Photo by Inanna Arthen
Winchendon resident Jane LaPointe speaks
Photo by Inanna Arthen
Winchendon Town Manager Bill McKinney speaks
Photo by Inanna Arthen
The conservation land gets its official ribbon cutting
Photo by Carolyn Sellars
The Town Crier's Call to Assemble
Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!
Gather ye, good folk of this land, and lend your ears!
Today I come on behalf of the Millers River Watershed Council to summon us to stand together in celebration of the forest. We remember that we stand where others have stood. We recognize the Algonquin-speaking peoples,
whose spirits have long walked these brooks and streams,
whose stories breathe through the stones and trees,
and whose guardianship has blessed this forest since time beyond memory and continues today.
Today we gather to celebrate that this land,
once threatened by the shadow of development and loss,
was saved through the courage and unity of many
neighbors and friends,
and through the steadfast resolve of private, public, and civic heroes
who stood together with this forest,
to protect and defend this land.
For the land is not a thing, but a relation--
a living presence that breathes and nourishes, and calls us to listen.
Those who answer become part of its story.
The trees still whisper;
through your actions, the waters still run clear.
You have carried forward the sacred duty
of care, respect, and balance--
a duty first taught by the Algonquin-speaking peoples,
and now renewed by all who cherish this earth.
Today, we celebrate each other's courage and commitment--
a shared promise to protect the land,
to honor its living spirit,
and to ensure its song endures for generations to come.
May the forest stand strong!
May the people walk gently!
And may this land forever breathe free!
Let Freedom Ring!
First Town Informational Session Held at Town Hall
On Monday, October 20, at 6:00 p.m., town department heads gathered in the Town Hall second floor auditorium to talk about some of what they're working on and answer residents' questions. Sixteen department heads sat in a line in front of the large tables, facing the audience, with about the same number of residents in attendance to hear what they had to say. No one threw any hard questions out, but there were a few inquiries.
The department heads present included Health Agent James Abare, Town Clerk Wendy Stevens, Town Manager Bill McKinney, Town Assessor Bob Heckman, Department of Public Works Director Pat Wood, Beals Memorial Library Director Manuel King, Community Outreach Coordinator Shaina Cunningham, Director of Special Education for the Winchendon Public Schools Kelsey Garcia, Fire Chief Tom Smith, Building Inspector Rick Germano, Police Lieutenant Kevin Wolski, Planning and Land Use Coordinator Nicole Roberts and Senior Center Director Miranda Jennings.
After Mr. McKinney welcomed everyone in the audience and explained the purpose of the session, the department heads went down the line introducing themselves. Ms. Stevens wanted to remind residents that dog licenses are available, and about the deadlines for voter registration. Mr. Wood talked about various projects around town that are wrapping up for the winter. There were a few questions and some discussion about the Beech Street project and how the town will take easements for things like sidewalks, and also about traffic problems and ways to address them.
Mr. King thanked Winchendon citizens for supporting the override in May so that the library could stay open. They had record participation in this summer's reading program with 361 people taking part, and an enrollment of 833 total in all the various programs. The library will be getting new lamp posts for the front of the building, but still needs to find an electrian to connect the wiring. Plans are underway to convert some underutilized space on the second floor, adjacent to the Director's office, to an ADA-compliant accessible bathroom.
Ms. Cunningham said that Parks & Recreation events have been very successful, with 4,000 people attending the "Haunted Happening" on October 18 and 1,500 ticket-buyers attending the Irish Festival on September 27. The department is working to "build out and diversify" its offerings.
Chief Smith had handouts about the Fire Station expansion project, but didn't talk too much about that. He said that the department seriously needs additional paramedics, and they're working on community outreach and ways of getting information out to more residents.
Ms. Roberts discussed the town's electrical grid, saying that it's close to being at maximum capacity, and may keep the town from growing as much as we'd like it to. She also mentioned changes in the laws making it easier to add Accessory Dwelling Units to properties to help alleviate the housing shortage.
The meeting ended just before 7:30 p.m. Mr. McKinney said that he would like to have these meetings on a regular basis, possibly twice a year or each quarter, so that residents would have an opportunity to meet Town Hall staff and department heads around town, and ask questions they might have directly.
