Friday, February, 7, 2014 CAM seeks hearing on rejection ...

(978) 297-0050 ?

Friday, February, 7, 2014

Newsstand: 75 cents

CAM seeks hearing on rejection of dispensary license

BY GREG VINE COURIER CORRESPONDENT

WINCHENDON -- The company that had planned to establish a facility for growing and harvesting medical marijuana in Winchendon plans to appeal the rejection of its application for a dispensary permit. Josh Resnick, the spokesman for Centers for Alternative Medicine, said the firm has asked for an administrative hearing on the matter. Town Manager James Kreidler and Robert O'Keefe, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, both plan to attend the hearing once it has been

scheduled. The Massachusetts Medical Use

Marijuana Program announced on Jan. 31 that 20 dispensaries had been approved. CAM was among 100 finalists in Phase 2 of the permitting process.

"We question the objectivity of the decision-making process," Resnick said. "We don't understand how some people received a perfect score on their applications."

Resnick said applicants had to receive a minimum of 137 points in order to receive consideration for a license. CAM received a score of 122.

"We tried to follow the process to the letter," he said. "There was one question, for example, that said to limit your response to 6,000 characters, so that's what we did. (Former congressman William) Delahunt gave a 30,000-character response to the same question, but he wasn't penalized. A former politician got the highest score. I guess some people just understood the system better than we did."

Delahunt's company ultimately received three dispensary permits.

"Another dispensary was approved for the town of Warren," said Resnick. "The town currently has a moratorium on dispensaries,

and there's no zoning for that that kind of business."

In addition, applicants were required to prove they had at least a half-million dollars in the bank to support their venture.

"Again, we met the requirements," said Resnick. "We have $501,000 in the bank. Some of the winners had a million dollars set aside. We certainly didn't think we'd be penalized for following the rules, even if we didn't have as much cash in the bank as some others."

CAM had planned to spend upwards of $3.8 million rehabilitating the White's Mill complex on

Glenallan Street and Mill Circle. Plans also included the repair of the dam at the site.

"We were planning to utilize about 30,000 square feet of the 80,000 square feet available," Resnick said. "It would have cost us about $100 per square foot to turn the place into what we needed it to be."

Company officials estimated that more than 30 jobs would have been created at the grow facility. According to CAM's application, pay would have ranged from $10 to $12 an hour for trimmers to poten-

Turn To MARIJUANA page A9

DPW continues winter battles

BY GREG VINE COURIER CORRESPONDENT

WINCHENDON -- With one large storm bearing down on the region and another, not far behind, taking aim at New England public works crews spent much of Tuesday get their equipment -- and themselves -- prepared to battle the snow.

The need to respond to several storms this season -- some large, some not so much -- has already depleted the town's snow and ice account.

"I can easily say we're operating in the red," said highway department Superintendent John Deline. "It's the small storms that have been killing us. They cost us just about as much as some of the larger storms. We may not spend as much time plowing, but we still have to sand and salt the roads. It doesn't take a lot of snow to turn roads treacherous.

"And we may find ourselves dealing with problems that pop up in different areas around town," he said. "The roads can seem okay downtown, but we may have to return to Old Centre a couple of times to deal with ice due to the higher elevation."

Deline also said that, despite fewer large temperatures swings this season, frost heaves are still "a major problem."

"Some of the roads are in pretty rough shape," he said. "Mill Glen Road is a good example. The drivers learn after a while where the bad spots are but it's not possible to avoid every of them."

Deline pointed out some minor damage to the front of one large truck that was sustained when a plow kicked up after striking a frost heave.

"A lot of people think the driv-

Greg Vine photo

Al Gallant, in front, and Mark Navaroli at left, check the equipment at the DPW before the snowstorm hit on Wednesday.

ers just sit behind the wheel and drive the truck," said Deline, "but they have to remain alert, drive safely. And let me tell you, these guys are hurting after bouncing around in those seats for 12 hours. It takes a physical

toll." He said there are generally

14 men out on the roads during most storms.

The highway department cur-

Turn To DPW page A9

Proposed pipeline would run through

Toy Town

BY GREG VINE COURIER CORRESPONDENT

WINCHENDON -- A Texas energy company is planning a natural gas pipeline that would run across the northern tier of the Bay State, from the New York state line to the community of Dracut. The pipeline would be built by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, of Savannah,TN, a subsidiary of Houston-based Kinder Morgan Inc. Plans call for the line to run through the local towns of Athol, Royalston, Winchendon and Ashburnham.

While no specific route has been designated, Town Manager James Kreidler speculated the 30-inch pipeline would run approximately from the electrical substation on Route 202, out past Mill Glen

Pond and Route 140 and into south Ashburnham.

"The property owners who would be affected by the project have, I believe, already been contacted," he said.

Richard Wheatley of Kinder Morgan said the pipeline is in the early planning stages.

"Surveys need to be done, customers need to be found, the appropriate permits need to be obtained and then the whole thing has to be approved by FERC (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)," he said. "We don't own the gas that's transported through the pipeline, we own the pipeline itself."

Wheatley said natural gas suppliers interested in shipping their

Turn To PIPELINE page A9

Electrical aggregation

Tammy St. Pierre photos

Major FPU changes The Winchendon School Wapiti squared off against Albany Academy during the afternoon of the all day events.

coming to Winchendon

OK...so what's that?

BY GREG VINE COURIER CORRESPONDENT

WINCHENDON -- The town of Winchendon and Colonial Power Group, of Marlboro, are putting finishing touches on an electrical aggregation agreement. It's anticipated the pact will translate into cheaper electric rates for Toy Town consumers.

Colonial is a consulting company that will design and manage the town's energy consumption, essentially taking that responsibility out of the hands of National Grid.

Colonial's Brian Murphy explained his company

is contracted to "go and find providers of electrical power. We seek bids from companies interested in providing power to the town and contract with the lowest bidder or bidders."

Murphy said the electricity comes directly from the companies that generate the power.

"We deal directly with power generators," said Murphy, "not the companies, like National Grid, that distribute the power. The poles and wires that carry electricity to Winchendon will still be

Turn To ELECTRIC page A6

incite debate

BY JERRY CARTON COURIER CORRESPONDENT

RINDGE -- As the closest private university to Winchendon and thus a school frequently targeted by Murdock High School students, what's going on at Franklin Pierce University is of significant interest to the local community.

That's why the reverberations were felt here when the Rindge-based school announced the discontinuation of six majors effective next fall while adding three new ones which University officials argue will help bring FPU more in line with 21st century job opportunities.

Gone will be majors in fine arts, graphic communication, math, American studies, theatre and dance, and arts management.

New majors in health sciences, environmental science, and health administration have recently begun to be offered.

"The American higher education landscape is undergoing momentous change and evolution around issues of accessibility, affordability,

Turn To FPU page A9

Kelly recipient of Ritchie scholarship

BY JERRY CARTON COURIER CORRESPONDENT

WINCHENDON -- Perhaps the most appreciative person at the Winchendon School's annual hockey day in memory of Wapiti goalie Jason Ritchie? That would be Lauren Kelly, rising freshman at Northeastern University and recipient of the Jason Ritchie Scholarship award for 2014.

"I have had the opportunity to hear wonderful things about Jason...I will try my best to be a good representative of the (Jason Ritchie) Foundation and hope to continue Jason's legacy," Kelly

told Foundation members in her acceptance letter.

As was the case last February, the Winchendon School and Jason Ritchie Foundation teamed up to honor the memory of the goalie who graduated in 2005 but lost his life in a tragic car accident four years later.

It wasn't long after Jason's passing that his parents, Bob and Donna established the Foundation and have ever since supported young athletes and last Saturday awarded a check for more than

Turn To KELLY page A9

6 56525 10431 2

LOCAL

MT AWARD

PAGE 2

SPORTS

ST. PIERRE

PAGE 8

WEEKLY QUOTE

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song."

Chinese Proverb

2 W C inchendon ourier

Friday, February, 7, 2014

Students honored by Superintendents' Association

FITCHBURG -- Two honor students at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School were honored recently at a luncheon sponsored by the Worcester County Superintendents' Association and held at Assumption College, Worcester.

The students, Olivia R. Frawley of Westminster and Brittany L. Velez of Fitchburg, were recognized at the luncheon as this year's Monty Tech recipients of the Massachusett Association of School Superintendents' Certificate of Academic Excellence award.

Brittany, a senior in the dental assisting program, is ranked first in her class of 335 students. Olivia is ranked second. She is a senior in the drafting technology program. Both students have excelled in all areas of their high-school careers.

Brittany is currently serving as national secretary for the SkillsUSA organization, and as a member of the state executive board for SkillsUSAMassachusetts. Last year, she was

Courtesy photo

Monty Tech student scholars Olivia R. Frawley of Westminster (second from left), and Brittany L. Velez of Fitchburg are congratulated on being selected as student scholars by Eric Olson of Phillipston (left), chairperson of the Monty Tech School Committee, and Steven C. Sharek, superintendent-director.

elected by her peers to serve as president of the state organization, the second Monty Tech student to hold the position within three years.

She has excelled in all her honors and AP courses during her

time at Monty Tech. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has contributed countless hours of her time volunteering for community service projects. As a result, she is a recipient of the President's Volunteer Service

award. A member of the Student

Advisory Committee, and the Central Massachusetts Advisory Committee, she serves on the Student Council and as a peer mediator. During her sophomore year, she was selected as the Hugh O'Brian Youth Ambassador.

Brittany served as a team member for the national Student Spaceflight Experiment Program through her science class. The science experiment she worked on went into space last year. A standout athlete, she serves as captain of both the girls' soccer and varsity basketball teams. She has won numerous awards and received recognitions in these sports over the past four years.

She plans to major in medical biology in college and then pursue a career as an oral surgeon

Olivia was named a commended student in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program based on her scores on the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. A member of the

Drama Club since her freshman year, she has appeared in school musicals and in performances at the Theatre At The Mount in Gardner.

A student leader since her freshman year, she is serving as class secretary and as a member of the Student Advisory Committee. She is also active in SkillsUSA, having won a gold medal in both prepared and extemporaneous speech at the local competitions. She went on to capture a gold medal in extemporaneous speech at the state competition. She then advanced to compete on the national level, where she was named a finalist.

She is also a member of the swim team, Women In Technology program, Leo Club and Media Club.

Since last spring she has been employed as a design apprentice for Interstate Container in Westminster, through Monty Tech's Co-Operative Education Program.

She would like to go into education after studying rhetoric and oral communication in college.

JUST IN TIME FOR THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

Ruth DeAmicis photo

Kiwanis

of

Winchendon have

a new fundraiser

in process, and

it's just in time for the 250th

birthday party.

A puzzle of local

historic sites is

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His Own Design

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I do declare,

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Local student theater company raising funds

JAFFREY -- Project Shakespeare has launched an IndieGoGo campaign to raise money needed to send students to England in August 2014.

Project Shakespeare announced last summer that they had been chosen by the Royal Shakespeare Company to bring their student production of Hamlet to Stratfordupon-Avon to perform at the RSC's outdoor stage, The Dell. The original performance date was August 2013, however, that did not leave enough time to raise the funds necessary. The RSC postponed the performances to August 2014 and every since Project Shakespeare students have been raising funds and working to make this dream a reality.

The total amount needed is $30,000. More than $10,000 has been raised due to the generosity of individuals in the local community. Corporate and foundation proposals have been submitted with no word as of yet. PS's IndieGoGo goal is $10,000.

To make a donation please visit the campaign's home page directly at igg.me/at/ PSattheRSC or by visiting and entering Project Shakespeare Goes to England in the search box.

For more information visit our web site .

Courtesy photo

Christopher Commander as Hamlet, Yasmine Seghir of Winchendon as Ophelia and (seated) Genna Weidner as Polonius in a recent production of Hamlet.

LaBrack: aiming for the stars

BY JERRY CARTON COURIER CORRESPONDENT

road sometime." Is that even possible?

WINCHENDON -- Star

"For her, absolutely," noted

power. You know an athlete

Coach Dick Karvonen. "She's

has it when coaches and

only a freshman, remember.

other competitors stop and

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watch what they're doing.

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Every event becomes, well,

winter," he reminded.

an "event."

"There's a girl in South

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Alyssa has a lively rivalry

Alyssa LaBrack, who seems to set a new school shot put

Alyssa LaBrack

with Narragansett's Gaelin Farrell. "She's really nice, but

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the Courier reached the newsstands. "I loved it right away," reflected LaBrack

to the beginnings of her shot put career just a couple years ago in seventh grade. "I knew I had some ability, I didn't know how much,

Does she know other competitors and coaches are watching?

"I do. You can sense it without even seeing it. But I just try to focus on doing what I have to do," Alyssa said.

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and I guess I never thought about being this good, but coach (Anthony) Findley kept pushing and I just kept getting better."

At the meets, whether at Fitchburg or Wachusett or at the Reggie Lewis Athletic

LaBrack played town softball and still plays field hockey for the Lady Devils in the fall, and, "I thought about basketball when I was younger, but doing an individual sport is an amazing feeling. I love field hockey and

*APR=Annual Percentage Rate. Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is effective 02/01/2014 and is subject to change without notice. The 3.99% APR is fixed for 30 years, and will result in 673 bi-weekly payments of principal and interest of $2.37 per $1,000 borrowed at 3.95%. Rate and APR may be different based on credit score and loan to value. Purchase transactions only. Maximum loan amount is $417,000. Payments do not include amounts for taxes or insurance, and actual payment amounts will be greater. Escrow of property taxes required for a loan to value over 70%. Loan amounts over 80% up to 97% of Purchase Price require private mortgage insurance. Property insurance required. Flood insurance may be required. First mortgage lien required. Automatic payments available. Single family owner occupied residential properties only. $399 closing costs does not include escrows, prepaid interest or Owner's Title Insurance. Offer may be withdrawn without notice. Other terms and rates are also available.

Center in Boston, ("Reggie's my favorite," she asserted), Alyssa has a regular preevent routine.

"I try to go where

I love being part of a team, too, but it's really fun to have gotten good at the shot put, and I have to admit I love track more than any other sport. Coach Findley will love that,"

it's not so crowded she smiled.

H U : ow to se The Winchendon

Courier

and stretch my back and do my push-ups, go through my movements and look at the

This spring Alyssa will add the javelin and discus to her repertoire.

"I'm looking forward to that. They're individual sports too, but at the same time, hope-

A Stonebridge Press publication

right angles. I get ner- fully, I'll be helping the team get points and

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vous before big meets but doing my routine helps me to relax," she remarked.

Has she reached the point where she almost expects to set a new Murdock mark every time out?

"That would be nice," Alyssa laughed, adding, "my goal is to get to 40 feet down the

do well, too," she said. She doesn't even mind practice. "I actually like practice," she revealed.

"Even during the summer, I push myself, work on my movement".

"I like working out," Alyssa admitted. So as she continues to shatter her own record, one she first set as an eighth grader and keeps improving on, how does she maintain an even keel? "I'm in love with the sport. That makes it fun to do," Alyssa asserted.

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Stonebridge Press photo policy As a community oriented family of newspapers, Stonebridge Press welcomes photos from readers, business owners, and other outside sources for publication in any of its titles. Any

jashton@

Production Manager Julie Clarke

Available

photos submitted for publication become the property of Stonebridge Press, and may be

julie@

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Call for details 508-764-4325

Friday, February, 7, 2014

W C inchendon ourier 3

Courier Capsules

News Briefs

AHIMSA VALENTINE

"Show Your Love for Animals" open house event on Saturday Feb. 8 from 1-5 p.m. at the shelter at 381r Baldwinville Road in Templeton. You can meet the dogs and cats waiting for adoption and enjoy light refreshments. For a minimum $5 donation, receive a Doggie Valentine Treat Bag featuring gourmet goodies from the Regal Beagle Bakery in Rutland, or a Deluxe Kitty Treat Bag. Handmade cards announcing that a donation was made in your loved one's honor will also be available.

Veterinary expenses make up over 80% of our budget, so showing your love is greatly appreciated. Can't make it but want to contribute? You can donate securely via Paypal. We are a 501(c)3 charity, so all donations are tax deductible. For more information, please call us at (978) 297-2673 or visit .

SUPER RAFFLE

GARDNER -- The Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce annual Super Raffle and February Business After Hours will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The event is sponsored by and will be held at South Side Grille & Margarita Factory, 242 West Broadway.

The Business After Hours will run from 5?7:30 p.m. and will include networking, hors d'oeuvres and the raffle drawing. The winning tickets, including the grand prize of $10,000 will be drawn at 7 p.m. Additional cash prizes include one second prize of $1,000, four third prizes of $750 each and five fourth prizes of $250 each. Only 400 tickets will be sold.

The event is free to Chamber members and raffle ticket purchasers. Advanced reservations for the Business After Hours are requested. Super Raffle tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce office at 29 Parker St., 2nd floor, Gardner or online at . For more information contact the Chamber at (978) 632-1780 email: epenney@

PLAN AHEAD

GARDNER -- You are invited to the wedding of the year as Joey & Maria's comic Italian Wedding is booked to take over the PACC on Saturday, March 1 to benefit HOPE summer camp. Come join the family as the celebrate the wedding of Joey Gnocchi and Maria Cactelli, as grandma and all the gun-toting brothers try to settle family differences just for the one day. Evening includes a meal, the performance, and all the singing, dancing and laughing you can endure. Cost is just $33 per person (the cost to send one child to HOPE summer camp). Plan now to have a full table of friends to enjoy a great night out. Call (978) 630-4752 x 20 to order tickets.

FREE FILM

ORANGE -- The North Quabbin Community Cooperative, and Mt. Grace Land Conservation Trust are presenting the North Quabbin premier of a provocative new film that looks at the current resurgence of food co-operatives in America, and their unique historic place in America's economic and political landscape. The free, community showing of this award winning film will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 7:00 p.m. at the Central Congregational Church, 93 S. Main St, in Orange.

Food For Change, a feature-length (84 min.) documentary from Home Planet Pictures, tells the story of the co-op movement in the U.S. through a combination of interviews, rare archival footage, and commentary by co-op leaders and historians. Filmmaker Steve Alves tracks the co-op movement's quest for whole and organic foods, and the dream of sustainable food systems. The film profiles several current food co-ops including some here in Franklin County.

The Feb. 8 presentation offers North Quabbin residents a unique opportunity to learn more about co-ops while enjoying an evening out with friends and neighbors.

Coffee, popcorn, and baked goods will be available.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

HAMDEN, CT -- Heather Couture of Templeton has been named to the dean's list at Quinnipiac University for the Fall 2013 semester.

To qualify for the dean's list, students must earn a grade point average of at least 3.5 with no grade lower than C. Full-time students must complete at least 14 credits in a semester, with at least 12 credits that have been graded on a letter grade basis to be eligible. Part-time students must complete at least six credits during a semester.

NORTH DARTMOUTH -- Matthew McBride of Winchendon has been named to the UMass Dartmouth Fall 2013 Dean's List in recognition of earning a semester grade point average of 3.2 or higher of a possible 4.0.

HEMPSTEAD, NY -- Stephanie Duke, a senior majoring in political science, of Templeton has been named to the Fall 2013 Provost's List at Hofstra University, which requires a 4.0 grade point average. Emily McLean, a freshman majoring in psychology from Jaffrey, been named to the Fall 2013 Dean's List at Hofstra University.

ITHACA, NY -- Sara Jablonski, a native of Rindge, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from Ithaca College's School of Humanities and Sciences. The degree was awarded in December 2013.

WORCESTER -- The following local residents were among 1,303 students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) named to the university's Dean's List for academic excellence for the fall 2013 semester.

Taymon Beal of Rindge is a senior majoring in computer science; Katie Brochu of Jaffrey is a freshman majoring in biomedical engineering; Steven Como of Phillipston is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering; J. Victor Haley of Templeton is a senior majoring in electrical and computer engineering; Michael O'Regan of Athol is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering; Dominick Polcari of Winchendo, is a junior majoring in chemical engineering; and Caleb Stepanian of Athol is a sophomore majoring in computer science.

A total of 1,303 undergraduate students achieved the criteria required for WPI's fall 2013 Dean's List. The criteria for the WPI Dean's List differ from that of most other universities as WPI does not compute a grade point average (GPA). Instead, WPI defines the Dean's List by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects.

WEST HARTFORD, CT -- The University of Hartford is pleased to announce Jarec Rondeau of Rindge has been named to its Dean's List for Fall 2013.

NORTH ANDOVER -- Ashley Perry of Winchendon was named to the Fall 2013 Dean's List at Merrimack College in North Andover. To be named to the Dean's List, a student must achieve a 3.25 gpa. Perry is a senior working toward a degree in sports management.

ROME, GA -- Cassandra Betourney, of Winchendon has been named to Berry College's Dean's List for the fall 2013 semester. To be eligible for Dean's List, a student must carry a semester GPA of 3.5 or better.

WEST HAVEN, CT -- Bronte Torres Pagan from Winchendon was named to the Dean's List at the University of New Haven for the fall 2013 semester. Full-time undergraduate students must have a 3.50 or better cumulative GPA for the semester to be eligible for the Dean's List.

ACTING OPPORTUNITIES

JAFFREY -- New Staged Reading Series!Project Shakespeare offers opportunities to new and returning students to participate in staged readings. Rehearsals and performances will be scheduled after school, evenings and weekends and will not interfere with school schedule. Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), by AnnMarie MacDonald and directed by Angela Vroom is open to middle and high school students. It will be staged Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at Jaffrey Civic Center

(Snow Date Saturday March 1). $7 Adults

/ $5 Seniors & Students. Celebrated novelist and playwright Ann-

Marie MacDonald goes nose-to-nose with the Bard in this delicious romp through time and space. When a lovelorn academic ? convinced that Shakespeare's Othello and Romeo and Juliet were intended to be comedies ? is transported into the middle of these masterpieces, she begins a comic journey that proves that Romeo, Juliet, Othello and Desdemona ain't what they used be. And neither is our heroine!

For information on Project Shakespeare call (603) 532-6607or email projectshakespeare@.

IN THE SERVICE

SAN ANTONIO,

TX -- Air Force

Airman Nicholas

J. Magliacane grad-

uated from basic

military training

at Joint Base San

Antonio-Lackland,

San Antonio, TX.

The airman com-

Airman Nicholas Magliacane

pleted an intensive, eight-week program that included training

in military discipline

and studies, Air Force core values, phys-

ical fitness, and basic warfare principles

and skills. Airmen who complete basic

training earn four credits toward an asso-

ciate in applied science degree through the

Community College of the Air Force.

Magliacane is the son of Doreen and

James Magliacane of Jaffrey and is a 2013

graduate of Conant High School.

HOMEBUYER CLASSES

Spring is just around the corner...is this inspiring you to get a home of your own? You too can purchase a home...Come find out what you have to do to get ready for this important purchase!

Get ready to go house hunting--Register today for the Greater Gardner CDC's First Time Homebuyer Education Course.

Take your first steps toward your goal of home ownership with the Greater Gardner CDC's First Time Homebuyer Education course--sign up today. Orientation is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Greater Gardner CDC, 246 Central St., Gardner. HOW TO REGISTER: Call (978) 630-2975, or e-mail to pat@ggcdc. org. Orientation is free. Participants will explore the possibilities available in the market today and learn what they need to do to prepare to enter the home buying process.

`CHICAGO' AT THE MOUNT

KSC hosts faculty art exhibit

BY JULIA KIME COURIER CORRESPONDENT

KEENE, NH -- Keene State College is hosting its biennial faculty art exhibition at the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery. Held every other year, Keene State showcases full-time and adjunct faculties' work in a variety of mediums. The ThorneSagendorph art gallery has partnered with the college, the town of Keene and surrounding communities since 1965.

Thorne primarily values two things: collecting and preserving work by artists dating back to the 19th century Dublin Art Colony as well as bringing education through the artwork. More information about the Thorne-Sagendorph Gallery can be found online at keene.edu/tsag

Rosemarie Bernard, chair of Keene State College's art department, explained the variety of art lining the walls. Among them were 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, graphic design, photography, installation work and many other various mediums.

Bernard, who had some of her own intaglio pieces (style of printmaking) saw significant improvement with the gallery in the past few years.

"The program has grown drastically, it brings in a whole new range of people," she said.

That was evident at the public reception. Bernard showed one piece done by a professor from Winnipeg, Canada. Lynn Richardson, a sculpture professor, has been teaching at Keene State for nearly seven years. Her installation piece entitled "Entrance to the Arctic Garden" was molded intricately and appeared to be a main focus of the exhibit. Her work comes off as detailed and lighthearted but holds a strong critical message that soon our culture, driven by industry, will soon overlook a culture driven by nature, and how necessary it is to preserve our environment for the negative impacts industry holds can greatly effect it.

The Throne-Sagendorph art gallery holds year-round scheduled art exhibits ranging from local New England artists to those on a national and international scale as well. The exhibit for the faculty showcase will run until March 13.

The 1920's are roaring with hot jazz and cold-blooded killers in this drop-dead musical, nominated for eight Tony awards. Chicago is a sexy musical extravaganza that tells the story of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly who murder their faithless lovers and go on to fame, fortune and "all that jazz!" SHOW DATES AND TIMES: Feb. 28; March 1, 7, 8 at 8 p.m., sorry the March 9 matinee is already sold out. Tickets for CHICAGO and all 2014 shows are now on sale. BOX OFFICE INFORMATION Hours: MondayFriday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:302:30 p.m. Call: (978) 630-9388 or visit box-office@mwcc. mass.edu

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4 W C inchendon ourier

Friday, February, 7, 2014

Winchendon Courier

President/Publisher: Frank Chilinski Editor: Ruth DeAmicis

VIEWS Opinion and commentary from Winchendon and beyond

Editorial

Hoffman death renews search

Hibernating...or ostrich syndrome? for answers to addiction

There has been a good amount of white stuff dumped on town this week, and a bit more expected again this weekend. Many of us had a good chuckle watching people trying to navigate on a bit of icy road in the south late last month; being a bit superior with our New England driving abilities.

This week, though, if we know anything, it is that it is smart to stay home when Mother Nature gets nasty. Town Hall knew that and closed down Wednesday; warning people to please stay home and out of the way of the DPW who did have to be out there attempting to clear the way. So did the state; and emergency workers had to be where they had to be. Thanks ladies and gentlemen.

Anyone without a need then, if they were wise, huddled home where it was warm.

It was a good day for a stew or a soup, homemade bread or baked goods. Warm smells from a kitchen could have been the topper if someone with a little talent took that step. Even canned soup was a good choice as the thick white flakes fell.

And maybe it was a day for a craft, a sewing project or just a good book. Away from the electronics frenzy...disconnect. Turn off the noise and watch the quiet outside. Unlike rain, snow is quiet. There is no thunder to accompany it; and the flakes fall with no patter. Even a real wind whirls the flakes without noise. Through trees, yes, but not the flakes.

And the snow covers sins. It covers the undone yard work from last year, the furniture never put away; the detritus from years of living. Some are better than others about keeping outside spaces neat; but snow makes everyone equal. The piles are unrecognizable. That might be trash...or roses. That over there might be a

dumpster...or a gazebo. And under a storm a 10 year old Ford or

a new Cadillac are equally snowbound and unmovable.

The ultimate equalizer. Perhaps a good blizzard is the answer for a few other equal opportunities. Someone recently posited that all legislators at every level should be paid just minimum wage and made to live on SNAP benefits only. They must have only government paid health benefits as well (and NOT the current spa care available to Congress but the real deal). In the original intent of government by founding fathers, the idea was to share the load. No one even got paid and it was a part time job. These fellows gave a bit of their lives to the process, but it was only a bit and certainly not their livelihoods. They were farmers and teachers and lawyers and tavernkeepers in their "real" lives. Eventually someone thought they should get some sort of compensation for their time; and like Topsy, it grew. Now only the rich can even afford to run for an office at all, and if you weren't rich to begin with, you get that way once you get the job. You retire with a nice package too; even if you only hold office for a short one term. Even at the state level. We as the citizens have sort of ignored this over the years; kind of assuming it is business as usual and to be expected but it is time to reexamine this expectation. We raise the hue and cry about government spending, let's start with this. They vote for their own compensation; how crazy is that in the first place? And just how do we as the taxpayers get that control back? There has to be a way.

LETTERS POLICY

Letters to the editor are always welcome, and may be sent to to ruth@, or The Winchendon Courier, 91 Central Street, Winchendon, MA 01475. Be sure to include a name and residence. Please refrain from sending letters via fax, and be sure to supply a home address and phone number to allow for confirmation. Allow at least 48 hours for a response. Letters must be submitted by noon Friday to ensure publication in the following week's issue. Every effort will be made to accommodate late submissions, but inclusion can not be guaranteed. The rules of good taste and libel will, of course, apply to all submissions. Personal attacks will not be published. The editor retains the right to edit all letters.

BY GREG VINE Outstanding stage and screen actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died at the age of 46 this past weekend from an apparent heroin overdose. He was found in his apartment bathroom by a friend, a needle reportedly still stuck in his arm. Anyone fortunate enough to have seen Hoffman in any of his film roles could not help but be impressed by his natural talent. His Academy Award-winning performance in "Capote" was near perfection. He could easily have walked away with another Oscar for his turn in "The Master," and I can picture no one but Hoffman playing the role of the cynical CIA operative, Gust Avrakotos, in "Charlie Wilson`s War." We've lost plenty of other greats to drug abuse; Billie Holliday, Lenny Bruce, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift, Sylvia Plath, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Freddie Prinze, Elvis Presley, Gram Parsons, John Belushi, Michael Jackson, Layne Staley--- to name just a very, very few. But there was something particularly jolting about the death of Hoffman. I could rattle off a list of other celebrities who I thought would have overdosed on something well before this talented actor. But Hoffman's death brings our nation, once again, face-to-face with the problem of drug addiction. Cable news channels have been chalk full of addiction experts since his passing, each identifying one cause or another, each recommending one solution or another, Frankly, if I were the king of the world, one of the first moves I'd make is to take every drug ad off of television. Have a problem? Take a pill! Seriously. Depression? Irritability? Acne? "Performance" problems? Aches? Pains? Take a pill! No, I realize that wouldn't solve the problem of addiction, but it might result in fewer people thinking that pills are the solution to just about every problem they have. Truth be told -- and a lot of people don't like to hear this --- the overwhelming weight of evidence points to addiction as a disease. Yet, there are still those who

choose to view it as a sign of personal weakness. Addicts are morally corrupt and simply can't control themselves and, these people say, the place for them is behind bars. And it should not be lost on anyone that a heck of a lot of people who aren't shy about offering this opinion will do so while working on their third or fourth scotch, bourbon or vodka.

Let's face it, the most abused drug in this country is alcohol. It is THE "gateway drug." In fact, some research indicates that most heroin overdoses occur while the user is also consuming alcohol.

Addiction is a disease and it's time we started treating it as such. A cocaine or heroin addict should not be thrown in jail any more than a cancer or HIV patient should be isolated from the rest of society.

Instead of stigmatizing those who are addicted to alcohol and other drugs, we should find a way to compassionately treat their disease. Punishing them for trying to ease the pain of their disease has been a failure. The harmful, farcical "war on drugs" has instead been a 40-year war on people -- people with a problem. Save the punishment for the dealers, not for their customers.

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Eugene Robinson said it best in an opinion piece in the "Washington Post" on Monday, Feb. 3: "Addiction to harder drugs should be considered a medical problem, period -- a chronic illness, like diabetes, that might not be curable but can be managed.

There would be times when managing addiction meant prescribing to addicts pharmaceutical-grade heroin and other drugs and then medically monitoring them. There would be other times when it meant treatment to get clean. Philip Seymour Hoffman had tried and failed, tried and failed. But who knows? Next time, he might have made it."

We'll never eradicate drug addiction -- mankind has been chasing a higher high since he stood on two feet -- but if we're smart about it, we may stop it from killing so many friends and loved ones.

SOUND OFF POLICY

In addition to the Letters to the Editor section, the Winchendon Courier offers an anonymous forum allowing callers to "Sound Off" about the hot-button issues and topics in their towns. The "Sound Off" line can be reached 24 hours a day, at 978-297-0050. Names

Education in various forms

L et me start off by thanking Little League president, grillmaster extraordinaire and Tuesday meatloaf companion Tony LaPointe for clueing me in on how to get a balky computer up and running again. Much appreciated. And let me thank my friends Arthur and Ellen Lerner for sending me a couple of great books, including Kay Jamison's An Unquiet Mind,an excruciatingly honest tome on her own bipolar experiences.

Let me also thank the many people who responded favorably to last week's column. I was a bit surprised when a number of folks said I was "brave" to write so openly about my bipolar illness. I never looked at that essay as being particularly "brave", but the fact that people thought it was tells you plenty about how society deals with certain subjects, doesn't it? Believe me, we've know plenty of people who had no idea how to deal with Courtney's diabetes, and I imagine a lot of you have been in similar if not exactly the same situations. Of course there was the

Journey

of the

Heart

JERRY

CARTON

person who wrote me promising my depressive cycle would end in three years when President Obama leaves office. I suppose they meant it as a joke. It wasn't funny yet at the same time reflected the unease and difficulty with which so many people approach any kind of mental illness. I certainly lost a significant amount of respect for that person and was saddened they felt compelled in their own mind to make light of what I had written. Educating people, assuming they're open-minded enough to be educated, is a never ending process, I guess. Bipolar. Diabetes. Alzheimers, and so many others, including even cancer. It's hard to make progress on fighting them if we aren't brave enough to talk

about them, wouldn't you agree? Speaking of education, a few

miles up the road in Rindge officials at Franklin Pierce University, which has long called itself a liberal arts school, shook the campus to its foundation by announcing the discontinuation of six majors (American studies, theatre and dance, graphic communications, fine arts, math, and arts management) beginning next fall. The university is adding three new majors: health sciences, environmental sciences, and health administration.

Needless to say, the elimination of arts majors, even though students can still take classes in those disciplines for a couple more years, sparked significant debate throughout the FPU community. As the parent of a second semester junior majoring in social work, I don't directly have a proverbial dog in this fight, but the timing alone sure seems strange to me. Incoming freshmen who planned to study in one of those soon-to-disappear majors are rather left in the lurch, aren't they? As of this writing, there's yet to be

any specific explanation from the university regarding the rationale, though we can presume it's financial -- isn't it always -- and the reaction has been pretty intense. A Facebook page dedicated to saving the arts attracted more than 1,400 members within 24 hours. A town hall was convened by the powers that be to discuss the coming changes, and a campaign has been launched to get the school to re-consider the decision. It's true the job market is different than it was 20 years ago, but for a school whose claim to whatever fame it has was rooted primarily in its arts curriculum to abruptly do away with those majors, well, that's a curious move to say the least. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few months before final decisions have to be made by prospective new students as to whether or not they'll actually come, and even by current freshmen as to whether or not they'll stay.

Switching gears, last week in his State of the Union address, the President educated Congress as to how he plans to govern with-

out their cooperation. He's hoping for some cooperation on an immigration reform package but by and large, he seems to have gotten the message that congressional Republicans aren't interested in working with him. He should have gotten that message five years ago but that's a whole `nother story and I think he's got no other choice than to do whatever he can by executive fiat. That means a whole lot of vitally important issues are being kicked down the road even further but when the federal legislature is, whether by choice, chance or parliamentary nonsense or all of those, impotent, what's a guy to do? The days of genuine bipartisanship on some issues at least, are long gone, having fallen prey to 24/7 cable news, the ungodly amount of unregulated campaign money and the extreme polarization of the Republicans. Hopefully, the GOP Establishment, what's left of it, can reel in the crazies this year in primaries, but you have to be skeptical until that happens. Happy mid-term election year. See you next week.

Important correspondence

Don't you just feel the excitement welling up inside you? Christmas is past and New Year's Eve is but a memory but the midterm elections signal the beginning of yet another race for the big white house, you know, the one in Washington, DC.

There are the signs. Just like the robins arrival in spring. In a previous column, one written just before the last presidential election, I wrote about my new pen pals, or whatever one calls email senders.

Imagine, a fellow living in north central Massachusetts getting emails from Michelle Obama. Heck, we hit it off right away and before long she was actually call-

ing me "Jack." She must have

Notes of

talked to Joe Biden about our exchanges because then

Concern I started getting email from

him. Of course both Mitt

and Anne began writing and

JACK BLAIR before long even their sons

were sending me missives.

Believe me, first thing han-

dled in the Blair House those

mornings was a check of the

email.

After the election they must have gotten

pretty busy because I have not heard from

Michelle at all. Not even a note from the

campaign guy David Plouffe. One thing

about email, it does not help you ever under-

stand how to pronounce a name like that.

I understood that Barry and Joe were

dealing with pretty heady world issues but

heck it was more than a little disappointing not to hear from Mitt. It is a given he needed some time to heal the wounds but one would have thought sitting around in one of his five houses, bored to death, might have encouraged to be a little more engaged with me.

Well I have wondered a bit afield of what I wanted to communicate. I knew things were picking up when I got an email from...guess whom? None other than Hillary Clinton. Just a quick note to say hello and pass on some news. That last sentence was a bit of a teaser but she really did not share any final decision with me.

Yet. In subsequent weeks I had a short email from Chelsea. She pretended to be writing about the Clinton Global Initiative but I knew the real reason. I would bet the farm

that my next email will be from the Big Dog himself, Bill.

Mitt must have told Paul Ryan about me because I have received two emails from him and a couple of posts on my Facebook page. Chris Christie is still trying to get Republicans to forget the big smooch fest he had with Barack the week of Mitt's loss so I am not expecting to hear from him soon.

As each week passes until we get to read the tea leaves after the midterms I know my political email will be bursting with hints and ticklers about coming events. And when that gets in full swing I will forget about the political winter I have lived through when my most interesting correspondents seem to have come down with writer's cramp.

They are off and running! If you would care to read my BLOG, access it at blair-notes.

Athol Savings Bank hires Millett as AVP

Friday, February, 7, 2014

W C inchendon ourier 5

ATHOL -- Athol Savings Bank announced Mark

W. Millett of Dunstable has been hired as the assis-

tant vice president of learning and development.

Millett has more than 23 years of experience in

the financial industry. Before coming to the bank,

Millett served in the same role at St. Mary's Credit

Union and also held positions of training specialist

and learning and development manager. Millett

also served as the training specialist for Digital

Federal Credit Union in Marlborough and as an

assistant branch manager for Middlesex Savings

Bank in Natick.

Millett is the past president of the Central

Massachusetts Chapter of the American Society for

Training and Development. He served as president

of the Chapter from 2008-13. Millett is also a nation-

al member of the ASTD as well as the Society of

Human Resource Management.

Millett resides in Dunstable with his wife and

three children.

Athol Savings Bank, with its headquarters locat-

ed on Main Street in Athol is a 146 year old, full-service mutual savings bank and maintains an online

Mark Millett

presence at . The bank has eight

offices located in the communities of Ashburnham, Athol, Baldwinville, Barre, Gardner

and Winchendon.

AARP commends new state budget proposal

Courtesy photo Christine Meagher, at right, accepts the certificate of award from Dr. Seema Sahib

IT'S ALL GOOD! RN WINS AWARD

BOSTON -- In reaction to Gov. Deval adult day health services, senior housing,

Patrick's Fiscal Year 2015 state budget pro- and home and community based services

posal, Michael E. Festa, state director of -- for today's seniors and those who will

AARP Massachusetts, which serves more need these services in the next decades,

than 800,000 residents age 50 and older in should be a priority for all of us. After all,

the Commonwealth, issued the following with the aging of the population, we now

statement:

face a demographic imperative: By 2030, the

"AARP commends Gov. Patrick for 65-plus population will grow to more than 20

increasing funding for several key provi- percent in Massachusetts -- an estimated 1.5

sions that are central to the health, safety, million residents.

and financial security of the state's

"The Governor's FY 2015 budget

Your aging population. "In particular, we applaud the

proposal also continues the commitment that all people, especially

Governor's recommended increase

low-income and the most vulnera-

Turn to fund these critical programs, such

as enhanced home care services,

ble have access to affordable health care by funding implementation of

supportive senior housing program,

the health care reform law. This

and elder home care purchased ser-

will provide all consumers with

vices.

access to affordable health insur-

"We laud the Governor's recom-

ance options.

mendation for new funding for home care "The Massachusetts population of 50+

workers' training. The care provided in residents will continue to grow along with

long-term services and supports settings is this older segment's unique health, long

only as good as the personnel who provide term services and supports, housing, and

it. Yet workforce challenges, including how transportation needs. As the Governor has

to best ensure the skills needed to pro- demonstrated in his FY 2015 state budget, it

vide high-quality care, abound in the LTSS is critical for the Commonwealth to provide

industry. We must take steps now to address such supports for this older population, to

the growing need for high-quality care.

help keep people healthy, independent, and

"The vast majority of seniors want to living with dignity.

remain in their homes and communities "We urge the Legislature to adopt this

as they age. Yet, long term services and increased funding to address seniors' con-

supports in the Commonwealth have his- tinuing needs, and increased needs for those

torically been weighted disproportionately 50+, in the state.

toward institutional care, leaving home care "We will continue to review closely the

under-funded, seniors under-served, and Governor's budget, and will make further

caregivers over-stressed. For FY 2015, part recommendations regarding the programs

of this disparity has been recognized with and services that seniors count on -- includ-

a substantial increase toward supportive ing long term home and community-based

senior housing.

care, housing, and health care -- as the

"Indeed, we know that rebalancing and budget moves to the House and then the

strengthening long term care -- which Senate."

includes high quality, affordable skilled

nursing facilities, assisted living facilities,

Weekly Crossword February 7, 2013

Across

1. Office desk accessory

8. Densely populated slum areas

15. Halo 16. Preclude (2 wds) 17. Melted cheese with

ale over toast 18. Canadian province 19. Above 20. Spill 22. A.T.M. need 23. Be worthwhile 24. Arid 25. Cleave 26. Jagged, as a leaf 's

edge 28. 40 winks 30. Bulrush, e.g. 31. Walk nonchalantly 33. Small knotlike

protuberance 35. Opening through

abdominal wall to small intestines 37. Broken down by hard use 40. "Stop right there!" 44. Earthy pigment 45. Chair part 47. Boredom 48. Denials 49. Brand, in a way 51. After expenses 52. "___ Ng" (They Might Be Giants song) 53. Sensationalistic newspaper (hyphenated) 56. Fly, e.g. 57. Shrubs clipped into shapes 59. Football play 61. Boston college 62. One who mourns 63. Junction across which a nerve impulse passes 64. Blind

Down

1. Colorful Mexican shawls

2. Lizard-like reptile in New Zealand

3. Dry gulches 4. Chick's sound 5. Court ploy 6. A-list 7. Yield 8. Catch 9. Naval base? 10. Dresden's river 11. Athletic supporter? 12. Sink 13. Pleasure trips 14. Straphanger 21. Inquiry to deter-

mine public aid eligibility (2 wds) 24. Undercoat

25. Trust (2 wds) 27. British counties 29. Ale holder 30. Crater on moon's

far side 32. "Sure" 34. ___-eyed 36. Black gold 37. Contributes 38. Careful manage-

ment of resources 39. Reduce 41. Dismay 42. Conjectures 43. Baseball players at

bat, hopefully 46. One-spot 50. Mimicry 53. Coarse file 54. "Aeneid" figure 55. Fraction of a

newton

56. Leave in a hurry, with "out"

58. Bank offering, for short

60. Compete

GARDNER -- The Physician Hospitalist group at Heywood Hospital have named Christine Meagher, RN, the first recipient of its new Hospitalist Nursing Service Award. Seema Sahib MD, presented Meagher with a $500 gift certificate and a card signed by all the physicians in the Hospitalist group. Dr. Sahib said this award will be an annual thank you to the staff. "The nurses play such a critical part in the care of our inpatients. My colleagues and I wanted to recognize them for their hard work and dedication," said Sahib. "We could not provide the level of care that we do without the support of such a strong nursing staff. Meagher is a nurse in the ICU, located in the Watkins Building.

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