First of two public hearings
held Monday night.

DUDLEY - “Ten dollars and fifty cents a month doesn’t seem so awful,” said townswoman Jeanne Kosakowski after listening to the various requests from town departments and spokespeople who, in total, requested that the selectmen of Dudley  add a ballot question to the November town meeting warrant requesting a Proposition 2 ½ override for $500,000.

According to town treasurer Richard Carmignani, the average homeowner would see a tax increase of $125.64 annually, based on the median home value of $209,400.  That is roughly ten dollars a month.  Selectman Paul Joseph pointed out that, “We’re not talking about a tax increase. We’re talking about maintaining our basic services: fire, police, ambulance, education.”  There didn’t seem to be any real dissention at the special town meeting; there was nobody who came out against any of the requests for an override.

The first of two public hearings began at the Dudley Municipal Complex at 6:37 on Monday night.  Chairman Jonathan Ruda started things off by imploring residents of Dudley to take advantage of all the information that is openly available to citizens.  He stated that all meetings are recorded and posted on the town website (www.dudley.ma.gov) and that public servants are available in all departments to answer questions that citizens may have.  He made it clear that it is essential that everyone understands the importance of the two issues that were being heard.

Sean Gilrein, superintendent of schools for the Charlton/Dudley Regional School District, was the first to speak specifically about requests for override monies.  The schools are requesting $250,000 that would go toward a variety of expenses.  He stated that the district can no longer sustain the resources available without coming to the town for help.

Though specifics weren’t given, as voted on by the school committee at their last meeting, the money would go to things like:  $100,000 in capital projects, $75 per student for technology, $350,000 toward instituting movement to the common core for K-5 and $88,000 for books and supplies for grades 6-12.  The school committee had previously voted to NOT specifically breakdown their request because the needs change from year to year, though they are always present.  They feared that putting in specific line items would be short-sighted because if, for example, they allocated $100,000 toward technology, then every subsequent year would have a budget of $100,000, even if that figure was too high for that year.

Selectman Joseph asked if this money would be used for school “wish list” items or if it was to simply sustain the services that the schools already offer.  Gilrein confirmed it was to simply maintain the level of service it currently has.  The school committee has already had to cut 30 positions.  This money is necessary to prevent even deeper cuts.

Steven J. Wojnar, Dudley Chief of Police, requested funds to offset the cost of staffing.  In his tenure at the department, Dudley has lost a dispatcher and four officers due to cutbacks.  “As a community, we’re not generating enough revenue.  We are significantly underfunded compared to other communities.”   He continued on, telling the selectmen that of all the surrounding towns, Dudley is the most under-represented, per capita, by police.  In Clinton, there is a population of 13,500 with 28 police officers.  Leicester, which has a population of 11,140, similar to that of Dudley’s, has 18 officers.  In contrast, Dudley has only 12 officers.  Selectmen Joseph commented that “we are substantially understaffed.”  The original request by Wojnar was for $93,000, of which $62,000 would be for additional salary and benefits and the balance would be for computer expenses, training and overtime.  The Town Administrator’s office suggested the amount of $25,000.

The fire chief, Dean Kochanowski, requested $168,000 in order to extend the EMS paramedic coverage to be twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  As it stands, they currently have EMS on duty (dispatched from their homes) from 6pm until midnight. These shifts are funded through November. In addition to keeping these EMTs on call and extend the service to include paramedic response, direct from the station (which cuts down on response time,) additional funding would be required.  The requested amount would cover a full year of Paramedic level response 24 hours a day.  When asked about the difference between EMTs and Paramedics, Kochanowski said that having a paramedic is “like having an E.R. come to your house,” where an EMT can basically do CPR.  Selectman Steven Sullivan added on a personal note that he had been a heart attack victim and paramedics had diagnosed and treated him within twenty-two minutes.  He is a believer that quick response is extremely important.

“We need help from the people who support the schools.”  Selectman Peter Fox once again implored the audience, “We need help from the public.  Get your friends and neighbors out there.  You’re equally as important as we (the selectmen) are”” in this override matter.

A few other items were part of the request to override.  The clerk requested $5000 for elections, Veteran’s Services requested $28,000 for benefits, and Vocational Education requested $45,000.  Gas, postage, insurance and items like streetlights rounded out the total amount.

If passed, the override would be written into the budget indefinitely until it was repealed by another vote at town meeting.  To many at the open hearing, they worried that the “large number” of the override would scare people off.  Spectator Jeanne Kosakowski reiterated right before the meeting was adjourned, that “That’s a couple of coffees (per month) at Dunkin Donuts…If people would throw their change, two quarters a day, into a cup” that would pay for this “much needed” and worthwhile override that funds so many services.

Jason Rush and Daniel Rush on Daniel's graduation day.

DUDLEY - Nichols College graduates Jason Rush ’08 and Daniel Rush ’12 have won a $15,000 prize for developing ShoutBot, a new iPhone app. This week the brothers are submitting the app to Apple for review and approval. The two were among almost 300 aspiring entrepreneurs in the 6th annual New Product Innovation Competition at Boston’s Suffolk University, from which Jason earned his MBA in 2011.

The contest awards prizes in six divisions, including freshmen, graduate students, and alumni. The Rush brothers won in the alumni division, which attracted about a fifth of the competition’s entrants.

ShoutBot allows users to transmit voice messages much the same way as written messages can be sent via Twitter. “It’s a new form of social media that allows users to broadcast their voice,” says Dan Rush, who notes that Jason came up with the idea last fall.

”My brother was talking with friends,” he recalls, “and said, ‘I wish I could get on my phone and say something and have it go out like a tweet.’” Instead of “tweets,’ users of the new app issue “shouts.”

“We figured that if you could actually say the message, and put some emotion into it,” it would appeal to prospective users, Dan continues. “I could say how my day was going or what it was like being in stuck in traffic.” Or he points out, users could act as citizen journalists, reporting in their own voices on events they witness.

While older brother Jason serves as the fledgling company’s CEO, Dan works as the chief communication officer, which leverages the Nichols degree in Business Communications that he received last May. Dan points to the professionalism that he developed over his Nichols career, especially when it comes to presentation skills.

“After we presented as finalists in the Suffolk competition, the judges came up to me thinking that I was the guy with the MBA,” Dan says.

Sushil Bhatia, the Executive in Residence for Suffolk’s Strategy and International Business program, founded the innovation competition. “I’m an inventor myself and was hired at Suffolk to support new product development,” he explains, adding that while competitions at other schools require contestants to develop a business plan, he was looking for something more advanced.

“I said, ‘Let’s do something new.’ In this competition, the entrants need to prepare a plan of action, and money will be released to the winners only when they meet the milestones in that plan.”

The Rush brothers have been busy pursuing those milestones, using some of their prize money along the way, from hiring programmers to getting the necessary legal advice. They’ll continue developing their product while holding down day jobs.

“I think they both are very excited about the product idea, and I think they’re serious about moving forward and making it happen,” Bhatia says. “I have a very high level of confidence that they’ll be successful.”

Date:  Tuesday July 10, 2012
Location:  West Main at Center Road, Dudley

Particulars:   A three vehicle collision on West Main Street in Dudley Tuesday, sent two of the drivers to area hospitals and tied up traffic on the secondary highway for over an hour.

Just after 12:30 PM, the dispatcher at the Dudley Police Department received a call reporting a serious motor vehicle accident involving a student-loaded school bus from Bay Path Vocational School in Charlton.  The crash had occurred at the intersection of West Main Street and Center Road.  The dispatcher immediately notified police cruisers on the road to respond and dispatched the Dudley Fire Department for a paramedic ambulance and fire rescue personnel.

As emergency crews arrived on scene, they found two cars had collided at the intersection, sending one of the vehicles almost head on into the school bus.  The bus was apparently stopped and waiting to turn into Center Road.  Dudley Paramedics Chet Moroz and Erik Spahl immediately began to assess the accident scene, determining how many of the involved people were injured.  Luckily, none of the children or the driver of the school bus was injured, but the operators of the other two vehicles would need medical attention, and would be treated and transported by ambulance to area hospitals.

Dudley Fire Chief Dean Kochanowski arrived on scene to assume command and requested additional ambulances to the scene to assist Dudley paramedics.  Ambulances from the towns of Southbridge and Oxford resonded.  A second and unrelated ambulance call occurred at the same time as the call for the accident was received, and that call was aptly handled by Webster EMS.

Dudley firefighters working on scene were tasked with controlling the flow of leaking vehicle fluids and cutting power to the vehicles’ electrical systems.  Dudley police officers on scene had the difficult job of redirecting traffic around the crash scene, keeping firefighters and paramedics safe while they worked.

Two vehicle operators were transported from the scene to area hospitals, but their condition was not known.  The cause of the accident is currently undetermined, and is being investigated by members of the Dudley Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit.

Inmate Robert Leonard thanks Alan Hammond as Mike Voas
and Sheriff Evangelidis look on. More photos follow.

Text and photos by Steev Riccardo

Oxford - The Town of Oxford’s Tercentennial Committee made good use of Sheriff Lew Evangelidis inmate work program by utilizing its inmates on Monday to help clean up after the huge parade that took place on Sunday.

A crew of six inmates led by officer Jason Firmin worked alongside Oxford tercentennial committee co-chairman Alan Hammond and cleaned up Joslin Park as well as the entire route of the tercentennial parade, saving the town of Oxford a lot of money.

“About a month and a half ago, we realized that we were going to have a budget item that we hadn’t planned for, and that was cleaning up afterwards,” said Hammond.

This dilemma prompted Hammond and co-chairman Mike Voas to reach out to Evangelidis about the program and soon found out that it was the answer to their problem.

The Inmate Work Program, which has tripled since Evangelidis was elected as Sheriff a year-and-a- half ago, has been a model of success for many communities in Worcester County.

“We come out into the community and we have done over two million dollars worth of work since I have been Sheriff,” said Evangelidis. “We have four crews out every single day; they average between four and six guys per crew and they go into a community anywhere they are needed.”

“Any group that is a non-profit can simply send a letter to us and we will send a lieutenant out to look over the program and see if it fits our criteria, and if does, we will send the crew out.  It’s an amazingly positive program.”

“These are our best inmates. They are non- violent, non- sex offenders, most getting to the end of their sentence and they feel the dignity and self respect of a day’s work and I can tell you that for a fact, when they get out they are less likely to repeat-offend more than any other inmates we have.”

Hammond saw first hand what the program and the inmates were like to work with. “I worked with these guys myself this morning and it was very enjoyable, walking side by side with a few of them and sharing stories and listening to what they had to say, and I actually agree with the sheriff, I don’t think these guys are going to be coming back to the county jail.” They did an amazing job and saved us thousands of dollars,” said Hammond.

“I want to commend the sheriff,” said Voas, “I think it’s an absolutely fantastic program, it’s definitely a public service. The DPW guys could go out and do other things that need to be done while these guys cleaned the streets for us.”  

Firmin, who is in his 10th year working for corrections, has not had any problems with the inmates and enjoys being out of the jail.  “The inmates have been very respectful, I have never had a problem with these guys.  It’s nice to be productive with society seeing the inmates help out the community.”

One of the inmates, Robert Leonard, was thankful for the opportunity as well. “It gets us out for the day, better food than the jail food, fresh air, it’s nice to get away, and back to nature.  It’s good to give back to the community, it’s nice all around.”

Fifty-three out of the 60 towns in Worcester County have utilized the Inmate Work Program and Evangelidis has plenty of reason to be pleased with the results because the program is flourishing.

Sheriff Evangelidis addresses the Inmates

Officer Jason Firmin, Sheriff Lew Evangelidis, Oxford Tercentennia
Co-chairmen Alan Hammond and Mike Voas

Sheriff Evangelidis with Alan Hammond and Officer Jason Firmin
at Joslin Park in Oxford

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Town Hall to close on Wednesdays;
2-way opening for Lower Perryville  

Janet Stoica
Patriot Correspondent

DUDLEY - After much discussion by Sean Gilrein, Dudley-Charlton Regional School Superintendent, Police Chief Stephen Wojnar, Fire Chief Dean Kochanowski, and various others regarding the upcoming $500,000 budget override and departmental needs for state, personnel, and equipment requirements, the Board of Selectmen strongly advised all town departments to enlighten and educate the voting public.

Chairman Jonathan Ruda said that “State education funds and state-mandated student assessment dollar amounts should be provided to Dudley residents regarding the $250,000 school budget override. Additionally, this has to be a mutual effort by each town department to get as much information out to the public as possible at every opportunity. Public outreach is essential to show residents what will be lost or gained by override passage.” Selectman John Marsi added that each department “use whatever means you can to get word out to the public.”

Police Chief Wojnar stated “we must all find a way to work together as the Dudley Police Department has also been funded sparingly for quite some time.” Selectman Peter Fox noted that “Dudley has not customarily passed overrides and educating the public (voters) about the specific needs that the override would be expensed for is a positive approach.”

Appointments

Running down the night’s agenda, the board quickly swept through unanimous approval of regular board minutes and executive minutes from their last meeting of June 18^th. Selectmen also unanimously appointed Nancy Oleszewski to the Personnel Board and P. Jim D’Auria to the Council on Aging with both terms expiring on 6/30/15. Reappointments included George Slingo to the Conservation Commission, Donald Wayman to the Capital Improvement Planning Committee, and Jo-Ann Szymczak to the Economic Development Committee also with terms to expire on 6/30/15.

Public Comments

Public comment/citizen comment issues included Kristan Mallet addressing the board to discuss an ongoing situation regarding rights to a portion of Sixth Avenue and drive access to same.

Former Dudley selectman Joseph Sendrowski’s then gave a public reading of his letter to selectmen regarding their recent appointment of Town Treasurer Richard Carmignani to the additional post of Tax Collector. Mr. Sendrowski’s position was that due to “the recent ruling of Judge Lemire of the Massachusetts Appeals Court in Boston regarding Mr. Carmignani’s procurement of an affidavit’s signatures and notarization that were determined to be of a fraudulent nature,” he requested that “Mr. Carmignani not be considered for a permanent appointment as Tax Collector or as a combined Treasurer/Tax Collector.”

Mr. Sendrowski had written and stated that “this appointment would not be in the best interests of the citizens of Dudley.” Following Mr. Sendrowski’s public reading of his letter, Chairman Ruda indicated that the reading was now part of the meeting record.

Public Hearing

A public hearing was then held regarding a Class II-Second Hand Motor Vehicle License to Teodor and Thomas Chojnacki d/b/a Lucky Car located at the Smart Plaza, 99 West Main Street. After review of auto placements to be located at the rear of the building, selectman unanimously approved the license with the caveat that 10 vehicles are the maximum allowed and none were permitted in the front of the building.

Lower Perryville Reopening

Also discussed, with many residents coming forward to express their opinions, was the Lower Perryville Road reopening. Dan Gion, Dudley Highway Superintendent, presented his views on the road’s ability to handle two-way traffic, as it had in the past, and the fact that much roadside brush clearing had been done by the Dudley Highway Department. The Board voted unanimously to reopen the road to two-way traffic.

Selectmen then voted to table Staff Evaluation Summary Reports for further review and listened to a solar energy buy-back program presented by Robert Babcock, co-owner of EPG Solar, LLC.

New Town Hall Hours

The Municipal Complex will be closed to the public on Wednesdays beginning in August. The move was triggered by staffing pressures in the town treasurer/tax collector office, and will give the employees a chance to catch up on their work backlog.  The new Town Hall hours  of operation would be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday (day & evening), and Friday until 1 p.m. Publicity would be achieved through local newspaper notices, public access television channels, and flyers placed in Town Hall departments. It was noted that these hours of operation are temporary only.

Selectman Paul Joseph commented that he did not want people to think that the tail of the town treasurer and town collector's offices is now wagging the entire municipal complex.

Town Treasurer Richard Carmignani spoke to the board regarding the commencement of the process to either elect a new Tax Collector for the next year or combine the position with the Town Treasurer’s responsibilities.

Fire Chief Kochanowski then came before the board to present his initial findings on a replacement ladder truck for the existing 32-year old vehicle currently in (partial) use due to constant breakdowns. Mr. Kochanowski spoke about how he had located a used low-profile ladder truck that would fit into the low-bayed Engine Building. Chairman Ruda then invited the Fire Chief to the next public hearing to discuss the need for the new ladder truck. Selectman Joseph confirmed that “the current ladder truck is, indeed, on its last legs.”

Selectmen then revisited the streetlight shut-off listings and tabled the issue for further discussion until August. Lastly, town-owned properties located at One Village Way and 63 Main Street (the former highway garage) were declared surplus properties and the board instructed Town Administrator Peter Jankowski to begin the process of assessing and selling the two parcels.

Selectmen in attendance were Jonathan Ruda, Chairman, Peter Fox, John Marsi, and Paul Joseph. Absent was Steven Sullivan. Also attending the meeting was Peter Jankowski, Town Administrator, and Michelle Jervis, Administrative Secretary.

Date:  Friday June 29, 2012
Location:  Ardlock Place, Dudley

More photos follow.

On a very hot and humid Friday afternoon, Dudley firefighters were summonsed to battle a suspicious fire in an abandoned mill building.

Just after 4 PM on Friday June 29^th, Dudley firefighters received a call that there was smoke coming from the old Steven’s Mill Dye House on Ardlock Place, which has been abandoned for many years.  While many people took refuge in air-conditioned residences and businesses to escape the mid-90 degree heat, firefighters donned their 75 pounds of protective clothing and breathing apparatus and responded to the scene.

Dudley police officers were the first to arrive on scene and confirmed that there was a working fire in the vacant, run-down dye house.  As Dudley jakes arrived on scene, they cautiously entered the building to find a trash fire that was in close proximity to two abandoned vehicles located inside the building.  The fire had quickly spread to a wall and had already taken hold in the roof area.

The building was quickly laddered as several firefighters stretched a hoseline into the derelict building and quickly snuffed the visible fire.  Due to the humidity, the smoke could not lift, thus creating very limited visibility within the mill.  Firefighters had to use extreme caution when entering because that particular building, due to its age and disrepair, has areas of roof and ceiling that have collapsed into the interior, and under fire conditions, further collapse could become an extreme hazard to operating firefighters.

Dudley firefighters remained on scene for about an hour completely extinguishing the fire and chasing down any rogue embers which could rekindle a fire later.  No injuries were reported.  The fire was investigated by Captain David Konieczny of the Dudley FD, and the cause of the fire has been listed as suspicious.

Photos:

More photos coming soon.

DUDLEY -    On Wednesday afternoon June 20th, in conjunction with the grand re-opening of their Dudley convenience store and gas stop, Cumberland Farms launched a fundraising project to benefit the local Boys & Girls Club of Webster-Dudley.

The West Main Street store, which has been a mainstay in town for many years, was closed late last year and razed to make way for a new and improved version of the popular store.  The new store opened up last month, but held an official “open house” last Wednesday.  Employees went around the store with trays offering samples of foods that will be offered at Cumberland’s on a regular basis.  They also opened the “Chill Zone” to customers, where they could get their favorite ice tea, soda, or frozen slush drink free of charge.

And speaking of the “Chill Zone”, the employees at Cumberland Farms decided to give back to the community by simultaneously launching a promotion to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Webster-Dudley Summer Program.

For four weeks beginning on Wednesday, June 20, Cumberland Farms will donate 20 cents from every Chill Zone beverage, iced tea, and coffee (iced or hot) purchased at its newly remodeled store at 180 W. Main Street in Dudley to benefit the local youth organization. The goal of the Boys & Girls Club’s summer program is to offer a variety of recreational, educational, and cultural activities for children as well as to provide experiences which give opportunities for choice, individual achievement, development of self-confidence and fun. Cumberland Farms aims to raise at least $1,000 for the Boys & Girls Club.

“This donation from Cumberland Farms allows us to extend summer recreational opportunities to families in our community, lending a hand to create opportunity for kids when they are out of school,” said Boys & Girls Club of Webster-Dudley Executive Director, Tony Poti.  “We strive to ensure that our Club is a positive influence in the lives of our youth by instilling in them the importance of mutual respect, teamwork and being socially responsible.”

“We are proud to know this contribution will improve recreational and motivational opportunities for young people taking part in the Boys & Girls Club’s summer program,” said Ari Haseotes, President of the Cumberland Farms Retail Division.

This past year, Cumberland Farms donated more than $100,000 to support local organizations across the Northeast.

Dudley - The highlight of last week's Dudley-Charlton Regional School Committee meeting (July 13) was the awarding of trophies to the Dudley Elementary School Poetry Idol champions.  Third grader Elizabeth Gunsalus was the school’s overall winner.  Annaka Lindstrom was the 2^nd grade winner and Hayden Wildes was the 4^th grade winner.

Each student wowed the school committee and the audience with their creative, original poems, which they recited from memory.  The performance was the culmination of a three week celebration by the school of National Poetry Month.

Students were not the only people to receive kudos at the meting. Both Jeffery Keay and  Pamela Boyle were recognized as the Quo Vadis Club’s “Outstanding Teacher of the Year.”  The award is given in recognition of excellence in teaching in the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District.  Superintendent of Schools Sean Gilrein expressed his pride in these two teachers and offered his congratulations.

On the business side of things, the plans to reduce issues during life-threatening emergencies were discussed.  Due to the implementation of Michael’s Law, the schools will be actively working on things like getting contact information and phone numbers for students in the event of emergencies during school hours.

Also discussed at length was the request that the school committee vote to allow the high school’s show choir to schedule a trip to Florida to compete in a FAME festival March 14^th through the 18^th next year.  The date of the festival would require show choir members to miss two days of school.  Connie Galli, teacher of visual and performing arts at Shepherd Hill High School, made the plea to the committee.  A number of parents also discussed the great benefit of having the show choir attend these festivals, as well as mentioning the fact that the school offers an extraordinary work-study program for students who do not have the means to pay for a trip such as the one to Florida.  After all was said and done, the school committee voted to allow the trip to go on as requested.

A slight snafu in the awarding of a contract to reclaim and pave the Shepherd Hill parking lot was rectified when William Trifone, the finance director, stated he had “employed the wrong methodology when determining the low bidder” for the job. He had erroneously awarded the contract to A.F.Amorello and Sons.  After using the total cost method “(Base Bid plus Alternative #1)” he determined that the winning bid was, in fact, Murray Paving and Reclamation.  The committee, at Trifone’s request, voted to rescind the original award to A.F.Amorello and Sons and award the contract to Murray Paving and Reclamation for a savings to the district of $2,064.

As the meeting drew to an end, budgetary issues were raised.  Most important was the balancing of the budget which included a vote to let one math teacher go.  This brought the number of teacher “reductions” to thirty this year.  Some concern was raised with regard to class size, but superintendent Gilrein assured the committee that only one class would have a substantially higher student count of around 26 or 27 students.  All other classes would remain in an acceptable range.  Also as part of the budget changes was the acquisition of $42,000 in grant money from the department of education for professional development.  Mr. Gilrein pointed out that this money represented enough savings to keep one teaching staff position.  A reconfiguration of the secretarial staff, a one-time early retirement, and a few other minor changes rounded out the budget cuts of $225,475 to balance the budget.  All of the requested changes were unanimously voted to be accepted.

The meeting concluded with the middle school and high school making changes to both of their student handbooks.  Addressed were issues with electronic devices, dress codes and the leaving of school grounds without permission.  Changes included allowing teachers to determine whether electronic devices could be used in the classrooms, allowing for the possibility of E-reader usage and the like.  Dress codes were changed to address the inappropriately short skirts, shorts and dresses that are now being worn, in addition to items like bandannas, hoods and sunglasses.  And finally, the current punishment for leaving school grounds is an out of school suspension, which teachers believe is exactly what the students who leave without permission are hoping for.  The new rule will respond to these incidences with an in-school suspension, which will give the student time to work on school work instead of rewarding them with another day out of school.

Dudley Police Press Release

One of the big celebrations of the year in Dudley is the Annual Strawberry Festival.  The Dudley Grange, on Center Road, has hosted this event for over 55 years.  It is an old fashion “lawn party” and it is a great way to officially welcome the arrival of summer as a community.  This festival is scheduled for Thursday, June 21st from 4 pm until 8 pm.  It is well attended by several hundred people from the region.       

In the past, many of the roads leading to and from the area had vehicles parking on both sides.  This creates a traffic hazard for everyone traveling in this area and can hinder the response of emergency vehicles. 

The public is being advised of the presence of detours and parking restrictions in this area.  Parking on both sides of Center Road will be allowed in most places.  The street will be closed between Dudley Oxford Road and Tanyard Road starting at approximately 3 pm.  Traffic will be detoured around this location.  Parking restrictions will be in place on several roads.  Dudley Hill, Dudley Southbridge, and Dudley Oxford Roads will be restricted to one side parking.  No parking will be allowed on Tanyard Road.  Nichols College will allow those who attend this event to use their numerous parking lots.  Visitors are encouraged to utilize these locations.  Others who plan to travel through this area are asked to seek alternate routes. 

Travelers must also be aware of many people waking in the area and crossing roads during this event.  Extra precautions must be exercised by all travelers.  Please take time to plan ahead and park in safe locations.  The Dudley Police Department wishes to thank everyone in advance for their cooperation and assistance.  Should people require further information, please call the Department at 508-943-4411.

begin process for street light shut-offs,
reopening of Lower Perryville Road

Janet Stoica
Patriot Correspondent

DUDLEY – At their June 18 meeting, selectmen endorsed the appointment of Anne Marie Safaee as Library Trustee, replacing Joy Glynn, with a term to expire 6/7/13. They next approved  one-year reappointments expiring 6/30/13 as follows: Sheila Donohue, Animal Control Officer; Robert Anders, Assistant Building Inspector; Theodore Baron, Sr., Cable Access Coordinator; Thomas Holt, Central Mass Regional Planning Delegate (alternate); Peter Jankowski, Chief Procurement Officer/Municipal Hearing Officer; Margaret Bussiere, Council on Aging Coordinator; Ellis Bateman, Electrical Inspector; Karol Gago, Assistant Electrical Inspector; Dean Kochanowski, Emergency Management Director/Forest Fire Warden; Paul Konieczny, Deputy Emergency Management Director; Jay Spahl, Plumbing/Gas Inspector; Roger Dubois, Municipal Hearing Officer (MGL 148A); Nancy Runkle, Interim Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator for Quinebaug River; and Richard Carmignani, Jr., Sexual Harassment Officer. After the final appointment of Mr. Carmignani, Selectman Paul Joseph urged the appointment of a female Sexual Harassment Officer since the current appointee, Pam Daniels, has a term that is set to expire on 6/30/12. Town Administrator Jankowski will follow-up on this appointment as soon as possible.

Additionally, three-year Town appointments with terms to expire on 6/30/2015 were approved as follows: Wesley Mroczka, Building Inspector/Fence Viewer; Fran Mikolajczak, Conservation Commission; Virginia DiDonato, Cultural Council; Elaine Martin, Dudley Historical Commission; Peter Fox, Capital Improvement Planning Committee; Margo Richard, Andrew O’Keefe, and Barbara Zurawski to the Economic Development Committee; and Brian Canty, Zoning Board of Appeals.

ew public business included a presentation by Dudley resident Matt Orsini requesting and being granted approval to host a 5K Run/Walk on 11/3/12 in memory of his mother, Dorothy Orsini. November is “Lung Cancer Awareness Month” and all proceeds will be donated to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Interdepartmental transfers were then approved to fund a 2012 Veterans Service Benefits’ deficit of $9,041. Transfers from the Town Collector salary account of $2,638, Municipal Expenses legal account of $3,621, Building & Grounds seasonal account of $750, and Building & Grounds DMC account of $2,032 covered the deficit.

Discussion was then held regarding the reopening of Lower Perryville Road, the pros and cons of one-way versus two-way traffic, and the approximate cost of $30,000 for the road’s resurfacing as presented by Dan Gion, Highway Superintendent. Mr. Gion indicated that since “the road was in borderline fair condition it should be resurfaced in the next 1-3 years and the longer the wait the more expensive resurfacing would be.” Further discussion was tabled in order that a Public Hearing be held at the next Selectmen’s Meeting on Monday, July 2.

A new Selectmen’s Meeting Agenda format was then reviewed after research done by Michelle Jervis, the Board’s Administrative Secretary, at the request of Chairman Jonathan Ruda. Mr. Ruda suggested streamlining the agenda format so that public comments would be heard at the beginning of Selectmen’s meetings. It was also suggested that Old Business be listed at the commencement of the meetings as well. The concept of the agenda was unanimously approved.

A brief discussion ensued regarding net metering (electrical purchasing) by EPG Solar which was tabled for further discussion. Highway superintendent Gion then reviewed surplus equipment at the town recycling center, which referred to a recycling bailer that was no longer in use. The bailer will be sold in a bid process to bring in additional cash to the Town.

Selectman Peter Fox presented his second reading of Goals and Objectives for department heads, with most discussion centered on performance reviews of town employees.

Police Chief Wojnar came before the Board to discuss budget proposals and funding for the next annual budget process advising the board that any article needs to be in the Secretary of State’s office by August 1 to be included on the November ballot. The board took this under advisement. Continued discussion of the “One Stop Customer Service Desk” at the Town Hall resulted in the recommendation that Town Administrator Peter Jankowski have recommendations/suggestions completed by June 30 for the board’s consideration.

Of the 700 street lights in town, the criteria for shutting off selected lights due to budgetary constraints would be provided by Town Administrator Jankowski in the near future. Safety will be the priority and Police Chief Wojnar would be involved in the selection process.

Fire Chief Dean Kochanowski then reviewed his findings on his search for a new ladder truck for the Town as the current unit is 32 years old, is unsafe, and has had multiple repairs due to continuous breakdowns. Selectmen Paul Joseph suggested that Nichols College be contacted for assistance in the search for funding and vehicles as the ladder truck is necessary for fire support on their campus. The Fire Chief will also address the step-by-step procedures necessary for the new Fire Department Building Committee to move forward and will make his findings known at the next Selectmen’s’ Meeting.

Board members present at tonight’s meeting included Chairman Jonathan Ruda, Peter Fox, Paul Joseph, and John Marsi. Vice Chairman, Steven Sullivan was absent. Also in attendance were Michelle Jervis, Administrative Secretary, and Peter Jankowski, Town Administrator.