Barbara Van Reed

Webster has been particularly fortunate to have had its own fireworks expert, someone who was able to do a spectacular display that became the envy of surrounding towns.

For 15 years, Arnie Villatico has been the man who's lit the fire for the brilliant annual 4^th of July fireworks at Memorial Beach. A lifelong fireworks enthusiast, he made it his personal mission to give Webster the best fireworks display that money could buy. And people from miles around came to see it.

From all accounts, the July 2011 display was the best yet. But it may also have been the last. At least, it was Mr. Villatico’s last. He has retired, and now wants to thank all the people who helped him over the years to make the fireworks so successful.

The first person he acknowledges is former state representative Paul Kujawski, who was instrumental in finding underwriting for the fireworks six years ago. Prior to that, Mr. Villatico would cobble together donations and town grants to pay for fireworks, but six years ago, there just wasn’t enough money for it.

So he appealed to Mr. Kujawski, who reached out to Gerald Fels, who then donated the $25,000 necessary to light up the sky for an hour on the Fourth of July. He also provided the money for each of the four years after that. Therefore, Mr. Fels is the second person that Mr. Villatico wants to thank, for without him the last five years of fireworks would not have been possible.

He also wants to thank the Parks Department personnel and the volunteers who have helped him stage the fireworks for the last 15 years. He couldn’t have done it without their help, he said. He needed 15 to 20 volunteers each year to set up the thousands of shells in the display, and manually fire them.

Massachusetts has a new fireworks law that took effect January 1, requiring all fireworks to be lit electrically. For Webster this means that producing the same quality and quantity of fireworks will cost more and take longer to set up.

The nearly hour-long display last July included 6200 fireworks, with shells up to 10” in diameter. The final burst alone had 1300 shots. A ten-inch shell goes up 1000 feet in the air, and has a diameter of 500 feet. These larger shells are what made the Webster fireworks so special, said Mr. Villatico. Most local fireworks use smaller-diameter shells.

It took a day to set up the racks on Memorial Beach Island, with the parks people helping with the digging and sand moving. It took about three hours to take it all down. He estimates that with the electrical lighting, it will take three days to set up the same number of shots. More significantly, it will be less dramatic, as only 2500-3000 shells can be lit in the same amount of time. Several people manually can light them more quickly by handing off, loading, and firing one after the other in tandem.

And that is the crux of Mr. Villatico’s dilemma. He feels that with the new regulations  he would not be able put on as great a display as he has in past years. “We’ve given the people a $50,000 show,” he said, “and I’d feel I’d be cheating them if I had to give them something less.”

Mr. Villatico’s passion for fireworks goes back to when he was eight years old and started helping set up displays. He has been a professional, licensed shooter for twenty years. Over that time he has done the fireworks displays for Worcester, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Hampton Beach, Salisbury, Charlton, Oxford, Uxbridge, Millbury and Douglas.

Does Mr. Villatico agree with the new law? He has no problem with it, he said. It’s for public safety. He himself has never had an accident. The accidents you read about are caused by amateurs, he said.

Mr. Kujawkski, for one, is disappointed to see the Webster fireworks disappear. “Arnie has put on a tremendous display every year,” he said. “It’s been one of the few events in Webster where you see families and generations going out and enjoying that time together.”

Would Mr. Villatico do it again if he could put on the show he’s used to doing? “Absolutely,” he said.

As of now, there are no fireworks planned for this year's July Fourth celebration. However, there is a grassroots movement underway to raise the $25,000 to still make it happen. The money would have to be raised by June 15. That's not a lot of time, but still provides a glimmer of hope for a dazzling display.

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“All my life I tried to be a nice person to the people that needed it,” said Paul O'Donnell. One story that exemplifies this is the one that Mr. O'Donnell would give $20 bills to people in markets whom he thought could use it. Asked about this, he explained that he would tap people on the shoulder and point to a $20 bill on the floor, pick it up, tell them they had dropped it. If they said it wasn't theirs, he would insist, and then walk away. “The trick was to walk away quickly so they couldn't protest,” he said.

Now 81, Mr. O'Donnell is running for selectman, a position he has tried for before, but hasn't won.

The list of things he has done in Webster, however, is long..

He moved to Webster in 1949 from Boston because his brother was living here. His brother loved it and when he came, he did too. “The people here were nicer, more generous than those in Boston,” he said.

Mr. O'Donnell was a carpenter working on construction of UMASS Memorial University Campus in 1973 when one day, upset with the management, he just quit. “They asked me what I was going to do, and I told them I was going to start a newspaper.”

He had done a little writing for the now-defunct Advertiser publication and also had some ideas about  Webster stories that weren't being written. He pooled what money he could and started The Patriot newspaper, a weekly covering Webster, Dudley and Oxford. He sold The Patriot in March 2011.

Along the way, Mr. O'Donnell actively participated in Webster town government, serving as chairman of the conservation board,  member of the finance board, and member of the charter change committee. He was active in business organizations as director of the Chamber of Commerce, as well as in many social and charitable organizations, including the Webster-Dudley Rotary Club, Webster Lions Club, and  Lodge of Elks. He was also a corporator of Hubbard Hospital, United Way and the Webster-Dudley Boys & Girls Club.

His proudest achievements were initiating housing for the elderly in Webster and founding Women's Recognition Night, which he sponsored for 34 years. He began Women's Recognition Night because many of the organizations wouldn't let women in, he explained, and so he decided to have an event just  to recognize the contributions women made to the community.

When Mr. O'Donnell ran for selectman years ago, “I lost big time,” he said. Asked why he is running now,   “I thought there was room for me, and where I've had so much experience, I could answer a lot of questions. I could do a lot.” He has time now, as he's not working anymore. “I'd rather work than not, that's what makes me feel good.”

What does he see as Webster's biggest challenge? “I'll let you know when I get there. It's not for me to tell them what to do. I'll see what they (selectmen) are doing, and go from there.

“We have a lot of cars going through here, and we've got to get them to stop and buy things. We need more businesses.”

Mr. O'Donnell didn't want to give an opinion on two controversial items, the billboard on I-395 and the paddle wheeler boat. Opinions on those could cost him votes, he said. So he's not going to second-guess the decisions town officials have made.

His concluding remarks were, “Here's my record of service. After 36 or 37 years everybody knows what I've done. I'm ready if you want to vote for me.”

The Webster Board of Assessors has three members, one of whom is selected to be the chief assessor, administering the functions of the Assessor’s Office on a daily basis and working with the state Department of Revenue (DOR). The other two members of the board review the chief’s recommendations and sign the paperwork. Anything going out of the office requires two signatures. All assessors have to be state certified.

The assessors are responsible by law for the yearly valuation of town properties, which then becomes the basis for the real estate tax levy. In Webster, the actual property valuations are done by an outside service. Valuations are based on historical sales and assessment data. The tax levy is increased by 2 ½ each year to cover inflation expense. Tax rates for residents and businesses are then set. Generally the tax levy provides about 60% of the town’s total budget. The rest comes from the state and from local fees, permits, vehicle excise tax, and such.

Incumbent Joseph J Smith III has been on the Board of Assessors since 1992, when he ran against then- incumbent assessor Joseph S. Beresik, who had been on the board since 1984,

A graduate of the State Police Academy, Mr. Smith retired as a police sergeant in 1986 after 25 years with the Webster Police Department. He received two citations for bravery.

He has served on numerous town boards and committees, including 15 years on the Park Commission, back in the 60’s, until it was abandoned, seven years on the Public Safety Committee, and 30 years on the Housing Redevelopment Authority. He was also a constable for 34 years, still actively working until two years ago.

When he retired from the police department “I still wanted to serve the people,” he said.   That’s been his mantra. “When you are in these offices, you should work for the people.” His philosophy is to always do right. “If you can’t say something nice, walk away.”

He’s taking a philosophical approach to his re-election too. He’s not putting up any signs, and is not really campaigning. “If it’s God’s will,” he says, “I’ll be back.” He mentions St. Theresa, the patron saint of xxxx. If he loses, he will still be busy. He has 21 rental apartments to manage, noting that he’s been involved in real estate for 50 years. “He was born in the house he lives in,” said his wife Barbara, who was an RN at Hubbard Hospital for 41 years.

Why should people vote for him? “For my honesty, for my dedication to the town of Webster, for faithfully serving them.” He cites the assessor’s oath, “to treat everyone fairly.”

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Joseph Beresik is a candidate for the Board of Assessors in order “to continue my service to the voters and taxpayers of Webster. He previously served on the Board from 1984 to 1990 as the chief assessor.

He has held a number of other elected and appointed positions, including the Zoning Board of Appeals, School Committee, Town Administrator Search Committee, and currently serves on the Finance Committee.

After his tenure on the Webster board, Mr. Beresik was appointed Assistant Assessor in Ashland, where he worked until retiring in 2003. He is a Massachusetts Accredited Assessor, a designation recognized by the DOR and cities and towns that he is qualified through education and experience.

In Ashland, Mr. Beresik set property values for residential, commercial, and industrial properties. He has also installed assessing computer systems that allowed “user-friendly” access by the public. He would like Webster’s valuations to be accessible via the Internet to realtors and the general public too, as many towns have done, rather than having to go into the town hall to search records.

Mr. Beresik also noted that, if elected, he would want to comply with DOR recommendations made to Webster in 2004 that the Assessor’s Office take on the valuation responsibilities currently being outsourced to a private firm at a cost of thousands of dollars per year. “The state felt the town can do the job in-house and has sufficient staff and equipment to do an adequate job and save the town money.” That would also help them get to know the town much better, he said.

Mr. Beresik has been a local resident all his life, graduating from Bartlett High School and earning an accounting degree from Nichols College.  He worked in the private sector as an accountant before working in municipal government. He and his wife Kathy have owned property in Webster for many years and have two daughters who went through the public school system and are successful in their careers.

If elected, he said he will be “honored to serve the residents of Webster to try and make it a better town for all.”

Robert J. Miller has extensive experience as a Webster selectman, having served three terms from 2001 to 2010, when he was narrowly defeated. He tried to regain the seat last year, did not succeed, and is doing so again this year.

Why? "I enjoyed it," he said. "I loved meeting people and helping them figure out the process, send them in the right direction, to address their situation."

He admits to a reputation of being abrasive at times. "I don’t mind asking the hard questions," he said.

"The thing is, you don’t lie to people. I’m a firm believer in telling the truth. I got in trouble for that a few times. But people aren’t stupid."

"The last time, two weeks before the election, a rumor went around that I intended to clean house." Not so, he says. In fact, he thinks the current town administration has "weeded through quite a bit already."

"It’s not the job of the selectmen to micro-manage the town hall personnel," he continued, "The Board is there to set policy."

"I’ve kind of mellowed out. I’ve learned a lot in the last two years. I have to repackage myself, and need to adjust. I will take it down a notch."

"The ideas for what we should do don’t have to come from me. If you have a better idea, call me. I’m not cynical. The five members on the board will sometimes have five different opinions," he said, "but in the end come to the center. I enjoyed that and that’s why I miss it. And there’s a lot more I can do."

Mr. Miller currently serves on the Personnel Board and is the deputy town moderator, a job he says he really doesn’t care for. He was honored when Town Moderator Joseph Borski asked him to be his assistant, but he’s discovered that it really isn’t his thing. "Quite frankly, I’m not comfortable in that position," he said.

Mr. Miller has also served on the town’s Finance Committee and on the Police-Fire Station Committee, which was disbanded after the new Police Department project was approved.

His additional community involvement includes 14 years on the board of directors of Life-Skills Inc, the agency which provides services to disabled adults, and 25 years on the board of the Visiting Nurses’ Association of Southern Worcester County. Both of these organizations have their headquarters in Webster, he noted.

During his years as a selectman, Mr. Miller counts the Webster-Dudley Inter-Municipal Agreement as a major achievement. "It took five years, but we got it done." he said. "We talked with Oxford too, for four years, to run the sewer line up Rt. 12, but couldn’t come to agreement with them."

Mr. Miller says he’s in sync with the downtown redevelopment efforts and he’d like to do more. "There’s got to be more we can do to attract business to town." He doesn’t mean more TIFs, he said, which businesses take advantage of and then leave.

"I hear it said that we’re not business friendly. I recommend we come up with a media blitz or find a way to package the Town of Webster to attract more businesses. I’d go to Putnam and find out how they did it. They have people walking downtown, shopping and eating, day and night. I’d like to see that in Webster. There’s got to be more that we can do."

He would like to find ways to increase usage of the waste treatment facility, now operating only at about 50% capacity. He recalled how Cranston Print Works contributed $900,000 a year and Anglo Fabrics $500,000 just a few years ago. "We have to attract new business," he said, "and I don’t care if it’s a mom and pop or a large corporation. We have the location, just 20 minutes from the Mass. Pike, 20 minutes from Rt. 146 and a half hour from Rt. 84."

He would also take a look at some of the old mill buildings on North Main Street and Pearl Street to see if something could be done with those.

Mr. Miller is fourth-generation Webster. He bought the first of his three funeral homes in 1979, in Webster, and another that same year in Oxford. He purchased the third in Charlton in 1986. When asked how long he’d been interested in the funeral home business, he answered "since I was three or four years old," with a straight face.

His opinion on the billboard at Exit 2 on I-395? "I’m not going to say anything about that. Looking at it right now, Harrington has an ad up there for the new Emergency Room at Hubbard. The process was there to stop it. If proper procedures had been followed in the beginning, we wouldn’t be looking at it now. But personally it doesn’t bother me."

On the paddle wheel boat on the Lake: "It was way too much out of scope. If they decided to down-scale it, it might work. This is not Lake Winnipesaukee. We don’t have the fire and rescue capabilities if something went wrong-- the town might be liable."

Summing up, he said, "I’m the new old blood, with new old ideas."

by Barbara VanReed

Brian A. Chenevert hasn’t run for public office before, but he’s thrown his hat in the ring as a candidate for selectman in the upcoming town election. That’s not to say he’s not active in town activities. He’s very much involved as a member of the Friends of the Webster School Committee for the Park Ave. Elementary School. He coaches the U12 and U16 girls’ soccer teams, as well as youth basketball and T-Ball in the summer. He’s also active in United Way programs.

Mr. Chenevert was born and raised in Webster, attended the St. Louis School and graduated from Bartlett High School. He went on to Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH, and received a degree in marketing. He then spent four years in Virginia, three in Connecticut, and moved back to Webster in 2000. His wife Allison is a teacher’s assistant in the Webster Middle School, and their three children are 15, 14, and 11.

In his professional life, Mr. Chenevert, 37, is a disability claims manager for Unum, the large, national disability insurer, in its Worcester office. He talks with people all over the country, many of them in serious life crises. "From a business perspective they are at the top of their game, usually Type A personalities, people wrapped up in their job, like doctors, and suddenly they are disabled," he said, and it’s clear that he sympathizes with their situations.

Mr. Chenevert’s father Norman, who passed away in December, was a well known figure in town, a member and former captain of the Webster Police Department Auxiliary for 32 years and a member of the Webster Ambulance Squad. His Dad always told him, "Don’t talk, do." And that’s what is inspiring him to run for the selectman’s position. He had actually considered running for school committee, but his involvement with the Friends precluded that. He has big shoes to fill, he said.

He has contemplated this run for several years, and when he’s mentioned it to people, they are always encouraging. In fact, Bob Miller, who himself is running for the selectman’s post, also urged him to do it.

"I’m with groups of people three or four times a week, and I hear their complaints. I’m learning a lot about what you need to do."

His number one priority is education. He has two kids in the elementary school, and the school is an embarrassment, he said. One of its shortcomings is in technology, he explained. "There are a lot of underprivileged kids in the school, who don’t have access to technology at home." He’s hopeful that the Park Ave. School project will be approved by town meeting in June. The Massachusetts School Building Authority still has to give its final approval, but that should be forthcoming, he said.

Mr. Chenevert talked about a divided Webster. "I’ve heard us called a mini-Worcester." He refers to the broken down, nuisance properties, and approves of what the Board of Selectmen has been doing. He strongly supports the downtown revitalization efforts. "We can’t draw business into town if it looks like a dump. We need to push landlords and owners to clean up their properties."

"Webster is really two communities, there’s the wealthy community on Upper Gore and the Lake, and then there’s Precinct 1 in downtown Webster, which gets no representation." He has visited with the North Village public housing authority. There were people there who were not even aware that they can vote for town officers, he said, and he has encouraged them to register to vote. His goal as selectman would be to see that more people have their voices heard.

His thoughts on some of the hot-button topics in town: he’s "not a fan of the billboard on I-395. We’re part of the green valley, and we don’t need Las Vegas-style billboards." He’s torn on the paddle wheeler boat. "It’s a great idea in theory, to give people access to the Lake, the biggest asset we have in town. It would be great for senior tours. But the size and scope is too big, and the liquor license was not a good idea."

Commenting on the recent furor caused by the Board of Health’s decision to lower the age limit for legal tattooing to 14, he said "I haven’t talked with anyone who agreed with it. If they know it (illegal tattooing) is going on, they should be going after that. But it’s a tough call, like underage drinking."

Mr. Chenevert is a big proponent of solar energy. He’d like to see unusable town land leased for solar projects. He would have liked to have seen more renewable energy aspects included in the Park Avenue School design.

Mr. Chenevert said he’s running for a purpose. "I’d like to win. But if it gets 30 or 40 people to vote in an election for the first time, that’s a victory for me."

Barbara Van Reed

Three years ago, during his first campaign for Webster selectman, Dan Ricci had a long conversation with then-Webster Lake Association president Dick Cazeault. Mr. Cazeault mentioned that he didn't understand why taxpayers could never find an open space at the town hall parking lot and were forced to park on the street.

Shortly after he won the election, Mr. Ricci noticed an elderly man making his way from the street to the town hall in pouring rain. Mr. Ricci’s next stop was Town Administrator John McAuliffe's office, and together they arranged to have two parking spaces designated for residents.

The person who first told me of this story was Gloria Ricker, the current WLA president. She called it an example of a campaign promise kept. She offered that it seems politicians make a lot of promises, but then find that it's not that easy to keep them after they get into office and realize the complexities of bureaucracy.

Mr. Ricci ran his campaign on three promises: “To help protect the town's greatest asset, the Lake; to revitalize the downtown district; and to support and improve the school system.”

The election was a close one with six challengers, including incumbent Irene Martel. Mr. Ricci won by just eight votes. His message this year will continue that of three years ago, but now with concrete progress to point to.

On the lake, Mr. Ricci has been a vocal opponent of the Douglas windmill project, which he says benefits only Douglas, and potentially harms Webster residents. His concern stems from the fact that the deep drilling that would be necessary for the turbines might affect the town's drinking water and the Lake. “We asked Douglas the questions, but we didn't get answers from them. Nobody could guarantee that it wouldn't affect our drinking water. There wasn’t enough information to protect us.”

He also spoke against the proposal to bring a paddle wheeler boat to the Lake for tourism.  His concern centered around the length of the boat, which he feels is too large for a lake of this size, the potential rowdiness associated with wedding parties, and the inability to safely rescue a large number of people in case of an emergency.

Another of the town's controversial issues he addressed is the billboard at Exit 2 off I-395. Mr. Ricci grew up in Waltham, where he says there were billboards everywhere. The same is true in Worcester. He doesn't want Webster to be like that, with billboards at all the exits, and cites the ambiance of the Last Green Valley.

Downtown revitalization is his next key topic. Mr. Ricci is justifiably proud of the accomplishments made in the last few years. He cites the progress made on the new police station to be built on Main Street, with demolition of the building site to begin in April. Once the police department moves to the new building the existing building on Thompson Road will be renovated for the fire department.  He hopes that the town can then look seriously at full-time staffing for the department.

“Downtown revitalization is critical to Webster,” he said. “We had to make some tough decisions, such as having the downtown area declared a slum and blighted zone. We got a lot of heat for that, but it was necessary for financial reasons.”

The project to renovate the A.J. Sitkowski School also looks like it's getting closer, he said. There are tax credits involved, and it usually takes three or four years to work through the system.

An immediately visible result of the downtown focus is the fact that the lights are back on. Mr. Ricci noted that the decision to turn them off was made in April 2009, the month before he was elected, and he had worked since then to reverse that decision.

Another noticeable improvement resulting from the downtown focus has been the demolition of nuisance properties, eleven last year, as well as the addition of properties to the surplus list, which will be sold when the real estate market improves. Mr. Ricci is quick to credit all the people involved in these projects, the other members of the board, the town administrator, the building inspector, the health agent, and the office of community development.

Schools are also close to Mr. Ricci's heart. “A town is only as good as its school system,” he said.

Mr. Ricci and his wife Barbara moved to Webster ten years ago. They chose Webster because of the lake (their son Danny “loves to swim”) and also because of the school system.

She was first to become involved in local boards, and served as chairman of the special education parents’ advisory council.

His first public position came soon after, with the Park Avenue Building Needs Committee, on which he served for two years, and then the School Building Committee, of which he was the chairman until two years ago. The Park Avenue school project will be presented to voters at a special town meeting in June. Mr. Ricci also served three years on the planning board.

He believes in the Webster school system, and is especially pleased with its special education program. He knows that program well, as his son is autistic. “The school did wonders for him.”

Mr. Ricci also talked about the financial position of the Town. “We hit bottom about two years ago,” he said. “We had to make some tough decisions, such as raising the water/sewer rates, but now that’s behind us and we don’t have to raise rates this year. Things have much improved. The budget is still bare bones, but we have free cash, the stabilization fund is up to about $1 million. We’re in pretty good shape. We don’t have to borrow money.”

Mr. Ricci hopes to continue his work as selectman to see Webster continue on the same path. “We’re working well together. None of us work alone,” he points out. “We do things as a board. Sometimes we don't agree, but that's why there are five of us, so the majority will make the decision. I vote for what I believe is best for the town, even though it may not be in my own best interest. And people who watch me in meetings know that I speak my mind, not just what’s popular.”

He wants to keep pushing on his three campaign promises, and also wants to work for getting more business into the town. Another goal is more transparency for town proceedings, such as better video of the board meetings. They’ve negotiated with Charter to improve the technology, but it will cost as much as $100,000, he said.

In his other life he is the construction project manager for Northland Investment Corporation, a Newton-based builder of multi-family housing. His job frequently takes him to projects in Florida and Connecticut. His years of managing $30-40 million construction contracts have helped him guide local projects, such as the new school and police station.

Mr. Ricci takes a politically conservative position on the issues, but declares himself neither a Republican nor Democrat, preferring to look at the issues on their merits. He said he’s enjoyed being part of the Board of Selectmen and has no further political ambitions. His goal is simply to promote progress in his community.

Barbara Van Reed

John Zagrocki of Webster used his Capital One business credit card to make a $24 purchase at a local merchant on March 3. He generally uses his Discover credit card for personal purchases, but this particular store didn’t accept that card. So, he used his business card instead. He used that same card again for a purchase on March 7.

Capital One’s fraud alert department called him on March 8 to notify him of possible problems and to verify his recent transactions. The first thing Mr. Zagrocki did was tell the caller that he would call Capital One back, so that he could be confident that indeed this was a legitimate call.

He learned that someone had tried to use his credit card number to make a $2,300 online purchase at Wal-Mart on March 5. The company told him that someone had made three attempts to use his credit card on that day, and had even called Capital One to get help in processing the payment, as apparently the user was missing some information. At the third attempt, Capital One shut down that transaction.

You’ve maybe had a call like that. I have. I’m traveling and my credit card company refuses to authorize a payment. They are being diligent in preventing unauthorized use of a card. They see unusual behavior and flag it. That’s all good, though maddening when you don’t have a back-up credit card with you.

Mr. Zagrocki does not use this particular card often so it was easy to review the transactions; there were only the two he made legitimately and the one fraudulent attempt.

He still had the card in his possession. It had not been stolen. So what happened? Who took the information from his card and tried to use it? He’s been racking his brain and can come up with only one conclusion, that the clerk in the store he made his purchase somehow lifted the information.

He says that one way a clerk may get your card number is during a transaction. After swiping your card, the clerk may ask to see it. He then lays it number side down on a special surface that will make an impression of the numbers. Meanwhile, the clerk can read the three or four letter code on the back of the card. Some store receipts also have your name on it, so that’s all the information the thief may need to know to use the card.

Mr. Zagrocki speculated on the possibility that a store clerk may be being paid by a professional identity fraud perpetrator to obtain the customer names and numbers. He plans to talk to the owner of the store where this may have happened to alert him to that possibility.

There are other ways that someone can steal your credit card information when you have it in your possession, such as with a special storage device when your card is being processed during a transaction, or with a special camera.

Capital One canceled Mr. Zagrocki's credit card and sent him another one. What they cannot do, however, is find out who did it. It’s not their job, they told him. Their function is to protect their customers from fraudulent transactions, not pursue cases of identity theft.

Mr. Zagrocki’s reason for telling us about what happened to him is to warn residents of Webster, Dudley and Oxford to be careful when making credit card purchases. “We read about credit card fraud and always think it won’t happen to us, but it can.” And in his case, it did.

The Federal Trade Commission says that as many as 9 million Americans have their identity stolen every year. The FTC website (www.ftc.gov) has lots of good information about how identity theft occurs and when and how to report it.

Barbara Van Reed

Q. “Why are they naming this room after me?”

A. “Because you’ve spent so much time in it.”

Irene Martel was overwhelmed last week when the town hall officials and employees, friends and family, came out to surprise her with plaques and proclamations to commemorate her many years as the Town’s first female assessor and first female selectman.

She thought she was coming to a colleague’s retirement party, never thinking that the event was for her, to honor her nearly half a century of public service, a gesture made very real with the complete refurbishment of the old selectmen’s meeting room, now called the Irene A. Martel Conference Room.

After the official ceremonies and reception in the open hall, we returned to the Irene A. Martel Conference Room for a talk about the years she spent in the Webster Town Hall. Seeing the room again, and overwhelmed by what had just happened, she broke down.

“I thought I was going to pass out for a few minutes. I was so shocked,” she said.

“Do you think it’s a good idea to name a room after me,” she said to her sister Esther. An emphatic “yes” was the answer.

Irene was born in Dudley and moved to Webster when she was six months old.  When she was 21, in 1946, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and Dr. Fallon was her doctor. “They had no chemo then,” she said. But she survived the ordeal.

She clearly remembers when she started her first job as a clerk in the Assessor’s Office. It was in 1963, the week JFK was assassinated.  Shortly after that, the assessor left to take a job in Boston, and the clerks in the office were left all alone to run the show

“I didn’t know beans from shinola,” she said, “but we had hour- and- a- half lunch hours, and would read all the books to learn what to do. Another assessor was brought on, but he died.

So, she was appointed Assessor, and ran for the position in 1972. She won and served six terms. She thinks she was the first female assessor in Worcester County.

In 1982 she ran for Selectman, and won. She was the first female selectman in the 150-year history of the town. “It was the sesquicentennial year,” she recalls.

Two years later, in 1984, she was defeated as the Town Assessor. She applied for assessor positions in other towns. She tried to get a job in Oxford, but they didn’t want a female assessor, she said. Sturbridge was OK with that, however, and appointed her. She served there for five years and retired in 1989. “They were very good to me,” she said.

She was defeated for reelection as a selectman in 1990. She doesn’t recall exactly why, but believes it had something to do with an issue with the police chief. I went to bat for the chief,” she recalled.

She didn’t waste time in trying to regain her seat. She ran again the following year, and lost again. But in 1984, she succeeded, and served until 2010, when she was defeated once again.

Now, at 87 years old, she talked about those last few years. Her legs began to fail, and she had difficulty walking. Fellow selectman Mark Dowgiewicz would pick her up for meetings, and bring her home. It was becoming difficult to carry on, and her blood pressure was getting to be too high.

It’s so clear in talking with Mrs. Martel that she misses the work of the town and the people, the people most of all. “I enjoyed every minute of my time here,” she said. “I miss being with people.” She misses her husband too; he died 17 years ago. She has nieces and great nieces and nephews who clearly admire her.

Mrs. Martel told us that she has written her own obituary. “Who knows better than me what I’ve done?” she asked.

Among her accomplishments as selectman she counts being the first chairman of the dump committee, a project that took eleven years, supporting the Pediatric Center at the hospital, installing handicapped facilities in the town hall, replacing the windows for the building, and mandating physicals for new employees.

Apart from those town business activities, she prizes the 25 years she spent as president of the St Louis Ladies League, involved in many of the church’s events and festivals. She misses that too, she said.  She was also an ace bowler, with 13 trophies and a score as high as 362.

Reflecting on her time in office, she said, “When I was working here I was happy as a pig in mud. And I always did what I thought was right for the town, tried to make the right decisions. And I think I did that.”

Even though she’s in a wheelchair now, Mrs. Martel still relishes an adventure. “If they ever perfect flying with wings, like you see in movies, I will be the first customer.”

Not that being in public office was always easy. “My pastor once asked me: 'How can you take it the way they treat you'?”

“I never talked about it…it’s different in public office. It’s different when you’re on the other side. I always said a prayer, asked God to help me make a good decision.”

Town Treasurer Pam Regis summed it up. “Mrs. Martel always did what she thought was right for the town, and I respect her for that.” A whole lot of people came out last Wednesday to second that thought.

Irene Martel’s tenure as Webster Selectwoman predates my time as editor of The Patriot newspaper, but I’m happy I had the opportunity to spend some time with her reminiscing about her long career of service to the town.

Barbara Van Reed

Most of us can’t escape income tax season, and even when we try, it’s hard not to be reminded by the friendly wavers in Statue of Liberty costumes that it’s time to do our taxes.

The waving dancers on the sidewalks in many towns draw attention to Liberty Tax Service offices. “It helps us stand out,” said Eric Ngiem, who owns four Liberty franchises, including one in Webster. Mr. Ngiem says he gets lots of comments about the wavers. “Some people tell me that they’ve had a bad day, but when they see the costumed dancer, they can’t help but smile and wave back. Other people criticize me and say, it’s 10 degrees outside, how can you make the kids stand out there freezing? Moving and dancing keeps them warm I tell them.” He admits it’s a bit hokey, but it works.

More seriously, for people who find doing taxes too taxing a matter, there are many experienced tax preparers in our towns who can help make it easier. We spoke with several of them.

Mary Tolic founded Money Matters in Oxford 25 years ago, and worked for a large CPA firm before that. She is an Enrolled Agent, which means she is certified by the IRS to represent clients in tax matters. The IRS has instituted new requirements for tax preparers to be trained and certified to counter the many instances of fraudulent activity of “fly by night” tax preparers.

Mr. Ngiem said it’s been “The Wild West for a number of years with ID thefts and other fraud. Tax preparers deal with people’s private information and there were no requirements, not even a background check.” The new IRS regulations go into effect in 2013.

Why do people go to tax preparers? “To make sure they get the maximum refund,” Ms. Tolic said. “Sometimes people are reluctant to do certain things, take certain deductions, but they shouldn’t be afraid to take what the law allows.”

Most people deal with taxes only once a year and they don’t feel confident, and second-guess themselves, she said. “We deal with tax matters every day and have to go to seminars and conferences to keep up with the changes in the tax laws every year.”

Ms. Tolic said her company is more than just a tax preparer. “We don’t roll up the sidewalk when tax season is over.” she said. They are there year-round to help clients who need tax advice. “For example, someone may be thinking about taking a big distribution and we can help them determine the tax implications. People shouldn’t assume that everything will be OK. Once it’s done, it’s done and too late. It’s wise to make that phone call ahead of time.”

Alison L. Adams of Freedom Tax Service in Southbridge has been doing taxes since she was 16 years old. “My father was a bookkeeper and he wanted me to know how to do them.” And now she’s been doing them professionally for 44 years. Before opening her own office, she was the manager of the Liberty Tax Service office in Southbridge.

People come in for tax help for all kinds of reasons, she said. “Some people have no clue how to fill in a tax form, some don’t have confidence in their math ability. Others tried to do it online themselves and ran into a problem or didn’t think they got enough of a refund. Still others don’t want the IRS breathing down their neck if they do something wrong. Or they’ve had a major life change and aren’t sure how to account for it.”

It’s not as frightening as you think, she said, but there are intricacies involved and you might miss out on some good credits if you’re not up on the tax code.

She said a college student come in recently who didn’t know she was entitled to a tax credit for tuition payments. “The credit came to $600. Now we’ll probably go back and redo her returns for the last two years.”

Having your taxes done for you can be affordable. Mary Tolic charges $75 for simple federal and state tax returns, more if you have a Schedule C or stock trades. She charges a price per form and it might go up to $300.

Paul G. Dube in Dudley has been in the business for 47 years as a tax preparer and 32 as a tax planner. “When people call to ask what I charge, I ask them, what are you prepared to pay me if I can get you back $3,000? I haven’t met anybody yet who wouldn’t like to pay less in taxes and have more money after they pay their bills. That’s why they come to tax preparers. And if I can’t do a better job for them than last year, I’ll charge them the same as they paid the year before .”

Now that it’s March and the February filers, as Alison Adams calls them, are done, the more difficult cases will come in. The early filers believe they will get a refund and so file as soon as possible..

The more involved returns come later. People who believe they will have to pay often get an extension. Some think they’ll come up with something magically, she said. It’s also the time when small businesses, self-employed people, and partnerships come in to file or get extensions.

All the tax preparers we spoke with, busy as they are this time of year, made it a point to assure us that they are “ready to help with problem resolution and put out fires all year long,” as Mary Tolic put it.

Barbara Van Reed

Every afternoon after school lets out, more than 200 kids ages six to 12 from Webster and Dudley descend on the Boys & Girls Club building in Dudley for the remainder of the day. There they participate in a variety of activities, including sports, educational, life skills, and art projects.

Michael Kelly, the new director for the after school program at the Boys & Girls Club , gave a talk about the purpose and philosophy of the Club at a recent Rotary Club meeting.

The goal of the program is to give each child opportunities for choice, individual achievement, and development of self-confidence. Mike emphasized that the Club is not an after school daycare drop-off program. Rather, its purpose is to guide kids and young people to become responsible and caring adults and citizens.

The staff consists of 13 professionals trained in youth development, augmented with work/study students from Nichols College. The staff works to provide an environment where everyone is equal and free to voice an opinion, where each child can develop a sense of power, competence, usefulness, and belonging.

Equally important, the Club is a safe and positive place where kids can establish a relationship with caring adults.

Mike explained that 43% of the kids that attend the Boys & Girls Club come from a single-parent family. “If they’ve had a bad day, there is someone here to hear about it,” he said. “We can recognize their achievements, and their being themselves, provide them with hope and opportunity.

“Fun is the key to everything,” he continued. “We have to challenge them but have to make it fun. I love seeing when the kids don’t want their parents to pick them up yet.” Mike was animated, “It’s great when a kid’s face lights up when they see staff at a game or event.” He clearly enjoys his job.

Evenings from 6 to 9 at the Club are for teenagers, kids aged 13 to 18. Laura Perry is the program director for teens. They can participate in sports and recreation activities, play games, get homework help, participate in arts projects, and take part in character and leadership development programs. The teen’s program also includes topics geared more specifically to older kids, things like substance abuse and career development. There is a drop off in attendance when kids get to high school, unfortunately, and the staff works hard to try to keep them coming. But the draw of “hanging out with friends” is strong, Mike says.

The Club helps kids with transportation. Kids from Webster schools can take the school bus there. The Club also has a small bus that will take the younger kids home at 6 p.m. and pick up the teens on the same route and bring them to the Club.

The Club is open year round, all day during school vacations and in the summer.

There is a $25 a year membership fee, as well as weekly fees for the full day programs, when they also serve breakfast and lunch. Mike noted that the lunches are healthy, with fruit and veggies. The summer activities include social service community projects, such as bringing cookies and lemonade to the lifeguards at the beach, painting park benches, and baking dog treats for the animal shelters.

Primary funding for the Club’s $620,000 annual budget comes from the United Way, but fundraisers such as golf tournaments and bike runs also contribute.

Mike says that the 99 Restaurant is a major sponsor for fundraising events. Club membership fees bring in some revenue as well. (Kids who cannot afford to pay can get assistance with their fees.)

While the Club is located in Dudley, and its name includes Webster, kids from surrounding communities are welcome to join as well. The nearest other Club is in Worcester, so this is potentially a great resource for many other kids. Mike says the building and staff can accommodate them.

Mike has been with the Boys & Girls Club of Webster-Dudley since 2008, about the time new building at 55 Oxford Ave was built, and was chosen as a Program Director last October.

He summed up the mission of the Club: “We envision a future in which the Boys & Girls Club movement is a catalyst for an age in which success is within reach of every child, and whole generations of children are inspired to a new level of civic engagement not seen since the founding of our nation. This might seem like a tall order, but when you have the proper planning in the right key areas you start to notice the impact that you’re making with the youth.”

Let’s all cheer him on!