Templeton MA

Templeton MA Local News and Community Information

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• Beach Status

  

  Most MA Beaches Open – A few Greater Gardner Beaches are Closed

  According to the State of MA, bacterial contamination has closed the following beaches: Beaman’s Pond Campground, Templeton —- Dunn Pond, Gardner —- Damon Pond Beach, Ashby —-mentioned on state site in a list, but not shown on map: Lake Dennison Winchendon

  The Massachusetts Interactive Beach Water Quality Dashboard is updated 7 days a week at 9:30am and 12:30pm. CLICK HERE.

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• Templeton No Trespass

  

  Templeton Development Center Off Limits – No Trespassing Signs Posted

  Templeton Police Department issued this statement, “Effective today 06/07/2024 the Templeton Developmental Center (TDC) formally known as the Fernald State School, and all surrounding roadways have been posted NO TRESPASSING. Yes that includes driving through the property. All entrance ways have been properly posted with signs on both sides of the roadway. Criminal penalties could be issued for anyone who is on the property without PROPER JUSTIFICATION or PERMISSION. This does not include the Norcross Hill WMA. This is due to the increase in vandalism, destruction of property and theft that has been occurring in the area recently. Some of the involved parties have been identified and investigations are on going. Freight Shed Road and surrounding roadways are NOT PUBLIC WAYS and are State Property. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.”

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• Zlotnik 6-3-24

  

  The State Budget covers funding from the state to cover school lunches for all students, $6.68 billion for Chapter 70, and other public school funding programs including Circuit Breaker Special Education reimbursement and Charter School reimbursement, as well as Regional School Transportation reimbursement.

  State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik Provides Helpful Budget Information

  Jonathan Zlotnik represents the communities of Ashburnham, Gardner, Templeton, and Winchendon. The State Representative provided us with an overview of what can be expected from the new Fiscal Year Budget which starts July 1, 2024 or when approved. View complete overview, CLICK HERE.

  Community	Local Aid Transfers
  Ashburnham	$960,002 Unrestricted General Government Aid
  Ashburnham	$15,928,887 Chapter 70
  Gardner	$5,116,463 Unrestricted General Government Aid
  Gardner	$29,677,210 Chapter 70
  Templeton	$1,683,719 Unrestricted General Government Aid
  Templeton	$12,479,169 Chapter 70
  Winchendon	$960,002 Unrestricted General Government Aid
  Winchendon	$14,135,502 Chapter 70

  Other Local Funding Highlights

  • $150,000 to support civic engagement and community service activities at Mount Wachusett Community College
  • $1,500,000 for On-Site Academy, located in Westminster, to provide post traumatic incident stress counseling to first responders and corrections officers
  • $125,000 for the Operation of “Cathy’s House” in Winchendon by Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center for female veteran’s housing
  • $25,000 for GAAMHA in Gardner to support capital improvements to their residential substance use disorder facilities
  • $100,000 for the operation of the Gardner CAC
  • $50,000 for the operation of the Wachusett Business Incubator
  • $100,000 for Growing Places for the Operation of the North Central Food Processing Center

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• Templeton Fire 5-30-24

  

  Templeton Fire Destroys Barn – All Horses Safe

  On May 30, 2024 at around 9pm there was a 5+ alarm fire at 551 Patriot’s Road in Templeton. The barn was fully involved. Almost 2 dozen horses were safely removed from the barn.

  A local restaurant KROs on the common is donating 50% of all sales on May 31, 2024 – “Last night our neighbors Liberty-Belle Stables suffered a horrific fire. Happy to report that no animals or people were hurt. The community really came together to support & help overnight! Now let’s rally together for them today! Today we are donating 50% of our sales to Liberty Belle Stables & Templeton First Responders eat for FREE! Alone we can do so little, TOGETHER we can do so much!”

  There is a Go Fund Me to help the horses, CLICK HERE.

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• Templeton 5-20-24

  

  Templeton Annual Town Election and Community Update.

  Annual Town Election is Monday May 20, 2024 from 11am to 7pm in the Narragansett Regional high School Gymnasium. Sample Ballot is featured at left.

  The most recent report of the Town Administrator goes over street sign replacements, buildings and grounds, activities of the Board of Health, site visits of the Conservation Commission, and Community Services including the library and seniors.

  Town Administrator Report of 5-16-24, CLICK HERE.

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• 5 Alarm Templeton

  

  5 Alarm Fire in Templeton on Patriots Road

  From the Templeton Fire Department: “At 15:40 Friday May 17^th Templeton Fire Department was Notified of a possible building fire on Patriots rd. Upon arrival of police fire was reported to be coming out the front and side first floor windows. A second alarm was immediately requested. The first arriving crews were told of possible trapped people in the building. With this new information we quickly went to a 5-alarm response to bring in the much-needed help to search for victims and extinguish the fire. Shortly after, all the people were accounted for, and crews were on scene for approximately 4 ½ hours extinguishing the fire. There were no responder or civilian injuries during this incident.” See complete Press Release, CLICK HERE.

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• Templeton Rotary

  

  Templeton MA Rotary Project Pulls Ahead of Gardner

  Templeton MA has announced major progress in its rotary project on May 14, 2024 as shown in the visual from the Templeton PD which posted, “TRAFFIC PATTERN CHANGE 05/14/2024 After two days of paving, the East Templeton Rotary Project has started to take form and will begin to enter the next phase of the project. Please note the layout, and traffic directions moving forward. Gardner Road (Route 101) will remained closed. Thank you!“

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  Completion of the Rotary Project in Gardner is expected to be this Fall.

  Meanwhile, in Gardner, the work continues. Shown at right is construction and the concept illustration of what the finished project will look like.

  CLICK IMAGE for larger view.

  

  

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• Templeton Rotary Update

  The Templeton Police Department released this statement:“-EAST TEMPLETON ROTARY UPDATE 05/06/2024- Starting on 5/6 and through 5/10 the milling will begin in East Templeton at the rotary project. There will be significant delays in traffic for Patriots Road (Route 2A), North Main Street, South Main Street and Gardner Road (Route 101). Closures/delays could be over ten minutes at a time. PLEASE AVOID AREA. PLEASE SHARE.”

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• Lamontagne 4-2-24

  

  Complete Roundabout Rendering, CLICK HERE.

  Town Administrator Adam Lamontagne urges residents, both current and prospective, to email him via ALamontagne@templetonma.gov or via phone at (978) 894-2778 Town of Templeton Website

  “Moving Mountains In Templeton” – An Interview with Adam Lamontagne

  We spoke with Templeton Town Administrator Adam Lamontagne on April 2, 2024 sitting at a conference table in his office. Listen to the interview on any device, CLICK PLAY.

  The Town of Templeton is juggling a number of complex projects at one time, many heading towards final completion. From demolishing buildings, repaving roads, creating a new roundabout, to focusing on a possible major bridge project, Adam speaks of the town’s efforts with pride and appreciation for the Templeton team.

  We spoke extensively about budget issues. There’s currently a projected shortfall of about a half million dollars which will need to be addressed at Town Meeting.

  If you’re interested in listening to the Templeton Select Board meeting of March 27, 2024, you can listen to it here on any device, CLICK PLAY.

  Ongoing projects discussed included: 10 Pleasant Street – “We have a demolition revolving account that had to go through a special act of the legislature. Once we created that, we put in enough free cash into that revolving account where we’ve taken down, demolished 10 Pleasant Street. We actually have that out to bid right now. It should be coming in April 17th.” Scout Hall Project – going to completion. Other construction: “The State’s finished up the Rotary project, and we also have multiple bridges the state’s going to be working on.” Templeton was awarded over a million dollars in CDBG funds. “We’re going out to bid for School, Vernon, and Cottage Street in the Baldwinville section of town” Lamontagne spoke of working on a master plan for the Houghton Park project.

  We spoke about the number of restaurants in Templeton: “A lot of these places are wonderful places to sit down, have a meal, talk with folks ”

  Lamontagne spoke of the challenges of the Main Street Bridge Project: “The town voted to support all the design, and that’s getting completed. It’s going to take us all the way up to 100% design, state review, as well as getting bid-phase services to go out to bid. The challenge is, we don’t have the construction funding at this moment. So the people in town will have a question in front of them for whether or not to go above Proposition 2.5, it’s a debt exclusion, to repair the Main Street Bridge Project, Main Street Bridge for this project. And a lot of people say, well, what’s going to happen? What is it that’s going to take place? And they unlikely think, oh, well, let’s just use the number of bids came in, 3.7 million it comes to, roughly.” With 350k in debt payments dropping off in Fiscal Year 2025, Lamontagne is hoping that the Main Street Bridge Project could fit in after that. Lamontagne’s strategy is to used State Aid to decrease what is needed for the bond.

  Lamontagne explained the strategy of replacing water mains proactively before the rest of the East Templeton Roundabout Project was done, “Because the last thing you want to do is have a beautiful rotary and then not have the infrastructure underneath.”

  Outlook and Goals for 2024 include: “I would like to see this project completed, when I say this project, the Maple and School Street Neighborhood Improvements project completed, I would like to see the Baldwinville School Apartments get revitalized in that section and provide 54 units to folks in Baldwinville over there. I would like to see the Main Street Bridge repaired and then continue with our Chapter 90 projects.”

  Thinking of relocating to Templeton? Because of Templeton Municipal Light, Templeton residents pay about half what others pay for electric.

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• Ritter Dedication

  

  Former Templeton Town Coordinator Ritter Honored

  The Templeton Town Hall was dedicated on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 to the memory of Jeffrey Ritter. Ritter was a former town coordinator who passed away in 2014. The placque in honor of Ritter honors the man who is credited with leading the effort to move Templeton town offices into the building which was the East Templeton Elementary School for 100 years until it closed in 2011.

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