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Wreaths 12-13-24

Wreaths Across America Honoring Veterans at Cemetery in Winchendon

On Friday, December 13, 2024 at 9am, the laying of Remembrance wreaths will occur at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Winchendon. The ceremony includes saying the name of each and every veteran aloud.

Parking Changes This Year

According to the website, “For the safety of volunteers and staff, there will be no parking available at the cemetery on Friday, December 13th. All volunteers are welcome and encouraged to park at the Winchendon Community Park located at 88 Ingleside Rd. in Winchendon as well as the American Legion Post 193 located at 295 School St. in Winchendon. Shuttle buses will be available to transport volunteers to and from the cemetery. Handicap accessible transportation will be provided as well. Thank you for your support of this great program.”

Convoy Stop in Gardner

A large convoy of over 50 vehicles has been traveling from Maine to Arlington National Cemetery and has a planned stop at Mount Wachusett Community College on Monday, December 9th with a ceremony beginning at 5:30pm. Some wreaths will be dropped off to be used at the laying of the wreaths December 13th in Winchendon.

Convoy Stop in Gardner December 9, 2024
Greater Gardner 11-25-24

News Around the Greater Gardner MA area

Winchendon: 3 finalists for Winchendon Superintendent position include: current interim Superintendent Dr. Marc Gosselin, Dr. Greg Rosenthal of Douglas Public Schools, and Mark McLaughlin of South Hadley Public Schools. Next step: School Committee will make its selection.

Westminster: Recent Town Meeting Results – Articles 1,2,3,4,,5, and 6 YES Articles 9 and 10 regarding TIF: NO. Article 11: NO and Voters passed over article 12. Previous article with details, CLICK HERE.

Ashburnham: Equipment options for the new Winchester Park Playground will be previewed at a presentation by consultants M.E. O’Brien and Sons, Inc. on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 6:30pm at Overlook Middle School, 2^nd Floor Team Room, 10 Oakmont Drive, Ashburnham. A question and answer session will follow the presentation. —– Toys for Tots donations will be accepted through December 6^th at the DPW and Town Hall. —- The Select Board will hold a tax classification hearing on Monday, December 2, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. in the Training Room at the Public Safety Building. The purpose of the hearing is to inform taxpayers and interested persons of the choices open to the Select Board in setting a single tax rate for all real estate and personal property, or two tax rates, one for residential and open space and one for commercial, industrial and personal property. Members of the Board of Assessors will be present to explain the options available in choosing the classification. The public is welcome to attend.

Templeton: A special town meeting is scheduled for December 6, 2024 at 6pm at the Narragansett Middle School Auditorium. Here is the complete town meeting warrant, CLICK HERE. The Town of Templeton has a construction schedule update, CLICK for DETAILS. The Digital Equity Plan comment period ends on December 6^th. View a pdf of the plan, CLICK HERE.

Phillipston: The Phillipston Lions have started a soup kitchen. Next Soup Kitchen is Wednesday, December 11^th at the Phillipston Church on the common. For details, CLICK HERE. —- The Ladies Benevolent Society is sponsoring a Holly Berry Fair on December 10, 2024 from 9 AM to 2 PM at the Phillipston Congregational Church. Highlights are: Christmas Vendors, Ladies Benevolent Society Raffle Table, Lion’s Lunch – Soup & Sandwiches Dessert, Cookie Walk Table, Come take a picture with Santa, Pets Welcome! Bring your camera!
Winchendon Fall Festival

Fall Festival in October – Fall Carnival This Week – in Winchendon MA

The Town of Winchendon is expecting more than 150 vendors at its Winchendon Fall Festival to be held Saturday October 12, 2024 from 10am to 5pm. It is a rain or shine event. Attractions include live bands, bounce house, face painting, food trucks, local artists performances, activities for kids, and delicious food from local restaurants.

For more information, please visit the Facebook page, CLICK HERE.

Preview of some fun: A Fall Carnival will be held beginning Thursday, September 26^th at the Clark YMCA field and will run through Sunday, September 29th. About a dozen rides are featured. Some funds raised will go the the new playground and picnic area at the Clark which is already under construction.
Zlotnik Interview 9-20-24

2nd Worcester District – Consisting of the town of Ashburnham, the city of Gardner, and the towns of Templeton and Precincts 2, and 3, of the town of Winchendon, all in the county of Worcester.

“I’d say the top-driving thing that got me into public office all those years ago was that I felt this community and the communities in this district, the ones I grew up in, needed help. They needed additional investment opportunities. They needed things to be built, quite frankly. And the state is the best entity positioned to do that” – Jon Zlotnik

We have reached out to his opponent and offered a similar opportunity to do an interview.

Exploring the 12 Year Record of Zlotnik’s Greatest Hits

Gardner Magazine had the honor of speaking with State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik about his record. Voters are being asked to rehire Zlotnik in this Fall’s election. We spoke with Zlotnik about education, training, business, housing, veterans, local projects, infrastructure, recreation, civics and literacy, food insecurity, the homeless, and help for the disadvantaged. Representative Zlotnik had a few interesting stories to tell along the way including how the need for a stool helped get a new school.

Listen on any device. CLICK PLAY.

Jon Zlotnik 9-20-24

The job pays less than private industry, but Zlotnik does it to help the communities he represents. The State Representative interned at the State House both in high school and college.

Interestingly, one of the first bills Zlotnik filed was to re-institute a Civics curriculum as well as a financial literacy curriculum at the high school level. Eventually, the legislature did take up the civics portion, providing incentives for schools.

Zlotnik spoke about his involvement in the expansion of Mount Wachusett Community College. He spoke of fighting to get state funding for the On-Site Academy which provides for post-traumatic stress treatment for first responders and told a heartwarming story about it. Zlotnik explained his efforts on behalf of veterans in the area. The State Representative detailed and discussed the Wachusett Business Incubator program.

With respect to area development, Jonathan Zlotnik provided some background on the Rear Main Street Project and the Underutilized Properties grants which affects Downtown Gardner. We spoke at length about the Gardner Elementary School and Zlotnik related a story about the hearing on the school when the State Treasurer heard enough to say the project was clearly needed.

Zlotnik spoke of initiatives with respect to recreation including the bike path and the upcoming bridge across Route 140. He also spoke of the importance of actually getting out and talking with people. And, he detailed various projects which have brought in jobs.

Representative Zlotnik spoke of big projects like the one affecting the water main of Winchendon and Ashburnham. He spoke of pulling communities together to better utilize Opioid settlement funds.

Reach State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik via the following email: Jon.Zlotnik@mahouse.gov
Treasurer Terminated

Town of Winchendon Terminates Collector/Treasurer for Alleged Theft of Cash

Statement from Town of Winchendon, “On Tuesday, September 10th, it was brought to the Town’s attention that a sum of cash may have been stolen from Town Hall. The Town immediately investigated this allegation and determined, based on several interviews, that the cash had been stolen by the Town Treasurer. The Town thereafter took prompt action to terminate the Treasurer’s employment. The Town now intends to pursue all legal remedies, including seeking a criminal complaint in district court, to recover the stolen funds and ensure that the responsible parties are held accountable.”

While Winchendon Town Manager Bill McKinney was kind enough to speak to us, he was unable to provide additional information beyond the prepared statement, except to confirm the name of the terminated employee as Paul Redmond. Officials are not usually able to provide many details in cases of allegations such as this or even other personnel matters.
Hazmat – Winchendon

HAZMAT SITUATION in Winchendon MA

The Winchendon Fire Department posted on the morning of 8-28-24 , “Spring St. will be closed to traffic between Glenallen St and the lights at Rt. 140 due to an ongoing HAZMAT incident. The road will be closed for an extended period of time please seek alternative routes of travel.” They followed up with the following post, “The incident is involving a compressed natural gas tank damaged in a motor vehicle accident following consultation with the district HAZMAT team there is no immediate danger to surrounding residents.” Gardner Magazine is awaiting more information from the Town of Winchendon.

UPDATE: Fire Chief Thomas Smith of the Winchendon Fire Department released the following statement:

On August 28, 2024 at 05:17 the Winchendon Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a multi-car accident in the area of 560 Spring Street. Upon arrival of initial units a two vehicle accident was discovered between a SUV and a CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) powered Amazon delivery truck. With the initial ambulance crew checking the occupants of both vehicles it was determined that only the SUV driver required transport to Heywood Hospital with minor injuries. The Driver and passenger of the Amazon truck were uninjured. During the accident the CNG tank on the delivery truck became detached except for the pressure lines and was sitting next to the vehicle in the roadway. Winchendon Fire crews immediately requested that Dispatch contact the District 6 HazMat Team through Fitchburg Mid-State Control. A perimeter was set up by crews and Winchendon Police and DPW set up a detour around the accident scene. Upon arrival of a Tier 1 response through District 6 HazMat it was determined to upgrade the incident to a Tier 2 response bringing in other units from District 4 HazMat as well as additional units from the Department of Fire Services, including Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Jon Davine to the scene. Winchendon Crews worked with District 6 HazMat Team Leader Chief Joseph Guarnera to locate an Emergency Response Crew in the state familiar with the situation at hand. Contact was made with Xpress Natural Gas (XNG) out of Andover,MA who sent a technical expert out of Stratham, NH. While response units were responding from various corners of the state the MA State Police deployed their robot as well as their drone and a drone from the Department of Fire Services to take photos of the tank connections in advance of the technician’s arrival. Once on scene, XNG assisted in determining that the pressure lines could be methodically removed allowing the tank to be loaded on to a trailer and brought to a same location where HazMat crews were able to safely off gas the CNG tank. Vehicles were then towed from the scene by Brooks Auto Service out of Winchendon and CO&S Garage out of Templeton opening the road at approximately 15:50.
Proactive 2024

Residents who are interested can contact the Town Manager via email at bmckinney@winchendon-ma.gov

Winchendon’s Town Manager Takes Proactive Action in Advance of Budget Concerns

Inflation is causing budget problems for Massachusetts communities including Winchendon. Very simply, costs are going up quicker than tax levies can keep up. Solution is cutting costs or raising property taxes through Proposition 2 ½ overrides. Winchendon Town Manager Bill McKinney is attempting to get out ahead of a projected problem with the Fiscal 2026 Town Budget. Of the $35 million budget, $15 million comes from property taxes, and it’s off by at least $1.5 million for the next fiscal year. We spoke with McKinney about the ad hoc committee he is forming to study the budget in detail and we talked about some of the numbers. Listen on any device. CLICK PLAY.

Bill McKinney Interview 8-12-24

The ad hoc committee being formed to study the budget in detail will be composed of the Town Manager, representatives from Board of Selectmen, School Committee, Finance Committee, and 3 residents. Meeting schedule will be created once it has been formed and it will likely meet a couple of times per month. McKinney stated, “I want the residents to, you know, to have a say in what kind of town they want.”

McKinney told us about 3 big problems totaling a one million dollar increase. 1. Debt is increasing with principal payments due in Fiscal 2026. 2. Health insurance is going up 10%. 3. Pension contribution is going up 10%. Other items include the significant increase in school transportation costs. Town Manager Bill McKinney explained that “everything is out on our website” Visit Town of Winchendon website, CLICK HERE.
Winchendon News

New Superintendent – New Ad Hoc Committee in Winchendon MA News

The Town of Winchendon has been making news this year with its budget challenges. The Town meeting overwhelmingly approved the Fiscal Year 2025 School Budget at a July town meeting after rejecting it at a previous meeting. At the July 18^th School Committee meeting it was suggested that the initial rejection was a rebuke of Superintendent Goguen who was not well-liked by residents and was the subject of a no confidence vote by teachers. Goguen opted not to continue in the role and at this July meeting new interim Superintendent Dr. Marc Gosselin was selected. Gosselin started work this past Monday August 5^th. We have the AUDIO of the complete lengthy discussion. Listen on any device.

BOS – School Committee 7-18-24 Complete

Because it is expected that the Fiscal Year 2026 budget will be challenging, Winchendon is acting proactively to start planning right now. The Board of Selectmen recently authorized the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee to work with the Town Manager to work on the FY26 budget. This group will consist of 6 members. One each from the Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, and School Committee and three residents. The committee will discuss town finances including the need for a Proposition 2 ½ override. The recommendations from the committee will include the amount to be requested for an override, when to schedule the vote by the Town, and what would happen to the Town (including schools) budget if an override is not successful. Winchendon is looking for three residents to serve. If interested email Town Manager Bill McKinney: bmckinney@winchendon-ma.gov
Outage 7-5-24

Power Outage Affects 500 Customers in Gardner, Winchendon

Hundreds of customers are affected by a power outage late on July 5, 2024. According to National Grid, crews are already assigned to the issue and power is expected to be restored after 1am on July 6th.

Social Media posts reference a downed tree as the cause of the outage, but Gardner Magazine has not confirmed this information.

Update: Power Restored. However, power outage affected radio station WGAW which was off the air this morning July 6th – broadcast programming on AM 1340, 98.1 FM, and streaming will be restored as soon as possible.
Zlotnik 7-1-24

Starting July with an Uplifting Interview with State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik

Sporting a joy for the job and a zeal for helping others, State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik spoke with us about 3 major items. Listen on any device. CLICK PLAY.

We spoke with Zlotnik about an act strengthening Massachusetts economic leadership, an act relative to municipal tax lien procedures and protections for property owners in the Commonwealth, and the MVOC Winchendon Housing Project for veterans. Thank you to State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik for providing complete details on the 3 items for our readers. See below.

Zlotnik goes in to detail about how the MassWorks program has significantly helped Gardner. He speaks of various projects. He explains the bills. And he glows with enthusiasm over bringing to fruition the Winchendon Project for veterans which has been in the works for about 5 years.

Some details about the $3.5 billion Economic Development Bill

$500 million for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to provide grants and loans in order to grow the life sciences industry in Massachusetts —- $400 million for MassWorks public infrastructure grants to cities and towns —- $250 million for the Mass Impact grant program to support large transformational projects that drive economic growth —– $200 million for the Clean Energy Center to support the research and commercialization of climate technology across the state —-$200 million for the Massachusetts clean energy technology center to invest in research, and in the implementation of offshore wind infrastructure —- $150 million for grants for cities and towns for approved library projects —- $100 million for Municipal Financial Assistance Grants to municipal entities to assist them with workforce development —- $100 million for Applied AI Hub Capital grant program to support the adoption and application of AI technology in the state’s tech sectors —- $100 million for the Rural Development Program to provide financial assistance to exclusively rural areas with the goal of economic development —- $100 million for the Seaport Economic Council Grant program for municipalities for the construction or repair of coastal assets that have the potential to stimulate economic growth —-Includes new policy regarding the Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) and Tax Credit. The bill requires the director of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) to administer the EDIP in consultation with the Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) and the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council (EACC)

Some details about the act relative to tax lien procedures and protections for property owners

The bill secures the rights of property owners to reclaim any excess equity to which they are entitled after all taxes are repaid to the municipalities following a tax foreclosure. It additionally substantially increases required notifications and other protections for property owners throughout the foreclosure —- Requires that a detailed accounting be taken following a foreclosure in a tax taking of the excess equity that is available —- Any excess equity taken must be returned to the former owner within 60 days —- Allows for retroactive claims for excess equity from May 25, 2023 until date of passage —- Updates notice requirements where the subject property is residential —- Allows former owners to have the opportunity to file a claim in Superior Court if there is a dispute on the amount of excess equity owed —- Increases the maximum length for repayment agreements for owed taxes from five, to 10 years—- Decreases the amount for a down payment for the repayment agreements from 25% to 10%

Some Details About the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center Winchendon Housing Project

The Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center (MVOC) acquired the vacant Streeter and Poland School buildings in Winchendon to repurpose into low-income apartments for veterans. The project will ultimately repurpose the school buildings into 44 single resident apartments dedicated to veterans housing. The 44 one-bedroom units will provide much needed housing for low-income veterans in the area who find themselves at risk of homelessness. These units also will offer a stable place to live for veterans to receive assistance for substance use disorder, job searches, or other issues they may be facing. MVOC will also provide residents with case management, assistance with finding employment, assistance with benefits, and other assistance programs. In addition to veterans housing, there are plans for including activity areas that are furnished with equipment and for resident use. Additionally, there will be a brand new courtyard, as well as several recreation areas, a grill area, and raised beds for gardening on the site. Representative Zlotnik helped secure roughly $25 million in funding from the State to cover almost all of the costs for this development. Additional information on this project can be found on MVOC’s website, CLICK HERE.