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Pelham~Windham News


Pelham~Windham News Volume 9 Number 18 November 10, 2011 16 Pages


Energy Audit Points to Needs for


Weatherization and Updating Equipment


by Barbara O’Brien A recent energy audit of five municipal buildings


in the Town of Windham points to a serious need for additional weatherization, as well as an updating of the heating/ventilating/ and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Go Green Windham, a subsidiary of the Local Energy Committee, has been involved in attempting to reduce the town’s energy usage and cost since the summer of 2010. Most recently, members have been working under two grants, one of which resulted in the replacement of the old fluorescent light bulbs in three of the town- owned parking lots with a newer energy efficient variety; the other which was used to conduct an energy audit of several town-owned buildings. The first grant provided $21,000 to be used for the replacement of the older variety of light bulbs in municipal parking lots. Jim Herbert of the Local Energy Committee said committee members are still assessing relevant data on how much money is being saved through the new energy-efficient lighting. The second grant provided $6,000 for a comprehensive energy audit, including a walk- through of each building, plus thermal imaging photography. The study was performed by Arbogast Energy Auditing of Westbrook, ME. The 103-page report was completed this past September. “Nothing is set in stone, at this point, though,” Herbert said. “This is the first cut at this.” The five buildings that were audited for energy efficiency were the Town Hall, the Armstrong Building (museum and cable studio), the Community Development Building (former fire station), the Windham Senior Center and the Bartley Building; all located on North Lowell Road.


According to Elmer Arbogast, who addressed


town officials last month, 42 percent of office buildings audited in the northeast are performing better than Windham’s Town Hall, when it comes to energy efficiency. “Town Hall could definitely use some work,” Arbogast said. If weatherization and HVAC equipment are updated and improved, taxpayers could potentially save up to 49 percent on fuel and 23 percent on electricity. Carbon dioxide emissions could also be reduced by about 36 percent from the current level, Arbogast explained. Improvements would save both energy and money, he emphasized. The three buildings most in need of a heating update are the Bartley Building, Town Hall and the Community Development Building, for a total cost of $105,870. Weatherization projects run from a couple hundred dollars upward, for a grand total of about $25,000. Town officials said they felt that the various weatherization projects could be taken piecemeal and completed with money from the property maintenance trust. Traditionally, $30,000 per year is deposited into the trust fund, based on annual March balloting. As for the updating of the heating and ventilation systems, Selectman Roger Hohenberger questioned whether the work should be submitted to voters as a one-year or multi-year warrant article. Herbert said he believes it is a good idea to have the money in escrow and said that it would be wise to create a capital reserve fund for that particular purpose. Selectman Bruce Breton suggested that the weatherization be done as Phase I and, then, one HVAC system be updated for the next three years. Hohenberger suggested that the HVAC portion of the work be included in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Town Administrator David Sullivan recommended establishing a five- year capital reserve fund to cover the cost of these projects.


continued to page 6- Energy Audit Arsenic and Old Lace Presented by Windham Actors Guild


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Entire cast of the Windham Actors Guild


by Robyn Hatch The Windham Actors Guild held their fall production of Arsenic and


Old Lace last weekend at the Windham High School gym. The play took place in Brooklyn, NY. Abby Brewster, a sweet elderly woman can be seen pouring tea for her nephew Teddy, and Dr. Harper, a local minister. The discussion of the nephew Mortimer comes up with his relationship to the minister’s daughter Elaine. The Brewster sisters appear normal, providing help for their neighbors. Soup is made for the sick, toys are collected for the needy. Lodging is provided for lonely old men ... only if the right kind of men is present. These sisters have their own rules about how far their character will extend.


In 1941, New Yorkers were looking for entertainment to take their minds off the war in Europe and the fear that America would be pulled into it. This comedy became an immediate success. In 1944, Hollywood produced a film version with Cary Grant. This play centers on two elderly sisters who are famous in Brooklyn for their numerous acts of charity, includes poisoning lonely old men who came looking for love. The Windham Actors Guild produced this play by Joseph Kesselring, directed by David Ramsey and Dick Forde, a stage manager. The goal from the beginning was to go for the “funny” and cast this too. With people ranging from experienced to seasoned actors was a joy for all, with the main goal to have the audience laugh and have a good time.


Cub Scouts Host Annual Pancake Breakfast


From the left: Scouts Brady, Michael, Jack, Gabriel work as a team to make sure that hot foods are served hot.


by Doug Robinson Cub Scouts from Packs 263 and 266 once again served their annual pancake breakfast to hundreds of hungry guests. This marked the 36th year that the Cub Scouts have been providing breakfast for the community.


Organized and served at St. Matthews’s Rectory, the smell of crisp bacon lingered out into the parking lot. While those attending supported the cost of the breakfast with a $5 individual donation, $20 family or $6 at the door donation, the annual breakfast has afforded both packs monies to purchase much needed equipment and supplies. Scouts worked in teams serving, cleaning, bussing tables, as well as talk with those in attendance. Local businesses purchased advertising spots on the placemats in an effort to help the scouts out. “We got slammed,” commented Cub Scout Pack Leader, Fred Nader.


Jason Haley (left) Chris Burke, Pack 263 Webelos assist with the serving of food at the Cub Scout Breakfast.


“Our community has always supported us and this year was no different. We are very appreciative. We served between 600 to 700 breakfasts.” Cub Scouts worked “very hard” commented Nader, as they not only went door to door selling tickets, they also sol tickets at local supermarkets and area businesses. If Nader also commented that the breakfast was “organized by Stacey Bruzzese and Rhonda Haley along with many volunteers. They did a tremendous amount of work.” Monies raised will also be used to assist those Cub Scouts in need of


scholarships for summer camp, Pack awards, and dues. “We have more kids per capita, up to 90 percent, than any other pack who participate in our camping programs. Camping is important and these kids are important. We want to make sure that all the Cub Scouts are able to participate. We are very thankful for the turnout and for the community support with our breakfast.”


CIP Committee Makes Recommendations for 2012 by Barbara O’Brien


Based on requests from various town and school district departments, members of the Windham Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Committee have made recommendations for possible expenditures to be made during 2012. Committee members began meeting this past June and presented their recommendations to the full planning board late last month. The CIP Committee is a sub-committee of the Windham Planning Board and currently includes the following members: Chairman Rob Gustafson (citizen volunteer), Vice-Chairman Kristi St. Laurent (planning board member), Carolyn Webber (planning board member), Secretary Neelima Gogumalla (citizen volunteer), Dennis Senibaldi (citizen volunteer), Ed Gallagher (school board representative), Phil LoChiatto (selectmen’s representative), Roger Hohenberger (selectmen’s alternate representative) and Jeff Bostic (school board alternate representative). The Capital Improvements Program is a budgetary document that forecasts major town and school district expenditures for a legally


mandated period of at least six years. Windham has, traditionally, however, created a CIP for an eight-year-period, instead. Currently, the program is forecast through 2019. The amount of money projected to be available for capital


improvement projects next year is based on the 2012 estimated town tax valuation (less utilities), including an estimated 0.5 percent growth over 2011. This estimated town tax valuation for 2012 is $2,020,168,962. CIP funding is based on 75 cents per $1,000 total assessed valuation, which, in this instance, would be a total of $1,515,127.


In addition to property tax revenue to pay for capital improvement projects, CIP members are also estimating that $120,000 will be available through a State Highway Grant, $203,300 from an Assistance to Firefighters Grant, plus an additional $61,750 through a second Assistance to Firefighters Grant. Therefore, an estimated $1,900,177 will be available for capital improvement projects next year. To be deducted from that amount is the $201,278 already dedicated to the purchase of a new fire truck to replace


the Windham Fire Department’s Engine #3. The new fire truck has already been ordered. The first payment on that truck, however, is not due until 2012. Deducting the money needed for the first payment on the fire truck would leave a total of $1,698,899 for new 2012 capital improvement projects.


When reviewing requested projects to be included in the CIP, a category, delegating its relative importance, is assigned to each request. Those categories include: urgent, necessary, desirable, deferrable, premature and inconsistent (contrary to land use planning or community development). Only one proposed project was put forth by selectmen for next


year, that being replacement of heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning, plus necessary weatherization, in three town-owned buildings (Bartley, Armstrong and Community Development) for a total cost of $105,870. The CIP Committee, subsequently, assigned this a classification of “necessary” with funding up to $75,000 in fiscal year 2012.


ontinued to page 5- - CIP Recommendations


courtesy photos


Staff photo by Robyn Hatch


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