ALL NEW


News and Pictures of People and Events in Webster, Dudley, and Oxford Volume 38 Number 9


INSIDE THIS EDITION


Local Political


Updates See page 4


Basketball


district play See pages 11, 13


168 Gore Road, Webster, MA 01570 • 508-943-8784 • www.patriotnewspaper.com • e-mail news@patriotnewspaper.com February 29, 2012


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Bridges, Bay Path and barkers among the issues at Webster BOS meeting


By Thomas D’Agostino Patriot Correspondent


WEBSTER - DPW Director J.T. Gaucher addressed the board on Monday night in regard to the closing of Exit 2 Northbound on Route 395. The exit acceleration lane is on the bridge that will undergo joint re- pairs and painting. The project is slated to begin on March 15 and will take about six months to complete. Traffic will be re- routed to Cudworth Road and there will be plenty of signs and notices for drivers to prepare for the detour. Traffic will also be monitored for the detours. More infor- mation on the project will be posted in the local papers and on cable access. Bistro Eighty Ates was granted an enter- tainment license by the board. Selectman Deborah A. Keefe suggested that the board follow up on all establishments requiring entertainment licenses to ensure facili- ties are not having entertainment without proper permits. Next on the agenda was a hearing in


regard to a dangerous dog complaint by a town resident. The resident had filed numerous complaints against another resident whose dog was seen roaming the neighborhood unattended and, in a few in- stances, attacked the claimant’s dog. Ani- mal Control Officer Michelle Lafleche had taken the dog into custody several times. The owner of the pet had an electric fence installed but claimed it was broken and was not aware of that fact until recently. During the hearing, Lafleche stated that the fence was tested at one point and found to be in working order. Since the incidents, the owner has erected a kennel where the dog is now kept pending repair of the fence. A warning about keeping the dog on a leash while walking with it was also given to the defendant. It was the board’s decision to have the


Tribute to


Frank Hmay See page 7


fence repaired and tested within seven days of the hearing and the dog kenneled at all times until such repairs are made. Selectman Keefe also included that proper care of the laws regarding the dog was the owner’s responsibility and if such regula- tions were not observed, the dog would have to be removed from the town. The board was given a presentation on


the renovation and expansion for the Bay Path Regional Vocational High School. The school currently serves 1,074 students from ten towns, Webster being one of them. The school opened in 1972 as a facility de- signed to house 850 students. The project would expand the school by 50,000 square feet, including seven new science labs, code compliance upgrades, abatement of


hazardous materials, replacement of an old roof with a new energy efficient one, new enhanced sprinkler and fire alarm system, new water system, renovated and expanded library/media center, energy ef- ficient windows, universally handicapped


accessibility and updated HVAC system and equipment. The Massachusetts School Building Authority gave the go-ahead for the project in 2009. The school is in dire need of restoration and expansion to ac-


Continued on page 3 Webster Police Officer Cindy Johnson


on a beat with students By Steev Riccardo WEBSTER - When you first hear that


there is a police officer stationed at Bar- tlett High School, the immediate re- sponse usually is, “Oh, they must have a lot of trouble over there.” In actuality, having a police officer at the high school prevents trouble and gives kids a whole new way of looking at police and the ben- efits of having them around. After the shooting at Columbine in


April 1999, many schools decided that it would be better to have more security around, and Bartlett High School was one of those. The Town of Webster received a three-


year grant from the state’s Department of Criminal Justice in 2001 to help kick off the program, and it has been im- mensely successful ever since. Officer Brian Barnes, who has since


moved to Seattle, Washington, where he still serves, was the first police officer as- signed to the school system and seeing that the idea was a good one, Chief of Police Timothy Bent became a big propo- nent of the program. “When the job opened up six years ago


Chief Bent interviewed several officers and eventually I was given the job,” said Officer Cindy Johnson, who grew up in Webster and has been with the depart- ment for ten years, and now serves as the school’s resource officer. “Chief Bent believes wholeheartedly in


the program because it has bridged a gap between the kids and law enforcement and it allows them to see police in a dif-


Officer Cindy Johnson


ferent light and they now know that they can trust the police.” Although there are similarities between wearing a police uniform in a high school and on the streets, it is still a much dif- ferent type of assignment for Johnson. “It’s a multi-faceted position. We do


hall checks; we have a fantastic video surveillance system that I monitor. I


Continued on page 3


Oxford receives $230,000 Race to the Top award


by Janet Stoica


Patriot Correspondent OXFORD - School Superintendent Al-


len Himmelberger on Monday updated the School Committee on the Race to the Top


Vehicles Collide on Rte 16 at Lower Gore Intersection


program, which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, wherein states compete for funds relating to changes in public education. Mr. Him- melberger said that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was awarded $250 million under the program, of which $125 million was provided to the Commonwealth and the remaining $125 million was pursued by local school districts. Oxford competed for and was awarded


$230,000, to be used over four years with the majority of the funds allocated to fiscal years 2013/2014. Superintendent Himmelberger said, “Ox-


DMS


Spaghetti dinner See page 14


ford chose to increase teacher education as well as school technology framework. The Oxford School Committee is working close- ly with teachers to improve test scores and standards in order for our students to be successful upon their graduation in today’s rapidly-changing job market.” These stan- dards must be updated by Fall 2012 and are an ongoing process. In other school committee business, Patri-


Webster emergency personnel work to remove vehicles after a head on crash.


Text and photo by Patriot staff WEBSTER– At about 3:30 p.m. on Mon-


day, February 27, two vehicles collided at one of Webster’s more dangerous intersec- tions. The head on collision, which occurred on Route 16 at the intersection with Lower Gore Road, involved a sports utility vehicle and a small pick up truck, and trapped one of the drivers behind the wheel. Webster fire, police, rescue and paramedi- cal personnel responded to the accident to


extricate the trapped individual from the wrecked vehicle, as well as treat and trans- port the injured parties to the hospital. The accident completely shut down a very


busy Route 16, as many employees and students tried to get home from school and work. The traffic was backed up from the accident scene to the intersection with In- terstate 395. The accident is being inves- tigated by members of the Webster Police Department.


cia Hokanson, Oxford Food Service Director and member of the Wellness Committee, gave her report regarding upcoming fruit & vegetable tasting by some of the young- er Oxford school students. Ms. Hokanson stressed the urgent need for involvement of PTO members and parents from each school, especially for the upcoming and new flavored-milk standards. All of Oxford’s parents of schoolchildren


should be made aware of the new guide- lines of the School Nutrition Bill, she said. Brenda Ennis, School Committee Chair- man, suggested that a flyer be sent home to parents. Superintendent Himmelberger suggested that the PTO’s might be better at communicating parental awareness but


Continued on page 3


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