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Main St., Rtes. 9 & 32, Ware Just Over the West Brookfield Line more information! 413-967-4210 or 800-793-2078 • www.guzikmotor.com 284 Main St., Spencer 508-885-5511 Free by request to residents of Charlton, Charlton City and Charlton Depot SEND YOUR NEWS AND PICS TO [email protected] Friday, June 21, 2019 Charlton Board of Health might hold hearings on NEC plan BY GUS STEEVES be interveners. He was referring specifically to CORRESPONDENT At present, Charlton has an resident Melissa Widing’s earlier CHARLTON – After a discus- intervention committee compris- statement that normal operation sion of the NEC gas storage plant ing Selectman Bill Borowski, of her nearby welding company project that included Southbridge Health Director James Philbrook, could produce the spark that sets Health Department representa- Building Commissioner Curt off a gas explosion if the plant were tives, the Charlton Board of Health Meskus and a member of the to leak. voted unanimously to “preserve Planning Board. Southbridge BOH member our rights to hold site assignment “If we have our own site assign- Roland Larochelle said liquified hearings” on the project. ment process, that’s totally differ- natural gas is flammable but not Under state law, the board has ent from being interveners [in the explosive as long as it’s in liquid wide authority to hold hearings state process],” member Kathleen form. However, it also “stays low if it deems them necessary to pro- Walker said. “It’s an option we to the ground” and rapidly vapor- tect public health and the envi- should take and a Board of Health izes, and under certain conditions ronnment. Members said they’d ourselves.” vapors could reach concentrations see what happens with the state “If we have to show probable at which a spark could detonate it. Courtesy Photo Department of Public Utilities pro- cause of a health risk, I think we “It’ll seek low-lying areas, go An updated map recently sent to the DPU project email list cess that has already begun, for could do that in two seconds,” shows where the proposed NEC gas storage facility would be which they also voted to apply to agreed Chair Matt Gagner. Please Read NEC, page A7 on Route 169. Charlton to provide access sex offender resources JASON BLEAU posal may be a step too far. NEWS STAFF WRITER Selectman Singer explained he discussed the idea with the CHARLTON – The Charlton Police Chief Graham Maxfield Board of Selectmen has decid- and it was recommended to ed not to proceed with post- avoid such an extreme mea- ing fully detailed sex offender sure and to utilizing other was information on cable access of creating public awareness channels after consulting instead. with local law officials and “(Chief Maxfield) stated that neighboring towns. there are specific cautions for In May, Charlton’s Board this. He had concerns about of Selectmen decided to putting them up on our own form a Sex Offender Bylaw as offenders come on and off Committee after board Chair the roll, liability if they are David Singer suggested the found to be innocent if it’s concept for serious consider- still in our system or if they ation. During those talks the change levels which is go from newest selectman in town, level one to level three, and Courtesy Photo Bill Borowski, asked if it liability if we have it wrong. would be a good idea for the The chief suggested putting a sake of public awareness to link for the State Registry for SHEPARD HILL GRADUATE AWARDED publish information on local Sex Offenders on our website. sex offenders on cable access That’s what he does,” Singer VETERANS’ SERVICES SCHOLARSHIPS channels. Selectmen decid- explained. ed to table the discussion for Borowski recanted on his Wilson Reich, a recent graduate of Shepard Hill Regional High School, was awarded two another meeting and to seek recommendation from May. special scholarships for excellence in academics by the Worcester County Veterans’ Services input from Charlton police After consulting other local Agents Association and the American Legion Post 184 Webster/Dudley. The scholarships were and from other communities towns including Auburn, awarded to Wilson by the Veterans Services Officer, Stephen Rogerson on Thursday, May 30, at about how they have han- Millbury, Sutton and Webster the Veterans Office in Dudley with his father, Christopher and grandfather, Al in attendance. dled public notification of sex he felt that such a drastic Wilson will be attending Norwich University in Vermont with the intention of becoming a U.S. offender information. move would require too much Army commissioned officer to follow in the proud heritage of his father and grandfather who The result of those discus- manpower to keep things up served as Master Chief in the U.S. Navy. sion has led selectmen to believe the cable access pro- Please Read SEX OFFENDER, page A6 Bay Path sends off Class of 2019 BY JASON BLEAU VILLAGER CORRESPONDENT Early deadlines CHARLTON – Bay Path Regional Vocational High School held its annual com- for the 4th mencement ceremony on May 31, bidding farewell With Independence Day falling on a to 262 students who have weekday this year, the submission dead- spent the past four years not lines for the July 5 edition of the Charlton only learning the basics of Villager are being moved up 24 hours. American education, but Rather than Friday afternoon as usual, also exploring trades that the submission deadline for any press have prepared them more releases, letters to the editor, and obitu- than many others to join the aries intended for publication that week work force or pursue higher will be Thursday, June 27 at 4 p.m. As education. always, submissions can be e-mailed to Courtesy Photos Students from Auburn, Editor Brendan Berube at news@stone- Charlton, Dudley, Hannah Abubakar of Southbridge official graduates from Bay Path. bridgepress.news. Leicester, North Brookfield, Please note that any submissions Oxford, Paxton, Rutland, received after 4 p.m. on the 27th will be Southbridge, Spencer, off to their bright futures. plenty of potential. held for publication on July 12. Webster and West Bay Path Superintendent- “Each of (these students) The staff of the Charlton Villager Brookfield all received their Director John Lafleche was is prepared to venture out thanks our readers for their cooperation diplomas at a nearly two- one of the first to speak into the world and pursue with this change in our usual schedule, hour ceremony at the DCU offering compliments to the their dreams and goals,” and wishes the community a safe and Center in Worcester where students and praising them Lafleche said. “Our gradu- happy Fourth of July. several speaks took the before family and friends as stage to see the Class of 2019 an accomplished class with Please Read BAY PATH, page A15 2 •THE CHARLTON VILLAGER• Friday, June 21, 2019 www.StonebridgePress.com School Committee to examine CMS reception issues BY JASON BLEAU of unknown individuals made needed to contact the police. have such limited access to building so you can’t get it VILLAGER CORRESPONDENT a ruckus while students were They had no cell reception to emergency services on school inside the building. You have enjoying themselves in the soft- do so and in order to get to property without the use of 911 to go step outside. It may be CHARLTON – A recent inci- ball fields at the school. Terry just contact the police from was deemed a “valid” concern. that whole area. We may need dent at Charlton Middle School said the matter was brought to down in that lower area they Interim Superintendent Dr. to look into that,” said Nash. has the Dudley-Charlton her because the children tried had to go halfway down the Kristine Nash offered her input Not much else was said on Regional School Committee to do the right thing by call- long driveway. It was brought drawing from an experience the subject but committee concerned about the potential ing authorities but found that to my attention to question or she had with a neighboring members did imply they are limits of communication and difficult due to limited phone understand a little better the school district. taking the matter seriously. how that could impact students signal. cell reception in that area for “I know that in Oxford, we Further recommendations and public safety in the foresee- “I was approached by some safety,” Terry said. had similar issues arise and were charged to the safety sub- able future. parents of children that were Committee members seemed we had to bring in a company committee with the issue to be The incident in question at a softball game down at the to show awareness that to look at that. I think it ended discussed at later school com- was brought up by committee middle school. There were there are areas on the school up having repeater towers put mittee meetings if necessary.