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Estate on the R al ise Re e! www.hope2own.com 508.943.4333 43 East Main Street Webster, MA 01570 See our ad in the Real Estate Section Mailed free to requesting homes in Webster, Dudley and the Oxfords 508-764-4325 Complimentary to homes by request ONLINE: WWW.WEBSTERTIMES.NET “The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it.” Friday, January 29, 2010 Lending a helping hand Wojnar LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS DOING WHAT THEY CAN FOR HAITI RECOVERY BY JOY RICHARD asks for nations in the Western TIMES STAFF WRITER Hemisphere. From making care packages Over the past two weeks, res- to selling chain links for chari- cue crews from around the ty, local organizations are rais- world have worked around the clock to rescue people trapped override ing money and awareness for residents of Haiti in their time under he bubble of crumbled of need. buildings. On Tuesday, Jan. 12, a severe According to CNN.com, the TAX DOLLARS earthquake struck the island of southern region of the island, Joy Richard photo Haiti, reaching a 7.0 in magni- especially the capitol of Port- WOULD PAY FOR Oxford High School junior and member of the Student Council Brittney Duillotte, 16, tude on the Richter Scale, caus- au-Prince, was affected the senior and Secretary Kaitlyn Corey, 18, junior and President Nicole St. Jean, 16, and ing mass hysteria and destruc- senior and Vice President Chelsea White, 17, pose with their Links to Haiti Chain. tion for one of the poorest Turn To HAITI, page A16 EXTRA OFFICERS BY JOY RICHARD TIMES STAFF WRITER Senior center project coming into focus DUDLEY — With no end in sight to the hard economic times, Dudley Police Chief Steven Wojnar posed a difficult question SITKOWSKI SOLUTION DRAWS PRAISE FROM SENIORS to the Board of Selectmen Monday,Jan. 25. Wojnar approached the board Monday BY JOY RICHARD deductible. to see if they would vote to accept his pro- TIMES STAFF WRITER Giffee said the project began posal to put a $120,000 override question WEBSTER — The status of when NOAH members made onto the upcoming Annual Town Meeting the former A.J Sitkowski the visit to the Sitkowski facili- warrant. Middle School has been in ty and they found the space to The override, Wojnar said, is designed limbo in the minds of town offi- be large enough to accommo- to supplement the cost of hiring two new cials for the last five years, but date the senior center as well as officers. thanks to a recent push for a 62 residents in senior housing. In response to an inquiry from Board of new senior center, a solution “We are excited about this Selectmen Chairman Paul Joseph, Wojnar seems to be on the horizon. project,” said Giffee. “It is great said the $60,000 per officer was inclusive of Town Administrator John building and we were very benefits, adding he hoped the additional McAuliffe said the proposal for happy to be selected by the two people on the force would be a help, a new senior center and afford- town and hope that this [proj- not only in managing the workload for able senior housing came ect] will bring added value [to officers, but also in adding an element of through an organization called the area] and be a part of [the safety that he feels is important for the the Neighborhood of town’s] tool kit to [improving town. Affordable Housing (NOAH) in downtown].” “I know this will 2008. He said the experience Selectman Deborah Keefe, not be a popular was “an example of good work who has been with the project question [to ask for at the local government level,” since the beginning, said the the override],” said said McAuliffe. “This will be a A.J Sitkowski School Wojnar. “We have big improvement for the sen- Development Committee been fortunate to iors.” looked at five different propos- have the chance to McAuliffe said the funding als before making NOAH the apply for and for the project, which is esti- final choice on Jan. 15. receive grants in the mated to cost approximately Courtesy photo Webster Senior Center past but unfortu- $18 million, is coming from the Director Linda Slota said sen- nately we haven’t The new plans for the Webster Senior Center and housing project, which is set to hap- NOAH corporation, and accord- iors at the School Street facility secured enough to pen in the former A.J Sitkowski Middle School on Main Street, can be seen in this ren- Steven Wojnar ing to NOAH Executive are happy to see the plans take get more people.” dering from architectural firm DiMella Shaffer, of Boston. Director Phil Giffee, the compa- shape for the move, but some He said the department is currently 30 ny is now in the process of were at first a bit apprehensive percent below the number of staff they applying to “a variety of [different] sources” “We are just about to ask people for their about the idea. had five years ago, and with the need for for the money. potential interest in the project,” said Giffee. “The seniors here are positive [about the around-the-clock coverage he said it has Giffee said the money for projects like the He said he is hoping to find potential idea],” said Slota. “But at first it was hard to become more difficult to manage the senior center and housing comes from both lenders in the Webster area and that the “public and private” sources. money given for the project would be tax Turn To PROJECT, page A15 Turn To OVERRIDE, page A16 Strong voter turnout sends Brown to D.C. VOWS TO ‘START FRESH’ IN U.S. SENATE BY GUS STEEVES AND JOY RICHARD streaming into speech, the new senator pledged to STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITERS polling places all “start fresh” on reforming health When the American people are day to cast ballots care, propose “across the board tax upset about politics, they turn out that sent cuts for businesses and people,” in droves. Republican State help veterans, and use taxes to “pay That was certainly something Sen. Scott Brown for weapons to stop [terrorists], not last Tuesday’s special election to the U.S. Senate lawyers to defend them.” demonstrated all over the Bay by a 52-47 percent “I got to Washington as the repre- State, despite slick roads and a sky margin over sentative of no faction, no special Scott Brown spitting drizzle and occasional Attorney General interest, answering only to my con- Joy Richard photos snowflakes. Martha Coakley. science and you, the people,” Record numbers of people were In his lengthy, quip-laden victory Webster residents Ray Marchand and Dee Mann hold signs for Republican candidate Turn To BROWN, page A14 Scott Brown on Main Street. Seniors ................. A5 Obituaries ............. B2 LEARNING Learning .............A6-9 Events Calendar ...... B3 MASN ROAD STUDENT SPORTS Viewpoint ............. A10 Real Estate ........Sect.B Sports ..................A12 Legal Notices ..... Sect.B RECEIVE SURPRISE PAGE A12 PAGE A6 INDEX 2010 CHEVY WE ARE YOUR NEW CHEVY DEALER FOR MALIBU OVER $238 month lease SOUTHBRIDGE-WEBSTER 10 0 PUTNAM-WINDHAM 2009 CHEVY SILVERADO PRE-OWNED 0% 72 month ON-LINE KILLINGLY & DAYVILLE ARGILLCHEVY.COMARGILLCHEVY.COM CC 860-928-6591860-928-6591 800-927-6591800-927-6591 2 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, January 29, 2010 www.webstertimes.net School district eyes renovation, rebuilding options ALMANAC BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL whether the district QUOTE OF THE WEEK STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER would build new The Dudley-Charlton Regional School schools or renovate District is moving forward in its quest for them, Gilrein said he “I think [this effort] is renovating or rebuilding two of its prefers renovation. unbelievable … This is what schools. “I think anytime District and Massachusetts School you can renovate we try to make our school Building Authority officials are working to you are better off,” about. When [students] grad- schedule site visits to both Shepherd Hill he said. uate from Oxford High Regional High School in Dudley and the Deciding whether Charlton Elementary School as part of its to issue funding to School we want them to be desire to either rebuild or renovate both the district involves able to look back and see locations, according to MSBA Spokesman not only examining Carrie Sullivan. Her agency oversees state building conditions, that they have made an funding for school building projects. but the effects it has impact on some part of the “We will be looking at the physical condi- on students’ educa- world.” tion of the school facility,” Sullivan said tion. The district’s last week. statements reveal The visit will determine the next step in the need for more - Oxford High School Principal the process, Sullivan said, which could classroom space and Ryan Grannan-Doll photos Kevin Wells, commenting on his students’ participation in raising money for include a feasibility study. repairs in energy The Dudley-Charlton Regional School District is exploring rebuilding or renovat- Citing inadequate classroom space and systems, but the con- ing the Charlton Elementary School pictured here. the Haiti relief effort. physical plant issues, the district in 2006 ditions are not affecting the stu- submitted two statements of interest for none of the above mentioned problems dents. All the while, enrollment is project- state funding for the schools, which the prevent the district from delivering the OPEN TO CLOSE ed to increase. MSBA later placed on hold because other educational programs we are required to For example, Gilrein said the elementary schools across the state had a greater need, deliver,” the school’s statement reads.