(978) 297-0050 • www.winchendoncourier.com FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014 Newsstand: 75 cents Harris Selectmen seek criminal complaint tapped against dog owner BY GREG VINE his dog had not bitten anyone to fill COURIER CORRESPONDENT else and was unlikely to do WINCHENDON — so again. Following the hear- Selectmen voted unanimously ing, selectmen determined Monday night to seek a crim- Sergeant should be confined Greg Vine photo inal complaint against Corey to Goodwin’s property and Danielle Hart, at left, and Dawn Harris, listen to questions Goodwin of 15 Cedar St. The would have to be muzzled any vacancy before Harris was appointed to the vacant seat on the School board alleges that Goodwin time he left the premises. Committee at Monday night’s joint meeting. lied during a public hearing Despite Goodwin’s state- on his pit bull, Sergeant. ment on June 9 his dog had BY GREG VINE That, she said, is when she decided to get Selectman Fedor Berndt not bitten anyone else, the COURIER CORRESPONDENT more involved in her children’s schools. made the motion to seek crim- board learned shortly after the hearing Sergeant had WINCHENDON — The School Committee “I see this as an opportunity to do what I can inal charges against Goodwin allegedly bitten a four-year- has a full contingent of five members fol- to help make the schools better,” Hart said. after Town Manager James old in the face sometime in lowing Monday night’s vote by the Board of “I’d also like to let other parents know what Kreidler informed the board 2013. Upon learning of this Selectmen and School Committee to appoint good things the schools are doing.” its decision to have Sergeant incident (Goodwin claimed Dawn Harris to the seat vacated by former Hart had been a pre-school volunteer and euthanized was overturned by his dog merely snapped at the member Christopher MacDonald. later worked as a part-time paraprofessional a clerk magistrate. While the child) selectmen voted at their With four members of each panel present for until her position was cut during a round of magistrate agreed with the June 23 meeting to have the the joint meeting, Harris received four votes layoffs. board’s opinion the dog is dan- dog euthanized. while Danielle Hart garnered three. Selectman Harris told the combined committees she gerous, it was decided to order Goodwin decided to fight Elizabeth Hunt voted “present.” Selectman has lived in Winchendon since 2006 and only that the dog be required the board’s decision. On Keith Barrows was unable to attend the meet- became in the Murdock Boosters Club in 2009, to wear a muzzle when off Monday, the town learned the ing. before either of her two children had entered Goodwin’s property. clerk magistrate had decided Before the voting, selectmen and school com- high school. She also has been a member of the During a public hearing against having the dog euth- mittee members first heard from Hart, who Murdock High School Council. on June 9, it was determined anized, instead imposing said she has three children in Winchendon “That’s when I became interested in the Sergeant had killed a smaller the restrictions set forth by schools; one each at Memorial, Toy Town and school committee,” she said. “I became very dog and bitten the dog’s owner. selectmen following the pub- Murdock Middle School. She added that when interested in helping and learning what things There were several other com- lic hearing on June 9. a job opportunity for her husband arose in might be done better.” plaints that the dog had exhib- “This was not a good situ- Minnesota, her children were adamant that Harris also said she’d like to get more of the ited aggressive behavior. Goodwin stated under oath they wanted to stay with their friends in the Turn To COMPLAINT page A11 Winchendon school system. Turn To HARRIS page A11 Livingston walks quietly to make a difference BY JERRY CARTON COURIER CORRESPONDENT When the annual Jimmy Fund walk steps off next Sunday, Sept. 21, Winchendon police chief Scott Livingston will again be among those par- ticipating, noting that cancer “hits home” when you know people afflicted by the disease. Citing Dudley chief Steve Wagner as a friend who’s bat- tling the illness, Livingston said he’s looking forward to joining perhaps as many as Keith Kent photo 8,500 others in raising money Owner David Smith holding a gold medal and awarding winning Leyden for the Dana Farber Cancer with cumin, and head cheese maker Ryan Randell holding the other gold Institute. medal and the awarding winning Gouda with fenugreek. Seen in the back Livingston pointed out ground is a tank holding 12,000 pounds of milk in the process of being the Jimmy Fund walk is turned into a large batch of creamy Gouda cheese. The make room at the primary charity of the Smith’s Country Cheese is lined with windows so customers and patrons Massachusetts Chiefs of Police alike can watch while the cheese is being made. Association and proudly noted that it’s the chiefs from cen- tral Massachusetts that tend to show up in the greatest num- Bringing home gold: bers. “I look forward to this” every year, said Livingston. Unlike the Boston Marathon, the Jimmy Fund walk offers Smith’s wins honors four different routes: the full 26.2 mile course that By Keith Kent This allows not only for the begins with a rolling start in Special to the Courier closest inspection and moni- Hopkinton, a 13.1 mile trek WINCHENDON — Smith’s toring of milk, but means the (that’s the one Livingston will Country Cheese has been on cheese is made from the fresh- do) starting in Wellesley, a quite a roll over the last few est milk possible. The milk Courtesy photos five-miler beginning at Boston years. Hot off the trail of try- is taken directly from cows Chief Scott Livingston, at center with arms folded, waits for the start of last ing to follow up last year’s at Otter River Farm, which year’s event. success at national judging Smith purchased in 1969, via a Turn To LIVINGSTON page A11 venues where the Smith fam- large milk tank on wheels and ily won no less than five med- is immediately transferred to als, the local dairy announced the on site “make room” just in early it won two addition- up the hill at Smith’s Country Payroll confusion being corrected al gold medals at the Los Cheese, where all of the magic Angeles International Dairy that makes it a true artisan BY TRACY GAMBILL Competition in the categories cheese begins. COURIER CORRESPONDENT of Gouda with fenugreek and Known for their specialty WINCHENDON — To err is human. That is what occurred last week when the Winchendon Leyden with cumin. line of Gouda cheese, which is school district attempted to process the first payroll of the 2014-15 school year. Some of the staff, Since opening for business a Holland style of Dutch yel- numbering over 200, did not get paid on Thursday and some people who no longer work for the in 1985, Smith’s Country low cheese made of cow’s milk district received a paycheck. Cheese and its owners David and named after the city of The payroll specialist caught the error last Wednesday night and reported it to the superin- and Carole Smith have always Gouda in the Netherlands, its tendent’s office at 8 a.m. the next morning. By 9 a.m. Thursday, the problem had been related taken pride in knowing their roots can be traced as far back to the town accountant’s office which provides payroll services for school employees based on various artisan cheeses as the middle ages. Today information from the district. The bank was notified and appropriate adjustments were made. were “farmstead cheeses.” Gouda is one of the most pop- When asked what had happened, Superintendent Dr. Salah Khelfaoui stated, “It was really Farmstead means the milk the ular cheeses on a global scale, nothing, just a glitch in the system. Within two hours it was cleared up.” cheese is made from comes from their own dairy herd. Turn To SMITH page A11 SPORTS WEEKLY QUOTE LOCAL “First learn the MWCC instructor Young field receives online hockey team meaning of what you distinction award seeking goals say, and then speak.” PAGE A2 6 5652510431 2 PAGE A8 Epictetus 2 WINCHENDON COURIER Courtesy photo Mount Wachusett Community College Upward Bound Math and Science Director Angele Goss and State Rep. Jon Zlotnick were joined by this year’s Upward Bound math and science students during the program’s recent summer celebration. Upward Bound math and science marks 50th TRIO anniversary REGION — Dozens of Bound Math Science and tional and career build- the program is to prepare math based cultural/aca- workshops. area high school students the North Central Mass ing workshops. They also high school students for demic enrichment oppor- Freshmen and soph- from Gardner, Athol and Talent Search program, learned languages from postsecondary educa- tunities, hands-on labo- omores have access Winchendon were recent- both offered through Rosetta Stone, includ- tion programs that lead ratory activities; STEM- to state-mandated test ly recognized for aca- MWCC’s Division of ing Spanish, Korean, to careers in the fields based field trip, lectures preparation and a career demic success in Mount Access and Transition. Mandarin and Italian, of math and science. The and other activities. fair and roundtable, while Wachusett Community “We build a small sup- and participated in com- program provides a com- The students also juniors and seniors have College’s Upward Bound portive community that munity service projects.