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Conveniently Located On Route 9 • (Corner of Greenville St. & Main St.) 284 Main St., Spencer 508-885-5511 We Guarantee Quality & Will Not Be Undersold Mailed free to requesting homes in East Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Brookfield, Leicester and Spencer Vol. XXXVI, No. 16 COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.SPENCERNEWLEADER.COM Friday, April 17, 2015 THIS WEEK’S ‘The Long Journey Home’ takes QUOTE local author to Leicester “Real glory springs from the silent conquest LONDERGAN TO HOST WRITING WORKSHOP AT LIBRARY of ourselves.” BY KEVIN FLANDERS 6-7:30 p.m., the event will feature available for purchase and sign- Joseph P. Thompson NEWS STAFF WRITER a discussion about Londergan’s ing. LEICESTER — Local author Ed new novel, “The Long Journey Released in December 2014, Londergan will discuss his second Home,” a sequel to “The Devil’s “The Long Journey Home” con- EDITOR’S novel in a series next month at Elbow.” Londergan is looking for- tinues the story of Jack and Leicester Public Library, kicking ward to answering guests’ ques- Becky Parker as they strive to OFFICE HOURS off May with a presentation and tions about his novel, as well as Ed Londergan also a writing workshop. the writing and publishing pro- Turn To AUTHOR, A13 MONDAYS 12-5 page Set for Thursday, May 7, from cess. Copies of the book will be WEDNESDAYS 1-5 FRIDAYS 1-5 INSIDE DPH: Air quality OK Obituaries .................B2 Our Towns ................B4 at LSS to finish year Calendar ..................B5 BY KEVIN FLANDERS Health’s Bureau of Environmental Classroom Corner ....... A NEWS STAFF WRITER Health. On April 3, Feeney conducted an Viewpoint .............. A8-9 SPENCER — Air quality at the immi- inspection of Lake Street School, which Police Logs................. A nently closing Lake Street Elementary district officials recently announced Kevin Flanders photos Sports ........................ A School dominated the agenda at last would be closed indefinitely after the David Prouty High School National Honor Society Tuesday’s (April 7) Spencer-East school year. inductees take the stage during the annual ceremony LOCAL Brookfield Regional School Committee Feeney’s findings confirmed that, last Thursday at the school. meeting. while the school’s ventilation systems Dozens of parents and teachers packed are outdated and in need of repairs, the auditorium at Wire Village School to students and staff will not be exposed hear a report from Michael Feeney, of Scholarship, the Massachusetts Department of Public Turn To LAKE ST, page A13 service, leadership A NIGHT OUT WITH DAD and character ‘The best food STUDENTS INDUCTED INTO you’ve ever had’ Page A3 NHS AT DAVID PROUTY BY KEVIN FLANDERS NEWS STAFF WRITER SPENCER — Several David Prouty High School students began their National Honor Society OPINION journeys last Thursday, April 9, when the school GET YOUR held its annual NHS induction ceremony. The event included speeches from guest speak- Kevin Flanders photos POINT ACROSS er Senator Anne Gobi (DPHS Class of 1980), as PAGE A8-9 well as Principal David Bachant. The DPHS EAST BROOKFIELD — Fathers and daughters arrived at the East Brookfield Concert Band performed in advance of the cer- POLICE LOGS Elementary School last Friday, April 10, dressed for success, as the second emony, which also featured a poem and candle annual Father Daughter Dance was held. Pictured, Sean Hayes looks on as his lighting. PAGE AX stepdaughter, Kaya Chiavaroli, gets her nails done. For more photos, turn to page A9! Turn To DPHS, page A14 2 SPENCER NEW LEADER • Friday, April 17, 2015 PD Building Committee sends $1.256M bid to selectmen BY KEVIN FLANDERS Selectmen, this time with a few adjust- after describing the bid results as unac- building committee members. “There’s NEWS STAFF WRITER ments to the language of the motion. ceptable, recommended that the archi- no way that I could sleep at night vot- BROOKFIELD — The Police Station The latest motion was to present the tect, Brian Humes, of Jacunski-Humes ing to move this forward at over $1.6 Building Committee voted unanimous- contract to selectmen for $1.256 million, Architects in Berlin, Conn., redesign million.” ly last Wednesday night, April 8, to with the understanding that the sally the project to trim costs. Time constraints have increased send the lowest general contractor port and all value engineering options At the April 8 Building Committee urgency for everyone involved in the bid of $1,256,000 back to the Board of are on the table to ensure the project meeting, members initially discussed a project, as the town’s lease for its cur- comes in under motion to redesign the project. Several rent police station building at 3 Post budget. options to reduce costs were reviewed, Road is set to expire in August. The When Building including removing the sally port from current police station has limited space Committee the building’s plans. Ultimately, mem- for operations and storage, no locker Chairman bers were not convinced that most rooms, and minimal security. Police Bill Simpson alterations to the design would signifi- Chief Michael Blanchard and his staff addressed select- cantly diminish costs from their cur- are eager to move into the brand new men two weeks rent estimates. Additionally, there were facility to be located at 7 Prouty St. ago, they weren’t concerns that a redesign phase would Simpson announced that he would pleased by the cause delays and push the completion attend the April 14 selectmen’s meeting results from the of the project back until winter. and present his committee’s vote for 8x7-9x7 Steel Liftmaster 1/2 hp bidding phase. “The motion is to go back to a com- consideration. He was optimistic head- 2 Sided Insulated Chain Drive Selectmen wound plete redesign. My concern with that is ing into the meeting, as more defini- Garage Door up rejecting the there is not a lot of space we’re going to tive budget numbers came in late last lowest general be able to cut out of this building and week from the Highway Department r-value 9.65 Inc, standard hardware & 7ft Opener track, 8 color & 3 panel design options contractor bid for still have a functional police station,” pertaining to site work. Simpson said $270 the town’s new Simpson said of the original motion. initial projections for site work had inc Installation police station that “My second concern is that we’ll lose been about $200,000, but the most recent $570 price matching available on all written quotes inc Installation night, refusing three months to go back out to bid, estimates are in the $85,000 range. to sign the con- which puts us in the winter of next “We have no intention of going over tract. Selectman year.” $1.6 million [for the entire project],” Nicholas Thomo, Selectmen were present at the Simpson said in an interview. “I believe Building Committee meeting, and they we can come in under $1.6 million even weren’t shy about voicing their opin- without value engineering options.” ions on several matters. “I haven’t seen anything this evening Kevin Flanders can be reached at that’s changed my mind from last week 508-909-4140, or by e-mail at kflanders@ when I sat here,” Board of Selectmen stonebridgepress.com. Chairman Stephen Comtois II told Upcoming concert celebrates the end of WWII SPENCER — The Spencer American is in constant demand throughout the Legion Post #138 and the Spencer country for her beautiful voice, warm Cultural Council have come together personality, and variety of programs and are pleased to announce the forth- of many themes. A favorite in resorts, coming appearance of singing star Ruth she recently returned from a successful Harcovitz, Ms. Bay State, in her pro- singing tour in Florida. gram, “Songs of World War II,” celebrat- The program will take place on ing the seventieth anniversary of the Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the First end of the Second World War. Congregational Church of Spencer, and The show commemorates the end of is open to the community and free of the Second World War in May 1945, a charge. All senior citizens, members of time when the world was new, hearts the Spencer American Legion, and the were young, and life was free once again.