North Brookfield, Brookfield, Leicester and Spencer Vol
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Two vehicles parked behind the William behind one of the four buildings used by Whitco nearby Spencer post office were damaged. Shakespeare Sales on Main Street was intentionally set, “At this point we don’t know if they are according to Spencer’s fire chief. related or not,” Parsons said. “That was also an The April 28 fire in the two-story addition to arson fire.” 138 Main St. (Route 9) “has been ruled to be an Last week’s fire was confined to the addition, arson, an incendiary fire,” Robert Parsons said although Parsons said there was “extensive INSIDE Thursday, May 1. smoke damage” to an adjoining building. “There is no accidental causes that we can The call went to three alarms because Whitco Obituaries ...........B Sect find at this point,” he said later. “There is no is “not the best place for us to be in,” he said. Elisa Krochmalnyckyj photos power to the building. The building hadn’t been The store has a reputation of having narrow Our Towns ........A13, 18 Firefighters from Spencer, Leicester and Paxton responded to used for some time.” aisles that are difficult to walk down. Calendar ............B Sect an April 28 fire at an addition behind one of the buildings used It was not immediately clear whether the fire by Whitco Sales at 138 Main St. (Route 9) in Spencer. Fire was related to an incident at Whitco exactly one Turn To FIRE, page A14 Classroom Corner .. A5-7 Chief Robert Parsons said the fire was intentionally set. Viewpoint ........A8-9, 12 Police Logs............. A16 Sports ...............A10-11 Coughlin Wendemuth Meadow plans to seek LOCAL to face Town Meeting vote recount NORTH BROOKFIELD, LAND TRUST TO APPLY FOR after loss CONSERVATION RESTRICTION BY DAVID DORE NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER by three NORTH BROOKFIELD — A local land trust’s purchase of 30 acres of land off Bates Street in North Brookfield is the first step to prevent the property from being developed. votes The second step comes Friday, May 9, when BY DAVID DORE voters will decide if the Town of North Brookfield NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER should hold a conservation restriction that would Fundraiser ‘kicks’ BROOKFIELD — Selectmen’s preserve it forever. candidate Beth Coughlin will The request is the final item on the 14-article its way into new David Dore photos seek a recount after losing by warrant for a Special Town Meeting that starts venue three votes to incumbent Stephen People check out the new Wendemuth Meadow property in North Comtois II in the May 5 Annual Turn To WENDEMUTH, page A14 Brookfield before a May 3 tour. Page A3 Town Election. When the 664 ballots that were cast were counted, Comtois got LEARNING exactly half the votes (332) and Four vie for two BOS seats in Spencer election Coughlin got 329. There were two BY ELISA KROCHMALNLYCKYJ JONATHON STEHR and I started asking questions, and write-ins and one blank. NEW LEADER CORRESPONDENT I learned a lot,” he said. “I think Town Clerk Michael Seery SPENCER — Four candidates are there are a lot of things the town remarked he had never seen a mar- running for two open seats on the Jonathon Stehr said Spencer is a does really well, and I think there gin that close in Brookfield. Spencer Board of Selectmen at the well-run town, and he’s not looking are things we can do better.” With 2,176 registered voters in May 13 Annual Town Election. The to “fix” it. In fact, Stehr said he only con- town, the 664 ballots equals a turn- term is for three years. He simply thinks that his expe- sidered running because there’s out of 30.5 percent. The two seats are currently held rience and outlook could make the an open seat being vacated by According to state election rules, by Robert O. “Bo” Fritze, who is town even better. Berthiaume so only one incumbent, Seery explained, Coughlin would running for re-election, and Donald Even when he was a teenager, Fritze, is running for re-election. request a recount petition from his Berthiaume, who is vacating the Stehr saw how important it was to “If both of them were running, office. She needs to get the signa- seat and running for state represen- be aware and involved in his gov- and Donnie’s seat weren’t open, tures of 10 registered voters from tative instead. ernment, he said. I wouldn’t even consider it,” he Brookfield and pass the completed Polls will be open from noon to 8 “I couldn’t wait to turn 18 so I said. “But when that seat opened, I could vote,” he said. Local valedictorians to petition in to Seery. Once that’s p.m. at Memorial Town Hall. thought, ‘This is something I could done, he said, he would schedule a Four years ago, when he took a do.’” get free airline tickets job with the town, his interest grew. Turn To RECOUNT, page A14 “I could see what was going on, Turn To ELECTION, page A14 Page A5 SPORTS Hevy, Walter elected as North Brookfield selectmen DEBT EXCLUSION FOR BAY PATH PROJECT PAYMENTS IS REJECTED BY DAVID DORE got 400 votes to win the remaining year of the NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER term of Richard Chabot, who resigned effective NORTH BROOKFIELD — Eric Hevy will be May 5. Hevy bested former Selectman Robert moving from the Finance Committee to the Board Filipkowski (who got 265 votes) and retired nurse of Selectmen, where he will be joining the re-elect- Mary Dolan (who got 148 votes). David Dore photo ed Mary Walter. Residents also decided by a 372-272 margin Voters at the May 5 Annual Town Election not to exempt the town’s payments for the ren- Eric Hevy, left, and Mary Walter, center, are sworn in chose Walter for the available three-year seat over ovation and expansion project at Bay Path as selectmen by North Brookfield Town Clerk Sheila School Committee member and former Selectman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Buzzell shortly after they were announced as the win- Leicester splits trip Jason Petraitis, 429-391. ners of two selectmen’s seats on the May 5 Annual Turn To NORTH BROOKFIELD, A15 to Bartlett, as softball Hevy, chairman of the Finance Committee, page Town Election ballot. wins and baseball falls Page A10 Treasurer/tax collector vacancy brings five candidates BY ELISA KROCHMALNLYCKYJ One thing stands out. “As assistant treasurer, I have to is the residents who come to the OPINION NEW LEADER CORRESPONDENT “The people who come to the win- do all the same things as she does, window. SPENCER — Five candidates are dow — 99 percent of them being won- which are many, many things,” she “I do get to deal with all the peo- GET YOUR competing for the positions of trea- derful — they come first. Because I said. “I have literally done every- ple,” she said. “I treat them as cour- POINT ACROSS surer/tax collector, a position being work for them.” she said. “They are thing.” teously as I can.” PAGE A8-9 vacated by Mary Barrell, during the the ones who pay my salary, and I Electing Lacaire would ensure a One of the things that helps keep May 13 Annual Town Election. never lost sight of that.” smooth transition, she said. residents happy is that they know Polls will be open from noon to 8 Lacaire, a lifelong resident, “It would be very natural for me things are handled fairly, Lacaire POLICE LOGS p.m. at Memorial Town Hall. started working for the town in to move into that job,” she said. “My said. the Water Department, then in the name is on all of the bank accounts. “Everyone is treated the same,” PAGE A16 Utilities and Facilities Department, I am experienced in the software she said. “If you have to pay a late SUSAN LACAIRE then two years ago became assis- system. Not a lot of people use that fee, you know the person in front of In the seven years she has worked tant treasurer. system, unless you have worked for you has to pay a late fee if they are at Town Hall, Assistant Treasurer- Since then, she’s been learning the town.” late, and the person behind you has Collector Susan Lacaire has learned the job straight from Barrell, she Although there are many parts said.