Cortese Jumps Into State Rep Race
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Mailed free to requesting homes in Webster, Dudley and the Oxfords 508-764-4325 PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF RELAY FOR LIFE OF THE GREATER SOUTHBRIDGE AREA! Complimentary to homes by request ONLINE: WWW.WEBSTERTIMES.NET Friday, November 29, 2013 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE Cortese jumps “Whatever is rea- sonable is true, and into state rep race whatever is true is reasonable.” DOUGLAS ATTORNEY SECOND DEMOCRAT TO JOIN 18TH Georg W. Hegel WORCESTER BATTLE BY JOY RICHARD TIMES STAFF WRITER INSIDE DOUGLAS — More than a year of having the Seniors ................. A5 thought ruminate in his mind, local attorney David Learning .............A6-7 P. Cortese recently made Viewpoint ............. A8 the choice to run for the 18th Worcester District Sports ..................A18 state representative’s seat. Courtesy photo Obituaries ......Sect.B Cortese sat down with Student Council “elves” take a breakfast break during last year’s Santa Claus Pancake Breakfast Events Calendar ..Sect.B Stonebridge Press last week at Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton. to discuss his candidacy. He Real Estate ........Sect.B is the second Democrat to Legal Notices ..... Sect.B throw his hat into the ring, with Oxford resident and that town’s School Seeing Santa Committee Chairman LOCAL Brenda Ennis announcing her candidacy recently as ANNUAL BREAKFAST/AUCTION well. State Rep. Ryan Fattman, David P. Cortese TO RAISE FUN, FUNDS FOR R-Webster, currently holds the seat. He took on the pending,” said Cortese. FOUNDATION position in 2011 from long- “Eventually it was defeated. time State Rep. Paul It had to do with equipment BY MARK ASHTON 7:30-10:30 a.m., but it’s best Kujawski, who held the seat and other things for the STONEBRIDGE PRESS to be in line for the photo for 17 years. town, police, fire, EMS and STAFF WRITER by 10:15 a.m. “to ensure Cortese said he is excited schools. There was a lot of CHARLTON — It’s all ample time for pictures to start campaigning and is talking about it, a lot of for a good cause. Or a good with Santa.” looking forward to more campaigning, if you will. “Claus,” if you prefer. Tickets for the breakfast conversations with the resi- There didn’t seem to be a lot Saturday, Dec. 7 brings are $5 (children under 5 dents of Webster, Sutton, of input from our state rep- the annual Santa Claus are free), with cash or Douglas and Oxford. resentative. There had been Pancake Breakfast to Bay checks accepted. All pro- “Probably the thing that from our senator. A lot of Path Regional Vocational ceeds from the breakfast tipped me the most [was] people brought that up. The Technical High School, and raffles benefit the Bay Courtesy photo last Good Friday in April, I feedback I have gotten has along with a Silent Path Education S. Claus (the real thing!) poses was at a church event with all been 100 percent posi- ‘Sparkling trees’ Auction (raffles) and Free Foundation, according to for one of hundreds of photos at a number of people from tive. I look forward to run- shine for a cause Photographs with Santa. least year’s breakfast with area the community and there The breakfast runs from Please Read BREAKFAST, page A12 children. was an override in Douglas Please Read CORTESE, page A12 Page A3 LEARNING Fundraising Author-ized version folly MANDI LYNN LEARNS ALL KUJAWSKI FRUSTRATES LIBRARY ABOUT TRUSTEES WITH FAILED MISSION SELF-PUBLISHING BY JOY RICHARD According to BY DOING TIMES STAFF WRITER Library Director WEBSTER — Amanda Greiner, BY MARK ASHTON After 11 months as the money used STONEBRIDGE a paid fundraiser to pay the former PRESS STAFF WRITER for the Chester C. representative CHARLTON — OMS names students Corbin Public came from a “Anyone can get self-pub- Library, a former donations lished,” says first-time of the month state representa- account the author Mandi Lynn of tive is said to have library uses for Webster. “Getting people Page A6 failed to bring in such projects. to actually buy your any money for the She said the book is another thing.” Paul Kujawski possible building salary was not In fact, it’s the main SPORTS project. taxpayer funded. thing, as far as this According to library With the library project “Teen Author and officials, former State Rep. more than a decade in, and Vlogger” is concerned. Paul Kujawski, of the state moving the (A “vlogger,” by the way, Webster, who was revamp effort to the top of is a blogger with video, employed as a fundraiser its list earlier this year, the and being one is just one through the Corbin next step for trustees was more element of this library last year, fell short fundraising part of the teen author’s creden- of trustees’ expectations, overall cost. tials, which outpace bringing in no money for Grenier said during an many an adult author’s the project. interview earlier this year creds by far.) According to library that while the state will be Mark Ashton photos Mandi Lynn is the trustees, Kujawski was reimbursing the town half Mandi Lynn Strzelewicz of Webster, a senior at Bay Path nom de plume (or nom de paid approximately $3,000 of the projected $11 mil- Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton, uses the keyboard) for Mandi Pioneers beat per month, and had a 12- lion, the library wanted to pen name Mandi Lynn when writing young adult paranormal fic- month contract, which he tion. Please Read AUTHOR, page A14 Bartlett in annual only fulfilled 11 months of. Please Read KUJAWSKI, page A12 Chicken Bowl Page A10 World Café brings municipal, school officials together OPINION BY JOY RICHARD ty members from all walks departments. He said he was thrilled at ent opinions going on at all GET YOUR TIMES STAFF WRITER of life came together at Dudley-Charlton the participation and was of the tables.” POINT ACROSS DUDLEY — Community Dudley Middle School for a Regional School District glad to see how many peo- Gilrein said the one thing participation brought World Café — a roundtable Superintendent Sean ple wanted to share their that stood out to him and PAGE A10 together minds from both event to discuss how the Gilrein said there were opinions with the district. many other people in atten- Dudley and Charlton to school can improve its tech- approximately 70 people at “This was an opportuni- dance was the amount of work on the financial needs nological deficiencies and the salon-style event. He ty for us to bring in a cross- participation and passion of the school district. other budgetary needs said this included police, section of the communi- from the current and for- For one afternoon on without depleting the fire, town workers, parents, ties,” Gilrein said last mer students at the meet- Saturday, Nov. 9, communi- resources of municipal students and alumni. week. “There were differ- Please Read SCHOOL, page A14 2 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, November 29, 2013 www.webstertimes.net Board votes not to oppose pot cultivation site BY JOY RICHARD Selectmen voiced not only their concerns 2014. pensary at the cultivation site,” said TIMES STAFF WRITER about the project, but with the fast Keefe also added that she was “con- Starzec. “What if there were the possibility WEBSTER — With only a few days to approach that MMTC Boston took in bring- cerned” that there was no specific “finan- of this organization petitioning the state to mull over the idea, selectmen voted last ing it to them. The turnaround time was cial plan,” meaning how the money would open a separate dispensary owned by you week in non-opposition for a potential mar- only three days from the Monday, Nov. 18 support or benefit the town. in town. Is that a possibility? Or even ijuana grow facility. board meeting to that Wednesday when the “What I don’t see here is a five-year legal?” In a 3-1-1 vote taken during a special vote was taken. plan,” said Keefe. “What type of timeline Kokocinski said while the option is legal selectmen’s meeting Wednesday, Nov. 20, at Questions from the board included look- and what type of contract would you be it is “not in their plans.” Webster Town Hall, selectmen made the ing into the background of the manage- looking for.” choice to not completely support the idea of ment team of MMTC, which included CEO O’Shea said the reason they didn’t have a Joy Richard may be reached at 508-909- the cultivation facility,and grant them non- and Executive Director Paul O’Shea, CEO full budget ready is that it was “proprietary 4129 or by email at jrichard@stonebridge- opposition. Selectmen Jeffrey Duggan was and Executive Director Gregg Stone and information.” press.com. not present for the meeting. Security Director William Kokocinski, all He added that it was a “competitive appli- What this means for Webster is that the of whom were present during the cation, and they did not feel comfortable in proprietors of MMTC Boston now have the Wednesday meeting. sharing those numbers publicly.” clearance to continue the research into a Board Chairman Deborah Keefe also O’Shea also didn’t want to project an ALMANAC possible medical marijuana facility, which questioned the fact that there is currently a exact number that would be coming back to would be located at 30 Worcester Road. moratorium, which was voted in by resi- the community, because the group didn’t QUOTE OF THE WEEK This site is directly behind the new Price dents as a zoning bylaw during the May feel comfortable predicting how much busi- Chopper complex, which was once the Town Meeting.