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PRSRT STD PRSRT PAID US POSTAGE #35 PERMIT MA UPTON, 01568 TOWN CRIER UPTON & MENDON, MASSACHUSETTS POSTAL PATRON POSTAL CAR-RT-SORT WS MENDON, MA 01756 February 7, 2020 | Vol. 29 No. 2 | www.TownCrier.us | 508-529-7791 The Upton & Mendon Town Crier Town Mendon & Upton The Inc. Crier Publications, Town Street 48 Mechanic MA 01568 Upton, Est. 1993 • Mailed FREE to all 5,800 addresses in Upton and Mendon Show Wild Birds Early Voting and Absentee Ballots Available in Mendon and Upton Some Love By Michelle Sanford Those residents who are not around for the March 3 Staff Reporter Primary may apply for an absentee ballot. A link to the The Massachusetts Presidential Primary is slated to application can be found at sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/ take place on Tuesday, March 3 and for those who prefer absentee/English-Absentee-Ballot-A. not to chance having to wait in long lines to cast their For those who are not enrolled, make certain to vote, once again early voting has been approved. indicate the preferred ballot. Choices include Republican, In Mendon, early voting will take place on Monday, Democrat, Libertarian, and Green-Rainbow. For those February 24 through Thursday, February 27 from 8 a.m. enrolled in a party, individuals must select that party’s to 4 p.m. in the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall. ballot. All absentee applications must be received in In Upton, early voting will be available in the Town the in the Town Clerk’s office for the voter’s hometown Clerk’s office Monday, February 24 through Friday, by noon on Monday, March 2. Ballots are due back February 28 during office hours, which are Monday, in the hometown Town Clerk’s office by the close of Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday polls on Tuesday March 3. Mendon residents with from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. questions on early voting or absentee ballots should The office is in Town Hall. contact Town Clerk Ellen Agro’s office at 508-473-1085 The last day for all residents to register to vote on Super or email [email protected]. Upton residents Tuesday and/or change one’s political party designation is with questions on early voting or absentee ballots should Wednesday, February 12 at 8 p.m. Residents may register contact Town Clerk Kelly McElreath’s office at 508-529- online and check voter status as well by viewing sec.state. 3565 or email [email protected]. ma.us/OVR/. Override Being Discussed for FY21 School Budget By Melissa Orff overwhelming majority of the money is going to a Staff Reporter small number of districts. “Eighty-five percent of that Mendon Upton Regional school officials warn that this money is going to 35 districts [across Massachusetts],” budget year could look very similar to last year, ending in said Maruszczak. The Mendon Upton Regional School layoffs and program cuts for the district, as initial budgets District is not one of those 35 districts. The FY21 come out from the state. school budget will be presented during the February A Northern Cardinal. Deborah Bifulco/Great Backyard Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Maruszczak 10 School Committee Meeting held at 7 p.m. at the Bird Count photo informed the School Committee during their January Nipmuc Regional High School Professional Development 27 meeting that the Massachusetts House budget was Center (PDC), 2nd floor. “I believe that the district is released the previous week, bringing nothing unexpected at an inflexion point,” said Maruszczak in a follow up Show the wild birds some love by taking part in the to the district’s funding. “Unfortunately, we are in a interview with The Crier on January 30. “What we will 23rd Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This year’s very similar situation that we were in last year,” said be requesting in next year’s budget are not wants – they count begins on Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14, and Maruszczak. “We are one of the minimum aid districts are imperative needs for a district this size.” Maruszczak continues through Monday, February 17. Volunteers from so the additional Chapter 70 aid we will receive is $30 said that just to maintain level services – keeping the around the world count the birds they see for at least 15 per student.” He said $30 per student for Mendon Upton same staffing and programming in place – will bring the minutes on one or more days of the count, and then enter is equal to 0.52 percent, or $65,000, for the FY21 budget. budget over the 2 ½ levy limit for the two towns. In 2015, their checklists at BirdCount.org. Regional Transportation reimbursement also increased, the towns approved a $2.5 million override for the school During the 2019 GBBC, bird watchers from more than but only $20,000 for next year according to Maruszczak. district; Mendon’s share was $1.13 million and Upton’s 100 countries submitted more than 210,000 bird checklists But because of increases to local Charter Schools where was about $1.4 million. “We said that we would be able reporting a record 6,850 species–more than half the known students from Mendon Upton attend, those “minimal” to make that last for 4-5 years,” commented Maruszczak. bird species in the world. increases will be negated. “Every year we do everything we can to find efficiencies To learn more about how to take part in the Great Although the budget traditionally changes as it goes and be as lean as we can possibly be, but given the tax Backyard Bird Count, visit BirdCount.org. from the House to the Senate throughout the budget base and infrastructure of the towns, [a 2 ½ percent The Great Backyard Bird Count is a joint project of the process, Maruszczak told the Committee they should not limit] is not sustainable.” The Budget Subcommittee Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon expect to see any windfalls for next year. has been holding open meetings monthly since Society with partner Birds Canada and is made possible in “We may pick up something modest in [the line item September to present different segments of the budget part by founding sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited. of] Regional School Transportation Reimbursement, to the community in an effort to provide information but I don’t anticipate anything dramatically different for on the budget process. Maruszczak said the meetings Editors Note: See related articles on the GBBC next year,” he said. Maruszczak reminded Committee were “sparsely” attended. The February 10 Budget on pages 6 and 10 of this issue. members that although legislation signed this year Presentation will also be live streamed on YouTube TV for the Student Opportunity Act – an overhaul of the under the Mendon Upton Regional School channel. state’s funding formula for public education – the 2,500 VEHICLES Brand Spankin’ New MSRP: Imperial Toyota of Milford MA $26,198 USED CAR SUPER STORE IN ONE LOCATION 2020 TOYOTA is your USED 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER NEW Retail Price:$39,850 USED 2016 TOYOTA 4RUNNER NEW Retail Price:$39,729 #TP0104V • NAV, SUNROOF, WHOLESALE $ #TP0016 • LIMITED, V6, 4X4, WHOLESALE $ TOYOTA LEASE RETURN HEADQUARTERS CAMRY BACK-UP CAM, 3RD ROW SEATS PRICE: 29,377 BACK-UP CAM, NAV, ALLOYS PRICE: 30,377 #TM20167 PRICED $10,500 UNDER RETAIL PRICE! 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