Brookfield Elementary School
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Mailed free to requesting homes in East Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Brookfield, Leicester and Spencer Vol. XXXV, No. 20 PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF RELAY FOR LIFE OF THE GREATER SOUTHBRIDGE AREA! Complimentary to homes by request ONLINE: WWW.SPENCERNEWLEADER.COM Friday, May 27, 2011 Going Green Cirba to step down from school board DEAL DEPENDS ON UNION DROPPING COMPLAINT BY DAVID DORE NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER SPENCER — Robert Cirba has agreed to resign from the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School Committee in exchange for the teachers’ union dropping a prohibited practice complaint against Cirba and the board. Spencer-East Brookfield Teachers Association President Mark James said Monday, May 23 he signed an agreement, which was dropped off that afternoon at Cirba’s Spencer home for his signa- ture. The agreement states the union and the Mark James Massachusetts Teachers Association would ask that the complaint they filed in February with the state Department of Labor Relations be dismissed if Cirba steps down. Cirba said Monday he would sign the agreement and give it to School Committee Chairman Matthew McCarthy Tuesday,May 24, after the New Leader’s press deadline. The reason for the delay, Cirba explained, is because he was asked to stay on the school board until a new contract with janitors is completed. “It’ll be official as soon as negotiations are done David Dore photos tomorrow night,” Cirba said. Robert Cirba “If he follows through with his resignation, the WEST BROOKFIELD — Residents flocked to the West charges will be dropped against him and the School Committee,” James Brookfield Town Common Saturday, May 21 for the ninth said. annual Asparagus and Flower Heritage Festival. Cirba was elected to the school board in May of last year. Turn To CIRBA page A15 ABOVE, Sisters Hilde, left, and Maari Axelson show off the face art they got at the West Brookfield Cultural Council’s face painting booth. LEFT, Maeve Ashworth, 7, of West Brookfield holds her Run your socks off at frog, Bob. For the second consecutive year, she was named the grand champion of the frog-jumping contest. For more photos, turn to page A9! fifth annual festival BY ELISA KROCHMALNYCKYJ NEW LEADER CORRESPONDENT STURBRIDGE — Just in case delectable food, live music, games and raffle prizes that knock your socks off isn’t enough, Socks for Siberia has added another compo- nent to its festival, which will be held Saturday, June 11 at Hyland Orchard. This year, to celebrate the fifth Anonymous donation kick starts capital campaign annual festival, there will be a “Run Your Socks Off” 5K race and 1-mile BY DAVID DORE “This was from a very reputable $4.2 million construction grant fun run and walk through trails the NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER law firm in Boston,” Library from the Massachusetts Board of morning of the race, said Michele LEICESTER — The capital cam- Trustees Chairman Donald Cherry Library Commissioners. A decision Connor of Brookfield, who along paign to expand and renovate the Sr. told the Board of Selectmen last is expected in the next few months. with her husband, Wally, helps Leicester Public Library has week. “We’re not even divulging the Library Trustees Treasurer organize the event. Race day regis- Courtesy photo received a welcome — and unex- name of the law firm.” Ernestine Cherry told selectmen tration starts at 9 a.m., followed by A boy enjoys a quick game of basketball pected — boost. He said the donor is “a very the hope is to raise enough money the runs and walk at 10 a.m. during the Connors’ 2009 trip to Siberia. According to a letter the Library famous writer. The name is anony- through the capital campaign so “We’re kicking it up a notch, to Trustees got last month from a law mous.” “we wouldn’t have to come for a celebrate the fifth year of the festi- firm in Boston, a Massachusetts The Library Trustees have start- debt exclusion or anything like val,” she said, adding that the resident is pledging $2 million, to ed their campaign to raise at least that.” Tantasqua Regional High School eating contest, old-fashioned sack be given in three equal install- $3 million to defray the cost of the The trustees are working with track team will be laying out the races, face painting and all the typ- ments. The person is “overjoyed” to expansion and renovation plans, Coogan Associates of Auburn, led trail for the race. ical festival food. be helping out with the effort, the which total about $8 million. At the festival, which runs from Topping this year’s raffle prizes letter stated. Earlier this year they applied for a Turn To LIBRARY page A14 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., there will be a pie- Turn To SOCKS page A16 Preventing cancer, one mile at a time SURVIVOR, DAUGHTER TO DO SECOND AGAINST THE TIDE EVENT BY DAVID DORE Coalition. choice of events was simple. They NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER It consists of a 1-mile recreation- picked three of their favorite activ- BROOKFIELD — Sandra Clarke al or competitive swim, 2-mile ities: kayaking, recreational swim- and Colleen Bottcher came up with kayak, 3-mile fitness walk and 5- ming and walking. a unique way to both mark Clarke’s kilometer (3.1-mile) run. “We chose to make a little moth- birthday and have some mother- Participants choose which one, two er/daughter getaway out of it and daughter time. or three events they want to do, as participated in the event in Their idea, which came to well as when and where they want Brewster in August,” Clarke said. fruition last August, was to travel to do it: at Hopkinton State Park in “It was a celebration of my David Dore photo to Cape Cod and participate in June or at Nickerson State Park in approaching age 60 and being an 18- Sandra Clarke, right, of Brookfield and her daughter, Colleen Bottcher of Spencer, “Against the Tide,” a fundraiser for Brewster in August. year breast cancer survivor. It was pose with the kayaks they will use to train for “Against the Tide,” a fundraiser for the Massachusetts Breast Cancer For Clarke and Bottcher, the Turn To PREVENTION A15 the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition they will do in August on Cape Cod. page INSIDE THE NEW LEADER ON PAGE AXA2 ONON PAGEPAGE A10AX Calendar......................B3Calendar......................B5 OurPolice Towns.............B Logs....................A Sect. ClassroomClassroom Corner Corner..........A6...........A PolicePublic Logs Meetings ................A14 .............A Durantxxxxxx to stay District xxxxxxxxE Class Meets LocalObituaries ........................A2-3....................B2 Sports...................A10-11Sports ...........................A ObituariesOur Towns....................B4....................B2 ViewpointViewpoint.....................A8 ..................A8-9 2 SPENCER NEW LEADER • Friday, May 27, 2011 Durant says he’ll stay on Board of Selectmen BY DAVID DORE ent candidates Peter Boria and bought or sold within 30 days of DVDs and coins because they need years, with an increase in his NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER Robert Cirba. The special election purchase. All second-hand items the money right away. By keeping hourly rate from $150 to $160. SPENCER — The state’s newest was needed after a judge declared must be tracked in a book along the item at least 30 days, he said, According to officials, it is the first state representative, Peter Durant, the November contest between with “all distinguishing marks and “we have to pay less. That’s just time his rate has gone up in seven said earlier this week he would stay Durant and Alicea a tie. numbers,” the purchase price, the going to hurt them. I don’t consider years. on the Board of Selectmen until he Durant also said he would send a date and time of the transaction, us a junk shop.” • Heard from Pepe and or his colleagues feel he can no letter to Town Clerk Jean Mulhall and the name and residence of the He and Joel Harris said they are Berthiaume that plans are in the longer effectively do the job. stating he is declining his $1,000 person selling the items. The police putting in safeguards to lessen the works for a memorial to former “At this time I will say that my annual salary as a selectman while chief, or someone the chief desig- chance of a stolen item being Selectman Seth Fancher, who died intention is not to become a burden he is also on Beacon Hill. nates, has the right to look at the bought or sold. For example, they last month after a yearlong battle to this board,” Durant announced “I think it’s only fair I don’t take book at any time. The seller must document as much as they can with cancer. A granite bench with at the May 23 selectmen’s meeting. any pay as I continue on the board,” provide identification (with a about an item and refuse to buy Fancher’s name in it might be “I certainly want to continue.” he explained. “I don’t think it’s photo) and be at least 18 years old. electronic items such as iPods if installed near a body of water in “At this time, we’re just going to proper.” Sellers who are not properly they do not also include a charger. town, but one or both locations play it by ear and see what hap- According to the Boston Herald’s licensed or violate the bylaw would “We’ve cooperated with the being considered might be owned pens,” he later told the Spencer online state payroll database, the face a fine of $300 per day, or per police,” Joel Harris said, “but I by the state.