Mailed free to requesting homes in Charlton, Charlton City and Charlton Depot Vol. V, No. 14 PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF RELAY FOR LIFE OF THE GREATER SOUTHBRIDGE AREA! COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.CHARLTONVILLAGER.COM “A man's feet should be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world.” Friday, April 8, 2011 Alicea ‘proud’ of last four years need.” The INCUMBENT READY House and Senate have FOR PRIMARY loosely agreed that latter figure Gus Steeves photos FACE-OFF WITH is somewhere Neighbors and members of Charlton’s American Legion post salute Capt. Mike Mullaly as he drives by en route to his flight around $20.5 bil- to Iraq. The operating room nurse is going there for his second tour of duty to help conclude U.S. operations there. POWELL lion, he said, with fiscal 2012 BY GUS STEEVES being “the worst STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER budget we’ll be Geraldo Alicea facing.” Soldier gets heartwarming send-off To incumbent 6th Worcester “Massachusetts was the last to Democrat Geraldo Alicea, the cur- get into the recession and is the rent fiscal situation is a time for third or fourth to get out of it,” he LEGION, NEIGHBORS UNITE AS CHARLTONIAN HEADS TO IRAQ people, especially in government, said, noting the economy is a “to make tough choices.” “national crisis.” It will, however, BY GUS STEEVES In commemoration, the local ernment, they’ll be out by 2012.” That, in a nutshell, is how he still take time to get back to the VILLAGER STAFF WRITER branch of the American Legion Christine Mullaly, Mike’s wife, defends some of the votes, particu- heights of 2007, but he said he’s CHARLTON — Most of the time, and several neighbors gathered agreed. Although he technically larly supporting alcohol and sales “proud” of his efforts to promote Mike Mullaly doesn’t get the kind down the street from his Priscilla has a 400-day tour (like his previ- taxes, for which he has been criti- turn-around while keeping “bare of sendoff to his job he received on Drive home to salute him as he ous one May 2007-July 2008), she cized in recent months. bones services that are a necessi- March 30. drove by. said he’s going there because the “You can’t have it both ways. You ty” going. Of course, usually he’s just been “We’re proud. He never ques- Army needs to maintain a certain can’t have local aid without some Alicea said he hopes voters in going to Worcester. On that date, tioned or felt bad about going number of medical people kind of revenue,” he observed. “... Southbridge, Charlton, East however, he was heading for a over,” said neighbor Chuck Fagan. throughout the pullout process. No one wants to increase taxes, Brookfield and parts of Oxford and flight back to Iraq for his second “… He’s hoping [to return by] Mike’s an operating room regis- and once our economy starts turn- Spencer send him back to the tour of duty as a captain in the Christmas; he thinks it’ll be tered nurse in the 9-12 Forward ing around, we’re willing to look at House of Representatives for a Army Reserves. Christmas. According to the gov- bringing it back down.” third term in this spring’s special Turn To SEND-OFF page A16 He’s referring mostly to the sales election. First, though, he has a tax hike, which he argues has hurdle to clear — the Democratic returned about $2 million to 6th Primary on April 12, in which he Worcester towns in various ways faces a challenge from fellow that “help keep the lights on.” Charlton resident Joanne Powell. Four vying for one-year D-C school board post Although state reports claim the Like almost everyone, Alicea economy is improving — Alicea notes the state needs to create more BY GUS STEEVES bring her 18-year business man- said revenues are “$800 million jobs, but to him the tax incentives VILLAGER STAFF WRITER agement background. above benchmark” — there’s still a and other programs need to come CHARLTON — On this “One of the strengths I have is good climb to go — he argues year’s town election ballot, networking, talking to people and “they’re $1.5 billion shy of what we Turn To ALICEA page A11 the most complex race was trying to build relationships for the one that developed at the all parties involved,” she said. last minute. “The times ahead are challenging Within the last week, four for all of us. [The budget is] tough people returned papers for a to look at, and I don’t think there’s ‘Building coalitions’ one-year seat on the Dudley- any magic response to that.” Charlton Regional School Like Evans, she hopes to Committee, setting up a con- improve communication, but she test that had, to that point, specifically aims at using the name of Powell’s game featured nobody. They Internet and other technology to range from recent high “help parents educate their chil- Joshua Evans Deborah Marquis school graduate Joshua dren at home.” For example, she CHALLENGER things — her long-time service to Evans to retired long-time said she noticed her second-grad- the community in various ways and create a permanent technology and her objections to various teacher Deborah Marquis, with local subcommittee. For the former, Evans er is learning math in a completely LOOKING TO UNSEAT business owner Elaine Rabbitt and different way from how she did so, things she claims Alicea has done. said he noticed that few Charlton “My whole adult life has been Robert O’Brien rounding out the people attend the district committee and she didn’t know how to approach INCUMBENT ALICEA field. helping him with homework. service, service, service,” she said. meetings while few district people BY GUS STEEVES “I’ve been extremely fortunate and As the first one to take out papers, attend Charlton town board meet- Marquis knows a lot about home- VILLAGER STAFF WRITER Evans said he expects it to be “a fun work, having retired less than two want to give back. State rep is the ings. For the latter, he said he’d like CHARLTON — Back in 2006, next step.” race.” to “invest in new technology” and years ago from 35 years as an elemen- tary school teacher in Spencer. She Joanne Powell Specifically, Powell spent seven “I embrace the fact I was in the explore ways to get “freeware” wanted the 6th school district more recently than notes that taking the plunge into the years on the Dudley-Charlton online to save money and “extend the Worcester School Committee, 10 years in com- somebody who’s now on the board,” lives of the computers they want to school committee means looking at the same kinds of issues from a dif- District House munity outreach for the district he said. “If [people] think I’m too upgrade.” ferent perspective — in the past, seat, and now attorney’s office and a similar young, I’ll just have to show them “I’m a bit of a geek” and want to she’d focus on how something would she’s trying tenure at the state Department of otherwise.” bring that technology interest to the affect her class or school, but now the again. Revenue. In those places, she said, He has two key goals for the short committee, Evans said. need is to see it from a larger policy To her, the she spent a lot of her time “build- term — improve communications Rabbitt, by contrast, wants to issues are essen- between the towns and the district Turn To SCHOOL BOARD page A11 ing coalitions and groups to get tially the same, something done.” “and all of that “That’s what I’m good at — get- Joanne Powell has intensified. ting people to work together,” she They haven’t gone said. “And that’s what our state Democrats duel in 6th, other forums slated away, they’ve gotten worse.” needs to do better.” The Charlton Democrat hopes She hopes to use that experience BY GUS STEEVES planned around the May 15 general local voters agree with her enough particularly on creating jobs and STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER election. Those will give voters a to give her the Democratic primary “helping the local guy” start busi- SOUTHBRIDGE — The dueling chance to see April 12’s Democratic April 12. She faces an uphill battle nesses by “expanding the tax has officially started in the 6th nominee alongside Republican Peter against two-term incumbent base,” for example, by giving a tax Worcester House race, as incumbent Durant and independents Peter Geraldo Alicea, with the winner exemption or credit for firms with Geraldo Alicea and challenger Boria and Robert Cirba. going up against Republican Peter under 100 employees. Joanne Powell faced off in a Both of those in Charlton — Durant and two independents, “I’ve talked to so many small Democratic Primary forum Sunday, Tuesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. at Robert Cirba and Peter Boria, May business owners who don’t want April 3. Overlook and Monday, May 2 at 6:30 10. their children to go into their pro- It will probably be the only formal p.m. at the library — are being mod- The 6th Worcester District cov- fession” because of the regulations opportunity to see both Democrats erated by Linda Denault, who served From right, Democrats Geraldo Alicea and ers Southbridge, Charlton, East and taxes involved, Powell said. “… at the same time, since the other slat- as town moderator for 12 years back Joanne Powell respond to questions from Brookfield and parts of Oxford and I think it’d help the [state] budget Spencer.