Mailed free to requesting homes in East Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Brookfield, Leicester and Spencer Vol. 32, No. 48 COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY, 75 CENTS ON NEWSSTANDS ONLINE: WWW.SPENCERNEWLEADER.COM ‘Leadership cannot really be taught. It can only be learned.’ Friday, November 28, 2008 Take a stroll CREATING A MAGICAL WORLD Business through zoning downtown change is THIRD ANNUAL EVENT IN SPENCER approved BY ALANA MELANSON NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER NEW DISTRICT CREATED SPENCER—Local businesses are gearing up to help Spencer residents to ring in the beginning of the win- IN N. BROOKFIELD ter holiday season with the town’s Third Annual BY ALANA MELANSON Christmas Stroll. NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER Anyone who is interested in participating is asked NORTH BROOKFIELD — Voters in to pick up a passport at any of the 19 participating North Brookfield chose to adopt the locations in this year’s stroll, which will be held Overlay District presented by the Planning Saturday, Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No purchase is Board at a Special Town Meeting Friday, necessary to join the stroll, but browsing through the Nov. 21, a decision the board says will local shops may give attendees great holiday gift-giv- attract small businesses to the town while ing ideas, as well as help to boost the local economy. still retaining its character. Those who fill their passports with the stamps of The vote was 29-3 in favor, with a handful each participating business or church and return it at of voters abstaining. their last stop will be entered into a drawing for one “We’re very happy it has passed,” said of 15 prizes donated by each of the businesses. Each Stephen Cummings, chairman of the location is also asked to provide free refreshments or Planning Board, speaking for the panel. free small items for stroll attendees. “It’s a good fit for the town. We hope to get “The businesses just love the event, and so do the more small businesses to at least look at churches. Luckily we were able to accommodate all of North Brookfield as a place where they can the businesses who wanted to participate,” said Carol Alana Melanson photo become established and grow. This is one McPherson, who handles publicity for the event, step closer.” which is arranged by her daughter Beth and spon- The majority of the businesses in the sored by the Methodist Church of Spencer. “This is SPENCER — Marie Gagnon shows Olivia Bostwick, 4, and Alexa Mathon, 7, all of Spencer, overlay district have been grandfathered our third year, and for two years now we’ve had wait- into their locations, including the several ing lists. It’s a great way to have fun in Spencer, and a how they might be able to use moss to build a fairy house during a program Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the Richard Sugden Library. The children and parents all brought in various nat- empty spots from which some businesses lot of times people will visit shops they’ve never been have left. Without the overlay district, new into before.” ural items, including bark, twigs, pinecones, leaves, dried flowers, acorns, rocks and shells for the children to create a large collective fairy house. For more photos, please turn to business owners coming into the area and Page A14. wishing to use these spaces would need to Turn To STROLL, page 17 Turn To MEETING, page 16 Two sentenced for bleacher thefts JAIL, RESTITUTION ORDERED IN SPENCER FAIR CASE BY ALANA MELANSON Nicholas C. Thibert, 23, of 8 Deer bleacher seats they stole, $11,450. NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER Run Road, Brookfield, and Eric W. For the charge of larceny of prop- EAST BROOKFIELD — Two of Hokanson, 23, of 12 Sherman erty over $250, Thibert was sen- the three men charged in connec- Grove, Spencer, appeared at tenced to one year in the Worcester tion to the theft of aluminum Western Worcester District Court County Jail and House of bleachers from the Spencer Monday, Nov. 10 to find out they Correction in West Boylston, but Fairgrounds have been ordered to must pay back to the Spencer Fair pay restitution. Association the full value of the 43 Turn To BLEACHERS, page 17 ‘‘RREENNTT’’ takes a bow TANTASQUA STUDENT STAGE HIT David Dore photo Miriam Potter of West Brookfield claps during a ceremony Friday, Nov. 21 where she BROADWAY MUSICAL was presented with a replica of the Boston Post Cane for being the town’s oldest res- ident. Potter receives an age-old honor CANE GIVEN TO TOWN’S ELDEST RESIDENT BY CHRISTOPHER TANGUAY accompanied by a seven-piece pit STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER band and a crew of technical assis- BY DAVID DORE has seen changes in both the world NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER STURBRIDGE — The Tantasqua tants and stagehands, debuted the around her and her own family, production of the critically show they have been working on WEST BROOKFIELD — At the Shawn Kelley photo which has grown to include two acclaimed and controversial musi- since the end of last school year. age of 97, Miriam Potter easily children, eight grandchildren and The company sticks it to the man in the cal “Rent,” was met with wild The play,a rock musical original- qualifies as both a longtime resi- 18 great-grandchildren. last number of Act I during last night’s enthusiasm on its opening night ly released in 1996, then again on dent of West Brookfield and its old- Potter’s granddaughter-in-law, opening performance of ‘Rent’ at est inhabitant. Thursday. film in 2005, follows a year in the Tantasqua Regional High School, left. In the several decades she has The 37-student cast at Tantasqua Above, Cassie Ross spices up the stage as Turn To POTTER, page 17 Turn To RENT, 15 called the community home, she Regional Senior High School, page ‘Maureen Johnson.’ INSIDE THE NEW LEADER ON PAGE A4 ON PAGE A3 Calendar......................B5 Police Logs ................A12 Classroom Corner..........A6 Public Meetings ...........A3 The pulse of Question 2 Obituaries ....................B2 Sports .......................A10 Our Towns....................B4 Viewpoint ...................A8-9 small businesses fallout 2 SPENCER NEW LEADER • Friday, November 28, 2008 Man accused of offering sex to local teen NEW LEADER ALMANAC MEETING AT QUABOAG REGIONAL LEADS TO ARREST QUOTATION OF THE WEEK BY DAVID DORE and 22 to sign up. states several ways members are “It’s an honor to have, but I don’t think I NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER Warren police claimed that Britz protected, including automated deserve it because I haven’t lived WARREN — A man from and the girl exchanged cellular moderators and filtering of words here that long.” Marlborough is out on bail and telephone numbers and began “commonly used amongst preda- — Miriam Potter, who received West Brookfield’s Boston Post Cane for being the town’s will be back in court next month sending each other text messages. tors,” and human administrators oldest resident. She’s lived in town since 1937. to face charges that he met at a Both the girl and Britz, according and operators. However, the local high school a 15-year-old girl to a report by Officer Mark Chase, Evening Post reported, they do not with whom he discussed having sent sexually explicit messages. monitor private conversations sex. Police were tipped off that Britz between users. THE STATS Twenty-one-year-old Scott Britz and the girl were supposed to meet “It is OK to chat, but when was arraigned Thursday, Nov. 20 last week at the high school, and things start crossing a line or BIRTHPLACE in Western Worcester District Chase was there to see their when things become sexual in Town Born Outside the U.S. (%) Court in East Brookfield for encounter. Britz was then taken nature, that is a red flag and needs Auburn .6 enticement of a child under 16 and into custody and questioned, to be reported,” Warren Police Brimfield .9 attempting to commit a crime police said, and the text messages Chief Bruce Spiewakowski told Brookfield .9 (statutory rape). Bail was reduced he and the girl sent were discov- WSHM-TV in Springfield last Charlton .6 from $10,000, which was set when ered. week. Douglas .1 he was held overnight in the Warren police have for months The chief also reminded parents Dudley 1.3 Brookfield State Police barracks, been monitoring Web sites such as to keep an eye on their children’s Holland .5 to $500 cash (or $5,000 surety). He TeenSpot, where it seems the online activities — advice echoed Leicester 1.0 was also ordered to have no con- types of chats described in by Julie Lesure from Worcester Northbridge 1.1 tact with the teenager. Britz will Chase’s report are not out of the District Attorney Joseph Early Oxford .3 return to court Monday, Dec. 22 for ordinary. A March 2006 article Jr.’s office during a September Southbridge 10.0 a pre-trial conference. from the Lancashire Evening Post presentation on Internet safety at Spencer .8 Warren police arrested Britz in England details one reporter’s Brookfield’s Merrick Public Sturbridge .7 Wednesday, Nov. 19 at Quaboag experience going into a TeenSpot Library. Uxbridge .6 Regional Middle/High School, chat room posing as a 14-year-old “Parents absolutely need to have Wales .2 where they claim he met the 15- British girl. a dialogue with their children Webster 1.6 year-old Warren teenager. The two Almost as soon as the reporter about this and check their [Web first made contact, according to a entered the chat room, the paper browser] histories,” she said.