(978) 297-0050 • www.winchendoncourier.com Saturday, September 8, 2012 Newsstand: 75 cents Little Pine New vice principal Cone Store greets students BY DONEEN DURLING COURIER STAFF WRITER has a little of WINCHENDON — It is a new year at Murdock Middle High, and with a new year comes a new face in the top administration. Assistant Principal Joshua everything Romano now joins Principal Steve Meyer and rounds out the team that includes Assistant Principal BY DONEEN DURLING Jeanne Hackney at the Middle COURIER STAFF WRITER School. WINCHENDON —Ava Newton loves crafts The main office has returned to and decided she would like to open a little the high school side of the build- store. ing. Meyer said Murdock began the Her grandfather Rocky Flint helped to con- year uneventfully, which he called struct a little storefront, and her Meme Terri “a good thing.” Flint helped her to gather colorful things to “That’s what you hope for. With sell. What made Ava most proud were the the scheduling; everyone had a pinecone snowmen and owls she carefully con- place to go. We met with all the classes the first day. They were structed to sell along with the pink backpacks Joshua Romano and purple purses, and the bright ruby red slip- quite respectful.” pers. “Even the weather helped out,” can have positive relationships Ava had gathered the pinecones while on added Romano. “ with students too. It will not just be vacation with her grandparents, and she The two agreed that the rain in that every time I see kids they will explained to all that came to her little store on the morning made Murdock look be in trouble.” School Street last weekend how she carefully like the best place to be for all stu- To keep the balance and to get to wrapped the pipe cleaners around the cones dents. know students, Romano said he and stuffed cotton into the each little section. Romano said with his position at would be in classrooms all the The little owls and snowmen had glued-on Murdock his friends told him he time. google eyes and some little beaks tacked care- had to be the disciplinarian. “I spend about half the day going fully to the cone. “They said, ‘Oh you have to be from classroom to classroom, and I the bad guy. You have to be the Ava presented them in her Little Pine Cone Doneen Durling photo interact with students in the lunch- store along with many wonderful items that heavy’,” he said with a laugh. “You room and hallways. I get a chance Ava Newton with her little store. would make any home just a little bit prettier. don’t really want that. I think you Turn To PRINCIPAL page A9 Ava said the store should make one or two more appearances before the cold weather hits. She will offer books, candles, knick-knacks, and more maybe around Columbus Day, weather permitting. Just like a good businesswoman, Ava wanted to thank all her customers for their wonderful patronage, and REMEMBER TO REMEMBER invites everyone to come and see the Little Pine Cone Store. RINDGE — The Remember to Remember September 11 memorial will take place at The Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge beginning at 8:45 a.m., on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Remember to Remember September 11 is a reading of the names of EMTs deliver baby on side of Gardner Road the victims of the terrorist attack against the United States on September 11, 2001. The, now historic, recording was read by actress Betsy Palmer, actor Jerry Orbach, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman BY DONEEN DURLING of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at The Pentagon, Public Affairs Officer COURIER STAFF WRITER Alan Hicks of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey WINCHENDON — It was a seem- (PANY&NJ), and volunteers at the New York Unit of the Recording ingly quiet morning for the for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) organization. The reading of the LaRochelles Aug. 24, and Glenn was 2,977 names takes approximately 3 hours. spending some time on Facebook Palmer read the names of the victims of Flight 11, Flight 175, before the rush to get his wife to the Flight 77, and Flight 93. The volunteers at RFB&D recorded the hospital to be induced. The hospital names of the victims at the World Trade Centers and the FDNY decided to induce a day early Firemen. Hicks recorded the names of the officers from PANY&NJ. because of Tiffany’s size. Orbach read the names of the NYPD police officers. Mullen read the “We got the call Thursday to be names of The Pentagon victims. induced because they figured I’m so Remember to Remember September 11 was organized by small, the poor baby is not going to artist/poet James Pelletier in collaboration with RFB&D, the United grow any more inside me. I had Nations, and The Pentagon. Production director Todd Palumbo over- enough room in my uterus for an saw the recordings read by Palmer, Orbach, Hicks, and the volun- olive and he’s a watermelon. So on teers at RFB&D in their NYC studios. Adm. Mullen recorded the Friday at 7 a.m. I was supposed to names at The Pentagon. The United Nations Translation and report to the hospital to get the IV Editorial Division offered their help with the pronunciation of vic- inserted.” tims’ names. Remember to Remember September 11 is an all volun- Nobody was really in a hurry teer effort. early that morning. Tiffany said she Pelletier, age 61, of Winchendon has been involved with 9/11 did the “natural mother thing” and memorials since 2001. He volunteered at Ground Zero for several scrubbed the house from top to bot- months in the wake of the 9/11 attack. The recording was first pre- tom the day before in preparation sented in 2002, as part of the first anniversary tributes in Battery for the new baby. Her main worry Park, NYC. In 2008, Remember to Remember September 11 was was that her son Hunter and her expanded to include all the names of the victims. husband would be spending time Pelletier proudly states, “No one was ever paid one penny to create together while she was being this recording. It is an act of dignity, and dignity is more powerful induced. There has been little time than destruction.” for the two to bond, and she wasn’t For more information visit www.911cathedralmemorial.com, or too sure how it was going to go. call (603) 899-3300. “They have never been together alone more than a couple of hours.” While getting ready for her appointment, Tiffany began to feel labor pains. She said she figured she still had a lot of time until she Doneen Durling photos Board to help develop EMT Bryan Vaine tenderly holds the tiny bundle of Brody LaRochelle. Turn To BIRTH page A9 abandoned buildings article Family supported after fire takes their home BY DONEEN DURLING landowners would be responsible COURIER STAFF WRITER for the security and maintenance BY DONEEN DURLING WINCHENDON — The Planning of the building. COURIER STAFF WRITER Board heard from Board of Health “They would either keep up the WINCHENDON — A mobile home Chairman Lionel Cloutier about property or tear it down,” said on 45 Hyde Park St. was totally the efforts to address unsafe aban- Cloutier. destroyed. No one was home at the doned buildings in town. Cloutier When questioned, he explained time, but the family cat named Piggy said he currently has a list of own- that homeless people could find a perished in the fire. ers of the properties. He informed way into abandoned buildings and Winchendon Fire Chief Thomas the board he has already given the there is a fear fire and safety would Smith said by the time the respon- information to the fire department be an issue. ders reached the scene, the trailer and the town’s building inspector. For businesses that close, empty was completely engulfed in flames. Cloutier also presented an arti- buildings must also be maintained, The fire was quickly contained, but cle written for the fall town meet- structurally sound, and secured. the trailer was a total loss. ing he said would be presented to Cloutier said fines could be real- Chief Smith said it was not yet multiple boards to garner support. ized up to $100 per day for those in Doneen Durling photo The proposed article would The Donald Eddy family has lost its home to flames. Turn To FIREpage A9 address foreclosed buildings where Turn To ARTICLE page A9 LOCAL WEEKLY QUOTE Fall Foilage SPORTS “Those that think it Clark Duathlon permissible to tell white Studio Tour lies soon grow color blind.” PAGE 8 6 56525 10431 2 PAGE 3 Austin O’Malley 2 WINCHENDON COURIER Saturday, September 8, 2012 Syria: a continuing perspective BY COLETTE KOTOCH Turkey a month ago and met the port its call for a cease-fire and a number of them flock to the sur- Workers Party be in control of ter- SPECIAL TO THE COURIER opposition there addressing their national reconciliation talks in rounding countries: Turkey, ritory after the Assad regime. When the Syrian president need for weapons and anti-aircraft Syria. Jordan, and Lebanon, requiring If we followed the course of the Bachar El Assad delivered a and armored vehicles. Said Abdul Allahan that, them to build more refugee camps. Tehran meeting we can conclude speech years ago in front of the Syria’s battle is reaching now all “Summit Tehran seeks to reach a Jordan and Turkey are in a posi- that the Russian and Iranian opin- parliament, a person in the audi- Syria’s cities and in some points, conclusion in regards to the tion where they are providing soft ion became irrelevant.