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Main St., Rtes. 9 & 32, Ware Just Over the West Brookfield Line or visit our website at www.ostromecky.com Through CareCredit and Retriever 413-967-4210 or 800-793-2078 • www.guzikmotors.com Mailed free to requesting homes in East Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, Brookfield, Leicester and Spencer Vol. XXXV, No. 48 PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF RELAY FOR LIFE OF THE GREATER SOUTHBRIDGE AREA! COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.SPENCERNEWLEADER.COM Friday, September 26, 2014 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE Thomo accused of taking CORI papers “Strive for EMPLOYEE SAYS BROOKFIELD SELECTMAN CREATES ‘HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT’ excellence, not perfection.” BY DAVID DORE apologized to Kady. She Brookfield Emergency NEWS STAFF WRITER “I’m very concerned with and Chairman Stephen Squad Chief Donna BROOKFIELD — why anybody would take the entire Comtois II also apol- Lafleur — explained Town employees accused ogized on behalf of the what happened. H. Jackson Brookfield Selectman CORI file, leave the Town Hall with it board. Thomo did not imme- Brown Jr. Nicholas Thomo of tak- and come back…” “I was hopeful that he diately respond to a mes- ing employees’ criminal would apologize, he did, sage sent by the Spencer record check information and I thought it would go New Leader Sunday, out of Town Hall earlier - Water Superintendent Bruce Clarke away,” Comtois said. Sept. 21 to his Town INSIDE this month, frightening “It hasn’t gone away,” of Brookfield e-mail added Lincoln. account. Obituaries ...........B Sect at least one employee in the process. Sandra Kady to the point (CORI) checks to be done. Thomo was not at the A meeting on the inci- Calendar.............B Sect According to three that she opened a safe The workers said Thomo Sept. 16 selectmen’s meet- dent with all of the people Public Meetings ......... A municipal workers, and gave him employ- returned the documents ing where the employees involved was scheduled ees’ permission slips later that day. Classroom Corner ..... A6 Thomo came to Town Hall — Water Superintendent for Wednesday, Sept. 24, Friday, Sept. 12 and intim- for Criminal Offender Selectman Linda Bruce Clarke, Fire Viewpoint .............. A8-9 Record Information Lincoln said Thomo later idated Town Treasurer Chief Peter Martell and Please Read THOMO, page A18 Police Logs............. A18 Sports ...............A10-13 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOWN HOUSE! LOCAL Charter going all-digital in Worcester County BY DAVID DORE from the cable company, NEWS STAFF WRITER that day will arrive over For at least a cou- the next few weeks for ple of years, represen- its customers in Central tatives from Charter Massachusetts. Leicester Harvest Communications have Charter will soon stop Fair comes to common warned that customers sending some stations in for 16th time would soon need a con- analog format and some verter box to watch pro- stations in digital for- Page A4 grams on any television mat, and start sending in their home — a box them all in a digital for- Photo courtesy Paulette Adams they would have to pay mat that will require a LEARNING Civil War re-enactors camped opposite the Town House, which was completed in 1864. for each month. converter box for each According to notices Please Read CHARTER, page A18 Local chiefs NORTH BROOKFIELD — A block of North Main Street in react to domestic front of the Town House was closed for a few hours Saturday, Sept. 20 violence ‘Until Tuesday’ to celebrate the author to speak at 150th birthday of Bay Path the historic build- privacy law Page A6 ing in downtown North Brookfield. BY AMANDA COLLINS on domestic violence SPORTS For the story, NEWS STAFF WRITER arrests. and more photos, Citizens who peruse Last month, Gov. turn to this week’s police logs for local Deval Patrick signed B Section! activity and crime into a law a new domes- David Dore photo may notice something tic violence bill that Belgian draft horses Mack and Pepper transported folks along missing recently as includes dozens of new North Main Street in 1860s style. police departments are provisions — and one of now prohibited from releasing information Please Read VIOLENCE, page A17 Leicester football Localized weather reports come to West Brookfield finds win column against Pirates NATIONAL GRID INSTALLS WEATHERBUG STATION AT TOWN HALL Page A10 BY ELISA KROCHMALNYCKYJ Town Hall. Brookfield is one of about in your town is more NEWS CORRESPONDENT “Instead of getting 20 WeatherBug stations accurate and more time- OPINION WEST BROOKFIELD weather reports from National Grid is install- ly, and sometimes it’s — What’s even bet- the nearest weather ing in towns throughout different than the weath- GET YOUR ter than local weather station 10, 20, even 30 Massachusetts, he said. er 30 miles away.” POINT ACROSS reports? miles away, this gives There are two rea- Having accurate folks who live in West sons National Grid is weather reports also PAGE A8-9 Hyper-local weather reports! Brookfield the weather involved in the project, helps residents stay POLICE LOGS West Brookfield res- in their actual communi- David Dore photo he said. The first is sim- aware of imminent idents and neighbors ty,” said Jake Navarro, A screen in the Board of ply to benefit customers. storms and other condi- PAGE AX can now get real-time spokesman for National Selectmen’s office at West “A lot of communi- tions, Navarro said. weather reports from Grid, which co-sponsors Brookfield Town Hall is one ties haven’t really had “If there are big right in town, thanks to the WeatherBug station way people can check out access to hyperlocal weather events coming National Grid’s newest with Earth Networks. the observations from the weather,” he said. “The through, like thunder or WeatherBug station at The station in West new WeatherBug station. information right there Please Read REPORTS, page A16 2 SPENCER NEW LEADER • Friday, September 26, 2014 Fence ordered after dog found loose a second time BY ELISA KROCHMALNYCKYJ leash law violation, a disabled man, his a Labrador retriever mix, one resulting the dog is afraid to cross them, and often NEWS CORRESPONDENT beloved dog and a kindhearted animal in the lab being bitten and both times won’t even go on the porch because of WEST BROOKFIELD — A second control officer. resulting in a trip to the veterinarian, the lattice fencing, Swain said. That set the according to the lab’s owners, William Dog Officer Leah Shattuck, who stage for a Sept. and Shirley Blanchard, who accepted assessed the dog after the 2012 incident, 16 Board of the Blisses’ apologies for the incidents. said the dog doesn’t appear to be aggres- RONNIE’S SEAFOOD Selectmen hear- This time, the complaint was made by sive but has a “high prey drive,” Swain ing for Oak Street the Blisses’ next-door neighbor, Susan said. RT. 31 CHARLTON DEPOT residents Kenneth Talbot. The hearing was held by two “The dog doesn’t seem to be aggres- and Cindy Bliss of the three selectmen -- Diane Vayda sive toward people, it just likes to chase over allegations and Sarah Allen — as Chairman Barry little things,” Swain said. “But that “Proudly serving the community for over 40 years” their pit bull is Nadon Jr. arrived after the hearing, said could incidentally hurt or kill a small being walked Executive Secretary Johanna Swain. dog.” without a leash. Talbot said she was walking her dog Because the Blisses were warned two The hearing Aug. 31 when the Blisses’ dog, who was years ago, they are being required to Fall Hours marked almost unleashed, “came bolting over,” Swain install a 6-foot fence approved by the exactly two years said. town or get rid of the dog, Swain said, since a similar Because Talbot’s dog is small and was adding that Kenneth Bliss made it clear hearing in 2012, harnessed, Talbot was able to pick him he didn’t know how he’d come up with OPEN THURSDAY-SUNDAY when the Blisses up and hold it in her arms, avoiding any the money for a new fence. were told the problems, Swain said. That’s when Shattuck said she would dog had to be Talbot said she understood it is expen- try to help the Blisses with the fence. 11AM-9PM restrained on a sive to build a 6-foot fence for the dog, chain or leash at and sympathizes with Kenny Bliss’s “Leah is going to look for fencing,” all times when out- disability, but doesn’t think it is right Swain said. “She may have some, or Offering over 30 flavors side their home. If that the Blisses allow the dog to walk else she’ll look on Craigslist and places not, they’d have off-leash, Swain said. like that. It doesn’t have to be pretty, of hard and to either build a “Everyone else leashes the dog, and it just has to function. We’re trying to 6-foot fence to con- she doesn’t feel they have control over come up with a compromise.” soft serve ice cream tain the dog — or the dog,” Swain said.