“Please Welcome” Dave Skehan John Grande -our new service management team 546 Providence Rd Whitinsville, MA 01588 (508) 266-6021 Mailed free to requesting homes in Douglas, Northbridge and Uxbridge Vol. V, No. 31 Complimentary to homes by request ONLINE: WWW.BLACKSTONEVALLEYTRIBUNE.COM Friday, May 18, 2012 THIS WEEK’S Hughes, Gonynor elected to Board of Selectmen QUOTE BROWN LOSES OUT BY ONLY ONE VOTE, RECOUNT EXPECTED “What worries you masters you.” BY ADAM T. SILVA the hospital that fateful election With any race as close as the TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER morning with painful kidney selectmen’s, a recount is a natu- Haddon W. Robinson DOUGLAS — “Every vote stones and was unable to vote, ral response. As of Monday, May counts” is an understatement. leaving him only one vote shy. 14, Brown expressed interest in In a three-way, two-seat The election had a paltry 11 seeking a recount. In order for Douglas Board of Selectmen race percent turnout, with only two that to happen, he would have to Tuesday, May 8, political new- contested races, the Selectmen obtain 10 signatures from each of INSIDE comer Keith Brown came in third and Planning Board. the town’s three precincts and with 360 votes, a mere one vote The Planning Board contest return them by Friday, May 18. A2-3— LOCAL behind Don Gonynor’s 361 and was almost as close as the Board “Every election is surprising in incumbent first-place winner of Selectmen, with Douglas polit- it’s own way,” said former A4-5— OPINION Michael Hughes’ 372. ical veteran Ebenezer Selectman Mitch Cohen, who did A6— SENIOR SCENE By most accounts, the race Chesebrough scoring 394 votes, not seek re-election. “Every elec- would have ended in a tie, as most Robert Werme with 355 and tion is its own thing with its own A7 — CALENDAR candidates cast their votes for Michael Greco only 10 votes issues. I’ve never seen an election Adam T. Silva photos A8— OBITUARIES themselves. Brown was rushed to behind with 345 in the two-seat Turn To RECOUNT page A14 Don Gonynor stood outside for his final campaigning A9-10 — LEARNING race. with son, Mike. A11-12 — SPORTS B3 — LEGALS B6— REAL ESTATE Voters OK athletic LOCAL fields at UHS BY ADAM T. SILVA Hendricks. “We’d basically TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER borrow the money over the UXBRIDGE — The third course of 20 years at about time’s the charm. the cost of $130,000 a year After two failed ballot which would be split attempts to build athletic between the town and the fields at the new Uxbridge school. It would be part of High School, voters decided the tax levy and part of our to approve the project in a operating budget. It would be landslide victory at the a normal budget item for the Uxbridge Special Town next 20 years and raise our Meeting Tuesday, May 8, in budget ceiling.” the Uxbridge High School A two-thirds vote was nec- gymnasium with a crowd of essary to pass. The price of 581 voters. the first attempt was $5 mil- The $2 million price tag lion and $3.88 million for the Courtesy photo will not affect taxes and the second and would have Honor Society The Deary family of Uxbridge welcomed Nelly from Staten Island into their home last summer and project will include an all- affected resident’s taxes. will again next month as part of the Fresh Air Fund. The program allows children from New York purpose artificial turf field, The Spring Annual Town Page A3 City to experience life in the suburbs during the summer. From left, Max Deary, 5, Nelly, 6, Abby a track, a perimeter fence, Meeting took place after the Deary, 8, and Micah Deary, 6. concrete pads for a future Special Town Meeting, with press box and bleacher seat- a warrant containing 21 arti- ing and conduits for future cles. lighting and scoreboard. Article 1 required no LEARNING “This will be part of the action and was put on the town’s budget,” explained warrant to hear reports from A breath of fresh air Town Manager Sean Turn To VOTE page A13 LOCAL FAMILY READY TO OPEN UP HOME TO NYC CHILD BY ADAM T. SILVA through different organiza- between six and 18 years TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER tions, such as churches, old and can start the pro- UXBRIDGE — For a city after-school programs and gram until the age of 12. girl visiting the Valley,even youth groups. They come More than 65 percent of the lawnmowers come as quite to the “country” for a one- children are invited back to a shock. or two-week visit with host their host families year The Deary family wel- families. after year and can even comed six-year-old “My husband’s boss has stay longer as they are re- Students of the Raynelle, or Nelly, from been involved for years and invited. Staten Island, into their I always knew I wanted to The children are selected Month home last summer and will do it,” explained Heather based on financial need. again this summer, as part Deary. “Once our kids The basis of the program is Page A9 of the Fresh Air Fund. became old enough, I knew to allow children whose Children in all five bor- we would do it, so last year parents do not have the oughs of New York City was our first year.” money to send their chil- Courtesy photo SPORTS sign up for the project Boys and girls are Turn To FRESH AIR page A13 Ruthie’s Rockstars proudly walk at the Franklin, Bellingham, Wrentham Relay For Life last year. This year’s event takes place Friday, June 8 at Franklin High School. Budget decisions delayed to June Rocking for Ruth BY ADAM T. SILVA There are a lot of factors you and Bylaw Amendment, the TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER don’t know for sure, such as Davis Street/Gleason Court DOUGLAS — Those wait- your state revenue figures. In Waterline Loop and UXBRIDGE FAMILY PREPARING ing to see the full results of this case, we needed the extra Personnel Bylaw the Douglas Spring Annual time to address a pretty large Amendment. FOR RELAY WALK Town Meeting that took place budget gap in the coming The town will raise and on Monday,May 7 will have to year. The different commit- appropriate $107,000 for the BY ADAM T. SILVA members take turns walking Lacrosse Action wait until a continuation tees needed extra time to preparation of final design TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER around the track throughout meeting on Monday, June 11 work together to resolve plans and specifications, pro- Page A11-12 UXBRIDGE — With the the night with their pledge to at 7 p.m. at the Douglas High those issues.” curement costs and the con- Franklin, Bellingham, beat the disease. School auditorium. Articles 1 through 6 were struction of a waterline loop Wrentham Relay For Life “Three years ago, my moth- Eleven of the 19 articles on postponed until the June on the grounds of the right around the corner, er-in-law was diagnosed with the warrant were held to meeting. The articles that Douglas Primary School and teams are gearing up as hard lung cancer,” explained Sean June, including all of the were rescheduled are the Douglas Elementary School as they can to raise money to Matthews, of Uxbridge. “My OPINION budget items for the town. Finance Committee Report, between the Davis Street fight cancer. wife, Amanda, and I had been This is the third consecutive the fiscal 2013 budget, the waterline and the Gleason GET YOUR The Relay, which takes casual participants for a few year the budget was not com- salaries of elected officials, Court waterline in Article 11. place on Friday, June 8 at 6 years and when my mother- POINT ACROSS pleted by the spring meeting, the Fiscal Year 2013 Transfer The $107,000 will be expended p.m. and goes until 11:30 a.m. in-law was diagnosed, the PAGE A4 according to Town Station Enterprise Fund, the under the direction of the Saturday,June 9, is held at the year after, my wife really Administrator Michael Fiscal Year 2013 Water and Board of Selectmen. Franklin High School track, wanted to do something and Guzinski. Sewer Enterprise Fund, the Articles 13 through 18 were located at 218 Oak St., give back. She saw everything “This is mostly to do with Adoption of Revised Fiscal simple street acceptances by Contact the Franklin. that the American Cancer the budget pressures on the Year 2013 through 2017 the town. The streets that will Teams are formed and Society did for her mother Tribune editor community,” explained Capital Improvement Plan, be accepted, if voted in, are money is raised through and they just did so much.” Guzinski. “When budgets are the Martin Road Park Land Briarwood Circle, Brookside at aminor@ donations and events, such as This prompted Sean and this tight, it’s tougher to close Lease, the Water Protection stonebridgepress.com dinners and raffles. Team your budget out in May. Overlay District Zoning Map Turn To BUDGET page A13 Turn To RUTH page A13 2 • Friday, May 18, 2012 BLACKSTONE VALLEY TRIBUNE Valley Tech field project more than just athletics BY ADAM T. SILVA Brochu is also looking at the potential of put- TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER ting honeybees in the forest so the students UPTON — While it may look like a new soft- can use their honey. ball field at first, Blackstone Valley Tech stu- “We have a group at the school called dents will be learning far more than just a ‘Students on Environmental Awareness and sport.