CHA.2009.10.09.Pdf

CHA.2009.10.09.Pdf

Mailed free to requesting homes in Charlton, Charlton City and Charlton Depot Vol. 3, No. 41 COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.CHARLTONVILLAGER.COM “Violence is, essentially, a confession of ultimate inarticulateness.” Friday, Oct 9, 2009 Karl Storz makes its move EXPANDS INTO SOUTHBRIDGE, WILL GROW IN CHARLTON BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL Timothy Matson. The firm moved The move shows Southbridge, even STAFF WRITER into the building Monday, Sept. 21 during the current recession, is a Two Tri-Community towns are after renovating it earlier this year. good place to operate a business, receiving an economic shot in the Charlton is not being left in the according to Director of the Central arm. lurch either. The Germany-based firm Mass South Chamber of Commerce Imaging device manufacturer Karl plans to expand its manufacturing Alexandra McNitt said. Storz Endoscopy has moved its logis- operations on Carpenter Hill Road “I think that this is a signal,” tics and distribution operations from site in Charlton, according to Matson. McNitt said. “There is absolutely a its Charlton site to a 47,000-square-foot He said the company will likely hire labor force there ready and eager to warehouse at 15 Wells St. in more workers to increase production. fill those positions.” Southbridge. Successful sales prompted the expan- The move by Karl Storz adds 75 Seventy-five employees from the sion in both towns, Matson said. more jobs to a town whose unemploy- neighboring facility will now work in “We’re increasing production here ment rate has skyrocketed. Southbridge. Most of those workers in Massachusetts,” Matson said. “It is Southbridge’s unemployment rate Ryan Grannan-Doll photo are Southbridge residents, according really part of our growth plans. We’re was 10.6-percent as of August, accord- Karl Storz Logistics Manager Timothy Matson displays one of his company’s to Southbridge site Logistics Manager really excited about it.” Turn To STORZ, page 11 products at its new Southbridge distribution center. Shawn Kelley photos BACK IN TIME Alicea to CHARLTON— Armand Bessette, at left, of Charlton drives the tractor-pulled wagon up to the schoolhouse for a tour around the grounds of the Rider Tavern Sunday, Oct. 4. Below, Aleta and Shawn Dam, both of Charlton, walk oxen Pat file RMV and Mike in the old store and schoolhouse lot. For more related photos, turn to page A8. bills OUTCRY DRIVES REP. TO TAKE ACTION BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL STAFF WRITER A local lawmaker is on the move to bring a state Registry of Motor Vehicles branch back to Southbridge. State Rep. Geraldo Alicea, D-Charlton, announced Wednesday, Sept. 30, he plans to file a bill to require the RMV to have an office in Southbridge. Even so, House attorneys say the adminis- tration retains the authority about branch closings and openings, according to legislative documents from Alicea’s office. Still, the attor- neys say filing the bill would help gain public hearings over the issue. Concerns and frustrations over the Charlton branch, which opened in August, prompted Alicea, who claims, the RMV “stonewalled” his concerns, to draft the bills “There has been such a strong outcry from day one, about the move … so that’s what prompted me to take the next step,” Alicea said. The sophomore lawmaker also plans to file legislation that would require the agency to hold a public hearing about its decision to close the Southbridge branch earlier this year and open a branch on the Massachusetts For students, a different kind of camp Turnpike in Charlton. In addition, he plans to file a bill requiring the RMV to hold public hearing about future BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL donate more than money to peo- various to lighten the burden of Slavinskas. Some will serve food STAFF WRITER branch closures or moves no less than 60 days ple suffering from cancer. All dealing with diseases. The stu- to people, while others will make before making a decision. Public notices CHARLTON — Ever since total, 10 are students in the dent group is scheduled to travel arts and crafts projects, according would also have to be published in local news- Alyssah Phoummalayvane’s school’s medical technology pro- there Thursday, Oct. 29 and to Sunshine Campus Director papers. The town in which the branch resides uncle, Chantara, succumbed to gram, are set to visit Camp return Sunday, Nov. 1. Michael Katz. Some students will would also have to be notified. lymphoma in July, she has donat- Sunshine, in Casco, Maine to com- “It’s an experience we can take be assigned to assist and individ- RMV Spokesman Ann Dufresne declined to ed $8 each month toward find a fort children who have brain can- with us,” said Gabrielle Colon, a ual family. comment on the bills, saying she had not seen cure. cer and the families that care for Southbridge senior scheduled to Besides the students lending them yet. “I’ve been interested in cancer them. In total, approximately 40 go on the trip. their youthful energy to families The bills could mean the RMV would close ever since then,” said children, along with other family The group will be quite busy burdened with stressful medical the Charlton branch, but only if a safe and Phoummalayvane, a Southbridge members, will work with the stu- once it arrives. Each student will care situations, Katz said they suitable site in Southbridge site was found, senior at Bay Path Regional dents. be assigned a specific task to help will walk away with a life lesson. Vocational Technical High The camp on Sebago Lake hosts a group of New York children “The students learn a little but Turn To RMV, page11 School. children who have cancer and who are set to stay at the camp, more about helping others,” he Now, Phoummalayvane and other serious illnesses and their according to Bay Path Medical nine of her classmates plan to families and provides them with Technology Instructor Deborah Turn To CAMP, page 11 Rains don’t drown apples BUMPER CROP HAS GROWERS OPTIMISTIC BY JOY RICHARD apples of good quality and only around a STAFF WRITER tenth that suffered hail damage.” After the summer’s heavy rains, fruit The hail damage came in mid-May dur- growers were facing a nailbiting forecast ing a sever thunderstorm. But hail does on the effects of weather on their crop not make for an inedible apple, according yield. As it turns out, there was little need to Benjamin. for concern: It was a bumper crop. “I take the time to tell customers about “All in all, the whole season has been the damage before they go out to pick,” Ryan Grannan-Doll photo Shawn Kelley photo good,” said Charlton Orchards co-owner said Benjamin. “I show people samples of The pavement stencil reads no parking, but Patty Benjamin, whose family is hopeful apples with the damage before they go out motorists doing business at the Mass Pike RMV Al Levesque and Marcel Peloquin of Sturbridge sell apples at for a season filled with as many customers and ask them what they think that it is. office in Charlton often have no choice — there are the annual St. Anne’s Apple Festival and Bazaar last Sunday. as there are apples. “There are a lot of Turn To CROP, page 11 not enough available spaces. TRIVIA WARRIORS, RAMS Almanac ................. 2 Calendar ...............13 TOURING THE Bill Clinton’s second BATTLE TO inauguration was in Obituaries ..............13 Real Estate ...B Section TAVERN Police Logs .............. 5 Sports .............. 14-15 1-1 DRAW A) 1996 B) 1998 INDEX INDEX Opinion ................ 10 PAGE 8 PAGE 14 or C) 1997? Answer Inside 2 •THE CHARLTON VILLAGER• Friday, October 9, 2009 www.charltonvillager.com Town puts out feelers for new cell tower CHARLTON ALMANAC THEY SAID IT BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL STAFF WRITER CHARLTON — SOME CELL PHONE USERS MAY NO LONGER “There has been such a strong outcry from HAVE TO HEAR (OR SAY) DREADED WORDS: “CAN YOU HEAR day one, about the move … so that’s what ME NOW?” prompted me to take the next step.” Town officials are exploring the possibility —STATE REP. GERALDO ALICEA, of placing a cell phone tower on an undevel- ON FILING BILLS INVOLVING oped 70-acre swath of town-owned property near the intersection of Colburn and Daniels THE STATE REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES. roads. Town Treasurer Keith Arsenault is working OPEN TO CLOSE to assemble a request for proposal (RFP) that TOWN HALL (508) 248-2200 would attract any interested company to pos- Board of Selectmen (248-2206): sibly install a tower on the land, for which the Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays town would charge a fee and possibly tax. .....................................................7:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m. Arsenault said he wants to have the document Tuesdays........................................7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. ready to send out in early November. Fridays......................................... 7:30 a.m to 12 p.m. Selectmen, however, would have to approve it Town Clerk (248-2249): Monday to Thursday ......................10 a.m. to 3 p.m. first. Fridays..............................................................Closed “We haven’t taken it very far yet,” Arsenault First and Third Tuesday......................5:30 to 7 p.m. said. PUBLIC LIBRARY (248-0452) Town Planner Alan I. Gordon, however, said Mondays, Wednesdays.................9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. his preliminary inquires to potential phone Tuesdays, Thursdays...................9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. carries indicated some interest in the idea. He Fridays, Sundays ............................................Closed Saturday ........................................9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. would not name the firms who he said are POLICE DEPARTMENT (248-2250) interested.

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