Mailed free to requesting homes in Webster, Dudley and the Oxfords 508-764-4325 COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.WEBSTERTIMES.NET Friday, October 23, 2015 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE Erosion issues “We must learn mar Center to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” Road work Martin Luther TOWN SEEKS ANSWERS FROM King Jr. STATE AS PROJECT GETS BACK EDITOR’S ON TRACK Jason Bleau photos OFFICE HOURS BY JASON BLEAU The new Park Avenue Elementary School in Webster, now hosting students for its first full NEWS STAFF WRITER MONDAYS 12-5 school year, held an open house on Oct. 17, with some calling it a “castle,” and the general DUDLEY — With heavy consensus being that the school is considered a massive achievement in local education. WEDNESDAYS 1-5 rainfall hitting the region in late September and FRIDAYS 1-5 early October, Mother Nature has brought to light some concerns Park Ave. hosts about the handling of the Center Road repaving INSIDE project in Dudley, spawn- Seniors ................. A5 ing outcry from citizens open house and response from town Learning .............A6-7 officials. Viewpoint ............. A8 The Center Road con- Sports ..................A10-13 COMMUNITY EMBRACES struction has been ongo- Obituaries ............. B2 ing for well over a month now and during the last FIRST PUBLIC LOOK AT NEW Events Calendar ...... B3 week of September heavy Real Estate ........Sect.B FACILITY rainstorms caused sig- nificance erosion and BY JASON BLEAU Carolyn Wallace, the other issues that Town LOCAL NEWS STAFF WRITER open house saw an Administrator Greg WEBSTER — The impressive response Balukonis said are of seri- Jason Bleau photo public got its first full from the community ous concerns to his office look at the interior of with some visitors even and those who live on or The condition of Center Road the new Park Avenue telling the Webster frequent that roadway. as of Oct. 19. The roadway was expected to see some School in Webster on Times it was “like a cas- “There were large paving put down following Saturday, Oct. 17, with tle.” The principal said ravines that were cut the Columbus Day holiday an open house providing it was a pleasure to wel- in the road as a result according to the Dudley the first real opportuni- come the general public of the rain, in addition Town Administrator. Pipe through the doors for A pair of future Park Avenue to the mud, which is a ty for the general public installation by outside con- the first time as many School students get their general inconvenience,” to explore the inside of tractors has been cited as had only seen the out- first look at some of the the long-awaited facility, Balukonis said. “There a possible reason for delays. which opened its doors side of the facility with projects and activities they was a significant amount in September. their own eyes until that will take part in when they of rocks and debris, and According to Principal join the school in the years stuff like that, that got Please Read PARK AVE, page A16 to come. Please Read ROAD, page A16 YMCA trans- PD seeking forms for annual Town OKs funding for design Halloween bash Page A3 renovation funds of water filtration plant BY JASON BLEAU LEARNING at Town Meeting NEWS STAFF WRITER WEBSTER — In a WOJNAR: GOAL TO CREATE A near unanimous vote, Webster taxpayers ‘MORE FUNCTIONAL SPACE’ approved the borrow- ing of $700,000 to design a water filtration plant BY JASON BLEAU the Dudley Police Station NEWS STAFF WRITER in the vicinity of its more user-friendly for water stations during DUDLEY — As both the employees the Oct. 19 Annual Dudley’s annual and citizens who visit Town Meeting in an Fall Town Meeting there. With dispatch no effort to continue work- approaches on Nov. 2, longer handled at that ing towards a solution some of the items on the site, Dudley Police Chief for the discoloration of agenda are beginning to Steven Wojnar said his drinking water experi- take shape, including an goal is to invest in the enced by many in the article aimed at making evolution of the station community. changes to the Dudley for its more modern pur- With iron and man- St. Anne students Police Department in poses. ganese from source the wake of this year’s “What I’m trying to water being blamed for enjoy afternoon of transition of dispatch do is remodel the dis- the discoloration, often services to the Webster patch center downstairs described and brown apple picking Police Department. to make it more custom- and “rust-colored,” During the Board of er friendly and usable,” hundreds of complaints Page A6 Selectmen’s Oct. 5 meet- Wojnar told selectmen. are recorded each year ing, selectmen discussed “Most of the equipment in the Town Hall ask- the items expected to be that’s in there was built ing for the town to find SPORTS addressed in November to house our 911 equip- an effective solution. with Article 11 seeking ment and everything Courtesy photo While several smaller a yet-to-be-determined else of that nature.” The location of the proposed filtration plant in Webster as solutions have been amount of money for Wojnar said the presented in a document provided to citizens at the Oct. minor renovations project would focus 19 Annual Town Meeting. Please Read PLANT, page A16 geared towards making Please Read DUDLEY, page A16 Oxford Cultural Council calls for members Crusaders’ soccer BY JASON BLEAU sion station responsible both insight into the Oxford,” Woodward says helped with are field trips continues strong NEWS STAFF WRITER for broadcasting and mission and goals of the in the PSA. “In Oxford for students of all the season with victo- OXFORD — The rebroadcasting town council and also serves we have used Cultural town’s schools, cultural Oxford Cultural Council meetings throughout the as a call to action in an Council funds for a lot of events at the library and ry over Bartlett is making a significant community. attempt to bring new different things that [citi- senior center, the town’s push for membership, Featuring Oxford members on board. zens] may be very famil- yearly Huguenot picnic Page A10 starting with a public Cultural Council “The main goal of the iar with.” and many musical events service announcement Chairman Jennifer Oxford Cultural Council Mentioned among the on the town common. recently posted on Access Woodward, the 3 1/2-min- is to give away state funds many projects the funds Oxford, Inc., the televi- ute long video provides for events in the town of from the council have Please Read PSA, page A16 2 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, October 23, 2015 www.webstertimes.net ALMANAC QUOTE OF THE WEEK “This is the first opportunity the community at large has had to see the 8x7-9x7 Steel Liftmaster 1/2 hp school. Families have been here but 2 Sided Insulated Chain Drive the open house is for the community. Garage Door A lot of neighbors have come to the 7ft Opener event. A lot of retired teachers have r-value 9.65 Inc, standard hardware & come here and folks that have just been track, 8 color & 3 panel design options $270 curious watching the building go up. $570 inc Installation They get to see how beautiful it is on inc Installation price matching available on all written quotes the inside.” - Park Avenue School Principal Carolyn Wallace. Commenting on the school’s open house last week. 25,000 Unique Visitors OPEN TO CLOSE DUDLEY DUDLEY TOWN HALL (508) 949-8000 Every Week! Board of Selectmen (949-8001) Monday-Thursday .............8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays ......................................... 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. TheHeartOfMassachusetts.com Evening appointments if needed. Note: Office hours are for selectmen’s secretary and town administrator. S electmen do not hold office hours. Town Clerk (949-8004) Church Monday-Thursday ..................8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday nights .............................. 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays .......................................9 a.m. to 1 p.m. celebrating DUDLEY POLICE DEPARTMENT (943-4411) Staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week DUDLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT (949-8040) 201st Monday-Sunday ........................6 a.m. to 6 p.m. OXFORD anniversary OXFORD TOWN HALL (508) 987-6027 Board of Selectmen WEBSTER — “Envision the Vision Monday-Friday ....................9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. since 1814” is a grand theme this year Town Clerk (987-6032) for the First Baptist Church’s anniver- Monday-Friday ....................9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. sary. Though being the oldest church in OXFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT (987-0156) Webster since 1814, the church offers For emergencies, call 911 OXFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT (987-6012) classes for all ages; fellowships; din- Monday-Friday ................8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ners and many ministries. Pastor Tom Harmon and family came to Webster in 1986 and began renovating; remodeling WEBSTER and replacing many areas of the great stone building that was in dire need. WEBSTER TOWN HALL (508) 949-3850 The majority of the work has always Office Hours: been done by volunteers and mostly the Monday ..................................8 a.m. to 7 p.m. church congregation. A few contractors Tuesday-Thursday ...............8 a.m. to 4 p.m. have had to be hired to work on the Friday .............................. 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. very tall steeple, roofs and most recently WEBSTER POLICE DEPARTMENT painters for the building next to the stone (943-1212) church. This year’s theme is to help us For emergencies, call 911 envision what the group of believers WEBSTER FIRE DEPARTMENT (949-3875) visioned for themselves and the commu- Monday-Friday .....................8 a.m.