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Hanna Conveniently Located On Route 9 • (Corner of Greenville St. & Main St.) Sales and Services 284 Main St., Spencer 508-885-5511 129 Worcester St. Southbridge, MA 01550 • www.zakmanequipment.com • 508-765-8004 Mailed free to requesting homes in Sturbridge, Brimfield, Holland and Wales Vol. VIII, No. 26 COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.STURBRIDGEVILLAGER.NET Friday, June 26, 2015 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE Charlton family takes charge of “When you cannot get a compliment any other way pay yourself new Relay for Life team one.” ‘WHEN I RELAY, I KNOW I’M DOING Mark Twain SOMETHING GOOD AND HELPING OTHERS’ EDITOR’S OFFICE HOURS BY KEVIN FLANDERS team take part in the event. Having NEWS STAFF WRITER MONDAYS 12-5 lost three grandparents, a brother- in-law, and a few friends to cancer, it WEDNESDAYS 1-5 EAST BROOKFIELD — The Relay for Life preparations have started means a lot to Norberg and her family FRIDAYS 1-5 early for Julie Norberg, who joined to support the cause each year. forces with family and friends to form Norberg and her 11-year-old son, their own team for this year’s event Kyle, have walked in the event for in Auburn. four years, but 2015 will be a little dif- INSIDE Kevin Flanders photo Norberg, of Charlton, who helps ferent. This time they have their own ALMANAC ....................2 Julie Norberg, her son, Kyle Norberg, and her mother, Linda organize the Central South County team, Norberg Strong, and Kyle was Terry — all members of Norberg Strong — pose for a photo Relay for Life in September at POLICE LOGS................5 during a fundraising event on Sunday, June 14, for Relay for Lemansky Park, is excited to see her Turn To RELAY, page A11 OBITUARIES ..................7 Life. OPINION ................... 10 CALENDAR ................ 11 SPORTS ............... 14-16 Track LOCAL Education is all in the family sound MOTHER DAUGHTER DUO GRADUATES FROM tests WSU BY OLIVIA RICHMAN NEWS STAFF WRITER A walk through mulled CHARLTON — The family that learns together, grows together. history BY OLIVIA RICHMAN Charlton resident Robert Polselli attend- Page A3 NEWS STAFF WRITER ed the Worcester State University grad- uation ceremony last month to cheer on CHARLTON — The Planning not only his daughter, Samantha, but his Board held their last public wife, Kathleen. Kathleen got her Bachelor’s LOCAL hearing regarding the SunSet Degree in Nursing and Samantha earned City proposal on Wednesday, her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, with a Photos courtesy the Polselli family June 17. minor in chemistry and psychology. To many residents’ con- “It was so … it was the proudest moment, The Polselli family said they value education a lot. Every sin- cern, Planning Director Alan gle family member attended college in some way this year. Gordon announced that the Turn To WSU, page A11 board would be moving for- ward in their process and will be entering the deliberation stage. While residents may attend the meetings (the next Stepping to Springfield being on July 15) the Planning Board stated that they would not be taking any more testi- HAYLOFT STEPPERS ATTEND NATIONAL CONVENTION monies or questions on SunSet City. BY OLIVIA RICHMAN United States to as far as Japan. start a conversation with them. A concert for NEWS STAFF WRITER As previously reported, There were experienced and None of them understood me. ‘friends and family’ the SunSet City Mega Sports STURBRIDGE — Around well-known callers — the indi- They didn’t know English. But Page A4 Complex will include a moto- 45 members of the Hayloft vidual who prompts dance fig- they knew the calls and knew cross track, which has alarmed Steppers attended the 64th ures in line and square dances what to do. I thought that was some of the nearby residents. Annual National Square — from all over the world. interesting.” SPORTS Concerned citizens of Dance Convention on June 24 “Sometimes the dancers from Square dancing is in English Charlton and Sturbridge in Springfield. This is the first other countries don’t speak all over the world. Even though founded RANT, or Residents time in the history of the con- any English,” said Hayloft it’s part of the nation’s heri- Against Noise and Traffic. vention that it’s been held in Building Committee Chairman tage, the dance has become pop- “In my communications New England. Moe Bracken last week before ular in other countries as well. with Alan Gordon last week, More than 3,500 square the convention. “Last year When China began to develop dancers from all over the we danced with a group from Turn To SUNSET CITY, A11 world attended the National Japan. They made no mistakes page Turn To HAYLOFT, page A12 Locals from Convention, from all over the at all. After the dance, I tried to South squad defeat North in All-Star football Bringing home the gold game Page A16 CENTER OF HOPE RETURNS FROM SPECIAL OLYMPICS OPINION GET YOUR BY OLIVIA RICHMAN had a fun time and were able to go NEWS STAFF WRITER POINT ACROSS out there and compete. It definitely SOUTHBRIDGE — The Center showed that they did it to the best PAGE A10 of Hope had a lot to celebrate this of their abilities.” month. Three of their volleyball The volleyball teams were made POLICE LOGS teams came back from Boston up of 12 athletes, including four unified partners. To win a gold PAGE A5 with gold medals from the Special Olympics. medal, each volleyball team had to Individual athletes in track compete in a two-day round-robin and field and power lifting also tournament and come out on top in received various medals. their division. Photos courtesy Center of Hope “It feels great,” said Project The Center of Hope is one of the Manager Martin Dawson. “It real- The Barracuda volleyball team shows off their gold medals after a two- ly felt good that all of our athletes Turn To COH, page A12 day round-robin tournament at the Special Olympics. 2 STURBRIDGE VILLAGER • Friday, June 26, 2015 Man charged after lighting police cruiser on fire BY OLIVIA RICHMAN incident. NEWS STAFF WRITER “Our police officers did a great job SOUTHBRIDGE deescalating a bad situation quickly and — At 9:45 p.m. on professionally,” said Police Chief Shane Wednesday, June Woodson. “Luckily nobody was injured. 16, a woman ran I hope that he gets evaluated and gets the into the lobby of help that he needs before he hurts another the Southbridge person or himself. This was not a string Police Department of crimes. He was clearly targeting the and told police that police.” Arthur Burnham there was someone According to Woodson, Burnham had outside trying to been in contact with the police 16 differ- light a police cruis- ent times between January and June. In er on fire. the past he had come into the lobby yell- Patrol officers surrounded the parking ing obscenities and then quickly running lot and found a police car engulfed in away. He would tell the police officers that flames upon arrival, not salvageable. A he was going to sue them for taking his man was nearby jumping up and down children. yelling, “I hate the police. The police are “These comments made no sense and civil rights violators. They took my chil- he had no real reason for them,” said dren from me.” Woodson. “I don’t believe we had any- There was a struggle, but the individ- thing to do with his children being taken ual was brought to the ground and hand- away. That would be the DCF if this cuffed. The man was identified as Arthur indeed happened.” Burnham, a 45-year-old homeless man There have been many incidents of hate living in Southbridge. crimes against the police force all over the Surveillance cameras showed Burnham United States in the last few months. Even standing near the police cruiser with a on the Southbridge Police Department’s large white container. He was seen dump- Facebook post about the police cruiser ing a liquid, later identified as gasoline, incident, many comments blamed the on the hood, roof and trunk of the vehicle. police for the crime or felt the police He is shown walking away and then com- deserved what happened. ing back to ignite the liquid with a match “A lot of great things that police do get and lighter. overlooked because of the small number of Burnham was charged with arson and negative things that happen because those two counts of malicious destruction of are the only things that get reported,” property, when they discovered a second said Woodson. “Police that work for this car had been damaged from the intense department have great relationships with heat. The initial car that had been tar- the community. Our officers do things for geted happened to be a canine cruiser. the community, even on their off time.” Luckily that officer wasn’t on duty that The department filed an insurance night or the police dog would have been claim for the destroyed police cruiser and in the car. are currently waiting for a response. There were no injuries to police offi- Olivia Richman can be reached at 508- cers or citizens who had witnessed the 909-4132 or by email at olivia@stonebridge- press.com.