Mailed free to requesting homes in Charlton, Charlton City and Charlton Depot Vol. 2, No. 45 COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.CHARLTONVILLAGER.COM ‘‘Courage is fear holding on a minute longer’ Friday, Nov 7, 2008 Library: Commission ‘embarrassed’ Why just IMPROPERLY POSTED MEETING VIOLATED LAW BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL already “remedied” the violation to post notice of the meeting held STAFF WRITER in re-voting on the matters it had on Sept. 8, 2008 was inadvertent CHARLTON — For the third discussed at a Monday, Sept. 8. and unintentional,” Assistant get by? time in a year, the Water/Sewer The opinion came in response District Attorney Patricia C. Commission has violated the to a complaint filed in September Smith wrote in a Friday, Oct. 24 Open Meeting Law, according to by the Worcester Telegram & letter to the commission. the Worcester County District Gazette. Since the issues discussed at HANSEN:HERE’S Attorney. “It is the opinion of the District the Sept. 8 gathering were re-dis- Joe Haebler Paul Gagner The commission, however, has Attorney’s Office that the failure cussed and voted upon Monday, WHAT WE NEED Turn To VIOLATION, page 11 BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL STAFF WRITER CHARLTON — A little more than a year after moving into its new facility, the library is blazing a path to improve its services. More money is needed, however, to achieve many of the goals, according to a new report submitted to the state Board of Library Commissioners that lays out how to improve the library over the next five years. “This is what we feel we need,” Charlton Library Director Cheryl Hansen said last week. “We’re managing. Do you want to live in a town where the library is just get- Cheryl Hansen ting by?” Boosting circulation, being open more hours each week and hiring more staff are among the goals. Buying more materials is also one of the goals. The library is lacking in meeting basic services standards, according to the report. “As can be seen in the comparison … the Charlton library falls well below basic stan- dard levels in all categories [the report dis- cusses],” the report reads.] Hiring more staff would help improve operations, according to the report, as the library remains below an industry staffing standard. The report calls for hiring a part- time children’s librarian. Hansen said she would be asking, again, for permission to hire a custodian to clean the building. The Wisconsin Public Library standards, based on servicing a population of 14,623, call for 10.2 full-time staffers. Charlton is below than figure, at 6.5, at has a population of about 14,000. The report also calls for the facility to be open 7.5 more hours per week by fiscal 2013. It is open 41.5 hours per week now, well below the 58 hours the Wisconsin standards call for. Respondents to an April survey done by the library gave a clear response: “People want the library to be open on Fridays, and in gen- eral more hours, especially in the evening,” the report reads. Shawn Kelley photos The library is currently not open Fridays. Selectmen Vice Chairman Peter J. Boria nor Scott D. Brown could be reached for com- TRICK OR TREAT! ment last week about library funding. CHARLTON — Left, trick or treaters made their way into the To bolster its requests, the library has Town Hall to collect candy last Thursday, Oct. 30, one day cited various statistics. The library nearly before Halloween. Above, Megan Provencal of Charlton holds doubled its circulation from fiscal 2007, when her baby butterfly, 7-week-old Recquel, as the two get ready it checked out 43,111 items, to 83,957 in fiscal to Trick or Treat. For more photos, turn to page A8. Turn To LIBRARY, page 11 Movie fest taps their creative side Highway plans The festival and prepara- STUDENTS SERVE UP HORROR FLICKS tion for it serves as a way to hit roadblock learn creativity and film- BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL Stoneybrook,” a film about a making in an era when mul- STAFF WRITER STAFF WRITER kid who dreams about the timedia is ubiquitous. CHARLTON — Voters at DUDLEY — A mad scien- murder of several students. “It’s like a new [way] to last week’s special town meet- tist of sorts appeared in Second place went to “Tics.” express creativity,” Aucoin ing rejected an appropriation Dudley last week seeking to There was a tie between that said. of $3.5 million for the planned read minds. film and “Goggle Man” for The pair’s film first came highway department build- That is somewhat true: It crowd favorite. “Goggle to life when they brain- ing, but approved $96,342 for was the storyline of one of Man” depicted a goggle- stormed an idea as they were the new animal shelter. the student-produced films wearing madman doing vio- sitting in the school’s cafete- “I was really disappointed,” screened at Shepherd Hill lence against students. ria, Aucoin said. The prem- said Selectmen Chairman Regional High School’s One film, “Geico Man” ise — college students inter- Rick Swensen after the meet- Fright Night Film Festival. (referring to the car insur- view a caveman who tries to ing. Students and teachers ance company) created by kill students, he said. Several The planned highway oper- watched the films in the sophomore Tyler Aucoin and scripts later, they felt they ations facility,which required auditorium Wednesday, Oct. senior Jake Coffey, both of had a good starting point. two-thirds voter approval, 29. Dudley, was not screened. “This movie just felt so gained 78 votes in favor and 52 pure. It was a good setting,” Ryan Grannan-Doll photo Organized by the three stu- The pair said it was not BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL in opposition from 130 of the dents, the festival featured allowed because of the Aucoin said. “We want to be Ryan Grannan-Doll photo 149 registered voters gathered Shepherd Hill Senior Joe directors,” Aucoin said refer- seven horror films, judged amount of violence. Charlton resident John McGrath, at the Charlton Middle School Germain helped organize his by a panel of students and The two students helped ring to himself and Coffey. school’s Fright Night Film at the microphone, voices his Tuesday, Oct. 28. Even if the teachers. First place was senior Joe Germain, organ- Aucoin and Coffey said opinion at last week’s town Festival and acted as master of awarded to “Nightmare at ize the festival. ceremonies. Turn To FILMS, page 11 meeting. Turn To MEETING, page 11 TRIVIA Almanac ................. 2 Calendar ...............9 SHEPHERD HILL Prominent in the civil rights Obituaries .............. 7 Real Estate ...B Section LIBRARY movement, he was assassinat- Police Logs .............. 5 Sports .............. 15-17 TREATS GETS SHARE ed in 1963 by Byron de la Opinion ................ 10 Beckwith. Who was he? INDEX INDEX PAGE 8 PAGE 17 Answer inside. 2 •THE CHARLTON VILLAGER• Friday, November 7, 2008 www.charltonvillager.com More affordable housing eyed for town VILLAGER ALMANAC BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL ing drove the plans, which began two police and fire station are also nearby. STAFF WRITER years ago, Vincent said. Of the town’s Money is one obstacle might stand in CHARLTON — A plan is in the total housing, only 1 or 2 percent is the way of the project. works to build more affordable housing affordable, well below the 10-percent “Funding is the biggest obstacle,” THEY SAID IT for senior citizens and needy families. goal state law establishes, Vincent said. Vincent said, remarking that she will “We need more housing,” said The site she manages currently has seek grants for the project, but won’t “It’s just one of these things that slipped by. Charlton Housing Authority Executive an 8-10 year waiting list, she said. request money from the town. Not hav- Director Jean Vincent, whose agency is “As Charlton has grown over the ing to spend money on buying new It’s human error.” proposing the new facility. “There will years, we have a tremendous need to land makes the financial burden a little — Charlton Water/Sewer Commissioner always be a need for affordable hous- increase our supply of subsidized units easier, she said. Paul Gagner on an opinion from the ing.” to provides Charlton residents with The proposal is also in line with a Worcester County District Attorney that the board high quality affordable housing,” key general concern around the com- The proposal calls for 10 additional violated the state’s Open Meeting Law. family units and eight for seniors to be Vincent said in the press release. munity — maintaining the rural char- built at the agency’s Meadowview As of this year, the town has 52 subsi- acter of the town. Drive housing complex, according to a dized housing units; the agency aspires “The project is also consistent with PEN TO LOSE press release. Thirty elderly units and to have 450 by 2010. Fifty-five communi- the goal of preserving Charlton Center O C six for families, built in 1984, currently ties had achieved the 10-percent as a small-scale, mixed-use, pedestrian- CHARLTON TOWN HALL (508) 248-2200 sit there. Vincent said there is no set requirement as of September, accord- oriented village,” the report reads. Board of Selectmen (248-2206): date for completion, but estimated the ing to the report. “The modest size of the project fits the Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays .............. 7:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m. project would cost about $3.4 million. The current economic conditions scale and character of the existing Tuesdays ............................................................