Local Canines Headed for the Big City Lights

ACO Call Log Summary
October 2019

10/1 @1p Resident concern regarding repeated sightings of bobcat in area; discussed typical behavior and precautions to be taken by homeowner

10/5 @1p Call from Worcester Animal Rescue League regarding found dog with Petersham tag. Info on tag given and animal identified as Petersham owned. Owner may have been in city for event with child. Contact made with likely owner. WARL call back to say owner on way to pick up pup

@2:30p Resident call to report missing dog. Two dogs were out for approximately two minutes and only one dog returned. The area was searched. Produced flyers and assisted owner in getting notices up. ACO contact with local ACOs, shelters, and vets. PAWS FB activated.

10/6 Additional outreach to other agencies for above lost dog

10/7 @9:30a Call from dispatch regarding medical issue with equine. Requested dispatch place call to EquiDoc asap and info them this is a stat situation. PD and FD response also needed. To scene to assist

@4:30p Call received from TJ O’Connor Shelter in Springfield regarding lost Petersham dog. It was determined dog turned in after the shelter closed.
Conversation revealed this dog could well be missing Petersham dog. Contact made with owner; owner to head to Springfield. @7p dog back at home in Petersham

@5:15p Notified by Wachusett Animal Hospital of possible rabies exposure to Petersham dog

10/8 @9a Spoke with owner of above dog seen at WAH. Dog was up to date on vaccinations; situation reviewed. Dog was given a re-booster at animal hospital. Dog placed on home quarantine.

@4:30p Received notification of dispatched bear (2 weeks ago) on Quaker Drive. Requested more timely notification in the future

10/9 @10a Out for farm inspections
@12p Release cat from 45 day quarantine

10/10 @11a Telecon with MDAR

10/11 @6a Livestock attack by unknown predator. MA Wildlife to site for inspection and photographs, EPO visit scheduled.

10/12 @10:30a Dispatch call regarding loose dog. Owner identified
@6p Resident reports loose goats in road in Nichewaug area
10/14 @10a Hardwick ACO call to report found goat; determined it was not one of the above
10/15 @9a Met with Hardwick ACO regarding additional loose goats
@1p Rutland Regional ACO requests assistance in Barre

10/17-20 Power outage in Petersham. Station established for water availability for small farms without power, several residents were able to use this service.
Check-in on elderly residents with pets

10/23 Release of dog from quarantine

10/29 @2p Report of found dog. Likely owner notified
@3:30p Report of lost dog
@5p Above dog located, returned to owner

10/31 @11a Call from elderly owner of ill dog. Suggestions given

Broadband, Nichewaug Discussed at Selectboard

Broadband committee chair Chip Bull told the Selectboard on Nov. 26 that work is proceeding to remove obstacles to installing the town's planned broadband system. A contractor is moving the state's middle-mile fiber cables on Route 32 to make room for new local cables and should be done within a week.

He said Matrix design has ordered equipment that will enable residential connections and is committed to working through the winter to get the system done by late spring.

Bull said an underground cable will be installed on the west side of Common Street -- from 15 North Main Street to 11 Common Street -- to avoid hanging wires around the common. That cable will link equipment already installed in town hall to the North Main Street leg of the system. Bull said Verizon is nearly done issuing licenses to let the town hang new cables on its utility poles in town.

Chris Lynch, managing the project for Matrix Design, said earlier that miles of fiber-optic cable is here and waiting. Installation work will be "weather dependent" as winter approaches. Permissions from utility company to string new cables are now in hand, he said.

Some 14 residents and the Selectboard met with Glenn Eaton from the regional planning commission. Eaton said his group could help the town locate and apply for grant money to fund a professional study of possible approaches to the vacant town-owned property. Eaton said only one of the two Petersham seats on the commission are filled. The board promised to find out why the Planning Board has not appointed anyone to fill the town's seat. Eaton said other member communities often fail to attend commission meetings. When asked, he could not identify the town's second member, Nancy Allen, Selectboard chair.

Woolsey declined after the meeting to name any potential members of a proposed 5-member study group he proposed at the last meeting but said it may be a three to five member group.

Some residents are asking for a new professional evaluation of all possible solutions for the Nichewaug. The town remains divided on whether to demolish the buildings or plan to reuse them in some way. Previous study groups and community meetings have not produced a way forward for the historic in and attached school building since the town took ownership a decade ago.

Chimney Hill Cell Tower Permit Delayed Again

A proposed cell tower at Hall Farm off Quaker Drive will wait another month for permission to get taller. Tower North, the developer, is seeking permission to build a 160-foot tall tower to provide more and better cell coverage than the 90-foot tower already approved by the zoning board. Seven residents attended the continuing hearing which will resume at 7 p.m. December 12 in the lower town hall.

The company has relocated a planned service road to the tower to avoid conservation land near the site. Zoning board member Brian McEwen asked the company to provide more details about the road and potential rainwater runoff. Member Maryanne Reynolds cited the town's commitment to protecting land from development and asked if the company was considering aesthetics. " I am asking you to provide (cellular) coverage in a way that does not harm the town." she said.

Company spokesman Joseph Perrera said a single tower at 160 feet could expand cell service in town and allow multiple cell carriers to bring reliable cell service to Petersham. An alternative could prove to be building several shorter towers at multiple locations. Michael Dolan, a company attorney said, "You can have competing interests that can co-exist." He said the Hall family and developer are going a good job of minimizing impact of the site and tower on the surrounding landscape.

Shorter or Taller, from Archers to Zombies - and a Penguin Family

Concerned about possible high winds and heavy rain on Thursday, town officials joined other area communities in moving Halloween to Saturday. Trick or treat came to town at 4:30 p.m. on November 2 as dozens of ghosts and goblins joined more than a dozen scarecrows on the towncommon. There were plenty of treats and no reported "tricks." Treats were available at numerous homes, at the library and at The Country Store.

A parade of horribles led by a fire truck started near the town common at 6 p.m. and ended at the Lions club annual Halloween party in the town hall from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Photos  courtesy of Stephanie Selden.

Selectboard, Assessors Set 2020 Tax Rate

In a brief October 30 meeting, Selectmen and Assessors set the fiscal 2020 tax rate at $17.37 per thousand of assessed value. an increase from the current rate of  $16.93. Assessor Dana Kennan told the board the town's total valuation increased $6.7 million as properties were revalued and rose to $159,310,618. Kennan said the average home, is now assessed at $251,312, up from $241,830 and an average home will pay $271.11 more in taxes in the coming tax year. Some 89 percent of the total tax base is found in residential property, he said.