Petersham Common Local News Page

The Opinion Page

Click HERE to read Selectboard meeting minutes.

ITEMS FOR SALE OR FREE

If you have something to say, send us a Letter to the Editor

Quabbin Visitor Center Remote Programs

Sunday, March 19, 2-3 p.m.
A day in the life of a DCR Wildlife Biologist

Wildlife biologists are the rock stars of any land management agency! Loons or gulls, spiders or snakes, bears or moose, learn what DCR wildlife biologist Jillian Whitney expects to deal with every day when she heads to work.

Sunday, March 26, 2-3p.m.
Understanding Forest Fire Ecology in Massachusetts.

For decades we have been urged to avoid forest fires by Smokey Bear but did you know fire can play a beneficial part in the health of a forest? In this presentation, explore how carefully controlled prescribed burns can restore habitat, support endangered flora and fauna and reduce the risk of wildfire.

Corned Beef on the Go

The Orthodox Congregational Church will hold its Annual Corned Beef Dinner as a To-Go meal, with pick-up starting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday March 18 at the Church, 21 N. Main St. Menu includes: corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, more veggies, and a dessert. Cost is $15 per meal, proceeds to help repair weather damage to the Church. Reservations required, call 978-724-3362.

Petersham Art Center ~ Spring Classes 2023

BASKET WEAVING Saturday, April 1, 9-1pm ~ with Sue Morello, Gather spring flowers & herbs in your own handmade basket. Choice of styles. Cost: $20 members / $40 non-members. Materials Fee of $18

CREATE A FLORAL SWAG. Saturday, April 15, 10-Noon ~with Rachel Gonzalez. The long, lovely swag uses locally grown flowers and fragrant herbs. Perfect for your door or wall. Cost: $10 members / $30 Non Materials Fee $20

BUILD A SUCCULENT AND HERB DISH GARDEN. Saturday, April 22, 10 Noon~ with Lynn Hartman. Lynn supplies all materials, including a beautiful terra-cotta pot, and shares all her gardening skills to help you create a perfect dish garden for patio or deck. Cost: $10 members / $30 non-members. Materials Fee of $35

FROM SHEARING TO WEAVING. Sundays, April 30, May 7, May 14, May 28. 1-3PM ~ with Deb Bachrach and Chris Eaton. Beginning with a shearing demonstration at the farm, participants will follow the wool from raw material to handwoven project by learning how to card, spin, dye, and weave on handheld looms. Cost: $40 members / $60 non-members. Materials Fee of $15

MAKING COLOR, MIXING MAGIC! Saturday, May 20, 9-12Noon~with Elaine Griffith. In this workshop, you’ll learn the secrets to getting exactly the colors you want and learn how to use a palette knife to make them clean and brilliant. You’ll make color charts and learn the skills to make all the colors in the world around you! Cost: $15 members / $35 non-members. Materials Fee $10

To enroll in a class, email Chris at chrisoutdoors71@gmail.com

UU March Services Listed

Here's the schedule for March services at the Petersham UU. During March, we will continue to meet in the Davis Memorial Building at 10:30 Sunday mornings:

March 5 - Dana Tomlin - "Own Your Mind Business"

March 12 - Don Inglis - "States' Rights" with Cathy Tyng, musician

March 19 - Heidi Strickland - "Growing Up in a Religious Community"

March 26 - Women's History Month Observance with Marc Erwin, musician

And the first two services in April:

April 2 - Katja Esser - "Experiencing the Presence of God"

April 9 - Katherine Parcell, Emily Anderson - "Joy" with Cathy Tyng, musician, Easter egg hunt for children. Service in the church sanctuary.

It Is Brush Burning Season

Burning Permits are available: January 15, 2023 thru May 1, 2023
Phone: 508-867-1066
Web: C8burnpermits.com

Lasagna on Tap

Petersham Orthodox Congregational Church will hold its annual Lasagna Dinner as a To-Go meal, with pick-up from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday February 25 at the Church, 21 N. Main St. Options are Veggie or Meat. Cost is $25 for a half-pan. Proceeds to help repair weather damage to the Church. Reservations required by Saturday February 18, call 978-724-3362.

Unitarian Upcoming Events

February 19 - Rini Kilcoyne will read "What the Black Man Wants" by Frederick Douglass, a speech he gave before the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, April 1865

February 26 - Katja Esser, "It takes a Life to Feed a Life."
All services at 10:30 each Sunday morning in the Davis Memorial Building:

Two Church Programs

The church is providing Adult Christian Education on various topics at the Church's Andrew Hall, 21 N. Main St (Rt. 32), on the Second and Fourth Wednesdays starting at 6:30 p.m. The current series is “What's the Difference? Christian Church Edition” exploring the difference between the various types of churches. Programs simulcast on Zoom and Facebook Live, details and links on our Facebook page.

The church announced revised semimonthly Friday Funday Programming at the Church's Andrew Hall, 21 N. Main St (Rt. 32) starting at 7p.m. First Fridays of the Month will feature a Family Movie Night where a selection of options will be provided and the attendees will vote on which movie. Third Fridays of the Month will feature a Games Night for all ages and all types of games, and attendees may bring their own games to share. Light refreshments will be provided at both programs. Attendees may bring items as well. Details and updates on our Facebook page.

Free Remote and Hybrid Quabbin Programs

Quabbin Reservoir will offer several free remote programs this winter. All ages are welcome. For more information email QuabbinVisitor.Center@mass.gov, or visit https://www.mass.gov/locations/quabbin-reservoir

Sunday February 26, 2-3
Bats of Massachusetts
Learn about the different bats that live in Massachusetts and where they go during the winter. Join Elise Stanmyer, a wildlife biologist with the DCR-DWSP to discover where and how bats hibernate or migrate and about current threats bats face in Massachusetts, including White-nose Syndrome.

Food Pantries Serving Petersham Residents

Orange, MA Food Pantry
118 East Main Street (across from the Armory)
Open Thursdays 10-3

Evan Manning - coordinator
978-544-2149

Salvation Army Athol
Food Pantry 107 Ridge Ave.
Open Tuesday, Friday | 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
This food pantry is available twice a month or on an emergency basis.
Please call 978.249.8111 for details.
Take out meal program Tuesday nights.

Nichewaug Video Tour 1993

Just for the Fun of It... click here

A PETERSHAM Phone Book

Ecologist to Speak on Forest Carbon Research

Harvard Forest will to host Dr. Susan Trumbore for a free public lecture in the Fisher Museum on Friday, March 31, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The presentation will also be live-streamed online and recorded. This is the postponement date for an event that was originally scheduled for October 2022.

Trumbore is recognized as the leading authority in applying radiocarbon dating to environmental science. She is the Director and Scientific Member at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and Professor of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine.

Trumbore is the inaugural presenter of the Harvard University’s Charles Bullard Lectures. The lecture series was established by Harvard Forest in 2022 to honor and learn from renowned scholars of forest ecology and conservation. Every autumn, the lecturer will present in both Cambridge and in Petersham.

This year’s lecture in Petersham will focus on the amount of time carbon remains in ecosystems before it is returned to the atmosphere. The answer tells us how we might be able to better manage forest plants and soils to store carbon. Dr. Trumbore will use data from the new International Soil Radiocarbon Database to demonstrate how carbon transit times change globally, suggest how we can use this information to test global carbon cycle models, and what we can learn about better managing soils to take up carbon.

Trumbore’s honors include election to the Academia Europaea and the US National Academy of Sciences, and election as a Fellow of the Geochemical Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has been awarded the Marsh Award for Climate Change Research, the Balzan Prize in Earth System Dynamics, the Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky Medal of the EGU, and the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Earth and Environmental Science.

This event, March 31 at 11:00 a.m. in the Harvard Forest Fisher Museum (324 North Main Street, Petersham), is free and open to the public. No RSVPs are required. The Harvard Forest welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you require accommodations, or have questions about the event, please contact Clarisse Hart, Director of Outreach, at 978-756-6157, hart3@fas.harvard.edu.

To attend the event online, to access the recording after the event, and to learn more about Trumbore’s presentation in Cambridge, visit environment.harvard.edu/bullard-lectures.

Life in the Valley Before the Quabbin

Thursday, April 6 at 6:00 pm

Author J.R. Greene will present a narrated slide program about life in the Swift River Valley towns before the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir. Books by the author will be available for sale and signing.

J.R. Greene has written more than a dozen books on the history of the Quabbin Reservoir and the towns disbanded to create it. He is also the author of several works on President Calvin Coolidge, Massachusetts railroads, and Athol, Massachusetts, and has been the longtime chair of the board of the Friends of Quabbin Inc.

Free and open to the public. Register online or by telephone, 978-249-9515

Annual Election of Town Officials

123 voters turned out - 11%

Moderator - Bart Wendell - 111
Selectboard - Susan Dougherty - 83
Treasurer - Dana Robinson - 113
Board of Assessors - Ellen Anderson - 102
Board of Health - Stephen Loring - 109
Petersham School Comm - 3 yrs - Lynne Feldman - 77
Petersham School Comm - 1 yr - Aaron Kessman - 59
Planning Board - John Lawson - 110
Planning Board - Fraser Sinclair - 112
Trustees of Public Library - Kent Byron - 114.

Town Offices Will Return to Normal Hours on March 1

The Selectboard voted Feb. 16 to restore normal access to all town offices on March 1. The brick building has been operating a patchwork of various open times and different times and days for different offices for more than a year. No mention was made of the more than 50 heated comments about limited access to town services posted recently on the internet,

Chair Nancy Allen said the staggered hours and locked front door were an attempt to protect part-time employees during the Covid-19 emergency. She said the "hybrid approach has been functioning pretty well" and said previously that the board had heard no complaints from residents.

Several weeks ago Jennifer Dejackome and Tina Leslie attended a board meeting to let board members know that the arrangement was inconvenient and upsetting to residents. Documents for town committees were dropped in a collection box. Residents picking up paperwork could find them in envelopes taped to the outside front door. Departing board member made a motion too "fully open" the building effective March 1. The vote was 3 to 0 in favor.

Quabbin Retreat Committee

The Board said it plans to revitalize a Quabbin Retreat citizen committee and Allen said the fire and police chiefs should be members to monitor 911 calls coming from the facility. Member Annette Ermini suggested asking a nearby neighbor. Allen said volunteers have become difficult to find for town posts. Despite such statements, three candidates sought a single selectboard seat in the last election. More than 85 residents have seats on about 25 boards and committees.

Roy Nilson, who publishes this website and is a member of the earlier Quabbin Retreat committee told the board he would volunteer to serve. Nilson said he knows this town and has lived here for 48 years. Because his family lost both a parent and an adult child to substance abuse, he is familiar with the impact of alcohol and drug abuse on communities and families. Allen replied she would favor "new faces" on the new five member committee.

Three Blanks on the Ballot in March

There will be three blank spots on the March ballot to elect town officers. No one took out nomination papers to replace Becky Legare on the Selectboard. She is not running for re-election. Nancy Allen, Selectboard Chair, announced Jan. 18 that new resident Susan Dougherty of 6 West St. has agreed to run for the post as a write-in candidate.

Dougherty said, she

became a resident of Petersham the summer of 2022. "I live at 6 West St; the field adjacent to the house was planted up with Christmas trees (but they are all harvested now). I am a geologist, recently retired from a major oil company in Houston Texas. I grew up in the Bay Area, California and received degrees from UC Santa Barbara and Montana State University (Bozeman). My work at the oil company involved collaborating with engineers, chemists, lawyers, and regulators. I was lucky to live and work in several US cities and abroad (Germany, Indonesia).

There will also be two open positions on the school committee for the March election. One will be for a 1-year term and the other for a 3-year term. You must be a Petersham resident to qualify, but do not need to have students in the school system. Lynne Feldman of town is seeking one seat as a write-in.

Anyone seeking any one of these spots can be a write-in candidate

Food Stamp Benefit Cuts Are on the Table
State House News Service

BOSTON — Residents all over Massachusetts are scheduled to absorb a significant decrease in food assistance aid in just over two weeks, with more than 630,000 households facing a loss of about a third of what they have received in SNAP benefits over the past two years.

As low-income families and individuals who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table and make ends meet prepare for the reduction, the state Legislature has before it a proposal to continue, at least in part, the pandemic-era emergency SNAP allotments. But with the federal declaration that assistance tied to COVID-19 will be phased out this spring, the state has before it an aid cliff and slowing revenue growth to fill those gaps after several years of elevated spending.

Massachusetts residents have received extra SNAP dollars to help combat the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020.

A Possible Tax Windfall From Quabbin Retreat
New Program Planned

Petersham could realize some $100,000 in new annual tax collections due to the transfer of ownership at Quabbin Retreat, 211 to a for-profit owner. The Board of Assessors recently voted to send the new owners a bill for $45,000 to cover the last half of the current tax year and to seek cost estimates for having the property assessment updated for the following year.

Heywood Hospital, a non-profit, was making a $30,000 annual payment in lieu of taxes but the new owner, Waterstone Properties Group is a for-profit taxpayer. The complex is presently assessed at $5.6 million and the new owner took a $5.4 million mortgage to cover the sale and renovations according to Ellen Anderson, assessor's chair. A revised assessment in that range could produce an annual tax bill of nearly $100,000.

Renovations are complete on a building at the Quabbin Retreat on North Main Street. The plan is to house 12 to 24 mothers and children participating in a new substance abuse recovery program. The Gardner Athol Area Mental Health Association plans to operate the program. Heywood bought the property in 2017 and sold it last year.

Dawn Casavant, Heywood Hospital vice president of external affairs said previously that two other substance abuse programs currently operate at the former Catholic nuns residence. Heywood recently transferred ownership of the facility to Waterstone Properties Group, Inc. of Needham in August of 2022. The facility houses – Heywood’s Dana Day Treatment Center and Belmont-based McLean Hospital’s Addiction Treatment Center at Naukeag.

Petersham town officials have expressed private concerns that children whose parents are in the planned residential program could be enrolled at and bring new expenses to the Center School.

ACO Call Log Summary November Report
November 2022

11/2 @10a Call from resident regarding dog to dog attack that occurred on their morning walk, familiar route. Injured dog on way to local veterinary facility

@10:15a Call to owner of attacking dog, dog placed under quarantine with instructions regarding strict confinement

@11:30a Owner of injured dog called to update their pet is to be transferred to the emergency facility at Tufts

@2p Owner of attacking dog called for update, discussion with this resident regarding contacting her home insurance company

@5p Owner of attacked dog updated the dog is heading into surgery and will likely be hospitalized for several days

@4:45p Resident call regarding loose, unfamiliar dog staying in yard, description of dog given. Call placed to likely owner of dog, family member to area to pick up dog

11/3 @1p Several conversations with owners of injured dog from 11/2

11/8 @1p Call from resident regarding raccoon damage and concern about undermining accessory structures, explained other wildlife that could be caused problem, info given for PAC agents

11/9 Conversations with owners of both dogs from 11/2 incident

11/12 @11a Dog under quarantine released after meeting with owner and Q dog

11/13 @8p Resident call for lost cat, FB posts and PAWS notice sent, suggestions given to owner

11/14 @6a Owner of above cat reports the feline came home

11/18 @9p Resident call regarding barking dog, to area, nothing found @9:10p

11/19 @11a Resident request for info regarding MA hunting seasons by species, website info provided

11/23 @5:45p Motorist call for HBC skunk on Rt 32, to area, deceased animal removed

11/28 @6a Motorist on 122 called to state a vehicle in front of their vehicle had an owl strike, calling motorist attempted to move owl to side of road and requested follow up, to area, owl alert and no action taken
@10a To area for above owl, seen in different location

@5p Injured owl located near pond behind Highway Department

@6:30p Contact made with birds of prey licensed rehab specialist in Leverett, suggestions were given and monitoring instructions

11/29 @10a To area referenced above for injured owl, avian seen moving on ground

@12p Contact made with ACO from North Quabbin Regional Animal Control for assistance in crating owl for arranged transfer to Tufts Wildlife (Tufts suggested a specific method)

@1p w/ACO from NQRAC, set up with capture equipment established…..owl flew!! Thanks to NQRAC for assisting. Area monitored for the afternoon.

Note for Residents:

The litter of kittens born 9/21, were all adopted as of 11/13.
Always call when injured wildlife of any species is seen. The protocol varies. (For the owl situation, the motorist was spot on with correct response!)

Food, Fuel - What Next? Property Taxes. Meeting Was Jan. 18

Twenty five people attended a Joint Public Information Meeting of the Selectboard, Advisory Finance Committee, and Board of Assessors To Review the Current Property Tax Bills, Provide Information and Answer Residents' Questions. Here is a LINK to the official explanation for a large increase in many or most real estate tax bills.

The short answer is that in 2022 someone left $477,533 out of the approved town budget. To make up for that shortfall, the town took money from its stabilization fund and other accounts. Now that money has to be replaced. The stabilization or "rainy day" fund normally contains a sum equal to about 8 percent of the annual $4-plus million budget. Today the emergency fund has been drawn down to about 2 percent.

The document says in part, "It is a common misconception that Prop. 2½ restricts the amount your property tax bill can increase to 2½%."

It also says, "As some residents are aware, but not all and likely not those who are new to town in the past year or so – at Annual Town Meeting of June 2021 an accidental error created a shortfall in the amount appropriated for the Center School operating budget. The shortfall – which accidentally occurred when voters were not requested to appropriate the annual State funds specifically allocated for the Center School (called “Mass. Chapter 70 funding” and allotted to all public schools) – caused a lower total budget appropriation for Fiscal Year 2022 by $437,533 less than the School budget needed and was thought to be approved by the voters. That lower appropriation was then used in the the recap process with the DOR as described above to create the town's Tax Rate; the new rate decreased by $1.77; going from $15.31 to $13.54 and the tax bills were calculated and decreased using that rate (see chart on page 4). As the year went on, the School was spending and still needed their requested budget. When the error was identified in early Spring 2022, plans were made by the Selectboard and Finance Committee to recommend using available funds to fix it at June 2022 Special Town Meeting.

A recent survey of statewide property tax rates shows that most towns reduced rates between one and 20 percent. Petersham is an outlier with an increase of 16.2 percent.

The Selectboard held an information meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday January 18 to answer residents' questions about new, higher property tax bills.

Map of Massachusetts property tax rates. Individual property tax bill increases will vary depending on assessments.

The Commonwealth has approved the town's fiscal 2023 property tax rate at $15.79 per thousand of assessed valuation. That is an increase of $2.25 per thousand from the 2022 tax rate. A home assessed for $350,000 paid $4,739 this year and will pay $5,526 when taxes are due in April, an increase of $787.00. Any increase in assessed values would also increase taxes due along with the value of any property improvements.

Nichewaug Demolition Cost Total Nudges $1 Million

The Selectboard added another $29,000 of Covid-19 relief cash to the Nichewaug demolition account on December 15 and closed the project's accounts. The board added $30,000 of Covid-19 relief cash to the Nichewaug demolition account on November 17.

Chair Nancy Allen said the final cost of the project, now at $840,000 plus interest, won't be known for some time. The town has borrowed $610,000 for the project and augmented that with $230,000 in Covid relief money, Loam has been spread but cold weather dictates waiting until spring before seeding the area. Repairs to a right of way driveway along the north side of the property are also pending, cost unknown. Allen said the cost of interest for the $610,000 loan for the project is never included in project cost calculations. Projected interest cost is $155,000 over the term of the loan for a total project cost of $995,000 plus the lawn and driveway repairs

The board approved John Muhr of Phillipston as a one-year part-time police officer and named Ronald Dejackome of Amidon Drive as Veteran Graves Officer.

Apply for Fuel Assistance Here

all done

Stamford Wrecking has removed the heavy equipment used to demolish the Nichewaug buildings.

Cellar holes have been filled and loam has been spread across the now flat lot.

How Shall We Honor the Flag?

You can find Bill Berry on the common each day around dusk. He is there to lower the American flag that graces our town common as he has done almost every day for the past 34 years. Unless a flag is illuminated, the rules say it should be raised at the start and lowered at the end of each day.

Now Berry and Bill Purple, a long-serving former selectman, are proposing to light the flagpole with a solar lighting system. They presented their proposal to the Selectboard on Oct. 22.

Board member Becky Legare asked whether the proposed system would change the amount of light in the center of town at night. Chair Nancy Allen suggested that forming a volunteer group to take care of raising and lowering the flag might be a better solution and said the board members would spend the next several days informally seeking public opinion and possibly visiting some lit-up flagpole sites in other towns. "I like the ritual of raising and lowering the flag," she said.

Purple said the lighting would be beautiful. "This is not going to be a blast of light at the top of the flagpole. Lights would be pointed downward, he said. "This is not going to cost the town anything. I am going to pay for it. It will allow the flag to fly 24 hours a day." he said.
The board will revisit the issue at their October 6 meeting.

How Petersham Spent Its Covid Aid Money

When President Biden announced the $4.3 trillion federal Covid assistance plan, he said the money would "... put food on people's tables." Guidelines directed assistance to "disadvantaged families, small businesses and non-profits" with subordinate beneficiaries. The same guidelines then offered cities and towns "broad discretion" in allocating the money.

Permitted uses include "Health and safety of the public and town staff... Upgrades improving remote access to Town business and Upgrades and support for recreational activities for healthy living." The guidelines then offered cities and towns "broad discretion" in dispersing those funds.

Like many other communities, the Petersham Selectboard is taking full advantage of that additional language. There is no process that allows individuals, small businesses or non-profits to apply for Covid assistance.

The town has so far received $376.632 in Covid relief according to an official review of its own ARPA spending plan. It has not announced the availability of any funds for families, small businesses or non-profits. There is no mention of aid to families, businesses or local charities in the end of July overview. Only one 501c3 charity has directly applied for funds and that application has not been discussed by the board.

Several of the first-promised allocations are being reworked to provide a second round of Covid money for the Nichewaug demolition. The largest appropriation from the Covid funds ( now $200,000) will pay part of the cost of demolishing the Nichewaug complex. Other spending is being reduced as a result, including a planed $63,500 for the fire department including a commercial drying system for protective gear, $35,638 for police department equipment, $18,000 for new elementary school playground equipment, $32,000 for fire department building painting and upgrades. $13,000 to upgrade assessors' software, $11,000 for a walk-in freezer at the school, $6,000 for a nature program at the school $9,500 for a transfer station roll off container and $5,000 for the Memorial Library.

Should Petersham Take Online Payment for Taxes?

More than 300 small and large communities across the state have easy systems to accept online payments for town fees (dog licenses and dump permits, etc.) and for tax payments (excise and property taxes).

Should Petersham offer this convenient service to residents? Tell us what you think.

Send an email to roynilson@verizon.net with a subject line "E-Payments" stating simply Yes or No or include more thoughts.