Petersham Common Local News Page

Hillary Chase at the Friday Market June 15 -- MORE

friday market

Watch Out for Those Ugly Little Bugs

Reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense against Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other tickborne infections. You and your family can take several steps to prevent and control Lyme disease. Here is a Publication from the Mass Dept. of Public Health on Preventing Diseases Spread by Ticks. Click on the hyperlink below to access it.
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/cdc/lyme/tick-brochure.pdf

Little Debate, Lots of School Spending

About 100 voters voted "yes" on a majority of 48 warrant articles at the June 4 annual town meeting. The result was a $4.1 million budget for fiscal 2019 and a pending tax increase of $1.83 per thousand of valuation for a total rate of $18.20, up from $16.37.

Selectboard chair Nancy Allen said school and town officials worked very hard to reduce requests for school spending and came in with a center school price tag of $1,509,171 to educate the 100 or so students at the school. Advisory Finance Committee (AFC) members said earlier in the year that state education funding has remained flat for years while cost of wages, insurance, transport and utilities continue to rise. The town's share of the Mahar Regional budget will be $758,307.

The meeting began about a half hour late while neighbors called neighbors to bring out enough voters for a quorum of 94. Bart Wendell, moderator, said Petersham's 10 percent quorum requirement is among the highest in the state.

AFC chair Ross France said the budget will not require a Prop 2 1/2 override this coming fiscal year (July to June 2019) but making payment on loans take out for broadband and Nichewaug asbestos removal projects will put even greater pressure on town finances next year. A state-promised reimbursement for the cost of building out the broadband system could help if it materializes, France said.

On the advice of Allen, voters turned aside articles intended to pay assessors, the town accountant, clerk and treasurer for getting certified by the state. Assessor chair Dana Kennan said these posts do not pay well and the people in them are essentially paid volunteers. If these jobs are handed to paid professionals over time the town will pay much more for the services rendered, Kennan said. The articles were posted to the warrant by citizen petition and not by the Selectboard, Kennan said. Allen said the Selectboard was not consulted before the motions were handed in to the town clerk with voter signatures for certification. Kennan said the issue was brought to the Selectboard more than a year ago but got no response.

Voters agreed to use $20,000 previously earmarked for a town hall ramp as a matching fund for a proposed grant application and put the rest of the money for that ramp project into the stabilization fund where it can be used for other purposes. A town hall access committee recommends applying a second time for an interior lift system that will connect the upper and lower town halls and provide access from outdoors without changing the exterior look of the historic building. Voters also set aside $10,000 to improve handicap parking spaces on the north side of the building.

Voters also approved $1,000 for Age Council activities, $1,800 for six Brass Band Sunday concerts and $1,000 to help fund the Friday Market music series.

fun games

Police Chief Plans to Retire on October 31

Dana Cooley, Petersham police chief for the past eight years, has notified Selectmen that he plans to retire from the position at the end of October. The police department has two full-time and 10 part-time officers. The Selectboard accepted Cooley's letter of retirement on May 8 and said they will begin searching for a replacement.

Dogs, Cats a Snapping Turtle and a Beaver in the Road

Animal Control Log - May 2018

1 May@5p Glasheen Road resident reports an orange cat has been seen on

Property for two days. Agreed to set trap, homeowner to monitor. (Note: cat not seen again)

2 May@11:50p Caller reports finding an opossum that has been struck and killed on Nichewaug Road. Asked owner to check pouch for young. Resident reported back, one had crawled out and was a distance away and another possibly moving in pouch, two deceased. Call to Tufts suggests the body temp had likely dropped too low at this point. At 1a, caller agreed to move animal.

4 May@2p Orange resident heading out for a hike off Monson Turnpike reports his dog jumped from the truck and bolted. FB and PAWS alert messages sent. @5:45p, West Road resident called to state they had a found dog in their possession. Owner notified and reunited with dog.

7 May@8:15a New Salem resident report she picked up a dog near the New Salem line, running on 122 in Petersham. Dog, with Worthington tags, transported to animal shelter. Attempts made to ID dog, town clerk unavailable until Saturday, town admin agreed to help. Owners on vacation, contacted in CA, dog sitter info given, dog reunited with Wendell pet sitter @11:15a.

7 May@11:30 Clinton resident found dog running on 122 near Harvard Pond, contacted workers in area, dog onsite and held for pickup. Dog reunited with owner @2p.

8 May@10:15a Quaker Road resident reports 2 missing dogs.

9May@6:10a PPD contact stating unknown dog at station. Dog picked up and returned to owner.

9 May@8:20a PPD contact stating unknown dog seen at PFD. Dog picked up and returned to owner.

9 May@4p Shaw Road resident called to report missing cat. FB and PAWS messages sent.

11 May@9p Athol resident with missing dog received a call stating her dog was being held at the shelter in Petersham. Explained to caller there are no dogs currently at shelter. Gave advice regarding further reporting and additional local shelter phone numbers.

12 May@9:30a North Main Street resident reports finding a small dog with TX ID tags. After a few calls to rescues in TX, owner identified. Just prior to contact with owner, dispatch called. Dog reunited at 12:30p.

14 May@3p Resident LM regarding possible beaver like animal in road south of the Common.

14 May@5:30p South Street resident reported a beaver in road near highway barn. Animal does not appear injured.

17 May~6p Conversation with officer on duty regarding dog concern on Nichewaug Road.

20 May@12p While attending to an issue on Popple Camp Road, young raccoon found in middle of road. Tufts Wildlife consulted, advice given. Upon return to pick up animal for transport to Tufts, a second animal was found. Using rabies precautions as directed by Tufts, animals transported to Tufts for testing.

26 May@10a Nichewaug Road resident reports mother Robin flew into window and passed. There is a nest with young. Nest and hatchlings transported to Tufts Wildlife. (Follow up conversation on 27 May revealed the week old birds doing very well and expected to survive.)

26 May@10p Report of lost cat from Hardwick Road residence.

27 May@12:15p Dispatch call reporting a coyote acting in an odd manner on North Main Street. Upon arrival, animal gone. PPD on site and will periodically patrol area and update as needed.

27 May@1:30p Trap set for missing cat on Hardwick Road.

30 May@8:15a Call from New Athol Road resident concerned about large snapping turtle digging in yard. Advised resident.

Broadband Reimbursement Still Not Certain

After a Feb. 23 conference call with the state agency charged with helping rural towns pay for extending broadband to un-served towns like Petersham, the Selectboard voted Feb. 27 to send an "expression of interest" letter to the state instead of sending a grant application seeking full payment of a promised $880,000 reimbursement for the town's planned broadband system.

The town plans to have Matrix Design of New Jersey build its broadband system under a lease/purchase contract. The state is asking towns to buy, build, own and operate their own systems. Petersham asserts that a lease purchase is just the same as ownership. Town voters in June of 2017 approved spending $560,000 to get the work started and local officials said they would rely on state promises to recover that money. More than 360 residents have also put $250 each on deposit to help fund the project and sign up for the service. With local cash in hand, work can go ahead on the system.

Meanwhile, Mass Broadband Institute, the state agency handing the reimbursements, has listed nine towns that will work with Comcast or with Charter Communications to extend broadband services. MBI says it has also supported projects such as the completed town-owned network in Leverett, as well as projects in Alford, Otis, Warwick, and Mount Washington. Hinsdale, Lanesborough, West Stockbridge, New Salem and Princeton.

Town Hall Access Committee Report

Nichewaug Proposal Deadline Extended to June 28

With no redevelopment proposals in hand, the Selectboard voted Jan. 19 to keep trying and extended the deadline for proposals to June 28.

A request for proposals and two walk-throughs of the property generated interest but eight individuals and architects from Amherst, Cambridge, Watertown and North Carolina sought more time to come up with plans to redevelop the town-owned property.
Vice chairman Henry Woolsey said issuing an RFP in late November with a January deadline for responses was "... a mistake" and unrealistic. "I think we should vote for a significant extension." Selectman Rik Marsh agreed. As an abutter, Chairman Nancy Allen cannot participate in Nichewaug matters.

"We have owned the property for 10 years. It is a problematic property. We are making progress but it is slow," Woolsey said.

Stephanie Selden of Phillips drive said, "I don't see the harm in an extension. That's how you get good proposals."

The town took ownership of the property after several private owners failed to redevelop it and has since spent more than a half million dollars to remove asbestos from the property to make it more attractive to developers.

OPINION: Send Us Your Ideas for the Nichewaug MORE