Winter Storm

SITUATION

A winter storm will impact the state starting tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon.  The storm will commence with light snow during the mid to late-afternoon.  The snow, which will pick up in intensity Sunday evening into Sunday night, will end by daybreak on Monday.

Snowfall Totals: 4” to 6” of snow is expected across much of the state, with 6” to 8” possible in southeast Massachusetts, including portions of Cape Cod.

Important Safety Warning for Child Safety Seats from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety

Important Safety Warning for Child Safety Seats from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety

The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, through the Highway Safety Division, has recently produced an important PSA about child safety seats. During the winter months, children in car seats are often buckled in wearing heavy gear. However, this could prove dangerous and increase the risk of injury in a crash because the seatbelt is not as close to the child. This PSA is designed to remind parents and caregivers to buckle their children in without heavy coats, and then put them on when they go outside.

To increase awareness throughout our communities, please consider watching this 30 second PSA on YouTube. Additionally, please share it with anyone you know that transports children.

Thank you.

Principal: 'Vile' cyberbullies worse than Iraq insurgents

Principal: 'Vile' cyberbullies worse than Iraq insurgents

The Associated Press

WINCHENDON, Mass. (AP) - A Massachusetts high school principal said cyberbullies who targeted some of his students are worse than the insurgents he fought in Iraq and vowed the anonymous posters would be found and punished.

Joshua Romano, principal of Murdock Middle/High School in Winchendon and an Iraq War veteran, logged on to the school's Twitter account to warn perpetrators who attacked some students' sexuality and appearance.

In one response to the anonymous Twitter accounts, he wrote: "This is Mr. Romano. I find the content of this site to be largely vile and ignorant."

In another he said, "These tweets better disappear immediately and the WPD (Winchendon Police Department) and I will be dealing with individuals who posted here on Monday."

He also sent an email to the school's roughly 700 students calling the cyberbullies "pathetic cowards."

"I have more respect for insurgents I fought in Iraq than I do for people behind this Twitter account," he said in another email. "At least Iraqis had the courage to face their targets and not hide behind a Twitter account."

Line-of-duty pension boost: Martha Coakley also grabbed perk

Line-of-duty pension boost: Martha Coakley also grabbed perk

 Friday, February 27, 2015
By: Chris Cassidy, Matt Stout

Former Attorney General Martha Coakley has just scored the same controversial law enforcement pension perk that ex-public
 safety boss Andrea Cabral 
secured yesterday, the Herald has learned.

Coakley, the 2014 Democratic nominee for governor, will start collecting an $80,643-a-year pension this month, according to the state Retirement Board. Her enhanced pension stems from her work as a district attorney and assistant district attorney in Middlesex County, not as attorney general. She did not return a request for comment yesterday.

The retirement board yesterday approved Cabral’s estimated $91,000 pension amid an outcry from lawmakers on both sides 
of the aisle, one of whom 
denounced it as “a money grab.”

Coakley’s and Cabral’s bonanzas come as a blue-ribbon panel’s report calling for reforms of the so-called Group 4 classification — originally intended for law enforcement officers who risk their lives in the line of duty — collects dust on a Beacon Hill shelf.

The 13-member special commission — set up by lawmakers to reform pension perks — 
reported in 2013 that many of the job titles in the Group 4 category seem “arbitrary” and that “legislators are frequently requested to enact special interest legislation that would place a particular job title in ... Group 4.”

One for the little guy
At the last selectmen meeting, the BOS voted to refund money that was paid for copies of public records not received. I was charged for 30 copies but only received 5 so the Town took in $15.00 yet only produce $2.50 worth of product. I posted on this blog that I intended to send a letter to the Town seeking a refund and if it was not given, I would seek redress in small claims court, win or lose, good case or bad, I would go through the motions. Low and behold, before I could send the letter, this item appeared on the agenda for selectmen meeting and the board voted to refund the money. Apparently someone in the selectmen's office reads this blog! I also explained to the board the difference between computer printouts and photo copies. I have a letter and memo that suggests the selectmen were going to charge .50 cents per page for photo copies rather than the .20 cents per page allowed under state law. It appeared selectmen John Columbus was a little confused as to the requirement of the board to provide public records. It is the LAW! Apparently, some selectmen want to proceed with moving forward with an elementary school project without first accounting for monies spent already on the project. Either the records are not there, the records are incomplete or some do not want the records in the publics hands before a vote on the entire project occurs. My question is why would that be?


Jeff Bennett

Baker calls for input on paying for gas pipeline through electricity bills

Baker calls for input on paying for gas pipeline through electricity bills
By Jack Newsham GLOBE CORRESPONDENT  FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Governor Charlie Baker has called on state energy regulators to consider ways electric ratepayers could help pay for new natural gas pipeline projects.

The proposal, which had been floated by pipeline builder Spectra Energy Corp. and the state’s two biggest utilities, would be meant to make New England’s electric grid more reliable, Baker’s office said.

Normally, natural gas customers pay for pipelines, but New England’s growing reliance on natural gas-burning power plants to supply it with electricity has prompted policymakers to discuss alternatives. On cold days, the region’s natural gas pipelines operate near full capacity, occasionally leading to price spikes that power generators pass on to electricity customers.

Baker said he wants energy regulators to consider how the model can be changed without changing state law. The state will accept comments from companies and members of the public. At the end of the process, Baker said, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities “may issue a written order providing direction to the electric utilities on how they should proceed.”

Natural gas is used to generate more than half of Massachusetts’s electricity, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

Jack Newsham can be reached at jack.newsham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheNewsHam.

To Your Health...

Report: 100% of Corn in These Popular Chips is ‘Completely GMO’
As well as a popular weed killer chemical
NaturalSociety on Facebook

by Christina Sarich
Posted on February 26, 2015

Bad news: Frito-Lays SunChips have just tested positive for weed killer and GMO ingredients. The chips are marketed as a ‘healthy’ alternative to regular chips as a means to lessen the chance of developing heart disease, but if your dining on Round Up (glyphosate residues) and GM Bt toxins found in most genetically modified corn, then ‘healthy’ as Frito-Lay defines it takes on a new meaning.

Samples were sent to a lab by GmoFreeUSA.org. They used quantitative PCR test verification by DNA analysis only to find that 100% of the chips contained DNA sequences known to be present in insecticide-producing Bt and Roundup Ready corn, as well as traces of the active ingredient known as glyphosate, used in Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide, Round Up.

hat means BT toxins are inside your cells when you eat this product. It means you are eating a pesticide that has been registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The glyphosate residue test was conducted by an accredited lab using the Specific LC/MS/MS testing method with a minimum detectable level of 0.02 ppm. This test proved the presence of glyphosate in SunChips at a level of 0.14 ppm, or 0.14 mg/kg. This is a significant enough level to cause concern, but really, any residue level at all, even in miniscule amounts, is linked to ill health.

WATER FLUORIDATION, TOOTH DECAY, & POVERTY

WATER FLUORIDATION, TOOTH DECAY, & POVERTY
Fluoride Action Network | August 2012


Water fluoridation is routinely proposed by public health officials as an effective way of preventing the high rates of tooth decay now found in low-income populations throughout the United States. As the reports and studies below demonstrate, there are at least three problems with this position: 

First and foremost, most of the oral health crises occurring in the United States right now are taking place in low-income urban areas that have been fluoridated for decades. It is unclear, therefore, how fluoridation can be expected to prevent oral health crises in newly fluoridated areas when it has failed to prevent such crises in areas that have been fluoridated for 30 to 60 years.

Second, published studies have repeatedly found that fluoridation does not prevent the type of tooth decay (“baby bottle tooth decay”) that is the hallmark of the current oral health crises.

Third, despite claims by some fluoridation advocates that water fluoridation can reduce social inequalities in oral health status, the research on this has been found severely lacking in quality and reliability.

1. ORAL HEALTH CRISES IN FLUORIDATED CITIES:

Snow & Ice Balance

Snow & Ice Balance

It's not a pretty picture! 

Rock Salt               $88,253.49

Plows & Blades     $24,183.35

Fuel                        $14,984.13

Repairs                   $10,327.67

PT Payroll              $11,368.95

OT Payroll             $39,154.56

DT Payroll             $16,074.23

And Then...

NRSD Budget Subcommittee....and Budget Issues on the State Level.

NRSD Budget Subcommittee...Budget Issues on the State Level.

NRSD Budget Subcommittee Meeting...the Movie

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Mass. budget shortfall could hit $1.5 billion
Taxpayers group warns; budget chief cites heavy spending
By Joshua Miller GLOBE STAFF FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Massachusetts could be facing a $1.5 billion shortfall in the coming fiscal year, forcing difficult choices on the new administration of Governor Charlie Baker and the Legislature.

The estimate comes from a leading Beacon Hill watchdog, and Baker’s budget chief agreed that it is in line with the administration’s own projections.

Kristen Lepore insisted Baker’s budget proposal will try to “minimize the impact,” but she declined to say if painful cuts are coming.

She instead said state spending is growing at almost twice the rate of tax revenue, which Lepore emphasized is “unsustainable.”

And she underscored that Baker’s proposed state budget, set to be filed March 4, will not raise taxes or fees, nor tap the state’s rainy day fund, meant for fiscal emergencies.

The president of the business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation offered a warning to organizations that rely on state funding: “Brace yourselves for a new reality,” Eileen McAnneny said.

The expected hole in the budget is for the fiscal year that begins in July. It is driven by two sets of fiscal troubles, the Taxpayers Foundation found.

‘Spending growth has been exceeding revenue growth, and there has been a reliance on one-time sources. Those two things have collided.’ --Kristen Lepore, secretary administration and finance

The first is significant increases in costs for items and programs considered nondiscretionary — such as Medicaid, the state-federal health program for poor and disabled people, and pensions — just to keep the same level of service next year.

Feb 23, 2015 BOS Meeting ...the Movie

Feb 23, 2015 BOS Meeting ...the Movie

Part 1 of the 2/23/15/ Templeton BOS Meeting

Part 2 of the 2/23/15/ Templeton BOS Meeting

Meetings the Week of February 24, 2015

-->

Meetings the Week of February 24, 2015

Tuesday 2/24/15

Capital Planning              Boynton PL          6:30 pm

Planning Board                East Temp.           6:30 pm

NRSD Budget                  KIVA                   6:30 pm

Wednesday 2/25/15

Sr. Center                         East Temp.           6:30 pm

School Comm.                 KIVA                   6:30 pm

Thursday 2/26/15

Capital Planning              East Temp.          6:30 pm

Clarification on some Confusion

Clarification on some Confusion

At last night's BOS meeting there was some discussion about who would be appointed to the NRSD budget sub-committee with voting privileges.

The controversy began when the Templeton BOS received a letter from School Superintendent Ruth Miller on JANUARY 21, 2015:

Repost from Dec 12, 2012

Repost from Dec 12, 2012

Thursday, December 13, 2012

this blog

This blog was created to bring wrong doing in this town to light. To put the open back in open government. and to allow anyone to voice their opinions and ask questions about things. Unlike the Gardner News that would not print My letters to the editor or Jeff Bennett's. Hell TGN wouldn't even put ads we were willing to pay to put in. and of course they would print only one side of the story.

I do not edit or delete any comments. I do understand people wanting to be anonymous. I can tell you stories about people trying to stop me.


I will admit that I have asked Pete F to keep some things on his own website. Woo boy if I didn't know better I would think he sometimes drinks that fluoridated water hee-hee-hee - just kidding Pete.


So if it you want to call us names fine. I dare you to call it to my face, hee-hee-hee.


And as far as facts go - want to see my kitchen table with all the wrongdoings "on paper". Julie has done a good job at posting the videos of meetings - many of us can't make the meetings or don't have cable or aren't home to watch when it is on. She has also posted all the documents "on paper" to back up issues she talks about. She lets us know what has happened at meetings etc.

In my opinion - get it - my opinion Jeff B know what's happening from Afganistan better than some other selectmen. hee-hee-hee

So there you have it - if you don't like my blog don't read it. If you want to be informed about whats happening - please keep reading. and to all that comment - thanks.

Thanks for reading my opinions - Pauly
Posted by Paul Cosentino at 12:39 PM  
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Reactions:    
6 comments:

Baldwin TempletonDecember 13, 2012 at 5:57 PM
There could be permanent brain damage from past fluoride exposure but for the last two and one half years I have tried to avoid fluoride where ever it may be. Hopefully this avoidance behavior of fluoride will limit the neurological effects. It is good to have a platform like Paulys Templeton Watch to make people aware of the health problems associated with fluoride. Keep up the good work Pauly.

Reply

Mrs. FarrellDecember 13, 2012 at 7:46 PM
Hi Pauly!
I love this blog. It's a great place to hash out issues about town politics. No one is forced to read it. I do a lot of research to back up my positions and statements. I've got a ton of documents left that need to be uploaded. I get most of this work done on vacations and in the morning before work.

The blog provides an important source of local news and information...sometimes misinformation. The misinformation is usually corrected before too long. You can't make a good decision with faulty information. It is always wise to verify everything you read or hear about, not just for the blog, but everything for every source.

I've read over the citizen petition to have the BOS run the light and water. I think the fact that the manager of light and water has been " reluctant" , not forthcoming with information is very troubling. I do support the concept of a DPW, but it need s to analyzed and studied. Can't do an analysis or a study if the keepers of the public records withhold information.

I believe the town is running out of time to find solutions to our financial crisis. Years of mismanagement have created this crisis. Doing nothing is not an option. Should light department be sold off? Won't know until you do an analysis. should a DPW be formed? Won't know until you do an analysis. Can't do an analysis because light and water manager won't release information. What alternatives do we have ? A citizens petition.

Without Pauly's blog very few people would know about the citizen petition. Thank you again Pauly for providing this forum for public discussion.

Julie

ReplyDelete
Replies

Beverly BartolomeoDecember 13, 2012 at 9:09 PM
Some one wrote a blog and said we were selfish people. I know how hard Julie works to make sure we have facts to back up what she puts on the blog. Not too many know Julie gets up at 4:00 in the morning to post the material we need to make good decisions. After that is done she goes to work, attends meetings at night, some times two or three in a week. I am going to say one thing, she is not a selfish person. Julie does these things with no pay, because like the rest of us, she believes in doing things right and expects other people to do the same. I value the people in C4T, and all of the others who don't really go to our meetings, but I know they are always there. Paulys Blog has been a life saver for the Town of Templeton. I admire this man who had the courage to stand up for what he felt was right. It has made a huge difference in how people view the town, and has driven good people to get involved. If anyone thinks this is selfish, I don't care. You need to rethink your position. This is my opinion, Bev


isteachDecember 14, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Good points, Bev. I second that about, Julie! She is the least selfish person in all this. The selfishness lies in those entities that she has been trying to get to come forward with information that the taxpayers, rate payers & everyone else in town has a right to know about. I believe these facts, when uncovered, will show how the truly selfish people got us into this mess in the first place. I can't thank Mrs. Farrell enough for all her hard work & integrity. And the others who have stood by her & supported the grueling process, I also applaud. If we did not have Pauly's blog none of this would have come out in the local snooze paper, that's for sure. Thanks to all of you who are working so diligently on this nightmare that the really selfish people caused. It appears that a few dept. heads gave NO thought to the rest of the town & the impact their betrayal of trust, abuse of power, & mismanagement would have, years down the road, on everyone who lives here. Well, we are nearing the end of that road now & if we don't do all the suggestions that Mrs. Farrell & others have suggested we are going into state receivership because of the inappropriate (if not truly criminal) actions of a few. We have our own fiscal cliff right here. I hope there is that Atty. General's investigation soon to sort this debacle out. In my opinion, if there has not been actual embezzlement in a certain few depts., I think they might be bordering on something very close. Maybe that is why they are withholding the requested info. No accusation, just a thought. If there was & is no malice anywhere, there should be no problem releasing ALL Public records! If there has been any type of fraud or misuse of taxpayers, rate payers monies, then there should be severe consequences to the fullest extent of the law to those responsible for taking us to the edge of that cliff. And these are all my opinions. Enough is enough. Move over Bernie for some new roommates!!

Reply

AnonymousDecember 14, 2012 at 2:19 PM
Hey Pauly- I want you to know how important this blog is to me. I started watching the BOS meetings on cable back when they began airing them. I tried to understand the inner workings of Templeton government based on watching these meetings. I tried to figure out who each "character" was and what all the conflicts were. I didn't know many people in town. But, I could tell simply by watching the meetings that there were definitely good people and bad people calling the shots. Yet, I still didn't know the stories behind it all. At first I bought TGN hoping it would give me more info on the town I moved to. Unfortunately, no real news satisfied my needs. Plus, the majority of the paper was syndicated and I didn't care for that part. The town website had no info on it that helped. A year and a half ago, I was googling Templeton to see if I could find out more info on some of the issues. I stumbled on to your blog. It was amazing! Finally, someone was telling the back stories behind all the political mess. Finally, I understood who was truly working for the town and who was screwing the town. Now, I did understand that I was reading one person's point of view. But, the more I understood about the back stories, the more I could fact check and realized Pauly was truthful in his words. I was hooked. I was so thankful when more and more people began reading it too and commenting. Now Pauly's Blog was a place to hear all sorts of people's point of views. And what was even better...2 selectmen were actually engaging with the citizens on the bog! That was great. If someone had a question or comment, here was a place for them to respond. Pauly, you have done an amazing thing with your blog. You have created a new form of communication for citizens to use. You gave history to the issues that one could not find anywhere else. More importantly, you inspired so many citizens to pay attention to their town government and become active in participating. I admire your determination and courage to speak out. I am proud that you have activated sooo many more people to speak out and participate. Thank you for what you have created. I know not everyone appreciates you in the same way. Mostly because you put an end to them screwing the town. Believe me when I say you have a lot of people that have your back. Treat every insult that stupid people write on here as a compliment as you've gotten under their skin and they cannot defend their actions. The only thing they know to do is to hurl insults. The more insults you get, the more your blog is working. You have a finger on their nerves. Please keep up the good work with the Blog. Not everyone will like or agree with what is written here but at least now we have a new form of communication to use. Hopefully with more and more discussions on hot topic issues, we can all figure out good solutions together and re-establish our great community here in Templeton.

Reply
Replies

Beverly BartolomeoDecember 14, 2012 at 11:18 PM
I agree with every thing you and Isteach has said. I also am so greatfull that we have this blog. I told Pauly "he is one of the most important people we have had in this town in the past 250 years." Never mind the nasty remarks, I admire this man, very much. He is loyal to his friends, and not afraid to stand up for what he thinks is right. The night I went to the selectmans meeting to stand up for Pauly because he had gotten in hot water about his "going postal" remarks, I never would have dreamed, where that night would take us. But here we are, with huge debt, a ton of money spent, with nothing to show for it. Oh My goodness, the old yankee people who would agonize over spending a few dollars at town meeting, would have had heart failure, if they could see where we are today. We will get through this, it is not going to be easy, but we will get there. What is most important, is that the school department and the Light guys, get the message. We need to pull together, there is no room for the good old boys network. The school also needs to face reality, don't tell us that you need all kinds of money, if you are sitting on a bundle, tucked away in some account. I am also very proud of the people who have spoken up about the issues we are faceing. We need every ones ideas about the future of our town. I have said it more than once, please attend the town meetings we have. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Just being there is very important. You know, one of the most important people in keeping this blog going is Sue. She does all the work when e-mails need to be posted on the blog. She also has one of the best run departments in town, Thank goodness for that. No one said it will be easy, but it will come out in the wash. This is my opinion, Bev

Solar Task Force Meeting in Holyoke This Thursday

Solar Task Force Meeting in Holyoke This Thursday

FYI -

Dear Select Board members,

I wanted to give you the heads-up about a solar task force meeting this Thursday in Holyoke, and invite you to take part.

The Net Metering and Solar Task Force was created by the Legislature last year and charged with making recommendations on the future of solar policy in Massachusetts. Some of the task force members, including representatives from utility companies, are pushing for changes to solar policy that would undermine the continued growth of solar energy and prevent many homeowners and small businesses from going solar.

As you know, Massachusetts can get at least 20% of its electricity from solar within the next ten years, but it will take the right policies from state government to make it happen. We are asking task force members to preserve and expand existing solar policies that are working, like net metering, and ensure that the benefits of solar are available to all customers regardless of location or income level.

This Thursday, the task force is holding its second and final public comment meeting in Holyoke. We are encouraging local officials, business owners, and other coalition partners to attend the meeting and make sure that the task force members are hearing a strong pro-solar message.

Burst pipe causes damage, office relocation in Charlton Town Hall

Burst pipe causes damage, office relocation in Charlton Town Hall
By Debbie LaPlaca CORRESPONDENT
CHARLTON — A burst water pipe in the attic of Town Hall has damaged the structure and contents of three offices that officials were relocating Saturday to open in temporary quarters Monday.

“There is water everywhere,” Town Administrator Robin L. Craver said from her office Saturday morning.

A water pipe burst in the attic over the town clerk's office sometime between the close of town offices Thursday evening and the building custodian's discovery about 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Town Hall is normally closed on Fridays.

The water, Ms. Craver said, cascaded into the clerk's office and continued through the floor into two Council on Aging offices on the building's lower level.
 
Computers, furniture, paperwork and files were damaged along with the ceilings, walls and floors in that section of the building.

“The pipe burst from freezing,” Ms. Craver said. “We are a casualty of extreme weather.”

A service company had worked on removing ice dams from the roof on Friday. When the company returned Saturday to finish the job, custodian Sharon Carlson went in to assist. She entered the building and heard water dripping.

BOS Meeting February 23, 2015

BOS Meeting February 23, 2015

Agenda:

Letter from School Committee Chairman:

Boston’s Winter From Hell

Boston’s Winter From Hell
By E. J. GRAFFFEB. 20, 2015

Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, Boston Credit Dominick Reuter/European Pressphoto Agency

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — BY now you’ve seen the starkly beautiful shots of Boston buried under snow: the panoramic city under a white blanket; snowbanks so high they crest over parked cars; piercing icicles glinting for two full stories from gutters dammed with ice; coat-muffled people dwarfed by snow-walled corridors that once were sidewalks.

You may have seen the funny images as well: the man snowboarding down an all-but-empty major boulevard, pulled by his friend’s snowmobile; drunk men diving out of second-floor windows into six-foot snowbanks; windows that merely frame a wall of snow.

But for those of us living here, it’s not a pretty picture. We are being devastated by a slow-motion natural disaster of historic proportions. The disaster is eerily quiet. There are no floating bodies or vistas of destroyed homes. But there’s no denying that this is a catastrophe.

In just three weeks, between Jan. 27 and Feb. 15, we have had four epic blizzards — seven feet of precipitation over three weeks — which crushed roofs, burst gutters, destroyed roads and sidewalks, closed schools and businesses, shut down highways, crippled public transit and trapped people in their homes. The infamous Blizzard of 1978 brought around 27 inches of snow and shut down the region for a week. In less than a month, we’ve seen more than three times as much snow. The temperature has hovered between 5 and 25 degrees, so the snow and ice haven’t melted.

Snow and Ice

Snow and Ice

Snow & Ice is one account that the town can deficit spend. We budget a fairly low amount - $125,000 for this account. When town meeting adopts the budget in May, there is no way to know what kind of winter we will have. When we have a winter like this one, the cost of snow removal can escalate quickly. No one can predict when the snow will fall ( week days or weekends) or how many pieces of equipment will fail and need to be replaced.

When the Advisory Board and the BOS vote to deficit spend the Snow and Ice account, our money from the state - the "Cherry Sheet" is reduced for the next fiscal year. In effect we a robbing Peter to pay Paul. Templeton doesn't have a lot of options. Many communities in Massachusetts have overspent their Snow and Ice accounts. The BOS voted to deficit spend the Snow & Ice account without a limit. This was voted to eliminate the need for a vote by the BOS after every snow storm. It was not a blanket vote for the highway department to spend frivolously.

Mr. Bennett has pushed for a complete change in the way we approach snow removal. There are merits to his approach. At this point in time, Templeton can't look at other approaches to snow removal due to our fiscal constraints. Our Town Administrator, Bob Markel, would like to take some of the money we currently budget for vehicle repair and do a bond program to replace some of our aging highway equipment. This will depend on the restoration of Templeton's bond rating.

Our emergency management director  has asked for documentation from all departments during the declared state of emergency. At this point, we haven't heard about any potential reimbursement from the costs incurred during that state of emergency.

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BOARD OKs ANOTHER $45K FOR SNOW/ICE SPENDING
Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

Templeton - With ice in the forecast for this weekend, the Advisory Board has authorized another round of snow and ice deficit spending for the Highway Department money that officials hope will last until the end of the season.

“Basically, we have snow and ice at zero, or about zero,” Advisory Board Chairman Michael Greene said Wednesday night.

The Highway Department ran into trouble last week when the snowblower attachment for one of its plows broke down and needed to be replaced taking up about $14,000 of the $20,000 left from the original deficit spending request. Following a hefty snowstorm that hit the area Saturday night into Sunday morning, the department was once again back in the hole.

“This was an emergency that they had to buy this equipment or else the sidewalks wouldn’t get done,” said member Wil Spring.

News staff photo by ERYN DION

The Templeton Highway Department, which is already spending at a deficit for snow and ice removal this winter, incurred an unexpected expense when a snowblower attachment on one of its plows broke down last week.

 

With still another month until winter breaks, and with the department already spending beyond its original $45,000 allocation, Advisory Board members agreed they needed to act quickly to approve the spending request. But there was disagreement over the actual amount to be granted. Mr. Greene explained that in previous years deficit spending had been presented as a blank check a practice he said made him uncomfortable.

“We just have to keep a handle on it,” he said.

Mr. Spring agreed, saying the board was not debating the merits of the department’s decisions especially compared to other communities that have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on snow and ice this season.

“I think he has done quite well with that amount,” Mr. Spring said, referring to Highway Superintendent Bud Chase.

Mr. Spring suggested that the board approve another $50,000. He rationalized that the $5,000 increase over the last request would ensure the department has more than enough to weather the rest of the season.

“I don’t want to see them back again,” he said.

Member Kate Fulton argued for a lower amount, noting that the regular meeting schedule makes it easy for the board to review additional requests as needed.

“If we need to vote further money, we’re in the position to do that,” she said.

Ultimately, the board unanimously signed off on another $45,000 in deficit spending, which will go to the Board of Selectmen for its consideration on Monday night.


 

News staff photo by ERYN DION

The Templeton Highway Department, which is already spending at a deficit for snow and ice removal this winter, incurred an unexpected expense when a snowblower attachment on one of its plows broke down last week.

Officials Declare ‘Eating Healthy’ A Mental Disorder

Officials Declare ‘Eating Healthy’ A Mental Disorder
Could we all really be mentally ill?

  BY JEFFEREY JAXEN
   POSTED ON FEBRUARY 18, 2015
  Natural Society


In an attempt to curb the mass rush for food change and reform, psychiatry has green lighted a public relations push to spread awareness about their new buzzword “orthorexia nervosa,” defined as “a pathological obsession for biologically pure and healthy nutrition.” In other words, experts are moving toward saying that our demand for nutrient-dense, healthful food is a mental disorder that must be treated.

CNN, Fast Company, Popular Science, and other top outlets have all began to trumpet the talking points on cue relatively recently:

“Orthorexia nervosa is a label designated to those who are concerned about eating healthy. Characterized by disordered eating fueled by a desire for “clean” or “healthy” foods, those diagnosed with the condition are overly pre-occupied with the nutritional makeup of what they eat”.In short, if you turn your back on low quality, corporate food containing known cancer causing toxic additives and a rich history of dishonesty rooted in a continuous “profits over people” modus operandi, then you may suffer from a mental illness. The cherry on top is that if you have the pseudo-science labeled disorder of orthorexia nervosa, you will be prescribed known toxic, pharmaceutical drugs from some of the same conglomerate corporations that you are trying to avoid by eating healthy in the first place.

1st Annual Snowbound Brewfest

The line up includes:

Worcester offers incentives for shoveling out hydrants

Worcester offers incentives for shoveling out hydrants

WORCESTER — In an effort to get more fire hydrants shoveled out, the city is offering a chance at prize packages to residents who do their part.

The city is joining with the Worcester Sharks, the Worcester Bravehearts, the DCU Center and the Harlem Globetrotters for the program. Every resident who posts a photo of a shoveled-out hydrant on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #woochallenge will be entered to win a prize package from one of the three teams. Residents can also tag the city's official social media accounts: @tweetworcester on Twitter or Worcester Massachusetts (Government) on Facebook.

In addition having a shot at the three grand prize packages, the first 20 people to post will get a free ticket to the Globetrotters game at 7 p.m. March 27. Drawings for the prize packages will take place throughout February and March, starting this weekend before the Sharks game, according to the city. 

****************************************

Maybe the Templeton Light and Water department could offer an incentive for shoveling out the hydrants?

Money - Money - Money


Question of the day, Will anyone from our (Town of Templeton) management team, anyone, look into the possibility of getting some funds from the state and or the federal government to help cover the costs of snow removal during the state of emergency declared by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? Selectmen???? Town Administrator???? Advisory Board????


Is anyone willing to take the time, do the work required to even ask the question and press the issue to see if there are funds and to ask if the Town of Templeton can get some? The Commonwealth will most certainly go to FEMA to get funds to cover some of the costs that was incurred by them for snow & Ice so why not the Town?? It is, in my opinion, worth the effort to at least try. The question is does any of our management team care enough to try??


Jeff Bennett

The Templeton-Hubbardston Housing Rehabilitation Program & Fuel Assistance

The Templeton-Hubbardston Housing Rehabilitation Program-
 East Templeton waiting list lottery drawing.

Lottery will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, March 9, 2015, in the Conference Room at Town Hall, 160 Patriots Road, East Templeton, MA.

Application form

The Community Development Office now has applications available for Fuel Assistance.  You can pick one up at their office or at the Selectmen's Office at Town Hall - 160 Patriots Rd.

Relay For Life Raffle

Best Known Peer-Reviewed Medical Journal Officially Classifies Fluoride As A Neurotoxin

Best Known Peer-Reviewed Medical Journal Officially Classifies Fluoride As A Neurotoxin
March 19, 2014 by Arjun Walia

Fluoride awareness is really taking off, it’s just another example of what we can do as one collective human race when we come together and create awareness on topics we all feel need more critical examination. Many don’t consider information to be significant unless published in a peer-review journal. This simply isn’t true, it’s a stigmatism that has led a lot of great independent research by experts, for experts, that still goes through a review process to be ignored.

A ground breaking publication in one of the top main-stream medical journals has now added six additional substances into its classification of neurotoxicants, and one of them is fluoride.(1) Fluoride is commonly used in dental products, and still remains as an additive in the drinking water supply of numerous communities all over the world. Although activism has been successful in removing it in many countries, cities and communities, some still remain who have yet to take action, one for example, is Toronto, a city of five million plus people.

The publications abstract reads as follows:

“Neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and other cognitive impairments, affect millions of children worldwide, and some diagnoses seem to be increasing in frequency. Industrial chemicals that injure the developing brain are among the known causes for this rise in prevalence. In 2006, we did a systematic review and identified five industrial chemicals as developmental neurotoxicants: lead, methyl mercury (common in vaccines), polychlorinated biphenyls, arsenic and toluene. Since 2006, epidemiological studies have documented six additional developmental neurotoxicants – manganese, fluoride, chlorpyrifos, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, tetrachloroethylene, and the polybrominated dihenyl ethers. We postulate that even more neurotoxicants remain undiscovered. To control the pandemic of developmental neurotoxicity, we propose a global prevention strategy. Untested chemicals should not be presumed to be safe to brain development, and chemicals in existing use and all new chemicals must therefore be tested for developmental neurotoxicity. To coordinate these efforts and to accelerate translation of science into prevention, we propose the urgent formation of a new international clearinghouse”(1)

It’s quickly becoming a known fact that the fluoride in our drinking water is harmful, it’s not even the natural element of fluoride, it’s industrial toxic waste. The publication cites research from the Harvard Medical School of Public Health that found links between fluoridated water, ADHD and mental disorders, you can read more about that here.

There’s a reason multiple countries and communities all over the world are putting an end to water fluoridation.

“In point of fact, fluoride causes more human cancer deaths than any other chemical. When you have power you don’t have to tell the truth. That’s a rule that’s been working in this world for generations. There are a great many people who don’t tell the truth when they are in power in administrative positions. Fluoride amounts to public murder on a grand scale. It is some of the most conclusive scientific and biological evidence that I have come across in my 50 years in the field of cancer research.” (2)  – Dr. Dean Burk, Biochemist, Founder of Biotin, and Former Chief Chemist at the National Cancer Institute of Health.

CE has written various articles about fluoride.You can views some of them below.

97 Percent of Europe Doesn’t Put Hydrofluorosilicic Acid In Their Water – Why Do We?
“Fluoridated Water Is Public Murder On A Grand Scale” – Dr. Dean Burk (2)
Do You Still Believe Fluoride is Good For Our Teeth? Read This!

For more articles and news on fluoride from CE, click here.
Sources:

http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laneur/PIIS1474442213702783.pdf?id=baak8dkBlaiXPhJTjuTsu

6000% Increase in Cancer Rates at Fukushima Site

6000% Increase in Cancer Rates at Fukushima Site
Hushed up by international governments

by Christina Sarich
Posted on February 6, 2015 on Natural Society

As reports from individuals like Chieko Shiina, a supporter of the Fukushima Collaborateive Clinic talk about exploding rates of thyroid cancer in children, as well as an epidemic of leukemia, heart attacks, and other health problems, the Abe-led government and US continue to sweep the fall out of the Fukushima disaster under the rug.
Cancer rates have exploded at an increase of almost 6000% in areas near the reactor meltdown. Aside from people-on-the-street interviews that a rare media outlet like “Hodo station” will report on, mainstream media stays completely silent. One Japanese resident, Carol Hisasue, laments that as the incident has disappeared from the media, it has also disappeared from people’s consciousness.
 
 So why does Fukushima continue to be a see no evil, hear no evil event? You can watch an over hour-long report that goes into detail, but to sum it up, people can’t even turn on their gas-stoves near Fukushima because “it would be like burning radioactive fuel in their kitchens.” The contamination levels are too ridiculous to even comprehend.

On Public Records Request


The Town of Templeton's elected officials may think I have gone away, or forgotten or that I am not serious, but that would be a mistake! I am owed $12.50 that I was charged for copies of records I requested. I have several pieces of paperwork that prove this, including one in which a town employee makes an assumption on this. The Town government will soon be in possession of a written request for the refund and what will happen if it is rejected. A year ago or so, the present chairman of the board of selectmen Kenn Robinson made a statement at a selectmen meeting concerning his signing on a petition for a special election for an open seat on the BOS. He stated he signed the petition because of his belief in democracy. One of the basic principles of democracy is the free open flow of information. If a selectman wanted this information, they would simply request an employee gather it up for them, for which there would be no charge or extra wages paid to any employee. Since all selectmen are residents of Templeton, what is good for selectmen should be good for the rest of the residents.


Jeff Bennett

Highway

Reposted

Amy Boyden-

So I was sitting with my husband last night, and he was talking about how frustrating it is to work on our local Town Highway Dept. It really bothers him that so many people badmouth the town crew. If you know him and many of you do, he is very Smart, very kind, and a HARD worker, raised on a farm and taught to always give his work 110%. Frankly, the crew he works with now is extremely competent and hardworking despite rumors and badmouthing of surprisingly unsupportive local and prominent mouthpieces, who seem to feel it is their duty to stir up trouble.

So imagine his dismay, when he stops to get some food after being out almost 24 hours, and is told to go out and re scrape a road, because someone called to complain that the job he did wasn’t “up to standards”. The reality, his supervisor confirmed, he did a fine job, the snow on the road came from snow filled trees after some wind . . .of course it will need to be rescraped, but that is no fault of the man driving the plow. What? You think the town crew should keep trees from overhanging roads? They would be glad to, but so many residents are against tree maintenance/removal that many roads are left with poor sunlight (necessary for melting), poor drainage (necessary for reducing ice buildup) that they must just do the best they can with the situation at hand. So, back to my hungry husband, here he is rescraping a road after the snow stops falling. He passes driveways all day, he is plowing a road, that is his job. Yet instead of a friendly wave from residents, folks yell obscenities and raise their middle finger as he passes as if he could somehow magically divert snow from landing at the edge of the road each driveway .

Senior Tax Work Off Program

Senior Tax Work Off Program

Senior Citizens that are eligible may apply for the Senior Tax Work-Off Program and cut up to $500 per household off of their taxes!

To apply, go to the Assessor's Office at the Town Hall, 160 Patriots Road, East Templeton, and fill out the application.

Up to 20 people are funded by the Town of Templeton to earn this tax cut.

Currently, there is a position open for a custodian at the Town Hall to do light cleaning and possibly some simple building maintenance. Other offices may need help as well.

For more information call the Assessor's Office at 978-894-2760 or 2761. 

Templeton News

Templeton News

Nomination papers are now available 

in the Town Clerk’s Office for the May 4, 2015 Annual Town Election.



Thursday, March 12th is the last day to obtain blank nomination papers from the Town Clerk's Office.

Monday, March 16th is the last day to submit completed nomination papers to the Town Clerk's Office.

The Town Clerk office is still located @ 4 Elm St. in Baldwinville.

 Office Hours: Mon. 7:00am-3pm, Tues. 7:00am-6:00pm, Wed. & Thurs. 7:00am-3pm

If you have any questions, please call the Town Clerk's office @ 978-939-8466.

The Holdouts

The Holdouts
Three families who took a pass on the fracking boom—and what it cost them
by Priscila Mosqueda Published on Monday, February 16, 2015, at 11:07 CST

Photo by Lance Rosenfield/Prime
Amber and Fred Lyssy and their young children mixed family time with chores at their 564-acre organic farm in Wilson County.

 

 

The fracking boom has transformed vast parts of Texas, pumping money into local economies while raising fears about groundwater and air pollution. The boom has caused increased crime and truck traffic, and has likely spawned earthquakes. But the oil and gas bonanza has also brought more subtle, but no less significant, social changes. In this occasional series, Fractured State, we will examine how the oil economy has fractured families, communities and towns.

Read the first story in the series here. The series is made possible in part by support from the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation.

When the landman comes knocking, most people living in the Texas oil patch experience something like joy, or at least sweet relief. Here’s someone offering you money up front and the promise of hefty royalty checks in exchange for producing oil and 
gas from the ground. Imagine winning the lottery without even buying a ticket.

Landmen are agents of oil and natural gas producers; it is their job to get the mineral rights owner to claim a piece of the pie. Just sign right here, ma’am. The purse is their power of persuasion. For some, the earnings amount to mere hundreds. The luckier souls who own the mineral rights to big ranches or whose properties sit atop particularly productive parts of the shale plays can receive tens of thousands of dollars in signing bonuses. Fat royalty checks roll in monthly. Newly minted “mailbox millionaires” can be spotted driving new pickups, or towing new bass boats, or returning from a couple of weeks off in Aspen.

Almost everyone takes the money. You’d be crazy not to. According to industry estimates, oil and gas companies paid more than $15 million in royalties to Texans across the state in 2012. That doesn’t include initial signing bonuses, which can be enormous. Houston-area oil and gas heir Daniel Harrison III collected $1 billion in cash in 2013 when Shell Oil Co. leased his 100,000-acre ranch in the Eagle Ford.

But across the shale plays—primarily the Barnett in the north and the Eagle Ford in the south—there are some who reject the landmen’s offers. Known in the industry as “holdouts,” these mineral rights owners dare to challenge Big Oil in Texas. It’s a kind of principled madness that often baffles neighbors, family members and the industry itself. Unlike many fracking foes, the holdouts stand to benefit personally from oil and gas drilling. Yet they risk much more than money fighting to keep the fossil fuels in the ground. Some lose their health, their homes and their faith in the government as an arbiter of competing rights. Rarely are they able to stop the companies from drilling. For this uncommon breed, no amount of money can buy peace of mind.

These are the stories of three families who were willing to walk away from thousands of dollars—and battle loved ones, their communities and their government—to make a stand, even when facing insurmountable odds.

Don’t Vaccinate to Protect My Cancer Kid

Don’t Vaccinate to Protect My Cancer Kid
from The Thinking Moms' Revolution

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Thinking Moms' Revolution

~ Jean Ghantous

I read with great interest the recent ‘measles epidemic’ articles that addressed the vaccine debate from the point of view of a cancer parent. My interest is the result of being a cancer parent myself – my little girl has been battling leukemia on and off for the past 10 years. I read these articles, and I became angry. Very, very angry. Once again, the government and drug companies are exploiting the plight of children stricken by cancer to achieve a profit-driven end without actually helping them. In fact, this profitable end could cause great harm, even increasing the rates of pediatric leukemia, if their obvious goal of a federally mandated vaccination protocol is achieved. I am a seasoned Momcologist, a term the research-driven cancer parents call themselves.  We are the cancer equivalent of  Thinking Moms, critical thinkers. I have done extensive reading on the etiology of leukemia, its connection to autoimmune disease, and how vaccines and natural disease may influence these sorts of childhood illnesses. Come connect the dots with me.

Clearly, I empathize with the raw fear the parents in these articles have that their immunocompromised children may contract an illness that could be devastating. I have walked for years in their shoes. I get it. However, the parents in these articles are either grossly misinformed, or their comments have been edited with bias. Let’s get some facts straight about cancer treatment and infection. One of the first things we were warned about after my daughter’s diagnosis was live-virus vaccination. No one in the family was to receive a live-virus vaccine while my daughter was on treatment because these viruses can and do shed (1, 2, 3, 4), some for as much as four weeks (5), potentially infecting the immunocompromised patient with disastrous results. That includes the measles vaccine  (MMR II and ProQuad), the intranasal flu vaccine, and the chicken pox shot. In fact, my other children were able to get medical waivers not to receive vaccines because of my daughter’s illness. I know my child is much more likely to encounter a peer at school who has been recently vaccinated with a live-virus vaccine than she is to encounter natural disease from an unvaccinated child.

If my child were at a stage of treatment in which she was very immunocompromised, she would not be in school. My daughter missed most of fourth grade and a good portion of fifth, not because she was so sick, but because others were sick. Despite a nearly 100% vaccine compliance rate at our school, there were regular outbreaks of shingles, occurring after chicken pox vaccine boosters, influenza and other illnesses. Please note that, even in areas in which vaccine compliance is extremely high, there are still outbreaks of disease that are not caused by the unvaccinated (6).

Some snowfall records fall, others in sight

Some snowfall records fall, others in sight
By George Barnes TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
george.barnes@telegram.com
 
If you feel like there has been a crazy amount of snow this winter, you are not far off.

Records in Worcester and Boston were set by the time the latest storm ended Sunday, and more snow is coming.

Property owner Tom Bui Thap is visible through the middle of a huge snowbank on Canterbury Street in Worcester Sunday. He was ticketed by the city earlier in the day for not clearing a path.
((T&G Staff/CHRISTINE PETERSON))

National Weather Service meteorologist Eleanor Valliere-Talbot said that only two weeks into the month, Worcester has set a February record for snowfall dating back to 1904. With the 10.1 inches that fell Saturday and Sunday, the weather station at Worcester Regional Airport recorded 47.8 inches. The previous record of 45.2 inches was set in 1962 and 1966.

Boston also smashed both its snowiest February and its snowiest month in general with 58.5 inches. Previous monthly record for the city was 43.3 inches set in January 2005.

"It's been crazy," Ms. Valliere-Talbot said. "And there is more coming."

Meetings the Week of February16, 2015

Meetings the Week of February16, 2015

Monday 2/16/15

Ag. Comm.                  Crossroads             7:00 pm

Tuesday 2/17/15

Capital Planning          Boynton PL           6:30 pm

Veterans                      Am. Legion            6:30 pm

Wednesday 2/18/15

Assessors                      East Temp.            2:00 pm     

TDC Re-Use                 East Temp.           2:00 pm

Housing Auth.              Bridge St              4:00 pm

Adv. Board                    East Temp.          6:30 pm

Sr. Center                      East Temp.          6:30 pm

Historical                      Boynton PL         7:00 pm     

Thursday 2/19/15

Open Space                    Boynton PL        5:15 pm

CPC                               Boynton PL        6:00 pm

Capital Planning            East Temp.         6:30 pm

Storm Clean Up Tips

Storm Clean Up Tips

As you clean up from the snow storm, here are some important tips to keep in mind:

• Help dig out fire hydrants in your neighborhood.
• Large amounts of heavy snow on roofs may lead to structural weaknesses or collapses in some cases. Safety and preparedness tips for dealing with snow on roofs may be found on MEMA’s website at: http://1.usa.gov/1BAsaUm.
• Be careful when shoveling snow. Over-exertion can bring on a heart attack – a major cause of death in the winter. Take frequent breaks.
• Clear exhaust vents from Direct Vent Gas Furnace Systems to avoid Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning. Also, never run an automobile until the exhaust pipe has been cleared of snow.
• Make sure emergency generators or secondary heating systems are well ventilated.
• Remember to shovel out your propane or oil tank in case you need a fuel delivery.
• Be aware of children playing in the streets, particularly climbing on or running out from behind large snowdrifts. Parents should remind their children to be aware of plowing operations and traffic.
• In the even of property damage from the storm, contact your insurer or agent ASAP. Document damage - photos, pictures, & notes help.
• Call 2-1-1 for non-emergency storm-related questions.
• Be a good neighbor. Check with elderly or relatives and neighbors who may need additional assistance to ensure their safety.

More After A Winter Storm tips: http://1.usa.gov/1ms0G9M