State rejects Templeton sex offender bylaw
By George Barnes, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFFTEMPLETON — A sex offender bylaw approved at the annual town meeting has been rejected by the state, but the woman who proposed it plans to make changes and try again.
Rachael Messina said she still believes the town needs a sex offender bylaw that creates a child safety zone, and she hopes to bring a new version before voters at a future town meeting.
"It's about protecting the kids," she said.
The state attorney general's office rejected the bylaw because it was too vague. Specifically, the town was told it did not sufficiently specify the prohibited conduct and failed to define key terms, including "loitering" and "temporary residence."
The bylaw, approved at town meeting May 2, prohibited Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders from loitering or establishing temporary or permanent residences within 500 feet of any licensed day care center, school or school zone, or elderly community, with "elderly" meaning age 55 or older.
The state indicated the bylaw also did not include any operative provisions to create a safety zone.
Ms. Messina said she knew there could be a problem with the bylaw when she brought it before the voters. She said she had only a few days to put together the bylaw before the town meeting warrant deadline. She decided to create it while looking into issues involving efforts by McClean Hospital of Belmont to open a treatment center in Templeton. After running into strong opposition in town, the hospital chose not to open the facility.
In looking into the McLean case, Ms, Messina said, she found there was no bylaw to keep sex offenders away from sensitive areas of town such as day care centers.
She said the bylaw received strong support in town and she was a little disappointed the attorney general's office rejected it. She said she hopes to craft a new bylaw based on what has been passed in neighboring communities.
Last year, Hubbardston approved a child safety zone bylaw that prohibits Level 3 sex offenders from entering any school or day care center without being authorized in writing by the school administrator or day care center owner. The same restriction applies to elderly housing facilities in Hubbardston.
Sex offenders are also prohibited in Hubbardston from entering a park or other recreational facility, and are banned from loitering more than 15 minutes near a school, day care center, elderly facility or park or recreational facility.
"This is only one of the many changes I'd like to see for the town," Ms. Messina said. "I've only lived here a short time and see a lot of potential for Templeton."
Since she wrote the last version of the bylaw, Ms. Messina said, she has come to a better understanding of how it should have been written.
"I'm confident the next proposal will pass with the attorney general," she said.
Contact George Barnes at george.barnes@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgebarnesTG
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Man charged in fatal assault at Templeton Developmental Center
By Winston W. Wiley, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFFTEMPLETON — A former Worcester man has been charged in connection with the death of a developmentally disabled Athol man after an assault at the Templeton Developmental Center.
Anthony E. Remillard, 22, was arraigned Wednesday in Gardner District Court on a charge of assault and battery on a disabled person with serious bodily injury, according to Timothy J. Connolly, spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.'s office.
Mr. Remillard is accused of assaulting Dennis R. Perry, 64, who died Friday at UMass Memorial Medical Center. The alleged assault occurred Sept. 16 at the Templeton Developmental Center on Freight Shed Road.
Mr. Perry had participated in residential programs in Baldwinville and Templeton for more than 40 years, according to his obituary.
Mr. Connolly said state police picked up Mr. Remillard from the residential program Wednesday and took him to the state police barracks in Athol, where he was booked. He was then taken to Gardner District Court for arraignment.
At Assistant District Attorney Joseph Quinlan's recommendation, Judge Arthur F. Haley III ordered that Mr. Remillard be held without bail and that he undergo a competency evaluation by Nov. 13, the date of his continuance.
Mr. Remillard also has a case pending in Worcester Superior Court on a charge of arson of a dwelling and breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony.
The charges stem from a two-alarm fire set on May 6, 2012, in a vacant commercial/residential building at 50 Lafayette St., near where Mr. Remillard was living at the time. The building was undergoing renovations.
At his arraignment on those charges in Worcester District Court, Mr. Quinlan asked that Mr. Remillard be ordered to undergo an evaluation at Bridgewater or Worcester State Hospital, according to Mr. Connolly. The motion was rejected and Mr. Remillard was instead allowed to enter a pretrial release commitment at the Templeton facility.
He is scheduled to return to court on the building-burning charge on Monday.
Mr. Connolly said the case involving Mr. Perry's death remains under investigation.
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ReplyDeleteIt was nice talking with you William and will soon have the time to read up and learn about what we discussed.
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