Sturbridge Trails Survey

The Town of Sturbridge is developing a town-wide Master Plan for our trails system and we are seeking your input in terms of developing that plan.

We invite you to take a few short moments of your time to complete the on-line survey so that your thoughts, ideas, and hopes can be considered. You are NOT required to provide your name or address. The survey can be accessed by clicking HERE or at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/sturbridgetrailsurvey

The survey will be open until January 20th, 2012.

Thank you!

My Hopes for You this Holiday Season!

With the Holidays upon us, I’d like to extend my sincere wishes to all residents for a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Regardless of the spiritual beliefs or religious affiliations that guide many over the next two weeks, or the manner by which we identify ourselves, be it Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Agnostic, Neopagan, Wiccan, Atheist, etc., the common thread among all during this period is one of Hope and new beginnings. It is a time when some will reflect upon the last year, others the last 2000 years, with the anticipation of new beginnings, opportunities and hopes for brighter days. There is little doubt that this past year has tested the spirit and soul of many, while challenging our patience and resilience as individuals and a community.

Despite the trials and tribulations experienced, we have equally witnessed incredible compassion, generosity, selflessness, and fellowship. Neighbors, family, friends and even political foes have banded together, along with strangers from far and wide to bring relief, comfort and compassion to so many within our community. This, in and of itself is cause for great celebration during this holiday season as it reflects so genuinely the hope this period represents to many. It is undoubtedly the very essence of the religious or secular observances that fill the hearts and minds of disparate beliefs in the most communal of ways.

Letter to the Department of Public Utilities

As previously committed, I offer the following update to efforts regarding the Department of Public Utilities investigation specific to National Grid's October storm response. 

Today, Selectman Priscilla Gimas and I, submitted a letter to representatives of the Department of Public Utilities representing our individual official analysis of National Grid's management of of its emergency response plan. This letter was based upon our own individual experiences and interactions during the power outage, as well as information received from various members of the Town's Incident Management Team and was conveyed in support of our efforts to address and rectify the shortcomings experienced as a result of failures associated with National Grid's executive management staff. The letter was separately addressed and sent to Mark D. Marini, Secretary - Department of Public Utilities, Ann G. Berwick, Chair - Department of Public Utilities and Jennifer M. Murphy, Hearing Officer - Department of Public Utilities, all of whom will play a role in the "adjudicatory phase" of the hearings. To be clear, the letter does not reflect any official collective position of the Board of Selectmen, but rather the individual official position of the two members signing it. The letter reads as follows:

Department of Public Utilities Hearings on National Grid's Storm Response

I wanted to take a moment to update residents on the State's investigation into the October storm response by National Grid. As previously conveyed, the State has been holding Public Hearings in various communities throughout the region to take sworn testimony from public officials and residents specific to National Grid's October storm response. Tonight, I attended the Department of Public Utilities Public Hearing in Brookfield on behalf of our community, as did our Town Administrator, and provided sworn testimony outlining our experience, concerns and dissatisfaction with the efforts undertaken by National Grid's executive management team. As this was a Public Hearing and Investigation relative to National Grid's response, speakers who desired their comments to be reflected in the investigation's Public Record were required to be sworn under oath prior to providing testimony. To be clear, the testimony offered by the Town Administrator and myself was specifically directed at National Grid's executive management staff and information coordination centers - not the utility/line crews working on the front lines, as these hard working individuals who themselves sacrificed much during this event are not responsible for the poor coordination, communication, and execution of National Grid's emergency response plan; the accountability for planning and execution of said plan rests squarely with the upper management levels of National Grid.

Honoring Those Who Have Honored Us with Their Service

There are those among us, who have stood not behind the wall of Democracy and freedom, but rather have stood sentry on the wall, ever ready and willing to ensure the privileges and freedoms we hold dear are protected. Whether on the battle field or at a base on the home-front, they are a "force in readiness" whose superior training, courage, and heroism serve as a determent against those who would do us harm or threaten our way of life.

Each year on Veteran's Day or perhaps even Memorial Day - somewhat ritualistically - many of us pay homage to these brave men and women, perhaps hanging a flag outside our home or attending a local memorial or parade. Many will take a moment to reflect upon the selfless sacrifices made by these common men and women during some of the most uncommon and unpredictable times in our history. 

Most of us will never understand the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges these men and women are burdened with, nor the toll that service to our nation can take upon an individual whether serving on the front lines or providing support or "peace-time" operations necessary to remain a "force in readiness" able to deter - in a moment's notice - threats to our freedom.  

Here in Sturbridge, we have an opportunity as a community to support an effort that honors our veterans year-round, while equally demonstrating our gratitude on a daily basis for the sacrifices they have made on our behalf. Our local veterans are undertaking fundraising efforts in the hopes of restoring the Veterans' Honor Roll that had previously stood in recognition of their dedication to our nation and our community. You can help and I ask that you consider this effort by reviewing the information below, recently released by our local veterans and their supporters. 

Help to Build The Sturbridge Veterans’ Honor Roll:

Purchase one or more engraved bricks at $100.00 each. This is a wonderful way to honor a friend or loved one or to recognize your company or organization. Not only will you be helping to build the Veterans’ Honor Roll, your brick will forever be a part of the Town’s history. Target Dedication Date: May 28, 2012 (Memorial Day). More information about the Veterans' Honor Roll can be found here.

The Essence of Democracy

Monday's Special Town Meeting was-  based upon the numbers of those in attendance - quite significant in terms of the discussions undertaken and the votes counted. The final numbers - as certified by the Town Clerk - for attendance at Monday's (12/05/11) Special Town Meeting were 343 registered voters, which represents just slightly north of 5% of the total registered voters as of 11-25-11 (cutoff date to be eligible) which stands at 6451 voters.

By way of comparison, the final attendance numbers at the adjourned Special Town Meeting of 11/07/11 were 213 registered voters in attendance. Thus, the adjourned date resulted in an increase of 130 registered voters in attendance and every one of those 343 attendees mattered immensely as it relates to a couple of significant articles on the Town Meeting Warrant.

Over the last 6 years, the average attendance rate at Annual Town Meeting has been approximately 5% of registered voters compared to an approximate 4% attendance at Special Town Meeting. Those numbers are skewed however in that a significant issue at the 2008 Annual Town Meeting - the new Wastewater Treatment Facility - resulted in an 8% attendance total, and the October 2009 Special Town Meeting - Burgess School Renovations - resulted in a 9% attendance total. If you extract those anomalies, the attendance averages shift to a 4% attendance rate at Annual Town Meeting and a 3% attendance rate at Special Town Meeting. Thus, the 5% attendance figure for Monday's Special Town Meeting was unique and very welcomed.

That said, based upon the discussions manifesting with respect to the Special Town Meeting Warrant, one could logically surmise that the attendance was primarily driven by 3 Articles, which generated the most dialog; those being Article 48 dealing with the Shepard Parcel (defeated 163 - 153), Article 52 dealing with adoption of the Energy Stretch Code, which was defeated by an overwhelming majority, and Article 54 dealing with a change to the day and time of Town Meeting to Saturdays, (defeated 116 - 115). You will note a disparity in the numbers as it relates to those in attendance and the final vote tallies on Warrant Articles, as some in attendance abstained on certain articles (myself being one, as I abstained on Article 48), while others left after the vote on a particular article had been counted.

Beyond the numbers, perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Monday's Special Town Meeting was the demographics, which - based upon no science at this point - suggested to me at least, an attendance that was more reflective of the overall demographics within our community. There were more seniors, more single parent as well as non-parent couples, and there appeared to be a greater diversity of younger parents providing what I believed to be a more representative demographic of the Town. This is noteworthy because regardless of where one stands on the issues as presented on any Town Meeting Warrant, the inclusion of a more diverse Legislative Branch (the voters at Town Meeting) provides a greater opportunity for the exchange of ideas, concerns, hopes, and perhaps a greater understanding of all sides of an issue. This, in the end I believe, lends itself to a wider and more thorough discussion of all issues and ultimately a greater sense of validation for those who attend that their presence truly matters. If you look at the close votes on some of the issues addressed Monday night, it is clearly evident that a few more or less attendees either way, could have resulted in different outcomes. This is the true essence of Democracy as every vote counted Monday evening mattered immensely.

As a member of the Board of Selectmen, though I may have a particular viewpoint one way or another as it relates to the issues before us at Town Meeting, the bottom line is that the Sturbridge Town Charter clearly dictates that members of the Executive Branch (BOS) "...cause the laws and the orders for the government of the Town of Sturbridge to be enforced", and as the Town Charter identifies the attendees at Town Meeting as the Legislative Branch, the Board of Selectmen are obligated to ensure that the will of the voters at Town Meeting be enforced. Thus, ultimately, despite any position an individual Board member may maintain, once the vote is taken, we are now bound to support and enforce the will of the people.

Having more voters in attendance sharing diverse viewpoints and disparate positions makes for a stronger Democracy and a more representative discussion by all. It also ensures that each member of the Board of Selectmen develops a deeper appreciation for the viewpoints of those on the prevailing side of an issue, but also and vitally important, those on the non-prevailing side, as we are not district representatives assigned to a particular constituency, we are representatives of all residents within the community, by they supporters or otherwise. After all, our oath of office compel us to "...solemnly swear to perform our duties faithfully, impartially and to the best of our ability, so help us God". That's Democracy.