Science panel finds no support for wind turbine fears

By Mike Donovan

HILLTOWNS– Examining the available data, a panel of experts found little to no evidence that wind turbines impact physical or psychological health. The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Department of Public Health (MDPH) convened the panel of physicians and scientists in an effort to address concerns the public has raised about possible health impacts caused by proximity to wind turbines.
The panel did not conduct its own tests or surveys, but studied existing data to draw their conclusions. A member of the panel, Associate Professor of Environmental Health, Wendy Heiger-Bernays, PhD, said the panel expended a great deal of time and energy on the work.
“This is a complex issue that the panel spent many months studying,” she said. “By reviewing the available data and information we believe that we have significantly added to the understanding of the potential for health effects from wind turbines.”
State DEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell offered thanks for the panel’s hard work. “It’s extremely important that we have the best science available to us as we make decisions on wind energy,” he said.
Among the panel’s key findings were:
There is no evidence for a set of health effects from exposure to wind turbines that could be characterized as “Wind Turbine Syndrome.”
Claims that infra sound from wind turbines directly impacts the vestibular system have not been demonstrated scientifically. Available evidence shows that the infrasound levels near wind turbines cannot impact the vestibular system.
The weight of the evidence suggests no association between noise from wind turbines and measures of psychological distress or mental health problems.
None of the limited epidemiological evidence reviewed suggests an association between noise from wind turbines and pain, stiffness, diabetes, high blood pressure, hearing impairment, cardiovascular disease and headache/migraine.
There is limited epidemiologic evidence suggesting an association between exposure to wind turbines and annoyance. There is insufficient epidemiologic evidence to determine whether there is an association between noise from wind turbines and annoyance independent from the effects of seeing a wind turbine and vice versa.
There is limited evidence from epidemiologic studies suggesting an association between noise from wind turbines and sleep disruption. In other words, it is possible that noise from some wind turbines can cause sleep disruption. Whether annoyance from wind turbines leads to sleep issues or stress has not been sufficiently quantified. While not based on evidence from wind turbines, there is evidence that sleep disruption can adversely affect mood, cognitive functioning, and overall sense of health and well-being.
Scientific evidence suggests that shadow flicker does not pose a risk for eliciting seizures as a result of photic stimulation. There is limited scientific evidence of an association between annoyance from prolonged shadow flicker (exceeding 30 minutes per day) and potential transitory cognitive and physical health effects.
Although the panel focused on existing information, it did receive extensive public comment, including from residents who live near wind turbines, according to DEP.
A public comment period on the panel’s findings will be open until Monday, March 19 at 5 p.m. Electronic comments can be submitted to: WindTurbineDocket.MassDEP@MassMail.State.MA.US, and written comments can be mailed to MassDEP, Wind Turbine Docket, One Winter Street, Fourth Floor, Boston, MA 02108.
Wind turbines have been proposed in Russell, Chester and Goshen, and at the New Hingham School in Chesterfield.

Nash Hill Place elevator unveiled

By Lisa Connell

WILLIAMSBURG– There was snow falling outside but inside Nash Hill Place there were lots of warm hearts and cheerfulness as people gathered to celebrate the opening of the new elevator and handicapped renovations at the senior housing complex.
The snow kept some people from attending, like representatives from the two architectural firms who worked on the project (one of the architects had to rescue his wife who had slid off the road). However, all the Hilltowners made it, including those from the Hilltown Community Development Corporation (Hilltown CDC) including Community Facilities Director Jacquelyn Burgin, Rep. Stephen Kulik and his aide Paul Dunphy of Haydenville, former Williamsburg COA Director Mary Wheelan, and of course Mae Smith who is the one who spoke up in the first place and got the ball rolling.
The one person who could not be present, but who had put in a lot of time into the project serving on the building committee was Phil Reid. Burgin said Reid had served on the project from the very beginning. “He attended meetings faithfully, offering his keen intellect and support throughout the project. He also served as liaison to the COA.”
Even though his health was in decline and he had to miss meetings to travel to Mass. General for treatments, he did his best. So while he couldn’t make it to the day’s event, he was in everyone’s mind.
Burgin said that one of his contributions to the project was to provide a planting plan for the garden, “That garden will be dedicated to him in his honor, and a plaque acknowledging Phil’s service will be placed in it.
In starting off the ceremony, Site Manager for Nash Hill Place Sandra Leary welcomed everyone to the ribbon cutting ceremony saying, “We’ve been waiting a very long time for this to happen, and it’s here and we are beyond words to say ‘thank you.’”
Sharlene McEachern, the regional property manager for Realty Resources Management, which owns Nash Hill Place said, “Sometimes words can’t express how you feel about all the people you work with and the things that they’ve done that have gone over and above what you would have expected.”
She thanked many of those who had helped out during the project like Site Manager Sandra Leary who has worked at Nash Hill for a number of years, saying that “she has gone over and above” in making this project happen, and was often assisted by elevator committee member Julia Kellogg, “who was always right there to lend a hand—to pass out notices, answer questions.”
And she thanked Burgin for all her hard work as well in apply and obtaining the grants and overseeing the project.
Burgin later addressed the audience saying, “This project has perhaps been one of the most satisfying for me during my 14 years with the Hilltown CDC, not only because the need was so great but because so many of you, the residents here and members of the wider community, were instrumental in making this project happen.”
She thanked the Williamsburg Selectboard and all the town boards, departments and inspectors, including former Williamsburg COA Chair Mary Wheelan
She also said that this new handicapped accessible entry way and elevator were made possible thanks to federal funding through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program which the Hilltown CDC annual applies for on behalf of its member towns. She said it took three CDBG grants to fund the entire project at around $350,000. The first grant funded a feasibility study, the second and third rounds funded things like the bid documents and the construction which started in April 2011 and ended in December 2011.
She said, “This beautiful new accessible entry and elevator will greatly improve the quality of life for all residents at Nash Hill Place and residents in the wider community. It will make seemingly simple tasks like getting the groceries upstairs a whole lot easier.”
She added that the elevator can accommodate a full size stretcher so no one will have to be carried precariously down a flight of stairs. And the elevator provides options for those who feel better living on the second floor, plus now their friends from the first floor can visit them more often. The second floor also has a new outdoor balcony which will be great for summer parties.
Burgin thanked Mae Smith, a former second floor resident who had to move out because she could not negotiate the stairs anymore, for bringing the elevator issue to everyone’s attention.
She said that thanks to Smith and former Williamsburg COA Director Mary Wheelan, the idea was brought to the Hilltown CDC. “Mae and many residents here wrote letters, contacted the press, circulated petitions, and helped bring about much of the community support that was essential to a successful CDBG application.”
Burgin also thanked second floor resident Julia Kellogg, “who deserves a multitude of praises. Julia stepped in when Mae was no longer able to serve on the building committee. Julia has been extremely generous with her time. She’s attended every meeting and kept the residents informed of the progress, and often served as the project watch dog.”
Representative Stephen Kulik congratulated everyone who has been involved with this project, “particularly Jacquelyn for her important role in leadership in keeping the project going,” and Mae is a perfect example of a person seeing a need and speaking up about it.
He said of the entire project, “This really is a wonderful thing and I hope you feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment here today.”
During the day’s events, Mae Smith got the first ceremonial ride in the elevator, and Julia Kellogg and Site Manager Sandra Leary cut the ribbon.

Former tax collector exonerated

By Mary Kronholm

BLANDFORD– The former tax collector’s work has come under scrutiny and it was clearly stated Monday night that no evidence of wrongdoing has been found. Tax Collector June Masse gave a report to selectmen about the turnover report on her office records from previous collector LeeAnn Thompson. This report (from Massee) is simply “Here is where I am.”
“Right now, we have a rough understanding of where we are,” said Chairman of Selectmen Rob Nichols.
During Masse’s report, Dale Miller asked Massee, “On the audit, there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the previous tax collector?”
Massee replied that it was not up to her to determine that.
By way of clarification, indicating that it was not in the purview of the collector, Nichols told her, “Let’s be clear. A CPA [Certified Public Accountant], by law, would have to report something unlawful.”
He added, hitting the desk with his fist for emphasis, “Josephine Sarnelli [the independent auditor] did not find one illegal thing during all of her examinations. And, Melanson and Heath [Town Auditors] in all the years” that they have been auditing, “did not find anything that the tax collector’s office did that was unethical, unlawful or illegal.”
Tax Collector June Massee also gave an update on her accounts. There are some “unlocated” funds, according to Massee. These funds are checks or money orders that prove tax bills have been paid, but not credited to property owners’ accounts. Massee said that the numbers “to date are better than $29,000.”
She said, in a prepared statement, “There is however a system of checks and balances that was not being used. We brought Softright in and they have helped us work through the procedures. As long as it is used by the tax collector, treasurer Water Department and Town Accountant these checks and balances should put the Town of Blandford on the right track.”
She provided a spreadsheet indicating the $29,748 of proof of payment. There are more coming, she said.
Also, an additional $891 in non-credited motor vehicle excise taxes.
She also cited problems coming up from attorneys regarding the taxes paid/unpaid of property sales with which they are involved and municipal lien certificates.
There are a number examples of “mis-posted” taxpayer issues, and taxes paid but checks not cleared. There are individuals and banks indicating payments missing and not cashed. Then, the taxpayers who claim they never received demand notices when they owed back taxes; which in several cases have already been paid. Many people did not know there were delinquent taxes. The new tax bills stated that there are “delinquencies” and there are some errors with that. She will check with the software company to figure out why the data came up as it did.
The final comment regarded $4,579.68 in unlocated cash funds according to the independent auditor’s report for the end of FY 2011. This represented one taxpayer’s multiple years’ payments in cash.
The finance officers are using the system of checks and balances.
In addition, Massee told the board that there will be only one major bank account for the town for all deposits. “This will actually put the town back on good footing,” she said.
The board motioned that the treasurer use only one account for all deposits per recommendation of the Department of Revenue; the motion carried. All transfers will go into one account which will make tracking easier.
Selectman Bill Levakis asked if there was more documentation regarding cashed checks.
Chairman Nichols said for clarification, when someone paid taxes, somehow, through the software, the payment does not show on the town’s electronic records. The checks provided do show the bank clearing dates and numbers.
Masse said when the software changed from Point to Softright, the auditor checked postings and in both sets of software, information was correct. However, she added that if the records in Point were not updated, then the records in the new software were not updated either.
Chairman Nichols reviewed the audit process and said it is a requirement that the finance officials reconcile monthly. Selectman Brennan said, “This should have been happening right along.”
Nichols said the board would have to take the responsibility for enforcing the regular reconciliation.
Dale Miller asked about where the funds came from, which packet/batch of checks. Massee said that “Batches are gone.” She suggested that the break-ins to the former collector’s office may have some impact. She is not able to locate documentation, but according to Nichols, there are still paperwork in many locations as a result of the move from the old town offices.
With the assistance of Point, batches were viewed, and the information was also successfully transferred to Software.
“Something was not put into the system,” Nichols said acknowledging where the town is now.
He noted that Melanson and Heath would be coming in soon and asked the rest of the board to consider a change, and perhaps ask for a new group of people, a new team “fresh to Blandford.”
Levakis said that the firm has the same regulations to follow.

Bridge work will limit roadway to single lane

By Mike Donovan

HUNTINGTON– At press time a long delayed project to raise the east end of the Robert Cross Memorial Bridge in downtown Huntington was scheduled to begin. It will be necessary to reduce the bridge to a single lane with alternating traffic controlled by traffic signals during most of the construction period. There will also be signals at the Basket Street intersection and the access road to the DPW yard.
The bridge span over the CSX railroad tracks must be raised to a minimum height of 21 feet to accommodate “double stacking” of freight cars—that is, freight containers will be piggy backed on one another.
This is the first phase of a three phase project, and single lane traffic will be necessary during the first two phases. Traffic will be two way after during the third and final phase, but with a reduced lane width.
State Department of Transportation (DOT) Public Affairs Officer Michael Verseckes said the project should be completed by next June. The overall project involves raising a total of seven bridges in the hilltowns.

Dump sticker to increase, late penalty added

By Mike Donovan

RUSSELL– Vehicle stickers for the transfer station will increase from $30 to $35, and residents who fail to obtain one by March 1 will be charged an additional late fee of $20 if they purchase one after that date–bringing the total cost to $55.
In Russell the selectboard is also the board of health, and Selectman Keith Cortis said too many residents are using the facility without paying for the stickers. They claim it’s too difficult to get to town hall to buy them when it’s open, Cortis said.
Administrative Assistant Nancy Boersig said every effort is made to make purchase of the stickers convenient. Town Collector Wendy Thompson said later that applications for the stickers are mailed with tax bills and residents can send the applications back with payment and a self-addressed, stamped envelope and their stickers will be mailed to them. They can also stop in at the town hall between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and purchase the stickers there. Tax bills are expected to go out early next month, she said.
On another issue, Cortis said “giveaway” items should be discarded after a reasonable period of time. Residents sometimes discard items in reasonably good condition and these are left out of the open box for anyone who wants them. According to Cortis, however, many of the items remain outside for months.
“That’s one of the things he (a state inspector) wanted to write us up for,” he said, adding that a pair of tables left outside are so weather-beaten that no one would want them.
Selectwoman Pandora Hague suggested such items could be left outside for a maximum of two weeks, and Cortis agreed.
At the end of that period, the items will be discarded in the open box.

Solar project goes off-track

By Mike Donovan

CHESTER– A solar array planned for the town could have supplied all of its electricity both day and night will not happen any time soon, according to Selectboard Chairman Eugene Bishop.
Bishop has been leading an effort to bring solar power to the town, but negotiations collapsed this week. At the same time, plans for wind turbines have stalled because the only site found suitable so far is privately owned and its value is more than the town can afford to pay.
According to Bishop, six solar companies were originally interested in establishing arrays and all but one has gone out of business. The one remaining, CRS-1 LLC, based in Danbury CT, was “working hard,” he said at last week’s selectboard meeting to make the initial preparations for the site.
“We could get all of our electricity from solar,” he said. “That’s never been done before so we had to invent the wheel.”
He said the town and company had put their proposals in writing and expected preparations for construction to begin shortly. Then it all fell apart. “We were being careful because it’s a 20 year deal,” he said. “I spent a lot of hours on the phone and it was coming together,” but in order to qualify for a large grant to pay for construction, the company had to have an agreement in place by Dec. 31. “We just couldn’t get all our ‘t’s’ crossed and ‘i’s’ dotted,” Bishop said.
Despite the limitation on Solar panel operation to daylight hours, the planned array would have supplied the town both day and night, he said. The solar panels would have produced more than enough electricity to power the town’s electric light department during the day, and the excess would have been fed into the grid. At night, the town would draw electricity from the grid, in effect using the power “saved up” during the day.
The proposed agreement also called for the company to assume all costs of construction.
“The town wouldn’t have had to make any investment whatsoever,” he said. Any profits for the company would have come from the sale of renewable energy credits, or RECs.
But of the six companies originally interested in doing business with Chester, several have gone out of business, including one that had identified buildings where solar panels could have been effective. That apparently wasn’t the problem with CRS-1.
“There were just too many little issues we couldn’t resolve,” he said. “It was a good learning experience and we should do better next time there’s an opportunity.”
He said another company has shown some interest in the plan and might prove to be an alternative.
“They look very solid,” he said, “and maybe we could do something with them next year.”

HCOG terminates inspection program

By Lisa Connell

CHESTERFIELD– Selectman Bob Recos announced that a couple of weeks ago the town decided to pullout of the Hampshire Council of Government’s (HCOG) recently troubled Hampshire Inspection Program. Because of this, letters just went out from HCOG to the remaining towns of Goshen and Middlefield saying the program has been cancelled entirely.
Recos said of Chesterfield is sticking with the other HCOG programs it belongs to, but as far as building inspections and zoning enforcement they’re going out on their own. The Selectboard has even voted to hire former HCOG building inspector Paul Tacy.
This has caused a little bit of an up-set with HCOG since HCOG has already requested the selectboard’s minutes, and any agreements the town has with Tacy.
Recos said the town has been with HCOG for about 16 years back when he was a County Commissioner. Matter of fact Recos was on the search committee for the building inspector, conducted the interviews and made the recommendations to the full board of the County Commissioners– that’s when they hired Tacy to be HCOG’s building inspector and zoning enforcement officer, “So he’s [Tacy] been with us all that time.”
However, recently things “have fallen apart,” with the inspection program because around the first part of October or middle of September, Tacy wasn’t getting enough hours, his assistant wasn’t getting enough hours, the program was just shrinking. Tacy couldn’t get all the things he needed to run the program, so he left and got a full-time job in Monson. Since then the Hampshire Inspection Program has declined.
They do have an interim person from Chesterfield but she works for Springfield and has been having the same difficulties as Tacy, including not even being able to get office supplies. “It got to the point where we got very fed up,” so Chesterfield withdrew from the program said Recos.
Chesterfield went back to Tacy and at their last Selectboard meeting decided to hire him to work for the town, “He’s going to be our building commissioner, zoning enforcement officer,” plus building inspector. He will also have the help of Bob Walden of Goshen to help him out. They will start working the Jan. 1 out of the Chesterfield town office building.
Recos said that the town will also be saving a lot of money. The figures vary but the Selectboard is very pleased with the savings. HCOG will officially leave Chesterfield on Dec. 31.
Since Chesterfield has pulled out of the Hampshire Inspection Program that left only Goshen and Middlefield in which is not enough towns. So HCOG has decided to terminate the program all together.
In a letter to the Goshen and Middlefield selectboards written by Diana Schindler, HCOG’s director of Regional Services and Planning, she writes, “We have concluded that the program, as it is currently structured, is unsustainable and does not reflect the level of value that our membership has come to expect from the Council. Therefore, it is with sincere regret that we will terminate the current program as of Dec. 31, 2011.”
As to what HCOG plans to do next, she writes that, “The Council will continue to provide local inspection services,” including office hours in the towns, zoning enforcement and administrative support.
Also, “the Council is developing a Community Innovation Challenge grant application to address land-use services county-wide,” and are going to try to develop a “comprehensive program” that will incorporate land-use services as well as a myriad of other things like building inspection, zoning enforcement, conservation agent, electrical and plumbing inspection, town planning, etc.

BOH hears cow complaint

By Lisa Connell

GOSHEN– The Selectboard, along with a group of citizens, met with the Board of Health (BOH) on Monday to discuss the continuing problem of the escaping cows by the Spruce Corner. The cows keep wandering into the roads and trampling people’s yards.
Health Agent Jackie Duda chaired the meeting saying that the BOH was “fact finding,” in order to see what if any action they would take.
Selectman John Stellberger presented a history of the problem saying Animal Control Officer Kyle Meservey started getting complaints about cattle in the neighbors lawns and roads in 2010. However, things were officially brought to the Selectboard earlier this year.
When the Selectboard was made aware of the problem, Stellberger said he talked to the owner Cosimo Ferrante (who was not present at the BOH meeting), then sent him a letter to re-emphasize that the board thought this was a serious issue.
Then Ferrante came to the Selectboard around April 11, 2011. “We gave him about 30 days to fix the problem,” it was a verbal agreement. Things seemed to get better for a time, but then got worse. “We’ve had the residents in several times,” since then, and have also talked to Ferrante again. They gave him more time, but it still didn’t work.
The town then hired a field driver to deal with this but he quit after a short bit of time. Since this has been an on-going problem, Stellberger said the selectboard has voted to take legal action.
Selectman John Judd said these people here have had enough. They’ve been terrorized for two years. This has come to the end as far as the Selectboard is concerned,” and they are going to take action to stop this.
Duda took all the paperwork from Meservey, the Selectboard, and residents that documented all the above mentioned events and more. She said, “I wasn’t prepared for the volume” of documents.
When it came to the public’s turn to speak, they said the cows were out right now, and that the cows are out so regularly they call it “cow time” and they try to drive them home to protect the property.
Carole Hodge said the cattle have been in her yard and that today they wandered up Spruce Corner Rd. in to Ashfield where someone from Ashfield was seen shooing them back. They’ve been out in October and Thanksgiving, and it’s such a problem that she doesn’t like to go out for walks, “I don’t like walking with the cattle.”
Jim Berube of Spruce Corner said that in his front yard is his $17,000 septic and leach field and the cattle have been all over his place. Last night around 4 p.m. he took a picture with his cellphone which he showed to the BOH. At 7:30 a.m. “This morning the whole herd was in my front yard. At least 12 and one big bull. I’m worried about my tank caving in. Whose going to pay for that?”
Other residents say they have pictures as well and will give them to the BOH.
More than one resident was worried about their grandchildren being injured. It was noted that bulls are also on the loose, plus the cattle tend to run from time to time.
One family mentioned that they have a son who uses a wheelchair and he’s afraid to go out on the road, plus the cows leave ankle twisting holes in people’s yards.
After listening to the many complaints, Duda said the BOH is empowered under the nuisance law to take action, and after some deliberation, they agreed that this meets their definition of a nuisance. Duda said, “This is more severe than I thought and more recent.”
As to what happens now, Duda said she will make a phone call to get some advice, then the BOH will consider issuing a cease and desist order. This may take a week.
If Ferrante violates the cease and desist then they will probably file a criminal complaint. Eventually, they would ask a judge to remove the cows.

ZBA mulls restrictions on proposed gravel operation

By Mike Donovan

MONTGOMERY– The Zoning Board of Appeals fielded a rough draft last week of conditions that might be included in a special permit allowing reactivation of a Carrington Road gravel operation. The panel is treading a narrow dividing line between financial impacts on the owner of the gravel pit, Charlie Peckham, and environmental and quality of life impacts on abuttors and the general public.
Peckham has operated the gravel pit for some 20 years, but last January the selectboard issued a cease and desist order due to the lack of a special permit.
ZBA Chairman Joe Fontaine emphasized that the list of proposed conditions was only a first draft for discussion should the board “go in the direction of issuing a special permit.”
Among proposed conditions for reopening the gravel pit is preparation of a site plan indicating what is to be done and where.
“We’ll need to be there so we can understand the outlines of the site,” he said, and suggested that excavation should be done on one section of the site at a time. The site would have to be restored before the board would issue a permit for the next section.
Other restrictions might include hours of operation, probably 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with operations suspended during holidays.
Board member Peter Wilcox suggested being more specific about which holidays to include, noting that some are not celebrated universally. Fontaine agreed and said the rule would apply only to state holidays. Wilcox also said a proposed limit of 20 trucks a day needed to specify the weight and size of the trucks.
Other conditions would require the removal of access roads during the restoration process, which would consist of restoring the topsoil and planting grass to prevent erosion.
According to Peckham, all of the original topsoil remains on site, although a contractor dumped a large quantity over an embankment and Peckham does not have the kind of equipment needed to restore it to its original location.
Fontaine noted that if the permit is granted Peckham will be able to remove two large piles of gravel that were about to be shipped when the board of selectmen served him with the cease and desist order. Peckham said that when the selectboard shut him down, he had approval to supply the gravel for two large construction projects–one at the Westfield Home Depot and another at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.
If a permit is issued, Fontaine suggested it be limited to a section of the site for a period of two years. Once the section was restored Peckham could apply for a permit for the next site.
An opponent of the gravel pit, David Berndt, objected that the proposed conditions did not require a bond to guarantee restoration of the site once the operation is finished. Municipalities routinely require such performance bonds to pay for restoration of a site if the developer or operator abandons it. Fontaine noted that the permit would require completion of one section of the site before starting a new section. He also again noted that the list was a draft and could be modified.
“The bond isn’t in there yet,” he said. He also said there would be more meetings before the board decides whether to issue the special permit and if it does, to determine the conditions to be imposed.
On Monday of this week the ZBA again met and continued working out conditions that would be imposed if the permit were issued. According to Peckham, his lawyer, Michael Callan, objected on legal grounds to some of the proposed restrictions, such as a limit on the number of trucks and requirements on dust control, which were deleted.
Peckham said he expects the ZBA to finalize the list of conditions and issue a decision on the permit at its next meeting, scheduled for this coming Tuesday, December 6 at 7 p.m. in the town hall.

Vandals demoralize townspeople

By Lisa Connell

HUNTINGTON– The vandals who have been destroying property at the library, Pettis Field, and the empty St. Thomas Church are now on notice. The citizens are fed up and they aren’t going to take it anymore.
While people don’t want to go officially on the record for fear that these vandals will target their homes and property, it has been told to the Country Journal that recently, and over the weekend, the miscreants vandalized the library (the library has been an on-going target), they broke the hands of the statue at the former St. Thomas Church, and they ruined the foundation for a pavilion that’s being put up at Pettis Field.
One of the people who is involved in building the pavilion said that this weekend they had just laid the square for the pavilion, put the slab of cement out– then the vandals wrote nasty, foul words all over it. This is disheartening to those putting up the pavilion, and expensive in materials and labor.
Plus, there is trash all over Pettis Field, beer cans because they [the younger crowd] are hanging out there. “There is a trash can down there,” but trash does not end up in it. The person said the problem is not necessarily with the 13 to 15 year-old crowd, it’s more of the 17 to 19 year-olds.
The person said, “We’re really upset about it. Our plans to build a pavilion and skating rink for the town—it keeps getting vandalized. People say there’s nothing for kids to do, but how can you try to build anything nice for them, or anyone, if they keep ruining it?”
Also they don’t know specifically who the culprits are yet, but there are quite a few youth that hang out across from the library, usually in the afternoon and evening hours. Many citizens don’t like to walk that way for fear of being harassed.
Apparently, the library is often targeted. Most recently an outside light was broken. The committee member said that people don’t want to walk to the library because they are uncomfortable having to walk past these young people.
So the matter has been brought to the selectboard and police’s attention. They are putting up “No trespassing” signs for after dark. The police are going to be taking names of those hanging out after dark, and in general, keeping an eye on the area.
Also citizens are advised to keep an eye out as well and report these activities to the police.