Chelmsford's In-Town Report - 11-6-11

Photo by Alison Ludwig

Photo by Alison Ludwig

Photo by Alison LudwigPhoto by Stefani Bush Photo by Stefani Bush

Photo by Stefani Bush

Photo by Stefani BushPhoto by Stefani Bush



OCTOBER

SURPRISESURPRISE

Outage-weary Chelmsford asks Did they forget about usBy Evan Lips elipslowellsuncom11032011 094826 AM EDT

wwwlowellsuncom

CHELMSFORD -- One fallen tree Five cars destroyed

You cannot make this stuff up

As if living without power for the last four days wasnt bad enough for George Street resident Ashley DeAngelis shes also con-fined to her house

Her shiny Nissan Versa parked alongside four of her familys cars was not spared Saturday night when a 50-foot tree snappedaway from its trunk crashing onto the driveway

She said an insurance claims adjuster has already declared her dads beloved Jaguar totaledtotaled

Her grandfather Larry DeAngelis has spent the last four nights living inside his motor home Thank God the elder DeAngelissaid he didnt sell it years ago

But DeAngelis and others are still irked that after four days their homes remain dark

Were pissedWere pissed he said matter-of-factly yesterday morning

Ashley DeAngelis said a National Grid worker actually apologized to her on Tuesday for what he said was a poor response ef-fort

I couldnt believe my ears when he actually said thatI couldnt believe my ears when he actually said that she noted

As of 9 am yesterday 9538 out of a total of 15372 Chelmsford customers were still without power By 11 pm the number ofoutages were reduced to 4713

During a 3 pm conference call with reporters National Grid President Marcy Reed described current restoration efforts as beingin the hand-to-hand combat phasehand-to-hand combat phase meaning most of the main lines had been restored

In Middlesex County yesterday afternoon 32690 out of 222799 customers were still in the dark

Reed said at the time significant progresssignificant progress has been achieved statewide noting that crews had restored power to 70 per-cent of customers

But Chelmsford had been a different story Approximately 13400 customers were powerless as of Sunday afternoon That meansas of yesterday morning only about 35 percent of all affected Chelmsford customers had had their power restored since then

First Street resident Anand Bhatt said the sluggish response by National Grid is an example of corporate irresponsibility

Restoration efforts during an emergency like this should go beyond any kind of cost-benefit analysisRestoration efforts during an emergency like this should go beyond any kind of cost-benefit analysis Bhatt added

What bothered Riverneck Road resident Donna Katsohis was the fact that it was not until yesterday that she saw her first Na-tional Grid utility truck

Even my mail carrier told me on Tuesday he hadnt seen a single truck yetEven my mail carrier told me on Tuesday he hadnt seen a single truck yet she said Did they forget aboutDid they forget about

usus

Reed said nobody has been forgotten and added that the goal remains to be close to full restoration by (tonight)

But Kevin Connors who lives on Acton Road and drives a snowplow said he didnt like seeing power return to all of the townstechnology parks before residents were restored He knows because hes already plowed several nearby parking lots

Its unacceptableIts unacceptable he said Residents should come firstResidents should come first

Still there were others like Reid Road resident Christina Squeri who seemed resigned to having to wait

Its hard to fault National Grid when you lay out entire neighborhoods in the middle of what was Its hard to fault National Grid when you lay out entire neighborhoods in the middle of what was

once a forestonce a forest she said

Yesterday morning two generators could be heard buzzing outside her house Squeri said her husband works from home as asoftware engineer and relies on power to do his job

When asked why it was taking longer to restore power in Chelmsford as opposed to other Merrimack Valley towns Reed saidone reason was the towns location in that I-495 snow beltin that I-495 snow belt

Our estimate is that most of Chelmsford will have their power back by (last night or early today)Our estimate is that most of Chelmsford will have their power back by (last night or early today) Reed said

Should Utility CompaniesRebate Customers for

Power OutagesA Massachusetts legislator wants customers to get paid when they dont have power

By Scott Pickering November 2 2011

wwwwoonsocketpatchcom

A Massachusetts legislator is urging passage of a new law that would force utility companies to rebate customers whenthere are extended outages

State Rep Daniel Winslow (R-Norfolk MA) has asked the Massachusetts House Rules Committee to take action on apower outage rebate bill According to a release from Winslows office reported on Wrentham Patch the bill would re-quire rebates to customers who go without power for more than eight hours The rebate would be for two days of theiraverage bill for each day the customer is without power

The move is prompted by the Halloween weekend storm that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customersthroughout Massachusetts just two months after Tropical Storm Irene knocked out power to hundreds of thousands ofcustomers

Winslow is hoping to spur preventative maintenance like tree removal and trimming He claims the efforts by utility com-panies have been inadequate

httpscottbrownsenategovNov 03 2011

Brown Endorses Winslow Power Outage Rebate BillWashington DC ndash US Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) has endorsed a bill introduced by Massachusetts State Represen-tative Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk) that would require utility companies to provide a refund for customers who have been

without power for over eight hours

Like most of my neighbors I find it unacceptable that hundreds of thousands ofpeople in Massachusetts remained without power so long after Saturdayrsquos stormThe inadequate response from the utilities raises serious questions about theirstorm preparations and whether they had enough assets in place to deal with theproblem as it was occurring Whatrsquos at the heart of this issue is safety We hadpower out in homes with young children and seniors living alone with temperaturesdropping to freezing at nightrdquo said Senator Brown ldquoWe need to put in place finan-cial penalties for the utilities so they will allocate sufficient resources to preventing arecurrence of the problem

ldquoWe need to make sure the residents of Massachusetts are being taken care of andthe utility companies are held accountable to fix the problem in a timely mannerrdquosaid Rep Dan Winslow

Background

Rep Winslowrsquos legislation currently before the Massachusetts House of Representatives would require electric utilitiesprovide a rebate for customers who have been without power for more than eight hours The rebate would be worth twodays of their average electricity bill for each day they are without power

Attorney General Important time to look at utilitiesAttorney General Important time to look at utilities

By Johanna KaiserState House News ServiceGateHouse News Service

Nov 02 2011wwwwickedlocalcomchelmsford

With about 220000 electric customers still without power four days after a norrsquoeaster knocked out serv-ice to more than 600000 people across the state Attorney General Martha Coakley says her office is re-viewing how utility companies manage their resources even when a storm is not coming and whatpersisting problems need to be corrected

ldquoI think itrsquos an important time for us with the DPU [Department of Public Utilities] to sayI think itrsquos an important time for us with the DPU [Department of Public Utilities] to say

lsquoWhere are you marshaling your resourcesrsquo Not just the short-term preparation for thislsquoWhere are you marshaling your resourcesrsquo Not just the short-term preparation for this

stormstormrdquo Coakley said at a breakfast event hosted by the public relations firm Denterlein

Coakley said her office will review the response of utilities to the weekend storm to determine the rea-sons behind the length of power outages if the utility companies adequately prepared for the storm andif any fines are necessary

One of the most common complaints Coakley says she hears is the lack of communication and availableinformation from utilities especially for public safety and local officials

Her office which oversees public utilities has already fined utilities for their response to the December2010 snowstorm The office is still reviewing the response to Tropical Storm Irene which knocked outpower across the state for nearly a week in August

When asked about the perception that the companies are trying to cut costs when it comes to stormpreparation and response Coakley said her office is comparing utility company expenses from previousyears to determine if spending is being used to improve service

Coakley has also called for a five-year freeze on rates if Northeast Utilities and NStar complete a pro-posed $47 billion merger which must be approved by the Department of Public Utilities to ensure in-creased profits are not being used only to pay shareholders

ldquoThey have a pretty rich rate of return frankly for their investorsThey have a pretty rich rate of return frankly for their investorsrdquo she said

She dismissed claims that the merging companies were being ldquoheld hostagerdquo by the state saying she isnot opposed to the idea of a merger but wants to ensure savings are passed on to customers

ldquoThat savings that come from the merger should be also realized by consumers and notThat savings that come from the merger should be also realized by consumers and not

passed along to thempassed along to themrdquo she said

When it comes to containing health care costs Coakley said shifting from a fee-for-service model to aglobal payment system will not cut costs if what she called a ldquodysfunctional non-transparent marketrdquo isnot made more affordable She said consumers also need to get more involved in the discussion of over-hauling payment systems

ldquoI think as in many areas whether you want to talk about the healthcare marketplace or the utility market-place consumers are saying enough is enough We demand transparency We want to know what wersquorepaying forrdquo she said On the topic of politics Coakley who ran unsuccessfully against Republican ScottBrown for US Senate in 2010 said she has no plans for running for a new office

While stopping short of endorsing any Democratic candidate for the seat in the 2012 election Coakleycalled herself a ldquobig fanrdquo consumer advocate and frontrunner Elizabeth Warren who she called a per-sonal friend

As for lending advice for defeating Brown Coakley said ldquothe issues will come to the forefront in a waythat maybe in a shorter race they get capsulized and tend to be shorthandedrdquo

Copyright 2011 Chelmsford Independent Some rights reserved

Five days later limb still blocks Chelmsford roadFive days later limb still blocks Chelmsford road

By Sarah Favot sfavotlowellsuncom11042011 063625 AM EDT

wwwlowellsuncom

CHELMSFORD -- A large tree branch detached from its trunk was suspended over a row of wires while childrenwere playing in a front yard nearby and cars barreled through the police barriers that were put in place to close downthe road

This scene played out on Crooked Spring Road yes-terday afternoon behind the Parker Middle School ascene that one resident said has been commonthroughout Chelmsford one of the hardest-hit commu-nities in the area from the noreaster that hit Saturdaynight

Theres one of these in every roadTheres one of these in every road said RobRusso looking at the tree that is nearly blocking hisdriveway But Im kind of surprised it hasntBut Im kind of surprised it hasnt

been picked up yetbeen picked up yet

He said the branch came down Saturday around 8pm It didnt knock out power to his home because thepower had already gone out he said

He said police and firefighters responded quickly to block off the road with barriers and put up yellow caution tapewhich had been ripped through by yesterday afternoon from cars that continued to pass through

Russo said he has been nervous that a strong wind or heavy rain could knock the branch off the wires or that a carpassing through might strike the branches and knock it off the wire

He said a tree-company truck pulled up in front of the tree Wednesday night and then drove away without removingany of the branches

Yesterday afternoon Town Manager Paul Cohen said the branch would be removed sometime last night

He said he was in touch with National Grid about the tree so it could untangle the wires from the tree before thebranches were removed

It reflected the extensive damage we have had in the community from downed treesIt reflected the extensive damage we have had in the community from downed trees Cohen said

He said most of the other fallen tree branches in town would also be removed last night

He said there may be some isolated trees still down by today but they would be cleared

Photo by Lowell Sun Editorial News Photographer

Power Restored to Virtually Everyone TodayTown Manager Paul Cohen said only isolated pockets will left for National Grid to work on today

By Krista Perry11411

wwwchelmsfordpatchcom

Town Manager Paul Cohen said power has been restored to about 90 percent of the towns residents and NationalGrid will work on the isolated pockets of town without power today

More than 30 line crews and 15 tree crews worked in town yesterday to restore power to the 25 percent of householdswithout it - about 3600 customers

After four days without school kids are back in classrooms today and many residents are back home from hotels ortheir friends houses where they were keeping warm or taking showers

Cohen said aside from communicating more frequently there wasnt much more National Grid could have done to re-store power faster since it was such a widespread event

There are people here from Michigan and North Carolina he said National Grid wouldnt have hired even more peo-ple here because of one storm People arent going to want to see their electric bills go up to pay for it

Cohen said he knows how frustrating it is for residents to see their neighbors who perhaps have power but they do not

McCarthy Middle School and the Police Station even though theyre next door are on different feeders said CohenThe Police Station went off their generator and on to regular power today

According to National Grid As of 330 pm yesterday National Grid had restored power to 350000 customers with ap-proximately 69000 customers still without service

ldquoIrsquove seen firsthand the damage and devastation the storm caused and have spoken to many customers and local offi-cials in our communities and I know how hard this is for themrdquo said Marcy Reed president National Grid Massachu-setts in a press release Were concerned about the well-being of our customers and neighbors and were pressingahead as fast as we can with repairs and restorations Wersquore now in the most painstaking phase of the restorationwhere we have to go street by street and house by house to make repairs often to restore small numbers of cus-tomers

The town is now working on clearing downed trees and limbs from the streets Cohen said the Department of PublicWorks will start on main roads and work their way to the side streets and more isolated parts of town afterward Cohensaid collections will also take place on the weekend hoping to get it all clear before more snow arrives

Cohen said open burning season does not begin until Jan 15

Cathy Ribeck of Rufinas said her restaurant finally got power back in time to open for lunch and dinner yesterday

I had to do some quick shopping to replace food until we could receive regular orders from our vendors but most ofthem understood and were here for us with what we needed to get up and running for (last night) she said It istough to be such a new business and then lose three days of business We are normally closed on Mondays so weonly lost three days Power went out here about 930 on Saturday night

Lynn Marcella owner of Chelmsford Copy said quite a few people stopped in to use the copy center which never lostpower

We have had a pretty busy week with people coming in to makecopies use our fax service and have documents printed out be-cause their home or office systems are out she said We offerpeople a desk and warm spot near our sunny window where theycan catch up on paper work plug in their phones and get warm

Marcella said one man in particular was very grateful the storewas open

I had a young man come in that had no power and had a big joboffer He needed to have documents relative to the job offerprinted out and fax them He was so thrilled once it all got donethat he gave me a big hug she said

ASK THE MANAGER

ITR ITR

Will there be a Town wide pick up of limbs and brush Will there be a Town wide pick up of limbs and brush (similar to what happened after the ice storm) (similar to what happened after the ice storm) Or will there be an extra town wide brush drop off at Community Tree Or will there be an extra town wide brush drop off at Community Tree scheduled in the next few weeksscheduled in the next few weeks

PAUL COHEN PAUL COHEN

The Town has scheduled residential brush drop off days on Saturday November 12The Town has scheduled residential brush drop off days on Saturday November 12and Saturday November 19 from 800 am - 400 pm at Community Tree which isand Saturday November 19 from 800 am - 400 pm at Community Tree which islocated at 163 Billerica Road The Town DPW is collecting downed trees and limbslocated at 163 Billerica Road The Town DPW is collecting downed trees and limbsfrom trees located in the Towns right of ways This activity will extend into thefrom trees located in the Towns right of ways This activity will extend into theweekends in an effort to clear the roadways prior to the uncertain arrival of winterweekends in an effort to clear the roadways prior to the uncertain arrival of wintersnowfallsnowfall

ITR ITR

Will there be any relief from the 2 barrel limit during the next trash pickup Will there be any relief from the 2 barrel limit during the next trash pickup Many people will probably have more than 2 barrels due to all the food that had toMany people will probably have more than 2 barrels due to all the food that had tobe thrown out Can the restriction be eased for the next scheduled pickupbe thrown out Can the restriction be eased for the next scheduled pickup


The 2-barrel limit will not be waived I suggest that one dispose of any spoiled foodThe 2-barrel limit will not be waived I suggest that one dispose of any spoiled foodthis week and if necessary hold off on the solid waste disposal of other materialthis week and if necessary hold off on the solid waste disposal of other materialfor another week Some residents have elected to compost their food wastefor another week Some residents have elected to compost their food waste

ENDENDOFOFCHELMSFORDCHELMSFORD

BLACK-OUTBLACK-OUTSECTIONSECTION

Town Meeting Approves Study for Oak HillTown Meeting Approves Study for Oak HillAn article to move Oak Hill into conservation was voted down

By Krista PerryOctober 21 2011


After a lengthy debate Town Meeting Thursday night voted down an article that would have moved Oak Hill into conservation land and instead approved an article to do a study on the land

Oak Hill is a 66-acre parcel in North Chelmsford Town officials said they need toknow more about the land - whether or not its buildable and if suitable pedes-trian and vehicle access could be put in - before a decision is made to move itinto conservation

Oak Hill had been eyed by the Affordable Housing Plan as a potential spot for affordable housing

At Town Meeting Conservation Commission Chairman David McLachlan saidOak Hill was the top priority for the board to secure as conservation landMcLachland said 23 percent of the town is open space His board managesabout 849 acres of open space in town

Oak hill was our highest priority for conservation and itrsquos the Oak hill was our highest priority for conservation and itrsquos the

only land owned by the town Once land is developed its no longeronly land owned by the town Once land is developed its no longer

available for conservationavailable for conservation he said Oak Hill in the affordable housOak Hill in the affordable hous--

ing plan was eyed for housing This can be addressed after weing plan was eyed for housing This can be addressed after we

have secured the land This should be conservation landhave secured the land This should be conservation land

In order to change the designation from conservation land to something out the towns counsel said the the town would have to vote in favorof it with a 23 majority and petition the state legislature

Town Meeting Rep Sam Poulten offered an amendment to the article to exclude the portion of Oak Hill already under contract for a potentialbillboard Town Meeting reps OKd the measure as a way to protect the town from litigation just in case Town Meeting approved making OakHill conservation land

George Merrill asked voters to approve the move to conservation

I donrsquot have a crystal ball but I can guarantee if you do a study there will be affordable housing on this property noI donrsquot have a crystal ball but I can guarantee if you do a study there will be affordable housing on this property no

question in my mind about that he said Itrsquos a good possibility the (Lowell Sportsmens Club) would be closedquestion in my mind about that he said Itrsquos a good possibility the (Lowell Sportsmens Club) would be closed

down Its very close proximity and if you put people and houses on there the first time they hear guns go off theyrsquolldown Its very close proximity and if you put people and houses on there the first time they hear guns go off theyrsquoll

be crying all over town that they donrsquot want the noise If its in conservation itll cost the taxpayers nothing foreverbe crying all over town that they donrsquot want the noise If its in conservation itll cost the taxpayers nothing forever

Many Town Meeting reps said they didnt understand the rush to put the land into conservation without studying it first Others said a studyshould be done for safety reasons considering the Lowell Sportsmens Club is so close

Claire Jeanotte said the town could always make it conservation land after the study

I think we can always revisit it we have a proven track record of open space in this town and I have a great deal of reI think we can always revisit it we have a proven track record of open space in this town and I have a great deal of re--

spect for the Chelmsford Open Space Stewards and the Conservation Commission and everyone who has worked tospect for the Chelmsford Open Space Stewards and the Conservation Commission and everyone who has worked to

preserve open spacepreserve open space she said

Town Gives Kronos Tax BreaksTown Gives Kronos Tax BreaksTown Meeting voted last night to give a tax increment finance agreement to the company

By Krista Perry October 21 2011


Town Meeting last night approved a tax increment finance agreement for Kronos as an incentive to expand its world headquarters in town amove that will retain 562 jobs and may create a significant number of additional ones

Kronos has a current location at 297 Billerica Road with an option to lease across the street at 300 Billerica Road

The agreement between the town state and business will provide tax exemptions for the company on the additional or ldquoincrementalrdquo valueadded to a property Town Manager Paul Cohen said Kronos is looking to invest $6 million into the new location The location is valued atabout $93 million and fiscal 2011 property taxes on it are $157078

Kronos officials have also made it clear to the town a traffic signal would be needed to be able to cross Billerica Road Cohen said The townhas applied for a state grant to pay for that traffic light which Cohen said the state is expected to approve The cost for the light would beabout $240000

CLICK HERECLICK HERE for your Town Reprsquos vote on article 22 amp 23

In the agreement which would last for six years Kronos would receive a 90 percent break in the increment value of the property In 2014 the percent decreases to 75 and in 2015 to 60 percent The percent continues to decreases by increments of 15 for the length of the agreement

The town will also make about $40000 on the building permit fees aloneCohen said

Under the agreement total tax breaks to Kronos amount to $238829 andthe town will generate $235000 in revenue not including those permitfees

ldquoWe have to look at the economic realities in front of us in theWe have to look at the economic realities in front of us in the

real world and in the real word this is what is taking placereal world and in the real word this is what is taking placerdquosaid Cohen ldquoIf we donrsquot grant them this another community willIf we donrsquot grant them this another community will

and we if we donrsquot grant it in Massachusetts another stateand we if we donrsquot grant it in Massachusetts another state

willwillrdquo

Town Meeting Rep Mike Combs spoke against the article

ldquoI think Kronos brings jobs to the area we want to have but I think wersquove not done our homework enough to get aI think Kronos brings jobs to the area we want to have but I think wersquove not done our homework enough to get a

good deal on thisgood deal on thisrdquo he said ldquo hellip (If the agreement started) at 75 percent it would net same savings to them and revenuehellip (If the agreement started) at 75 percent it would net same savings to them and revenue

to us and take the risk out of it for Chelmsford Irsquom going to vote no Irsquod like to see a better dealto us and take the risk out of it for Chelmsford Irsquom going to vote no Irsquod like to see a better dealrdquo

Town Meeting Rep Danielle Evans said she was in favor of the article As the chairwoman of the South Row PTO committee working on anew playground Evans said Kronos members have gone out of their way to help the cause

ldquoTheyrsquove pledged hours to organizations in town theyrsquore a great asset to this community The last thing we need is toTheyrsquove pledged hours to organizations in town theyrsquore a great asset to this community The last thing we need is to

lose (them) This is not somebody we want to loselose (them) This is not somebody we want to loserdquo she said

Town Meeting trendsetters first to use electronic voting

By Evan Lips elipslowellsuncom0212011

wwwlowellsuncom

CHELMSFORD -- There was no time-consuming counting of hands or confusion over whetherthere were more yeas or nays

With the click of a button representatives at last nights Town Meeting efficiently voted in silenceas the outcome of each warrant article was decided within a matter of seconds

But for Precinct 3 representative Pat Magnell the best part of thenewest technology to hit Chelmsford Town Meeting was instantlyknowing how her fellow representatives voted

Once it was time to vote each representatives name showed upalongside an empty box beaming from a projector sitting at the front of the Senior Center hall With everyclick the boxes were instantly colored green for supporters or red for objectors

Its public information and it is posted on the towns websiteIts public information and it is posted on the towns website Magnell said The purpose ofThe purpose of

this whole thing is to show other residents how we votedthis whole thing is to show other residents how we voted

Precinct 6 representative Marianne Paresky said she likes how the process is faster especially when a two-thirds majority is needed

The $10000 system called OptionPower is made by the Orlando Fla-based Option Technologies Inc

Chelmsford is the first community in the state to officially use an electronic voting method Now the residentswho elected the towns 162 Town Meeting representatives have a record of how their elected officials vote on

important town issues

It also gives residents a way to find out when representatives arrive to vote and when they leave

Last night representatives clutched the blue remotes and pointed them at the screen as if changingthe channel on a television

The results are not immediately posted to the towns website but residents at home watching TownMeeting on Chelmsford TeleMedia can immediately see which way their representative voted

The residents now have a way to find out if they want us to represent themThe residents now have a way to find out if they want us to represent them Magnell said

Photos by Lowell Sun Editorial News Photographer

Third Times the CharmThird Times the Charm

CLICK HERE CLICK HERE for presentation

FACEBOOK CHATTERFACEBOOK CHATTER

Debbie DeryDebbie Dery The residents of McFarlin will just love it Theyll get to listen to sirens all day and night The residents of McFarlin will just love it Theyll get to listen to sirens all day and nightThey wont have any choice but to use them with the They wont have any choice but to use them with the traffic backed up with no place to go It will be a treattraffic backed up with no place to go It will be a treat

Peter EliopoulosPeter EliopoulosOur office is right next to the current fire station No noise no problems no big deal andOur office is right next to the current fire station No noise no problems no big deal andthat takes into account the utility construction going onthat takes into account the utility construction going on

Cori RoseCori Rose It looks to me that the plan has been given a lot of consideration it shows creativity in reduc It looks to me that the plan has been given a lot of consideration it shows creativity in reduc--ing new construction costs redevelopment of already disturbed impervious surfaces a way to reduceing new construction costs redevelopment of already disturbed impervious surfaces a way to reduceheating and cooling costs by letting natural embankment do the work for us My only criticism is that itheating and cooling costs by letting natural embankment do the work for us My only criticism is that itneeds more greenscaping and should use natural drainage features rather than rely on traditional catchneeds more greenscaping and should use natural drainage features rather than rely on traditional catchbasins I am almost soldbasins I am almost sold

Debbie DeryDebbie Dery Im glad that you dont hear the sirens Peter There is no way on Chelmsford Street that theIm glad that you dont hear the sirens Peter There is no way on Chelmsford Street that thesirens will not be used because of the congestion of bumper to bumper traffic at many times of the daysirens will not be used because of the congestion of bumper to bumper traffic at many times of the daywith no place to go on Chelmsford Street They will not be able to exit that easily We have the intersecwith no place to go on Chelmsford Street They will not be able to exit that easily We have the intersec--tion at Fletcher Street and Wilson Street on a two lane road Drumhill leads the most acidents in town withtion at Fletcher Street and Wilson Street on a two lane road Drumhill leads the most acidents in town withChelmsford Street coming in second place Maybe because your building is new and insulated well theChelmsford Street coming in second place Maybe because your building is new and insulated well thenoise doesnt present any problems Maybe an addition of elderlynoise doesnt present any problems Maybe an addition of elderly houshousing would be perfect behind towning would be perfect behind townhall rather than a proposal of scattering them throughout the townhall rather than a proposal of scattering them throughout the town

Jeff HardyJeff Hardy Deb I have to believe there will me no additional calls or noise by moving one street over trafDeb I have to believe there will me no additional calls or noise by moving one street over traf--fic is the same Not to mention there would have to be additional traffic lights to accomodate These guysfic is the same Not to mention there would have to be additional traffic lights to accomodate These guysdont run sirens day and nightdont run sirens day and nightPlus I think the seniors would benefit from sharing a building with safety personelPlus I think the seniors would benefit from sharing a building with safety personel

Debbie Dery Debbie Dery One of the meetings concerning the previous proposal were residents near Wilson StreetOne of the meetings concerning the previous proposal were residents near Wilson Streetthat not only complained about the traffic but also the noise that they would be exposed to if the fire stathat not only complained about the traffic but also the noise that they would be exposed to if the fire sta--

tion was on Wilson Street Your right about the lights Jeff Where will the cars go when everything istion was on Wilson Street Your right about the lights Jeff Where will the cars go when everything isstopped with no place to gostopped with no place to go

Susan Julian GatesSusan Julian Gates I really like this plan It uses town owned property makes use of town offices is in theI really like this plan It uses town owned property makes use of town offices is in thecenter and would give our firefighters a safe workplacecenter and would give our firefighters a safe workplace

Philip Stanway Philip Stanway Wow Susan I agree with you 100 is that one of the signs of end of DaysWow Susan I agree with you 100 is that one of the signs of end of Days

Gary ParshleyGary Parshley First post and most likely not the last Just a few items of interest One the plan works two itFirst post and most likely not the last Just a few items of interest One the plan works two itutilizes a dumpy area behind town hall that is really terrible to look at and three it leaves agreen spaceutilizes a dumpy area behind town hall that is really terrible to look at and three it leaves agreen spacethe softball field unpaved Look I dont like paying the high taxes in this town while watching the corporathe softball field unpaved Look I dont like paying the high taxes in this town while watching the corpora--tions get tax breaks So when they propose a necessary evil that improves two town owned buildings I saytions get tax breaks So when they propose a necessary evil that improves two town owned buildings I saylets see it through Oh yea a great way to pay for it put a toll at 495amp110 so the NH folks coming through tolets see it through Oh yea a great way to pay for it put a toll at 495amp110 so the NH folks coming through toavoid traffic can finance the infastructure -)avoid traffic can finance the infastructure -)

David McLachlanDavid McLachlan Seems like a good alternative Id like know what happens to current fire station Do weSeems like a good alternative Id like know what happens to current fire station Do wegive it away for freegive it away for free

Susan Julian Gates Susan Julian Gates I can think of lots of uses for it (or the land)I can think of lots of uses for it (or the land)

David McLachlan David McLachlan Why not sell it to offset the cost to build the new fire stationWhy not sell it to offset the cost to build the new fire station

Thomas Fall Thomas Fall I would be cautious to selling off the land until we have a good idea what will be built on itI would be cautious to selling off the land until we have a good idea what will be built on itand what it will look like I want to preserve the integrity of the center around the commonand what it will look like I want to preserve the integrity of the center around the common

Richard McClure Richard McClure I thought they were going to relocate the Dutton House to that siteI thought they were going to relocate the Dutton House to that site

Peggy Dunn Peggy Dunn I dont believe there is any intention by the town to sell the land where the present firehouseI dont believe there is any intention by the town to sell the land where the present firehousestands I dont think any town sells town-owned land nowadays Sale would need to got to TM and I for onestands I dont think any town sells town-owned land nowadays Sale would need to got to TM and I for onewould lead a charge against selling itwould lead a charge against selling it

Jeff Apostolakes Jeff Apostolakes Dutton House would look great thereDutton House would look great there

David McLachlan Okay I buy that And I understandDavid McLachlan Okay I buy that And I understandCHA might sign a long term lease But lets not forgetCHA might sign a long term lease But lets not forgetthe cost to raze the old building prepare the site movethe cost to raze the old building prepare the site movethe Dutton House repair that site and refresh the Dutthe Dutton House repair that site and refresh the Dut--ton House for occupancy Make sure we know who payston House for occupancy Make sure we know who paysfor that The taxpayers or the tenantfor that The taxpayers or the tenant

Roy Earley Roy Earley - - From ITR 1-30-2011From ITR 1-30-2011

DAVID HEDISON The CHA is interested in pursuing aDAVID HEDISON The CHA is interested in pursuing along term lease of the site where the current fire stationlong term lease of the site where the current fire stationis located if the Dutton House is moved there is located if the Dutton House is moved there

A lower level would be part of the foundation to accomodate the CHA offices A lower level would be part of the foundation to accomodate the CHA offices

The CHA would fund the interior renovations of the building with our own funds while the Town would conThe CHA would fund the interior renovations of the building with our own funds while the Town would con--tinue to investigate the use of the bequest made to the Adams Library for the re-location of the buildingtinue to investigate the use of the bequest made to the Adams Library for the re-location of the buildingand historic funds could be used for the exterior preservation and historic funds could be used for the exterior preservation

If the CHA offices are moved to this locationbuilding 6 to 8 new senior units could be created at McFarlinIf the CHA offices are moved to this locationbuilding 6 to 8 new senior units could be created at McFarlinManor This is the rendering of the building placed in Chelmsford CenterManor This is the rendering of the building placed in Chelmsford Center

----------------------------------------------(BTW the Chelmsford Housing Authority for those who dont realize has nothing really to do with (BTW the Chelmsford Housing Authority for those who dont realize has nothing really to do with Chelmsford other than their locationthey are not run by the town but through the State and Fed There are 253 local housingChelmsford other than their locationthey are not run by the town but through the State and Fed There are 253 local housingauthorities in Massachusetts and each one covers the areas around their locations David J Hedison executive director ofauthorities in Massachusetts and each one covers the areas around their locations David J Hedison executive director of

the Chelmsford Housing Authority earns about $145000)the Chelmsford Housing Authority earns about $145000)

Bill AskenburgBill Askenburg with space for the Food Pantrywith space for the Food Pantry

Sheila PichetteSheila Pichette appointed appointed

to Chelmsford Finance Committeeto Chelmsford Finance Committee

I am pleased to announce that Sheila Pichette of 26 Shedd Lane hasbeen appointed to serve on the Chelmsford Finance Committee effec-tive November 1 2011 Sheila has an extensive history of public serv-ice in town having served as School Committee member andchairperson as well as many other appointed committees such asMaster Plan Committee and the Arts and Technology Education FundShe has a working knowledge of public finances and budgets and hasa keen perception of setting clear priorities and working with citizensin Chelmsford to move forward into a sustaining and positive future

Sheila is also a Town Meeting Representative having served for (14) fourteen years

Please welcome me in wishing her well she will be a positive addition to the Finance Committee

Richard E DeFreitasTown Moderator Chelmsford MA

wwwrdefreitastownofchelmsfordus

McClure Resigns from Planning BoardMcClure Resigns from Planning BoardAfter being elected last spring McClure has resignedBy Krista PerrywwwchelmsfordpatchcomOctober 27 2011

According to town officials Richard McClure resigned from the Planning Board on Thursday Oct 27

McClure a local lawyer was elected to the board in April He was in-volved in the recall effort against selectmen over the summer servingas a speaker at a public information session for the pro-recall groupCheating Chelmsford

-------------------------

Town of Chelmsford MAThe is a vacancy on the Planning Board The Planning Board and Board of Selectmen willappoint someone to serve until the April Town Election If you are interested in servingplease complete a committee application form on the Towns website

CLICK HERECLICK HERE

For Whom The Bell

Tolls

Rep Arciero Rep Arciero

receives receives Spirit of Compassion Spirit of Compassion awardaward

GateHouse News ServiceOct 27 2011

wwwwickedlocalcomchelmsford

STATE REPRESENTATIVE ARCIERO RECEIVES 2011 SPIRIT OF COMPASSION AWARD

State Representative James Arciero of Westford was recently awarded the 2011 Spirit of Com-passion Award by Community Voices a public safety and victim advocacy organization

Laurie Myers President and founder of the organization and a Chelmsford resident has beenworking with Representative Arciero to pass legislation regarding sex offenders The legislationwould expand citizen access to level 2 sex offender information by making such data availableonline The bill recently had a public hearing before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary

ldquoI am honored and humbled by this award The work is not done yet on thisI am honored and humbled by this award The work is not done yet on this

issue but with the support of Community Voices and their members I know weissue but with the support of Community Voices and their members I know we

will win this battlewill win this battlerdquo said Arciero in accepting the award

ldquoRepresentative Arcierorsquos leadership on this issue is to be commended CommuRepresentative Arcierorsquos leadership on this issue is to be commended Commu--

nity Voices felt that his efforts to pass this bill will protect our children and makenity Voices felt that his efforts to pass this bill will protect our children and make

our neighborhoods saferour neighborhoods saferrdquo said Myers ldquoWe were happy to present him with ourWe were happy to present him with our

2011 Spirit of Compassion Award to recognize his advocacy2011 Spirit of Compassion Award to recognize his advocacyrdquo she added

ldquoThis is my top public safety priority this legislative session This simple actThis is my top public safety priority this legislative session This simple act

will move us forward in protecting families and children in our neighborhoodswill move us forward in protecting families and children in our neighborhoodsrdquosaid Arciero ldquoLevel 2 offenders are dangerous people and we need to have all theLevel 2 offenders are dangerous people and we need to have all the

tools available to protect our communitiestools available to protect our communitiesrdquo added Arciero

Myers said the bill will ensure that the most current information regarding sex offenders is avail-able to the general public via the internet ldquoThe safety of my community doesnt end atThe safety of my community doesnt end at

the town line As parents we travel to different communities with our childrenthe town line As parents we travel to different communities with our children

and should have access to the information without having to visit the police deand should have access to the information without having to visit the police de--

partment to fill out a form every time we want it Sex offenders use the internetpartment to fill out a form every time we want it Sex offenders use the internet

to prey on children it only makes sense that parents be allowed to use it to keepto prey on children it only makes sense that parents be allowed to use it to keep

our communities safeour communities safe said Myers

Community Voice is a citizenrsquos advocacy group founded in 2004 which is dedicated to supportingand representing victims and survivors of crime and specializes in sexual assault and internetsafety The group is supporting the passage of the measure and testified at the public hearing

The legislation will bring Massachusetts in compliance with the federal Adam Walsh Act and en-able the Commonwealth to access Byrne Grant funding Failing to do so could jeopardize nearly$600000 in critical funding The bill simply allows for the posting of level 2 offender informationon the internet

In order to build the necessary support for passage of the measure on Beacon Hill Representa-tive Arciero has actively courted the support of local and county officials He was successful inreceiving their support which includes Middlesex Sheriff Peter J Koutoujian Worcester County

Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis the Massachusetts State Police Association and the local policechiefs from Chelmsford Littleton and Westford In addition the bill has been co-sponsored by36 legislators from both parties

In early 2009 Representative Arciero was contacted by dozens of concerned Westford resi-dents about an alleged rape in the town It was determined that a certain individual originallyfrom Westford had moved to Florida where he was convicted of a sexual offense crime The of-fender later moved back to Westford While his information was available online from the stateof Florida similar information was not available in Massachusetts In order to deal with theissue and the citizenrsquos concerns a public forum was organized in which these topics could beaddressed One result of the forum was the decision to file legislation to move forward bychanging the law to all for the placing of Massachusetts Level 2 offenderrsquos information online

The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board is charged with determining the danger levelassociated with a sex offenderrsquos crime and proclivity to re-offend They rank offenders on threedifferent levels Level One offenders are deemed to have a low risk of reoffending Level Oneoffender information is not available to the general public only to the police several state agen-cies and the FBI Level Two offenders have a moderate risk of re-offense Their crimes areconsidered a danger to the public but due to their moderate risk of re-offense their informationis available to the public only at the local police department Level Three is for those criminalswhose crimes pose the greatest risk to the public safety and are highly likely to re-offend Theirinformation is available on-line to all interested individuals Those individuals designated asLevel 2 offenders have in the past been convicted of such crimes as the rape of a child withforce indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of fourteen years and other crimesagainst children

It is believed that enactment of the law would result in the saving of the taxpayerrsquos money byeliminating many of the proceedings regarding changing classificationCopyright 2011 Chelmsford Independent Some rights reserved

Laurie Myers Executive Director and Founder of Community VoicesState Rep James Arciero Pamela LeBarre Director of Education at Community Voices

Open space volunteers discuss new role in ChelmsfordOpen space volunteers discuss new role in ChelmsfordBy Monica Jimenez Wicked Local Chelmsford

GateHouse News ServiceNov 02 2011

httpwwwwickedlocalcomchelmsford

The Chelmsford Open Space Stewardship (COSS) may soon answer to the Town Managerinstead of the Conservation Commission

Established six years ago as a volunteer arm of the ConservationCommission the COSS has outgrown the role according to Con-Com Chairman Dave McLachlan In addition to maintaining nineparcels of conservation land nowadays the Stewards care foropen space land under the jurisdiction of the Chelmsford LandConservation Trust (CLCT) and the Board of Selectmen

At a Commission meeting Tuesday McLachlan said a subcom-mittee of two ConCom and two COSS members should revisethe Stewardshiprsquos mission statement and bylaws to reflect its ex-panded activities

ldquoWe have both reached the time where COSS needs to be more independent ofWe have both reached the time where COSS needs to be more independent of

the Conservation Commissionthe Conservation Commissionrdquo McLachlan said ldquoMy guess is the split is moreMy guess is the split is more

than fifty-fifty with more open spacethan fifty-fifty with more open spacerdquo

McLachlan also suggested making the Stewardship more independent of its founder PhilStanway who remains the fulcrum of the 20-person group

ldquoTherersquos no question the Stanways are the power and force behind the groupTherersquos no question the Stanways are the power and force behind the grouprdquoMcLachlan said ldquoBut heaven forbid something happens to them or they leaveBut heaven forbid something happens to them or they leave

town or get tired It would be nice to have an organization in place aroundtown or get tired It would be nice to have an organization in place around

them that could react Our past experience is that the wheels tend to fall off ofthem that could react Our past experience is that the wheels tend to fall off of

thingsthingsrdquo

Stanway who attended the meeting with several Stewards proposed only two changes Up-date the list of conservation properties under Stewardship care and shift COSS from Con-Comrsquos authority to the Town Managerrsquos which would streamline disbursing town funds forCOSS projects Town Conservation Agent Thad Soule would continue to coordinate thatprocess

These changes would give the Stewardship more room for non-conservation projects includ-ing COSSrsquos own events which invite interest and investment in Chelmsfordrsquos open spacesStanway said COSS partners with Jones Farm the Chelmsford Farmers Market and localBoy Scouts and receives donations from groups like the Chelmsford Women of Today andthe Chelmsford Mothersrsquo Club

ldquoThe more people we get involved the more people get excited about usingThe more people we get involved the more people get excited about using

the open space We donrsquot care who owns itthe open space We donrsquot care who owns itrdquo Stanway said ldquoOur philosophy isnrsquotOur philosophy isnrsquot

to look at whose name is on it If itrsquos public space wersquore here to support itto look at whose name is on it If itrsquos public space wersquore here to support itrdquo

COSSrsquos budget dwindled from $2000 to $200 according to Stanway before coming back upto $500 this year

Sore spots between Stewards and ConCom members surfaced during the meeting Commission member Beth Logan said COSS should give more notice of volunteer opportuni-

DDaavvee MMccLLaacchhllaann

ties Stanwayrsquos wife Joanne answered notice has been suffi-cient to draw large crowds to COSS events Steward DebbieBroderick said the system is informal

ldquoWe advertise for volunteers and we donrsquot alwaysWe advertise for volunteers and we donrsquot always

get them but the work gets doneget them but the work gets donerdquo Broderick said

McLachlan put off hearing COSS views on conservation rulesand enforcement to a future meeting and hinted StanwayrsquosCOSS authority may have improperly swayed an OctoberTown Meeting vote on land off Oak Hill Road Stanway advo-cated a study of the land which reps approved instead ofstrict conservation as citizen petitioners and ConCom pre-ferred

ldquoIt doesnrsquot matter if yoursquore speaking as a private citizen Because of your repuIt doesnrsquot matter if yoursquore speaking as a private citizen Because of your repu--

tation and influence with COSS some people think you speak for COSS eventation and influence with COSS some people think you speak for COSS even

though you say yoursquore notthough you say yoursquore notrdquo McLachlan said

Stanway circled around grievances of his own remarking COSSrsquos 15-minute monthly audi-ences with the Commission are too short to cover much ground and asserting the Stewardsrsquounrivaled familiarity with conservation land after years of daily maintenance

Reciting the list of conservation properties COSS tends to McLachlan and Logan namedeight before pausing It was Stanway who stepped in with the ninth Cranberry Bog

Still the Commission and Stewardship were united in their desire to see conservation andopen space land flourish especially in the wake of Saturdayrsquos snowstorm

ldquoI want to continue to work with COSS going forwardI want to continue to work with COSS going forwardrdquo said ConCom member ChrisGarahan ldquoWe have great properties that will benefit from COSS but I underWe have great properties that will benefit from COSS but I under--

stand the town has other needs and it isnrsquot fair for us to benefit exclusivelystand the town has other needs and it isnrsquot fair for us to benefit exclusivelyrdquo

The Stewardship has proven a reliable asset in a town that truly needs it according toMcLachlan

ldquoI hope COSS hangs around for a long long timeI hope COSS hangs around for a long long timerdquo McLachlan said


PPhhii ll SSttaannwwaayy

OOppeenn SSppaaccee SStteewwaarrdd SSttoorrmm wwrreeaakkss hhaavvoocc oonn CChheellmmssffoorrdd ss ooppeenn ssppaacceess

By Joanne Stanway correspondentGateHouse News Service


Sunday morning my husband Phil and I found a seat at a crowded Jessiersquos Place in Chelmsford Center forbreakfast having lost power with 80 percent of the people in town Saturday night It was nice to have a hotmeal before going out to assess some of the damage in the townrsquos open space sites As a barometer wedrove to Red Wing Farm and followed Jerry the Open Space Dog to the wooded bush-lined trail behind theopen meadow

It was a sad site to see so many beautiful birch trees bent over bushes flattened and tree limbs broken Thewater level was very high making the area unseasonably flooded due to the rain and now melting snow Philsays it will be awhile before the Chelmsford Open Space Stewards can assemble enough people to clean upRed Wing Farm ndash not to mention all the other sites ndash from the October storm devastation

We drove past Sunny Meadow Farm and it looked OK and went to Heart Pond which didnrsquot appear to havemuch damage but wersquore certain that there will be a lot of downed trees to move and cut to clear trails all overtown With that in mind please let Phil know if yoursquod like to help andor if you have a gas-powered chain sawto use and hersquoll let you know when the Stewards and volunteers will deploy for post-storm clean-up He canbe reached at 978-273-1474 or philthechelmsfordiancom You can also receive ongoing updates at face-bookcomchelmsfordOSS

In this weekrsquos Chelmsford Independent Monica Jimenez wrote about Tuesday nightrsquos Conservation Commis-sion meeting during which the future of the Chelmsford Open Space Program was discussed As of this writ-ing the meeting hadnrsquot taken place but I can tell you that the discussion was sparked by the recent Oak Hillproperty vote at Town Meeting during which it was decided that more study was required before making 66acres (or portion thereof) conservation land Phil was in favor of the study as were the majority of Town Meet-ing reps

The Chelmsford Open Spaceand Recreation Plan Committee had also previously decided that there weremany things about the Oak Hill property to consider before decided what to do with the land Because COSShas been affiliated with the Conservation Commission since its inception the opinion of individuals involved inCOSS could be viewed as counter to those of ConComm who lobbied for the land to become conservationproperty

My opinion Considering land boundaries access liability issues billboards (contract) and safety issues inadvance of making a decision is smart I also think COSS has grown beyond ConComm as is evidenced bythe work we do on town-owned properties Land Conservation Trust land school properties and so forth Nota bad thing ndash just different

Remember that on Saturday Nov 5 the Stewards will host Air Pumpkin again where we use a trebuchet totoss those rotting pumpkins across a field Please bring your own pumpkin to the field at the corner of PineHill Road and Galloway between 11 am and 1 pm to watch it be hurled high and far across the field beforeexploding on the ground Since trick-or-treating is now Sunday due to the storm Air Pumpkin makes it acomplete Halloween weekend

And donrsquot forget to join us for the Day BeforeThanksgiving Walk on Wednesday Nov 23Meet at the Janet Road entrance to Thanks-giving Forest at 2 pm for a hike some his-tory a bonfire hot chocolate and cookies

Joanne Stanway can be reached at 978-273-1473 or jstanwaycomcastnet Infor-mation about the Chelmsford Open SpaceStewardship can be found atwwwthechelmsfordiancom but become afacebook fan to receive daily updates

Copyright 2011 Chelmsford Independent Some rights re-served

RReess iiddeennttss wweeiigghh iinn oonn pprrooppoosseedd ddoogg ppaarrkkBy Monica Jimenez Wicked Local Chelmsford



Chelmsford mdashThe Chelmsford Dog Association believes a piece of land by Robertsrsquo Field will make a good dog park although abuttersare not so sure

At a public input session Tuesday night CDA president Vivian Merrill said she believes the town needs a fenced dogpark

ldquoThere are a lot of dogs in town with no place to go off-leash to run around and just be a dogThere are a lot of dogs in town with no place to go off-leash to run around and just be a dogrdquo Merrillsaid Erik Merrill Vivianrsquos husband said his work with the townrsquos dogs has led him to the same conclusion

ldquoAs animal control officer I see the need for a dog parkAs animal control officer I see the need for a dog parkrdquo Erik said ldquoI deal with responsible pet ownersI deal with responsible pet owners

but unfortunately I also deal with irresponsible pet owners who ignore the leash law and leave wastebut unfortunately I also deal with irresponsible pet owners who ignore the leash law and leave waste

on peoplersquos property We need a place where dogs can run loose thatrsquos not conservation landon peoplersquos property We need a place where dogs can run loose thatrsquos not conservation landrdquo

The park will provide a place for responsible owners to take their pets and may relieve problems caused by the irrespon-sible ones Erik suggested

Vivian showed a handful of residents footage of a walk through the wooded overgrown area behind Roberts Field at thecorner of Old Westford Road and Westford Street Invasive plant life would be removed she explained but trees wouldnot be cleared The site would be fenced in two phases togive the CDA time to get funds together

The CDA looked at more than a dozen pieces of land be-fore Chelmsford Conservation Agent Thad Soule suggestedthis one according to Merrill A dog park must not be toonear schools and houses but must not be too isolated either

CDA advocate Beth Logan who has experience trainingdogs and working in a dog park said the changes in theland will keep dogs interested while preventing them fromseeing the whole park at once a view that might be dis-tracting

Residents of Thomas Drive and Old Westford Road wholive near the site raised concerns about dogs fighting mak-ing noise and leaving waste that might contaminate nearbywetlands

But Logan said dogs actually tend to fight more when on leashes because they feel restrained When off their leashesshe said they like to play

This should ease worries about barking as well Logan said The loud ldquoguard barkingrdquo that causes complaints is usuallymade by dogs confined to their homes defending their property when they sense strangers In contrast Logan said un-leashed dogs may get excited enough to yip now and then but in general they are quiet

CDA member Will Wagner allayed concerns about the noise owners would make calling to their dogs by pointing outthere will be an ldquoairlockrdquo between two gates where owners can leash and unleash their pets

As for the concern about waste Logan said trash barrels and bags will be provided on-site and she has found dogparks are largely self-policing with owners reminding each other to pick up after their pets

Thomas Drive and Old Westford Road residents expressed concerns about people as well as pets Kids play in thatarea they said They wondered how crowded the place might get especially with dog owners possibly coming fromother towns

But half an hour before the session was scheduled to end they seemed to have no further questions They asked theCDA to be vigilant about maintaining the property to post rules on the site and to keep people from parking where theyshouldnrsquot They also asked the CDA to build the fence some distance back from a footpath on the property to preservethe feeling of the woods

At least two residents at the meeting were happy a dog park would be coming to town A woman who recently moved toChelmsford from Connecticut predicted it would build a sense of community Another young woman said she is excitedshe will have a place to take her pet

ldquoI canrsquot wait to have a dog park in ChelmsfordI canrsquot wait to have a dog park in Chelmsfordrdquo said Tricia Lesniewski ldquoIrsquom psychedIrsquom psychedrdquo


Selectmen polish new media relations policyBy Monica Jimenez Wicked Local Chelmsford

GateHouse News ServicePosted Oct 28 2011

wwwwickedlocalcomchelmsfordnews

Chelmsford mdashSelectmen are reviewing a draft of a new media relations policy which will come up again attheir Nov 7 meeting

Drafted by Selectman Jim Lane the policy states the following Only the Town Manager maymake an official statement on behalf of the town relating to a significantissue employees may not release public records before receiving the go-ahead from their department head and the Town Manager town officials and employees should not present their own personal views asthe townrsquos or break confidential news about the town on personal blogstown officials and employees should be aware of how they present themselves via social media and use discretion

Selectman Pat Wojtas wanted to define ldquosignificantrdquo and pointed out some parts of the policymight be difficult to implement while Selectman Jon Kurland discussed the section aboutemployeesrsquo personal views versus the townrsquos The aim is not to censor employees Kurlandsaid but to aim to speak with one voice about important issues


- The Board of Selectmen is seeking five residents to serve on a study committee to explore the possible future use of the Town-owned 66-acre Oak Hill parcel If you are interested in serving please go to the Towns website and submit a volunteer application form by November 17


SSeelleeccttmmeenn ddiissccuussss OOaakk HHii ll ll ssttuuddyy ccoommmmii tt tteeeeBy Monica Jimenez Wicked Local Chelmsford



Conservation Commission Chairman Dave McLachlan asked the board in open session to appoint 12 residents andTown Meeting representatives to a committee to study land on Oak Hill Road One representative would come fromeach Chelmsford precinct and two would come from Precincts 2 and 3 where Oak Hill is located Town officials wouldprovide the committee with the resources and information McLachlan said and would serve in a strictly advisory role

At Town Meeting last week Selectman Jim Lane presented an example of an Oak Hill committee with seven or ninemembers most of whom were on town boards such as the Conservation Commission and Planning Board Selectmendid not decide Monday how many members should be on the committee or whether they should be mostly citizens ortown officials but discussed officialsrsquo guiding role in such a project and suggested a selectman should be a liaison orvoting member


JJoonn KKuurr llaanndd

- Ask the Moderator

Why is it that Town Meeting Representatives can not refer to each other by name

during debate and deliberations

There are two reasonsThere are two reasons

The first is to prevent the debate from being personal which can lead to perThe first is to prevent the debate from being personal which can lead to per--

sonal attacks during a heated discussion It is the same reason the US Senatesonal attacks during a heated discussion It is the same reason the US Senate

refers to speakers as the Gentleman from Georgia or the Lady from Wisconrefers to speakers as the Gentleman from Georgia or the Lady from Wiscon--

sin etc You should refer to previous speakers as the previous speaker orsin etc You should refer to previous speakers as the previous speaker or

the Rep from precinct 5 etc Observe what transpired in the reports in thethe Rep from precinct 5 etc Observe what transpired in the reports in the

Lowell Sun of an adjacent town which starts with a B (not to mentionLowell Sun of an adjacent town which starts with a B (not to mention

names) at their fall town meeting There was personal name calling and flarnames) at their fall town meeting There was personal name calling and flar--

ing tempers and it almost became physical We do not need that image ining tempers and it almost became physical We do not need that image in

Chelmsford therefore the no use of names policy will remain Its really notChelmsford therefore the no use of names policy will remain Its really not

that hard to acceptthat hard to accept

The other reason is that by usingThe other reason is that by using

names it implies a familiarity that cannames it implies a familiarity that can

cause one to believe the town is beingcause one to believe the town is being

run by an inner circle Such is notrun by an inner circle Such is not

true and we should do everything wetrue and we should do everything we

can to avoid that image In fact it iscan to avoid that image In fact it is

not even appropriate to call the Townnot even appropriate to call the Town

Manager by his first name it shouldManager by his first name it should

be Mr Manager This also applies tobe Mr Manager This also applies to

the Moderator Town Counsel Townthe Moderator Town Counsel Town

Clerk etcClerk etc

I do not believe that this is a severeI do not believe that this is a severe

hardship nor do I believe it inhibitshardship nor do I believe it inhibits

debate It is a simple courtesy thatdebate It is a simple courtesy that

both houses of congress use and itboth houses of congress use and it

should flow down to Town Meeting asshould flow down to Town Meeting as

wellwell

Richard E DeFreitasRichard E DeFreitas

Town ModeratorTown Moderator

The Fine Arts Department has entered a contest sponsored by Glee This contest could helpFine Arts with building a very needed shed for theater storage Please help by voting on the

Glee Give A Note Website You can vote every day until Nov 10th

CLICK HERECLICK HERE to view vote and share

We invite you to take a brief survey regardingthe Chelmsford Public Schools as part of theStrategic Planning Process

The creation and implementation of this strategicplan will provide both direction and identify priorities for district-wideand school-based initiatives for 2012-2017

We want feedback fromparents and all communitymembers Please visit theschool website for the survey

- Janet Askenburg Chairman School Committee


WN WN with Dennis ReadyDennis Readyand Mary GregoireMary Gregoire

101911101911

Stefani Bush talks with Dennis andStefani Bush talks with Dennis and

Mary about family life and living with Mary about family life and living with

Mitochondrial Disease and Mitochondrial Disease and

Primary Immunodeficiency DiseasePrimary Immunodeficiency Disease

Colleen Stansfield (Planning Board)Colleen Stansfield (Planning Board)

talks about Town Meeting electronictalks about Town Meeting electronic

voting and Oak Hill voting and Oak Hill

CLICKCLICK

HEREHERE

102611102611

Beth Bounds and Brendan BergerBeth Bounds and Brendan Berger

talk with Dennis about their newtalk with Dennis about their new

website website

CommonPlace ChelmsfordCommonPlace Chelmsford

CLICKCLICK

HEREHERE

EXTRA ExtrasEXTRA Extras

Affordable Housing Plan Affordable Housing Plan CLICK HERECLICK HERE

-AFTER THE STORM--AFTER THE STORM-

RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL

BRUSH DROP OFFBRUSH DROP OFF

-COMMUNITY TREE--COMMUNITY TREE-

1112 amp 1119 1112 amp 1119

8 AM - 4 PM8 AM - 4 PM

SSAINT MARYAINT MARY

CRAFT FAIRCRAFT FAIRSATURDAY NOVEMBER 26

900 am to 300 pm

Some tables still available for crafters for more information contact

Diane Earley at dianealexcomcastnet or Michelle Caron mishcaronyahoocom

Proceeds to benefit St Mary Parish 80th Anniversary fund and St Mary Music Ministry

WWAALLKK aanndd TTAALLKK ttuurrkkeeyy

The Day Before Thanksgiving Walk onWednesday Wednesday Nov 23Nov 23 Meet at the JanetRoad entrance to Thanksgiving Forest at 2 pm2 pm for a hike some history a bon-fire hot chocolate and cookie

Members of the Chelmsford community are launching a new community web platform for town residents called The ChelmsfordCommonPlace The goal is simple to connect neighbors with neighbors and streamline all the great existing communications that arealready established and beloved

It is free safe and easy to use

You can create a profile at wwwChelmsfordOurCommonPlacecom

The Chelmsford CommonPlace is an online bulletin board Its designed tomake it easy to share events announcements offers and requests with yourneighbors and to stay up-to-date with whats happening in Chelmsford

Notify your neighbors about a lost cat ask to borrow a ladder use it to keepup with local events happening in Chelmsford or to publicize your own re-ceive announcements from city services and other organizations in town orstart your own group in the community

The goal is to get neighbors connecting directly with neighbors

Chelmsford Town Meeting

Fall 2011 Deleted Scene

CLICKCLICK

HEREHERE

QUOTE OF THE WEEKQUOTE OF THE WEEK

If you have any comments or suggestions onIf you have any comments or suggestions onthe the In-Town Report In-Town Report write Roy atwrite Roy at

intownreportgmailcomintownreportgmailcom

In-Town Report News Links

LOWELL SUN

CHELMSFORD INDEPENDENT

CHELMSFORD PATCH

ROY EARLEYROY EARLEYTown Meeting Representative Precinct 6Town Meeting Representative Precinct 6In-Town ReportWestlands WatchdogsOpen Space Steward

ITRITR on FACEBOOK link

Outage-weary Chelmsford asks Did they forget about usBy Evan Lips elipslowellsuncom11032011 094826 AM EDT

wwwlowellsuncom

CHELMSFORD -- One fallen tree Five cars destroyed

You cannot make this stuff up

As if living without power for the last four days wasnt bad enough for George Street resident Ashley DeAngelis shes also con-fined to her house

Her shiny Nissan Versa parked alongside four of her familys cars was not spared Saturday night when a 50-foot tree snappedaway from its trunk crashing onto the driveway

She said an insurance claims adjuster has already declared her dads beloved Jaguar totaledtotaled

Her grandfather Larry DeAngelis has spent the last four nights living inside his motor home Thank God the elder DeAngelissaid he didnt sell it years ago

But DeAngelis and others are still irked that after four days their homes remain dark

Were pissedWere pissed he said matter-of-factly yesterday morning

Ashley DeAngelis said a National Grid worker actually apologized to her on Tuesday for what he said was a poor response ef-fort

I couldnt believe my ears when he actually said thatI couldnt believe my ears when he actually said that she noted

As of 9 am yesterday 9538 out of a total of 15372 Chelmsford customers were still without power By 11 pm the number ofoutages were reduced to 4713

During a 3 pm conference call with reporters National Grid President Marcy Reed described current restoration efforts as beingin the hand-to-hand combat phasehand-to-hand combat phase meaning most of the main lines had been restored

In Middlesex County yesterday afternoon 32690 out of 222799 customers were still in the dark

Reed said at the time significant progresssignificant progress has been achieved statewide noting that crews had restored power to 70 per-cent of customers

But Chelmsford had been a different story Approximately 13400 customers were powerless as of Sunday afternoon That meansas of yesterday morning only about 35 percent of all affected Chelmsford customers had had their power restored since then

First Street resident Anand Bhatt said the sluggish response by National Grid is an example of corporate irresponsibility

Restoration efforts during an emergency like this should go beyond any kind of cost-benefit analysisRestoration efforts during an emergency like this should go beyond any kind of cost-benefit analysis Bhatt added

What bothered Riverneck Road resident Donna Katsohis was the fact that it was not until yesterday that she saw her first Na-tional Grid utility truck

Even my mail carrier told me on Tuesday he hadnt seen a single truck yetEven my mail carrier told me on Tuesday he hadnt seen a single truck yet she said Did they forget aboutDid they forget about

usus

Reed said nobody has been forgotten and added that the goal remains to be close to full restoration by (tonight)

But Kevin Connors who lives on Acton Road and drives a snowplow said he didnt like seeing power return to all of the townstechnology parks before residents were restored He knows because hes already plowed several nearby parking lots

Its unacceptableIts unacceptable he said Residents should come firstResidents should come first

Still there were others like Reid Road resident Christina Squeri who seemed resigned to having to wait

Its hard to fault National Grid when you lay out entire neighborhoods in the middle of what was Its hard to fault National Grid when you lay out entire neighborhoods in the middle of what was

once a forestonce a forest she said

Yesterday morning two generators could be heard buzzing outside her house Squeri said her husband works from home as asoftware engineer and relies on power to do his job

When asked why it was taking longer to restore power in Chelmsford as opposed to other Merrimack Valley towns Reed saidone reason was the towns location in that I-495 snow beltin that I-495 snow belt

Our estimate is that most of Chelmsford will have their power back by (last night or early today)Our estimate is that most of Chelmsford will have their power back by (last night or early today) Reed said














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- Ask the Moderator
























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8 AM - 4 PM8 AM - 4 PM



900 am to 300 pm














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LOWELL SUN


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1112 amp 1119 1112 amp 1119

8 AM - 4 PM8 AM - 4 PM



900 am to 300 pm














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LOWELL SUN


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1112 amp 1119 1112 amp 1119

8 AM - 4 PM8 AM - 4 PM



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Documents

Chelmsford's In-Town Report - 11-6-11