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Uxbridge Times
“Your Hometown News” Vol. 24 • Issue 5
FREE Monthly Since 1991
uxbrIdge • North uxbrIdge • lINwood • douglas • NorthbrIdge • whItINsVIlle • suttoN • MaNchaug
MaY 2015
Residents asked to vote on new Uxbridge Fire Headquarters Uxbridge residents will be asked to vote on the building of a new fire headquarters at a Special Town Meeting to be held in conjunction with the Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 12th at the Uxbridge High School, and on a ballot question at the Annual Election on Tuesday, May 19th at the McCloskey Middle School. The effort to determine the feasibility of renovating the current fire headquarters built in 1928 or building a new station began in the fall of 2013 when the Board of Selectmen authorized the establishment of a Fire Station Feasibility/Design Committee. The Committee membership consisted of Uxbridge residents Jim Hogan and Harry Romasco, DPW Director Benn Sherman, Fire Chief Bill Kessler, Deputy Chief Tom Dion, Captain Todd Bangma representing the on-call firefighters, and Lt. Mike Vezina representing the career personnel. The architectural firm of Donham & Sweeney was selected to assist with the effort. During the time the Space Needs Study was being worked on, an evaluation of the current fire headquarters was performed by engineers from several disciplines, and it was determined that renovating the current station would be too costly and result in less usable space. Several drafts of Space Needs and estimated costs were developed, and ultimately the Committee agreed on a final Space Needs report in November of 2014. This was presented to the Board of Selectmen in December of 2014, who authorized the continuation of the project and the development of a Schematic Design and more accurate cost estimate. This second phase was completed in early March and presented to the Board of Selectmen. The Board authorized the Town Manager to take the next step, which was to negotiate with the land owner for the parcel not owned by the Town. Shortly after, the Town Manager informed the Board that the
POSTAL PATRON
project could be done without increasing the tax rate from its current level due to a 1996 school project being paid off, and the Board set a Special Town Meeting to be held within the Spring Annual Town Meeting with an article to fund a fire station project, and a debt exclusion ballot question for the May Annual Election. “The Committee did a superb job in evaluating needs while keeping affordability in mind. This headquarters design will serve the Town well for many decades” stated Chief Kessler. Funding for the Space Needs Study and Schematic Design came from a bequeathment to the Fire and Ambulance Departments in 2002 from the estate of Virginia Taft, which totaled $147,000. The specific direction from the executrix was that these funds could only be used to fund a building project, per the wishes of Virginia and her late husband Lester Taft. The Department is honored to have fulfilled the Taft’s wishes to be a part of improving the fire headquarters, and will dedicate the meeting room in the new station in their memory, if the project is approved. Reflecting on his service to the Town on the Committee, Mr. Romasco stated, "It has been my pleasure to have served on both the Fire Station Feasibility and Building committees. I have come to realize how fortunate we in Uxbridge are to have such a great Fire Department under the leadership of Chief William Kessler. We are in need of a modern fire station that will enable our fire department to deliver all the necessary service to serve and protect our community. Please support this worthwhile project." Former Fire Chief William B. Albin, who was Chief in the current station from 1973 until his retirement in 1992, stated after reviewing the design, “The current station is inadequate to house modern equipment. I am in favor of this project.” PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NO 55800
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The proposed new headquarters would remain on South Main Street in Uxbridge.
Three new Solar Farms take root Story by Constance Dwyer Clean Energy Collective, community owned, of Colorado is ready and eager to go with construction of three solar farms in Uxbridge. Of the first site, located at 62 Commerce Drive, (Quaker Industrial Park), Ron Wedeaing, Vice President of Developer Relations at the company’s Worcester office, said the $3 million cost to build a solar farm like this one “creates jobs.” He quickly added that 40% of that $3 million cost becomes “jobs when the company hires laborers from the community or from Massachusetts statewide.” In a teasing remark, he added “We pay taxes and we have no kids in school, and the police don’t come.” Currently, he added, the company has 15 employees in Massachusetts. The combined output of the 3 arrays is 3 Mega Watts (DC). In attendance were COO Tom Sweeney, Susanne Riis, Marketing Pro-
gram Manager and Co-Owner of Clean Energy, who works at the corporate headquarters in Louisville, Colorado. Also present were Uxbridge Town Manager David Genereux, state Rep. Kevin Kuros; former Uxbridge Board of Selectman and previous land owners, Jack Cnossen of Uxbridge, and his brother, Paul Cnossen of Douglas. Marketing Director Susanne Riis pointed to the handout which projects a 20 year financial savings (10 kw system, average home) of $2,597.00. Environmental benefits include avoiding CO2 pollutants over a 20 year lifetime of 120,402,829 lbs. Jack Cnossen said the Commerce Drive site and the other proposed site for the 2 other solar farms on Quaker Highway which you can see from Commerce Drive, “have been in our family for 75 years.” He said “seeing this unused land paying taxes will pro-
BusIness BIO
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A-OK Pressure Washing, Inc.
Town News ..............Page 4 Calendar...................Page 21 Dining Out…………Page 22 Society .....................Page 25 Senior Corner ..........Page 27 School News............Page 31 Business News........Page 35 Sports.......................Page 39 Classified .................Page 43
A family-run business, A-OK Pressure Washing, Inc. of Douglas, has been in operation since 2007. See story on page 35
vide Uxbridge with added tax-revenue.” and he is “glad” to lease the land for 25 years, with the possibility of extension, to Clean Energy.” Jack holds two engineering degrees and is a graduate of WPI and a pilot, having landed his plane often on Commerce Drive. Town Manager David Genereux said in an one-on-one interview that the “Town of Uxbridge has always been supportive of this type of development, noting that the first time a solar farm was built was in 2011...and we were quite pleased. This enterprise will give our town more revenue to support our schools, provide additional capital improvements, and other town services.” He also publicly shared the same sentiment when asked to speak; he added that this project “continues Uxbridge’s long history as an agricultural and industrial community.” Rep. Kevin Kuros also made the peocontinued on page 10
Owners; Karen & Attila Kara