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Uxbridge Times “Your Hometown News”
Vol. 23 • Issue 11
FREE Monthly Since 1991
uxbrIdge • North uxbrIdge • lINwood • douglas • NorthbrIdge • whItINsVIlle • suttoN • MaNchaug
NoVeMber 2014
Big issues in a short time at Sutton’s Town Meeting By Constance Dwyer Sutton may be known for its brief meetings; the Fall Annual Town Meeting held october 20th, was no exception. It took less than 45 minutes to have the Town Warrant, consisting of 11 Articles, presented, discussed and voted. The ‘crowd’ of 57 voters and 27 non-voters certainly did not create a need to “wait in line” to debate any article. The 27 non-voting attendees included many Sutton high school students. Most of the articles received no opposition and minimal discussion except for Art. 5. Art. 5, sponsored by the Bylaw and Charter Review Committee, requested Town Meeting to delete, revise or let stand each of Sutton’s General Bylaws. Although “Town Meeting Time,” the official and unofficial “bible” for Town Meetings preferred “division of the question” on such complex types of unrelated items/issues, it was handled as a single subject. The Finance & Warrant Advisory Committee actually reviewed the last minute changes in the 37 by-law recommendations by the ByLaw & Charter Review Committee, in a half-hour meeting that ended just before the start of the Sutton Town Meeting, beginning promptly at 7 p.m. The ‘Finance Committee’ made no separate bylaw recommendations, but voted to support favorable action on the package as a whole. only one Town Meeting member, James Dwyer a resident in Wilkinsonville, an area of Sutton, stood up to speak against approving a single bylaw included in the motion presented by Atty. David Suprenant, also of Wilkinsonville, Chairman of the ByLaw & Charter Review Committee. Mr. Suprenant said his committee has been working on the bylaws for about 2 years, before and since their recom-
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mendation, at the May 2014 Annual Town Meeting, to replace Sutton’s Charter. There was one public hearing on September 22 at which time Mr. Dwyer recommended changes to the General Bylaws; many of which were implemented after his many months of research. Mr. Dwyer was especially concerned about bylaw No. 10, the Sewer bylaw, the final changes in which had not been reviewed by the Sewer Commission. Although a Sewer Commissioner himself, he spoke as a private citizen based on his research and experience as a Sewer Commissioner in Uxbridge. Mr. Dwyer gave the Finance Committee a handout supporting his position based on Massachusetts General Law and the Department of Revenue standards for setting fees based on the related costs of services rendered. He read this handout and also pointed out that there were discrepancies, over a 4 year period, between the numbers of new sewer connections and the dollar amounts of the connection fees reported. Improper fees, he suggested, were, “arguably,” according to Black’s Law Dictionary, fraudulent and so he could not, in conscience, support amendments that failed to address these issues. Not one person tried to contest his facts, or his position, but only a handful of citizens supported Mr. Dwyer’s position by voting a “difficult” no on this comprehensive article. The usual year end budget adjustments (Art. 1) was unanimously voted, to reflect Un-budgeted additional state aid and new growth revenues and approving the new budget figures. Free cash was also adjusted (Art. 1). The Moderator, Carl Licopoli, did something different procedurally regarding Art. 2 dealing with unpaid continued on page 12 PRESoRTED STANDARD US PoSTAGE PAID BoSToN, MA PERMIT No 55800
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Uxbridge Varsity Football Team lends a hand Members of the Uxbridge High School varsity football team came out on a Sunday morning with true community spirit. Under the direction of volunteers Joanne Sylvia and Melissa Mills, and encouraged by Coach Robert Martellio, they wielded spades and rakes to refurbish the overgrown perennial garden in front of McCloskey Middle School.
The garden was planted by high school students in the spring of 2009 to commemorate former Uxbridge School Superintendent Dan Stefanilo who had died suddenly in February of that year. The plants needed serious attention after six years of vigorous growth. An initial effort by Middle School volunteers left much heavy lifting still to be done. Last month, the team, assisted by
members of the Uxbridge Community Gardens and McCloskey Middle School volunteers, worked hard to turn soil, dig, divide, and replant Siberian Iris, Daylilies and many other perennial plants. Thanks to all of those who worked together on this community project. Look for a spectacular display of flowers in the spring.
Got Paper? Shred it with the Uxbridge Lions Tired of shredding one paper or document at a time until your little shredder overheats or jams? And then you have to empty it and dispose of all that confetti. The Uxbridge Lions Club is sponsoring a major paper shredding event on Saturday, November 1st, from 9 a.m to 12 p.m. Bring your box or boxes old documents and old checks to the VFW parking lot on Route 16 in Uxbridge (next to the Uxbridge Police Department) and they will be taken off your hands, for only $5.00 per copy paper size box and shredded on the spot. In April, the Lion’s event shred-
BusinEss BiO
East Coast Video
Preserving Memories, Keith Elliott can transfer treasured family movies from outdated media to modern day technology. See story on page 33
ded 2000 lbs of paper; all to be sent for recycling. Pelligrino Trucking, Inc. is providing its services to the Uxbridge Lions for this fundraiser to benefit local programs. Also, as a special feature, the Lions Sightmobile (mobile eye screening unit) will be on site at the VFW parking lot for members of the public to tour and learn about its operation and use. Its mission is to assist in preservation, restoration and conservation of sight and rehabilitation of the visually handicapped. The Lions have long encouraged and supported the dissemination
of information on sight conservation and eye research. The Uxbridge Lions Club meets the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Niko’s Pizzeria in Uxbridge. It continues to seek civic-minded men and women to join them in making a difference in our community. The Lion’s motto is “We Serve,” and the Uxbridge Lions is living up to it. Lions Club International is the largest service club organization in the world. For more information check out the Uxbridge Lions on Facebook or visit lionsclubs.org.
~ INDEX ~ Town News ..............Page 4 Dining Out…………Page 22 Calendar...................Page 17 Society .....................Page 23 Senior Corner ..........Page 25 School News............Page 29 Business News........Page 33 Sports.......................Page 37 Classified .................Page 39