First order of business was to express our gratitude to our extraordinary town departments for the exceptional job they did during and after the Halloween snowstorm.  With the avalanche of snow that was dumped upon us, our town was spared the horror of repeating the Ice Storm of 2008.  Thanks to Ashburnham Municipal Light Plant, Highway, Police and Fire Departments, we were back to business as usual in no time.  There were few outages reported Sunday morning and all were restored quickly that same day.  Many thanks to AMLP for their aggressive tree-trimming program; seems to have saved us the torture others communities experienced.  

Our roads were plowed and sidewalks shoveled in time for our annual ghouls and goblins to trick-or-treat on Monday night.  Ashburnham police closed off roads in the center of town and were present directing and slowing traffic for the safety of our children.  Ashburnham was on several news stations remarking about the sheer enormity of the amount of snow that was dumped on our region and the clean up effort that took place to hold Halloween as scheduled.  The citizens acknowledge and appreciate the work ethic and time spent to make our town safe, but especially this Halloween. How fortunate for us that a fantastic night was had by all the wee ones (as well as adults).

Kevin Flynn from MRPC discussed the joint Community Development Block Grant with Ashby. It cannot be stressed enough the importance of the income surveys needing to be completed and returned as soon as possible.  A special thank you to the following residents for their help distributing the surveys:  Ron Reed, Mike Salem, Carol Blanchard, and Leo and Mary Beth Janssen.  There will be a public hearing on November 21 at the Board of Selectmen’s Meeting.  The deadline is December 16. This grant is for housing rehab, street repair, beautification of the park, among other upgrades for the South Main Street area.  Get those surveys in so we don’t miss out on this opportunity.

Before the selectmen once again was the North Country Sustainability Center, trying to lease the VMS building as a temporary home while they try to purchase the Victorian Stables off  Maple Street.  Bids were opened on November 7 for the opportunity to lease the VMS building (former home of COA and APD) and the NCSC was the lone bidder. A decision needs to made soon with the cold winter weather upon us.  Either winterizing the building or letting NCSC lease and assume responsibly of heating and maintaining the building.   There is concern among the selectmen in regards to the financial stability of the organization due to the infancy stage of the group.  Pat Stewart, the president, acknowledged their concerns and stated that it’s not an option not to work.  It will be tight in the beginning, but the groundwork has been laid to hit the ground running.  

NCSC would assume the responsibility of insurance, heating the building, maintenance and any repairs to the furnace, utility bills and snow removal to the entrance of the building.  They plan to do some improvements with insulating and reducing the temperature setting to help reduce the cost of heating oil.  They would be one of the only winter Farmers Market in this region and the enthusiasm for the project is overwhelmingly positive.  Town Administrator Doug Briggs agreed to meet with Pat on Tuesday, November 8 to discuss the details in depth.  The selectmen also agreed to a special meeting of the board on Thursday, November 10, to make a decision.   Obviously there is an interest in NCSC succeeding, lets hope an agreement can be reached.

Valeria Daigle came before the board thanking them for their support and encouragement to the Boy Scouts “under construction” new home.  Monty Tech students are constructing the building and hope to have the roof on by Christmas.  She asked the board if it would be possible for the town to plow one single pass into the project property, located on Center Street, to get vehicles off the road and into the site area, where they will be responsible for snow plowing the entire area.  The selectmen agreed that it is a remarkable project being built, an important part to Ashburnham and agreed to have the town make a pass into the property during the construction phase only. 

The board of Trustees to the Stevens Memorial Library has appointed Mary Kate Romano to fill the seat held by Arthur Peterson, who resigned, until the annual town election for the position in the spring.  Selectmen unanimously agreed to the appointment until the next election.

Doug received a call from a resident in Ashburnham offering to pay for the paving of approximately 150 feet of Pillsbury Road.  The Awtry family acknowledges that the road is probable not slated for pavement in the foreseeable future and would like to have it paved as soon as possible.  By a unanimous vote, the board agreed to accept this as a gift to the town under MGL Chapter 44 section 54A.

The board also unanimously agreed to consolidate House Bill 1972 and change the Federal Primary date in March and the State Primary in September to all primaries being held in June.  This gives a better turn around time for our vets to receive and return absentee ballots and also saves the town approximately $3500.

The Council on Aging continues to enjoy their new home in town hall.  They have joint bus trips planned with Westminster and are sharing the van for medical trips.  They have received the license from the Board of Health to reheat meals and Bill Johnson graciously donated new trays for their use.  The COA’s Open House on October 24 was a success and attended by over forty guests.  

We were notified that the Governor passed and signed the revised and updated Town Charter for Ashburnham.  

Our best wishes go out to Anne Cervantes, our Town Treasurer, who has taken a position as the Treasurer/Collector for the Town of Sterling.  The position of treasurer in Ashburnham is a part time position and Anne was looking for something full time.  Doug will be looking for ways to replace Anne and possibly fill the position differently, as most towns hold treasurer/collector as one.

Veterans Day Services were celebrated on Friday, November 11, on the Town Hall Common. Please remember to take the time to express your gratitude for our soldier’s services and sacrifices.