webster - Southbridge Evening News

16 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, February 27, 2009
www.webstertimes.net
Relay for Life to increase its coverage area
RELAY
continued from page 1
$100,000” and that with the other towns included,
he believes they can surpass this number.
He also mentioned that by bringing in the additional
towns, he hopes new ideas will form as
well.
“The main thing is to get as many research
dollars as we can,” he said.
Relay for Life of Auburn co-Chairman Karen
Sisko said she is in support of Gallant’s goal.
She said she feels it is time for the Auburn
event to experience growth.
“If we don’t grow, I’m concerned the Auburn
Relay for Life will fizzle out,” she said.
Gallant is starting to drum up awareness
about the idea to the other towns. He has
already presented it to the Millbury Board of
Selectmen and he said State Sen. Michael
Moore has been helpful in getting him into contact
with people from the town.
“I think everyone was happy that I went and
spoke,” Gallant said. “I’m hoping that things
will get off the ground.”
Millbury Board of Selectmen Vice Chairman
Joseph Coggans expressed his enthusiasm for
the expansion and said he has no doubt that
Millbury will be a hefty contributor. He said
Millbury has always been a “generous contributor”
to the similar events adding that
Millbury holds a Walk for Cancer every year.
“The Millbury community has always
stepped up to the plate,” Coggans said.
Millbury Town Manager Robert Spain is
looking forward to the event as well.
“I think anytime you can raise money for
cancer, it’s a good thing,” he said. “The Relay
for Life has done really well.”
Gallant said at last year’s Relay for Life there
three areas for reform — ethics,
process and voting.
Highlights of the package include
an eight-year limit on the Speaker’s
term, mandatory ethics training,
clarifications on gifts from lobbyists
and the elimination of so-called
“phantom voting,” which occurred
last spring when a computerized voting
mechanism on the house floor
recorded several votes for State Rep.
Charles Murphy, D-Burlington, who
was in the Virgin Islands at the time.
While democrats like Alicea hailed
the reform bill as a good “first step”
in the process of making the legislative
method more open, some republicans,
including State Rep. Paul
Frost, R-Auburn, said the rules package
lacked the necessary punch to
drive ethics reform fully home.
“We think it was a good thing, however,
I don’t think the rules went far
enough and it was somewhat of a disappointment,”
Frost said. “It deals
with the issues, but it has no teeth.”
Frost said Republicans proposed
several additions to the rules package,
including splitting the House’s
Ethics Committee membership evenly
between democrats and republicans
and calling for more transparency
and accountability in Ethics
Committee dealings.
“There’s no question that there’s a
dark cloud on Beacon Hill and this
would have been a good step toward
clearing that,” Frost said. “What
[democrats] did do in the rules was a
step forward to some degree, but
when we attempted to add some teeth
… and make each member responsible
for their actions … that got rejected.”
Under the new ethics guidelines,
the Speaker and Minority Leader
will be able to unilaterally remove
both rank and file members and
those appointed to leadership positions
upon their criminal indictment.
Representatives will also
specifically be prohibited from
receiving gifts from lobbyists.
This rule has been on the books
for some time, but until now only
referred to “cash gifts” in excess
of $100, not in-kind presents.
Under process reform, the new
rules will also make heavy use of
the Internet, which legislators
agree is the perfect medium for
creating transparency in state
affairs.
Alicea said the state was working
on implementing new software to
improve ease of access on these sites.
“We want people to be able to pull
up the voting records, etc. [of their
legislators],” he said. “You shouldn’t
have to go through windows to figure
that stuff out.”
As a result of the changes, all bills
introduced and admitted for consideration
in the House will be available
to members electronically and for
online posting. Notice of committee
hearings will also be posted on the
Internet.
The new rules will also hopefully
eliminate “phantom voting” by
requiring officials to disable the voting
system of any member who has
were 36 teams that participated. He said he is
hoping to get at least 10 teams out of the three
additional towns. Gallant also mentioned by
adding the towns, there are more businesses
and organizations that will be able to contribute
to the event. He said he does understand
that because of the economy, businesses might
not be as willing to donate money. So, the committee
is going to target the employees of these
businesses and encourage them to form their
own teams.
Gallant stressed that the event is so important
because there is not a single person who
has not been affected by the disease.
“I don’t think there is anyone in the population
who has not been touched by cancer,” he
said.
Gallant encourages anyone who would like
to be involved with the event to call him at 508-
832-3664.
notified the clerk that he will be
absent for a formal session.
The measure also requires the
clerk to disable the voting system of
any legislator failing to answer the
first non-quorum roll call.
House officials were debating
installing card swiping systems that
would unlock voting mechanisms,
but Alicea said the aforementioned
rule was reached as a compromise
and a way to save money for the state.
Overall, however, legislators universally
said they hoped the numerous
House rules reforms would simply
help pave the way to a smoother
and more open legislative session.
Such caveats are important, legislators
said, since 2009 is likely to be a
year when cash will be short, cuts
The Relay for Life was started in the mid-
1980s by Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in
Tacoma, Wash. who wanted to increase the
income of his American Cancer Society office
and show support for his cancer patients.
Participants raise money and walk the entire
night to signify that the disease never sleeps.
The relay starts off with a survivors’ lap where
any one who has battled the disease walk
around the track. Since then it has grown to an
annual international event.
Every year, cancer patients, survivors and
their friends and family flock to their local
events and do laps around the track overnight
to show their support and raise awareness.
Teresa A. Franco may be reached at 508-909-
4136 or e-mail her at
tfranco@stonebridgepress.com.
Ethics reform pact approved by state representatives
TRUST
continued from page 1
FEELING THE LOVE
will be made and all eyes will be
focused intently upon the leaders on
Beacon Hill.
“We hope that this session is going
to move in a way that people will
understand that their voices are
being heard,” Kujawski said. “The
budget is our top priority, but we had
to get [the rules] in order before we
can do anything else … We want the
people to see that there has been a
definite membership response to the
things that are going on [and] we
want to correct anything out in the
public’s mind — we want to make
them a part of the process.”
Patrick Skahill may be reached 508-
909-4129, or by e-mail at
pskahill@stonebridgepress.com.
Friday Nights at the
Oliver Wight Tavern
at Old Sturbridge Village… Join us for our Winter Escape
BY POPULAR
DEMAND!
Prime Rib
Dinner Room
New England Clam Chowder
Queen Cut Prime Rib of Beef
Roasted Butternut Squash, Potato
Whipped Cheese Cake Martini
Traditional English Style Fish & Chips
also available February 27th thru March 13th
• Featuring tableside magic by “Bob Olsen” • Costumed Staff
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM • $18.95 • *Reservations required
Upcoming Events @ the Oliver Wight Tavern…
• A Weekend to Be Irish… Friday, March 13th thru Sunday, March 15th
• Traditional Irish & Celtic Music · Featuring Full Gael March 13 &14
w/complimentary hors d’oeuvres before the concert.
• Irish Pub Lunch · Sunday, March 14th
• Irish Breakfast & Brunch · Sunday, March 15th
Please visit our website for more details & to purchase tickets
Courtesy photo
WEBSTER — Brownie Troop 30104 visited with residents of
Christopher Heights Friday, Feb. 13, to pass out Valentine’s candy
and sing songs. The girls were greeted with smiles and claps. This
was a truly heartwarming experience for all. Troop consists of
Gianna Boucher, Felicia Munroe, Kacie Grenier, Ashlee Cuellar,
Mariya Lempicki, Emma Bonneau, Haley Trudeau, Mikayla
Chenevert, Hailey Fairhurst, Hannah Smith and Lexianna Wheeler.
1 Old Sturbridge Village Road • 508-347-0303
www.osv.org
“Harbro Sales and Service would
like to welcome any previous
WEBSTER DUDLEY LINCOLN
MERCURY CUSTOMERS”
“We know you are used to being treated
with RESPECT and HONESTY... and we
invite you to come to HARBRO to be
treated the same way.”
$
9.95 Oil Change and
35 point vehicle checkover
for any previous Webster Dudley Lincoln
Mercury customers
expires 3-31-09
*bring your last W.D.L.M. receipt to receive this offer
TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS:
Harbro Sales & Services, Inc.
546 Providence Rd. (Rt. 122)
Linwood, MA 01525
Phone: 508-234-6767
Harbro Sales & Services, Inc.
103 Worcester Rd. (Rt. 12)
Webster, MA 01570
Phone: 508-943-6969
HarbroAuto.com
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