Layout 1 (Page 1) - Southbridge Evening News

2 • THE CHARLTON VILLAGER Friday, • June 6, 2008
Military pay not a dead issue, yet
BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL
STAFF WRITER
CHARLTON — Summer is an ideal
time to visit the library, not only to
check out the latest bestseller, relax
with a good novel or attend a children’s
program, but also to pick up a
pass to a museum or other nearby
attraction.
The library offers passes that entitle
the bearer to free or reduced
admission to several interesting and
educational places in Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Connecticut, including
the Ecotarium: A Center for
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TOWN COULD ADOPT POLICY OR BYLAW
CHARLTON — There’s still a
chance town employees serving on
active duty in the military will receive
a booster shot of money.
Selectmen and Charlton Police
Officer Mike McGrath are continuing
to search for ways to address the
financial burdens town workers incur
while deployed on military missions,
after annual town meeting voters, on
May 19, rejected adopting Chapter 137
of the state’s laws.
Under the law, the town, which currently
doesn’t pay its employees called
to active military duty, would have
paid the difference between an
employee’s municipal and military
salaries while serving on a military
mission.
Selectman Chairman Rick
Swensen, in a telephone interview
May 29, suggested the board form a
policy or bylaw providing financial
help its effected employees. Although
he has no specific ideas yet, Swensen
said his ideal policy would examine
each employee on a case-by-case basis
letting the town known the financial
impacts paying each employee would
have.
“I’d like to find a balance between
taking care of our people and serving
the best interests of the town,”
Swensen said. “I think there can be a
balance.”
After leading the charge for the
town to adopt Ch. 137, McGrath said
selectmen shouldn’t drop the issue.
“I’d just like to see them do something,”
he said.
The policy another Massachusetts
community already uses to pay its soldiers
could serve as the model
Charlton officials are striving to
achieve.
Concord selectmen adopted a policy
on Nov. 10, 2003, which was retroactive
back to July 1, 2002, and requires the
town pay difference between the two
salaries, with a few criteria. Each soldier,
during his or her deployment, is
entitled a pay differential of up to
$1,000 per month, if the gross military
monthly pay, excluding “imminent
danger pay,” is less than they would
have received for their town work.
The benefit ends after 12 months of
active duty service, and municipal
overtime pay and uniform
allowances, are not factored into town
pay differential. School employees are
not eligible for the payments.
This policy, said Concord Town
Manager Christopher Whelan,
accomplished its goal and has been
less costly than the town originally
believed it would be.
“It doesn’t provide for double dipping,
basically makes the person
whole,” Whelan said. “Our experience
has been, the financial impact
has been very minimal.”
That’s because, according to
Whelan, only one employee, a
Concord Police Officer, signed up for
the payments when he was called to
active duty.
“It didn’t end [up] being [as] financially
burdensome as it might be,” he
said. “We thought it was the least we
could do.”
The Concord policy could be a starting
point in formula Charlton’s own
payment method.
“Maybe their policy is one that we
would look at,” Swensen said.
Library has passes available to area attractions
Piano Tuning
& Repair
GLEN STEVENS
4 Oscars Road • Spencer, MA 01562
508-885-3705
Environmental Exploration, Higgins
Armory Museum, Roger Williams
Park Zoo, John F. Kennedy
Presidential Library and Museum,
Massachusetts State Parks, Garden in
the Woods and Mystic Aquarium.
The library recently added The
Sports Museum, located at the TD
Banknorth Garden in Boston, to the
list. This nonprofit museum spotlights
New England’s rich sports heritage
through a collection of artifacts,
multimedia, artworks and a half-mile
Southbridge Cartoons at
www.marketticartoons.com
Spring is Here!
The $12,000 annual payments
afforded under the Concord policy,
Selectman Peter Boria said, wouldn’t
help this town’s employee-soldiers
much.
“I’m not sure if the board would
consider that or not,” Boria said.
Whatever benefits the town might
afford its active duty employees would
benefit Charlton Police Sgt. Daniel
Dowd. The 40-year-old U.S. Army
Reservist is serving in Iraq, but is
scheduled to return to this country
soon, and took about a $4,394 monthly
pay cut during his tour of duty. Dowd
makes $76,934 annually as a police
officer and $24,753.60 as a soldier, and
has noted some financial difficulties
during that time.
Dowd, according to Boria, who has
been communicating with him, is
allowed to carry over his municipal
vacation time he hasn’t used.
Dowd has done his best to deal with
the situation.
“Every deployment has a financial
and emotional cost to every service
member and I am not unique. I tried
to prepare as best I could before leaving
by curbing spending and saving as
much as possible,” Dowd wrote in a
Dec. 22 e-mail from Iraq.
Dowd, in an e-mail to Boria, said the
town can’t do anything else to help his
situation.
“I’m kind of going to let it go,”
Boria said.
Attempts to reach Dowd in Iraq
were unsuccessful last week.
Ryan Grannan-Doll can be reached
by phone at (508) 909-4050, or by e-mail
at rgrand@stonebridgepress.com
of interactive exhibits. Two passes
are available for every day of the
week. Each pass admits up to six people
at a time to the museum.
Those interested in borrowing a
pass must have a valid library card.
The library suggests calling ahead of
time to reserve a pass for the day you
plan to visit the attraction.
For more information, visit the
website, stop by the circulation desk
or call the library at 508-248-0452.
Professional Associates
Walt W. Tolmie,
GRI, CBR REALTOR ®
19 Stafford Street
Charlton, MA 01507
Cell: (508) 735-5116
Office: (508) 248-3100
Fax: (508) 784-0514
www.waltwtolmie.com
tolmieremax@charter.net
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
This week’s front-page
quote is attributed to
Vidal Sassoon.
www.charltonvillager.com
VILLAGER ALMANAC
THEY SAID IT
“They have a story, too.”
— CHARLTON SELECTMAN KATHLEEN WALKER,
WHO RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A BIKE TRIP THROUGH THE
MIDDLE EAST, ON PEOPLE LIVING IN THOSE COUNTRIES.
OPEN TO CLOSE
CHARLTON TOWN HALL (508) 248-2200
Board of Selectmen (248-2206):
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays .............. 7:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m.
Tuesdays ............................................................. 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Fridays ............................................................... 7:30 a.m to 12 p.m.
Town Clerk (248-2249):
Monday to Thursday ............................................ 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fridays ................................................................................... Closed
1st and 3rd Tuesday ................................................... 5:30 to 7 p.m.
CHARLTON PUBLIC LIBRARY (248-0452)
Mondays, Wednesdays ...................................... 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesdays, Thursdays ........................................ 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fridays, Sundays .................................................................. Closed
Saturday .............................................................. 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
CHARLTON POLICE DEPARTMENT (248-2250)
Monday to Friday ................................................... 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For emergencies, dial 911
CHARLTON FIRE DEPARTMENT (248-2299)
Monday to Friday ................................................... 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
POST OFFICES
Charlton Center Post Office (01507 and 01509) ....... (800) 275-8777
Charlton City (01508) ................................................. (800) 275-8777
SCHOOLS
Dudley-Charlton Regional School District ............. (508) 943-6888
Charlton Elementary School ....... (508) 248-7774 or (508) 248-7435
Heritage School .......................................................... (508) 248-4884
Charlton Middle School ............................................ (508) 248-1423
Shepherd Hill Regional High School ...................... (508) 943-6700
Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School ... (508)
248-5971 or (508) 987-0326
REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
$100, Gale Road, Paul F. Enman Jr. and Jean M. Pappas to Jean M.
Pappas.
$100,000, Daniel Road and Faith Drive, Sumner B. Tilton Jr., David H.
White, Leonard H. White and Estate of Anna H. White to Shirley
H. White.
$1, 27 Morton Station Road, Dawn E. Foster to Foster Living Trust
(Dawn E. Foster, Trustee).
TOWN
THE STATS
PER CAPITA INCOME BY RACE/ETHNICITY ($)
PER CAPITA INCOME (ASIAN)
Auburn ................................................................. 23,829
Brimfield ...............................................................35,667
Brookfield..................................................................... 0
Charlton........................................................................ 0
Douglas ..................................................................15,966
Dudley....................................................................17,841
Holland ..................................................................12,689
Leicester ............................................................... 16,124
Northbridge ..........................................................30,191
Oxford ....................................................................25,349
Southbridge.......................................................... 19,621
Spencer................................................................... 7,157
Sturbridge .............................................................33,792
Uxbridge............................................................... 23,633
Wales ..............................................................................0
Webster..................................................................28,804
SUNRISE/SUNSET
Saturday, June7 .............5:13 a.m............8:22 p.m.
Sunday, June 8...............5:12 a.m............8:23 p.m.
Monday, June 9 .............5:12 a.m. ..........8:23 p.m.
Tuesday, June 10 ...........5:12 a.m.............8:24p.m.
Wednesday, June 11......5:12 a.m............8:24 p.m.
Thursday, June 12.........5:12 a.m. ...........8:25p.m.
Friday, June 13 ..............5:12 a.m............8:25 p.m.
THE FIVE QUESTIONS
1. What is the only state in the U.S. that has a unicameral legislature?
2. What was the last state to join the Union?
3. What state successfully seceded from another state during the
Civil War?
4. The Sooner State is the nickname of what state?
5. How many state capitals are named after U.S. Presidents?
A STONEBRIDGE
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WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
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Don’t Forget The Graduate!
Beautiful Presentation Bouquets;
Bears; Balloons; Cards & Gifts
1 st
Celebrating our Anniversary
Dr. Gill’s Eye Center
• Comprehensive Eye Exams
• Contact Lenses & Eye Glasses
• Vision Therapy
• Equipped With The Latest Equipment
• Most Insurances & HMO’s Accepted
Dr. Amarjeet S. Gill
473 Main Street (Rt. 20) Sturbridge, MA 01518
508-347-7997