local news - Brett M. Rhyne

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Rainbow fish to make
splash at Riverfest/6
Crime news/9
LocalNews
THE SUN, LOWELL, MASSACHUSET TS
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011
SUN PHOTOS/JULIA MALAKIE
Keeping cool at Rynne Beach in Lowell are, from left, Jayline Maldonado, 5, her brother Eddie Maldonado, 6,
and their friend Jeremiah Leon, 4, all of Lawrence.
No sweat
Greater Lowell looks forward to summery weather
By Olivia Hull
Sun Staff
LOWELL — It’s going to
be a hot one, in the Greater
Lowell area and much of the
nation.
Taunton-based National
Weather Service meteorologist
William Babcock predicts
temperatures in the
mid-to-upper 90s today, “a
good 20 degrees above the
average high of 75 for this
date, touching on a record of
96 degrees.”
Babcock also warns of a
possible thunderstorm predicted
to hit the region this
afternoon, bringing strong,
gusty winds and hail.
“It should make for an
interesting evening,” he
says.
Friday’s temperatures
are expected to be more seasonable
with less humidity.
As the Northeast sizzles,
temperatures up and down
the East Coast and through
much of the country are
expected to be higher than
normal, with the official first
day of summer still a couple
of weeks away on June 21.
Four elderly people in
Maryland, Tennessee and
Wisconsin have already died
as a result of the heat, the
Associated Press reported.
But here in Greater Lowell,
residents seem to be
Please see SWEAT/5
Sandra and Tony Solis of Tewksbury play cribbage in
the shade at Lowell National Historical Park. With them
are their wheaten terriers, Sebago and Dakota, and
their havanese, Maggie.
Billerica boosts wastewater rates again
By Evan Lips
elips@lowellsun.com
BILLERICA — For the second
straight year, it’s going to cost a little
more to flush the toilet.
Selectmen voted Monday night to
bump up wastewater rates by more
than 9 percent, meaning the average
taxpayer will pay an extra $26 each
year to cover their sewer bill.
Selectmen Mike Rosa, the lone vote
against the fee hike, said yesterday
that his disapproval stems from his
unwillingness to see capital projects
paid off through rate increases.
“We’ve always borne the cost of capi-
tal improvements through the budget,”
he said. “We’re now setting the precedent
that we’ll be raising money for
capital improvements through rate
hikes.”
The average taxpayer pays $286 per
year in sewer fees, up from $216 last
year. The hike means the new average
bill will be $312.
Selectmen Chairman Bob Correnti
pointed out yesterday that before 2010,
the last time the town increased sewer
rates was in 1989.
“We’re not going to get bagged again
for waiting another 20 years,” he said.
“We heard the message loud and clear
that we can’t afford to postpone infra-
structure maintenance.”
Correnti said a fee increase was necessary
to prevent the costs from being
passed down in the form of propertytax
increases.
“Some aren’t tied into the sewer, and
it wouldn’t be fair to them,” he said.
Currently, about 70 percent of the
town is tied into the sewer system.
Rosa said he’s one of the 30 percent
who is not tied in.
“The fee increase is more than a lot
of people can bear during these tough
times,” he said.
The Board of Selectmen’s 4-1 vote
Please see WATER/4
Plenty of commentary at Parker commencement
NASHOBA PUBLISHING/JOHN LOVE
Joy Ericson was one of the student speakers at the Francis W. Parker
Charter Essential School’s graduation yesterday in Devens.
By M.E. Jones
Sun Correspondent
DEVENS — Recognizing “the power of
students’ voices,” all 55 seniors graduating
from the Francis W. Parker Charter
Essential School last night were offered
the opportunity to speak, paving the way
for memories of a “rare place” that
applauded even when you “fell flat on your
face.”
Thirteen graduates accepted the invitation
at the charter school’s 11th commencement,
as did four faculty members,
one of whom, Cam Hewitt, is a Parker
graduate.
Interim Principal Diane Kruse welcomed
families and friends of the 55 graduating
seniors, saying, “This is one of
those moments when Parker shines,”
before opening the podium to whomever
wanted it.
Echoing a theme that carried through
all the speeches, Hewitt praised Parker as
a “rare place” and a “rich community”
where students grow and thrive.
Please see PARKER/5
By Erin Smith
esmith@lowellsun.com
TYNGSBORO — With contract
negotiations hitting a
stalemate about a month ago,
the teachers union and board
members at Greater Lowell
Technical High School are
heading for state mediation.
School Committee member
Steven O’Neill of Tyngsboro,
who is chairman of the
negotiation subcommittee,
said board members and
union officials have met
seven times since last July,
but have failed to come to an
agreement.
Teachers are continuing to
work under a contract that
expired June 30, 2010. About
a month ago, both sides
agreed to take the issue to a
state mediator, according to
O’Neill.
School Committee members
Fred Bahou of Lowell
and Paul Morin of Dracut
also serve on the board’s
negotiation subcommittee.
Both the union and school
officials had prepared for a
contract fight over salaries,
once former Superintendent
James Cassin said there was
no money for raises for school
employees. Cassin retired
last year.
Teachers have received a 3
percent raise every year
since 2004, O’Neill said.
“There are some very, very
good educators out there,”
O’Neill said. “It’s just a matter
of financial times. The
school is in great need of
repairs. I don’t think it would
be prudent for the school,
when we’re asking communi-
As the summer season
gets under way, The Sun
wants to know about your
favorite spot for lobster in
the rough.
Please email the name,
town and state of your top
choice, along with why you
think it’s the best, to
jhill@lowellsun.com.
SEE A PHOTO YOU LIKE?
Order reprints online at
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PAGE 3
GLTHS, teachers
go to mediation
By Rita Savard
rsavard@lowellsun.com
CHELMSFORD — In a
move to save $200,000, the
School Committee voted yesterday
to outsource the district’s
custodial services.
The unanimous vote
allows the district to enter
into a contract with Aramark
Education Services to manage
cleaning, maintenance
and facilities in Chelmsford’s
seven schools.
School Committee member
Nick DeSilvio said hiring
an outside company will save
the district money at a time
when aid has leveled but
fixed costs continue to rise. It
was unclear yesterday
whether custodians who
were concerned about losing
their jobs will remain working
in Chelmsford schools.
School officials mapped
out a contract that stresses a
preference for retaining the
current custodial staff. But
that decision is now an issue
between Aramark and the
custodians, DeSilvio said.
“We wanted them to look
at our employees first and
they were all in favor of
that,” DeSilvio said. “They
actually prefer that for continuity
for everyone involved.”
Michael Greenwood, presi-
ties to be giving money for a
$32 million renovation, and
at the same time giving
raises like they wanted. I
would love to give everybody
$250,000 a year, but unfortunately
that isn’t the case.”
Union officials asked for a
three-year contract with 5
percent raises each year,
while the school board sought
a four-year contract with no
raise this year and a 6 percent
raise over the three additional
years, according to a source
close to the negotiations.
Cheryl Bomal, president
of the teachers’ union, did
not immediately return a
call or email seeking comment
yesterday.
School officials reportedly
want to eliminate sick-leave
buyback and longevity payments
for new hires,
lengthen teachers’ workday
by 45 minutes to provide
after-school help for students,
and increase teachers’
contributions to healthinsurance
plans, according to
the source.
Meanwhile, the union
wish list includes a reduced
work year, a higher reimbursement
for courses, an
anti-bullying policy aimed at
staff and administration, and
continued sick-leave buyback
with a cap for new hires, the
source said.
Officials at Greater Lowell
Tech are also negotiating contracts
for school administrators,
custodians and support
staff, which includes clerks
and receptionists. Those contracts
also expired June 30,
2010.
Chelmsford schools
outsource custodial
dent of the custodians’ union,
was unable to be reached for
comment yesterday.
School officials met with
the union four times to try
and negotiate a contract that
would save the district
money. If custodians offered
the same proposal that Aramark
put forward — the lowest
bid, at about $841,000 —
then custodians would have
had to take a $3-per-hour cut
in pay, Greenwood said.
On average, most of the
school district’s custodial
staff is making under $18 per
hour, he noted.
There are currently 23.5
custodians tasked with cleaning
the town’s seven schools, at
an annual cost of $1.3 million.
Aramark, which also
holds the food-service contract
for UMass Lowell and
Lowell Public Schools, is one
of the largest school service
providers worldwide, with
255,000 employees in 22
countries, according to the
company’s website.
When Aramark was
awarded a contract in Lowell,
the district’s food-service
employees were allowed to
keep their jobs.
School officials started to
weigh outsourcing as a way
Please see SCHOOLS/4
Where do you love the lobster?

4 THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011 LOCAL NEWS
THE SUN
Former head tapped for temp schools’ chief job
By John Collins
jcollins@lowellsun.com
PELHAM — It was the
briefest of retirements for
Henry “Hank” LaBranche,
the former Salem, N.H.,
school superintendent and
town manager, and first-ever
Pelham-Windham joint
school superintendent.
Only three months after
LaBranche, 67, retired as
Salem’s town manager, the
Pelham and Windham
School Boards, meeting
jointly Tuesday, appointed
LaBranche as the interim
superintendent of SAU 28,
effective July 1.
Pelham School Board
Chairman Rob Hardy said
LaBranche agreed to retake
the reins of his former post
temporarily, until the two
boards can find a permanent
replacement to succeed the
departing Frank Bass.
“I’m very excited to get
someone of Dr. LaBranche’s
WATER/From Page 3
expertise with such knowledge
of both districts,” Hardy
said after the meeting. “As
the first superintendent of
the joint SAU 28 for 13 years,
he knows the lay of the land
and will help ensure that our
children’s education will not
suffer while we search for our
next superintendent.”
LaBranche will receive a
stipend of about $500 per day
for his services as the interim
chief executive of SAU 28,
approximately what Bass
came on the heels of a unanimous recommendation
from the Water and Sewer
Oversight Committee to raise rates.
In a June 1 letter addressed to Correnti,
Water and
Sewer Oversight
Committee
Chairman Lewis
Zediana wrote
that “while the 9
percent increase
is higher than
what we desired,
the information
supplied supports
the rate change
in order to maintain
the proper
operation of the
sewer system.”
Curran, who supplied Zediana and
other committee members with sewer
performance data, did not return messages
yesterday asking for comment.
Selectmen will meet again on June
20 to vote on a new town water rate,
which is based on a household’s clean
was making, Hardy said.
Hardy noted that
LaBranche and/or his permanent
successor as SAU
28’s superintendent will be
asked to oversee several historically-significantdevelopments
and challenges in the
coming year, including a proposal
to have Pelham students
pay tuition to attend
Windham High School and
the graduation of Windham
High’s first senior class next
spring.
Custodial outsourced Billerica boosts wastewater rates by 9 percent
SCHOOLS/From Page 3
to bridge a projected multimillion-dollar
gap in health-insurance costs. The effort
was put forward after taking a long,
hard look at the town’s unfunded pension
liability, said Kathleen McWilliams,
schools business manager.
Until two years ago, cities and towns
were not required to disclose retiree
health-care obligations. The Government
Accounting Standards Board,
which regulates public financial
accounting, now requires communities
to conduct a study every three years and
publish data on unfunded pension liabilities
in their annual audits.
According to Chelmsford’s study, the
town is looking at an annual liability of
$7 million.
The pool of retirees continues to grow
each year. More than 700 retirees are
now enrolled in town health-insurance
plans, costing about $3 million.
Next year, Chelmsford school officials
say they plan to look at outsourcing the
district’s food-services program.
“Increasing the rates by a
fraction of a percent will
not address some of the
proposed infrastructure
improvements such as
pipe and equipment
replacement.”
Chairman Lewis Zediana
water consumption.
In his letter to Correnti, Zediana
weighed in on this matter, too. He noted
that his committee voted to increase
water rates by 5 percent, opting to
bypass another proposal which would
have raised rates
by only 0.5 percent.
“Increasing the
rates by a fraction
of a percent will not
address some of the
proposed infrastructureimprovements
such as pipe
and equipment
replacement,”
wrote Zediana.
The proposed
rate increase
means the average
taxpayer
would pay an extra $15 a year if
selectmen decide to approve the Water
and Sewer Oversight Committee’s
request.
The average yearly water fee is currently
$304.20.

THE SUN LOCAL NEWS
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011 5
Plenty of commentary at
Parker commencement
PARKER/From Page 3
It is an environment that
gets better every year as
graduates leave something of
themselves behind and take
part of the school with them
into the world, where they
will all do “amazing things,”
Hewitt said.
“This will still be your
school even after you leave,”
he said. “I’ve learned as
much from you as you ever
have from me.”
The student speakers
talked about mixed emotions,
excitement at embarking on
the next phase of their lives,
sadness at leaving a class
that has become a family and
a school that is like a home.
“I grew up here,” said Joy
Ericson of Lunenburg.
Recalling a penchant for
lingering at lunch, she often
had to be reminded to “get
out.”
“Now it’s time for us to get
out and make room for the
next class,” she added.
Jacob Gesin of Shirley said
his first impression of Parker
was that it was a “weird
school.” But five years later, he
can sum up his experiences,
from traveling to a Third
World nation to excelling in
sports, knowing he succeeded
at things he’d have never done
anywhere else.
Connor Delaney said
Parker was a place where
students can take risks, from
speaking at assembly to trying
new things. Whether you
succeed or “fall flat on your
face,” everyone applauds. He
has learned that “risk-taking
is its own reward,” he said.
Ali Dokus said Parker is a
PARKER CHARTER SCHOOL
CLASS OF 2011
The following students
graduted from the Parker
Charter School:
Ayer: Tyler McMillan,
Chung Vuong
Berlin: Kenneth Amici
Boxboro: Eleanor
Bosworth, Lincoln Littlefield,
Alanna Salzman, Eric Tappan,
Benjamin White
Dunstable: Austin Walker
Groton: Margaret Maurukas,
Ashley Mendes, Erin
Mullins, Michael Wheeler
Harvard: Connor Delaney,
James Stamm
Leominster: Jordan
Albert, Matthew Barbaro,
Jamie Tremblay
Littleton: Matthew
Burns, Liliana Byan, Nathan
Coney, William Coney, James
Dobson, Alexandra Dokus,
Lillian Hayward, Matthew
Hotaling
NASHOBA PUBLISHING/JOHN LOVE
Faculty member March
Schrader addresses the
graduates.
running school. She is a runner
and has learned that
when things are demanded
— as in racing — you try
harder, for your team and for
yourself.
“We won because Parker
made it hard,” she said.
Speakers shared memories,
moments that show how
unique the Parker experience
can be.
Jacquelyn Saganich of
Shirley recalled frog-hunting
in a vernal pool behind the
school. Finding a big bug eating
their targeted catch, she
and the teacher scooped it up
and named it Rodolpho.
Teacher Marc Schrader
talked about confronting a
bat in his bedroom as his
wife huddled under the
sheets, expecting him to get
it out of there.
“I was scared, borderline
terrified,” he said, using the
story as a metaphor for graduating
seniors.
“Things will change, and
that can be scary,” he said,
adding that it can be exciting,
too.
“You’ll do great things,”
he said. “Every one of you.”
Lunenburg: Joy Ericson
Newburyport: Katherine
Hart
Pepperell: Alex Massarelli,
Dylan Knight, Dylan Wetherald
Princeton: Alexandra
Dolph, Jacquelyn Irwin, Lara
Katebi, Laurel Pentland
Shirley: Alexandra Begun,
Kayla Dilley, Jacob Gesin,
Melissa Mearn, Victoria Poland,
Sam Robinson, Jacquelyn
Saganich, Lewis Sheen, Oren
Shoemaker, Brandon Taylor
Sterling: Taylor Chacon,
David Giard
Stow: Eamon Sefton
Townsend: Gregory
Carkin, James Olson, Lazarus
White
West Groton: Laura de
Freitas
Westford: Luke Champine,
Daniel Turnbull
Worcester: Zoe Magid
Cougars in Groton? Depends on who you ask
By Ed Hannan
ehannan@lowellsun.com
GROTON — A Martins Pond Road
resident says he saw a cougar Saturday
night about 200 yards from his house.
State wildlife experts beg to differ.
Daniel Monroe, 49, was driving
home with his eight-year-old stepson
David around 6 p.m. Saturday, when he
says they “clearly saw a medium-sized,
dark-brown mountain lion or cougar,
approximately 120 pounds, walking
across the road, down the hill, and into
the swamp.”
Monroe, who says wildlife sightings
are common around his house, since it
is surrounded by 2,000 acres of forest
and conservation land, said this one
took him aback.
“We pulled up another 20 feet,
stopped, and looked toward the
swamp,” he said. “He was kind of looking
at us, turned into the swamp, and
went in through the thickets. We had a
tremendous look at him from 25 feet.”
A native of Newfoundland, Monroe
said his brother told him it was likely a
fisher cat. “Not knowing what a fisher
Greater Lowell looks forward to a day of summery weather
SWEAT/From Page 3
taking the heat in stride.
Carol Rancourt, of Lowell,
welcomes the “good weather.”
She goes to Rynne Beach,
along the Merrimack River in
Pawtucketville, four times a
week because “it’s not
crowded and it’s clean.” She
says the beach does fill up
when the lifeguard is on duty.
Fellow beach-enthusiast
Tiffany Kelley, also of Lowell,
loves that the beach is free,
doesn’t require driving and is
located close to an ice cream
stand.
Getting wet in local lakes
and rivers is a good way to
cool off. Most towns don’t
hire lifeguards until school
is dismissed, though, and in
many places that’s not for a
couple of weeks. Municipal
officials said swimming
spots are open, but they urge
caution because they’re
unsupervised.
Beaches already open
include Lowell’s Rynne
Beach, Westford’s Edwards
and Forge beaches, Hudson’s
Centennial Beach and Silver
Lake Beach, in Wilmington.
The exception is Ayer’s
Sandy Pond Beach, which will
open for the season on Saturday.
Ayer Parks Department
spokesman Jeff Thomas says
the beach’s official opening
usually corresponds with the
end of school, but Ayer has
moved up the date due to hot
weather.
“What we were able to do
is staff the beach a couple of
days ahead of time,” Thomas
cat was, not being from New England, I
looked it up,” he said. “This ain’t no
fisher cat.”
A fisher cat — or North American
marten — is not a feline. It resembles a
very large ferret, but the largest weigh
in at 15 or 20 pounds and grow to less
than 4 feet in length.
Cougar, mountain lion, puma and
panther are all regional terms that
refer to the same animal.
Because Monroe did not take any
photos during the encounter, he’s been
doing a lot of Internet research to identify
the animal. “It seems like a northern
cougar or a mountain lion to me.”
He reported the sighting to Mass
Wildlife, but has not heard back as of
yesterday afternoon.
Marion Larson, an information and
education biologist with the state Division
of Fisheries & Wildlife, disagreed
with Monroe’s assessment.
“It’s highly unlikely that a mountain
lion is in Groton, or anywhere else in
Massachusetts,” she said. “We’ve had
some reports of bobcats in the Groton-
Townsend areas. The bobcat is the only
wildcat here in Massachusetts.”
says, referring to the fact that
Sandy Pond Beach will have a
lifeguard. The beach is open
to the public every day from
noon to 7 p.m.; swimming is
prohibited after hours.
At Rynne Beach in Lowell,
Julie Guthro lounges on a
beach chair in the sun. She’s
taking three days off from her
three jobs to spend time near
the water, she says. She’ll
take the day off from the
beach tomorrow, but will be
back on Friday. “It’s sort of my
place,” she says.
Sandra Solis of Tewksbury
is also recovering from a rough
week — she just had surgery.
She and her husband, Tony,
play cribbage in the shade
near the river. They both
agree it’s too hot to be in the
sun, not just for them but for
their three dogs, but they “still
like to be near the water.”
Yesterday, to celebrate
Jocelyn Fournier’s 12th birthday,
and to cool off a little,
Jocelyn’s mother, Sheryl
Fournier, treated her to a
mint chocolate chip ice cream
at Sully’s in Chelmsford. The
Fourniers live in Lowell, but
they always make the trek to
Chelmsford for the cool summer
treat.
“I grew up in Westford,
and we used to ride our bikes
here as kids,” Sheryl says.
Erina Kihn just graduated
from Lowell High School. She
cools off in the shade at Freeman
Lake in Chelmsford, sipping
cold drinks from McDonald’s
with a friend. In the 10
days before she goes south for
the summer, Erina plans to
“lake, beach, lake, beach.”
She prefers Hampton Beach
in Hampton, N.H.
To stay safe in the heat, Dr.
Jonathan Drake, of Lowell
General Hospital, suggests
drinking before you feel
Larson said it’s common to misidentify
a bobcat. “In some cases, people
have submitted photos of animals that
turn out to be either bobcats, domestic
cats, and even coyotes,” she said. “Some
wildlife biologists have had some
instances where an animal crossed in
front of them that they thought for a
moment was a big cat, but on second
look it turns out that the animal has
been a tawny-coated coyote, quartering
away,” she said, using a hunting term
that means the animal is turned mostly
away from the observer, so there is no
ability to see its face clearly.
Here’s some advice for anyone who
comes across a wild animal, courtesy of
Larson. “It’s useful for people to know
that wild animals avoid people, so if
someone sees a wild animal, whether a
bobcat or a coyote, the animal’s instinct
will be to either move — walk, run away
— or freeze, hoping that it can’t be seen.”
For his part, Monroe will keep
searching for the animal he swears is a
cougar.
“I know where he went in,” Monroe
said. “If I see tracks, I’ll take a picture
and get a biologist to look at it.”
Sheryl Fournier of Lowell, left, and her daughter Jocelyn
Fournier, who turned 12 yesterday, celebrate at Sully’s
Ice Cream in Chelmsford. SUN/JULIA MALAKIE
thirsty, replacing salts and
electrolytes with drinks like
Powerade and Gatorade,
wearing lightweight, lightcolored
and loose-fitting
clothing, and staying inside
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Drake warns that people
at the extremes of age, particularly
infants and those 65 or
older, and those with cardiac
disease should be “extemely
cautious” in the heat.