NORTH BROOKFIELD SELECTMEN NOTEBOOK

By Angela L. Zajac
Turley Publications Correspondent

NORTH BROOKFIELD - Tension was thick between Selectmen Mary Walter and Jason Petraitis at Tuesday night's Board of Selectmen meeting as progress was made with the agenda. 

Highlights included a presentation by Alan Hodder on the Wendemuth Meadow Update, new art for the Town Hall, playground vandalism, and a Quabaug Rubber lease impasse.
Hodder informed the board that the offer they made to turn Wendemuth Meadow into conservation land had failed. 
Laura Dusty, Leicester Middle School art teacher,  proposed the "summer art installation," funded by the grant she received from the local Cultural Council to do four different window displays at the Town Hall.  She wrote that she wanted to paint three windows with a "Quaboag Plantation 350th" patriotic theme. The board approved the project with the stipulation that someone be present while she is painting.
The board had been informed of playground vandalism that had occurred on the new tables purchased by Eagle Scout Kevin Hanson.  A petition had been passed around to start a "neighborhood watch" program and it had obtained 30 signatures. 

"I walk around this area all the time and pick up all the trash," recalled Chairman Robert Filipkowski. 
The board voted to approve this program pending agreement by the town's Police Department and Filipkowski agreed to speak to the Chief about it.
The board is working with the Downtown Development team Foyle and Harris to obtain the land around the new Police Department as a potential warehouse for the Quabaug Rubber Company. Filipkowski said, "this land is in a working, visible area and would improve the community greatly."  The board agreed to review this project and discuss it again in two weeks.
In administrative matters, the board agreed to change the caretaker of town clerk appointments from Brad Gannon back to James Black.
In new business, a guest will discuss grants available to the town at the Board of Selectmen's next meeting on July 20 at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center.