WINCHESTER SCHOOL DISTRICT WARRANTS FOR 2009-2010

Hope you all have really deep pockets and some money left in your 401ks, you're going to need it if these articles are placed on the ballot and are voted in.

WINCHESTER SCHOOL DISTRICT WARRANTS FOR 2009-2010

To the inhabitants of the Town of Winchester in the County of Cheshire and the State of New Hampshire, qualified to vote in school affairs: You are thereby notified to meet at the Winchester Gymnasium at 7:00 PM on Thursday, February 5th, 2009, to consider the following articles in deliberative session, pursuant to RSA 40:13. The official voting of the business of the School District as determined at the deliberative session and the election of School District Officers will be held at the Winchester Town Hall on Tuesday, March 10th, 2008 with the polls open between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M.

ARTICLE ONE: Shall the Winchester School District raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the warrant or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purposes set forth therein, totaling $10,288,109? Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be $10,475,158, which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Winchester School District or by law or the
governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only. [NOTE: This operating budget warrant article does not include appropriations contained in ANY other warrant articles.]

ARTICLE TWO: Shall the voters of the Winchester School District adopt a School
Administrative Unit budget of $1,816,479 for the forthcoming fiscal year in which $258,279 is assigned to the school budget of this School District? This year's adjusted budget of $1,776,609, with $252,610 assigned to the school budget of this School District, will be adopted if the article does not receive a majority vote of all the school district voters voting in this School Administrative Unit. The operating budget for the SAU includes operating expenses for four school districts.

ARTICLE THREE: To see if the Winchester School District will vote to raise and appropriate “up to” $150,000 to be placed in the Special Education Expendable Trust Fund, with such amount to be funded from the June 30, 2009 unreserved fund balance
available for transfer on July 1, 2009? [NOTE: This article will not require any additional funds to be raised through general taxation.] The School Board recommends this article. The Budget Committee [does not] recommend this article.

ARTICLE FOUR: Shall the Winchester School District receive the reports of its agents, auditors, committees and officers?

ARTICLE FIVE: Are you in favor of re-opening Thayer High School starting in the 2009-2010 School year beginning with the freshman class and progressing one class per year until the Keene School District contract has expired? This will only take effect if the Keene School district is in agreement. (The current contract requires grades 9 thru 12.) By Petition

ARTICLE SIX: Shall the Winchester School District vote to transact any other business as may lawfully come before the meeting?

We deserve better from our leaders at the town hall!

The selectmen set the warrant articles for the budget, most voters respect the judgment of the selectmen when they go into the polling booth. Most votes see the warrant article has been approved by the selectmen most people will vote yes. Trusting the judgment of the selectmen. The past few years we have followed our leadership over a cliff. We trusting their judgment. Our tax rate for town government is steadily increasing. We were number one in the county in the year 2000 at $9.09. It steadily declined to $4.73 in 2004 about the time John Stetser took control, now it has steadily increased till we are now number 6th highest in the county at $7.01. This year in March we must use our good judgment in excepting what the selectmen approved.

The school budget shows the same trend. We went from 7th highest in the county in 2000 to the highest in 2007 at a tax rate of $17.13 and in 2008 we are the second highest behind Monadnock School at $16.22. Yes! We can not blame the leaders at the town hall for the school, but we can blame our budget committee for both budgets. Replace the people up for election this year with people with people that have an interest in saving our town from being the highest taxed community in the state.

The Winchester Residents deserve better from our elected leadership for what we are getting for our tax dollars.

The town doesn't look like it did one year ago. We have two tools here in place now. One: the winchesterinformer.com keeps asking hard important questions, where is the accountability for our tax dollars. Two: The people should keep posting their concerns on the winchesterinformer. It is having an affect on our town government toward being more accountable.

RECYCLING CENTER ISSUES

The Informer has received the following email from a concerned Winchester citizen in regards to a problem they observed at the Town recycling center due to lack of employee attention.

I have been to the dump on Saturday and today. I thought that we were supposed to be recycling. Both days the attendant was in the shed and people unloaded any kind of rubbish from pickup trucks and put it into the container. On Saturday , my husband asked about why trash was not separated and did not get a satisfactory answer. I wonder how many citizens are doing this with no regard to the cost to the town. Perhaps you could ask the select people why they are not monitoring this situation as it is costing us money.



Thanks for your help.

This person is absolutely right. By not properly disposing of your trash, it costs us all more money when these containers have to be gone through by the disposal company to remove recyclables that were thrown into them instead of the proper bins the town supplies just for this purpose. Are we just too lazy to do this or is it a case of lack of supervision by the center's employees and an attitude of "I just don't care " by those who circumvent the centers spirit of recycling? In any case this is a matter that needs to be addressed by the BOS and anyone who sees this happening should report the person doing this by simply taking down a plate number and making a complaint at Town Hall ..

"Are you in favor of decreasing the board of selectmen to 3 members?'' pursuant to RSA 656:13.

One way to correct the direction our town has been taken in, is to start over with our elected officials; the Selectmen. If the voters agree; According to RSA 41:8-d, we can petition the voters to rescind our previous action of increasing the board to 5 Selectmen and reduce it to 3 Selectmen by petition.
According to RSA41 8-e: If a town votes to decrease its board to 3 members, at the annual meeting following the meeting at which it so voted, the terms of office of all members of the Board of Selectmen shall end and the town shall elect 3 new members to the Board of Selectmen. We can vote to start over and any selectmen would have to rerun for the office. This would be the first step to regaining control of our town an insuring that Winchester would become a town of it's people, governed in a manner in which everyone had a voice and those voices would be heard. No more " we'll take it under advisement, thank you for your comments" and then nothing is done. It's time to elect officials who will listen and then act on the concerns of it's citizens. What say thee?

For those who question the legality of this issue .. we'll go one step farther.

41:8-d Revocation. – A town which has voted to enlarge its board of selectmen may rescind its action in the manner described in RSA 41:8-b, except that the question shall read: "Are you in favor of decreasing the board of selectmen to 3 members?''

and pursuant to RSA 656:13.

41:8-e Effective Date and Manner of Increase or Decrease. – If a town votes to enlarge or to decrease its board of selectmen the change does not take effect in either case until the first annual meeting following the meeting at which the questions were acted upon. If the town votes to enlarge the board to 5 members, at the first annual meeting following the meeting when the action was taken the town shall elect 2 members for a 3-year term and one member for a one-year term. At the next succeeding annual meeting 2 members shall be elected for a 3-year term, at the next following annual meeting one member shall be elected for a 3-year term, and at succeeding annual meetings members shall be elected to fill the vacancies regularly occurring. If a town votes to decrease its board to 3 members, at the annual meeting following the meeting at which it so voted, the terms of office of all members of the board of selectmen shall end and the town shall elect 3 members of the board of selectmen, one for one year, one for 2 years, one for 3 years and at all succeeding annual meetings shall elect a member to the board for a 3-year term.

Selectman want to add another $3,641,817.00 to budget spending

Here are the final BOS Warrant Articles to be place on the 2009 ballot. In a time when every area town and the state is cutting back expenses and laying some employees off, our town's elected official continue on with the status quo of adding more expenditures to an already over bloated budget. Are they really working for us the taxpayer and the best interest of Winchester? You be the judge ...

$ WARRANT ARTICLES APPROVED BY THE BOS $

ARTICLE 1 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Three Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,400,000.00) for the purpose of preparing plans and specifications, and for the reconstruction of the Winchester Wastewater Treatment Plant, that will qualify the Town for federal and state funds, such sum to be raised by serial bonds and notes, under and in compliance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act (NHRSA 33:1 et seq as amended) and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes, to determine the interest rate thereon, and to take such actions as may be necessary to effect the issuance, negotiation, sale and delivery of such bonds or notes as shall be in the best interest of the Town of Winchester; and further to authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply for, accept, and expend grants, donations, and gifts, and to participate in the State Revolving Fund, established pursuant to RSA 486:14? To be enacted, this article requires a 3/5 vote. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0. [If passed, taxation will not be impacted by this appropriation until 1 year after the completion of this project in 2012]

ARTICLE 2 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $40,000.00 for the Town’s share of State road grant reconstruction costs for bridges and place it in the non-lapsing Capital Reserve Fund established at the March 2006 Town Meeting under Article 19 for that purpose? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE 3 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $28,677.00 to be placed in the Capital Reserve Fund established under Article 16 at the 2006 Town Meeting for the purpose of performing the assessing update or revaluation of the real estate in the Town of Winchester scheduled for 2009-2010? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

ARTICLE 4 To see if the Town will raise and appropriate $24,800.00 as the fourth of five lease-to-purchase payments for the 2004 International dump truck, plow, and sander package? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

ARTICLE 5 To see if the Town will vote to establish a Capital Reserve Account under the provisions of RSA 35:1 III for the purpose of future upgrades and/or purchase of the town’s computers and networking system, and to raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to be placed in this fund with the Board of Selectmen being the agent of said fund? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE 6 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $15,000.00 for promoting commercial and industrial development in the Town, and name the Board of Selectmen as agents to expend said funds? This is to be a non-lapsing account. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE 7 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to be placed in the Police Cruiser Capital Reserve Fund established in 2006 at the Town Meeting under Article 14? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0. Budget recommendation?

ARTICLE 8 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $18,340.00 to payoff frozen sick time for Town employees? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE 9 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000.00 to hire a professional firm to prepare an impact fee schedule? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE 10 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $6,000.00 to support the annual Pickle Festival? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

ARTICLE 11 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate an amount not to exceed $18,000.00 to be deposited in the Evergreen Expendable General Care Trust Fund established by an affirmative vote by the 1998 Town Meeting as Article 11; the source of these funds to be withdrawn from the surplus generated by the perpetual care funds already established for the care and maintenance of lots within the Evergreen cemetery, and not from taxation. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

ARTICLE 12 To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of $50,000.00 for the purpose of subsidizing youth recreation in the Town to be paid to the E.L.M. Memorial Community Center on a contractual basis? Inserted by Petition. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE 13 Are you in favor of raising and appropriating the sum of Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) for the support of The Winchester Learning Center, provided that the Winchester Learning Center raises an equal or greater amount from other sources? Inserted by Petition. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 3-0, with 2 abstentions.

ARTICLE 14 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate up to $10,000.00 to reimburse the trust fund for the purchase a new boiler for the Conant Public Library? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

Shocking new! More Warrant Articles by the Selectmen.

ASK YOURSELF! ARE THESE PEOPLE FOR REAL? Pay off frozen sick time? What the Hell is this. We just paid off John Gomarlo over $5,000.00 for frozen comp days. Are we Morgan Stanley Dean Witter or something? You either take them or lose them. Tell the selectmen to stuff this one.

Subject: 2 additional and 1 revisited $..........

1. Warrant Article ARTICLE 8 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of$18,340.00 to payoff frozen sick time for Town employees? (was$14,500.00) Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

2.ARTICLE 14 Are you in favor of raising and appropriating the sum of SixThousand Dollars ($6,000.00) for the support of The Winchester Learning Center, provided that the Winchester Learning Center raises an equal or greater amount from other sources? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 3-0, with 2 abstentions.

3.ARTICLE 15 To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate up to$10,000.00 to reimburse the trust fund for the purchase a new boiler for the Conant Public Library? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

Do you think it is time to return our children back to our schools

WARRANT ARTICLES APPROVED BY THE BO$

We guess the BO$ thinks Santa is going to be bringing all of us brand new wallets filled with crisp new $100.00 bills. On top of all of the budget increases and raises they've laden the new budget with, now they expect us to fork over more money. We guess they really don't get it ...... These articles will be discussed on January 13th, at the town hall, the public is invited, so be sure to attend and let them know how you feel.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $28,677.00 to be placed in the Capital Reserve Fund established under Article 16 at the 2006 Town Meeting for the purpose of performing the assessing update or revaluation of the real estate in the Town of Winchester scheduled for 2009-2010? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will raise and appropriate $24,800.00 as the forth of five lease-to-purchase payments for the 2004 International dump truck, plow, and sander package? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate an amount not to exceed $18,000.00 to be deposited in the Evergreen Expendable General Care Trust Fund established by an affirmative vote by the 1998 Town Meeting as Article 11; the source of these funds to be withdrawn from the surplus generated by the perpetual care funds already established for the care and maintenance of lots within the Evergreen cemetery, and not from taxation. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $6,000.00 to support the annual Pickle Festival? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 5-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to be placed in the Police Cruiser Capital Reserve Fund established in 2006 at the Town Meeting under Article 14? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $5,000.00 to hire a professional firm to prepare an impact fee schedule? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $14,500.00 to payoff frozen sick time for Town employees? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to establish a Capital Reserve Account under the provisions of RSA 35:1 III for the purpose of future upgrades and/or purchase of the town’s computers and networking system, and to raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to be placed in this fund with the Board of Selectmen being the agent of said fund? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $15,000.00 for promoting commercial and industrial development in the Town, and name the Board of Selectmen as agents to expend said funds? This is to be a non-lapsing account. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will raise and appropriate the sum of $50,000.00 for the purpose of subsidizing youth recreation in the Town to be paid to the E.L.M. Memorial Community Center on a contractual basis? Inserted by Petition. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $40,000.00 for the Town’s share of State road grant reconstruction costs for bridges and place it in the non-lapsing Capital Reserve Fund established at the March 2006 Town Meeting under Article 19 for that purpose? Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

ARTICLE___ To see if the Town will vote to authorize the expenditure of payments from the Ambulance Outside Activity Fund for the lease/purchase of a new 2009 ambulance? The cost of the ambulance will be $35,000.00 per year for a term of 5 years. The lease/purchase contract does contain a non-appropriations clause. This expenditure will not come from taxation. Recommended by the Board of Selectmen, 4-0.

12 approved Warrants $221,977.00 (not including ambulance-$35,000.00)


... and here's some more they have been discussing..

ARTICLE ..... Shall the Town vote to discontinue Hawkins Road? Hawkins is classified as a V road. It’s really a driveway with one resident, which the Town should not have to maintain. Selectman Whippie makes a motion to recommend this Warrant Article, and notify the owner and abutters. Selectman Berthiaume seconds the motion and it passes 5-0.

ARTICLE ..... Shall the Town vote to discontinue the Class 6 portion of Fullam Pond Road? Fullam Pond is classified as a VI road. The abutter of this location would like to discontinue the umaintained portion because recreational vehicles access his property from Old Chesterfield. The Town would no longer own or maintain this road. Selectman Whippie makes a motion to recommend this Warrant Article, and let the abutter have this portion. Selectman Ruth seconds the motion and it passes 5-0.

ARTICLE ..... Shall the Town vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 36-A:4-a, I(b) to authorize the conservation commission to expend funds for contributions to ‘qualified organizations’ for the purchase of property interests, or facilitating transactions related thereto, where the property interest is to be held by the qualified organization and the Town will retain no interest in the property? Selectman Ruth, Chairman of the Conservation Commission explains that a lot of towns have been donating to outside interests to purchase development rights of properties. The purpose is to preserve open space. The Conservation Commission is authorized to give money for Winchester properties, but not for land outside the town. Members of the Board are concerned with the terms “qualified organizations” and lack of taxation for non-profits, and giving other towns the opportunity to purchase Winchester property. The Board will not place this Article on the Warrant. The Board would like to see if other towns put this on their Warrant, and if it passes. This is a new law effective January 1, 2009.

ARTICLE ..... Shall the Town vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 36-A:4-a, I(a) to authorize the conservation commission to expend funds to purchase interests in land outside the boundaries of our municipality, subject to the approval of the local governing body? The Board feels comfortable with this proposal because the BOS can authorize expenditures, and the Town would acquire interest in the property. Selectman Berthiaume makes a motion to recommend this Warrant Article. Selectman Fraser seconds the motion and it passes 5-0.

ARTICLE..... To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $50,000.00 to be placed in the Fire Department Capital Reserve Fund, for the purpose of purchasing new fire apparatus, as established under Article 21 at the 2005 Annual Meeting? The BOS discussed this last week and agreed not to put on the Warrant. Fire Chief Barry Kellom spoke with Bob Gray and is asking the Board to reconsider. After review, the BOS are still not in favor, and the article is stricken from the Warrant.

ARTICLE ..... To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $30,000.00 to purchase 5 new Scott Air Packs for the Fire Department? The Fire Department has approximately 25 working air packs, but most are older models (1994), which are heavy. The BOS agrees that at some point these packs should be replaced, but the money should come from his budget. The suggestion is made that Barry purchase new air packs (April 2009), based on the funds available at the end of this year. The Board will not place this Article on the

Department Budgets for Fiscal Year 2009 - 2010

We have published 99% of the new budget figures proposed by the Board of Selectmen and approved by the Budget Committee on our main web site. As more information becomes available and verified, we will update the figures. While some departments did see a small decrease, mostly because some bonuses were cut, once again most saw increases, despite the fact that we are in a deep recession and people are losing their jobs, their homes and are struggling just to put food on the table. You can find the new figures by clicking on the "Town Budget" link at the top on the Winchester Informer Home Page. It's a disgrace that our town's elected officials can't find some common sense and some fiscal responsibility and think of those who rely on their prudence.

Money to burn! Pre-buying of town heating oil!

It will cost us all more tax dollars to keep our town employees and the school warm this winter because of a poor judgment call by our selectmen. On Sept. 3rd when the town selectmen chose to except a bid from Barrows Coal Co. of Brattleboro, Vt for 50,000 gals of #2 fuel oil @ $3.919/gal at a cost of $197,125.70 and 1,000 gals of kerosene @ $4.449/gal at a cost of $4449.00, leading economist were predicting a fall in oil prices due to instability of the market and the increasing bad economy. Even if the selectmen missed these reports, it had been brought to their attention and our selectmen refused the advise of our town adviser, John Gomarlo. John warned the selectmen to hold off on pre-pay decision for another few weeks to see how much more the price would drop; but the selectmen refused to listen to him. Their hasty action has cost us tax payers, $70,759.70 at today's spot market prices of $2.55. Not a very wise decision to say the least.

Employees Cost Town Too Much !!

The Informer has learned through two anonymous sources that the annual cost of 23 full time Winchester town employees for this fiscal year, not counting overtime or reimbursement for gas and mileage allowance will be over 1.3 million dollars. That's right, their gross wages,clothing and shoe allowance,health benefits,retirement and other compensation is costing us nearly half of the town's budget. This does not include the part time employees working for the town of Winchester. How does that make you feel as you struggle to come up with this year's property tax payment or the money to put food on your table or buy fuel oil.

Is it time to return to 3 elected selectmen?

Posted by Budget Committee Member Bob Davis; Is it time to go back to a 3 selectmen board? After having a long discussion with one selectmen about the fact that they are forgetting who's money it is they are spending and that the selectmen have a responsibility to provide a prudent and reasonable fiscal accountability of the budgeting of our tax dollars, I came away shaking my head. It was like talking to a wall. They continue to add more pork to the dept. budgets with more wasteful spending. Why? Is it in case we vote for a default budget in March that these increases will make next years default budget much larger? The selectmen have approved budget increase in every dept. and passed them to the budget committee to approve. This budget committee refuses to be realistic and has only cut out some increases and has more or less approved the selectman's increases. As a member of the budget committee, I have voiced the tax payer concerns we have received here on the blog and on the numerous phone calls I have received, at our meetings, warning other board members that the tax payers have no stomach for more tax increases. However; my voice has fallen on deaf ears and I received foolish smirks and laughter from certain committee members, who seem to not care how the public feels. The voice of the people will be heard in March when we organizes a "get out the vote" at the next deliberative session. We will take back "our town"!
We can not be concerned about what services will be cut or what hours are to be cut at town hall as they threaten us if we do, let them figure it out.

The selectmen and the budget committee refuses to listen to the tax payers. As some of us see it Gus Ruth, Ted Whippie and Sherman Tedford in the way they have acted as a voting block to give the town employees wage increase way above the average for this area.

Please inform us more about what is going on in Ashuelot Village.

We received this comment in the Guest Book and we think it is important enough to be a post on the blog. If something is going on and you feel it is of interest to others, please e-mail us at winchesterinformer@gmail.com

Really fed up said: November 10th, 2008 12:04 pm
You thing this stuff is wrong, you might want to start paying attention to what the historical commission is up to and how much they will cost tax payers and private home owners if some one doesn't start paying attention to what they are up to, a few peoples personal opinions ( Ted Whippie & Dan Carr)are being forced onto entire neighborhoods (Ashuelot Village) People really need to inform themselves on whats going on behind the scenes

False Information and Wasting our Time?

We have been accused of doing the town a great disservice by Johnp, a very disgruntled Winchester resident who has accused us of posting false information and wasting our time because no one in Winchester cares about anything we post. Below is Johnp's post on the Forum board .. comments are welcome; but please keep them civil.

November 6, 2008 11:36 AM
Hello to whom ever it concerns! I just thought I would congradulate the owner of this blog site as being the biggest donater of false statements to the people of winchester. Keep up the good work. To bad you dont include your identity so we can come laff at you to your face. Everyone knows how ya must hide here in a blog, good job! Sure hope ya run for a office with all this info, that would even be more fun. Yes I find this lots of fun just to type to ya. Bet ya dont post this one Ha Ha! So keep up the goood work that has taken up so much of your time thatno one will ever read and continue doing what ya are doing it will only hurt your self and no one else in the town will give ya the time of day. Sure hope ya are realy proud of what you are doing, I know I am proud to know, thanks to ya very lame blogging as to what not to do. Again thanks for for showing me how not to be. I know my chain of command very well and when it comes time fix something I know where to go and who to ask and it surely wont be at this very lame approch ya have here. When it comes to town affairs ya have get of your computer chair ,walk out the door, go to town meetings,ask questions, and last but least make real attempts in getting to real truth, gossip and rummers get ya no where! Real invloved winchester residents get to real answers, no real involovement gets no real truth. I have spent litteraly thousands of ours asking questions and how to get things fixed none of my time has been wasted at all. How much time has been wasted here. how many things have ya fixed for winchester here . I thought so! those answers are ya have gained no ground at all . What a real waste of time.
So again keep up the good work and keep showing us all a good time

We need more town employees like Rick Meleski!

Here is a town employee that cares about "our town"! Rick saved us thousands of dollars when he raised the manhole covers on main street this year. Dale Gray insisted the work was to be put out for bids claiming his crew shouldn't do the work because they do not know how. Budget Committee Member Bob Davis visited a crew raising the lids in Keene and took pictures of how simple of an operation it was to raise the lids. Giving the pictures to Ken Berthiaume helped convince the selectmen to talk to Rick Meleski who said he could do the job saving us thousands. You do not hear this from other town employees.

I am convinced we should have one employee like Rick Meleski in charge of the sewer, water and highway dept. Our budget is out of control and full of unnecessary, wasteful spending. The highway superintendent job should be an elected position. We need support to do this. WinchesterInformer.com will be circulating a petition to make the highway superintendent an elected position please support us and sign it.

The following is from the BOS minutes Oct 15:

Rick Meleski would like to assist the Highway Department with plowing this winter. The current water operator Ric Brooks does not have his CDLB to operate the loader. Ric Brooks needs experience and training in order to operate the town truck. Selectman Ruth has no problem with Rick Meleski assisting the department as long as it does not interfere with his job at the sewer plant. Selectman Berthiaume discusses using local people (contractors) who might like the work, as a backup alternative since Rick is unavailable 3 mornings a week. Selectman Fraser makes a motion to approve Rick Meleski’s plowing for the Highway Department this winter as long as it does not interfere with his job, and Ric Brooks is trained by next winter to plow in his stead. Selectman Whippie seconds the motion and it passes 4-0.