Neighbors communicated their concerns to the Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen regarding the safety of children and drivers at the 4-way intersection of Kenilworth Road and Edgewood Road. At present there are 2 stop signs for traffic flowing East and West on Kenilworth but no stop signs for traffic flowing North and South on Edgewood. The neighbors are asking for two additional STOP signs to be erected on Edgewood, estimated to cost under $200, a small expense to insure the safety of our children. Kenilworth to Westport to Hapgood or Monroe, is used a cut-though to Maple Ave in order to bypass …

Well, the 2012 election is in the history books. Anyone who stood out in the 40 degree weather through the cold drizzle the downpours and the dampness should be congratulated, regardless of their position. Everyone gave it their all.  I thank our team for their efforts. Our Campaign Chairman, Leo Feinstein, did a great job organizing and overseeing the entire operation. Our Treasurer, Charlie Garabedian made sure we “Lived Within Our Means”. Our Sign Captain, John Martin was outstanding, managing sign placement, replacing stolen and broken signs and herding cats. Our sign crew was out until …

The following letter was submitted by Selectman John Lebeaux: To the Editor: I support Shrewsbury Selectman Jim Kane’s re-election May 1st. Jim consistently speaks plainly, honestly and clearly; he doesn’t take facts and reinterpret them to benefit his political standing. Jim has regularly proven to be a hardworking, thoughtful selectman who works collaboratively, gaining the necessary consensus to convert good ideas into successful actions, helping secure Shrewsbury’s present and future best interests. He’s done this increasingly since his election, with his greatest success with the current…

To the Editor: We each strongly support and endorse the candidacy of Mindy McKenzie-Hebert for State Republican Committee Woman in the Second Worcester State Senatorial District. The election takes place in the Republican Presidential Primary on Tuesday March 6. All registered Republican and all Unenrolled (Independent) voters may vote in the Republican Primary. We believe the best government is achieved through the healthy discussion and debate that occurs from a balanced political process, not one that is dominated by any singular point of view. Presently the Massachusetts House of …

The Rotary Club of Shrewsbury would like to extend our appreciation to all who helped make the First Annual Death by Chocolate a huge success! We were pleased to present the Paton Playground Rebuild Project with a check for $7,000 representing 50 percent of the proceeds. Remaining proceeds will help fund Rotary community service programs such as 2nd Grade Literacy Day, St. Anne’s milk program, college scholarships, Senior community dinners and Shrewsbury Youth & Family Services (SYFS). This event would not have been possible without the generosity of our Chocolate Participants: Buca di Beppo…

Cheers spontaneously erupted and were undoubtedly heard throughout Central Massachusetts on Monday morning at approximately 10:56 a.m.—the exact moment that Ms. Wilkin joyfully announced during Paton Pride that the Paton School PTO has completed fundraising AND that the new playground will be installed this spring. That’s right… we’ve done it!! Together, through the hard work and dedication of so many—local businesses, community organizations, private donors, Shrewsbury families and the grassroots efforts of Paton students themselves –we raised just over $70,000 in less than 11 months. We …

The Shrewsbury school bus fees are a shameful tax on young families who must use the school buses to comply with State law. The school bus tax was unilaterally instituted, (without Town Meeting approval), by the school administration. It was done in response to a proposition 2-1/2 operational override being voted down at the polls.  Young families, who have little alternative to busing, must pay an unfunded mandate which is a selective and regressive tax. The school bus fee is a mandated tax because you must pay it to receive a government service, namely school transportation. It’s selective …

To the Editor: How has the Library Building Committee missed so many clues as to how the proposed 42,000 square foot library could be built considerably smaller and thereby a less costly project? Apple announced the iPad 18 months ago and they have sold more than 30 million iPads in this short timeframe. E-Books and e-readers like the iPad and the new Kindle Fire are changing the way the young and old are reading and learning. Town officials have not explained the e-books impact on the size of the library. Their focus has been on our $7.9 million state grant share only. The Amazon Kindle Fire…

I am shocked at the library ballot question “yes vote” argument that was just sent to all voters. The ballot question states, “If this vote fails, the state grant and private fund raising will not be available.”  This is not accurate. It misleads voters into believing that they must vote for the ballot question or lose the grant money. The Committee for a Smaller Library presented the truth at town meeting. State officials who issue and administer library construction grants have stated that you can vote "No" on Oct. 18 without any risk of losing the $7.9 million state grant. A "No" vote …

To the Editor: Town officials want to increase your taxes again! They want to spend $19.2 million [this is the TOTAL project cost, which includes private donations] to expand the library with an over-priced, over-sized public library project. They are planning a snap election on October 18 to pass a debt exclusion question. They are hoping for a low turnout on this special October ballot. Meanwhile, our sewer bills go up yet again this August. (In 5 years we will be paying an additional $300 a year on our sewer bills.) And soon after the Shrewsbury library project, the selectmen will be …

Shrewsbury Patch will cover the Oct. 18 special election, but will not be endorsing either side of the library building project. To see the ballot question, see the town clerk's special election warrant. Voters can vote yes or no for the Shrewsbury Public Library building project. Shrewsbury Patch is a community site. Though we will be writing our own articles leading up to the election, we encourage participation. Here are the ground rules for submissions: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Letters to the editor will be accepted from anyone for or against the issue. Letters must be signed and include a …

To the Editor: I am writing to express my great concern about the signs some residents have on their lawn opposing the library project. While I fully support everyone’s right to oppose any issue, I believe each of us must be ethical and responsible with that right. We should be honest and forthright in our positions. Many of the signs I currently see around town, whether professionally manufactured or hand drawn, contain inaccurate and untrue information. Here are just two examples. The library project is not a permanent override. It is temporary debt exclusion. A permanent override increases…

To the Editor: I am a stay-at-home mom and a resident of Shrewsbury. I am writing in support of the proposed library expansion project. I love the library. There is a wide range of programs and books for children. I am a happy and frequent patron, and yet I am not unaware of the problems. There is a serious lack of space in the children’s room, so much so that when my children were small and in a stroller, I found it difficult to even get there. We had to go down a tiny elevator that barely fit the stroller, let alone the rest of us; then into a hallway with hardly enough room to navigate the…

To the Editor, On Tuesday, Oct. 18 the voters of Shrewsbury have a significant opportunity and an important choice to make. Vote in favor of our library, taking advantage of a $7.9 million state grant and $1.75 million in private donations, or vote this down, thereby forcing the town to make over $6.4 million in infrastructure upgrades and necessary repairs which have been needed for a long time. This repair only option does not receive grant or donation money—taxpayers pay 100 percent of the total cost.  Our library is a busy place. Over 1,000 residents visit daily! We urge you to visit the …

To the Editor: Selectmen Maurice DePalo, Henry Fitzgerald, John Lebeaux, Moira Miller and I support the Shrewsbury Public Library renovation/addition project.  The “repair only” renovation to make required repairs is a terribly poor use of taxpayers’ dollars. It doesn’t address serious existing space and design issues. The renovation/addition project, which includes both a $7.9 million state grant and private donations, gives taxpayers the best bang for their buck. We reject claims that libraries are obsolete. Our library grows busier every year: items borrowed annually have grown 47 percent …

To the Editor, The Shrewsbury Public Library is at a crossroad. As the intellectual heart of our community, the library has been a vibrant resource and a welcoming refuge to the people of Shrewsbury. To witness the excitement of a child discovering the wonders of books or the comfort that a senior finds in the quiet solitude of reading a favorite novel, the library provides a home for all. Its success, however, has resulted in a serious dilemma that must now be addressed. We have outgrown our home. The recognition that our current facility had become inadequate both in size and resources has …

The Shrewsbury Public Library is a focal point in our community; a vibrant and welcoming place with an ideal location in the center of town. There is value for everyone in having a library that is current in its programming and able to meet the changing needs of our growing community. Unfortunately, this building has reached the end of its useful life and is plagued by leaks, unmanageable maintenance costs and accessibility issues. Shrewsbury has been approved to receive $7.96 million in state grant money to help build a new library. This money, coupled with private fundraising, will make our…

I am writing this letter on behalf of the hundreds of children who visit the Shrewsbury Public Library each week. They do not have the opportunity to vote, but would have the opportunity to benefit from your YES vote. I have lived in Shrewsbury my entire life, and I am so proud to call this town my home. When I was a little girl, I frequently visited the library. At that time, the children’s room was located in the Ward Annex. It was a small space, but it was above ground with many windows. I remember enjoying many happy times there. Now my granddaughter is frequently visiting the library and…

It has been a long and winding journey to address the many needs of our town library. The path to this library expansion project started way back in 1998 when JMA Consultants conducted a space utilization study that recommended “a greatly expanded library, in the 42,000-square-foot range, that meets the needs of this growing town and its children.” Now, more than 12 years later the town is being asked to approve an $18.47 library building project for a 42,000-square-foot renovation and addition to the library. 53 percent of the cost will be paid by a $7.96 million state grant along with …

As a strong library and library building project supporter, I wanted to extend my sincere thanks to John Martin and the campaign against the new library building. Their recent letter to residents, which I will discuss in depth in a moment, proves the fact that we really do need to vote YES on this project. I could write a page rebuttal to each of their bullet points, but I'm going to remain as brief as possible. Simply, their formal case for opposing the building is so riddled with inaccuracies (both in facts and grammar) that most people who stopped to think about it would realize how their …