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Tewksbury

State Fire Academy graduates 86 new firefighters

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STOW — Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Jon Davine and Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Director Jeffrey Winn presented certificates of completion to 86 firefighters representing 43 departments in three graduating classes during the first week of November.

Among them included three graduates in the Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class #315, who are heading to the Tewksbury Fire Department; Taylor Brothers, Andrew Zampitella, and Caitlin Callahan. The three graduated Nov. 3 at the Mass. Department of Fire Services’ headquarters in Stow.

In addition to Tewksbury, the 35 members of Class #315 represent the fire departments of Ashland, Attleboro, Beverly, Concord, Fitchburg, Harwich, Haverhill, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marlboro, Methuen, Orleans, Revere, Seekonk, and Weston.

Three other graduates from the area completed Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Class #108; they included two graduates joining the Tyngsboro Fire Dept., Troy Marcinkewich and Jake Pelletier; one to the Ayer Fire Dept., Cory Prehl; and and one to the Townsend Fire Dept., Jason Borneman. They graduated Nov. 2, also at the headquarters in Stow.

The 26 members of Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Class #108 also represent the fire departments of Boxboro, Carlisle, Dunstable, Holliston, Hopedale, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Oxford, Sutton, Upton, West Boylston, and Weston.

Guests included state officials from Fire Services, members of the state Fire Training Council, city and town officials, recruits’ family members, and local fire chiefs.

(Courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services)

The 35 members of Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class #315 represent the fire departments of Ashland, Attleboro, Beverly, Concord, Fitchburg, Harwich, Haverhill, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marlborough, Methuen, Orleans, Revere, Seekonk, Tewksbury, and Weston. They graduated on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 at the state Fire Services headquarters in Stow. (COURTESY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE SERVICES)
The 35 members of Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class #315 represent the fire departments of Ashland, Attleboro, Beverly, Concord, Fitchburg, Harwich, Haverhill, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marlborough, Methuen, Orleans, Revere, Seekonk, Tewksbury, and Weston. They graduated on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 at the state Fire Services headquarters in Stow. (COURTESY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE SERVICES)
From left, firefighter graduates Troy Marcinkewich and Jake Pelletier will be working at the Tyngsboro Fire Department after graduating Nov. 2, 2023 at the Mass. Dept. of Fire Services' headquarters in Stow. (COURTESY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE SERVICES)
From left, firefighter graduates Troy Marcinkewich and Jake Pelletier will be working at the Tyngsboro Fire Department after graduating Nov. 2, 2023 at the Mass. Dept. of Fire Services’ headquarters in Stow. (COURTESY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE SERVICES)
Firefighter graduate Cory Prehl will be working at the Ayer Fire Department after graduating Nov. 2, 2023 at the Mass. Dept. of Fire Services' headquarters in Stow. (COURTESY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE SERVICES)
Firefighter graduate Cory Prehl will be working at the Ayer Fire Department after graduating Nov. 2, 2023 at the Mass. Dept. of Fire Services’ headquarters in Stow. (COURTESY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE SERVICES)
Firefighter graduate Jason Borneman will be working at the Townsend Fire Department after graduating Nov. 2, 2023 at the Mass. Dept. of Fire Services' headquarters in Stow. (COURTESY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE SERVICES)
Firefighter graduate Jason Borneman will be working at the Townsend Fire Department after graduating Nov. 2, 2023 at the Mass. Dept. of Fire Services’ headquarters in Stow. (COURTESY MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE SERVICES)

Duxbury mother accused of killing her 3 kids held without bail, committed to psychiatric care

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A Plymouth Superior Court judge has found Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury mother accused of strangling her three children to death earlier this year, “at imminent risk for self-harm” and ordered her held without bail and committed to psychiatric care at Tewksbury Hospital for a six-month period.

“It is my opinion that she does require ongoing psychiatric hospitalization,” Dr. Karin Towers, a forensic psychiatrist retained by the court, testified during Clancy’s Superior Court arraignment Thursday morning. Towers said she had examined Clancy earlier that morning and found the defendant presented with a flat affect and reported “unbearable depression and trouble getting through each day,” feelings of worthlessness and regular suicidal ideation.

Judge William F. Sullivan was convinced and ordered Clancy held without bail and committed to Tewksbury Hospital for an extended six-month stay without the need for monthly evaluations. The arraignment was held in Tewksbury Hospital via Zoom video teleconferencing. Clancy could not be seen in the video.

Sullivan set the next court date for Dec. 15.

Clancy, 33, is accused of strangling her three children with exercise bands in the basement of their home at 47 Summer St. in Duxbury the night of Jan. 24 before jumping out of a window in an apparent suicide attempt. Investigative affidavits filed in a lower court and released Tuesday indicated she also cut her wrists and neck before jumping from the second-floor window.

On Thursday, prosecutor Jennifer Sprague cast doubt to the seriousness of Clancy’s suicide attempt and described the cuts as rather superficial. She also laid out arguments to head off any defense regarding diminished responsibility due to Clancy not being of sound mind at the time of the homicides.

Sprague said that notes on Clancy’s phone and in notebooks found at the house document her life and the lives of her children, but in these writings she always appears to know who she is, where she is and describes “no hallucinations or delusions.” While the writings do allegedly include suicidal or homicidal ideations, Sprague said, these disappear following her stay at the beginning of January at McLean Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Belmont.

Clancy was prescribed a medley of medications, Sprague said, and was taking three regularly by the night in question. Bloodwork examined after the alleged killings showed several medications in her system, though Sprague argued that the majority of these were in safe, therapeutic doses and the one that was found at a higher dose, Seroquel, is an antipsychotic and thus should diminish and not cause a likelihood of a violent outburst.

Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, said that he was at the house and “was able to see the blood that was on the floor, on the wall, on the windowpane” from his client’s wounds and dismissed out of hand Sprague’s argument that it was just some “dinky cut,” as what he saw reminded him more of “arterial spray.”

What Reddington saw in the house, he said, was evidence “in every room” of deep family love, with happy photos of the family and signs of the children’s creative output and education dotting the home.

Judge William F. Sullivan, center, listens as Plymouth Assistant DA Jennifer Sprague speaks during the Superior Court arraignment of Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury mother accused of killing her three kids, held via Zoom from Tewksbury Hospital on Thursday morning. Clancy's defense attorney Kevin Reddington listens from the far right of the screen. (Screengrab / Plymouth Superior Court)
Judge William F. Sullivan, center, listens as Plymouth Assistant DA Jennifer Sprague speaks during the Superior Court arraignment of Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury mother accused of killing her three kids, held via Zoom from Tewksbury Hospital on Thursday morning. Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington listens from the far right of the screen. (Screengrab / Plymouth Superior Court)

The Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation carrying on family’s giving back legacy

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LANCASTER — The Carr siblings are continuing their mission to do good in the community through the foundation they created in their late parents’ names as a way to carry on their giving back and selfless legacies.

Since they launched The Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation, Inc. in 2019 the four siblings — BethAnne Arnold of Shirley, David Carr of Lancaster, Joseph Carr of Lowell, and Michelle Harris of Sterling — along with a legion of dedicated volunteers have packed and distributed 1,250 holiday food baskets to those in need in the greater region.

Lancaster residents Kristin Titus (left) and Emily Kerrigan were all smiles at the Leominster Eagles Club on Dec. 17 while helping to assemble the 600 Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation holidays baskets that were delivered last month to people in 21 towns and cities across Worcester and Middlesex counties. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)
Lancaster residents Kristin Titus (left) and Emily Kerrigan were all smiles at the Leominster Eagles Club on Dec. 17 while helping to assemble the 600 Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation holiday food baskets that were delivered last month to people in 21 towns and cities across Worcester and Middlesex counties. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)

“Like any siblings, we have our moments, but there isn’t anyone else I’d want to work alongside with our spouses and children,” David Carr said of his family and their altruistic efforts.

One hundred volunteers of all ages lent a helping hand at the Dec. 17 food baskets assembly at the Leominster Eagles Club and another 100 volunteers delivered the 600 baskets, which included a full turkey dinner with all the sides, to people in 21 towns and cities across Worcester and Middlesex counties — up from 350 baskets last year, 200 in 2020, the year they officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and 100 the first year.

Two hundred of the December baskets went to Clinton, Leominster and Fitchburg. On Dec. 18, 100 volunteers participated in assembling another 50 food baskets and delivered them across the Merrimack Valley out of Butler Middle School in Lowell.

“There are always some hiccups but generally speaking we’ve got it down to a science, and that is why we felt comfortable expanding to a second location this year in Lowell,” David Carr said of how this season’s efforts went, adding that their family grew up in Tewksbury so they “wanted an opportunity to expand in that area.”

The Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation expanded its annual holiday food baskets outreach efforts this season to Lowell, where 100 volunteers assembled and delivered 50 baskets across the Merrimack Valley out of Butler Middle School last month. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)
The Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation expanded its annual holiday food baskets outreach efforts this season to Lowell, where 100 volunteers assembled and delivered 50 baskets across the Merrimack Valley out of Butler Middle School last month. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)

Their father Joseph Carr started a similar food baskets program with the Medford Rotary Club more than 40 years ago that still operates today, “so there is some legacy in there for us,” he said of what inspires them.

“There are a half million people in Massachusetts that don’t know where their next meal is going to come from, including one out of every 11 children,” David Carr shared about some staggering statistics. “That resonates with each of us. More than half of the families in the U.S. live paycheck to paycheck. So many of us are one accident or diagnosis or job loss away from not being able to cover basic costs, so providing food allows folks to spend money in other areas.”

When asked what the reaction typically is from recipients of the food baskets, David Carr said that they were “overwhelmed by the responses this year,” which came via email, Facebook message, and mail.

“We received more this year than in all the other years combined,” he said. “We don’t do this for the reaction, but it sure is nice to hear we’re doing the right thing.”

Cassidy DiSalle of Princeton (left) and Jackson Harris of Sterling, the son of Carr sibling Michelle Harris, helped pack up the 600 Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation holidays baskets that were delivered in December to people in 21 towns and cities across Worcester and Middlesex counties. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)
Cassidy DiSalle of Princeton (left) and Jackson Harris of Sterling, the son of Carr sibling Michelle Harris, helped pack up the 600 Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation holiday food baskets that were delivered in December to people in 21 towns and cities across Worcester and Middlesex counties. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)

Beyond the 600 food baskets for Christmas, this year the foundation sponsored over 30 meals at WHEAT in Clinton, supported food banks in Clinton and Chelmsford, donated thousands of diapers to a diaper bank in Lowell, provided car seats and pack n plays for shelters in Lawrence and backpacks for children in Leominster, and scholarships to students in Lancaster, Sterling, and Shirley.

“We are only able to do to his because of the kindness and generosity of friends, neighbors and strangers alike,” David Carr humbly said. “We are excited for what happens in 2023.”

When it comes to the future plans and goals for the foundation, he said that they plan to continue supporting those in need across Worcester and Middlesex counties. One of the ways they fundraise in order to do that is through a yearly 5K that has grown exponentially since the first one in 2020.

Eden Corey of Lancaster was one of hundreds of volunteers of all ages who helped assemble and deliver 600 holiday food baskets through The Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation to people in 21 towns and cities across Worcester and Middlesex counties last month. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)
Eden Corey of Lancaster was one of hundreds of volunteers of all ages who helped assemble and deliver 600 holiday food baskets through The Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation to people in 21 towns and cities across Worcester and Middlesex counties last month. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)

Last year’s race sold out in three weeks and as of press time, over 230 runners are already registered for the 3rd Annual Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation Shamrock 5K on March 11 at Sterling Street Brewery in Clinton. Registration before Feb. 1 is $35, before March 1 is $40, and $45 on or after March 1.

Each runner will receive a branded gift from the Carr Foundation, a free beer after the race, will be eligible for randomly drawn raffle prizes, and there will be cash prizes for the winners in each age bracket and best costume.

They also have two other big fundraisers later this year – the 2nd Annual Nashoba Rock N Brewfest at the Lancaster Fairgrounds in June and the 4th annual Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation Golf Tournament in September, which is typically held at Trull Brook Golf Course in Tewksbury.

David Carr said those events last year plus their “relationship” with Christmas on Runaway in Lancaster, which collects funds for the Carr Foundation at their popular lights display and show, made 2022 their “best year of fundraising yet,” enabling them to distribute more baskets and expand their reach.

Colin Pagington (left) and Brendan Brunelle of Lancaster were part of the legion of volunteers who assembled and distributed 600 holiday food baskets through The Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation last month. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)
Colin Pagington (left) and Brendan Brunelle of Lancaster were part of the legion of volunteers who assembled and distributed 600 holiday food baskets through The Joseph and Leslie Carr Foundation last month. (COURTESY LILLY TAMMIK)

“We have been very lucky to feel the love from friends, neighbors, and strangers alike via donations of both time and financial support,” David Carr said. “We will continue to fundraise to support those efforts.”

When asked how he thinks their parents would feel about he and his siblings’ efforts carried out in their names and what they would say, he didn’t hesitate to share that “our parents were already proud of us.”

“They were good people, we like to think they raised good people. It seems cliché, but our parents hoped that we one day would leave our homes, communities, and world a better place. This is our attempt to try.”

Jenny Raitt brings listening skills, track record to NMCOG

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LOWELL — In the alphabet soup of local, state and federal agencies, perhaps only the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments has a key role defined as that of convener, which is government speak for listening, engaging and collaborating.

NMCOG is one of 13 regional planning agencies within the commonwealth, and serves the communities of Lowell, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Pepperell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro and Westford.

Since her July appointment as the new executive director of the public organization, Jenny Raitt has been doing a lot of convening, holding listening sessions with all nine of NMCOG’s partner communities.

On Tuesday, she held a listening session with Lowell leadership, including City Manager Tom Golden, Director of Planning and Development and Assistant City Manager Christine McCall, and others. City Councilor Daniel Rourke is a member of the NMCOG board, which is made up of three members of each community: a chief elected official, a planning board member and an alternate.

Projects that the agency has worked on previously have included the widening of Route 3, the creation of the Bruce Freeman Trail and the creation of the Nashua River Trail in Pepperell and Dunstable.

As the previous director for planning and community development for Arlington, Raitt managed a $2.5 million budget and several grant programs including the Community Development Block Grant. She implemented the town’s Master Housing Plan, the Arts and Culture Action Plan, Net Zero Action Plan, Connect Arlington Sustainable Transportation Plan and the town’s 2022 Housing Plan.

In an exclusive interview, The Sun sat down with Raitt at her Church Street offices to discuss NMCOG’s role, her goals for the agency and insight into how the organization can build on its work over the past six decades.

SUN: What’s your “elevator pitch” for what NMCOG does?

RAITT: We’re a regional planning agency on a suite of issues, such as transportation, economic development, housing, environmental planning and municipal services for the Greater Lowell area. But our main purpose is to support our partner communities. We are the go-to place where local leaders can learn about and get the tools they need to take next steps for their projects. That’s absolutely what the agency can do and has done.

SUN: What is your background for this work?

RAITT: I graduated UMass Amherst with a major in urban planning and documentary studies, and from the New School in New York with a master’s in nonprofit management and urban policy. In addition to other positions, I served as the director for the department of planning and community development in the town of Arlington for the previous 6 ½ years.

SUN: What has changed since you were in school?

RAITT: My whole trajectory has been local housing, community development and planning. But I think the difference between school work and real-world work is how you get things done.

The most important “how” part is co-creating and inviting other people to the process to be a stakeholder in the work. And that’s what I’m looking to do here both internally, and as we grow and evolve in our work in the region.

SUN: What hasn’t changed since you were in school?

RAITT: What hasn’t changed is that a lot of our laws, such as zoning, programs and rules are still the same, for better or worse. And in some cases, I think there could be changes that would better reflect the future that we all want to have, and frankly, could better reflect the role of a regional planning agency. Having regions working together is really critical in light of those challenges.

SUN: In your listening sessions, what common themes are you hearing?

RAITT: I’m still working my way through the communities, but definitely infrastructure such as water, sewer and transportation. I think of environmental issues as being part of infrastructure, which we need to think about it as being resilient. If we’re going to build or rebuild things, it’s all about resiliency.

Housing is another theme. Everything from regional homelessness to looking at rental and homeownership opportunities, as well concerns about different scales of development including commercial development.

Municipal stability is another concern. We need to continue to find ways to keep the communities working together and engaged for greater efficiencies and collaboration.

SUN: What kind of support does NMCOG provide partner communities?

RAITT: Often, towns and cities just call us, but we also reach out actively to our communities. We have the perspective of what’s going on more broadly in the region, and we also have the expertise to help at the local level. So, if there’s only one town planner, we can provide support to writing or redrafting zoning. Our work is supporting people who are working in the community — that’s what we do here.

SUN: What are some of the “tools” in your toolkit available to your partner communities?

RAITT: We use a lot of information technology tools such as geographic information system mapping, which can create visual maps of things like heat islands relating to climate resiliency. We can help analyze data. We can connect local communities to broader regional goals, advocacy, funding and cultural economic development opportunities.

SUN: Where does your funding come from?

RAITT: Part of our funding comes from an assessment on our local communities. We receive funding directly from MassDOT (Department of Transportation), and technical contracts from the Department of Fish and Wildlife. We also received Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding.

SUN: Is there one issue that equally impacts all of the NMCOG communities?

RAITT: We’re going to go through an administrative change at the state level. That brings with it new opportunities, new resources and new guidance on a lot of the work that we’re doing especially at the regional level, but definitely applicable to our municipalities.

A new governor has a really interesting opportunity to firm up the housing and economic development and planning work that is happening across the state.

We’re in a really important position to help our communities work through that and be their resource, the convener, as well as their guide.

SUN: Any last thoughts you would like to share with our readers about NMCOG?

RAITT: All of our meetings are open to the public. In my listening sessions, I’m hearing that NMCOG has been a very reliable partner to work with. I’m excited for my new role, to meet lots of people and to build on a great foundation to take our work to the next level.

Tewksbury, Pepperell among towns to receive Complete Streets funding

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BOSTON — Tewksbury and Pepperell are among 16 communities across the commonwealth set to receive a total of $5.54 million in state funding for transportation infrastructure.

On Thursday, the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker announced the award, which is part of the fiscal 2023 first round of grants for the Complete Streets Funding Program that will promote infrastructure projects for bicyclists, pedestrians and others using public and private transportation.

The Complete Streets Funding Program aims to support municipalities in establishing safe and reliable transportation structures for all residents and teach communities how to incorporate specific safety measures. The program is administered by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Tewksbury and Pepperell will each receive $400,000 for their respective infrastructure plans.

In Tewksbury, the grant funding will go toward filling pedestrian network gaps between Andover Street and Fiske Street.

Officials in Pepperell aim to add crosswalks, sidewalks and “rectangular rapid flashing beacons,” according to a press release. The town will also make improvements to the shape of the roundabout at routes 111 and 113.

Municipalities can apply for up to $400,000 for their construction projects, which can include bicycle lanes, pedestrian signals at crosswalks or intersections, street lighting, sidewalks and “multimodal paths.”

Of the $5.54 million total funding, about 60% will be used in “environmental justice communities,” places where the median household income is no greater than 65% of the statewide median, at least 25% of residents identify as a race other than white and at least 25% of households have no family members older than 14 years old who only speak English or speak the language very well, according to the press release.

The Complete Streets Funding Program launched in 2016 and has since worked alongside 252 municipalities to establish a local Complete Streets policy.

Gov. Baker said he recognizes the positive impact the state program has made over the past six years.

“The Complete Streets Funding Program has now awarded over $83 million in total funding through 444 technical assistance and construction awards since 2016 to support municipalities in their ongoing efforts to improve their transportation infrastructure, build safe, convenient and easily accessible transportation networks and to facilitate economic development opportunities,” Baker said in a statement. “This program continues to advance mobility and connectivity throughout the Commonwealth.”

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito expressed her support for the funding and said it serves a vital role in communities in Massachusetts.

“Complete Streets are for everyone and provide important opportunities for communities to achieve their unique needs and goals,” Polito said in a statement. “Programs like this support safe connectivity and increased economic activity throughout local neighborhoods and we look forward to seeing this progress in the future.”

Jamey Tesler, transportation secretary and CEO of MassDOT, said residents are in need of critical transportation infrastructure, and Complete Streets addresses that need.

“MassDOT is pleased to continue to work with municipal leaders to encourage the installation of infrastructure to help make for ‘Complete Streets’ everywhere,” Tesler said in a statement. “We want everyone in every city and town in the Commonwealth to have sidewalks, crosswalks, and other features which make it easy and safe to get to where they want to go.”

More information on the Complete Streets Funding Program is available at masscompletestreets.com.