GOSHEN — After a short four-month tenure, Nina Pinger has resigned her seat on the Goshen Select Board, saying that the position required far more time than she was able to give.
Pinger was elected to a three-year term on the Select Board in May when she ran for a seat left open by former Select Board member Diane E. Bushee, who had not sought re-election. In that election, Pinger edged out challenger Sean M. Fitzgerald, of Hyde Hill Road, 77 to 63.
“I feel badly, because I really do want to serve the town, but they need someone who can give more hours than I can,” Pinger said. “This job requires much more time than I ever anticipated.”
A semi-retired clinical nurse who specializes in psychiatry, Pinger said that she still works part time and also cares for her 93-year-old mother.
“The other two people on the board are phenomenal. They dig in and keep going and they are doing between 40 to 60 hours a week,” she said, referring to Select Board members Angela Otis and Wayne Glaser.
According to Pinger, the town has budgeted to hire a town administrator in fiscal 2018, and she says that will help alleviate some of the burdens currently placed on the Select Board and assist in the town as with its day-to-day operations and long term projects.
In a telephone interview Thursday evening, Pinger adamantly refuted the idea that she is leaving the board due to poor working relationships with her fellow Select Board members.
“I heard that rumor, and it is so not true,” she said. “It’s ridiculous. I respect those two; they are both hard-working and dedicated.”
On Tuesday at 7 p.m., the town will hold a special Town Caucus to nominate candidates to fill the vacant seat on the Select Board. Anyone interested in running for the Select Board can contact town clerk Gina Papineau at 268-8236 ext. 301.
The caucus will be held at the Town Hall. Afterward, a special Town Meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The three articles on the warrant include transferring $82,000 to repair the landfill cap, a proposed bylaw to authorize the treasurer to enter into payment plans for delinquent taxpayers, and transferring $25,000 to fund the West Street Resurfacing Project.
WORTHINGTON — The Baker-Polito administration recently awarded $506,344 in grants from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust to 15 projects across the state, intended to restore aquatic habitat, rivers and watersheds, monitor water quality, protect endangered species and promote environmental stewardship.
One of the awards included $38,600 for Worthington and Chester through Trout Unlimited, Inc. to remove two impassable in-stream barriers, and reopen access to over 30 miles of interconnected cold-water habitat on Kinne Brook, a tributary to the Middle Branch of the Westfield River.
Since it was founded in 1988 as part of the Boston Harbor cleanup, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust has awarded more than $20 million in grants to organizations statewide that protect and enhance the state’s water resources, from supporting water projects in communities to protecting coastal habitats.
Funding for this grant program comes from the sale of the state’s three environment-themed specialty license plates: the Right Whale Tail, the Leaping Brook Trout and the Blackstone Valley Mill.
“These grants are important investments to protect and enhance natural habitats and environmental quality throughout the Commonwealth,” said state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington. “I thank the thousands of citizens who support the Environmental Trust by purchasing special license plates, and also the Baker-Polito administration, for making sure that all parts of Massachusetts will benefit from these projects.”
PLAINFIELD — The 47th annual Plainfield Firefighters Barbecue will be held on Sunday, Sept. 3, at 1 p.m. behind the Shaw Memorial Library on Main Street.
The popular event is known as the town’s biggest shindig of the year and includes a traditional menu of half a barbecued chicken, locally grown baked potato, corn on the cob, homemade coleslaw, dinner roll, watermelon slices and a beverage.
As the total number of meals served is limited, tickets should be purchased before the event by contacting the Plainfield Fire Department or any Plainfield firefighter or EMT.
Admission for adults is $12 and $6 for children under 12.
The event will feature live entertainment and the annual firefighter’s silent auction.
The annual Plainfield Road Race will also run at 1 p.m. The 1.1-mile race is open to all; registration is free and located at the serving tent.
In conjunction with the barbeque, many Plainfield groups will have simultaneous events during the afternoon, including the Shaw Memorial Library annual book sale, ArtsFeast, the Ladies Benevolent Society tag sale at the Shaw-Hudson House, and Sanderson Academy Parent-Teacher Organization bake sale.
The barbecue is one of the largest annual fundraisers of the Plainfield Volunteer Firefighters Association, supporting operations of the town’s volunteer Fire/EMS department.
For further information, contact Assistant Chief David Alvord at 634-5470 dalvord@gazettenet.com, or medical officer Ellen DuPont at 634-5343.
Ideas for this column on life in the Hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at fryan.gazette@gmail.com.