Donor returns long missing cane to town
By Karen Mann

Westminster Selectmen Lorraine Emerson and John Fairbanks accept the Boston Post Cane from Historical Society President Besty Hannula, who received the cane that has been missing for about 50 years.

An anonymous benefactor recently returned a piece of history to the town after it was missing for more than 50 years.

The Historical Commission President Besty Hannula presented selectmen with The Boston Post cane at their Oct. 16 meeting, just a couple of weeks after she had been connected about its return.

"You just wonder where these things went sometimes," Hannula said.

In 1909, The Boston Post newspaper's publisher Edwin A. Grozier gave a cane to 432 of the largest towns in New England. Each cane was to be owned by the respective towns and controlled by the Board of Selectmen there.

It was then to be presented to the oldest male resident in town for them to keep until there death. In the 1930's, the cane started being awarded to female residents as well.

Every little is known about this specific cane's history as the town does not have a record of when it was last given out or who had received it before that.

Westminster's cane has been missing to the town since the 1950s, she said. The person who returned the cane wishes to remain anonymous to the public, according to Hannula.

"It is such an exciting thing," she said.

The canes are made of ebony from the Congo in Africa and have 14 karat gold heads, which are inscribed with the town's name on them.

Selectmen, who serve as trustees of the cane, said they would display the cane in the new town hall building, with a plaque next to it saying who the current recipient of the cane is.

Board Chairwoman Lorraine Emerson said they would not hand out the actual cane to the person, for fear it will become lost again. She said they would decide what to hand out in place of the cane.

This is similar to what many other towns in New England are doing, so they can preserve a piece of history and, yet, retain the tradition of the cane.

During their meeting, the selectmen were not sure who the next recipient of the cane is going to be.

In other business:

Ken Rostedt, who serves on the board of directors for the Ashburnham/ Westminster Community Access television, gave selectmen an update on what is happening and future goals for the television channel.

Rostedt said an additional channel - Channel 9 - is going to be added to the local broadcast channels. Currently, Channel 8 is used to broadcast all of the local programs for Westminster, Ashburnham and the schools.

Once the second channel comes on the air all education and government related programs will be designated to one channel, while the second channel will air all other public programs.

Westminster Board of Selectmen meetings will be taped and broadcast live on one the channels once the

newly constructed Town Hall building is open. Although Westminster and Ashburnham Board of Selectmen meet at the same time, Rostedt said both meetings would be aired live. The feed for the Westminster meeting would be sent to households in Westminster, and the same would be done in Ashburnham.

Rostedt said there is an opening on his board for a resident from Westminster. The board consists of three representatives

from Westminster

and three from Ashburnham. Anyone interested can contact Rostedt at (978) 874-0543.

Selectmen reviewed and discussed a preliminary list of articles for special Town Meeting. Town Coordinator Karen Murphy said selectmen would most likely approve the final warrant at their October 30 meeting.