Wednesday night was a wonderful, gluttonous candy grabbing bonanza that capped off more than a week of Halloween parties, birthday parties with Halloween themes, and even one baby shower that was a sugar coma inducing heaven for two adorable kids I know.
Thursday was…Christmas time?
Last night I arrived 20 minutes early for a meeting that was taking place at the South Fire Station. For a reporter, that was perfect. I could chat with some of the key players on their way into the meeting and pave the way to get their reactions after. But then it was getting awfully close to meeting time and I was still the only one standing in an otherwise empty room.
After a quick call to some people that might be able to help me find actual meeting location, I hopped into the car and headed toward the center of town. Surely any meeting that was happening would be somewhere in the center of town. Another reporter, actually, the one who unintentionally sent me in the wrong direction to begin with, called to tell me that she’d found the meeting. I was headed for the police station.
That’s when IT happened. I nearly dropped the phone. Could I really be seeing a full display of CHRISTMAS LIGHTS at the local nursery? Surely they are just taking advantage of the good weather to set up their displays, but no, there was no one else around.
I remember when it was a big deal that Santa arrived for a visit at malls on the day after Thanksgiving and that kicked off the holiday season. Sometimes he arrived by sleigh, car, helicopter, and where I grew up he even arrived in an antique truck! Nothing was lit until that magical day when Santa arrived.
Now, the ‘powers that be’ have decided that people will spend less money this year on the holiday shopping, so they are going to get people to spend earlier and longer and ugh, again it is all become about commercialism. Don’t even get me going on that topic, as it certainly isn’t a new one.
But on the day when my kids are rushing home to have a real dive into their candy bags (because the night before it was a limited dive before bed)…. let them have their joy in Halloween before rushing on to Christmas and visions of Sugar Plums – no, it’s probably visions of presents - running through their heads.
And then let us all savor Thanksgiving, which has long been one of my favorite holidays because it is so – un-commercial- and all about family, friends and sharing a meal or a day together. Thanksgiving was always the calm before the storm, but this year it might be a port in the middle of the storm instead.
Then, on the day after Thanksgiving, bring on the holiday music and light those trees and lawn decorations and enjoy a month of lights and music and food and friends and families and shopping and last minute errands, holiday cards, and catching up with old acquaintances. After Thanksgiving, bring it on!
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Zen and Dove Chocolate, Part 1
“Make Someday Today.”
All my life I’ve looked for reasons to justify eating chocolate. Finally, I’ve found one. Eating Dove® Chocolates will be great – not only for the happiness that dark chocolate induces in me – but also for my first attempt at blog writing in a series.
Every time I eat a Dove® chocolate I’ve noticed they are like fortune cookies with little life-altering messages on the inside of the wrapper. For example, today’s divine chocolate message told me to “Make someday today.”
Now I don’t reach for chocolate very often, but when I do, these squares always seem to have some kind of inspirational message inside the wrapper that usually hits home with regard to whatever is going on with my life.
Are there things that you have been putting off until ‘someday’? More often than not, ‘someday’ will never happen unless you start taking the actions today that will put the wheels in motion to achieve your goal.
In my most recent example, I knew only two things about creating a blog. First, I knew that I would need to do a lot of writing, and second, I knew that fear of learning to set one up held me back for a long time. Finally, I decided the other day that I needed to just DO IT, and so I did.
Being realistic about goals and dreams, obviously I’m not going to jet off to Australia tomorrow as I would like to, but I can take small steps now that start me on a path to getting there when we’re ready. The key is steady progress toward a goal. Australia is a huge goal because it is an expensive and time consuming kind of trip if I go the way I’d like to…but if I start saving now with that goal in mind…I will get there.
Find what dreams, career changes, new hobbies or experiences you’ve been putting off and decide that today is the day to make a change. “Make someday today.” Just do it.
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Watch here for my adventures into the personal growth topics I may find inside of my chocolate wrappers. Man, I love eating chocolate in the name of writing blog entries!
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved
All my life I’ve looked for reasons to justify eating chocolate. Finally, I’ve found one. Eating Dove® Chocolates will be great – not only for the happiness that dark chocolate induces in me – but also for my first attempt at blog writing in a series.
Every time I eat a Dove® chocolate I’ve noticed they are like fortune cookies with little life-altering messages on the inside of the wrapper. For example, today’s divine chocolate message told me to “Make someday today.”
Now I don’t reach for chocolate very often, but when I do, these squares always seem to have some kind of inspirational message inside the wrapper that usually hits home with regard to whatever is going on with my life.
Are there things that you have been putting off until ‘someday’? More often than not, ‘someday’ will never happen unless you start taking the actions today that will put the wheels in motion to achieve your goal.
In my most recent example, I knew only two things about creating a blog. First, I knew that I would need to do a lot of writing, and second, I knew that fear of learning to set one up held me back for a long time. Finally, I decided the other day that I needed to just DO IT, and so I did.
Being realistic about goals and dreams, obviously I’m not going to jet off to Australia tomorrow as I would like to, but I can take small steps now that start me on a path to getting there when we’re ready. The key is steady progress toward a goal. Australia is a huge goal because it is an expensive and time consuming kind of trip if I go the way I’d like to…but if I start saving now with that goal in mind…I will get there.
Find what dreams, career changes, new hobbies or experiences you’ve been putting off and decide that today is the day to make a change. “Make someday today.” Just do it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watch here for my adventures into the personal growth topics I may find inside of my chocolate wrappers. Man, I love eating chocolate in the name of writing blog entries!
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Nurturing New Habits
I remember reading somewhere that it it takes 21 days of repetition for something to become a habit. For example, if I want to remember to make my bed every morning, then I need to focus on it for the first 21 days and by then it should become a habit that I don't even really have to think about anymore. The same could be applied to writing here. I now see how easy it is to put it off...it had been so long since my last post that I had to completely start over again, and I was aiming to write at least every couple of days. It is so easy to say "oh, I'm tired, busy, etc...I'll do it tomorrow. " But then the next day comes and we say the same thing again and soon the habit is more about NOT writing than it is writing.
So I have a new goal. I will write every day for 15 minutes. Make no mistake though, that does not mean that I will post everyday! I do have to let go of some perfectionist ideas (or things will never get posted) but I also realize that I don't have to rush to put out an entry that is not yet what I'd hoped it would be. Some days might be spent in research or making lists of ideas to write about in the future. Several times each week I do plan to post my thoughts, however long winded or very brief they may be.
In theory, if I give myself one month, by November 25th my daily writing will have become a habit, but if I miss a day, I'll jump back in where I am. No guilt, regrets or punishments...just keep moving along until my habit sets in.
Anyone care to join me in creating a new habit in the month of November?
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
So I have a new goal. I will write every day for 15 minutes. Make no mistake though, that does not mean that I will post everyday! I do have to let go of some perfectionist ideas (or things will never get posted) but I also realize that I don't have to rush to put out an entry that is not yet what I'd hoped it would be. Some days might be spent in research or making lists of ideas to write about in the future. Several times each week I do plan to post my thoughts, however long winded or very brief they may be.
In theory, if I give myself one month, by November 25th my daily writing will have become a habit, but if I miss a day, I'll jump back in where I am. No guilt, regrets or punishments...just keep moving along until my habit sets in.
Anyone care to join me in creating a new habit in the month of November?
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Halloween For Hunger
WILMINGTON - Few of us can say that we have spent half of our lives working on an annual food drive to support a local food pantry that assists families that might otherwise not have enough to eat. However, little Joshua White, who will soon turn four years old, is the exception to that statement. He enjoys collecting food for the Wilmington Food Pantry, and this is his second annual Halloween for Hunger food drive.
“I like to help hungry people,” said Joshua. Is it fun? “Yeah,” he replied happily.
Joshua and his mother, Amy White, are working on a variation of an annual campaign that was started by Joshua’s uncle, Dr. Jonathan White, a Doctor of Sociology and a professor at Bridgewater State when his community service oriented travels aren’t taking him around the world.
The Halloween for Hunger campaign addresses poverty on a local level by having children trick or treating for non-perishable food items on Halloween night. Joshua and his mom do a modified version of this and have put donation boxes at Joshua’s pre-school, The Wonder Years Learning Center, and also at Quick Chiropractic and Silver Cloud. After Halloween they will collect the goods and Joshua will deliver them to the Wilmington Food Pantry.
Karen Wurst, Director of The Wonder Years Learning Center explained that the school is a great place to implement things of this nature because “we’re very community-minded here and these two organizations (Free The Children and Halloween for Hunger) embody everything that we believe in here.
Dr. Leslie Quick, of Quick Chiropractic and Assoc. in Wilmington, encourages residents to come by and leave non-perishable goods in the box outside of her office. “The cans in there are going for a great local charity (Wilmington Food Pantry) that is near and dear to our hearts,” said Dr. Quick.
The third drop off location is the Silver Cloud on Main Street near Market Basket. Owner George Moutsoulis is hopeful that if people see that others are putting food in the box that is outside of his store they may decide to contribute too. We’re “trying to fill this box up,” he said.
Halloween for Hunger is an annual campaign whose goal is to help alleviate hunger while raising awareness of global poverty. Adopted by the Free The Children organization in October of 2000, the campaign pushes people to think globally but act locally.
Amy White stated, “It has to start in our community to make a global difference. It has to start now.” She continues, “There are so many people who fear that there is so much that needs to be done out there that they are paralyzed by it and do nothing.”
White, who was a Special Education teacher for 14 years before leaving to be at home with Joshua, firmly believes that each individual can make a difference. She reminds us of the old story about the child who was throwing starfish back into the ocean after finding hundreds of them washed up on the beach following a storm. An adult came along and questioned, “Why bother? There are so many and you’ll never save them all. It won’t make a difference.” But the child felt quite differently and replied… “It made a difference to that one” and threw another one back into the ocean.
White hopes that the kinds of lessons that Joshua is learning now about making a difference in the world will carry him through his lifetime. She hopes that he will follow in his uncle’s footsteps in the battle to make the world better place by eliminating hunger and poverty and the educating children of the world.
Poverty exists all around us. Halloween for Hunger and Free The Children believe that poverty and hunger are universal challenges that need to be met head-on by youth, community groups and governments alike.Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education. Through their unique youth-driven approach, more than one million children have been involved in helping others through programs in more than 45 countries.
Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free the Children has established a track record of success with 3 nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.
From their website, http://www.freethechildren.org/, “The primary goal of the organization is to not only free children from poverty and exploitation, but also to free young people from the notion that they are powerless to affect positive change in the world and to improve the lives of their peers. More information about Halloween for Hunger can also be found on the Free The Children website.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All rights reserved.
“I like to help hungry people,” said Joshua. Is it fun? “Yeah,” he replied happily.
Joshua and his mother, Amy White, are working on a variation of an annual campaign that was started by Joshua’s uncle, Dr. Jonathan White, a Doctor of Sociology and a professor at Bridgewater State when his community service oriented travels aren’t taking him around the world.
The Halloween for Hunger campaign addresses poverty on a local level by having children trick or treating for non-perishable food items on Halloween night. Joshua and his mom do a modified version of this and have put donation boxes at Joshua’s pre-school, The Wonder Years Learning Center, and also at Quick Chiropractic and Silver Cloud. After Halloween they will collect the goods and Joshua will deliver them to the Wilmington Food Pantry.
Karen Wurst, Director of The Wonder Years Learning Center explained that the school is a great place to implement things of this nature because “we’re very community-minded here and these two organizations (Free The Children and Halloween for Hunger) embody everything that we believe in here.
Dr. Leslie Quick, of Quick Chiropractic and Assoc. in Wilmington, encourages residents to come by and leave non-perishable goods in the box outside of her office. “The cans in there are going for a great local charity (Wilmington Food Pantry) that is near and dear to our hearts,” said Dr. Quick.
The third drop off location is the Silver Cloud on Main Street near Market Basket. Owner George Moutsoulis is hopeful that if people see that others are putting food in the box that is outside of his store they may decide to contribute too. We’re “trying to fill this box up,” he said.
Halloween for Hunger is an annual campaign whose goal is to help alleviate hunger while raising awareness of global poverty. Adopted by the Free The Children organization in October of 2000, the campaign pushes people to think globally but act locally.
Amy White stated, “It has to start in our community to make a global difference. It has to start now.” She continues, “There are so many people who fear that there is so much that needs to be done out there that they are paralyzed by it and do nothing.”
White, who was a Special Education teacher for 14 years before leaving to be at home with Joshua, firmly believes that each individual can make a difference. She reminds us of the old story about the child who was throwing starfish back into the ocean after finding hundreds of them washed up on the beach following a storm. An adult came along and questioned, “Why bother? There are so many and you’ll never save them all. It won’t make a difference.” But the child felt quite differently and replied… “It made a difference to that one” and threw another one back into the ocean.
White hopes that the kinds of lessons that Joshua is learning now about making a difference in the world will carry him through his lifetime. She hopes that he will follow in his uncle’s footsteps in the battle to make the world better place by eliminating hunger and poverty and the educating children of the world.
Poverty exists all around us. Halloween for Hunger and Free The Children believe that poverty and hunger are universal challenges that need to be met head-on by youth, community groups and governments alike.Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education. Through their unique youth-driven approach, more than one million children have been involved in helping others through programs in more than 45 countries.
Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free the Children has established a track record of success with 3 nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.
From their website, http://www.freethechildren.org/, “The primary goal of the organization is to not only free children from poverty and exploitation, but also to free young people from the notion that they are powerless to affect positive change in the world and to improve the lives of their peers. More information about Halloween for Hunger can also be found on the Free The Children website.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All rights reserved.
Get A 'Clue'
GET A ‘CLUE’
Drama Club Brings Board Game to Life
TEWKSBURY - Was it Professor Plum with a pipe wrench, Miss Scarlet with a rope, or Colonel Mustard with a gun in the study? Or was it one of other numerous combinations of numerous characters and weapons? There are ten “invited guests,” a staff including a butler, maid, and a gardener and a variety of other characters, and one dead body in the comical whodunit being brought to life on the stage at Tewksbury Memorial High School this week.
This stage production is loosely based on the movie “Clue” which was based upon the game of the same name.” Drama Coach Lauren Sprague, who is also directing the play, wrote the screenplay for the students. She added five extra characters to the cast to allow for more students to participate.
Sophomore Jason Levesque said that what makes this production unique is “the fact that it was a board game that I played all the time as a kid.” This show not only plays on that kind of nostalgia, but also adds some new twists and turns of its own.
More than 40 students auditioned for the cast of 31 roles. Another 20 students serve as the crew, building sets and doing all of the behind-the-scenes work that makes a production happen. Sprague said, “It’s a really great group of kids, and it’s a really huge group this year.” She also emphasized how hard they have been working. Many students have been rehearsing everyday since the beginning of September and there is also a group of about 15 students that come every day to work on sets.
On Monday afternoon they were all working through a dress rehearsal that also served to put the finishing touches on lighting and sound effects and the sets. The vibrant costumes spoke volumes about the characters and the cast was full of life with quick comedic timing and hilarious pratfalls and jokes. They seemed to be having a great time while presenting a fun show that audiences will enjoy.
Senior April Farmer has been working on drama productions since her freshman year. She is enjoying this show because she really likes the characterization and the fact that while portraying Miss Peacock, she “gets to be a bird personified.” She explained that this production differed from others she has participated in because the settings don’t change as much as in some production so it relies upon character interaction.
Other production members are new to Drama or at least new to the roles they are taking on this year. Freshman Alex Farmer is learning to do lighting after years of being the ‘younger sibling’ who baked for the fundraiser that helps fund the productions. She said, “I am enjoying doing the lights, then added, “I’m a fast learner.
Junior Marina Villeneuve is also learning on the job in her role as this season’s Assistant Director. Sprague said that Villeneuve has been very helpful because she is very organized. “She’s the best,” said Sprague.
It is a real team effort and they have all worked very hard to make this show happen. Thanks go out to the parents who helped build and design the set, to technical director Dave Moffat, and to everyone who put in time and effort for this production.
Join all your favorite Clue characters as they utilize comedy and a battle of wits to solve a mysterious murder. Watch mayhem ensue as accusations and theories fly and see if you can solve the mystery from your seats while the cast works it out on stage.
Tickets are still available. Performances are scheduled for Thursday and Friday nights at 7:00 and Saturday at 2:00 and 7:00pm in the High School Auditorium. Tickets are $8.00 each and are available by calling the High School office.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All rights reserved.
Drama Club Brings Board Game to Life
TEWKSBURY - Was it Professor Plum with a pipe wrench, Miss Scarlet with a rope, or Colonel Mustard with a gun in the study? Or was it one of other numerous combinations of numerous characters and weapons? There are ten “invited guests,” a staff including a butler, maid, and a gardener and a variety of other characters, and one dead body in the comical whodunit being brought to life on the stage at Tewksbury Memorial High School this week.
This stage production is loosely based on the movie “Clue” which was based upon the game of the same name.” Drama Coach Lauren Sprague, who is also directing the play, wrote the screenplay for the students. She added five extra characters to the cast to allow for more students to participate.
Sophomore Jason Levesque said that what makes this production unique is “the fact that it was a board game that I played all the time as a kid.” This show not only plays on that kind of nostalgia, but also adds some new twists and turns of its own.
More than 40 students auditioned for the cast of 31 roles. Another 20 students serve as the crew, building sets and doing all of the behind-the-scenes work that makes a production happen. Sprague said, “It’s a really great group of kids, and it’s a really huge group this year.” She also emphasized how hard they have been working. Many students have been rehearsing everyday since the beginning of September and there is also a group of about 15 students that come every day to work on sets.
On Monday afternoon they were all working through a dress rehearsal that also served to put the finishing touches on lighting and sound effects and the sets. The vibrant costumes spoke volumes about the characters and the cast was full of life with quick comedic timing and hilarious pratfalls and jokes. They seemed to be having a great time while presenting a fun show that audiences will enjoy.
Senior April Farmer has been working on drama productions since her freshman year. She is enjoying this show because she really likes the characterization and the fact that while portraying Miss Peacock, she “gets to be a bird personified.” She explained that this production differed from others she has participated in because the settings don’t change as much as in some production so it relies upon character interaction.
Other production members are new to Drama or at least new to the roles they are taking on this year. Freshman Alex Farmer is learning to do lighting after years of being the ‘younger sibling’ who baked for the fundraiser that helps fund the productions. She said, “I am enjoying doing the lights, then added, “I’m a fast learner.
Junior Marina Villeneuve is also learning on the job in her role as this season’s Assistant Director. Sprague said that Villeneuve has been very helpful because she is very organized. “She’s the best,” said Sprague.
It is a real team effort and they have all worked very hard to make this show happen. Thanks go out to the parents who helped build and design the set, to technical director Dave Moffat, and to everyone who put in time and effort for this production.
Join all your favorite Clue characters as they utilize comedy and a battle of wits to solve a mysterious murder. Watch mayhem ensue as accusations and theories fly and see if you can solve the mystery from your seats while the cast works it out on stage.
Tickets are still available. Performances are scheduled for Thursday and Friday nights at 7:00 and Saturday at 2:00 and 7:00pm in the High School Auditorium. Tickets are $8.00 each and are available by calling the High School office.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Keep Mercury From Rising
Aubuchon Hardware on Route 38 has joined a campaign that will help Tewksbury and Wilmington residents safely dispose of products that contain mercury. The store has two “Keep Mercury From Rising” containers where residents can safely dispose of fluorescent light bulbs.
“Keep Mercury From Rising” sounds like a campaign against global warming, but it is actually a Massachusetts based campaign sponsored by the Mercury Recovery Program, a program created for Wheelabrator Technologies, a ‘waste to energy’ facility located in North Andover, to keep mercury from contaminating our waste stream and water resources.
Aubuchon Manager John MacKay said that residents should bring their used fluorescent bulbs to the register where an employee will take the bulbs and place them gently in the collection buckets in the back room to prevent breakage. When a bucket is filled there is an alternating schedule where he will contact either Tewksbury or Wilmington to have the bucket removed and replaced.
Last year the Mercury Recovery Program provided both Tewksbury and Wilmington with storage sheds to hold the filled containers of light bulbs. When there are enough containers in the shed then the town calls the Veolia Environmental Services Facility in Stoughton to come and remove them. Veolia recycles 100% of the lamps into new lamps. The town pays Veolia and sends the invoice to the Mercury Recovery Program, which reimburses the town 100% of the expense.
Pat Scanlon is an independent consultant acting as the Mercury Recovery Program Coordinator. He said that the Mercury Recovery Program serves 75 communities in Massachusetts and that last year they recovered in excess of 1700 pounds of mercury. “That is mind boggling,” Scanlon said.
They recycled more than 300,000 linear feet of four-foot lamps, just from municipalities and schools. Scanlon said that placed end to end the bulbs would reach from the State House in Boston to the State House in New Haven, CT, as a car would drive there!
Last year there were more than 420,000 tons of waste processed at the North Andover Wheelabrator facility, and with an assessment of .50 cents per ton, that means that they had more than $200,000 to spend on environmental programs. The Mercury Recovery program used this money to educate about mercury, to pay for the bulbs to be disposed of properly, and they even went into local schools and replaced thermometers, blood pressure cuffs and barometers with new digital ones.
Mercury is an elemental metal that can act as a conductor or switch that can be used not only in light bulbs, but also in thermostats that keep homes warm each winter, in glass thermometers people use to check a child’s temperature, and button batteries, among other things.
According to “Keep Mercury From Rising,” mercury can be either a naturally occurring element or a man-made substance. Natural sources of mercury emissions include volcanic activity, forest fires, and the off-gassing of soils, rocks and the oceans while man-made emissions of mercury are from chemical and industrial processes, metal smelting, home heating oil, medical waste incinerators, coal-fired utility boilers, agricultural operations, and solid waste disposal facilities.
In 2000, new regulations required that all municipal “waste to energy” plants install sophisticated air pollution control technology and develop material separation plants to reduce mercury emissions. According to Arleen O’Donnell, Deputy Commissioner of Environmental Protection for the State of Massachusetts, there has been a “91 percent reduction in the amount of mercury emitted as a result of these programs in combination.” Today man-made emissions account for less than half of the mercury produced each year.
Wilmington Board of Health Director Gregory Erickson explained that the first of the more compact and energy efficient light bulbs that were introduced several years ago are starting to burn out and are entering the waste stream. Erickson said that while these bulbs are great because they require less energy, which therefore saves in energy production costs and homeowner electricity costs, people need to know that these bulbs contain mercury and it needs to be disposed of properly.
Aubuchon is a point of purchase site which means that consumers can properly dispose of old fluorescent bulbs while shopping for new ones. Scanlon describes it as a win-win-win situation…the environment wins, the town wins and the store wins.
The Aubuchon containers are for fluorescent light bulbs only. Wilmington residents should contact their Board of Health for information about the proper disposal of other mercury filled items such as thermometers and thermostats. Tewksbury residents will find containers for disposal of these items at Town Hall.
If you break a thermometer or other item containing mercury, please call 1-866-9Mercury (1-866-963-7287) to receive expert advice for a safe clean up in order to keep your family safe and keep mercury out of the trash and out of water supplies. For more information see www.keepmercuryfromrising.org.
Copyright 2007. CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
“Keep Mercury From Rising” sounds like a campaign against global warming, but it is actually a Massachusetts based campaign sponsored by the Mercury Recovery Program, a program created for Wheelabrator Technologies, a ‘waste to energy’ facility located in North Andover, to keep mercury from contaminating our waste stream and water resources.
Aubuchon Manager John MacKay said that residents should bring their used fluorescent bulbs to the register where an employee will take the bulbs and place them gently in the collection buckets in the back room to prevent breakage. When a bucket is filled there is an alternating schedule where he will contact either Tewksbury or Wilmington to have the bucket removed and replaced.
Last year the Mercury Recovery Program provided both Tewksbury and Wilmington with storage sheds to hold the filled containers of light bulbs. When there are enough containers in the shed then the town calls the Veolia Environmental Services Facility in Stoughton to come and remove them. Veolia recycles 100% of the lamps into new lamps. The town pays Veolia and sends the invoice to the Mercury Recovery Program, which reimburses the town 100% of the expense.
Pat Scanlon is an independent consultant acting as the Mercury Recovery Program Coordinator. He said that the Mercury Recovery Program serves 75 communities in Massachusetts and that last year they recovered in excess of 1700 pounds of mercury. “That is mind boggling,” Scanlon said.
They recycled more than 300,000 linear feet of four-foot lamps, just from municipalities and schools. Scanlon said that placed end to end the bulbs would reach from the State House in Boston to the State House in New Haven, CT, as a car would drive there!
Last year there were more than 420,000 tons of waste processed at the North Andover Wheelabrator facility, and with an assessment of .50 cents per ton, that means that they had more than $200,000 to spend on environmental programs. The Mercury Recovery program used this money to educate about mercury, to pay for the bulbs to be disposed of properly, and they even went into local schools and replaced thermometers, blood pressure cuffs and barometers with new digital ones.
Mercury is an elemental metal that can act as a conductor or switch that can be used not only in light bulbs, but also in thermostats that keep homes warm each winter, in glass thermometers people use to check a child’s temperature, and button batteries, among other things.
According to “Keep Mercury From Rising,” mercury can be either a naturally occurring element or a man-made substance. Natural sources of mercury emissions include volcanic activity, forest fires, and the off-gassing of soils, rocks and the oceans while man-made emissions of mercury are from chemical and industrial processes, metal smelting, home heating oil, medical waste incinerators, coal-fired utility boilers, agricultural operations, and solid waste disposal facilities.
In 2000, new regulations required that all municipal “waste to energy” plants install sophisticated air pollution control technology and develop material separation plants to reduce mercury emissions. According to Arleen O’Donnell, Deputy Commissioner of Environmental Protection for the State of Massachusetts, there has been a “91 percent reduction in the amount of mercury emitted as a result of these programs in combination.” Today man-made emissions account for less than half of the mercury produced each year.
Wilmington Board of Health Director Gregory Erickson explained that the first of the more compact and energy efficient light bulbs that were introduced several years ago are starting to burn out and are entering the waste stream. Erickson said that while these bulbs are great because they require less energy, which therefore saves in energy production costs and homeowner electricity costs, people need to know that these bulbs contain mercury and it needs to be disposed of properly.
Aubuchon is a point of purchase site which means that consumers can properly dispose of old fluorescent bulbs while shopping for new ones. Scanlon describes it as a win-win-win situation…the environment wins, the town wins and the store wins.
The Aubuchon containers are for fluorescent light bulbs only. Wilmington residents should contact their Board of Health for information about the proper disposal of other mercury filled items such as thermometers and thermostats. Tewksbury residents will find containers for disposal of these items at Town Hall.
If you break a thermometer or other item containing mercury, please call 1-866-9Mercury (1-866-963-7287) to receive expert advice for a safe clean up in order to keep your family safe and keep mercury out of the trash and out of water supplies. For more information see www.keepmercuryfromrising.org.
Copyright 2007. CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Wilmington Family Counseling - 40 Years
WILMINGTON - Wilmington Family Counseling Services (WFCS) has provided more than 100,000 counseling and therapy sessions to over 11,750 client families and individuals during 40 years of service. “This is a very unique situation,” explained Carol Golub, Ph.D., Executive Director at WFCS since 1969. “There are only a handful of towns who support their own mental health services.”
Emil Berger, a Textron employee who felt it was important for local residents to have access to mental health services, founded Wilmington Family Counseling Services forty years ago so that residents would not have to travel to Lowell for such services.
Berger enlisted the help of attorney (and former Selectman) Jim Banda to set up a non-profit corporation. Berger found support for the idea from the Council of Churches and concerned members of the Wilmington community. Originally, the agency was funded by the Wilmington Community Fund, (which runs the food pantry), and had a first year budget of $3,000.
“I think they had a lot of foresight to do this because this was the beginning of a time when people began to appreciate the benefits of mental health organizations to individuals and families,” said Golub of Berger and Banda. “It was very much a grass roots organization,” she added.
In comparison, the non-profit agency now operates on an annual budget of more than $750,000 and is funded by the Town of Wilmington. Located at 5 Middlesex Avenue, it now has a staff of 23 professionals including a psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselors, licensed social workers, and psychiatric nurses. Their purpose is to provide “quality mental health services at a reasonable cost to the clients, and at a time convenient to their work and school schedules.”
For those in the Wilmington community without health insurance, the agency offers a sliding fee scale, which ranges from $15 - $125 per visit. Non-residents of Wilmington are also eligible for service, although they are not eligible for the sliding fee scale.
All client information is kept in the strictest confidence, and no information is revealed to any person or agency without written permission. Though the agency is accountable to the Board of Directors and the Wilmington Board of Health, client names are never revealed to either group.
Golub said that since they are funded by the town they feel it is their mission to “let people know that we are here as a resource when they need it.”
In addition to individual and family counseling, services also include workshops dealing with areas such as Parenting, Women’s Empowerment, Mindfulness Meditation, and a support group for diabetics in conjunction with a Senior Center grant for diabetes education. They also reach out to the community in school programs such as a Martial Arts Empowerment Program (funded by Merrimack Valley United Way) that will be held at the North Intermediate School and a Girls’ Leadership Program at the West Intermediate.
Golub said it has been very rewarding being director these many years and working collaboratively with the schools and the community. She explained, "What is still amazing to me after being a psychologist for all these years is that therapy works! People often think that talking to someone won't change anything. But it does. Having someone to listen, give a new perspective, suggest different coping strategies, can be crucial to resolving a crisis in healthier ways. It has been very rewarding providing a place where that can and has happened for so many people in our community."
Tasting Festival is Just Around the Corner
There’s still time to get your tickets to this year’s Evening of Gourmet Delights Tasting Festival to benefit the Wilmington Family Counseling Service. The festival will take place on Sunday, November 4, 5-7:30 pm at the Casa di Fior.
Golub said that there has been a real outpouring of support from the community. There are eleven participating restaurants donating enough food for 350 people, and donations of about 100 items for silent auctions and raffles.
Participating restaurants include: Back Street Grill, Casa di Fior, Country Chef, Delicious Desserts, Focaccia, Horseshoe Grill, Mango II Thai Cuisine, Mastrorilli’s Catering, Raphael’s Place and Catering, Rocco’s Restaurant, and Uptown Deli.
“This outpouring of support in celebration of our fortieth anniversary is very heartwarming,” Golub explained. “We are very lucky that even new businesses coming into the area have stepped forward to support us.”
Golub found an enthusiastic new sponsor this year in Patrick Subaru. Manager Mike Fitzgerald said that what makes Patrick Subaru different is that it is family owned and family operated and they really want to be involved in the community. Fitzgerald grew up in Wilmington and still has a lot of family in the area, so he is excited to be back in town. He sees this event as “an exceptional opportunity to do something good. We’ve been in town for a year now and we’re looking forward to more.”
This popular event has been a sell-out for the past several years. Tickets must be purchased in advance because no tickets will be sold at the door. Individual tickets are $25 each and tables are $225 each. Individual tickets are available at Focaccia, Uptown Deli, and the Wilmington T-Stop. Tables must be purchased at the Wilmington Family Counseling Service, Heritage Commons, 5 Middlesex Ave. For more information about the festival or to request counseling service, call 978-658-9889.
Copyright 2007. CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Emil Berger, a Textron employee who felt it was important for local residents to have access to mental health services, founded Wilmington Family Counseling Services forty years ago so that residents would not have to travel to Lowell for such services.
Berger enlisted the help of attorney (and former Selectman) Jim Banda to set up a non-profit corporation. Berger found support for the idea from the Council of Churches and concerned members of the Wilmington community. Originally, the agency was funded by the Wilmington Community Fund, (which runs the food pantry), and had a first year budget of $3,000.
“I think they had a lot of foresight to do this because this was the beginning of a time when people began to appreciate the benefits of mental health organizations to individuals and families,” said Golub of Berger and Banda. “It was very much a grass roots organization,” she added.
In comparison, the non-profit agency now operates on an annual budget of more than $750,000 and is funded by the Town of Wilmington. Located at 5 Middlesex Avenue, it now has a staff of 23 professionals including a psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselors, licensed social workers, and psychiatric nurses. Their purpose is to provide “quality mental health services at a reasonable cost to the clients, and at a time convenient to their work and school schedules.”
For those in the Wilmington community without health insurance, the agency offers a sliding fee scale, which ranges from $15 - $125 per visit. Non-residents of Wilmington are also eligible for service, although they are not eligible for the sliding fee scale.
All client information is kept in the strictest confidence, and no information is revealed to any person or agency without written permission. Though the agency is accountable to the Board of Directors and the Wilmington Board of Health, client names are never revealed to either group.
Golub said that since they are funded by the town they feel it is their mission to “let people know that we are here as a resource when they need it.”
In addition to individual and family counseling, services also include workshops dealing with areas such as Parenting, Women’s Empowerment, Mindfulness Meditation, and a support group for diabetics in conjunction with a Senior Center grant for diabetes education. They also reach out to the community in school programs such as a Martial Arts Empowerment Program (funded by Merrimack Valley United Way) that will be held at the North Intermediate School and a Girls’ Leadership Program at the West Intermediate.
Golub said it has been very rewarding being director these many years and working collaboratively with the schools and the community. She explained, "What is still amazing to me after being a psychologist for all these years is that therapy works! People often think that talking to someone won't change anything. But it does. Having someone to listen, give a new perspective, suggest different coping strategies, can be crucial to resolving a crisis in healthier ways. It has been very rewarding providing a place where that can and has happened for so many people in our community."
Tasting Festival is Just Around the Corner
There’s still time to get your tickets to this year’s Evening of Gourmet Delights Tasting Festival to benefit the Wilmington Family Counseling Service. The festival will take place on Sunday, November 4, 5-7:30 pm at the Casa di Fior.
Golub said that there has been a real outpouring of support from the community. There are eleven participating restaurants donating enough food for 350 people, and donations of about 100 items for silent auctions and raffles.
Participating restaurants include: Back Street Grill, Casa di Fior, Country Chef, Delicious Desserts, Focaccia, Horseshoe Grill, Mango II Thai Cuisine, Mastrorilli’s Catering, Raphael’s Place and Catering, Rocco’s Restaurant, and Uptown Deli.
“This outpouring of support in celebration of our fortieth anniversary is very heartwarming,” Golub explained. “We are very lucky that even new businesses coming into the area have stepped forward to support us.”
Golub found an enthusiastic new sponsor this year in Patrick Subaru. Manager Mike Fitzgerald said that what makes Patrick Subaru different is that it is family owned and family operated and they really want to be involved in the community. Fitzgerald grew up in Wilmington and still has a lot of family in the area, so he is excited to be back in town. He sees this event as “an exceptional opportunity to do something good. We’ve been in town for a year now and we’re looking forward to more.”
This popular event has been a sell-out for the past several years. Tickets must be purchased in advance because no tickets will be sold at the door. Individual tickets are $25 each and tables are $225 each. Individual tickets are available at Focaccia, Uptown Deli, and the Wilmington T-Stop. Tables must be purchased at the Wilmington Family Counseling Service, Heritage Commons, 5 Middlesex Ave. For more information about the festival or to request counseling service, call 978-658-9889.
Copyright 2007. CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Is Wilmington Ready for a Pandemic?
WILMINGTON – The Flu Clinic scheduled for November 1st at the West Intermediate School will serve as much more than a place for residents to receive this year’s flu vaccinations because it will also provide a test of the School as an Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS) as part of required emergency planning for the town.
The flu clinic will provide a mini test of parking, security and traffic flow among other things. Last year’s clinic provided a similar test of the other Emergency Dispensing Site in town, the Middle school. That test went well and Board of Health Director Gregory Erickson expects that this site will also perform well in the test.
While it may seem strange that two emergency sites would be located so close together in one part of town, logistically it makes everything easier for the Incident Command Center to handle both sites. A government grant last year provided, among other things, money for computer linkage that allows for a mobile command post to be set up anywhere. Setting up a command post between the two schools allows for easier control of both settings, shared resources for traffic control, and an ease of sharing equipment and supplies. Erickson said that the town has two of everything in the “Go Kits,” but is nice to know that it is easy to run to the other site to pick up something if one site runs short.
In an emergency situation, such as a pandemic flu, when residents need to receive vaccinations once they are available, residents would each be assigned to one of the two Emergency Dispensing Sites. Carter Lane provides a long space where cars could be backed up in a true emergency, allowing for ease of traffic flow in the surrounding area.
This test and the emergency planning are all part of the ‘Continuity of Operations Plan,’ (COOP). A COOP refers to preparations that allow for essential services to continue in the event of a large-scale disruption, like a pandemic flu that could incapacitate large populations. It is one step in a series of steps that are required by the government and compliance is necessary in order for communities to be eligible for continued emergency planning funds.
The nature of travel today means that if pandemic flu comes today it can move swiftly from one place to another by airplane before authorities even know it has hit. Continuity planning is essential because while it remains uncertain if the next pandemic will be the Avian Flu that is in parts of the world now, experts agree that another pandemic will come as they have throughout history. The government is planning, businesses and schools are planning and Wilmington and the other 33 cities and towns in Region 4A are planning too.
Other ongoing steps in emergency planning include surge capacity planning (in consultation with local hospitals), special population plans, and even animal plans, an aspect of planning that was highlighted when there were so many animal issues after Hurricane Katrina.
Individual planning for emergencies is also encouraged by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA). More information about individual, family, workplace, school and community planning can be found at the official U.S. Government website at www.pandemicflu.gov. There are checklists to follow, news items and lengthy explanations about the threat of avian influenza or any other pandemic or emergency situation.
Currently the US Government recommends that households prepare by storing at least a two-week supply of non-perishable food and water for each family member, including pets. Not only would this be helpful in a large-scale emergency, but it would also help with blizzards, power outages or an unexpected loss of a paycheck.
For more information about Region 4A planning, go to the www.town.wilmington.ma.us, click on the link for Public Safety, choose Public Health, and follow the link for emergency preparedness.
Meanwhile, the flu shot clinic will be held on November 1st at the West Intermediate School Cafeteria from 3:30 to 6:30pm. Please note that from 3:30 to 5:00 is for residents over the age of 65 and 5:00 to 6:30 is open to all residents over the age of 18.
Copyright 2007. CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
The flu clinic will provide a mini test of parking, security and traffic flow among other things. Last year’s clinic provided a similar test of the other Emergency Dispensing Site in town, the Middle school. That test went well and Board of Health Director Gregory Erickson expects that this site will also perform well in the test.
While it may seem strange that two emergency sites would be located so close together in one part of town, logistically it makes everything easier for the Incident Command Center to handle both sites. A government grant last year provided, among other things, money for computer linkage that allows for a mobile command post to be set up anywhere. Setting up a command post between the two schools allows for easier control of both settings, shared resources for traffic control, and an ease of sharing equipment and supplies. Erickson said that the town has two of everything in the “Go Kits,” but is nice to know that it is easy to run to the other site to pick up something if one site runs short.
In an emergency situation, such as a pandemic flu, when residents need to receive vaccinations once they are available, residents would each be assigned to one of the two Emergency Dispensing Sites. Carter Lane provides a long space where cars could be backed up in a true emergency, allowing for ease of traffic flow in the surrounding area.
This test and the emergency planning are all part of the ‘Continuity of Operations Plan,’ (COOP). A COOP refers to preparations that allow for essential services to continue in the event of a large-scale disruption, like a pandemic flu that could incapacitate large populations. It is one step in a series of steps that are required by the government and compliance is necessary in order for communities to be eligible for continued emergency planning funds.
The nature of travel today means that if pandemic flu comes today it can move swiftly from one place to another by airplane before authorities even know it has hit. Continuity planning is essential because while it remains uncertain if the next pandemic will be the Avian Flu that is in parts of the world now, experts agree that another pandemic will come as they have throughout history. The government is planning, businesses and schools are planning and Wilmington and the other 33 cities and towns in Region 4A are planning too.
Other ongoing steps in emergency planning include surge capacity planning (in consultation with local hospitals), special population plans, and even animal plans, an aspect of planning that was highlighted when there were so many animal issues after Hurricane Katrina.
Individual planning for emergencies is also encouraged by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA). More information about individual, family, workplace, school and community planning can be found at the official U.S. Government website at www.pandemicflu.gov. There are checklists to follow, news items and lengthy explanations about the threat of avian influenza or any other pandemic or emergency situation.
Currently the US Government recommends that households prepare by storing at least a two-week supply of non-perishable food and water for each family member, including pets. Not only would this be helpful in a large-scale emergency, but it would also help with blizzards, power outages or an unexpected loss of a paycheck.
For more information about Region 4A planning, go to the www.town.wilmington.ma.us, click on the link for Public Safety, choose Public Health, and follow the link for emergency preparedness.
Meanwhile, the flu shot clinic will be held on November 1st at the West Intermediate School Cafeteria from 3:30 to 6:30pm. Please note that from 3:30 to 5:00 is for residents over the age of 65 and 5:00 to 6:30 is open to all residents over the age of 18.
Copyright 2007. CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Two Brothers, One Dream Come True
TEWKSBURY – Sunday October 7th marked the 50th opening of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra program at Symphony Hall and two Tewksbury brothers were on stage for the performance.
Tewksbury High School Senior Liam Sheehy and his Sophomore brother Keegan both auditioned for and were accepted into orchestras with the BYSO. The BYSO consists of 5 programs that include four ability-based orchestras and the Intensive Community Program that provides rigorous string instrument instruction serving under-represented youth. Liam is a member of the Boston Youth Symphony and Keegan is a member of the Repertory Orchestra.
Liam started music lessons through the Tewksbury Schools in the fourth grade where he learned the trumpet. Through the years he moved on to take private lessons and to play the baritone horn and eventually the tuba. Now as a senior, Liam is looking forward to pursuing the tuba as a career. To that end he practices at least five days per week, three with the high school band, 1 with private lessons, and one with the BYS. He even adds one more practice in the winter when he plays with the Wind Ensemble in Lowell.
Liam plays tuba for the BYS, the most advanced ensemble of the BYSO. The BYS consists of 100 outstanding players whose technical levels are highly advanced and who show strong musicianship. Liam also plays for two of the other orchestras because they do not have a tuba player. The Repertory Orchestra and Junior Repertory Orchestra list Liam in their programs as a guest from the Boston Youth Symphony.
Although his acceptance into the BYSO means playing at Symphony Hall and other high caliber halls around the area, Liam is quick to point out that his first priority is his high school band. He says, “School takes precedence over the others because I’ve had a long-standing commitment there.”
Liam is a down to earth, well-spoken student who enjoys the outdoors and also takes his schoolwork seriously. Since the high school does not provide an option for someone to take four years of band and still complete all of the necessary credits, Liam enrolled in a school-approved online course to make up for the missing credits.
Superintendent Christine McGrath spoke highly of both boys, “Liam Sheehy is a talented musician, a leader in our school and a very positive influence. I have enormous respect for him and relied upon him as we sought the new music director.”
And of Keegan she said, “Keegan is a rising star in the music program. You would be hard pressed to find an individual who works harder preparing for and during a competition.”
Keegan, now a sophomore, started instrument lessons in school with a snare drum in the second grade. Today he prefers mallet percussion, which includes instruments like the xylophone, vibraphone, and the marimba. He now performs mallet percussion for the Repertory Orchestra, a group of 100 players of excellent technical and musical ability.
Keegan said that while he does not yet know if this will be a career choice for him, he does know that he’s not giving it up at any point. He doesn’t have a lot of leisure time for things he enjoys like reading, movies and seeing friends, and he said subjects like history and English are okay if he has to choose, but his true interest is to be in “all the high school bands I can be in.”
One of the highlights of Keegan’s young career was playing at Symphony Hall for the first time last winter. He described the experience as “very interesting because it has amazing sound qualities that you cannot get anywhere else in the world.”
The other highlight for Keegan is that he was able to meet one of his idols, a famous percussionist named Evelyn Glennie. Keegan’s father got tickets to a performance and Keegan was able to go back stage.
Liam shares Keegan’s enthusiasm for the opportunities he’s had through his music. “The people and different musicians I’ve met and opportunities I’ve had to do things people never get to do, like play at Symphony Hall,” he said.
Sunday was their most recent opportunity to play at Symphony Hall. Liam described the experience, “It went really well. Things went smoothly and the group played well.”
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
Tewksbury High School Senior Liam Sheehy and his Sophomore brother Keegan both auditioned for and were accepted into orchestras with the BYSO. The BYSO consists of 5 programs that include four ability-based orchestras and the Intensive Community Program that provides rigorous string instrument instruction serving under-represented youth. Liam is a member of the Boston Youth Symphony and Keegan is a member of the Repertory Orchestra.
Liam started music lessons through the Tewksbury Schools in the fourth grade where he learned the trumpet. Through the years he moved on to take private lessons and to play the baritone horn and eventually the tuba. Now as a senior, Liam is looking forward to pursuing the tuba as a career. To that end he practices at least five days per week, three with the high school band, 1 with private lessons, and one with the BYS. He even adds one more practice in the winter when he plays with the Wind Ensemble in Lowell.
Liam plays tuba for the BYS, the most advanced ensemble of the BYSO. The BYS consists of 100 outstanding players whose technical levels are highly advanced and who show strong musicianship. Liam also plays for two of the other orchestras because they do not have a tuba player. The Repertory Orchestra and Junior Repertory Orchestra list Liam in their programs as a guest from the Boston Youth Symphony.
Although his acceptance into the BYSO means playing at Symphony Hall and other high caliber halls around the area, Liam is quick to point out that his first priority is his high school band. He says, “School takes precedence over the others because I’ve had a long-standing commitment there.”
Liam is a down to earth, well-spoken student who enjoys the outdoors and also takes his schoolwork seriously. Since the high school does not provide an option for someone to take four years of band and still complete all of the necessary credits, Liam enrolled in a school-approved online course to make up for the missing credits.
Superintendent Christine McGrath spoke highly of both boys, “Liam Sheehy is a talented musician, a leader in our school and a very positive influence. I have enormous respect for him and relied upon him as we sought the new music director.”
And of Keegan she said, “Keegan is a rising star in the music program. You would be hard pressed to find an individual who works harder preparing for and during a competition.”
Keegan, now a sophomore, started instrument lessons in school with a snare drum in the second grade. Today he prefers mallet percussion, which includes instruments like the xylophone, vibraphone, and the marimba. He now performs mallet percussion for the Repertory Orchestra, a group of 100 players of excellent technical and musical ability.
Keegan said that while he does not yet know if this will be a career choice for him, he does know that he’s not giving it up at any point. He doesn’t have a lot of leisure time for things he enjoys like reading, movies and seeing friends, and he said subjects like history and English are okay if he has to choose, but his true interest is to be in “all the high school bands I can be in.”
One of the highlights of Keegan’s young career was playing at Symphony Hall for the first time last winter. He described the experience as “very interesting because it has amazing sound qualities that you cannot get anywhere else in the world.”
The other highlight for Keegan is that he was able to meet one of his idols, a famous percussionist named Evelyn Glennie. Keegan’s father got tickets to a performance and Keegan was able to go back stage.
Liam shares Keegan’s enthusiasm for the opportunities he’s had through his music. “The people and different musicians I’ve met and opportunities I’ve had to do things people never get to do, like play at Symphony Hall,” he said.
Sunday was their most recent opportunity to play at Symphony Hall. Liam described the experience, “It went really well. Things went smoothly and the group played well.”
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
No Bullying in Wilmington
WILMINGTON – Wilmington won’t tolerate bullying in its schools. The United States Department of Justice reports that every month 1 out of every 4 kids will be bullied and abused by another youth, but Wilmington is taking action to prevent bullying in its schools, in part through the use of an ‘interactive theater’ prevention program.
Bullying is a significant problem in schools. According to the National Education Association, it can cause absenteeism, mental and physical stress, poor school performance, poor self-esteem, and, in some cases, can even lead to school violence. Statistics show that 160,000 children in the United States miss school each day as a result of being bullied.
The Wilmington Public Schools, the Wilmington Police Department and the Wilmington Education Foundation are sponsoring an educational theater series addressing bullying and harassment. It will be held at the Shawsheen, Woburn Street, North Intermediate, West Intermediate and the Wilmington Middle School for grades 2, 4, and 7. Programs will be performed in the schools beginning on October 26th, 2007 (during National Bullying Prevention week) and throughout the following week.
Students will be presented with one of three interactive programs produced and directed by Deana’s Educational Theater, a Stoneham based non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting healthy relationships. Deana’s Fund was established in 1994 after the death of Deana Brisbois, a young woman from Topsfield, MA who was a victim of dating violence. Deana’s Fund, which later changed it’s name to Deana’s Educational Theater, recognized the connection between peer and partner violence and strives to educate people in relationship violence prevention. The organization provides theater and arts-based educational programs to schools and communities around the United States.
The three programs are: “All Starz”, a 3- person play for young students that covers topics such as: identifying bullying behaviors, reporting vs. telling, inclusion and respecting others. “Doin’ The Right Thing,” is also a 3-person play, (this one for upper elementary and middle schools) which covers topics such as respect, bullying and harassment, and constructive bystander behaviors. And finally, “Remote Control,” which is another 3-person play, this one with middle and high school adaptations. It covers topics such as: dating violence, sexual coercion and bystander intervention.
The plays and the post-performance discussions that follow each play emphasize the important role that all students have in ending the devastation and cruel effects of this school safety issue.
According to Sher Quaday, Executive Director of Deana’s Educational Theater, the programs are a good first step to developing an effective bullying prevention program. “Schools report that the program has both an immediate and long-term effect on students,” she said. “Each is an engaging program that reflects episodes of real-life bullying. It is a great tool, and when used together with a curriculum and other school and community efforts, it has great potential to effectively reduce the incidence of bullying in the lives of children.”
Another important part of this series is a Teacher/Parent Workshop to be held in the auditorium at the Wilmington Middle School on October 18th, 2007 at 7:00 pm. The district encourages all staff and parents of second, fourth and seventh grade students to attend this program. Parent and teacher interest and participation in this workshop will help to address these serious topics with the students.
Copyright 2007 CBLegvold All Rights Reserved
Bullying is a significant problem in schools. According to the National Education Association, it can cause absenteeism, mental and physical stress, poor school performance, poor self-esteem, and, in some cases, can even lead to school violence. Statistics show that 160,000 children in the United States miss school each day as a result of being bullied.
The Wilmington Public Schools, the Wilmington Police Department and the Wilmington Education Foundation are sponsoring an educational theater series addressing bullying and harassment. It will be held at the Shawsheen, Woburn Street, North Intermediate, West Intermediate and the Wilmington Middle School for grades 2, 4, and 7. Programs will be performed in the schools beginning on October 26th, 2007 (during National Bullying Prevention week) and throughout the following week.
Students will be presented with one of three interactive programs produced and directed by Deana’s Educational Theater, a Stoneham based non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting healthy relationships. Deana’s Fund was established in 1994 after the death of Deana Brisbois, a young woman from Topsfield, MA who was a victim of dating violence. Deana’s Fund, which later changed it’s name to Deana’s Educational Theater, recognized the connection between peer and partner violence and strives to educate people in relationship violence prevention. The organization provides theater and arts-based educational programs to schools and communities around the United States.
The three programs are: “All Starz”, a 3- person play for young students that covers topics such as: identifying bullying behaviors, reporting vs. telling, inclusion and respecting others. “Doin’ The Right Thing,” is also a 3-person play, (this one for upper elementary and middle schools) which covers topics such as respect, bullying and harassment, and constructive bystander behaviors. And finally, “Remote Control,” which is another 3-person play, this one with middle and high school adaptations. It covers topics such as: dating violence, sexual coercion and bystander intervention.
The plays and the post-performance discussions that follow each play emphasize the important role that all students have in ending the devastation and cruel effects of this school safety issue.
According to Sher Quaday, Executive Director of Deana’s Educational Theater, the programs are a good first step to developing an effective bullying prevention program. “Schools report that the program has both an immediate and long-term effect on students,” she said. “Each is an engaging program that reflects episodes of real-life bullying. It is a great tool, and when used together with a curriculum and other school and community efforts, it has great potential to effectively reduce the incidence of bullying in the lives of children.”
Another important part of this series is a Teacher/Parent Workshop to be held in the auditorium at the Wilmington Middle School on October 18th, 2007 at 7:00 pm. The district encourages all staff and parents of second, fourth and seventh grade students to attend this program. Parent and teacher interest and participation in this workshop will help to address these serious topics with the students.
Copyright 2007 CBLegvold All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Laptops Stolen From High School
TEWKSBURY – It’s hard to believe that someone would be cruel, greedy, or thoughtless enough to steal 15 laptops from a school that is already in a financial struggle to provide the best possible education for its students, but that is exactly what happened at Tewksbury Memorial High School this summer.
“It's hard to explain how disgusted and discouraged I am by this,” said School Committee Chairman Keith Rauseo who explained, “This is a theft not just from the students of Tewksbury, but from all the taxpayers of Tewksbury who agreed to a property tax increase to address issues with the high school facility and the technology available to our students.”
At the start of the summer there were two mobile labs that were inventoried, padlocked, and placed in a locked room off of the library inside the high school. The mobile labs are cabinets on wheels that store computer equipment and allow it to be moved easily from classroom to classroom or to locked storage as needed.
During the summer, the contents of the locked room were moved out into a hallway in order to empty the room while it was being painted. It is unknown how long the mobile labs were out in the hallway, but when High School Principal Patricia Lally found them there, she had them moved immediately to a locked room inside of her office.
After the start of this school year, Assistant Principal Eileen Osborne inventoried the contents of both cases and discovered that the bottom shelves of both units had been emptied for a combined total theft of 15 laptops and 14 power supplies.
At the time of Osborne’s inventory, it was discovered that the padlocks were missing from both units; however, Superintendent Christine McGrath said they do not know at what point the locks were removed.
McGrath notified the Tewksbury Police Department late last week and detectives are investigating. The camera system inside of the high school was replaced this summer and all available video is being diligently scrutinized for any evidence that may assist in the investigation.
This incident brings forth many questions about security procedures in the School District. Rauseo said that if putting things under lock and key isn't enough; “we might have to install second and third levels of security and higher-level and more consistent monitoring systems. Of course, security comes with a cost, and any new costs will take away from something educational we're trying to do, so we may have to do a balancing act to find money for this if necessary.”
Rauseo went on to propose that he “would like the town to find an independent security expert, someone who doesn't already work for the town, has no preconceived notions of how things are done, and can speak freely and frankly, to come in and do a security audit of all of the town's public buildings. There may be some glaring issues that we must address, and/or there may be issues we can address in a quick, easy, and cheap fashion that might have a great return in terms of increased security.”
Dr. McGrath said the laptops (valued at roughly $18,000) would be replaced if they are not found, because they are “an invaluable learning resource for our students.” The laptops are insured, according to Business Manager Jack Quinn, but there is a $2500 deductible.
Superintendent McGrath emphasized that she would be “most grateful for any information leading to the return of the laptops so that we can return them to the classes.” She asks that anyone with information please contact the Tewksbury Police Department as soon as possible.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
“It's hard to explain how disgusted and discouraged I am by this,” said School Committee Chairman Keith Rauseo who explained, “This is a theft not just from the students of Tewksbury, but from all the taxpayers of Tewksbury who agreed to a property tax increase to address issues with the high school facility and the technology available to our students.”
At the start of the summer there were two mobile labs that were inventoried, padlocked, and placed in a locked room off of the library inside the high school. The mobile labs are cabinets on wheels that store computer equipment and allow it to be moved easily from classroom to classroom or to locked storage as needed.
During the summer, the contents of the locked room were moved out into a hallway in order to empty the room while it was being painted. It is unknown how long the mobile labs were out in the hallway, but when High School Principal Patricia Lally found them there, she had them moved immediately to a locked room inside of her office.
After the start of this school year, Assistant Principal Eileen Osborne inventoried the contents of both cases and discovered that the bottom shelves of both units had been emptied for a combined total theft of 15 laptops and 14 power supplies.
At the time of Osborne’s inventory, it was discovered that the padlocks were missing from both units; however, Superintendent Christine McGrath said they do not know at what point the locks were removed.
McGrath notified the Tewksbury Police Department late last week and detectives are investigating. The camera system inside of the high school was replaced this summer and all available video is being diligently scrutinized for any evidence that may assist in the investigation.
This incident brings forth many questions about security procedures in the School District. Rauseo said that if putting things under lock and key isn't enough; “we might have to install second and third levels of security and higher-level and more consistent monitoring systems. Of course, security comes with a cost, and any new costs will take away from something educational we're trying to do, so we may have to do a balancing act to find money for this if necessary.”
Rauseo went on to propose that he “would like the town to find an independent security expert, someone who doesn't already work for the town, has no preconceived notions of how things are done, and can speak freely and frankly, to come in and do a security audit of all of the town's public buildings. There may be some glaring issues that we must address, and/or there may be issues we can address in a quick, easy, and cheap fashion that might have a great return in terms of increased security.”
Dr. McGrath said the laptops (valued at roughly $18,000) would be replaced if they are not found, because they are “an invaluable learning resource for our students.” The laptops are insured, according to Business Manager Jack Quinn, but there is a $2500 deductible.
Superintendent McGrath emphasized that she would be “most grateful for any information leading to the return of the laptops so that we can return them to the classes.” She asks that anyone with information please contact the Tewksbury Police Department as soon as possible.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
A Namibian Teaching Experience
NAMIBIA, AFRICA - Sixteen years after graduating from Wilmington Memorial High School, Kacy Soderquist found herself teaching for almost two months this summer in a classroom in a very rural part of Namibia, Africa. Armed with a BA in English from Regis College, a Masters in Education from UMass Boston, and 10 years of experience teaching high school English (7 years of that in her current position in Lynnfield), she found herself was still a bit emotionally unprepared for the realities of the educational system in Namibia.
Soderquist’s teaching placement was arranged by WorldTeach, an organization that works through Harvard’s Center for International Development to place volunteers all over the world depending upon the needs of each country. She was part of a program called Namibia Vision 2030, which is Namibia’s goal that it will be tech savvy by the year 2030. WorldTeach donated 30 TV /VCR decoders and a bouquet of educational programs. The Namibian government chose 30 villages to receive them. Soderquist was one of the 30 volunteers chosen to deliver and install the equipment and also to teach the teachers to use the equipment and educational programs.
The school in Talismanus is in the middle of a communal farming region. Since the kids live so far away, the school provided simple dormitory style housing for the students and the volunteers. Soderquist had her own small room with a toilet and a tub to boil water in. She knows she was fortunate, as many volunteer placements did not have accommodations like that. Still, there were plenty of bugs, no hot water, no grocery store and no regular transportation out of the village. There were no fruits, vegetables or bottled water in the village. As it was 4 ½ hours to the nearest city, it was a whole days journey to go grocery shopping.
So what were her expectations going into this experience? She replies, “I would say that going into this experience I hoped that I would be able to serve a population of people who have historically been minimized. As an educator, I firmly believe that life's greatest gift is education and that is the key to personal growth, economic freedom, and understanding who you are as a person in your family, your community, and your world. I wanted to share that gift…. I also hoped to make a connection with a group of students in another country with whom my own high school students could become pen pals and learn on a more personal level about a foreign culture.”
Soderquist shared her thoughts and experiences with the Crier through a series of four e-mail messages that she managed to send home on weekends when she took a 2-hour trip by taxi to the nearest town. Excerpts have been chosen to illustrate her experiences.
June 21, 2007
While I do love the kids at my school, the week in Talismanus has been a major adjustment. It's dirt roads and lots of dust as I'm in the desert (which is also--ironically--cattle country). I think that there are more cattle, goats, and sheep than there are people!
…there were definite culture shock moments that I experienced in the school itself. On my first day, there were 4 teachers absent, and the staff is only 7 large. There are no substitutes, so the "learners" are responsible for sitting quietly and doing their studies. While observing a class, I witnessed more shocking moments: the teacher telling the learner to "open your f***ing book man", pulling on the child's ear, throwing a book at a child, and pinching another one.
What's really sad is that there have been these generous donations of DStv, TV's, and VCR's, but there are no classroom sets of books! I've taken on teaching 4 English classes, and I am enjoying it very much!
The kids and the people in the village are very interested in the only white person for hundreds of miles. In fact, a 4 yr. old boy cried with utter fear when he saw me the other day--he had never seen a white person before. I do feel very safe and welcomed by everyone in school and in the community.
July 6th
Despite the seclusion, I can say that I am developing a growing affinity for my little village of Talismanus. I've made a friend with one of the teachers who has made it his mission to see that I am enjoying myself, which is great. He has shared some incredible stories of his culture, and it's all so different. People have babies here like they are candy, and marriage doesn't necessarily need to be part of the deal. In fact, it rarely is....
…Enjoy your summer and the warmth! It is really, really cold here....nothing near our winters, but it's not summer which my body is definitely upset about.
July 19, 2007
Hello all! I am happy to say that this report is much more positive and less filled with creepy crawlers. The time has flown by, but I feel like I have accomplished a lot and made really special connections with many of the kids. My mom sent over a box of old books that Litah [9 year old niece] no longer reads, so I have been using those to work with the grade 8 learners. They are only reading level 1 or 2, but they are books that they kids can actually understand and read, which is the point. You would be amazed at how excited these 15 year olds are over Franklin and Amelia Bedilia stories.
We read together every day, and some of them are becoming courageous enough to read aloud in English. So great. We also have spelling bees every week, and many of them are motivated to win because they want the prizes (candy or chips) for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. Two of the grade 8 girls came to my room at 6:30 this morning to wish me a happy birthday, which was so special. They are really, really sweet, and so much "younger" than the average American teenager.
Unfortunately, that innocence doesn't last long, and by the time they reach grade 10, they are a bit less innocent, which is frightening when you consider the percentage of the population infected with AIDS. (20%). That statistic is based on those who are brazen enough to actually be tested, and with the stigma attached to the disease; it is rare that people are so pro-active.
We have spent the last two weeks doing activities and having very important discussions about HIV/AIDS, and there is a tremendous fear of being ostracized by family/friends/community if one is to test positive. As a result, people just don't get tested, but this doesn't stop them from doing things that put them at risk.
Because of the dangers of the disease, the teachers are permitted to have really frank discussions with the learners, and it has been an eye-opening two weeks worth of talking. At any rate, after having many of them originally tell me that they would rather die/kill themselves than find out that they were HIV+, I have managed to convince many of them to go to the clinic and be tested. We have set up a schedule and will go in groups next week. I'm really thrilled and see this as an enormous stride.
In contrast to the success I have had with the learners, I was, unfortunately, feeling somewhat defeated by the teachers. Their approach to education is beyond arcane for an American educator, and there is not much 'teaching' that actually goes on. Ordinarily, the teacher may or may not write some notes on the board at the beginning of the day so that s/he can enjoy his/her tea while the students sit in class and copy from the information on the board. A few of them pop in and out of the classroom to reprimand those who are not doing their work, but that's about all that goes on.
Needless to say, the idea of using educational TV programs to enhance their lesson plans is a concept that they see as futile and unnecessary as it would require great effort and preparation on their parts… I can say with confidence that I believe 1 of the 7 teachers will use the equipment after I leave. I am told that this is progress, so I am trying to feel good about it….
My friend, Katuamba, took me to his cattle post last weekend where I saw him and others dehorn a calf and brand another. Quite an experience!
August 1st
I am back in Windhoek again having left my village for good… I'm having very mixed feelings about leaving as there are about 10 kids who have nestled their ways into my heart making it a real challenge to leave them. However, I was moved to tears of disappointment and frustration this weekend because so many of the girls who have never said as much as hello to me piled into my room demanding that "Miss, you must give me something". They actually had the audacity to rifle through my things! It was very difficult for me not to show my heartache.
I'm really angry at Oprah for setting such an unrealistic expectation of what "kids in Africa" want from Americans who are trying to help. At any rate, I am trying to focus on the positives and hope that there will be some continued good that comes from my time here. ] (End of e-mail journal entries)
Soderquist describes her conflicted feelings about her experiences with the educational system in Namibia: “I did come away with a feeling of gratitude for this amazing opportunity; however, there was equally as strong a feeling of frustration. I hesitate to even mention my disappointments as I fear it will only perpetuate people's deeply entrenched stereotypes about African culture, but I certainly did feel saddened for the realities of life in my village. I was sad to see that so many of the young girls are completely unaware of the growing opportunities that are available to them only 4 and 1/2 hours away in Windhoek.
On the other hand, I was really grateful that the one teacher in my school who will likely use the equipment effectively in his classroom was the principal of the school. My hope is that his enthusiasm for this donation and its benefits will spread to the remaining teachers of the 7 member staff so that the kids can see that education and learning can be fun, exciting, and useful. Change and progress are slow moving, and I can only cross my fingers and hope that my efforts made an impact and will be an impetus for change in the school where I worked.
I think it's so easy to get caught up in our day-to-day frustrations and disappointments, and it's really important to be able to take a step back from that and see how fortunate and blessed we truly are. What affected me most profoundly about all of the people I met was their genuine happiness. As much as they are suffering in poverty, they are truly at peace and possess a vibrant love of life that is infectious. In a country where more than 20% of the population is reported to be infected with AIDS or simply uninsured in the event that they need medical attention for some other illness, many people just "get sick and die". Confronted with death all around them, these kids have such strength and resilience.
I want people to know that Namibia is a beautiful country in its landscape and its people. Having gained its independence in 1991 after years of civil war, it is striving to make economic progress. Many hands are in the pot with the hope that the lofty goals of the country come to fruition by the year 2030, and I think there is great potential for strong growth. Africa is not a continent to be feared, and Namibia particularly is a country of warmth, beauty, and loving people. I want people to know that I was safe--in fact--I don't remember every feeling so safe in my life. As is the case with many of my students, I don't need to give money to make a difference in someone's life. My time, my hopes, my enthusiasm, and my belief in their success are equally as valuable. We all have a responsibility to be informed citizens and help to make positive contributions to the welfare of our world.”
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Soderquist’s teaching placement was arranged by WorldTeach, an organization that works through Harvard’s Center for International Development to place volunteers all over the world depending upon the needs of each country. She was part of a program called Namibia Vision 2030, which is Namibia’s goal that it will be tech savvy by the year 2030. WorldTeach donated 30 TV /VCR decoders and a bouquet of educational programs. The Namibian government chose 30 villages to receive them. Soderquist was one of the 30 volunteers chosen to deliver and install the equipment and also to teach the teachers to use the equipment and educational programs.
The school in Talismanus is in the middle of a communal farming region. Since the kids live so far away, the school provided simple dormitory style housing for the students and the volunteers. Soderquist had her own small room with a toilet and a tub to boil water in. She knows she was fortunate, as many volunteer placements did not have accommodations like that. Still, there were plenty of bugs, no hot water, no grocery store and no regular transportation out of the village. There were no fruits, vegetables or bottled water in the village. As it was 4 ½ hours to the nearest city, it was a whole days journey to go grocery shopping.
So what were her expectations going into this experience? She replies, “I would say that going into this experience I hoped that I would be able to serve a population of people who have historically been minimized. As an educator, I firmly believe that life's greatest gift is education and that is the key to personal growth, economic freedom, and understanding who you are as a person in your family, your community, and your world. I wanted to share that gift…. I also hoped to make a connection with a group of students in another country with whom my own high school students could become pen pals and learn on a more personal level about a foreign culture.”
Soderquist shared her thoughts and experiences with the Crier through a series of four e-mail messages that she managed to send home on weekends when she took a 2-hour trip by taxi to the nearest town. Excerpts have been chosen to illustrate her experiences.
June 21, 2007
While I do love the kids at my school, the week in Talismanus has been a major adjustment. It's dirt roads and lots of dust as I'm in the desert (which is also--ironically--cattle country). I think that there are more cattle, goats, and sheep than there are people!
…there were definite culture shock moments that I experienced in the school itself. On my first day, there were 4 teachers absent, and the staff is only 7 large. There are no substitutes, so the "learners" are responsible for sitting quietly and doing their studies. While observing a class, I witnessed more shocking moments: the teacher telling the learner to "open your f***ing book man", pulling on the child's ear, throwing a book at a child, and pinching another one.
What's really sad is that there have been these generous donations of DStv, TV's, and VCR's, but there are no classroom sets of books! I've taken on teaching 4 English classes, and I am enjoying it very much!
The kids and the people in the village are very interested in the only white person for hundreds of miles. In fact, a 4 yr. old boy cried with utter fear when he saw me the other day--he had never seen a white person before. I do feel very safe and welcomed by everyone in school and in the community.
July 6th
Despite the seclusion, I can say that I am developing a growing affinity for my little village of Talismanus. I've made a friend with one of the teachers who has made it his mission to see that I am enjoying myself, which is great. He has shared some incredible stories of his culture, and it's all so different. People have babies here like they are candy, and marriage doesn't necessarily need to be part of the deal. In fact, it rarely is....
…Enjoy your summer and the warmth! It is really, really cold here....nothing near our winters, but it's not summer which my body is definitely upset about.
July 19, 2007
Hello all! I am happy to say that this report is much more positive and less filled with creepy crawlers. The time has flown by, but I feel like I have accomplished a lot and made really special connections with many of the kids. My mom sent over a box of old books that Litah [9 year old niece] no longer reads, so I have been using those to work with the grade 8 learners. They are only reading level 1 or 2, but they are books that they kids can actually understand and read, which is the point. You would be amazed at how excited these 15 year olds are over Franklin and Amelia Bedilia stories.
We read together every day, and some of them are becoming courageous enough to read aloud in English. So great. We also have spelling bees every week, and many of them are motivated to win because they want the prizes (candy or chips) for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. Two of the grade 8 girls came to my room at 6:30 this morning to wish me a happy birthday, which was so special. They are really, really sweet, and so much "younger" than the average American teenager.
Unfortunately, that innocence doesn't last long, and by the time they reach grade 10, they are a bit less innocent, which is frightening when you consider the percentage of the population infected with AIDS. (20%). That statistic is based on those who are brazen enough to actually be tested, and with the stigma attached to the disease; it is rare that people are so pro-active.
We have spent the last two weeks doing activities and having very important discussions about HIV/AIDS, and there is a tremendous fear of being ostracized by family/friends/community if one is to test positive. As a result, people just don't get tested, but this doesn't stop them from doing things that put them at risk.
Because of the dangers of the disease, the teachers are permitted to have really frank discussions with the learners, and it has been an eye-opening two weeks worth of talking. At any rate, after having many of them originally tell me that they would rather die/kill themselves than find out that they were HIV+, I have managed to convince many of them to go to the clinic and be tested. We have set up a schedule and will go in groups next week. I'm really thrilled and see this as an enormous stride.
In contrast to the success I have had with the learners, I was, unfortunately, feeling somewhat defeated by the teachers. Their approach to education is beyond arcane for an American educator, and there is not much 'teaching' that actually goes on. Ordinarily, the teacher may or may not write some notes on the board at the beginning of the day so that s/he can enjoy his/her tea while the students sit in class and copy from the information on the board. A few of them pop in and out of the classroom to reprimand those who are not doing their work, but that's about all that goes on.
Needless to say, the idea of using educational TV programs to enhance their lesson plans is a concept that they see as futile and unnecessary as it would require great effort and preparation on their parts… I can say with confidence that I believe 1 of the 7 teachers will use the equipment after I leave. I am told that this is progress, so I am trying to feel good about it….
My friend, Katuamba, took me to his cattle post last weekend where I saw him and others dehorn a calf and brand another. Quite an experience!
August 1st
I am back in Windhoek again having left my village for good… I'm having very mixed feelings about leaving as there are about 10 kids who have nestled their ways into my heart making it a real challenge to leave them. However, I was moved to tears of disappointment and frustration this weekend because so many of the girls who have never said as much as hello to me piled into my room demanding that "Miss, you must give me something". They actually had the audacity to rifle through my things! It was very difficult for me not to show my heartache.
I'm really angry at Oprah for setting such an unrealistic expectation of what "kids in Africa" want from Americans who are trying to help. At any rate, I am trying to focus on the positives and hope that there will be some continued good that comes from my time here. ] (End of e-mail journal entries)
Soderquist describes her conflicted feelings about her experiences with the educational system in Namibia: “I did come away with a feeling of gratitude for this amazing opportunity; however, there was equally as strong a feeling of frustration. I hesitate to even mention my disappointments as I fear it will only perpetuate people's deeply entrenched stereotypes about African culture, but I certainly did feel saddened for the realities of life in my village. I was sad to see that so many of the young girls are completely unaware of the growing opportunities that are available to them only 4 and 1/2 hours away in Windhoek.
On the other hand, I was really grateful that the one teacher in my school who will likely use the equipment effectively in his classroom was the principal of the school. My hope is that his enthusiasm for this donation and its benefits will spread to the remaining teachers of the 7 member staff so that the kids can see that education and learning can be fun, exciting, and useful. Change and progress are slow moving, and I can only cross my fingers and hope that my efforts made an impact and will be an impetus for change in the school where I worked.
I think it's so easy to get caught up in our day-to-day frustrations and disappointments, and it's really important to be able to take a step back from that and see how fortunate and blessed we truly are. What affected me most profoundly about all of the people I met was their genuine happiness. As much as they are suffering in poverty, they are truly at peace and possess a vibrant love of life that is infectious. In a country where more than 20% of the population is reported to be infected with AIDS or simply uninsured in the event that they need medical attention for some other illness, many people just "get sick and die". Confronted with death all around them, these kids have such strength and resilience.
I want people to know that Namibia is a beautiful country in its landscape and its people. Having gained its independence in 1991 after years of civil war, it is striving to make economic progress. Many hands are in the pot with the hope that the lofty goals of the country come to fruition by the year 2030, and I think there is great potential for strong growth. Africa is not a continent to be feared, and Namibia particularly is a country of warmth, beauty, and loving people. I want people to know that I was safe--in fact--I don't remember every feeling so safe in my life. As is the case with many of my students, I don't need to give money to make a difference in someone's life. My time, my hopes, my enthusiasm, and my belief in their success are equally as valuable. We all have a responsibility to be informed citizens and help to make positive contributions to the welfare of our world.”
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
VFW Appoints Local Man New Sgt At Arms
WILMINGTON – When Wilmington resident Bryan O’Brien told the Crier about meeting President Bush, presidential contenders Clinton, Obama, McCain and Thompson, the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, newsman Tim Russert and an assortment of actors, musicians and politicians, it was not a boastful tale of ‘who’s who’; instead he was describing the fascinating duties of his newly appointed position as National Sergeant at Arms for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
O’Brien received notice of his appointment as National Sergeant at Arms of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States with its 2.3 million members and auxiliary early in April of 2007. He was appointed at the National Council of Administration meeting on April 23, 2007 and was sworn in during the August National Convention. He will serve under new Commander-in-Chief George Lisicki for 2007-2008.
O’Brien is no stranger to the National Sergeant at Arms position. Each National Sergeant at Arms has seven National Assistant Sergeant at Arms who serve under him. These Assistants represent conferences across the United States. O’Brien served as one of the National Assistant Sergeant at Arms, the only one from the East conference, for the last seven years. He has also served as State Sergeant at Arms (Massachusetts) for 11 of the last 12 years.
A Vietnam Era Sgt. in the Air Force from 1965 – 69, O’Brien’s eligibility for the VFW occurred when he was sent to Korea 3 days after the USS Pueblo was seized by the North Koreans and the crew held hostage. He describes it, “Korea, with it's demilitarized zone along the 32nd parallel is still an on going hot spot to this day. I was there for six and a half months from Feb. 68 to Sept. 68. I was an Intercept Control Technician that was trained to assist in intercepting un-friendly aircraft to either destroy them or turn them around out of un-authorized air space, via radar control and to help flight follow friendly aircraft by giving them radar vectors to their home base or an airbase for landing.”
In 1978 when O’Brien was the elected as Commander of Post no. 2394 in Melrose at age 31, he was the youngest Commander ever elected to the Post. In the 76-year history of the Post, O’Brien still holds that record. He is also a Past All-State Post Commander, Past Middlesex District 18 Commander and Past Middlesex County Council Commander. In 1982 he was named National Young Veteran of the Year.
As National Sergeant at Arms, O’Brien is the man of protocol for the convention. This year there were 10,272 people in attendance at the August convention. O’Brien said he and his team often say that their job entails being up to greet those people in the morning and ends after they put them to bed at night.
Everything between waking in the morning and bed at night is a carefully orchestrated series of events that O’Brien keeps moving like clockwork throughout each day of the conference. He and his team spend three days before each conference meeting with every possible committee to ensure that they know the logistics and security for every event. He keeps with him a schedule of the timing and seating/logistics for each day of the conference.
This year’s convention presented the unique challenge of appearances by current sitting President George Bush and four of the contenders for the next presidency. O’Brien said they consider the convention to be the “home” of the VFW and these politicians are guests in their home. It is the responsibility of the National Sergeant at Arms team to be first in line to address any disturbances in the hall.
VFW members were told up front that these political guests were there to be heard and respected and that if members did not want to hear a particular speaker that they should go sight seeing or shopping instead of ruining the experience for the other members who want to hear the speeches. As usual, the events this year went off without disturbances.
On Monday of the Convention, Clinton and McCain addressed the crowd with their differing views on Troop withdrawal in Iraq. On Tuesday, Obama presented his five- point counter-terrorism strategy and Thompson emphasized the need for unity and winning in Iraq. President Bush addressed the group on Wednesday.
It is important to note a disclaimer from the VFW website, “The appearance of these presidential candidates is not an endorsement, implied or otherwise. The VFW does not make a presidential endorsement because it is important that they be able to work effectively with that president and administration.”
The annual National Convention is but one of the many responsibilities of the National Sergeant at Arms. O’Brien already has out of state meetings scheduled in each of the next three months and has a master list of the big conferences for the next five years. Although his position has a one-year term, the Commander-in-Chief, which changes annually, decides upon each appointment. Therefore, future commanders (who are frequently identified 5 years ahead of their election) are often consulted in the appointment of a new National Sergeant at Arms because it is hope there will be continuity in the position.
O'Brien's position as National Sergeant at Arms gives him high visibility within the organization. He travels with the Commander, assists when the VFW addresses the House and Senate in Washington D.C. in March of each year, and greets and escorts guest speakers, performers and award winners. When President Bush was at the Conference, O’Brien escorted him to the green room, escorted him to the stage to speak, stood in front of him as he spoke (see photo), and flanked one side of him as he walked the line greeting members after the speech.
At other times, the position enables him to meet and greet people from many walks of life. The VFW presents gold medals to people who have performed outstanding service for veterans or current troops, such as the traveling shows put on by the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders or the work of Miss America and Miss Massachusetts. Musician Tony Orlando received the Gold Medal for a patriotic show that he performs every Memorial Day for Veterans. They also present news awards. One such recipient that O’Brien greeted was newsman Tim Russert. But then there are also awards presented to people who have done something extremely courageous, like the child that saved another from dying, and other local heroes.
O’Brien reminds us that the VFW is not just a group of veterans getting together to talk about war stories and old times. Actually, there is very little of that. They are an extremely civic-minded organization that works to take care of veterans, provide scholarships for students, and many other services to local communities.
According to the VFW website, “Its mission is to “honor the dead by helping the living” through veterans’ service, community service, national security and a strong national defense.” Annually, VFW members and its Auxiliary contribute more than 13 million hours of volunteerism.
Of his many years of service to the VFW, O’Brien says, “This is my chance to give back because I’m in a position to do so.”
“I’m so proud that I can take part in this community,” he added.
He has resided in the town of Wilmington, MA for the past 9 years and is a graduate of Somerville High School in 1965 and Newbury Jr. College for business management in Boston. O’Brien is presently employed by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority as a Senior Controller where he has been employed for the past 20 years.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
O’Brien received notice of his appointment as National Sergeant at Arms of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States with its 2.3 million members and auxiliary early in April of 2007. He was appointed at the National Council of Administration meeting on April 23, 2007 and was sworn in during the August National Convention. He will serve under new Commander-in-Chief George Lisicki for 2007-2008.
O’Brien is no stranger to the National Sergeant at Arms position. Each National Sergeant at Arms has seven National Assistant Sergeant at Arms who serve under him. These Assistants represent conferences across the United States. O’Brien served as one of the National Assistant Sergeant at Arms, the only one from the East conference, for the last seven years. He has also served as State Sergeant at Arms (Massachusetts) for 11 of the last 12 years.
A Vietnam Era Sgt. in the Air Force from 1965 – 69, O’Brien’s eligibility for the VFW occurred when he was sent to Korea 3 days after the USS Pueblo was seized by the North Koreans and the crew held hostage. He describes it, “Korea, with it's demilitarized zone along the 32nd parallel is still an on going hot spot to this day. I was there for six and a half months from Feb. 68 to Sept. 68. I was an Intercept Control Technician that was trained to assist in intercepting un-friendly aircraft to either destroy them or turn them around out of un-authorized air space, via radar control and to help flight follow friendly aircraft by giving them radar vectors to their home base or an airbase for landing.”
In 1978 when O’Brien was the elected as Commander of Post no. 2394 in Melrose at age 31, he was the youngest Commander ever elected to the Post. In the 76-year history of the Post, O’Brien still holds that record. He is also a Past All-State Post Commander, Past Middlesex District 18 Commander and Past Middlesex County Council Commander. In 1982 he was named National Young Veteran of the Year.
As National Sergeant at Arms, O’Brien is the man of protocol for the convention. This year there were 10,272 people in attendance at the August convention. O’Brien said he and his team often say that their job entails being up to greet those people in the morning and ends after they put them to bed at night.
Everything between waking in the morning and bed at night is a carefully orchestrated series of events that O’Brien keeps moving like clockwork throughout each day of the conference. He and his team spend three days before each conference meeting with every possible committee to ensure that they know the logistics and security for every event. He keeps with him a schedule of the timing and seating/logistics for each day of the conference.
This year’s convention presented the unique challenge of appearances by current sitting President George Bush and four of the contenders for the next presidency. O’Brien said they consider the convention to be the “home” of the VFW and these politicians are guests in their home. It is the responsibility of the National Sergeant at Arms team to be first in line to address any disturbances in the hall.
VFW members were told up front that these political guests were there to be heard and respected and that if members did not want to hear a particular speaker that they should go sight seeing or shopping instead of ruining the experience for the other members who want to hear the speeches. As usual, the events this year went off without disturbances.
On Monday of the Convention, Clinton and McCain addressed the crowd with their differing views on Troop withdrawal in Iraq. On Tuesday, Obama presented his five- point counter-terrorism strategy and Thompson emphasized the need for unity and winning in Iraq. President Bush addressed the group on Wednesday.
It is important to note a disclaimer from the VFW website, “The appearance of these presidential candidates is not an endorsement, implied or otherwise. The VFW does not make a presidential endorsement because it is important that they be able to work effectively with that president and administration.”
The annual National Convention is but one of the many responsibilities of the National Sergeant at Arms. O’Brien already has out of state meetings scheduled in each of the next three months and has a master list of the big conferences for the next five years. Although his position has a one-year term, the Commander-in-Chief, which changes annually, decides upon each appointment. Therefore, future commanders (who are frequently identified 5 years ahead of their election) are often consulted in the appointment of a new National Sergeant at Arms because it is hope there will be continuity in the position.
O'Brien's position as National Sergeant at Arms gives him high visibility within the organization. He travels with the Commander, assists when the VFW addresses the House and Senate in Washington D.C. in March of each year, and greets and escorts guest speakers, performers and award winners. When President Bush was at the Conference, O’Brien escorted him to the green room, escorted him to the stage to speak, stood in front of him as he spoke (see photo), and flanked one side of him as he walked the line greeting members after the speech.
At other times, the position enables him to meet and greet people from many walks of life. The VFW presents gold medals to people who have performed outstanding service for veterans or current troops, such as the traveling shows put on by the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders or the work of Miss America and Miss Massachusetts. Musician Tony Orlando received the Gold Medal for a patriotic show that he performs every Memorial Day for Veterans. They also present news awards. One such recipient that O’Brien greeted was newsman Tim Russert. But then there are also awards presented to people who have done something extremely courageous, like the child that saved another from dying, and other local heroes.
O’Brien reminds us that the VFW is not just a group of veterans getting together to talk about war stories and old times. Actually, there is very little of that. They are an extremely civic-minded organization that works to take care of veterans, provide scholarships for students, and many other services to local communities.
According to the VFW website, “Its mission is to “honor the dead by helping the living” through veterans’ service, community service, national security and a strong national defense.” Annually, VFW members and its Auxiliary contribute more than 13 million hours of volunteerism.
Of his many years of service to the VFW, O’Brien says, “This is my chance to give back because I’m in a position to do so.”
“I’m so proud that I can take part in this community,” he added.
He has resided in the town of Wilmington, MA for the past 9 years and is a graduate of Somerville High School in 1965 and Newbury Jr. College for business management in Boston. O’Brien is presently employed by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority as a Senior Controller where he has been employed for the past 20 years.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Goodbye Chalkboards - Hello SMART Boards
TEWKSBURY - Why would Brenda Regan’s 6th grade math class be dissecting a frog at the beginning of class last Friday and how did they do it without metal dissecting tools, frog dissection kits, or any kind of mess?
The answer is an incredible technology being implemented into Tewksbury classrooms. Regan’s classroom is outfitted with a SMART Board System, from SMART Technologies. It is three-component system of an interactive whiteboard, a projector that is mounted to the ceiling, and the teacher’s computer, to which the projector and the whiteboard are linked. As the projector puts an image of the computer screen up onto the whiteboard, the teacher or students can touch the whiteboard with a finger and control the computer as if they were using a mouse.
But this Board does so much more. Pick up a stylus pen from the tray on the Board and use it or your finger to write on the Board. Change your handwriting to text and play with size, font, color, repetition – the possibilities are endless! And this is how Regan’s class came to perform a virtual dissection of a frog on their SMART Board system. The students were engaged and having fun with the dissection, while they were also learning to use the Board.
At any opportunity to use the Board, kids are excited and many hands go up when a volunteer is needed at the Board. Regan said that this excitement is not a novelty. She said the kids last year were just as enthralled by it at the end of the year. The excitement never ends because there is always something new to do on it. “It’s engaging, it’s different, and it’s interactive,” said Regan.
Regan explains that if she sent a notebook home and told kids to create math lessons to share with the class, there would be a lot of eye rolling and comments like “oh great, she gave me more work,” but with the SMART Board system, kids are eager to go home and install the software and create lessons from home. It reinforces the lessons for the student and at the same time they create lessons that their class and future classes can use to learn math.
Not only will the student-created lessons serve as a resource for future classes, but anything that is written on the Board can be saved in a file or printed out. Students can bring in thumb drives and take home files to continue to review or practice material and a student who is absent can catch up on the materials from missed lessons.
The Board changes the way teachers traditionally teach. “It revolutionizes teaching a little because I don’t have to be in front of the class in your way,” Regan told students as she moved to teach from the back of the room and used her Bluetooth enabled slate to control the board from a distance. Students no longer have to look at the back of a teacher who is trying to write on a chalkboard. Regan can see all of the students, and the students focus on the material presented in front of them. There is even a magnifier tool that can be used to enlarge parts of the screen so that text can be read from across the room. The slate can be passed around, so even students that are not physically able to get to the board can use it from their seats.
Describing the technology as “contagious,” Regan said that once a teacher in a subject area has piloted the SMART Board in their classroom for a year, others that see the excitement want one in their room too. Lessons that are created by teachers and students can be shared and there is free access to more lessons on the SMART Technologies website for the life of the Board.
Regan won a grant in 2006 from SMART Technologies that included a SMART Board System, training for her in Canada so that she could learn the system and learn to train other teachers, and a trip for 2 teachers and 8 students for 8 days to Canada for intensive training also. Now the district is building on that to train more teachers and students and to implement more systems throughout the schools.
Superintendent McGrath and the School Committee are fully supportive of efforts to bring in more SMART Boards for the classrooms. At their August 29th meeting they discussed the necessity of giving consideration to hiring individuals who have the skills to keep up with the technology we are bringing into the schools. They mentioned revisiting this issue as they get into the budget process for next year.
In e-mail to the Crier, School Committee Chairman Keith Rauseo provided the multi-faceted reasoning behind the district’s enthusiastic response to SMART Board technology, “SMART Boards are terrific tools because they bring a new level of hands-on interaction and student participation within instruction. They are new and different, so they generate a natural boost of excitement among students and teachers. Even more importantly, they allow teachers to save and share lessons. Bringing the lesson right up and working through it immediately, or bringing up a tried-and-true lesson developed by a colleague, saves teachers time from writing everything over and over on a standard board, and this allows teachers more time for instruction. Several teachers are strong advocates of the technology and are already using it everyday. The administration is excited about it and working on plans to acquire more boards over time. We all think they will have a great effect on the overall quality of instruction.”
The Schools Need Your Help
There are nearly 20 of these systems currently throughout the school district. PAC fundraising and private and corporate donations have provided most of these SMART Board systems. Regan said that a classroom could be fully set up with the SMART Board equipment for a cost of $2000 to $2500. Any business or resident interested in making a contribution toward the purchase of one of these systems is encouraged to contact a school or the Superintendent’s office and specify that the donation is for a SMART Board purchase.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
The answer is an incredible technology being implemented into Tewksbury classrooms. Regan’s classroom is outfitted with a SMART Board System, from SMART Technologies. It is three-component system of an interactive whiteboard, a projector that is mounted to the ceiling, and the teacher’s computer, to which the projector and the whiteboard are linked. As the projector puts an image of the computer screen up onto the whiteboard, the teacher or students can touch the whiteboard with a finger and control the computer as if they were using a mouse.
But this Board does so much more. Pick up a stylus pen from the tray on the Board and use it or your finger to write on the Board. Change your handwriting to text and play with size, font, color, repetition – the possibilities are endless! And this is how Regan’s class came to perform a virtual dissection of a frog on their SMART Board system. The students were engaged and having fun with the dissection, while they were also learning to use the Board.
At any opportunity to use the Board, kids are excited and many hands go up when a volunteer is needed at the Board. Regan said that this excitement is not a novelty. She said the kids last year were just as enthralled by it at the end of the year. The excitement never ends because there is always something new to do on it. “It’s engaging, it’s different, and it’s interactive,” said Regan.
Regan explains that if she sent a notebook home and told kids to create math lessons to share with the class, there would be a lot of eye rolling and comments like “oh great, she gave me more work,” but with the SMART Board system, kids are eager to go home and install the software and create lessons from home. It reinforces the lessons for the student and at the same time they create lessons that their class and future classes can use to learn math.
Not only will the student-created lessons serve as a resource for future classes, but anything that is written on the Board can be saved in a file or printed out. Students can bring in thumb drives and take home files to continue to review or practice material and a student who is absent can catch up on the materials from missed lessons.
The Board changes the way teachers traditionally teach. “It revolutionizes teaching a little because I don’t have to be in front of the class in your way,” Regan told students as she moved to teach from the back of the room and used her Bluetooth enabled slate to control the board from a distance. Students no longer have to look at the back of a teacher who is trying to write on a chalkboard. Regan can see all of the students, and the students focus on the material presented in front of them. There is even a magnifier tool that can be used to enlarge parts of the screen so that text can be read from across the room. The slate can be passed around, so even students that are not physically able to get to the board can use it from their seats.
Describing the technology as “contagious,” Regan said that once a teacher in a subject area has piloted the SMART Board in their classroom for a year, others that see the excitement want one in their room too. Lessons that are created by teachers and students can be shared and there is free access to more lessons on the SMART Technologies website for the life of the Board.
Regan won a grant in 2006 from SMART Technologies that included a SMART Board System, training for her in Canada so that she could learn the system and learn to train other teachers, and a trip for 2 teachers and 8 students for 8 days to Canada for intensive training also. Now the district is building on that to train more teachers and students and to implement more systems throughout the schools.
Superintendent McGrath and the School Committee are fully supportive of efforts to bring in more SMART Boards for the classrooms. At their August 29th meeting they discussed the necessity of giving consideration to hiring individuals who have the skills to keep up with the technology we are bringing into the schools. They mentioned revisiting this issue as they get into the budget process for next year.
In e-mail to the Crier, School Committee Chairman Keith Rauseo provided the multi-faceted reasoning behind the district’s enthusiastic response to SMART Board technology, “SMART Boards are terrific tools because they bring a new level of hands-on interaction and student participation within instruction. They are new and different, so they generate a natural boost of excitement among students and teachers. Even more importantly, they allow teachers to save and share lessons. Bringing the lesson right up and working through it immediately, or bringing up a tried-and-true lesson developed by a colleague, saves teachers time from writing everything over and over on a standard board, and this allows teachers more time for instruction. Several teachers are strong advocates of the technology and are already using it everyday. The administration is excited about it and working on plans to acquire more boards over time. We all think they will have a great effect on the overall quality of instruction.”
The Schools Need Your Help
There are nearly 20 of these systems currently throughout the school district. PAC fundraising and private and corporate donations have provided most of these SMART Board systems. Regan said that a classroom could be fully set up with the SMART Board equipment for a cost of $2000 to $2500. Any business or resident interested in making a contribution toward the purchase of one of these systems is encouraged to contact a school or the Superintendent’s office and specify that the donation is for a SMART Board purchase.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Wetlands Dispute
TEWKSBURY – When are wetlands, wetlands? It’s not as easy a determination as one might think. Are there wetlands on the property at 60 Chivas Circle or not? Charles Pastorello and his neighbor Manuel Alves have been seeking the answer to that question for a few years now. In June of 2002 Tewksbury conservation officials told them that there are wetlands on the property, but by November of the same year they were told that there were no wetlands.
The trouble began in the spring of 2002 when Alves went to put in an above ground swimming pool in the back yard of his Maplewood Road home, which backs up to the back yard of his Chivas Circle neighbor. His neighbors alerted Town officials that it was too close to wetlands and that trees in the buffer zone had been cut down. Conservation Administrator Walter Polchlopek visited the site and sent a letter in June of 2002 stating that Alves needed to file a Request for Determination with the Tewksbury Conservation Commission because the proposed pool location was located within the buffer zone that is less than 100 feet from the wetland.
On July 1st 2002 Polchlopek approved the application for the pool with the handwritten condition that Alves plant trees in the left rear corner of the lot as discussed, and a building permit was issued the next day. Trees were planted in the northwest corner and the project continued.
When the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection contacted the Town, Polchlopek visited the site once again. This time he tested the soil. He reported in a November 2002 memo that his on-site inspection revealed no wetland area that would impact the Alves project. Polchlopek explained (in a 2005 deposition for a lawsuit between the two neighbors), “In using the three parameter method for wetland delineation, my findings indicate that this area has soils that are not hydric and in addition the area lacks hydrology characteristic of a hydric soil, therefore, it is not a wetland.”
So how do Town officials explain the discrepancy in the two reports that were completed only five months apart? The spring visit was a cursory site visit, an observation of the land in question. The second visit, in the fall, included the soil testing and a more in depth review of the land. Community Development Director Steve Sadwick said that the two different types of visits could account for different results. He expressed his confidence in Polchlopek’s experience and ability to make wetland determinations.
Polchlopek explained that soil, vegetation and water must all be scientifically evaluated. There are types of vegetation and soil that are typical of wetlands and a water evaluation requires that a water table be high with a certain percentage of days when the water comes to the surface during the growing season.
“It takes more than one season to evaluate the wetland relative to hydrology. Technically it is supposed to be a year to ten years,” explained Polchlopek in the deposition.
In spite of knowing that a good portion of their back yard is a wetland, the Pastorello’s have now submitted a proposal for the construction of a patio with new drainage, stone wall, shed and grading, some of which is within the 100 foot buffer zone, but outside of the 25 foot no disturbance and additional 25 foot no build zones. Pastorello said that they bought the property knowing that the back yard was wetland and it would severely limit what they could do with the yard. He and his wife want the wetland area declared on their property and the buffer zone enforced and protected. They also want their project, which they believe conforms to wetland regulations, to be approved as soon as possible.
The Public hearing for the proposed project at 60 Chivas Circle was brought to a recent meeting of the Conservation Commission and after some discussion and with several questions unanswered, it was postponed until the September 5th meeting. The reasons for the postponement were that it is still unclear if there are wetlands on the property, and that a full topography map of the site was requested. A final decision on the status of the land is set for the September 5th Conservation Committee meeting.
The final determination of whether or not there are wetlands, and where, will have a direct impact on the project for the Pastorello’s. If wetlands are found to be too close to the area they intend to work on, then the improvement project could be denied, and if there are no conservation issues the project could go forward.
The outcome of the wetland issue now has no bearing upon the Alves backyard pool. According to Polchlopek’s deposition, if the Chivas property is determined to have wetlands, it will not affect Alves because “It’s an exempt activity. Even if the area ended up being a wetland, it’s in excess of the 50 feet that’s indicated in the exemptions.” The fence that has been installed would not have to come down either, as it does not interfere with wildlife because there are openings underneath it.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
The trouble began in the spring of 2002 when Alves went to put in an above ground swimming pool in the back yard of his Maplewood Road home, which backs up to the back yard of his Chivas Circle neighbor. His neighbors alerted Town officials that it was too close to wetlands and that trees in the buffer zone had been cut down. Conservation Administrator Walter Polchlopek visited the site and sent a letter in June of 2002 stating that Alves needed to file a Request for Determination with the Tewksbury Conservation Commission because the proposed pool location was located within the buffer zone that is less than 100 feet from the wetland.
On July 1st 2002 Polchlopek approved the application for the pool with the handwritten condition that Alves plant trees in the left rear corner of the lot as discussed, and a building permit was issued the next day. Trees were planted in the northwest corner and the project continued.
When the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection contacted the Town, Polchlopek visited the site once again. This time he tested the soil. He reported in a November 2002 memo that his on-site inspection revealed no wetland area that would impact the Alves project. Polchlopek explained (in a 2005 deposition for a lawsuit between the two neighbors), “In using the three parameter method for wetland delineation, my findings indicate that this area has soils that are not hydric and in addition the area lacks hydrology characteristic of a hydric soil, therefore, it is not a wetland.”
So how do Town officials explain the discrepancy in the two reports that were completed only five months apart? The spring visit was a cursory site visit, an observation of the land in question. The second visit, in the fall, included the soil testing and a more in depth review of the land. Community Development Director Steve Sadwick said that the two different types of visits could account for different results. He expressed his confidence in Polchlopek’s experience and ability to make wetland determinations.
Polchlopek explained that soil, vegetation and water must all be scientifically evaluated. There are types of vegetation and soil that are typical of wetlands and a water evaluation requires that a water table be high with a certain percentage of days when the water comes to the surface during the growing season.
“It takes more than one season to evaluate the wetland relative to hydrology. Technically it is supposed to be a year to ten years,” explained Polchlopek in the deposition.
In spite of knowing that a good portion of their back yard is a wetland, the Pastorello’s have now submitted a proposal for the construction of a patio with new drainage, stone wall, shed and grading, some of which is within the 100 foot buffer zone, but outside of the 25 foot no disturbance and additional 25 foot no build zones. Pastorello said that they bought the property knowing that the back yard was wetland and it would severely limit what they could do with the yard. He and his wife want the wetland area declared on their property and the buffer zone enforced and protected. They also want their project, which they believe conforms to wetland regulations, to be approved as soon as possible.
The Public hearing for the proposed project at 60 Chivas Circle was brought to a recent meeting of the Conservation Commission and after some discussion and with several questions unanswered, it was postponed until the September 5th meeting. The reasons for the postponement were that it is still unclear if there are wetlands on the property, and that a full topography map of the site was requested. A final decision on the status of the land is set for the September 5th Conservation Committee meeting.
The final determination of whether or not there are wetlands, and where, will have a direct impact on the project for the Pastorello’s. If wetlands are found to be too close to the area they intend to work on, then the improvement project could be denied, and if there are no conservation issues the project could go forward.
The outcome of the wetland issue now has no bearing upon the Alves backyard pool. According to Polchlopek’s deposition, if the Chivas property is determined to have wetlands, it will not affect Alves because “It’s an exempt activity. Even if the area ended up being a wetland, it’s in excess of the 50 feet that’s indicated in the exemptions.” The fence that has been installed would not have to come down either, as it does not interfere with wildlife because there are openings underneath it.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Lia's Field of Dreams
Tewksbury second-grader Lia DiFronzo fulfilled a dream on Monday August 12th that few adults ever get to experience. As the Boston Red Sox prepared to take on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Lia threw out the first pitch during opening ceremonies!
“It was fun and exciting,” said Lia the next day in a phone interview.
Lia’s adventure at Fenway Park was courtesy of the Jimmy Fund. Lia is battling against a rare form of Leukemia and while in for treatments one day someone from the Jimmy Fund asked if she would like to go to a game, throw the first pitch and meet Tim Wakefield.
Lia’s mother, Laura DiFronzo, said Lia was so excited, and the timing was perfect and it was something that lifted the spirits of the entire family.
DiFronzo, described a whirlwind of activities that started with their arrival at Fenway Park at 4:30 in the afternoon. A Red Sox representative met them and escorted them during their visit.
First they went to the field to see some batting practice. Unfortunately it rained and there was no batting practice, but they visited with Ball Girl Stephanie Maneikis, who is also a Fenway Ambassador, for a few minutes until it was time to go to the clubhouse to meet Tim Wakefield.
DiFronzo said that Wakefield was wonderful with Lia and her brother Rico. He talked to them and allowed them to ask any questions they wanted. When the kids wanted to know how to hold a ball for a knuckle ball pitch Wakefield took the time to show them and explain it to them. He also offered to autograph things for them, posed for some photos, and had hugs for Lia.
As the whirlwind continued the DiFronzos found themselves being interviewed for a Sunday night sports program on NESN. DiFronzo said that while she was a little nervous, the kids did a great job with their interviews.
They had just enough time to go up to the Green Monster seats to take a look around the park before they had to be back on the field for the 6:30 pre-game activities. Soon it was time for Lia’s first pitch. She went out the mound alone, independent, as she wanted it, and threw that first pitch. Her mom said that “Being there [Fenway] is always exciting, but this was just…” …and there just weren’t words to describe her emotion!
After the opening ceremonies, Lia and her family went up to their seats in the grandstand where Lia was able to stay for the entire game to see her Red Sox beat the Devil Rays by a score of 3 – 0.
Lia is battling a rare form of Leukemia that was first diagnosed in spring of 2006 during a routine physical exam. She endured heavy doses of chemotherapy that put her into remission and allowed her to receive a bone marrow transplant from her brother, Rico, last August. Lia relapsed again in November. Doctors are now trying to get her back into remission so she is eligible for another bone marrow transplant.
In her CarePages.com online journal, Laura DiFronzo writes about the family’s medical ups and downs and experiences in daily life. Family and friends follow along through the entries and the community support has been overwhelming and wonderful.
In anticipation of Lia’s big day at Fenway, DiFronzo wrote [quoted with her permission], “She [Lia] still continues to be positive and full of life. After she was asked about the Red Sox game she looks at me and says" see mom, its not all that bad being sick! I get to do all this fun stuff." She really needed this right now and so did we all, a good pick me up for all of us.”
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
“It was fun and exciting,” said Lia the next day in a phone interview.
Lia’s adventure at Fenway Park was courtesy of the Jimmy Fund. Lia is battling against a rare form of Leukemia and while in for treatments one day someone from the Jimmy Fund asked if she would like to go to a game, throw the first pitch and meet Tim Wakefield.
Lia’s mother, Laura DiFronzo, said Lia was so excited, and the timing was perfect and it was something that lifted the spirits of the entire family.
DiFronzo, described a whirlwind of activities that started with their arrival at Fenway Park at 4:30 in the afternoon. A Red Sox representative met them and escorted them during their visit.
First they went to the field to see some batting practice. Unfortunately it rained and there was no batting practice, but they visited with Ball Girl Stephanie Maneikis, who is also a Fenway Ambassador, for a few minutes until it was time to go to the clubhouse to meet Tim Wakefield.
DiFronzo said that Wakefield was wonderful with Lia and her brother Rico. He talked to them and allowed them to ask any questions they wanted. When the kids wanted to know how to hold a ball for a knuckle ball pitch Wakefield took the time to show them and explain it to them. He also offered to autograph things for them, posed for some photos, and had hugs for Lia.
As the whirlwind continued the DiFronzos found themselves being interviewed for a Sunday night sports program on NESN. DiFronzo said that while she was a little nervous, the kids did a great job with their interviews.
They had just enough time to go up to the Green Monster seats to take a look around the park before they had to be back on the field for the 6:30 pre-game activities. Soon it was time for Lia’s first pitch. She went out the mound alone, independent, as she wanted it, and threw that first pitch. Her mom said that “Being there [Fenway] is always exciting, but this was just…” …and there just weren’t words to describe her emotion!
After the opening ceremonies, Lia and her family went up to their seats in the grandstand where Lia was able to stay for the entire game to see her Red Sox beat the Devil Rays by a score of 3 – 0.
Lia is battling a rare form of Leukemia that was first diagnosed in spring of 2006 during a routine physical exam. She endured heavy doses of chemotherapy that put her into remission and allowed her to receive a bone marrow transplant from her brother, Rico, last August. Lia relapsed again in November. Doctors are now trying to get her back into remission so she is eligible for another bone marrow transplant.
In her CarePages.com online journal, Laura DiFronzo writes about the family’s medical ups and downs and experiences in daily life. Family and friends follow along through the entries and the community support has been overwhelming and wonderful.
In anticipation of Lia’s big day at Fenway, DiFronzo wrote [quoted with her permission], “She [Lia] still continues to be positive and full of life. After she was asked about the Red Sox game she looks at me and says" see mom, its not all that bad being sick! I get to do all this fun stuff." She really needed this right now and so did we all, a good pick me up for all of us.”
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Yentile Place, part two
Wilmington - In a follow-up to a June 20, 2007 story in the Town Crier, representatives from the Yentile Estates project were in the hot seat at the Planning Board meeting on Tuesday night. They faced questions not only from the Planning Board, but also from several families that have tried to buy homes in the not-yet-built development, including the family from the previous article that had been unable to get back a sizeable deposit they had placed on a Yentile Estates unit.
Planning Director Carole Hamilton explained that developers for Yentile Estates had been called in to meet with the Planning Board because the project is substantially behind where they expected it to be at this point and that they were starting to hear complaints from people that bought or were trying to buy in the development. “Confidence is very low and trust is a difficult thing to gain back,” Hamilton explained. She also warned, “Frankly, if it isn’t going forth and isn’t going to succeed, let’s not start!”
Lawyer Joseph M. Antonellis spoke representing builder Dave Franchi. He explained that due to health issues with Franchi’s lawyer, John O’Keefe, he has stepped in to help with the situation.
Antonellis said right up front that he could not quarrel with anything that Hamilton had said because he had previously discussed it with her. He instead described the situation as a “perfect storm” at work against the builder, meaning that everything seemed to go wrong.
Franchi came into the project as a work in progress when the previous builder passed away. The financing was with Webster bank at that time, and the contract that had been negotiated called for the townhouses to be built first. Unfortunately, what were selling at the time were the more affordable garden style units.
Franchi “no more than dug half of a hole in the ground” when Webster bank pulled out of the project saying that they were no longer interested in doing business with them. He said that the CT based Webster bank came up here and pulled the plug on about 8 projects in MA and NH. He questioned their pulling out of a project once it had been put in motion, but to no avail.
As for the lack of communication between the builder and the town and also families with questions, Franchi said that he did not want to have his situation in the press while he was trying to get funding for the project. Board members told him that if he had come to them and explained the situation quietly with them as problems arose then he would have been better off and they also assured him that they do not contact the press with such matters.
Franchi made no apologies, and was quick to blame the DiFazio family for the miscommunications because they did not retain an attorney to speak with his attorney. Several Planning Board members responded that it seemed unfair that the family should have to get an attorney to get back money that was rightfully theirs anyway.
Antonellis said that Franchi definitely intends to go through with the project. Forty percent of the money put into the project is Franchi’s own money, so he has a definite invested interest in it reaching completion. He has now secured new financing with Century Bank, a more local bank that is interested in having a presence in Wilmington through the Yentile Estates project, according to Antonellis. They have a meeting scheduled for Friday with the ADA to ensure compliance and then will be able to put a foundation in the ground.
Currently the bank has given approval to go ahead with the infrastructure- roads, sewer, etc. To go ahead with Building A, and the first four townhouses, the builder must acquire some P&S agreements, improve signage, and demonstrate activity and interest in the site which means that people are actively looking at unit designs and the site. To go beyond those first units, they need 12 Purchase and Sale agreements to continue. “How many are there now,” asked Lora Oliver, whose mother has a reservation for a unit – but not yet a purchase and sale agreement. “We have several” was Franchi’s quick non-committal reply. The quicker we have commitments is the quicker we can proceed, Franchi explained.
Franchi and Antonellis were also non-committal about the date that the first units might be completed. Antonellis said they had discussed time frames, anything from May of 2008 to a year from now or beyond, but could not agree on a date and did not want to give another false deadline. There was an audible gasp from Oliver and her mom, Carol Paulicelli. Paulicelli sold her home on the Cape and is now renting an apartment in Reading until the development is built. She said the plans are beautiful and she still hopes to live there some day, but expressed reservations about putting money down right now until the project is moving along.
Hamilton reminded the builders that it is in their best interest to present absolute truth on their website and to questions that people ask them. “There have been units shown on the web that may or may not have been sold. Our trust has deteriorated. This needs to be an open and honest process and we cannot wait months.”
A Check In The Mail
Mark DiFazio spoke on behalf of his mother, Ninfa DiFazio, who paid a deposit and had a Purchase and Sale agreement for unit 15C in Yentile Estates. In April 2006 his mother paid a $5,000 deposit on the garden style unit. On June 6, 2006 she signed a Purchase and Sale agreement and paid the remainder of her deposit. On October 26, 2006 she cancelled her P&S agreement by certified mail as per the terms of the contract because the completion dates kept pushing out further and further. As of the meeting Tuesday night, she had still not received her deposit back from Franchi.
“You have $38,490 of my mother’s money,” said DiFazio. He went on to say that the realtor told him that Franchi was an excellent builder and that DiFazio hopes he is also an excellent human being and will do the right thing.
Antonellis said the money has now been put in escrow for a couple of people that cancelled their contracts. He took the contact information for the DiFazio family and said he would have a check cut for the full amount of their deposit. The family should receive the check within a week along with a letter they must sign and return to the lawyer stating that they have received their funds and terminated the contract.
Find Yentile Place, part one here: http://ontherisewriting.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved.
Planning Director Carole Hamilton explained that developers for Yentile Estates had been called in to meet with the Planning Board because the project is substantially behind where they expected it to be at this point and that they were starting to hear complaints from people that bought or were trying to buy in the development. “Confidence is very low and trust is a difficult thing to gain back,” Hamilton explained. She also warned, “Frankly, if it isn’t going forth and isn’t going to succeed, let’s not start!”
Lawyer Joseph M. Antonellis spoke representing builder Dave Franchi. He explained that due to health issues with Franchi’s lawyer, John O’Keefe, he has stepped in to help with the situation.
Antonellis said right up front that he could not quarrel with anything that Hamilton had said because he had previously discussed it with her. He instead described the situation as a “perfect storm” at work against the builder, meaning that everything seemed to go wrong.
Franchi came into the project as a work in progress when the previous builder passed away. The financing was with Webster bank at that time, and the contract that had been negotiated called for the townhouses to be built first. Unfortunately, what were selling at the time were the more affordable garden style units.
Franchi “no more than dug half of a hole in the ground” when Webster bank pulled out of the project saying that they were no longer interested in doing business with them. He said that the CT based Webster bank came up here and pulled the plug on about 8 projects in MA and NH. He questioned their pulling out of a project once it had been put in motion, but to no avail.
As for the lack of communication between the builder and the town and also families with questions, Franchi said that he did not want to have his situation in the press while he was trying to get funding for the project. Board members told him that if he had come to them and explained the situation quietly with them as problems arose then he would have been better off and they also assured him that they do not contact the press with such matters.
Franchi made no apologies, and was quick to blame the DiFazio family for the miscommunications because they did not retain an attorney to speak with his attorney. Several Planning Board members responded that it seemed unfair that the family should have to get an attorney to get back money that was rightfully theirs anyway.
Antonellis said that Franchi definitely intends to go through with the project. Forty percent of the money put into the project is Franchi’s own money, so he has a definite invested interest in it reaching completion. He has now secured new financing with Century Bank, a more local bank that is interested in having a presence in Wilmington through the Yentile Estates project, according to Antonellis. They have a meeting scheduled for Friday with the ADA to ensure compliance and then will be able to put a foundation in the ground.
Currently the bank has given approval to go ahead with the infrastructure- roads, sewer, etc. To go ahead with Building A, and the first four townhouses, the builder must acquire some P&S agreements, improve signage, and demonstrate activity and interest in the site which means that people are actively looking at unit designs and the site. To go beyond those first units, they need 12 Purchase and Sale agreements to continue. “How many are there now,” asked Lora Oliver, whose mother has a reservation for a unit – but not yet a purchase and sale agreement. “We have several” was Franchi’s quick non-committal reply. The quicker we have commitments is the quicker we can proceed, Franchi explained.
Franchi and Antonellis were also non-committal about the date that the first units might be completed. Antonellis said they had discussed time frames, anything from May of 2008 to a year from now or beyond, but could not agree on a date and did not want to give another false deadline. There was an audible gasp from Oliver and her mom, Carol Paulicelli. Paulicelli sold her home on the Cape and is now renting an apartment in Reading until the development is built. She said the plans are beautiful and she still hopes to live there some day, but expressed reservations about putting money down right now until the project is moving along.
Hamilton reminded the builders that it is in their best interest to present absolute truth on their website and to questions that people ask them. “There have been units shown on the web that may or may not have been sold. Our trust has deteriorated. This needs to be an open and honest process and we cannot wait months.”
A Check In The Mail
Mark DiFazio spoke on behalf of his mother, Ninfa DiFazio, who paid a deposit and had a Purchase and Sale agreement for unit 15C in Yentile Estates. In April 2006 his mother paid a $5,000 deposit on the garden style unit. On June 6, 2006 she signed a Purchase and Sale agreement and paid the remainder of her deposit. On October 26, 2006 she cancelled her P&S agreement by certified mail as per the terms of the contract because the completion dates kept pushing out further and further. As of the meeting Tuesday night, she had still not received her deposit back from Franchi.
“You have $38,490 of my mother’s money,” said DiFazio. He went on to say that the realtor told him that Franchi was an excellent builder and that DiFazio hopes he is also an excellent human being and will do the right thing.
Antonellis said the money has now been put in escrow for a couple of people that cancelled their contracts. He took the contact information for the DiFazio family and said he would have a check cut for the full amount of their deposit. The family should receive the check within a week along with a letter they must sign and return to the lawyer stating that they have received their funds and terminated the contract.
Find Yentile Place, part one here: http://ontherisewriting.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
A Wilmington Time Capsule Project
Seventeen recent graduates returned to their former classroom at the Wilmington Middle School on Tuesday afternoon to open two time capsules they created with their teacher, Michael Mahoney, when they were in fifth and sixth grade.
The time capsule project started 10 years ago when Mahoney was in his first year of teaching in the middle school. Students decorate a cardboard box and put all of their names on it. They then write letters to themselves about their interests, or about classmates they like so they can come back and laugh and enjoy the letters as seniors. Some students even include photos and other memorabilia.
Then, as graduation nears, letters of invitation are mailed to each member of the class. Some are at WMHS, others are at Shawsheen Technical High School and some have moved away or left school.
Tuesday afternoon the latest class returned to Room 125 in the Discovery Building to share their letters and some laughs. There were two boxes to open this year. After teaching fifth grade, Mahoney moved to a self-contained sixth grade classroom, and some of the fifth grade students moved along with Mahoney and participated in the time capsule project in both grades. There were two group photos taken with Mahoney that will hang on a classroom wall next to their fifth and sixth grade class photos.
Returning student Stephanie Knoettner commented, “It’s weird, I haven’t been here since the last day of eighth grade.” In spite of the years between visits, as each student entered the room, Mahoney greeted them by name. “100 percent! I can still remember everyone,” he said proudly. At first the group looked at their old class photos, caught up on who’s going where to college and asked about missing classmates.
Soon it was time to open the green and blue boxes that were their time capsules. Only 2 students in the group thought they might remember something they had written in the capsule, but when they tore into the packages everyone seemed surprised by all of the other treasures they found inside. “They’re like little kids opening presents,” said Mahoney. Some of the treasures inside included a softball, a fuzzy hot pink mirror and brush, some hand-written reports and a contract that the teacher had signed with Tim Kent to ensure that Tim’s schoolwork would be completed. These were more than items saved in a box; they were memories.
There were piles of photos of the very hands-on activities that the classes had done throughout the year. There was also a solo photo of each student on the first day of school. Most students cringed and laughed upon seeing their photos.
Around the room there were random cries of “Oh my God – that’s embarrassing,” Oh, I didn’t remember that!” and “that’s such a funny picture!”
Linda Golden attended the event because her son Michael was unable to be there. She was happy to find several photos of her son and the envelope with his letter that she saved for Michael to open later. Of Mahoney she said, “He’s a phenomenal teacher, he really is.”
Mahoney explained the rewards of the project from a teacher’s perspective: “As a teacher you only get to see a small segment of a child’s school experience. I get to see the completed high school child and to hear their current dreams.”
He emphasized that this day is all about the students and remembering a common past experience. “Every year is a different dynamic,” he said.
One most memorable moment came when a student walked in one year and said ‘guess what, I’m going to give my speech!’ It turned out that she told Mahoney years ago that her goal was to be valedictorian – and she was!
This was the third class to return for a time capsule opening, but Mahoney has a closet with many more time capsules in it and looks forward to sharing them with former students for years to come.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
The time capsule project started 10 years ago when Mahoney was in his first year of teaching in the middle school. Students decorate a cardboard box and put all of their names on it. They then write letters to themselves about their interests, or about classmates they like so they can come back and laugh and enjoy the letters as seniors. Some students even include photos and other memorabilia.
Then, as graduation nears, letters of invitation are mailed to each member of the class. Some are at WMHS, others are at Shawsheen Technical High School and some have moved away or left school.
Tuesday afternoon the latest class returned to Room 125 in the Discovery Building to share their letters and some laughs. There were two boxes to open this year. After teaching fifth grade, Mahoney moved to a self-contained sixth grade classroom, and some of the fifth grade students moved along with Mahoney and participated in the time capsule project in both grades. There were two group photos taken with Mahoney that will hang on a classroom wall next to their fifth and sixth grade class photos.
Returning student Stephanie Knoettner commented, “It’s weird, I haven’t been here since the last day of eighth grade.” In spite of the years between visits, as each student entered the room, Mahoney greeted them by name. “100 percent! I can still remember everyone,” he said proudly. At first the group looked at their old class photos, caught up on who’s going where to college and asked about missing classmates.
Soon it was time to open the green and blue boxes that were their time capsules. Only 2 students in the group thought they might remember something they had written in the capsule, but when they tore into the packages everyone seemed surprised by all of the other treasures they found inside. “They’re like little kids opening presents,” said Mahoney. Some of the treasures inside included a softball, a fuzzy hot pink mirror and brush, some hand-written reports and a contract that the teacher had signed with Tim Kent to ensure that Tim’s schoolwork would be completed. These were more than items saved in a box; they were memories.
There were piles of photos of the very hands-on activities that the classes had done throughout the year. There was also a solo photo of each student on the first day of school. Most students cringed and laughed upon seeing their photos.
Around the room there were random cries of “Oh my God – that’s embarrassing,” Oh, I didn’t remember that!” and “that’s such a funny picture!”
Linda Golden attended the event because her son Michael was unable to be there. She was happy to find several photos of her son and the envelope with his letter that she saved for Michael to open later. Of Mahoney she said, “He’s a phenomenal teacher, he really is.”
Mahoney explained the rewards of the project from a teacher’s perspective: “As a teacher you only get to see a small segment of a child’s school experience. I get to see the completed high school child and to hear their current dreams.”
He emphasized that this day is all about the students and remembering a common past experience. “Every year is a different dynamic,” he said.
One most memorable moment came when a student walked in one year and said ‘guess what, I’m going to give my speech!’ It turned out that she told Mahoney years ago that her goal was to be valedictorian – and she was!
This was the third class to return for a time capsule opening, but Mahoney has a closet with many more time capsules in it and looks forward to sharing them with former students for years to come.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Room For Improvement, part 3
For the Finn family of Wilmington, the wait is finally over! On last Thursday and Friday, their long-awaited segment of “Room For Improvement” aired on several of the Channel 7 news programs.
Designer Melanie Murphy, of Redecorating By Melanie (www.redesignyourhome.com), said that the family wanted to bring the outdoors in and to have a garden feel. She certainly accomplished her goal. Using three different shades of green in the room, some “pops” of purple in throw pillows and candles, and some fresh flowers and greenery, Murphy was able to emphasize nature throughout the room and use some of the family’s favorite colors at the same time.
Once an unusable space that the family avoided, the room now has two areas that the family can use for different purposes. One end is a reading nook, a great place to curl up with a good book on a rainy day. The other end is an area where the family can sit together and perhaps play games or catch up after a busy day. On the game table Murphy placed a board game, some candles, and some brownies and cookies for the kids.
The family provided a $4000 budget to create a welcoming space in the dilapidated front porch. Designer Murphy, however, only had about half of that to use in the space because the remainder was spent to replace a wood floor that was beyond repair.
When Channel 7 Producer Jennifer Savio asked Murphy [on camera] how she created the window treatments, Murphy giggled, “Oh, you can’t ask me that!” She went on to say modestly that “we were on a very tight budget, so we were creative and took two shower curtains that matched some pillows in the room and created window treatments.”
Murphy was also able to keep the budget in line by re-using some of the homeowners’ old wicker furniture. Once she added a fresh coat of paint of dark paint, the old furniture worked beautifully in the new space. Murphy simply added a cocktail table from the Christmas Tree Shops and assorted accessories from Home Goods and Pier One, Target, Crate and Barrel and Mahoneys to finish off the room.
So would the homeowners like their newly renovated space? It was time to find out. Channel 7 cameraman Kurt Hartwell set up on the front porch and then the homeowners were led out into their new room.
“Oh gosh, oh Mel, this is beautiful, I can’t believe this is my porch! This is amazing! Look at this…this is so unbelievable…this is absolutely gorgeous…I’m in the wrong house,” exclaimed Kristin Finn.
“She’s awesome,” said Finn’s husband Jay [speaking of designer Murphy]. “It was not the type of porch you want to sit in and now it is!”
Kristen continued, “Beyond my expectations! This is where we are spending the rest of the summer and fall!”
Murphy led the couple around the room pointing out some of the various new features, the painting of the furniture, the window treatments, a floral wreath, a planter, and some other greenery in a corner.
She also explained to the family that she had a water feature planned for the room, but it had not worked out as she had hoped. “Here’s your water feature,” she joked as she reached for a pitcher of water with lemons on the table in the reading nook.
It was an afternoon full of interviews and laughter, however it was homeowner Kristin Finn who had the last laugh. When it was time to call it a day, she asked the Channel 7 crew; “Can the kids eat the props now?”
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved.
Designer Melanie Murphy, of Redecorating By Melanie (www.redesignyourhome.com), said that the family wanted to bring the outdoors in and to have a garden feel. She certainly accomplished her goal. Using three different shades of green in the room, some “pops” of purple in throw pillows and candles, and some fresh flowers and greenery, Murphy was able to emphasize nature throughout the room and use some of the family’s favorite colors at the same time.
Once an unusable space that the family avoided, the room now has two areas that the family can use for different purposes. One end is a reading nook, a great place to curl up with a good book on a rainy day. The other end is an area where the family can sit together and perhaps play games or catch up after a busy day. On the game table Murphy placed a board game, some candles, and some brownies and cookies for the kids.
The family provided a $4000 budget to create a welcoming space in the dilapidated front porch. Designer Murphy, however, only had about half of that to use in the space because the remainder was spent to replace a wood floor that was beyond repair.
When Channel 7 Producer Jennifer Savio asked Murphy [on camera] how she created the window treatments, Murphy giggled, “Oh, you can’t ask me that!” She went on to say modestly that “we were on a very tight budget, so we were creative and took two shower curtains that matched some pillows in the room and created window treatments.”
Murphy was also able to keep the budget in line by re-using some of the homeowners’ old wicker furniture. Once she added a fresh coat of paint of dark paint, the old furniture worked beautifully in the new space. Murphy simply added a cocktail table from the Christmas Tree Shops and assorted accessories from Home Goods and Pier One, Target, Crate and Barrel and Mahoneys to finish off the room.
So would the homeowners like their newly renovated space? It was time to find out. Channel 7 cameraman Kurt Hartwell set up on the front porch and then the homeowners were led out into their new room.
“Oh gosh, oh Mel, this is beautiful, I can’t believe this is my porch! This is amazing! Look at this…this is so unbelievable…this is absolutely gorgeous…I’m in the wrong house,” exclaimed Kristin Finn.
“She’s awesome,” said Finn’s husband Jay [speaking of designer Murphy]. “It was not the type of porch you want to sit in and now it is!”
Kristen continued, “Beyond my expectations! This is where we are spending the rest of the summer and fall!”
Murphy led the couple around the room pointing out some of the various new features, the painting of the furniture, the window treatments, a floral wreath, a planter, and some other greenery in a corner.
She also explained to the family that she had a water feature planned for the room, but it had not worked out as she had hoped. “Here’s your water feature,” she joked as she reached for a pitcher of water with lemons on the table in the reading nook.
It was an afternoon full of interviews and laughter, however it was homeowner Kristin Finn who had the last laugh. When it was time to call it a day, she asked the Channel 7 crew; “Can the kids eat the props now?”
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
K-9 Kimo Wins Competition
WILMINGTON - Kimo and his K-9 unit partner Eric Palmer have had a busy year since a Crier reporter first interviewed Palmer after last year’s competition/certification event.
This year the pair won 1st overall in the Open Class in the United States Police Canine Association’s Region 9 Competition/Certification event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The open class, which is for any dog/handler combination that have more than one year of experience competing together, had about 20 dogs competing in it this year.
Many of the other dogs and handlers that Kimo and Palmer competed against are the same K-9 units that they train with. Palmer said it was great competition and that everyone he trains with did very well in the competition. He modestly said that they are all about the same level and “it can all come down to who’s having a good day.”
Clearly they were having a good day. Kimo did extremely well, winning the first place trophies for agility and obedience and also the trophy for 1st place overall. In these competitions the dogs and the handlers are scored as a team.
Palmer and Kimo scored high enough in the competition to exceed the high standard that qualifies for Nationals which will take place in Florida in October 2007. If the department decides to send them, Kimo will be one of a couple of hundred dogs competing against much larger police departments from across the country.
Palmer credits Kimo with losing very few points for their team. Dog points can be taken for things like not sitting straight or having their nails scratch an obstacle they are going over. Sometimes handlers lose even more points, for things like touching a collar during competition. The handlers have a running joke that “on one end of a leash is a dumb animal and on the other end, a trained police dog,” said Palmer laughing.
It hasn’t been all fun and games for Kimo and Palmer. They are on call 24/7 and in the last few months Kimo has done some great work. On Salem Street, where there are some new units, someone breaking and entering tripped an alarm. The response team found a glass break, knew it was a real alarm and called Palmer. Kimo tracked the suspect through woods, around a neighborhood and deep into the woods where he eventually found him.
On another case, Kimo was called in because there was a case involving youth breaking into a number of cars. A woman heard a break in and in her car she followed the suspect who was on foot. The response team blocked the area with cars and called in Kimo. Everyone was surprised when Kimo took off in the opposite direction than the one indicated by witnesses. He found a second suspect hiding. Then he went the other direction and found the first suspect that witnesses had noticed. Palmer then set Kimo free and he found more of the stuff that the suspects had taken. He found a backpack with cell phones, wallets and other property taken from cars. The next day when people called to report break-ins and missing items they were pleased to hear that Kimo had recovered many of their belongings.
For now Palmer and Kimo remain busy on the job while they wait to see if the Department decides to send them to the National competition in October.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
This year the pair won 1st overall in the Open Class in the United States Police Canine Association’s Region 9 Competition/Certification event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The open class, which is for any dog/handler combination that have more than one year of experience competing together, had about 20 dogs competing in it this year.
Many of the other dogs and handlers that Kimo and Palmer competed against are the same K-9 units that they train with. Palmer said it was great competition and that everyone he trains with did very well in the competition. He modestly said that they are all about the same level and “it can all come down to who’s having a good day.”
Clearly they were having a good day. Kimo did extremely well, winning the first place trophies for agility and obedience and also the trophy for 1st place overall. In these competitions the dogs and the handlers are scored as a team.
Palmer and Kimo scored high enough in the competition to exceed the high standard that qualifies for Nationals which will take place in Florida in October 2007. If the department decides to send them, Kimo will be one of a couple of hundred dogs competing against much larger police departments from across the country.
Palmer credits Kimo with losing very few points for their team. Dog points can be taken for things like not sitting straight or having their nails scratch an obstacle they are going over. Sometimes handlers lose even more points, for things like touching a collar during competition. The handlers have a running joke that “on one end of a leash is a dumb animal and on the other end, a trained police dog,” said Palmer laughing.
It hasn’t been all fun and games for Kimo and Palmer. They are on call 24/7 and in the last few months Kimo has done some great work. On Salem Street, where there are some new units, someone breaking and entering tripped an alarm. The response team found a glass break, knew it was a real alarm and called Palmer. Kimo tracked the suspect through woods, around a neighborhood and deep into the woods where he eventually found him.
On another case, Kimo was called in because there was a case involving youth breaking into a number of cars. A woman heard a break in and in her car she followed the suspect who was on foot. The response team blocked the area with cars and called in Kimo. Everyone was surprised when Kimo took off in the opposite direction than the one indicated by witnesses. He found a second suspect hiding. Then he went the other direction and found the first suspect that witnesses had noticed. Palmer then set Kimo free and he found more of the stuff that the suspects had taken. He found a backpack with cell phones, wallets and other property taken from cars. The next day when people called to report break-ins and missing items they were pleased to hear that Kimo had recovered many of their belongings.
For now Palmer and Kimo remain busy on the job while they wait to see if the Department decides to send them to the National competition in October.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Local Heroes
Local Heroes, a non-profit organization made up of volunteers who support our troops currently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan by shipping “care packages”, were recently honored with the presence of two returning local heroes at their regularly scheduled Wednesday evening meeting at the Knights of Columbus in Wilmington. LCPL Doug Hutchison and PFC Daniel J. Bowse stopped by to thank everyone for their work
LCPL Doug Hutchison, of Wilmington, arrived home several weeks ago from his deployment in the Al Anbar province of Iraq where he patrolled the Al Qa’im, on the Syrian border.
After spending much needed time with family and friends, Hutchison returned this week to 29 Palms in California where he will continue training for his second deployment in January of 2008.
Hutchison, who received two purple hearts during his eight months in Iraq, (but in modesty would not talk about them) said, “being back in the states where I’ve lived and where my family lives is outstanding! I definitely have a greater appreciation for everything and everybody, especially all of those people at Local Heroes who are working at sending packages over there.”
Hutchison speaks highly of the Local Heroes Program, “It is a fantastic project and we all appreciate it so much and there are people who don’t receive many packages and we passed their names on and the Local Heroes sent them packages.”
One of the most unique things Hutchison received in a package was also one of the most fun; it was Nerf guns. “We spent the whole day shooting each other with Nerf guns. It was a great workout and a lot of fun.” It was a great stress relief and brought many laughs to the group.
Hutchison wants everyone to know that “sometimes we don’t always get the call and we might be too tired to make the call, but family is always in our hearts and minds.”
PFC Daniel J. Bowse of Tewksbury, age 19, has served 4 months in Afghanistan and is now home with family and friends before returning for the remaining 12 months of his deployment. After serving in Afghanistan and returning to Tewksbury Bowse said, “It definitely makes you appreciate everything a lot more when you are back here.”
Bowse is a Combat Engineer with IED Roadside. The IED (Improvised Explosive Devises) Roadside unit searches for and destroys roadside bombs. There are 28 people in Bowse’s platoon. They are appreciative of the work the group Local Heroes does in shipping care packages. “It boosts morale to know people are thinking about you back home,” said Bowse.
Bowse has received soaps, socks, candies, letters, t-shirts and more, but by far the most meaningful and unique thing Bowse has received inside of a care package was a whiffle ball sent by his 12 year old younger brother with a note that read “keep practicing” so they could play again when he returns home.
If Bowse could tell people anything it would be to “Get to Local Heroes and send more packages.” The packages make a huge difference in troops lives and in their morale.
According to their website, Local Heroes has mailed 3,887 packages as of June 16, 2007.
Many of Local Heroes volunteers are family members of the troops and they use the weekly meetings as a support group. The group meets every Wednesday evening at the Knight of Columbus in Wilmington. If you would like to learn more about this organization please check out the website at www.mass-localheroes.org.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
LCPL Doug Hutchison, of Wilmington, arrived home several weeks ago from his deployment in the Al Anbar province of Iraq where he patrolled the Al Qa’im, on the Syrian border.
After spending much needed time with family and friends, Hutchison returned this week to 29 Palms in California where he will continue training for his second deployment in January of 2008.
Hutchison, who received two purple hearts during his eight months in Iraq, (but in modesty would not talk about them) said, “being back in the states where I’ve lived and where my family lives is outstanding! I definitely have a greater appreciation for everything and everybody, especially all of those people at Local Heroes who are working at sending packages over there.”
Hutchison speaks highly of the Local Heroes Program, “It is a fantastic project and we all appreciate it so much and there are people who don’t receive many packages and we passed their names on and the Local Heroes sent them packages.”
One of the most unique things Hutchison received in a package was also one of the most fun; it was Nerf guns. “We spent the whole day shooting each other with Nerf guns. It was a great workout and a lot of fun.” It was a great stress relief and brought many laughs to the group.
Hutchison wants everyone to know that “sometimes we don’t always get the call and we might be too tired to make the call, but family is always in our hearts and minds.”
PFC Daniel J. Bowse of Tewksbury, age 19, has served 4 months in Afghanistan and is now home with family and friends before returning for the remaining 12 months of his deployment. After serving in Afghanistan and returning to Tewksbury Bowse said, “It definitely makes you appreciate everything a lot more when you are back here.”
Bowse is a Combat Engineer with IED Roadside. The IED (Improvised Explosive Devises) Roadside unit searches for and destroys roadside bombs. There are 28 people in Bowse’s platoon. They are appreciative of the work the group Local Heroes does in shipping care packages. “It boosts morale to know people are thinking about you back home,” said Bowse.
Bowse has received soaps, socks, candies, letters, t-shirts and more, but by far the most meaningful and unique thing Bowse has received inside of a care package was a whiffle ball sent by his 12 year old younger brother with a note that read “keep practicing” so they could play again when he returns home.
If Bowse could tell people anything it would be to “Get to Local Heroes and send more packages.” The packages make a huge difference in troops lives and in their morale.
According to their website, Local Heroes has mailed 3,887 packages as of June 16, 2007.
Many of Local Heroes volunteers are family members of the troops and they use the weekly meetings as a support group. The group meets every Wednesday evening at the Knight of Columbus in Wilmington. If you would like to learn more about this organization please check out the website at www.mass-localheroes.org.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
Monday, June 18, 2007
Room For Improvement, part two
Kristen Finn did her homework. When she applied for a “Room For Improvement” makeover last fall, she knew that as of that time there had only been one other front porch done and no makeovers had been done in Wilmington. On Wednesday, June 13th that homework paid off when a Channel 7 news team, spent several hours filming what will be a two-minute television makeover of her front porch at her Wilmington home.
Finn’s husband, Jay, credits her with going with the idea and making it happen. “It’s Kristen’s project. I really look forward to it,” he said.
Channel 7 Producer Jennifer Savio chose the front porch from a pool of applications received at the station. According to Savio, the goal of the segment is to “showcase different rooms, families and designers; to give viewers different ideas, a variety of things they might try at home, so that it benefits viewers as well as homeowners.”
Savio brought her team of Cameraman Kurt Hartwell and Production Intern Kim Beson to the Finn family home at 70 Glen Road to film the most recent segment of “Room For Improvement.”
The transformation of the Finn family’s dilapidated front porch, by designer Melanie Murphy of Redecorating By Melanie (www.redesignyourhome.com), was captured using a series of camera shots taken throughout the day.
Newspaper and a sheet were placed over dining room windows while the design team, aided by the donated services of D&D Electric, transformed the room. Finn and her children Patrick (10) and Ashlyn(6) remained in the back of the house. “It’s not Extreme Makeover, it is just a mini makeover, so I went to Dunkin Donuts” said homeowner Kristen Finn, laughing. Finn’s husband, Jay, returned home from work and slipped in through the back door just in time for the family interviews to begin.
Afternoon shots included an interview with the family before the reveal, one with the designer talking about what she had done, a shot of the family welcoming the designer into their home and of course the reveal and reaction interviews.
“It’s been a good experience for us” said Finn who indicated that everyone who worked with designer Murphy had been so nice.
Producer Savio said that in two hours they had taken about 30 minutes of interview tape that would be edited down into approximately a two-minute segment. Savio watches the tape and her intern, Beson, will transcribe it. After the segment airs, it is archived on the Channel 7 website along with a transcription of the story and a list of everything used in transforming the room.
The Wilmington Room for Improvement segment will air three times next week. On Thursday, June 28th it will be on the The New CW 10:00pm news. On Friday, June 29th it will air during Today New England, which airs from 5:00 to 7:00am (usually near the end of the 5:00 hour). It will also run in the Channel 7 afternoon block between 4:00 and 6:00pm (usually near the end of either the 4:30 or 5:30 show).
Watch for a follow-up story with photos and an inside look at the final reveal and the family’s reaction after the show airs late next week.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
Finn’s husband, Jay, credits her with going with the idea and making it happen. “It’s Kristen’s project. I really look forward to it,” he said.
Channel 7 Producer Jennifer Savio chose the front porch from a pool of applications received at the station. According to Savio, the goal of the segment is to “showcase different rooms, families and designers; to give viewers different ideas, a variety of things they might try at home, so that it benefits viewers as well as homeowners.”
Savio brought her team of Cameraman Kurt Hartwell and Production Intern Kim Beson to the Finn family home at 70 Glen Road to film the most recent segment of “Room For Improvement.”
The transformation of the Finn family’s dilapidated front porch, by designer Melanie Murphy of Redecorating By Melanie (www.redesignyourhome.com), was captured using a series of camera shots taken throughout the day.
Newspaper and a sheet were placed over dining room windows while the design team, aided by the donated services of D&D Electric, transformed the room. Finn and her children Patrick (10) and Ashlyn(6) remained in the back of the house. “It’s not Extreme Makeover, it is just a mini makeover, so I went to Dunkin Donuts” said homeowner Kristen Finn, laughing. Finn’s husband, Jay, returned home from work and slipped in through the back door just in time for the family interviews to begin.
Afternoon shots included an interview with the family before the reveal, one with the designer talking about what she had done, a shot of the family welcoming the designer into their home and of course the reveal and reaction interviews.
“It’s been a good experience for us” said Finn who indicated that everyone who worked with designer Murphy had been so nice.
Producer Savio said that in two hours they had taken about 30 minutes of interview tape that would be edited down into approximately a two-minute segment. Savio watches the tape and her intern, Beson, will transcribe it. After the segment airs, it is archived on the Channel 7 website along with a transcription of the story and a list of everything used in transforming the room.
The Wilmington Room for Improvement segment will air three times next week. On Thursday, June 28th it will be on the The New CW 10:00pm news. On Friday, June 29th it will air during Today New England, which airs from 5:00 to 7:00am (usually near the end of the 5:00 hour). It will also run in the Channel 7 afternoon block between 4:00 and 6:00pm (usually near the end of either the 4:30 or 5:30 show).
Watch for a follow-up story with photos and an inside look at the final reveal and the family’s reaction after the show airs late next week.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
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