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.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
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.”
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