milford, massachusetts
Transcript
milford, massachusetts
Gary McKinstry TONIGHT! 6 to 9 p.m. at the Portuguese Club. Tickets are $25 and include appetizers, the show and a cash bar. Proceeds benefit MHS class of 2018. TOWN CRIER MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS February 27, 2015 Vol. 8 No. 11 www.TownCrier.us Est. 2007 • Mailed FREE to all 12,800 Milford addresses School District Concerned by Snow Days and Snowy Roofs ECRWSS POSTAL PATRON MILFORD, MA 01757 Town Crier Publications 48 Mechanic Street Upton, MA 01568 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Boston, MA Permit No. 55800 By Melissa Orff Staff Reporter Students in the Milford Public School District likely shout with joy when they hear the words “Snow Day;” but administrators, teachers and parents know that it will only mean school extending late into June, shortening summer vacation. As an unprecedented amount of snow has fallen on the region during the last four weeks, causing five snow day cancellations for the Milford schools since late January. With many districts in Massachusetts beginning their school year after Labor Day, and with some having more than five snow cancellation days this year, school officials across the Commonwealth are starting to look at ways to fulfill the 180 day requirement while not going past June 30 - the last day school can be in session due to state mandate. In Milford, the original last day of school was scheduled for June 15, but will now be June 22 barring any additional snow days (as of February 24 publication date). Although the last day of school is creeping closer to the end of June, Milford Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Tremblay said that at this time they are not considering making up any of those days during previously scheduled vacation days. “There is no talk of that yet,” said Tremblay. Tremblay impressed that there are still six additional days that could be added to the calendar – June 23 to June 30 – and that they plan to “press through” the rest of Woodland Elementary the winter with the hopes of clear skies for the remainder of the school year. And when a district started school was also a key element this year, according to Tremblay. “If you start [the school year] after Labor Day, this could be a big problem,” said Tremblay, referring to districts such as Boston and Worcester, who are now hitting the June 30 date because of their number of snow days. Last year, the School Committee briefly discussed looking at possible changes to the school calendar in order to alleviate school extending into late June because of snow days. After a “mixed results” from a survey of teachers and parents, no changes were made to the calendar. “It is very hard to make a change [to school vacation weeks],” said Tremblay, who stated that because of programs such as athletics, it is important for school districts to be aligned. The number of school cancellations isn’t the only thing the school district has to manage this time of year. With over 96 inches of snow since January Brookside Elementary Milford High School in Milford, concerns about the safety of the roofs on the school buildings is also at the forefront of everyone’s mind. According to Tremblay, the facilities staff has been taking a “proactive” approach in making sure that the roofs in the school buildings in Milford are safe. “The facilities staff has been monitoring the roofs and are ensuring that the roof drains and gutters and downspouts are clear,” he said in an interview prior to February vacation. Three Contests on April 7 Town Ballot By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist With the February 17 deadline for submitting nomination papers passed, there will be contests for Board of Selectmen, School Committee and Board of Health on the ballot for the April 7 Town Election: • William Kingkade, Jr. and Michael Visconti, Jr. are seeking to fill the three-year seat available on the Board of Selectmen; • Incumbents Scott Harrison and Michael Walsh, plus John Erickson and Scott Vecchiolla are running to fill the three, three-year seats open on the School Committee; and, • Incumbent Kenneth Evans and Thomas Harmon are seeking to fill the three-year seat open on the Board of Health. Others on the April 7 ballot are: • Tax Collector: incumbent Theresa Diomedes Dias • Board of Assessors: incumbent Samuel Bonasoro • Park Commissioner: incumbent Joseph Arcudi • Board of Library Trustees: incumbent Lisa Bacchiocchi and Jennifer DeManche-Yohn • Planning Board: incumbent Marble Mainini III • Board of Sewer Commissioners: incumbent Rudolph Lioce III • Housing Authority: incumbent Michael Diorio • Vernon Grove Trustees: incumbent Mary Ann Fiske. There currently is no candidate for a second seat open for Vernon Grove Trustee. Dozens Rally in Support of Milford Police By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist Biting temperatures didn’t stop more than 60 residents from turning out at Draper Memorial Park on a cold January 25 morning to show their support for the Milford Police Department. Drivers of the cars and trucks passing by the rally frequently showed their support as well by honking their horns. Showing his thanks in return, Police Chief Thomas O’Loughlin walked the length of the line of sign-holders, extending his hand to thank each and every one of them. The crowd grew from an initial 35 to well over 60, elongating to stretch the park’s length on Main St. from Congress St. to Park St. The event – postponed by one day due to a snowstorm – was organized by Peter and Claudia Scandone of Whitewood Road, who said they wanted to show support for the local police in light of various demonstrations against police departments taking place across the country. “I think it’s very refreshing to have something like this going on in view of what’s going on in other parts of the country,” Peter Scandone told the Town Police Chief Thomas O’Loughlin thanks the residents who came out to show their support of the Milford Police Department. Holding the “Honk for MPD” sign is Peter Scandone, who co-organized the event with his wife. Milford TV to Host March 5 Candidate Debate Milford TV – the town’s non-profit cable television access station – will hold a live debate between Board of Selectmen candidates William Kingkade, Jr. and Michael Visconti, Jr. at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. The show will air on Comcast Channel 8 and Verizon Channel 38 and then will be re-broadcast up until the election. The debate will be moderated by Milford TV News Director Tim Caouette, with questioning by hosts of the station’s locally produced shows that cover local politics: John Tehan of All Politics is Local, Alberto Correia of That Milford Show and Kevin Rudden of 30 Minutes with The Town Crier. Claflin Hill Symphony Presents Opera and Broadway! Cosmetic & Family Dentistry Relaxed Friendly Atmosphere Welcoming New Patients! Cleaning & Exams Periodontal Care Root Canals Crown & Bridge Implants Children Dentures Welcome Oral Surgery John C. Park, DMD 508-473-6500 508-473-6500 www.parkplacedentalma.com 54 Hopedale St., Suite 8, Hopedale Additional Location in Hopkinton The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra presents A CHORUS LINEUP— OPERA TO BROADWAY Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra continues the celebration of its 15th Anniversary Season, The Crystal Anniversary Season with “A Chorus LineUp – Opera to Broadway” on Saturday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. in The Milford Town Hall Grand Ballroom, 52 Main St. (Route 16), Milford. For this concert, CHSO Founder and Director Paul Surapine and the orchestra join forces with the New World Chorale, also celebrating its 15th Anniversary Season, under the direction of Holly MacEwen Krafka. The New World Chorale has been a constant feature and partner with Claflin Hill throughout the last 15 seasons, and together they have presented many, many stellar evenings of major orchestral and choral repertoire. For this Crystal Anniversary celebration concert, Surapine and Krafka have chosen an array of some of the world’s most beloved, popular and familiar grand opera chorus moments, from great operas of Puccini, Verdi, Wagner, Gilbert and Sullivan and more, and paired with medleys from two of the greatest Broadway shows in history, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. Some of the operatic choruses to be performed include Guiseppe Verdi’s “Anvil Chorus” from Aida, and the Hebrew Slave Chorus from Nabucco, and well as the “Pilgrim’s Chorus” from Wagner’s Tannhauser, and the “Bell Chorus” from Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. Operatic Solo voices Holly Cameron and Ray Bauwens will also join the orchestra and chorus for solo turns in the Phantom of the Opera and each will present a ◆ RALLY from front page Crier during the rally. “I think all police departments can use a boost right now.” “It’s a nice tribute,” O’Loughlin commented. “It’s nice that people appreciate the good work that the people in our department do and the police [do] generally.” Continuing, the chief noted, “It’s easy to criticize. It’s not often you get people saying, ‘Thank you.’” Patrolman Robbie Tusino, who is president of the local police union, noted, “I think it’s great to get the support from people.” He told the crowd, “You have our back and we can’t thank you enough.” On hand demonstrating their support were Selectman Brian Murray and Selectman William Buckley. “I think the rest of the country can take a lesson from the Town of Milford,” Murray said. “We want to make sure we carry this message,” Buckley said, “that the Police Department knows we’re behind them.” Buckley also voiced support for the town’s Fire Department and other emergency first-responders. The New World Chorale joins the CHSO for an evening of the world's most popular operatic choruses, including offerings of Verdi, Puccini, Delibes, Wagner, and more, as well as medleys of the great choral moments from “Phantom of the Opera” and “Les Miserables” AN EVENING NOT TO BE MISSED ! Venue: Milford Town Hall’s Grand Ballroom, 52 Main St., Milford, MA Reserved: $39 ~ Student/ senior: $25 Order tickets online at www.claflinhill.org Milford Regional Medical Center Staff 2 Health Night at Symphony is sponsored in part by MILFORD TOWN CRIER solo aria of Puccini with the orchestra. Bauwens has been a frequent soloist with Claflin Hill throughout the past 15 years, while Cameron, a well known regional artist, now living in California, returns to the area for her debut performance with CHSO. “This concert program is the “epitome” of the Claflin Hill programming concept throughout our short life-span,” said Surapine, “a concept that has worked to build a new audience for great music in the midst of our suburban region. Pairing great classics with more familiar program offerings has historically brought new audience members into our concert halls – people who had never before considered coming to a symphony concert – and then they find the experience to be so exciting, that they want to return to explore the many other concert programs available at CHSO. Fifteen years after our first concert, we are still here, still in business, and more importantly, still growing, is the biggest accomplishment to celebrate, especially in light of the fact that we did all of this in the middle of an economic recession. We thank our audience members, donors and corporate business partners for helping us get to this milestone, and look forward to many, many more years of great concerts.” Tickets for “A Chorus Line-Up – Opera to Broadway” can be purchased online at www.claflinhill.org. Ticket prices are $39, and $29 for students and seniors. All tickets are reserved. Group rates for groups of 20 or more are available by calling the office. Call Claflin Hill at 508-478-5924 for more information. Gung Ho Community Service Award Milford resident Michael Shain was presented with the Department of Massachusetts Marine Corps League Gung Ho Community Service Award at the State House in Boston on February 19. Shain, shown here on the left holding his award with Department Commandant Warren Griffen, was honored for founding Thanks To Yanks in 2006 and his work with the veterans’ community. In presenting the award it was noted that Shain and his organization have become a conduit to bring groups together to help support veterans through the Thanks To Yanks annual dinner, magic show, collecting donated items for active military and more. According to a statement read a the ceremony, “He [Shain] has us all working together for a common good…Mike Shaine is the epitome of the spirit of what Gung Ho means to every Marine.” Contributed photo FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Congratulating an Eagle Scout State Senator Ryan Fattman, R. Webster, far left, and State Representative John Fernandes, D. Milford, far right are pictured with Eagle Scout Brian Gallagher and his parents. The photo was taken during Brian’s Eagle Court of Honor held by his troop, Milford Boy Scout Troop 4 on Thursday, February 5. Contributed photo Thanks To Yanks Magic Show Thanks To Yanks sponsored a magic show at Hanscom Air Force Base on Saturday February 7. Military families were delighted with the entertainment of magician Tommy James. Popcorn was served prior to the show and ice cream sundaes, with ice cream provided by Friendly’s, were served after the performance, which was enjoyed by all. Thanks To Yanks is a Milford-based 501c3 charity that is dedicated to serving our military personnel and their families. Please visit Thanks to Yanks on Facebook or at thankstoyanks.org. es tion t t f Gi ificall loca rt le at a e C b Welcome to“Imperial City” There’s so much more than six outstanding dealerships with over 1,700 new and used vehicles on one 52-acre lot. la i Ava • Please patronize our advertisers. They are the ones who bring you this newspaper! ser Br ve ea d kf al as ld t Miss Mendon Diner ay 50’s style All-American Diner ! SERVING HOMEMADE CLASSICS Imperial Ballroom ~ Formerly the Myriad Ballroom ~ Planning a Wedding? • 1/2 LB. LOBSTER SANDWICH W/ROUND FRIES 1499 $ Our 15-acre waterfront estate is the perfect setting for your enchanted day. It has the natural beauty typical of the Blackstone Valley, including alluring lakeside vistas. Photo and video opportunities abound. Our floor-plan possibilities are endless, and design appointments of every kind are available. The Imperial Ballroom can comfortably accommodate 125–600 guests. WE HAVE A GREAT SELECTION OF BEER AND WINE! • Our Pavilion Section • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK WELCOME TO THE IMPERIAL ROOM PARTIES FOR UP TO 125 PEOPLE FULL LIQUOR LICENSE • Full Piano Bar • State-of-the-art video • Buffets Starting At $10.99/pp. We have openings available in 2015 for your wedding on historic Lake Nipmuc. FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 508-478-2778 16 Uxbridge Rd., Mendon, MA • 508-634-3000 6 Nipmuc Dr., Rte. 16, Mendon, MA 01756 www.theimperialballroom.com • 508-478-2778 6 AM - 10 PM, 7 days per week www.missmendondiner.com &Country Store • Lowest gas & diesel prices! Compare for yourself. • Old-town hardware store • Convenience food outlet Stocked with what you need 508-634-6205 FEATURED IN THE UPCOMING HOLLYWOOD MOVIE “SEA OF TREES” 6 AM-10 PM 7 days per week IMPERIAL Car Wash & Detail • State-of-the-art car wash Hands-free, full-service car wash • Full complement of services A Cut-Above • Men’s haircuts only $15 Includes shampoo and scalp massage • Manicures & Pedicures Rain guarantee For men and women • Express hand detail center • Tanning • Shoeshines • Walk-ins welcome Pros get you out in 30 minutes! 508-478-7697 Imperial for Men IMPERIAL RENTAL M-F 7-7, weekends 7-6 508-478-1414 T-Th 8-6:30, F 8-5:30, Sat 8-3 • Large selection of vehicles including full-size pickups • Friendly customer service • Convenient extended hours • Unlimited Mileage! 508-634-3001 • M-F 8-6:30, Sat 8-6 Stardust Jewelers “Your Friends in the Diamond Business.” 508-478-2312 M-W 10-5, T 10-7, F-S 10-5 Salon Colour Full Service Hair Salon 508-381-6290 M & F 9-5, Tu & Th 9-9, S 8-4 All this on Uxbridge Rd., Rte. 16, Mendon, MA! FEBRUARY 27, 2015 MILFORD TOWN CRIER 3 You Think You’re Sick of Snow? We’ve got a new logo! And a new office at: 291 Main Street, Milford How Much Snow Has Fallen in Milford This Winter? Domestic Violence Affects Everyone. New Hope Can Help. Are you in a controlling or abusive relationship? You are not alone. Help is available. Call New Hope’s TOLL-FREE, 24-HOUR HOTLINE 1-800-323-HOPE (4673) Want to learn more or get involved? Phone 774-462-3202 Website www.new -hope.org Barry Marcus Watchmaker Jewelry Engraving 508-478-8043 258 Main Street •Room 303 Across from Milford Post Office “All watches, antique to modern quartz, repaired and serviced.” We don't just talk, we deliver! In your mailbox and on your computer. 42 Congress Street, Milford 508-473-5511 4 By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist So, you think you’re sick of snow this winter? Ask the guys who plow it for a living what they think. The Town Crier did just that, riding along with Highway Department personnel during February 7-9 snowstorm. While I’m waiting for a snow plow driver to finish completing his route and pick me up at the Highway Department’s complex on Front Street, I get to listen to Janice Coogan –Highway Surveyor Scott Crisafulli’s assistant – fielding phone calls. People are either complaining about being blocked in and having to get to a doctor’s appointment (those are referred to the Police Department, which is transporting people) – or are calling to voice concerns about the mounds of snow narrowing their view around intersections. Later, Crisafulli will take me around town to see how well various roads are being plowed and to check out many of the phone calls received by the department to see how to best resolve them. Along the way, he makes dozens of mental notes on what needs to be done by the department. For now, they’ve been plowing and plowing and plowing almost non-stop for more than a week. Still in the office area, I hear a plow driver Dustin Morris radio in that his truck has been struck while plowing past Dunkin Donuts on Main St. Vance Maietta, the department’s general foreman, grabs a digital camera from, Crisafulli’s office and invites me to join him to go to the scene. A car going a bit too fast for the weather swerved to avoid striking another vehicle, but instead hits the Highway Department’s newest truck, damaging the right front end and bending the plow frame. Morris – who works at the Vernon Grove Cemetery in warmer weather – is unhurt, and can drive the plow back to the Highway garage. “Why did it have to be our newest truck?” mutters Maietta. Those exact words are echoed by Crisafulli as he examines the truck inside the mechanics’ area an hour later. He already has spent four hours driving to and from Lawrence to pick up parts needed MILFORD TOWN CRIER to get a sidewalk plow repaired and back in action. It will now be up to the insurance company and a body shop to get the damaged plow truck repaired and back on the road, he says quietly. After Maietta and I return to the Highway garage, plow driver Steve DaCruz arrives to pick me up in his 2014 10-wheel Peterbilt dump truck, equipped with a large sand spreader in the back, a front plow and a “wing” plow on the right side. I’m jokingly warned by other Highway Department employees that I’m in for a rough ride. DaCruz explains that’s a references from when he was driving the snowplow that burst into flames a year or so ago, with him having only seconds to grab his wallet, keys and cell phone from the truck’s cab. He tells me that I would have been incinerated if I were in the same passenger seat in that truck. DaCruz, who is 38, has been working for the Highway Department for 13 years, with another five years before that as a part-time snowplow driver. Each time the department is called out to sand or plow, he takes the same truck and does the same route – Medway Road (Route 109), Birch St., Industrial Road, Commercial Way and Beaver St. With the front plow and wing plow, “I do the work of two men,” he says. Because he’s done the same route for the past six or seven years, he knows each road’s layout very well, DaCruz explains. With back-to-back-to-back snowstorms this winter, the job can get monotonous. DaCruz set a department record the previous week by clocking in 100 hours on the job. He caught catnaps between plow runs that week to stay alert, but calls the work “very tiresome.” But, he is devoted to it, plowing and sanding “from the first snowfall until the job is done.” He mentions listening to early morning radio reports to see if the companies on his route are open or closed due to snowstorms. If open, DaCruz says he makes sure the roads in the Bear Hill industrial area are open so that people can get to work. With its front and wing plows, the truck can cut a wide, 18-foot swath across a roadway. With no traffic on the road, his 12-road mile route can take an hour and 40 minutes to plow. With traffic, it can take much, much longer. As we go down Route 109, we see a line of state-hired plows coming down a Route 495 off-ramp. DaCruz says they plow snow across his road when they make a pass, but then he plows snow across their entrances and exits when he makes a pass. As we reach the Medway town line, DaCruz has to back up to turn around – grateful that, this time, no one is following too close behind him to prevent him from doing so. Following too closely is one of the things drivers do that annoys plow drivers, he explains. Another is trying to pass the large plow truck on the right, where it is very hard to see. And mailboxes being damaged? “Plows don’t hit mailboxes, snow does,” he responds. “Eighteen consecutive days, I’ve been at work without a day off,” DaCruz says. While he and other plow drivers appreciate the paychecks they will earn, some call it “blood money” because of the physical toll it takes on them. DaCruz says his 100-hour week led to a damaged sciatic nerve. “It’s good when you’re young, but it takes a toll on your body,” he says. He also mentions how plow drivers often miss Christmas holidays with their families when it’s snowing. “I hate anything and everything to do with snow,” he declares, counting the days left – 57 on our day together – until he and his family take a vacation in Aruba. I finish my day by spending several hours with Crisafulli, driving up and down the town’s roads and checking to see how much room is left at the town’s “snow dump” off Asylum St. Once there is a pause between snowstorms, he says, the department will begin to lower the piles at intersections and truck the snow there, Crisafulli says. The biggest complaint he gets? People call to complain that just after they shovel the ends of their driveways out, the plow comes back and covers them up again. The snowplow drivers have a job of clearing roads (from gutter to gutter” Crisafulli says, until the now stops falling. FEBRUARY 27, 2015 The Meaning of Service to the Community By Jane Bigda Editor Focusing on its roots in the community, Milford Regional Medical Center, Inc. (MRMC) celebrated three individuals who have helped make the hospital an integral part of Milford and over a dozen surrounding towns for decades at its February 10 annual meeting. All three – MRMC CEO Frank Saba, Trustee Judge Francis Larkin and former State Senator Richard Moore – are leaving their positions this year. “I have served with all three,” said State Representative John Fernandes, D. Milford noting each served with humility, leadership and commitment. “They exemplify the meaning of service to the community.” Saba, who will be retiring after 27 years as a MRMC executive on December 31, presided over his last annual meeting. Current president Edward Kelly will become CEO and president on January 1, 2016. Moving between tears and laughter, Saba offered a humorous “Top 10 List” why he should retire, poking fun as his forgetfulness and the possible local fatigue with his love of his alma mater, Michigan. More seriously he stressed the importance of MRMC helping to “improve the overall health and well being of the area population,” through partnerships, new technologies and growth. Reviewing the books, Saba said the hospital posted an increase in operating revenue of $10 million from fiscal 2013 to 2014 and increased outpatient services. He noted the hospital expects to open a $55 million addition to the main campus in October that will house a new emergency room and intensive care unit. It also opened the new, $5 million, 23,656-squarefoot outpatient facility in Northbridge, Milford Regional in the Blackstone Valley, this past fall. Additionally new technologies have been implemented including the ability to implant the smallest insertable cardiac monitoring device, 3D mammography and housecleaning robots to help eliminate super germs in patient rooms. Saba also noted additions to the medical staff, enhanced partnerships with other health agencies and the many awards won by the hospital and MRMC physicians. “The buildings and accolades are great,” said Saba, but added, “it is really all about the people.” He went on, “You should all be The Advertiser’s Club Directory The Advertiser’s Club Directory is a listing of those businesses that have contracted to advertising at least 12 times a year in The Milford Town Crier. Features include a listing in this directory, discounts and a feature article about your business (size and frequency requirements apply). Milford Regional Medical Center, Inc.(MRMC) honored three individuals who are retiring from service to the hospital this year at the annual meeting held on February 10. They include Frank Saba, on the left, who is retiring as hospital CEO in December, standing next to John Burns, chairman of the MRMC board of trustees. Also retiring are Judge Francis Larkin, center, who will become the hospital’s fourth Trustee Emeritus and to his right former State Senator Richard Moore. Incoming MRMC CEO and president Edward Kelly is on the far right. proud of what you have helped create.” Fighting back the tears, Saba went on, “I have been so fortunate to be given the opportunity to serve this community for decades…I could not be more confident about its future.” Noting how difficult it is for a local hospital to stay independent, John Burns, chairman of the MRMC Board of Trustees said, “Frank has been a key element in that…He has done wonders with this hospital.” In recognition of those efforts, the trustees and hospital administrators collected $400,000 for the Frank M. Saba Memorial Terrace Garden, which will be created at the main entrance to the building. Burns also announced that hospital employees have donated $1 million to the $25 million capital campaign for the new wing of the hospital bringing the total collected to $23 million. Named as the hospital’s fourth Trustee Emeritus, Larkin has served on the board for 44 years. Reviewing this service, Saba said Larkin’s tenure marked by his “devotion to our message of creating a hospital to serve the community. We are forever in his debt.” Larkin responded by saying his involvement with the hospital began with his birth there in 1933. Named to the board in the early 70s, Larkin said his time as a trustee were “days of light and darkness, and believe me we had plenty of both. It has been a blessing that has enriched my life in so many ways.” While citing the new addition as a benefit to the hospital, he noted something else was more important to its well-being. “The physical features of an edifice, even our new addition and all these buildings have to power to express and shape the message of the institution,” said Larkin. “But it is more important…to never forget it is the individuals within a building…that always prove most decisive.” Also honored at the meeting was former State Senator Moore, who was defeated by Ryan Fattman this fall. “Thank you to Senator Richard Moore for his steadfast support of the hospital,” said Saba. “And his support of …healthcare for every resident of Massachusetts….His impact has been vast and far-reaching.” Business Name................................Ad on Page Advantage Siding....................................next issue Affordable Junk Removal...................................12 Asia Cafe..................................................next issue Beacon Chiropractic..............................next issue Beauty Nails.............................................next issue Blair House...........................................................20 Boucher Energy Systems....................................12 Bright Insurance..................................................19 CK Smith.................................................next issue Chop Shop...............................................next issue Consigli Ruggierio Funeral Home......................8 CPR Etc....................................................next issue Crystal Pool and Spa..............................next issue Crystal Room.........................................................8 Dependable Properties..........................next issue EZ Laundromat.......................................next issue Family Pharmacy.................................................11 Fortress Computer.................................next issue Gallo Moving.......................................................19 Gibson Septic Service............................next issue Guerriere & Halnon, Inc......................................7 Heaven’s Gate Pet Services...................................2 Heritage Siding.......................................next issue Highfields Golf Club..............................next issue Homefield Credit Union.......................................3 Iadarola Plumbing...............................................12 Imperial.com....................................................3, 20 Joliceur Overhead Doors.......................next issue Koopman Lumber..................................next issue LaRose Muscular Therapy.....................next issue Medway Oil & Propane Company....................12 Mike Shain...............................................next issue Milford Federal.......................................next issue Milford-Franklin Eye Associates .........next issue Milford Hardwood.....................................next issue Milford National.....................................next issue Nathans’ Jewelers...................................................7 New England Window & Siding..........next issue Restaurant 45..........................................next issue Ritas..........................................................next issue Simoneau Electric...................................next issue Special Education Consultants.............next issue Stardust Jewelers.....................................next issue Templeman Tree Service....................................12 Truck and Trailer World........................next issue UPS Store.................................................next issue Wanokura Japanese Restaurant.........................13 Wolf Dental.............................................next issue Wylie & Julian Oil...............................................19 Zenith Mortgage..................................................15 YOU CAN TRUST ABE! See ABE at Mobico Auto Sales for late model preowned cerfied cars priced right! We buy AND Sell only the BEST! Financing available. Specializing in Audi, Mercedes, and BMW Autos Foreign & Domestic cars Route 140, West St. Milford • 508-473-5800 • WINDSHIELDS • SCREENS • SHOWER ENCLOSURES • STORM DOORS • INSULATED GLASS • STORE FRONTS • SAFETY GLASS • LEXAN • PLEXI GLASS • ETCHED GLASS • MIRRORS • TABLETOPS NOW OFFERING FULL COLOR & FRONT PAGE ADS! Stand out from the Crowd ... Call: Lori Tate: 508-529-0301 Colette Rooney: 508-922-9674 Susanne Odell: 508-954-8148 FEBRUARY 27, 2015 MILFORD TOWN CRIER 5 Opinion A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER By Al Holman We seem to be in a cycle of snow, then cold, and back to snow. I don’t know about you but I have seen all the snow I can stand this season! My dog Gracie is a Lab and not a small dog, but the snow is over her head. So when she goes outside she has to jump around in the yard to find a spot. The good news is that she likes the cold and the snow. Me on the other hand, not so much. Let’s hope that the temperature changes at a slow pace, not a jump to 40 degrees overnight. That change would create a nightmare for us all with water damage. Oh no! The weatherman says we may get rain on Sunday! If that happened we all will have major problems. As I drive around, the houses with massive icicles are more than can be counted. Icicles cover the windows in some homes. What a view that must be out the window. The thing that worries me is what if one of those large frozen spires falls down and hits someone on the head. I guess if you are struck with an icicle and go to the hospital they would not operate, they would just warm you up and let it melt. Hopefully they will not put salt on it to speed up the melting. Ouch! As I write this, while watching the news it seems that Washington D.C. closed today because they had 4 inches of snow. This made me realize I did not even know that they had shut down. Although I am not sure that any less got done in D.C. today than when they are not shut down. I wonder what they would do if they got two feet of snow. The one thing I would bet on is the Metro system would keep running as opposed taking a month to get back to normal like the T. The only people that like this much snow are the school kids, but come June they will pay a price with school going longer. Oh yes; the roofing contractors are happy. What cost $500 last year is costing $1500 this year. And that’s looking out my window at snow all the way up to the second floor. Political Ads & Articles The Milford Town Crier invites each candidate running for office in the April 7 Milford Election to submit one article to run in a March issue. The article must be NO MORE THAN 300 words submitted as a Microsoft Word document and sent as an attachment to the Editor, Jane Bigda, at [email protected]. You may attach a 240 dpi jpg photo too. Deadlines are : March 3 for the March 13 issue March 17 for the March 27 issue Political ads may be purchased by contacting Colette Rooney 508-922-9674 [email protected] Visconti Interviewed Next Week on 30 Minutes By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist Mike Visconti, candidate for election to the Board of Selectmen, will be the guest on next Friday’s episode of 30 Minutes with The Town Crier on Milford TV. The show airs at 6:30 p.m. on Comcast Channel 8 and Verizon Channel 38. The March 6 show is part of a series of interviews with candidates in the April 7 Milford Town Election. Now available for viewing on the 30 Minutes with The Town Crier channel on YouTube are: • The January 9 interview with School Committee Chairman Scott Harrison, who is running for reelection; • The January 23 interview with School Committee member Michael Walsh, who is running for reelection; • The February 6 interview with John Erickson, who is running for a threeyear seat on the School Committee; and, • The February 20 interview with Will Kingkade, who is running for a threeyear seat on the Board of Selectmen. The half-hour show is produced by Town Crier Publications, Inc. – publishers of The Milford Town Crier and The Upton & Mendon Town Crier newspapers – and focuses on Milford’s government, culture and history, news, businesses and charitable organizations. The show airs every other week and is co-hosted by Town Crier Publisher Al Holman and Town Crier columnist Kevin Rudden. Citizens for Milford to Host March 19 Candidates Forum Citizens for Milford invites all Milford residents to attend its second annual Candidates Forum, which will feature candidates in Milford’s upcoming town election. The Town Crier is co-sponsoring the event. The forum will be held Thursday, March 19, in Milford High School’s Davoren Auditorium. Candidates will be available to meet voters in the auditorium lobby starting at 6:30 p.m. and the forum – moderated by Citizens for Milford co-chairs John Seaver and Steve Trettel – will start at 7 p.m. Each participating candidate will speak for several minutes and then take questions from the audience. Due to time restrictions, only those candidates running in a contested race have been asked to participate. The forum will be video recorded and available to watch on Milford TV and on the Citizens for Milford website (Citizens for Milford.com) following the event. “As Milford’s local newspaper, delivered to all homes and businesses in town, the Town Crier is pleased to be co-sponsoring this event to encourage citizen participation in Milford’s town government,” said Publisher Alfred Holman.” Citizens for Milford is a volunteer, nonpartisan, grassroots organization, which includes a diverse group of citizens who care about the community. In its inaugural year, Citizens for Milford hosted two Candidates Forums, organized volunteers to help plan new decorations for Main Street, and researched and published information critical to area voters on its website. Participation in projects and events is open to everyone in Milford. More information is available on the group’s website: CitizensforMilford. com. Visit www.towncrier.us for Breaking News, Ad Club Introduces, Calendar items, Photo Galleries, Feature Stories, and More! Please support our advertisers. Shop Local! Buy Local! RUMINATIONS By Kevin Rudden The late David Morganelli had a great idea and worked to make it a reality – having a farmers’ market in Milford that would not only provide fresh fruits, vegetables and other items, but also serve as a place in the community for people to gather. He got the Board of Health on board, with Health Agent Paul Mazzuchelli’s office agreeing to “screen” each vendor to ensure the safety of the food items being sold. He got the Board of Selectmen on board, so that the market could be held in the Town Hall parking lot. He got the Planning Board to support the idea by approving its site plan. Year One was fairly successful, but another, better location would be sought. So, the farmers’ market moved down to the Milford Water Company’s campus on Dilla St., with more vendors. Expected traffic problems really didn’t materialize. But, through both years, the group of people running the market wanted to move to a more desired location, such as Milford Town Park, where there is a grassy surface and plenty of room to park. And – since vendors freely sell food and other items during summer concerts there – what could be the problem? Well, it turns out the area is not zoned for business. While the food, etc. sales continue there each summer, town officials said a zoning change would be needed to allow the farmers’ market to do – well, basically the same thing. After months of meetings with town officials (primarily Town Administrator Richard Villani and Town Planner Larry Dunkin), a draft Zoning By-law amendment was prepared and presented to the Planning Board for it to review. Planning Board support is generally needed if such an amendment is to be passed at a Town Meeting. The Milford Farmers’ Market wants the bylaw to allow the sale of a broad list of items. The Planning Board members want a much smaller list of items, saying they are trying to protect residential neighborhoods. I understand both points of view, but I have some questions to ask: One: Would a Farmers’ Market operating from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 17 spring/summer/fall Saturdays at Milford Town Park be any more of a “detriment” to the neighborhood than the summer concerts? Two: Would a Farmers’ Market operating from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 17 spring/summer/fall Saturdays at Milford Town Park be any more of a “detriment” to the neighborhood than the hordes of tweens disgorged from Stacy Middle School 180 days a year? Three: Would the traffic to and from a Farmers’ Market operating from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 17 spring/summer/fall Saturdays at Milford Town Park be any more of a “detriment” to the neighborhood than the clusters of cars dropping off/picking up the hordes of adolescents at Stacy Middle School 180 days a year? Four: Why is the sale of baked goods and chocolates or the availability of a knife sharpener considered to be “bad” in the Planning Board members’ eyes? Five: Why aren’t town officials stopping the illegal sale of food, etc. during the summer band concerts? Those concerts are considered a 'municple use,' making those vendors OK in the eyes of zoning. Why can't the farmers market get the same consideration? Cla TOWN CRIER PUBLICATIONS 48 Mechanic Street, Upton, MA 01568 | 508-529-7791 | TownCrier.us Publishers of Upton-Mendon Town Crier Published the 1st & 3rd Friday and mailed free to all 5,800 addresses in Upton and Mendon, MA. PUBLISHER Alfred C. Holman Office: 508-529-7791 ext. 222 Cell: 508-889-1067 [email protected] Milford Town Crier Published the 2nd & 4th Friday and mailed free to all 12,800 addresses in Milford, MA. MANAGER Marilyn C. Holman 508-529-7791 ext. 221 [email protected] Town Crier Publications, Inc. reserves the right to reject material it deems unfit for publication in a family newspaper. We reserve the right to edit any submitted articles as needed. We regret typographical errors in ads but will not take financial responsibility for them. We will reprint at no charge that portion of the ad in which the error appears. EDITOR Jane Bigda Cell: 508-525-1319 [email protected] 6 ADVERTISING LORI TATE 508-529-0301 [email protected] Upton, Mendon, Uxbridge, Northbridge COLETTE ROONEY 508-922-9674 [email protected] Milford, Hopedale, Bellingham, Franklin SUSANNE ODELL 508-954-8148 [email protected] Hopkinton, Westboro, Holliston, and Ashland MILFORD TOWN CRIER PUBLICATION SCHEDULE UPTON-MENDON March 6 • Deadline February 24 March 20 • Deadline March 10 April 3 • Deadline March 24 April 17 • Deadline April 7 MILFORD March 13 • Deadline March 3 March 27 • Deadline March 17 April 10•Deadline March 31 April 24 •Deadline April 14 Graphics: Jodi McGowan Web Manager: Andy Holman INDEX Advertiser’s Club Directory...........................5 Community Calendar................................ 8, 9 DINING GUIDE......................................... 13 HOME IMPROVEMENT............................ 12 SENIOR LIVING.................................10, 122 Opinion.........................................................6 IN THIS ISSUE Senior Living pp. 10, 11 FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Criterion Child Enrichment Supports Hospital’s Building Campaign The Milford Regional Medical Center Foundation officially acknowledged a $25,000 gift from Criterion Child Enrichment in Milford to the hospital’s building campaign. The gift is part of $23 million the capital campaign has already raised towards a goal of $25 million. “We are truly appreciative for the generous support we have received from all corners of our community toward our building campaign, and this gift from Criterion Child Enrichment is a wonderful example of Milford’s collaborative spirit,” said John Burns, Chairman of the building campaign as well as the board of trustees of Milford Regional. “Criterion is a social services organization founded by one of our new board members, Dr. Robert F. Littleton Jr., who clearly understands the value of enhanced health care, and the benefit of contributions toward the effort to reach the highest standards in that area. Dr. Littleton and the Criterion board of directors also recently provided a campaign gift to our building project from another of his social service organizations, the Evergreen Center. His commitment to bettering people’s lives is extraordinary, and again, it is our pleasure to thank him for his generosity.” Criterion Child Enrichment specializes in developmentally appropriate programs and services for young children and their families. The private non-profit corporation offers community-based developmental enrichment groups, childcare, early intervention and newborn home visiting GO GREEN Milford Regional Medical Center accepts a $25,000 donation from Criterion Child Enrichment towards their building campaign. Pictured left to right – Criterion board member Mel Thompson, Criterion President Dr. Robert F. Littleton Jr., Criterion board member Ross Mazzarelli, Milford Regional CEO Francis M. Saba, Milford Regional VP of Philanthropy Martin Richman and Criterion board member Dana White. Contributed photo programs. Founded in 1985, Criterion Child Enrichment has grown to be one of the largest providers of child and family development services in Massachusetts, serving more than 5,000 families each year with a staff of over 300 professionals at 12 locations throughout the state. The building campaign is supporting a major capital initiative that will result in a new emergency department, intensive care unit and private patient rooms. The new two-story structure will more than double the size of the current Emergency Department from 30 to 52 private treatment rooms, increase the number of patient rooms in the ICU from 10 to 16 expanding their size to accommodate the latest technology, and add a 24bed private room unit with the intent to convert all hospital patient rooms to private. New Leadership at New Hope It has been a year of transition at New Hope, Inc. – the Attleborobased nonprofit specializing in support for survivors of Marcia Szymanski domestic and sexual violence – but February marks a new chapter in the agency’s history. Board President Patricia Barr announced a unanimous decision by New Hope’s Board of Directors to hire Marcia Szymanski as the organization’s Executive Director. Szymanski has served as the director in an interim capacity since August 2014. Barr’s announcement recounted the leader’s early days in the role as an example that informed the Board’s hiring decision: “When Marcia arrived, she was almost immediately met with departures from virtually every area of the Agency, handling each [departure] with a combination of clear-headed thinking, strategic analysis and a positive attitude. She became deeply familiar with the responsibilities of each position and worked closely with staff members creating a clear understanding of what was working and what could be improved upon.” Szymanski begins her tenure with a dynamic new leadership team by her side. New hires include Vice President of Marketing and Development Lori Sousa, a Georgetown University graduate and returned Peace Corps volunteer (Ukraine); Vice President of Operations Wendy Allmendinger, a lawyer and longtime human services advocate; and Vice President of Clinical Services Trisha Bakaitis Glover, a licensed mental health counselor and longtime New Hope employee. Rounding out the leadership team is Chief Financial Officer Benjamin Furman, who has charted New Hope’s financial course for the past 22 years. FEBRUARY 27, 2015 With the new team comes a new philosophy. As Szymanski explains, “The New Hope of today exists in a knowledge-based economy, which means we must change the way we go about our work. It is no longer about simply providing services; it’s about creating a culture of learning to tackle social problems that may seem intractable. Going forward New Hope seeks to reposition itself as a facilitator, engaging our clients and staff, our partnering agencies and the community at large.” Szymanski continues, “It’s an exciting time and we look forward to increasing our engagement with the communities we serve to demonstrate that ending violence in our homes and neighborhoods is within our reach. Each member of the community plays a vital role and we look forward to working together over the days, months and years ahead.” Pay online 24/7 at: www.MilfordWater.com Save a Stamp (it’s free to pay online) Less Clutter, Better for the Environment! GO SUPERGREEN Enroll in paperless billing and E-Check 66 Dilla Street, Milford • 508-473-5110 Email [email protected] NEED CASH? TOP DOLLAR PAID for Gold, Silver, Diamonds, & Coins ... NATHANS’ Jewelers 508-473-7375 157 Main Street MILFORD Celebrating Being in Business Since 1972 Civil Engineer & Land Survey Consultants Milford, MA 01757 508.473.6630 508.473.8243 (fax) Franklin, MA 02038 508.528.3221 508.528.7921 (fax) Whitinsville, MA 01588 508.234.6834 508.234.6723 (fax) www.gandhengineering.com Welcoming New Patients Comprehensive Eye Examination Hundreds of Frames for Every Budget Sunglasses/Sport Glasses Contact Lenses • Lasik Consults Pediatric Vision Care Emily Pilotte O.D., Elise D’Amiano O.D. Sabrina Gaan O.D. and Suzanne Rosenberg O.D. (not pictured) Evening & Saturday Appointments • Most Insurances Accepted Children's Optical Boutique 77 West Main Street, Hopkinton • 508-497-9500 • www.myeyeassociates.com MILFORD TOWN CRIER 7 Calendar A list of calendar events of community groups, fundraising events of local charities and free events of local businesses. Maximum 150 words. Published the 1st & 3rd Friday of every month. Deadline 10 days prior to publication date. Email to [email protected] Alumni Banquet Celebrate Catholic Education in Milford Assembling Spring Baskets for a Cause MILFORD-Please help gather supplies and build Spring baskets for the families of Voices Against Violence, a vital program of South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) in Framingham. SMOC is currently accepting donations of candy, plastic eggs, baskets, shredded cellophane, ear buds, small denomination gift cards, stuffed animals or goody bag items to include in the baskets through Saturday, March 14. It is also looking for volunteers on Saturday, March 28 at Milford High School to help assemble and transport the baskets. Voices Against Violence currently has 216 children in its care, ranging in age from less than one year up to 18 years old. It is committed to advancing safety and promoting societal change for those affected by sexual and domestic violence. Our goal through this program is to provide a Spring Basket stuffed with treats to every single one of these children. For more information on how to donate or to get involved, please contact Pam Berman at [email protected]. Toastmasters Club of Milford MILFORD-V.O.L.U.M.E. Toastmasters Club of Milford will host an open house of Thursday March 19 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 50 Maple St, Old National Guard Building, Milford. The Milford Toastmaster Clubs provides a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth. All are welcome. For more information visit http://1303443.toastmastersclubs.org. Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. MILFORD-An Alumni Banquet celebrating 135 years of Catholic education in Milford and the 40th anniversary of Milford Catholic Elementary School will be held April 11 at the Crystal Room, 49 Cedar Street, Milford at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Contact Milford Catholic Elementary School for tickets by calling Milford Catholic Elementary School at 508-473-7303 or emailing alumni@ milfordcatholic.org. Tickets for a full course dinner featuring baked stuffed boneless breast of chicken are $40 and tables may be reserved. Memorabilia from past years will be on display and all are invited to reconnect with classmates and friends at this celebration. Principal Marie Sciretta said “This year we are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the merger of Sacred Heart Elementary School and Saint Mary of the Assumption Elementary School into Milford Catholic Elementary School. We are proud that Catholic education has been an integral part of the town of Milford for 135 years. Many alumni have reached out to us and are anxious to reconnect and reminisce. We are excited and looking forward to celebrating this legacy with all of our alumni at the Alumni Banquet including those who attended MCES, Sacred Heart School and Saint Mary of the Assumption Elementary Schools and St. Mary’s Central Catholic High School.” Mendon’s Early Days MENDON-Mendon residents, Dick Grady and John Trainor, will be presenting a program to the Joseph Emerson Evening Alliance on the early days of Mendon including a slide show at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Maple St., Mendon, on Monday March 16 at 7 p.m. The public is welcome. Any questions call 508-4736737. Nice ride! How’s your rate? 99 1. % Car Loans Trinity Church Community Dinners MILFORD-Trinity Episcopal Church offers free, nourishing meals to the local community. The menu consists of an entrée, soup, salad, bread, dessert, and beverage. All are welcome to come and enjoy a hot meal. Meals are served from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on the last Wednesday, the last Thursday, and the last Friday of every month. For more information, contact the parish office at 508-473-8464 or [email protected]. Thursday meals, hosted at Trinity Episcopal Church, are sponsored by the volunteers of the First United Methodist Church in Milford. Volunteers to help prepare and serve meals are always needed and most welcome. Books Are Fun MILFORD-On Tuesday, March 31, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Books Are Fun by Kathy Doane will be held in the Milford Regional Medical Center Atrium Café. Included are books for adults and children. Stationery and CDs will also be sold. A portion of the sales goes to the Milford Regional Medical Center Auxiliary, which conducts many fundraisers throughout the year. Fundraisers provide support to hospital departments. Currently, the Auxiliary is also contributing to the expansion of the Medical Center. The public is welcome and both men and women are encouraged to consider joining this successful organization. For more information, call 508-422-2099. Free Community Brown Bag Meal MILFORD-Please join us for a free nutritious community brown bag lunch / dinner on the last Saturday of each month from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Pine St., Milford. The next meal is Saturday, February 28. Please enter by the side door next to the former Dunkin Donuts. The meal is sponsored by Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish of Milford. All are welcome, no questions asked. 2nd Annual Hopedale Girls Basketball Alumni Game HOPEDALE-The 2nd Annual Hopedale Girls Basketball Alumni game will take place Saturday, March 28. Doors open at 4 p.m. with tip off at 4:30 p.m. Bring a blue and white shirt so teams can be split accordingly. If you would like to attend or have any questions please email [email protected]. Bring your family, kids, and anyone who would like to watch the game! This is a free event. Hugs 'n Improv MILFORD-The Milford Performing Arts Center's Class Act Too presents Hugs 'n Improv to benefit the Humane Society on Friday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the MPAC Studio, 150 Main St., Milford. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and students. Bring a nonperishable food item for a chance at door prizes. Refreshments will be offered. Call 508-473-1684 or visit Milford PAC.org for more information.. Family Fun Fair 2015 Exhibitors Needed MILFORD-The Milford Family Fun Fair is seeking exhibitors for the 21st Annual Family Fun Fair on Saturday, March 21, snow date: March 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Milford High School Cafeteria. If your business, agency or program serves children and or families, we hope you will consider being an exhibitor. Tables are free, but space is limited. For more information, call 508-634-2356 or email [email protected] 3rd Annual Fur Ball FRAMINGHAM-Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton hosts its 3rd Annual Fur Ball Saturday, March 14 from 6 until 11 p.m. at Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference Center, 1657 Worcester Road, Framingham. Tickets are $50 per person and $55 at the door. Premium tickets and sponsorships are also available. Proceeds will be used to assist the shelter animals. The Fur Ball will include a sit-down dinner, appetizers, silent and live auction, wine pull and entertainment by the band Bob’s Your Uncle. Live auction will be conducted by special guest Cha-Chi Loprete from 98.5 The Sports Hub and Breakfast with the Beatles on WZLX. Highlights of the auction and raffle include an Orlando vacation package, Elite Island Resort stay, an autographed Aerosmith guitar, original artwork, a Camp Cody package, a hockey stick signed by the Boston Bruins, an iPad Air, autographed movie memorabilia and much, much more. Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton is dedicated to providing shelter, care, humane treatment and loving homes for stray or unwanted companion animals. For tickets and information email Kandice Glassman at Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton, [email protected], www.BaypathHumane.org/FurBall2015. The Singing Priests MILFORD-Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Council, Milford is sponsoring a trip to the Hanover Theatre on Friday, March 27 to see a performance by The Singing Priests. The cost is $58 per person and a bus is available. Please call the rectory, 508-634-5435, for reservations. The public is invited. See the Calendar on our website at towncrier.us APR* 36 Months Other rates & terms available Call or visit any office to apply today! A Premier Venue Specializing in Weddings, Baptism & First Communion Celebrations, Sweet 16s, Quinceanaras, Anniversaries, Birthdays, Baby & Bridal Showers, Corporate Events, Bereavements and more For more information and to set up a private tour of our venue, call 508-478-7800 or email [email protected] 70 Main Street • Medway • 508.533.8661 2 South Maple Street • Bellingham • 508.966.2857 1 Hastings Street • Mendon • 508.422.9792 CharlesRiverBank.com Member FDIC • Member SIF Sunday Brunch Buffet First Sunday of every month Next Brunch: March 1 $14.95 per person 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Equal Housing Lender 2/24/15 and subject to change. $28.64 Monthly payment per $1,000 borrowed for 36 month term at *Annual Percentage Rate (APR) effective as of 1/7/2015 1.99% APR.Subject to credit approval. Rates are lowest available for term and collateral type listed, based on credit worthiness. 10% down payment required. Model years of 2014-2015. Auto insurance is required. Visit CharlesRiverBank.com for additional rates and terms. 8 49 Cedar Street, Milford • CrystalRoomMA.com MILFORD TOWN CRIER 5" x 7.5" Milford Town Crier FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Michael Tougias To Speak At Mendon Historical Society MENDON-The Sunday, March 1 meeting of the Mendon Historical Society will feature a presentation by popular local author Michael Tougias. The meeting will be held at the Mendon Senior Center, 62 Providence St., beginning at 2 p.m. In case of bad weather, please check www. mendonhistoricalsociety.org or call 1-774-7660739 for cancellation information. Tougias has written numerous books, the latest of which is Rescue of the Bounty: Disaster and Survival in Super Storm Sandy, which he co-authored with Douglas A. Campbell. Bounty, a movie prop ship built in 1960 and used in the movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, and more recently several of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, was a wooden tall ship that could actually sail. In 2012 the Bounty met disaster with her captain and 16 crew-members aboard as they tried to sail in front of Super Storm Sandy and ended up caught in the storm. Tougias will bring to life the harrowing tale of the shipwreck and rescue that followed. Home Buying Boot Camp MILFORD-On Wednesday, March 18 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the Milford School Community Use Program will be offering a Home Buying Boot Camp presented by Michael Shain at Milford High School. The seminar is free and will review the entire process of buying a home from a consumer’s point of view and includes a question and answer period. The roles of Realtor lender, attorney and home inspector will be reviewed as will the importance of credit in determining the home attendees can afford and why. Attendees will received a helpful workbook that contains key information and leave the seminar with a much clearer understanding of the entire process. Shain, a long time Milford resident and a Senior loan originator with Village Mortgage NMLS# 776638, has more than 25 years of mortgage banking experience. He will be joined by other local experts. For registration call 508-478-1119. Space is limited so please reserve now. A free pizza dinner will be provided to all who attend. Questions can be directed to Michael Shain at 508-330-8487 Milford Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Meeting MILFORD-The Milford Regional Medical Center Auxiliary meeting will be March 10 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the hospital Conference Room A, 14 Prospect St., Milford. The public is welcome and encouraged to consider joining this successful organization. The Auxiliary conducts many fundraisers throughout the year, which support MRMC departments and is currently contributing to the expansion of the hospital. For more information about the Auxiliary, please call 508-422-2099. Greenleaf Garden Club of Milford Presents Pots with Pizzazz MILFORD-The Greenleaf Garden Club of Milford will feature Pots with Pizzazz for their March 16 meeting at the Ruth Anne Bleakney Sr. Center, N. Bow St., Milford. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments and the program, which features two avid gardeners, Jana Milbocher and Joan Butler of Enchanted Gardens in Holliston, begins at 7:30 p.m. Both are designers and writers with a passion for horticulture, who will teach how to create focal points from whimsical to grand with colorful containers and will inspire participants to introduce drama and excitement into their container gardens. The Greenleaf Garden Club is a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc. and the Garden Club Federation of MA, Inc. For information, call Jean DeLuzio at 508-473-7790. Simply Seconds Consignment UPTON-Simply Second Consignments, offering nicer pre-owned adult women’s and men’s clothing and accessories, will be held at United Parish of Upton, 1 Church St., on Saturday, March 14 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, March 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Consignors are being sought for items for men and women. Vendors are also being sought for the Saturday sale and volunteers for both days are welcomed. This fundraising event helps support United Parish community programs. For more information, check out https://www.facebook.com/ UnitedParishSimplySecondsConsignment on Facebook. FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Thimble Pleasures Quilt Guild Meeting MENDON-Kathryn LeBlanc, owner of the Dragonfly Quilts, will discuss her journey from making her first quilt to owning her shop at the next meeting of Thimble Pleasures Quilt Guild on Thursday, March 19 at Unitarian Church, Maple St., Mendon at 7 p.m. Vending will take place after her presentation. Guests are welcome for a $5 fee. Katie Hill author of Bridget’s Home MILFORD-Katie M. Hill, author of Bridget’s Home, will offer a presentation on her historical novel at the Milford Town Library, Spruce St., Milford, on Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m. The novel follows the journey of Moira and Barnard Culligan, a newlywed couple who emigrate from Ireland in the early 19th century when Irish laborers were recruited to help build the Erie Canal. From a boarding house near the canal to “paddy” camps and tenements in Worcester, the family battles bigotry, poverty, sickness, and the “Irish Curse” as they search for a permanent home in their new land. Hill has been writing and lecturing on the topic of Irish immigration to America since 1989, when she wrote the first of three plays about the 19th century Irish Diaspora. In 1996 she received official recognition from the Republic of Ireland for her play about the Famine – Katie O’Shea: Tales of a Famine Immigrant. Ms. Hill has worked at Old Sturbridge Village for several years, where she interprets the life of Mary Culligan, an 1830s Irish immigrant who served as the inspiration for the character of Moira. The March 7 program is sponsored by the Friends of the Milford Town Library and is free. Author Appearance by Deborah Doucette MILFORD-Author Deborah Doucette will have a reading/signing of her two books, The Forgotten Roses and Raising Our Children’s Children, on Thursday March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Milford Town Library. The Forgotten Roses is a dark tale of three women from a multigenerational, Italian-American family drawn together by a young woman’s mysterious and tragic death. Based on Doucette’s personal experience raising a grandchild, Raising Our Children’s Children examines the myriad factors involved in kinship care, specifically when grandparents begin to raise their grandchildren. Filled with true stories from people who have raised their children’s children, and including advice from Dr. Jeffrey R. LaCure throughout, this familyfocused book looks at this fairly common relationship from all sides. St. Paul’s Sunday Service Time Change HOPKINTON– St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 61 Wood St. (Rt 135), Hopkinton will be moving the time of its Sunday Service to 10 a.m., effective March 1. Sunday School will also begin at 10 a.m., with the children joining their parents in the Sanctuary at 10:30. Previously both the Sunday School and Sunday Service began at 10:45 a.m. “We are changing the service time so that we can accommodate other St. Paul’s activities that will be occurring on Sundays, such as adult education classes and potluck meals,” said Sue Ramsley, senior warden at St. Paul’s. “The congregation also as a group found the 10 a.m. time to be more convenient for families with younger children and other members of the community.” For more information call 508-435-4536 or visit St. Paul’s website at www.stpaulhopkinton. org. Sponsors Needed for Milford Boy Scout Troop Breakfast MILFORD-Milford’s Boy Scout Troop 4 is holding their annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser on March 15 at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, and is selling advertising space on the event’s placemats to community sponsors. Proceeds from this year’s Pancake Breakfast will go towards the Troop’s summer 2015 High Adventure canoe trip, and to assist in purchasing camping equipment and supplies for the Troop’s year-round use. This is the Troop’s primary fundraiser of the year, and your support would be greatly appreciated. Please place ads by February 25 by contacting Norm Schmitte at 508-244-2180 or schmitt83@ comcast.net. MILFORD MEETINGS Unless otherwise noted, the activities take place at Town Hall. Official meeting notices are posted on Town Clerk’s Bulletin Board. For additional information, contact the appropriate Board or official. Saturday, February 28 Personnel Board, Police Department, 9 a.m. Monday, March 2 Board of Health, Room 14, 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 3 Planning Board, Room 03, 7 p.m. Monday, March 9 Board of Selectmen, Room 03, 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 Finance Committee, Room 03, 7 p.m. Historical Commission, Memorial Hall, 7 p.m. Monday, March 16 Capital Improvement Committee, Room 02, 7 p.m. Board of Health, Room 14, 6 p.m. MILFORD SENIOR CENTER The Ruth Anne Bleakney Senior Center, located at 60 North Bow St., is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Contact the center by calling 508-473-8334 or emailing [email protected]. Sue Trotta Clark is the director. Friday, February 27 12:30 p.m. Free Monthly Movie Wednesday, March 4 9 a.m. Monthly Breakfast, $3 per person Thursday, March 5 10 a.m. Free Healthy Eating for Successful Living Workshop 10 a.m. Line Dancing, $3 per class Thursday, March 6 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monthly Foxwoods Casino Trip, $20 per person Tuesday, March 17 10 a.m. Monthly Book Club Monday 8:30 a.m. Game Room 8:30 a.m. Fitness Equipment & Internet. 8:30 a.m. SHINE by Appointment 8:30 a.m. Outreach Services 9 a.m. Silver Sneakers 9:30 a.m. Cribbage 10 a.m. Gift Shop 10:30 a.m. Zumba Gold 1 p.m. Mexican Train Dominos 1:15 p.m. Safe Exercise Tuesday 8:30 a.m. Game Room 8:30 a.m. Fitness Equipment & Internet 8:30 a.m. SHINE by Appointment 10 a.m. Gift Shop 10 a.m. Tai Chi 11 a.m. Whist 12:30 p.m. Turkey Foot Dominos 1 p.m. Mah Jongg Wednesday 8:30 a.m. Game Room 8:30 a.m. Fitness Equipment & Internet 8:30 a.m. SHINE by appointment 8:30 a.m. Outreach Services 9 a.m. Silver Sneakers 9 a.m. Zumba Gold 10 a.m. Watercolor Painting 10 a.m. Gift Shop 1 p.m. Bingo 1 p.m. Chess Thursday 8:30 a.m. Game Room 8:30 a.m. Fitness Equipment & Internet 8:30 a.m. SHINE by Appointment 9 a.m. Knitting and Sewing Class 9:30 a.m. Senior Yoga 10 a.m. Gift Shop 1:15 p.m. Safe Exercise Friday 8:30 a.m. Game Room 8:30 a.m. Fitness Equipment & Internet 8:30 a.m. SHINE by Appointment 8:30 a.m. Outreach Services 9 a.m. Silver Sneakers 9 a.m. Hairdresser 9:15 a.m. Morning Stretch and Balance 10 a.m. Acrylic Painting 10 a.m. Gift Shop 10:30 a.m. Zumba Gold To help people achieve health for life. We are currently welcoming new patients, call or book online now at MetrowestPhysicians.com. David J. Harrington, M.D. Obstetrics/Gynecology 321 Fortune Boulevard Milford, MA 01757 260 Cochituate Road Framingham, MA 01701 508-203-7945 Dr. David J. Harrington is an Obstetrician/ Gynecologist at the Milford location of MetroWest Physician Services where he practices general obstetrics and gynecology. His special clinical interests include female incontinence, urodynamic testing, related surgical procedures and medical management. Steven Bornstein, D.O. 969 Main Street, Suite 205 Millis, MA 02054 508-203-7943 Dr. Steven Bornstein, a Family Practitioner and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, provides traditional medical services, including routine physicals and urgent care, with a focus on preventive health care and a ‘whole person’ approach. Seung Jae Lee, MD Family Medicine 435 King Street Franklin, MA 02038 508-203-7944 Dr. Seung Jae Lee practices Family Medicine at the Franklin location of MetroWest Physician Services. His philosophy focuses on developing and nurturing the patient-doctor relationship. Tarek El Sharkawy, M.D. Internal Medicine 435 King Street Franklin, MA 02038 508-203-7944 Dr. Tarek El Sharkawy, specializes in Internal Medicine and speaks both English and Arabic. SHOP LOCAL BUY LOCAL Support Your Local Businesses MILFORD TOWN CRIER 9 HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS BrightStar Care of Milford-Worcester is a Joint Commission Accredited provider of Home Care and Medical Staffing services. We have employment opportunities for home care, clinics and staffing assignments: > Certified Home Health Aides & CNAs > LPNs and RNs (Infusion experience a plus) > Medical Assistants and Phlebotomists Senior Come Home to Pond Home - a ® Please contact Andrea at 508 282 5020 or visit us online at: www.brightstarcare.com/milfordworcester Delivering A Higher Standard of Home Care Independently Owned & Operated By Michelle Sanford Staff Reporter/Columnist It is as warm and comforting on the inside as it is on the outside. Pond Home is a lovely, renovated historical New England home in Wrentham which offers gracious retirement living to its residents. What makes Pond Home so unique is the type of care it’s loving and committed staff is able to provide the 42 residents there. “We fall between assisted living and a nursing home,” explained Pond Home Administrator Rebecca Annis. “That means the facility is able to offer significantly more medical care than an assisted living facility to residents who are typically more capable than those who need the services of a skilled nursing care facility.” As a result, the licensed nursing staff at Pond Home can distribute and manage medications, assist those residents with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart conditions, as well as check vital signs. Annis says this type of care is such a benefit to the residents there. “If someone has a chronic condition whose care hasn’t been managed, they’re going to age faster.” Another big part of Pond Home’s appeal is Pond Home Activities Director Fran Conglaves the countless activities that keep the residents happy, active, and social. New Activities Director Fran Goncalves offers everything Virtual Dementia Tour at Golden Pond St. Camillus Adult Day Health Center Our Adult Day Health Center is designed to provide a full day’s worth of meaningful activity for our participants, while also taking care of each participant’s medical needs. Some of the Services Provided: • Person Centered Activities • Strength training with Nautilus machines supervised by a Fitness Coordinator • Transportation to and from the Adult Day Health Center is available • Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack • Staff assisted showers are available on-site 508-266-2054 670 Linwood Avenue Whitinsville, MA 01588 NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS Call to schedule a tour or visit us and have lunch! Compassionate Care Committed to the Dignity of Life Adult dAy HeAltH Center Our Daily Program Includes: • Morning Coffee Social • Nutritious Meals • Medication Assistance • Personal Care & Grooming • Group Exercise • Crafts, Movies & Music • Discussion Groups & Education Programs 65 Beaumont Drive Millbury resident Shana Hermans (left), Population Health Specialist for Century Health Systems, recently facilitated a Virtual Dementia Tour at Golden Pond Assisted Living. Shana stands with Hopkinton resident Jen Belesi, Director of Community Relations, Golden Pond Assisted Living. Contributed photo Century Health Systems, parent company of Natick Visiting Nurse Association and Distinguished Care Options, recently collaborated with Golden Pond Assisted Living, Hopkinton, to facilitate a Virtual Dementia Tour, a simulation that mimics the cognitive and physical effects of dementia. Participants learned what it is like to live with dementia, macular degeneration, arthritis and more. “The Virtual Dementia Tour is an opportunity for those whose loved ones have dementia and other related conditions to get a sense of some of the challenges they experience every day,” said Judith Boyko, RN, MS, MBA, Century Health Systems CEO. For information about hosting or attending a Virtual Dementia Tour, please contact Century Health Systems at 508-651-1786 or [email protected]. Century Health Systems is located at 209 West Central Street, Suite 316, Natick, Mass., 01760. For additional information, call 508-651-1786 or visit www.centuryhealth.org. NORTHBRIDGE 508-234-6481 w w w .S a l m o n H e a lt H a n d R e t i R e m e n t . c o m 10 MILFORD TOWN CRIER Governor Annou in Federa Governor Charles Baker and De of Housing and Community Dev Undersecretary Chrystal Kornega announced the release of over $13 in federal funding to the Low Inc Energy Assistance Program (LIH bringing the total fuel assistance f awarded to Massachusetts in FY1 to $144 million. The funding will distributed to 22 local administer agencies that will allocate benefits approximately 180,000 eligible fam need of assistance. “In this especially cold and unp winter for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, these funds will b important to seeing our families h assistance they need to stay warm Gov. Baker. “We will continue to the legislature to ensure Massachu vulnerable families have the prop resources available.” “This funding comes at a critica for Massachusetts residents who n a helping hand in heating their ho during these cold winter months,” Hospital’s Patie N Milford Regional Medical Center community members from their 1 service area to serve on the hospit Patient and Family Advisory Cou (PFAC). Now in its sixth year of o the PFAC is dedicated to promoti partnership between the patients, and working professionals affiliate the Medical Center to promote an patient‐centered care. The PFAC at Milford Regional, wh meets monthly, includes staff from Medical Center’s administration a departments, and former patients who have had family members rec at the hospital. Community memb reside within Milford Regional’s s area which comprises the followin Milford, Hopedale, Mendon, Blac Medway, Uxbridge, Northbridge, FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Living Family Pharmacy “The Pharmacy that Delivers with Care” Warm and Cozy Place to Live! (kneeling) sits among a number of residents. from book clubs and knitting to regular exercise classes and movies. Offsite excursions are also planned. “We have a vast variety of activities that residents can pick and choose from,” said Goncalves. Come spring time, residents will be enjoying a new outdoor area. The facility’s Blooming Garden is nearly complete and will be a wonderful new space for everyone to enjoy. Pond Home offers private rooms, several large two room suites, and the nursing section has rooms for those residents who are in need of supportive nursing care. In addition, all meals are served to residents in a beautiful dining area and housekeeping and laundry services are taken care of. Annis advises families whose loved ones may be moving to a retirement community, assisted living, or nursing home to do their homework early so they are not forced to choose a residence under duress. She added that anyone who would like to see what Pond Home has to offer should call for information and a tour. Pond Home is located at 289 East Street in Wrentham. For more information, call 508384-3531, email [email protected], view www.pondhome.org, or check out their Facebook page. unces Release of $13 million ral Heating Assistance epartment velopment ay have 3 million come Home HEAP), funding 15 up l be ring s to milies in precedented f be have the m,” said work with usetts’ per heating al time need omes ,” said Chrystal Kornegay, Undersecretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development, which manages LIHEAP. The $13 million is the final 10 percent of the total funding allocated to Massachusetts’ LIHEAP from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In October 2014, HHS awarded Massachusetts a total of $131 million in fuel assistance for qualifying residents, representing 90 percent of the FY15 LIHEAP funding. The energy and fuel assistance program provides funding to help eligible households pay for a portion of their heating bills. Eligibility for LIHEAP is determined based on household size and the gross annual income of every household member 18 years or older. The maximum income eligibility for LIHEAP is 60 percent of the estimated state median income. New applicants are encouraged to apply for the program at the Mendon and Upton Senior Centers. LIHEAP agencies will be accepting applications until April 30. ent Advisory Council Needs New Members is seeking 19-town tal’s uncil operation, ing a , families, ed with nd foster hich m the and s or those ceive care mbers must service ng towns: ckstone, Whitinsville, Bellingham, Franklin, Douglas, Grafton, Upton, Hopkinton, Holliston, Millis, Medfield, Wrentham and Millville. Members commit to a twoyear term and have the opportunity to participate on various committees, task forces and advisory boards. Those interested in becoming a member of Milford Regional’s Patient Family Advisory Council must complete and submit an application form by Friday, March 27. For more information on the PFAC at Milford Regional and/or to obtain an application, go to the Medical Center’s Web site at www. milfordregional.org and click on “About MRMC” in the upper right corner and then “Patient & Family Advisory Council” or contact Kim Munto by phone at 508-4222202 or email at [email protected]. FEBRUARY 27, 2015 All newly transferred prescriptions will RECEIVE A 20% DISCOUNT on any of our over-the-counter purchases. Offering an independent alternative for your pharmacy needs. Locally owned and operated, we place extra emphasis on caring for the community we serve. Our pharmacists will take the time to answer your questions and offer prompt and courteous service. We provide free patient medication packaging for group homes, rest homes, assited living, and other long-term care facilities. √ REFILLS automatic CALL TODAY! 774-233-0483 √ FAST friendly, reliable service 105 East Main Street, Milford √ EASY prescription transfer WWW.FamilyPharmacyRX.COM HOURS: M, W: 9am - 7pm | Tu, Th, F, Sat: 9am - 9pm √ FREE delivery Greater Milford Community Chorus and New England Tenors to Perform Together The Greater Milford Community Chorus and the New England Tenors invite all to attend an enjoyable afternoon of song on Sunday, March 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. at The United Church of Christ in Hopedale, 25 Dutcher St. The Greater Milford Community Chorus is a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Milford Community Use Program and the Milford Cultural Council, which is part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The New England Tenors are three outstanding tenor voices singing some of the greatest songs ever written. They have thrilled audiences with their superior vocal ranges, versatility and showmanship. Their everexpanding song list includes songs made famous by the Three Tenors, The Irish Tenors, and Il Divo. It also includes beloved selections from Broadway, Opera and Sacred Songs. Tickets are $20 for adults and $6 for students. For tickets, contact Heather Walsh at 508-473-1476 or huec@ verizon.net. The only Residential Care Facility in the Greater Milford Area. Offering Medical and Social Supports to elders. 289 East Street Wrentham, MA 02093 508-384-3531 www.pondhome.org [email protected] An Affordable Option in Long Term Care, Offering Residential Care & Supportive Nursing Care since 1902 If home is where you want to stay, Home Instead Senior Care can help! Whether you are looking for someone to help you or a loved one a few hours a week, or need more comprehensive assistance, Home Instead can help. • Companionship • Transportation/Errands • Meal Preparation • Alzheimer’s Expertise • Personal Care • Respite Care • Light Housekeeping • And More • Medication Reminders MILFORD TOWN CRIER 11 Home Improvement THINK GLOBALLY ACT LOCALLY ByAnne Mazar Cold Weather, Hot Climate As we shovel our way out of the seemingly endless snow, it is hard to grasp that globally, 2014 was the hottest year on record. The locally frigid temperature is weather. Whereas, climate is the pattern of weather measured over time. It seems counterintuitive, but hotter air and warmer oceans around the globe cause additional water vapor to be held in the air. When storms occur, this added moisture fuels heavier precipitation in the form of more intense rain or… snow. A Full Service Tree Removal Company Since 1980 Fully Insured FREE Estimates This is some of the food that is donated weekly by Whole Foods in Bellingham to feed the animals at Maple Farm Sanctuary. Massachusetts recently passed a commercial food waste disposal ban. Any establishment that creates a ton or more of organic waste per week cannot dispose of the organic matter in the garbage. Pam Mazzuchelli photo It is a complex process, but some researchers are finding the warming Arctic, sea ice decline and reduced snow cover may be changing the configuration of the jet stream and polar vortex allowing cold Arctic air to sometimes dip south in places like New England and warm weather to head north in places like Alaska. In 2013, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. Over 830 scientists from over 80 countries assessed 30,000 scientific papers. It is the most comprehensive assessment of climate change ever undertaken. The findings include, “The atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide [CO2], methane, and nitrous oxide have increased to levels unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years… It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.” The impacts of the change are being seen presently in sea level rise, warmer oceans and extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, hurricanes, fires, blizzards etc. The report also suggests adaptation and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could limit future risks, but we need to act now. Above the political and media fray, many of the changes just make good sense. For example, one-third of the world’s food rots before it gets to market; a waste when millions of people are starving. This rotting food contributes approximately 3.3 billion metric tons of CO2 annually or 10 percent of global CO2 emissions. Most of the waste in developing countries is food spoilage occurring from field to market, because of unrefrigerated trucks. United Technologies has developed a solar-powered truck refrigeration unit. This enables the transport of produce and meat to market in a cool environment using sun powered Some of the animals at Maple Farm Sanctuary who benefit from eating the produce that used to be thrown out at Whole Foods in Bellingham. Laurie Johnston photo refrigeration. This simple solution could help to reduce global warming and provide more food to a growing population without cultivating more land. In Massachusetts, organic matter makes up 25 percent of garbage. Recently, the state passed a commercial food waste disposal ban. Any establishment, such as a grocery store, restaurant, school etc., that creates a ton or more of organic waste per week cannot dispose of the organic matter. Instead, food can be donated or organic matter shipped to composting facilities or to anaerobic digestion facilities for conversion into clean energy. The non-profit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) works collaboratively with farmers and businesses to reduce waste and save money. One example of the waste shows that half the fertilizer used on the 90 million U.S. acres planted with corn is washed away with the excess draining into waterways and creating 5,000 square miles of dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico. Unused synthetic fertilizer also emits nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas. EDF is working with fertilizer companies and the farmers to reduce fertilizer overuse, saving the farmer money and reducing pollution. Much air pollution is unhealthy and contributes to global warming. EPA estimates for every dollar invested in cutting CO2 from power plant emissions, Americans will gain $7 in health benefits. On a smaller scale, we can make changes in our homes. Cut your heating bill by 10 percent by turning your thermostat back 10-15 percent for eight hours a day. Visit www.masssave.com to learn more, find more energy saving tips, rebates and sign up for a free energy audit. Buy just the food you need, composting the leftovers and feeding the meat to your pets. What is good for the climate can also put money in your pocket. STEVE STRATTON Owner 508-366-7693 508-839-5961 www.templemantree.com Boucher Energy Systems, Inc. World Class HVAC Protect your home and family - everyday, whether you are home or away. Spring! Think warmth, think outdoor living, think propane. Then call us, and we’ll ensure you don’t miss a minute of spring outdoor living enjoyment, fueled by propane: • Outdoor Lighting & Heating • Fireplaces & Hearth Products • Grilling & Outdoor Kitchens • Emergency Generators • Pool & Spa Heating • Insect Control Home, family, assets—things that matter most—remain protected during a power outage with the installation of a Honeywell standby generator. It’s the reliable answer that ensures necessities, conveniences and amenities are always available, automatically backed up when the power goes out. CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE: 508-473-6648 • www.boucherenergy.com Ask us about 0% financing through Wells Fargo! 12 MILFORD TOWN CRIER Like Us on Facebook! 508-533-6561 • 800-649-5949 • www.medwayoilpropane.com FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Milford Youth Center Submitted by Jen Ward MYC Assistant Director hours, a good source of revenue. It’s due to the generosity of local businesses, organizations and individuals that we are able to continue to offer free after school programming, an affordable summer camp, and provide a safe and fun environment for the youth of Milford. To help support the St. Pat’s fundraiser, raffle donations are being sought. Please contact the Center at 508-473-1756 or milfordyouthcenter@ comcast.net if your business or company would like to make a donation. Thank you to the businesses, which have already contributed: Marchegiano Club, TJ MAXX, Point of Healing Acupuncture, Golds Gym, LaRose Muscular Therapy, Carolyn Cooney & Associates, Mother Hubbard Preschool, Community Impact Inc, Ultimate Tanning, Milford Dance MYC’s Annual St. Pat’s Fundraiser Get your tickets for the Milford Youth Center’s (MYC) sixth annual St. Pat’s Fundraiser on Saturday, March 21. Due to the renovation, the fundraiser will be held at the Marchegiano Club, 60 Meade St., from 7 p.m.-midnight. The event will have a cash bar, music, community awards, and appetizers. Tickets are $20/ person and available at the Center or in advance at the 27 Congress St. address. MYC considers this year’s fundraising efforts to be particularly important, due to the Center’s transition to the temporary location for the duration of the renovation. Although there is still an after school program, MYC is unable to hold rentals during the evening Thanks are extended to the Worcester County District Attorney’s drug forfeiture program for a donation of $4,000 to the Milford Youth Center. Shown l-r are: State Rep. John Fernandes, MYC assistant director Jen Ward, MYC director Sidney DeJesus, and Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early. MYC photo Center, The Larkin Company, Realtors and the Law Office of John T. Zogby, and Kevin Tagliaferri, Attorney at Law. MYC Receives Grant from DA The Milford Youth Center thanks the Worcester County District Attorney’s drug forfeiture program for supporting MYC with a generous donation/grant of $4,000. State Rep. John Fernandes, D. Milford, and District Attorney Joseph Early were instrumental in making this happen. The Drug Forfeiture Community Reinvestment Program allocates the proceeds of drug crime seizures to youthfocused community programs in Worcester County through a careful grant application process. Through this program, funds that once facilitated the flow of narcotics and crime within Worcester County, become the tools of education and crime prevention. DINING GUIDE Organic Gardening for Everyone Every issue of The Milford Town Crier will have a Dining Guide so readers can quickly and easily learn about the restaurants in the area and decide where they would like to dine out tonight! The Friends of the Hopedale Library are pleased to present Organic Gardening for Everyone on Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bancroft Memorial Library, 50 Hopedale St., Hopedale. Naturalist and landscaper John Root will present a 90-minute power point presentation that provides practical advice and inspiration to gardeners of all ages. Come and learn the best ways to grow fresh and flavorful vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. Topics covered include composting and mulching to promote healthy soil, using space efficiently, growing plants from seed, succession planting, beneficial wildlife, FEBRUARY 27, 2015 controlling weeds and pest naturally, and preserving home-grown produce. Questions are welcomed throughout the presentation. Handouts with recommended books and websites will also be available. To register for this free event please sign up at the upstairs registration desk or call the library at 508-634-2209. All are welcome. You do not need to be Friend of the Hopedale Library to attend but new members are always welcome! To learn more about the Friends of the Hopedale Library or to attend our next meeting, please contact the library. New England Steak & Seafood Restaurant BANQUET ROOMS for any size party. Rehearsal Dinners & Bereavements Route 16, Mendon • 508-473-5079 www.nesteakandseafood.com TOWNCRIER.US Serving Lunch & Dinner 11am 7 days/wk Now Serving Breakfast On Saturday & Sunday starting at 7am • Holiday Gift Cards • Take-Out Available • Catering Depot St. Tavern Full Bar & Specialty Drinks 45 Depot St, Milford 508-488-6844 MILFORD TOWN CRIER 13 School News BVT Dental Students Gain Insight From Milford Oral Surgeon The Blackstone Valley Tech Dental Assisting program recently hosted guest-lecturer Dr. Wael Youseff, D.M.D., an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the Milford and Northborough offices of MetroWest Oral Surgical Associates. He spoke on the types of medical emergencies Valley Tech Dental Assistant students will encounter when they begin working in dental offices throughout Central Massachusetts and beyond. Dr. Youseff is no stranger to Valley Tech; the lecture was his second such visit to the Dental Assisting program and Valley Tech students assisted him last fall during a Community Free Care Day hosted by Harelick Dental Associates of Holliston. Here he is shown with BVT students during his recent visit. BVT photo Our Lady of the Valley Honor Roll Our Lady of the Valley has announced the Honor Roll for the second quarter of the 2014-2015 school year. High Honors Grade 5 Avery Consigli - Mendon Grade 4 Olaf Minnich – Mendon Honors Grade 7 Nonnie Komon – Mendon Grade 5 John Newman – Milford, Matthew Rizoli – Hopedale Grade 4 Kaitlyn Beaudrot – Milford Nena Komon – Mendon Michael Younes - Mendon NOW OPEN IN MILFORD Walk-In Medical Care Our medical team is here to help adults and children with a wide range of non-emergency medical issues. Open 7 Days a week 9:00am – 8:00pm 340 East Main Street (Route 16) Check wait times online! www.readymed.org Blackstone Valley Tech Vies for District of Distinction Submitted by Andrew Morrison Blackstone Valley Tech An initiative to make engineering an everyday part of student life could earn Blackstone Valley Tech the title of “District of Distinction.” The “District of Distinction” program was created last year by District Administration magazine as a means of providing national recognition to school districts implementing innovative initiatives that are benefiting students and suitable for replication. In applying to the new program, Blackstone Valley Tech highlighted a cross-curricular engineering initiative designed to develop students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills. “More than 400 of the District’s partners in business, industry, and higher education confirm that modern employability requires not only academic knowledge and technical skills, but 21st century skills in critical thinking, communication, efficiency, collaboration, and productivity,” explained Superintendent-Director Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick. “These in-demand skills are inherent in the engineering process, which asks students to identify a problem, brainstorm a solution, test their solution, and continue this process as necessary until the problem is solved.” Valley Tech successfully piloted the cross-curricular infusion of engineering principles over the past several years in the school’s Manufacturing Technology, Drafting Technology, and Electronics Technology programs. Based on its initial success, plans are underway to broaden the initiative’s scope and infuse engineering principles into the curriculum of all vocational technical programs at Blackstone Valley Tech. Winners of the District Administration magazine’s “District of Distinction” award will be announced in March of 2015. Greenleaf Garden Club Announces Scholarships Greenleaf Garden Club announces that the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts (GCFM, Inc.) has 11 different scholarships available to students who are majoring in horticulture, environmental studies, botany or biology. The application deadline is March 1.The application is available at www.gcfm.org by clicking on the Education button and then the Scholarship link. Applicants must be a legal resident of Massachusetts for at least one year, have maintained a minimum B average in school, have good character and have financial need. Each scholarship has a specific set of additional requirements, which are described on the GCFM website. For example, one scholarship requires that the student be a “graduate or undergraduate pursuing a degree in horticulture, landscape design, environmental science or related fields of interest.” Another is open to “juniors, seniors or graduate students majoring in landscape architecture, city planning or related fields.” Three are restricted to students enrolled at one of the University of Massachusetts campuses in areas such as floriculture, horticulture or landscape design. Eligibility for the scholarships is determined by the GCFM Scholarship Committee. All necessary forms, including those to determine financial need, are available on the GCFM website. For additional information, please contact: [email protected] The Greenleaf Garden Club is a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., the Garden Club Federation of MA,Inc. Middle School East Term One Honor Roll Principal’s List Average of 90 percent or above in all subject areas Neeharika Alturu Christopher Berthrong Jessica Boroczky Lily Borst Adam Cavanaugh Emily Chapman Jennifer Cowhig Madison Daigle Jacob Dias Katerina Donahue Andrew Duong Jacqueline Elia Patrick Ewick Alex Goldberg Cameron Hakesley Emily Haley Jillian Kelley Nathan Laudani Riley Lynch Katelyn Manning Anthony Miranda Madelyn Miyares Hayley Moore Kelley Muanya Anna Murray Brendan O’Shaughnessy Gianni Panno Aayush Patel Dawson Potter Cassandra Probert Caitlin Quattrochio April Neve Rabasto Madeline Richard Grace Risio Bishoy Sargius Cameron Soloman Michael Sourial Kevin Spiegelman Matthew Spittler Tyler Thongpul Eliza Valente Andrew Vasile Sherry Weng Jennifer Wong Honorable Mention Average of 85 percent or better in all subject areas Demitri Almeida Justin Applebee Shakeel Awwal Erik Barys Molly Belsito Taylor Blaney Zachary Browne Lucas Caetano Meghan Cahill Camryn Coke Ariana Covino Felicia D’Ambra Francheska Louise Doyon Katherine Drysdale Thais de Souza Makaylee Ferreira Taber Grose Kevin Hidalgo Samantha Houston Lucy Kingkade Alice Knowlton Tinho Leong Charlotte Liskov Joseph Madden Briana Maietta Hannah Martin Sophia McFetridge Zachary Morrison Tiago Moutinho Matthew Panorese Elizabeth Parry Cameron Pelletier Pamela Pereira Jake Petersen Timothy Petersen Daniel Pinto Samantha Riordan Valerie Rossacci Matthew Shaver Milania Silva Zachary SteinDrago Caleigh Tammaro Kallie Tavano Piper Terrill Lillian Thibeault Trevor Thomas Savannah Tobin Kyle Tomaso Miguel Torres Hurtado Rachel Vachon Meghan Valentine Ava Vasile Valerie Villalongo Cruz Charles Vo Rachel Wang Brianna West Brendan White Jeffrey Wing Madison Woloski Leigh Anne Zanella ReadyMED accepts most health insurance plans, cash, personal checks, VISA® and MasterCard® 14 15-031 RM Milford Crier quarter.indd 1 2/4/2015 11:04:25 AM MILFORD TOWN CRIER FEBRUARY 27, 2015 School News Milford Promotes Fun and Fitness for Students By Melissa Orff Staff Reporter During a time of year where people go into hibernation instead of getting out and getting active, Milford’s Public School system is promoting several programs and projects to advocate the health and wellness of the students and their families. At Woodland Elementary and Memorial Elementary Schools, students in grades K-4 have the opportunity to take part in a morning enrichment program that combines fun and fitness. The “Scarlet Hawks Morning Fitness Club” was first offered at Woodland thanks to a grant from the Fuel Up to Play 60 Program and the Active Schools Acceleration Project Grant/ Child Obesity 180. Based on its success, the program was expanded to Memorial this year, effectively reaching a younger audience. The Milford Community Use Program has also taken over sponsorship of the program since funding from the grant had ended. Students participating in the Fitness Club meet two mornings a week at 7 a.m. to play physically active games and team Students at Memorial Elementary School take part in the “Scarlet Hawks Morning Fitness Club,” a morning enrichment program that combines fun and fitness. Contributed photo. building exercises meant to improve fitness levels. At the end of each morning session, students can get a healthy breakfast in the school’s cafeteria provided by Carla Tuttle, Milford Public Schools Food Service Director. As the saying goes the early bird catches the worm, and in this case Milford Public School’s Director of Nursing Judy Dagnese adds there are other benefits for the start of day activities for school-aged children as well. “Statistics show that when kids get physical activity, especially early in the day, they are more successful in academics,” said Dagnese. Along with the Fitness Club, community members can take advantage of open swim sessions at the indoor pool at the Milford High School, which are offered periodically throughout the year. “Milford is so fortunate to have an indoor pool in our community; especially during these long winter months,” said Dagnese. Another project that is in the works that fits in with the district’s goal to promote health and wellness is the construction of a new Wellness Center at the Milford High School. Under the direction of the new Athletic Director Peter Boucher, Facilities Manager Rob Quinn, and Milford Community Use Director Len Morcone; the co-ed Wellness Center will be located in the boys PE locker room and is slated to be open by early spring. “This facility will be a great option for high school students and staff,” said Dagnese. Many of the programs and projects are part of initiatives identified from the Milford Public Schools Wellness Advisory Committee, a group of approximately15 school and community members who advocate physical activity and healthy eating as part of the total learning environment. Dagnese, who is also the Wellness Committee’s Chairperson, said that the group is “passionate” about being proactive in finding answers to wellness issues in their district. “It is very important that for our kids to be academically successful, they be healthy and well,” she said. Milford’s Project 351 Ambassador Chooses Kindness and Service To Others Middle School East student Emilly Costa was chosen as an Ambassador for Project 351, a statewide volunteer effort involving eighth-grade students from across the Commonwealth. Contributed photo. By Melissa Orff Staff Reporter Chosen by her school for her “character and sincerity,” Milford’s Middle School East student Emilly Costa has been named as this year’s Ambassador for Project 351, a statewide volunteer effort involving eighth-grade students from across the Commonwealth. The goal of Project 351 is for students to build skills and confidence, explore issues, embrace leadership, and motivate a lifetime of community service. Emilly said that she found out that she had been chosen as an Ambassador for Project 351 in late November, and although she hadn’t heard of the program beforehand, she was ready to take on the challenge. “I was really proud and excited,” she said. Project 351 kicks off their yearlong service program with a day of “enrichment, service, and unity with the Governor.” The kick-off is typically held during Dr. Martin Luther King weekend, which is significant as it is a national holiday that honors Dr. King’s legacy of service. This year, students boarded early busses on the morning of January 17, and traveled to Faneuil Hall in Boston where they began their day listening to motivational speakers including Bill Richard, father of 8-year-old Martin Richard who was a victim of the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013. “He talked about how everything we were going to do that day was going to help others, and how we should always choose to be kind,” she said. Emilly said that while Richard was speaking, Ambassadors from previous years were all holding signs reading “For Martin I Will.” “It was very emotional,” she said. After spending the morning at Faneuil Hall, the students broke up into groups to begin their day of community service in different locations throughout Boston. Emilly spent the afternoon at the Pine Street Inn painting pictures for those who were homeless but now moving into transitional housing, a job that she said was perfect for her. “I love painting so I was really excited when I found out how I was going to help,” she said. Following their afternoon of volunteer work, the students headed to the State House where they were able to meet Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker and New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft. “Gov. Baker spoke about how important Project 351 is to the city and to the greater state of Massachusetts,” said Emilly. Emilly is now beginning to think about how she can help others back in her own community of Milford. The eighth-grader will be working with her Project 351 Coach and Middle East’s Guidance Counselor Melissa Clonan to organize a clothing drive to support Cradles to Crayons this spring. “It was such a privilege that I was chosen as an Ambassador, the only person to represent my town,” said Emilly. When choosing a student to be an Ambassador for Project 351, schools are asked to consider a student’s “exemplary ethic of service and demonstration of Project 351 values of humility, compassion, kindness, and generosity of spirit,” all descriptions that Clonan said that Emilly embodies. “Emilly has good character and a true sincerity and desire to support others and to help people in her community,” she said. “She was the right choice.” Water Street Meat Market Zenith George DiGregorio [email protected] www.zenithadvisors.com 74 South Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748 508-497-9900 | 508-596-2207 cell MA Mortgage Loan Originator #349109 FEBRUARY 27, 2015 MA Mortgage Broker License #4948 Whitinsville Christian School has announced the local students who were named to the Second Quarter Honor Roll for the 2014-2015 school year. Grade 6 Honors Jacquie Cornwell – Milford Grade 7 High Honors Joshua Ahrens – Milford Selah Harper – Upton Julia Kilroy – Upton Liam Smith – Mendon Honors Esther Landry – Upton Reagan Masters – Mendon Olivia Toothman – Upton Grade 8 High Honors Alex Romine – Upton Honors Cameron Cornwell – Milford Christina Leduc – Mendon Anthony Smith – Mendon Grade 9 High Honors Jacob Belanger – Upton Jada Leung – Mendon Shannon Morrill – Mendon Sarah Moschini – Upton Cam Richey – Upton Tatiana Wiersma – Mendon Honors Brianna Smith – Milford Grade 10 High Honors Emily Cutler – Mendon Jonathan Leduc – Mendon Honors Heather Cornwell – Milford Grade 11 Honors Devin Morrill – Upton Deans List The following Milford residents have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester at their respective college or university. Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Conn.: Natalie T. Autenzio, Kellie E. Cooper, Hailee M. Gelinas, Christine M. Montani and Alex M. Tonkonogy. University of Delaware, Newark, Del.: Dayane Mota University of Massachusetts, Amherst: Almog Tabak, Anelise Coelho Pena, Benjamin J Walton, Brandon, Douglas Morin, Brian Joseph Reardon, Chelsey Ann Mullen, Daniel Francis Madden, Elizabeth Morgan Stallone, Emma Irene Hobart, Eric Anthony Fernandes, Heather Colleen Annis, Hugo Henrique Silva, Jack Mitchell Litynski, Jacklyn Kristen Jordan, Jessica Goncalves Ferreira, Jonathan C. Floyd, Jordan Tyler Johnson, Justin M Speroni, Kaitlynne Nicole Leclaire, Karalyn Nicole Scannell, Kevin Alfred Castiglioni, Kyle Robert Fitzpatrick, Lucas Ferreira Aguiar, Madeline Szczypinski, Megan Leigh Driscoll, Michael Chase Tarolli, Michael Paul Shea, Molly Elizabeth Gately, Nicole Cathryn Marie Fulginiti, Sean Gregory Callahan, Simran Kaur,Tatiana Lourdes Couto, Taylor Daphne White, Thomas Adam Hytholt, William Riley Morgan Jr. and Zoey Kathleen Payne United Parish Christian Nursery School The only accredited preschool in Mendon-Upton Now Enrolling Call For Appt Or Tour Where’s George? Mortgage Advisors Whitinsville Christian School Honor Roll OPEN 7 DAYS! FRESH PRODUCE and BAKED GOODS DAILY Meats Cut Fresh! NOTHING PRE-PACKAGED Marinated Meats • Steaks • Chops Deli Meat • Home Made Sausage 508-529-6382 We offer 2, 3, 4 day classes and an extended day class • Warm and loving atmosphere • Open to all children 2.9 to 6 years old • Potty trained not required • Dept. of Early Ed. & Care qualified staff Fine Meats, Portuguese and Brazilian Foods 3 Water Street • 508-381-0937 MILFORD TOWN CRIER since 1983 One Church Street, Upton Sandra Leacu, Director 15 Sports MHS Wrestling Strong in Individual Meets By Chris Villani Sports Reporter/Columnist The Milford High School wrestling team lost a number of returning starters from last season, but was still able to put together strong showings in both the league and sectional meets in 2015. “I knew we would have to rebuild certain parts of our lineups and that we might struggle in some of the dual meets,” head coach P.J. Boccia said. “But I also knew we would compete at the tournaments and we kept getting better as the year went on.” The Scarlet Hawks went 11-10 in the dual meet season and finished third in the Hockomock League standings. They followed the regular season with a third place finish in the Hockomock League tournament behind North Attleboro and Stoughton. “I was proud of our finish in the tournament,” Boccia said. “It’s the best we have done since being in the league.” Senior captain Eric Brogioli was one of three MHS wrestlers to earn wins at the league meet. Brogioli pinned all three opponents in the tournament in the 220lb division. “Eric is a great athlete and a great wrestler,” Boccia said. “He battled sickness and injury through the year but he was a very good captain.” Brogioli went on to finish third at the sectional meet and qualified for the state meet. Fellow senior Andrew Salazar won the Hockomock at the heavyweight level. Salazar went 30-1 in the regular season and pinned the only wrestler who had beaten him to win the league title and finished 2nd at sectionals. Andrew Mitchell also won a league title at 170lbs. The junior pinned all three of his opponents en route to the victory and kept the momentum going with a win in the sectionals. “Those guys set us up to be successful as a team at the league meet,” Boccia said. “Alex wrestled a great tournament at sectionals. He was seeded third and beat the two kids seeded above him in a pretty dominating fashion.” Brett Kimble took a fourth place finish at sectionals in the 126lb division and junior Nick Johnson placed 3rd at 195lbs. Sophomore Ryan Gray will return next year after a 5th place finish at 182lbs. Junior Yardley Moyett will be back next season after getting a great deal of varsity experience this year and freshman Omar Orazco went 25-17 in the 106lb division. The mix of veterans and younger wrestlers helped the Hawks finish third at the Milford tournament and second at the Framingham tournament. “I think we took a step forward as a program this year,” Boccia said. “At the beginning of the year, I didn’t know what to expect. We had a lot of younger guys who got some experience and that will pay off. This group of seniors led by example and I am hoping we will be even more competitive next year. It will only get better.” Grafton-BVT Hockey Clinches Playoff Spot By Chris Villani Sports Reporter/Columnist As the old cliché goes, teams always want to peak at the right time, namely headed into the playoffs. The Grafton/Blackstone Valley Tech hockey team has been able to do just that. Head coach Brian Lehtinen’s team rattled off three straight wins, including Monday’s 2-0 shutout of Fitchburg, to qualify for a spot in the playoffs. The Indians are 10-7-1 heading into the season finale against Oakmont and sit 6-3 in league play. And they’re doing it with a new goalie in nthe et. “We are putting things together and playing a good defensive game,” Lehtinen said. “Vishall Bajwa is really stepping it up. He’s had some great games including the shutout Monday.” Bajwa, a Grafton High junior, stepped in for the injured McKay Lewis and has posted a 1.72 goals against average and an .855 save percentage since doing so. “He was able to make some starts earlier in the season, so when McKay was injured it was an easy transition,” Lehtinen said. The transition has also been eased by the strong play of the Grafton/BVT blue line. BVT senior James Moran and Grafton junior Kyle Roy have been the top defensive pairing all season long. Moran has four goals and eight assists on the season while Roy has chipped in six goals and a pair of helpers. Valley Tech junior Nathaniel Motuzas and Grafton freshman Tyler Hart have also produced quality shifts. Hart stepped into the lineup when BVT junior Joe Corsi suffered an injury and scored his first goal in a 6-4 win over Worcester. “The key to our team right now is the depth,” Lehtinen said. “It’s great when guys can step in and make the most of opportunities created by injuries. We have been great defensively, shutting teams down and getting scoring from all three lines.” Grafton High junior Nicholas Hart leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and 10 assists, but five other players are producing double digit points including Moran, and Kevin Koloski from BVT and Grafton’s Matthew David, Tanner Jelovcich, and Michael Najemy. Recently, BVT’s Nicholas Gies and Grafton’s John Sheridan have added to the depth. The line mates have combined to score seven goals and register five assists on the season. As he has said all season, Lehtinen still feels the field is wide-open heading into the district tournament. “Nashoba might be the toughest matchup for us but there are some other teams that could definitely beat Nashoba,” he said. “There is no team that we can’t beat. It’s going to be a tough first and second round, no matter who we play, but we think we can go all the way. It’s just a matter of keeping it together and playing our style of hockey.” Special Olympian to Run in Boston Marathon Greg Schwartz, a Milford Special Olympics athlete from Medfield, will run in this year’s Boston Marathon. He has been a Special Olympic athlete with the Milford program for over 12 years. Schwartz’s story, like that of many Special Olympics athletes, is one of perseverance and determination. Schwartz participates in Special Olympics year round participating in basketball, track and field, softball, and flag football. He is also an assistant for the Unified Track and Field team at Milford High School and he holds a job at Big Y in Franklin. Participating in these sports, he has made many friends, had many new experiences, and gained the confidence and independence skills to succeed in his life. His mother Patti was told not to expect certain things from him, and that he might not be like other children. Now an adult, Schwartz sets his sights on a goal few can boast to have accomplished. Schwartz has always been one to set his goals high and is fortunate to run in the Boston Marathon, an event he, as a passionate runner, has always enjoyed. To help support his effort, please visit, https://www.crowdrise.com/ SpecialOlympicsBoston2015/fundraiser/gregoryschwartz 16 Milford Special Olympics Polar Plunge The Milford Special Olympics will have two coaches and one athlete plunging into the ocean at a Nantasket Beach Hull at noon on Saturday, February 28. Tim Walsh, Steve Divitto, and Matt McNellage will be jumping into cold waters of the Atlantic to raise funds for the Special Olympic program. To help them in their cause, visit the Massachusetts Special Olympics Polar Plunge website, http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default. asp?ievent=1122675, scroll down the Top Teams menu, clicking on View All Teams and then scroll down to the Milford Hawks team page to donate. MHS Hockey Finding its Finish By Chris Villani Sports Reporter/Columnist After losing two of the top three scorers in the Hockomock League to graduation, Milford High School hockey head coach Michael Balzarini wondered where his team’s scoring would come from this year. The answer has been “just about everywhere.” The Scarlet Hawks have seen each member of the top two forward lines produce double-digit point totals this year en route to an 11-6-2 record and a number eight seed in the Division 2 South sectional tournament. “I think we have made tremendous growth as the season has progressed,” Balzarini said. “At the beginning of the year, the team was kind of down and I thought we would struggle to score. But lately, I have been pleased with our play in the offensive zone.” Senior forward Drew Wilde leads the way with 24 goals and 9 assists. Fellow senior Peter Schuler is second with 20 points on 12 goals and 8 assists and has been one of the pleasant surprises for Balzarini and the Milford offense. “He is a big, strong kid who played football and I thought Peter would be more of a threat in the defensive zone because he can cover a lot of ice,” the coach said. “The last few games he has really turned it up a notch. He can score and he doesn’t lose the oneon-one battles.” Freshman Aidan Wilde has 18 points on the season and senior captain Griffin Lynch is fourth on the team with 17. Senior captains Sam Croteau and Sean Burns, sophomore Alec Gilliat, and senior Nick Mobilia have all produced double-digit point totals. “Nick might be the smallest kid on the team but he plays like he is the biggest kid on the team,” Balzarini said. “He never gives up and he’s won us some huge face-offs.” Overall, what was a concern at the beginning of the season has turned into a strength for a team that scored 70 goals headed into Monday’s regular season finale against Canton. “The balance has been huge for us,” Balzarini said. “I don’t know if you can look at many other teams in our league and see that kind of scoring spread out across their top two lines.” Milford has been knocked out in the first round of the tournament in each of the last two seasons by Hockomock League foes, North Attleboro two years ago and Oliver Ames last year. A first-round date with North Attleboro is on this year’s agenda as well, with top seeded Westwood waiting in the wings for the winner. “I want to see us get past the first round,” Balzarini said. “Westwood will be tough but anything is possible. We had a team meeting a couple of weeks ago when we were in a slump and one of our guys pointed out that we can’t go into a game against a team like that and just give in to them. As long as we stick to our game plan and do what we need to do, we will be okay.” MILFORD TOWN CRIER Rookies & Veterans Connect for MHS Girls Swim By Chris Villani Sports Reporter/Columnist The Milford High School girls’ swim team put together a strong showing at the Division 1 state meet with a combination of veterans swimming their last high school meet and a pair of talented up and coming freshmen. Allie Piergustavo anchored both the freestyle and medley relay teams and swam her best time of the season in the 50-yard freestyle, clocking in at 26.51 seconds.” Allie went out like a real champ for a non-full time swimmer,” head coach David Chaplin said of the softball start. “She anchored our relay teams admirably and put in a very good performance.” Fellow senior Abby Kline also swam the relays and scored in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke and broke her own school records in both races. In the butterfly, Kline finished 7th in a time of 58.50 and she broke her backstroke record by more than half a second with a time of 1:03.11, good for 16th place. Freshmen Amber Stearns and Alexa Lancisi were equally impressive. Both swam well in the relays and Stearns competed in the 500-yard freestyle, swimming in 5:50.16. “They can’t wait for next year already,” Chaplin said of the freshmen. “I give a lot of credit to our seniors for mentoring these young kids. Our future on the girls’ side looks really solid.” The dynamic on this year’s team is becoming more and more common for MHS. Young swimmers develop their skill through the community use “Stingray” program and enter high school already able to compete at the varsity level. Rather than ostracizing them, older swimmers embrace their new teammates, even when it means losing a starting spot. “Swimming is an interesting animal in that a freshman can come in and displace a junior or a senior,” Chaplin said. “But there is an understanding that everyone is a key member of the team, particularly in dual meet success.” That understanding was palpable with the way seniors like Piergustavo and Kline embraced the freshmen. “These kids are warmly accepted on the team and that’s a testament to the upperclassmen,” Chaplin said. “[Sterns and Lancisi] have a strong future in high school swimming and I expect them to progress and be a force in the Hockomock, the sectionals, and state competitions going forward.” Chaplin is also hopeful the current crop of freshmen will pay it forward over the next few seasons. “They are going to bring other kids along because of the experience they had with kids three years older,” he said. “That’s been something we have been able to foster within our swim program for many years. It’s the understanding that the person racing for first and the person racing for fifth are both key to our success. That’s the nature of swimming.” FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Sports SPORTS FLASH Jessica Palmer made to states in the 600-meter run, though Manning feels By Chris Villani the junior co-captain is one of her more versatile athletes. “She can do anything out there,” Manning said. “She was our best 600 runner but she was also in the 4x400, subbed in for the 4x200 and ran the 300 last year. She can run well wherever we put The Milford High School indoor her.” track team sent a number of athletes Junior Jenise Madden rounded out the to the Division 3 state meet this season girls’ state contingent in the 2-mile. A and, fortunately for head coach Melissa first year athlete in indoor track, Madden Manning, many of them are slated to return posted a time of 13:03.1 in the states, but to the program next year. Of the 11 athletes has run as fast as 12:35 during the season who competed at states, eight will have at and has a mile time in the low six-minute least one more season on the track. range. “We had a good amount of senior On the boys’ side, senior Andre Luciano leadership, but the majority of the team finished fourth in the 300-meter run with were underclassmen,” Manning said. “It was a time of 37.14 seconds. The mark was a good building year and I think next year good enough to earn the Brazilian native a will be too. If our numbers can get up in a spot in the all-state meet. “It’s his first year couple of years then we will be good to go.” running indoor track,” said Manning. “But One of the team’s veteran leaders was he is just a natural athlete.” senior co-captain Danielle Denommee, Luciano anchored the boys’ 4x200 who qualified for states in the 55-meter team that finished 12th at states. Senior hurdles. Denommee ran a 9.35 in the Matt Pallaria, junior Chris Speroni, and preliminary round, barely missing the cut sophomore Cameron Clark made up the for the final. She was ranked fourth in the other members of the group that ran the Hockomock League in the hurdles and was race in 1:36.16. a force in dual meets, taking home first After this season, her second as head place in nearly every one. “She was a really coach, Manning has her sights set on good leader and a good captain for us,” said growing the program’s overall numbers Manning of Denommee. and seeing more athletes qualify for states. Junior Gabby O’Neil qualified in the “I would like to see us get back to between 300-meter run and clocked a time of 46.37 70 and 90 athletes on the two teams seconds. She also anchored the 4x200 relay combined,” she said. “And I think more team which made it to states and will bring kids have a shot to qualify if they start as all four members back next season. Fellow freshmen. We are seeing kids stick with it junior Sydney Pounds, sophomore Elena and really improve and we need more of Dellorusso, and freshman Rachel LeBlanc that to help us rebuild this program.” ran a 1:56.04 to finish 19th. Underclassmen Represent MHS Track at States MHS Boys Break Medley Relay Record By Chris Villani Sports Reporter/Columnist Leading up to the boys’ Division 2 state swim meet, there was a little friendly banter going back and forth between some current and former members of the Milford High team. The present crop of Scarlet Hawks were closing in on a school record in the 200-yard medley relay. The group holding the record included Tim Doyle, who wished each of the current relay team luck at the MHS pool on their final day of practice. “He shook everyone’s hand and said ‘we set that record for someone to break it and it’s going to be you guys,’” head coach David Chaplin said. The quartet of Nick Antonellis, Nick Monica, Josh Stiles, and Nolan Hobart made Doyle a prophet when they swam the race in a time of 1:45.20 to break the MHS record by more than a second. “That race really punctuated the whole year for us,” Chaplin said. “The competition really brought out the best in them. They were swimming in an outside lane in the final heat and they were able to hold their seed position and every split was spot on.” Antonellis, the lone sophomore on the team, clocked a split time of 26.92 in the backstroke to kick off the relay. Monica followed with a 29.05 in the breaststroke, Stiles a 25.65 in the butterfly and Hobart closed with 23.59 in the freestyle. “After the first two times came in, I turned to my assistant coach Kate Janosko and said ‘they’re in,’” Chaplin said. “When Nolan hit the wall and looked up at the time, it was a special moment.” The medley record helped jump start a strong meet for the Scarlet Hawks, who finished with 55 points to finish 14th of the more than 40 teams who competed at MIT. Antonellis claimed third place in the 200-yard individual medley and his time of 1:58.93 was his best of the season. “He was in the mix for the win for the first couple of legs and he ended up settling in a bit and he swam his best time,” Chaplin said. Antonellis also managed an 8th place finish in the 100yard butterfly, holding his seed position and besting his personal best with a 53.23. The freestyle relay team consisting of Stiles, Hobart, Antonellis, and sophomore Marcello Panno checked in 10th with a time of 1:34.64, just 0.24 seconds away from setting another MHS record. They did it all despite having an extra week of training due to snow pushing the meet back to last weekend. “It was difficult with the layoff but we kept it together and were able to practice every day over vacation week.” Chaplin said. “MIT did a great job working with the MIAA and the meet director. These events could have easily been cancelled but the gang at MIT really worked hard to make sure all of the meets got in.” And, given the opportunity to compete, Milford High’s swimmers made the most of it. “We told the kids to have fun with this, to enjoy it and make something happen,” Chaplin said. “We told them to make it hurt much as you can so you can remember it forever, no matter what happens. They took that and turned it into a new record and a great finish.” Government Selectmen Ask for More Info on Potential Bus Service By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist The Board of Selectmen reacted favorably at its February 12 meeting to a report by resident Harold Rhodes on the potential for bringing local, fixed-route bus service to Milford, but asked him to return in three months with more detailed information on potential ridership and the projected costs for the MetroWest Regional Transportation Authority (MWRTA) to expand its routes. Rhodes, who chairs the town’s Commission on Disability, was appointed by selectmen as the town’s representative to the MWRTA last year at his request. Then, he said he would research how to bring bus service to Milford and give that information to the board. His 14-page report detailed potential ridership and listed support from numerous organizations in town, including most – if not all – of the town’s houses of worship. The town would be able to design the routes it wants to operate within town from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, Rhodes explained, with the MWRTA’s estimated “list price” of $250,000 per year considered to be “eminently negotiable.” Town Administrator Richard Villani said that State Representative John Fernandes, D. Milford, has offered to help Rhodes evaluate the costs. Among the questions posed by board members were Chairman Dino DeBartolomeis’s query on whether any businesses in town would contribute to the costs and Selectman William Buckley’s request to check on how costs have risen over the past decade for existing MWRTA member towns. “Just intuitively, I know that there’s a need for this in the Town of Milford,” Selectman Brian Murray said. With Milford Regional Medical Center becoming a large, regional facility, that alone drives the need for transportation to and from its resources, he added. Since Milford is not a member of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as are the other MWRTA communities, it means the town will have to pay for the MWRTA differently than other towns, Murray said. “We really have to narrow it [the cost] down to reality,” he explained. “No matter where this [proposal] goes, it’s important that we do investigate it and we do understand it,” Selectman William Buckley said. He also asked if other vendors could do the local routes, such as those servicing the Ruth Anne Bleakney Senior Center. Rhodes said he had talked to those two vendors and they both said they could not provide the services. FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Selectmen Support Creating Finance Department By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously on February 12 to take steps to create a new Finance Department, as outlined and recommended to them by Interim Finance Director Zachary Taylor. The next step in the process would be approval by Town Meeting Members at the Annual Town Meeting, followed by approval of the state legislature. Taylor described the creation of “a true municipal financial department.” The structure of that department, he added, is “tailored for Milford.” The department would consist of four main functions: the Town Accountant’s office, the Town Treasurer’s office, the Tax Collector’s office, and a new Benefits office. These four offices would report to Taylor, who – in turn – reports to Town Administrator Richard Villani, who reports to the Board of Selectmen. Under the proposed legislation, the position of Tax Collector would change from an elected office to an appointed role, with current Tax Collector Theresa Dias being appointed to the position. Kelly Capece, who is now acting Town Treasurer, would be appointed to a new position of Benefits Coordinator and a new Town Treasurer would be hired, Taylor explained. The special legislation would authorize creation of the Finance Department, give the Finance Director the authority over it, and change the Tax Collector’s position to being appointed, explained Town Counsel Gerald Moody. Selectman Brian Murray praised Taylor’s January 22 memo to the board that advocated the changes, calling it “one of the best I’ve ever read.” He termed the recommendations “a natural evolution of what was done here with the budget team.” Further, Murray noted, “I think it’s more clear to the taxpayers who is ultimately responsible.” Selectman William Buckley also favored the proposal. “It seems to bring together the skill sets of lots of different people,” he said. The new Benefits office provides “the beginning of what’s been lacking – a single point of focus on HR [Human Resources],” he said. He said the Finance Director will be able to set financial policies in “clear and unambiguous language.” While Buckley said he preferred keeping certain positions as elected – citing his past opposition to making the Town Treasurer’s position an appointed one – he said he would support this one. “I’m concerned about this, but I’m willing to go ahead with this proposal,” he said. “There’s enough great things in this proposal that I’m willing to go forward” he added. Chairman Dino DeBartolomeis said the changes would strengthen the way town government operated under the guidance of Town Meeting Members. MILFORD TOWN CRIER Upton Foreign Motors 143 Milford St. Route 140, Upton Specialists in: Volvo • BMW• Mercedes Audi • Toyota • Honda Jaguar • Volkswagon • Saab and all Domestic Autos Master Jaguar Technician with 19 years experience. • Unbeatable, quality service and maintenance • Guaranteed to beat dealer labor rates 143 Milford St., (Rt. 140) • Upton 508-529-4040 www.uptonforeignmotors.com 17 Government Planning Board Denies O’Reilly Auto Parts Plan By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist The Planning Board voted unanimously on February 17 to deny a site plan submitted by O’Reilly Auto Parts to build a store at 150 East Main St. (Rt. 16). The Planning Board’s vote sets the stage for the national auto parts store chain based in Springfield, Mo. to appeal the denial to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) – which, last summer, set conditions on entrances and exits to the proposed store to which the Planning Board objected. “It’s Scylla and Charybdis. We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place,” said attorney Joseph Antonellis, who represented the company with the Planning Board. He said his goal was to make the O’Reilly site plan conform to everything requested by the Planning Board except the question of the access from Hamilton Ave. and Free St. Antonellis spoke of “recognizing that there are some differences of opinion between this board and the ZBA.” He said he watched a tape of the ZBA meeting from last June and realized that all of its members were in favor of limiting the site to one access point from Hamilton Ave., at the rear of the proposed building. Store officials said last year that such an entry was to be used for delivery vehicles only. “Unfortunately, we’re bound by that at this point,” he said. Since the ZBA’s action makes the particular lot different than any other business lot along East Main St., Antonellis argued, it should now be considered as “spot zoning.” Board member Patrick Kennelly said his board’s main concern was that the ZBA’s action would cause all of the store’s traffic to happen on Free St., which is narrow. He suggested putting the entrance/exit on East Main St., but Town Planner Larry Dunkin said that could affect the proposed parking area. Board member Joseph Calagione said an East Main St. entrance would cause traffic problems. “As a professional engineer, I have a tough time with the plan as it is,” Calagione said. “I think we have to approve the plan that’s right and that’s not this plan.” He made the motion to deny approval for the site plan because of safety and traffic concerns regarding Free St. and surrounding roads. The board’s vote was three to deny approval, with Kennelly dissenting. Antonellis said the Planning Board’s action means he can now appeal the issue to the ZBA. Dunkin noted that three previous plans for the site had been approved with the same two entrances/exits on Free St. and two on Hamilton Ave. that had been originally requested by O’Reilly. The Victorian All Things Creative Paint Nights • Zentangle Classes Watercolor & Acrylic Classes Mixed Media Art Classes Crafts & Jewelry Making Murder Mysteries Custom Events • Family Reunions 583 Linwood Ave, Whitinsville, MA 774-239-3487 FB @ The Victorian [email protected] 18 Zoning for Farmers Market Debated By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist Planning Board members engaged in their second round of debates with organizers of the Milford Farmers Market on February 17 over the issue of what items allowed for sale should be allowed through a Zoning By-law amendment that would allow any such market to be held in a limited number of residential areas throughout the town. With the Milford Farmers Market currently located on the Milford Water Company’s Dilla St. campus – which is zoned for business activities –it can sell what it wants to, explained board member Patrick Kennelly. “What should we allow in a residential [zone]?” he questioned. “What you can do in a business park is significantly different than what you can do in people’s back yards,” he commented to Jennifer DeManche-Yohn, president of the Milford Farmers Market. At issue was the list of items or services the Milford Farmers Market wanted allowed, versus a much shorter list favored by the Planning Board members. “Every farmers market within a 50-mile radius has exactly what we have [on the list],” DeManche-Yohn said. Every participating vendor is vetted by the Board of Health, she said. “This isn’t really something that is done willy-nilly,” she added. “I don’t like it in a residential zone, but I’m willing to put this [the shorter list] out,” board member Joseph Calagione said. “This is forever. We need to do something appropriate in a residential zone,” he added. “I like the idea of a farmers market, but the amount of uses in here is more than I’m comfortable with.” “To me, the barrier is still that you want to be in a residential zone,” Kennelly said. He said board members would support a smaller list of items to be sold and – if there are no problems – the Milford Farmers Market could request amending the by-law again to add more in the future. “Let’s start simple,” Kennelly said. “It’s something that we can grow from.” “I can’t prove that it works if I can’t do it,” DeManche-Yohn countered. For the market’s first two years, customers have been asking for some of the items – such as meats and cheeses – that the board objects to, she explained. The issue – which also was discussed at the Planning Board’s previous meeting – was left with the board asking DeMancheYohn to submit a smaller list of items to be sold. Following the meeting, she e-mailed a revised list back to Town Planner Larry Dunkin: “jams, jellies, salsas, pickled vegetables, maple syrup and maple syrup products, honey and honey products, yarn and yarn products, eggs, baked goods, local uncommon tradesmen, locally produced natural or organic pet food, locally made prepared food, entertainers, wineries and craft brewers (with proper licensing), all natural or organic personal care and home items, seedlings, plants, potted or cut herbs, flowers and floral products, all natural or organic farm produced manure, sauces, spices or seasonings, pasta, coffee (either prepared or in bean form), tea (either prepared, loose, or bagged), farm made non-alcoholic cider and fruit juices, locally made chocolates or candies, soaps, clothing and accessories, jewelry, and no more than one Community Service Organization or Outreach activity per week.” Several of those items – including baked goods, entertainers, wineries and craft brewers, pet food, chocolate and candies, clothing and accessories and jewelry – were on the list of items that board members wanted removed. DeManche-Yohn told the Planning Board members the Milford Farmers Market would be located at the Milford Water Company’s campus again this year, with a goal of moving it to a school property in 2016. New Assessor Administrator Takes Over By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist When long-time Assessor Administrator Priscilla Hogan officially retired on February 5, her successor was ready to step in and not miss a beat. Jennifer Sclar – whom Hogan first hired as a clerk in the Northborough Assessor’s office in 1997 – came on board in Milford last November 17 to make the transition Assessor Administrator a smooth one. A Millbury resident, Sclar started Jennifer Sclar working in the Grafton Assessor’s office in 1995, spent a year in Northborough, and returned to Grafton, becoming that’s town’s Assessor in 2002 and staying in that role for 12 years. Along the way, Sclar kept in frequent touch with Hogan and learned of her intent to retire. “It seemed like a good fit for me. I was ready for a change,” Sclar said. “It’s been very good,” she noted about her tenure to date in Milford. One immediate challenge was the need to fill two open staff positions in her office – one in December and another, last month. And, “the other departments have been very supportive,” Sclar said. She believes in having herself and her staff available to answer residents’ questions. “Come in and ask. We’re here,” Sclar said. Among the questions people typically ask are “How did you get to that value?” and wanting to know how those values affect the property tax rate. There also are questions posed about how to get tax relief, she said. FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 7pm PAINT NIGHT - Acrylic Painting “The Bluebird of Happiness” This lovely bird will brighten any room and remind us that spring is on the way! $40.00 per person. All supplies included Bring along your own favorite beverage. Snacks provided Registration: 774-239-3487 A past president of the Worcester County Assessors Association, Sclar said she is “excited to get in and know the town.” Already, she met with the Board of Selectmen on February 12 to help explain a recommendation by the Senior Tax Relief Committee to try to increase participation in the “Clause 41C Senior Exemption” by lowering the age limit from 68 to 66. The selectmen unanimously supported the requested change, which will now go before Town Meeting Members at May’s Annual Town Meeting, Sclar explained. The exemption – which can lower property taxes, is determined by income and asset limits, she explained. According to figures she gave the board, participation in the tax relief program has declined by 47 percent, from 79 people receiving an average savings of $740 in 2009 to 42 receiving an average savings of $897 in 2014, Sclar explained. “By lowering the age, that certainly should make people more eligible,” Selectmen Chairman Dino DeBartolomeis said. “We have more people [being senior citizens] and less people getting it,” Sclar said about the exemption. “I don’t have an explanation for that.” DeBartolomeis suggested putting an article in the newsletter put out by the Ruth Anne Bleakney Senior Center to promote the tax relief. Selectman Brian Murray said the idea of people having to verify their income and assets “might be somewhat of a deterrent” to people applying. He suggested holding a seminar at the Senior Center about the exemption. “The best we can do is create greater awareness,” said Selectman William Buckley. VOLUNTEERS WANTED!!! 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Funds for services provided by MA Dept. of Public Health and Office of Victim Assistanc e MILFORD TOWN CRIER FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Government Finance Committee Chair Outlines Spending Ahead By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist Finance Committee Chairman Marc Schaen recently took his board went through a litany of spending needs confronting the town when the new fiscal year begins on July 1. His comments came during a February 11 meeting that also discussed an estimated completion date for construction of the new Woodland Elementary School and the status of the ongoing renovation of the Milford Youth Center. [Editor’s Note: See accompanying article on this page] Reporting to his board on a meeting he had the previous week with the School Committee, Schaen repeated a list of items the town needed to fund in Fiscal Year 2016, including: • An estimated $1.8 million to provide the town’s share of two federal grants received to replace the Godfrey Brook culvert between Congress Terrace and Westbrook St. and the culvert at Main St.; • An estimated $500,000 to cover increased rates for electricity; • An estimated $100,000 to $120,000 for repairs to the Louisa Lake dam; • An estimated $300,000 to $400,000 to add personnel to the Information Technology staff and buy new hardware and networking equipment; • A $120,000 increase in funds being set aside to offset the town’s $50-million unfunded pension liability; • Covering the snow and ice removal deficit for this winter; • Setting aside $1 million for capital expenditures; • Putting $500,000 into the town’s Stabilization Fund; and • Using $1 million to lower the property tax rate. “These are all things that we have to do,” Schaen said. He told his committee he wanted the School Committee to have a context for the Finance Committee’s request for “level-funded” budgets for the next fiscal year. Interim Finance Director Zachary Taylor helped supply Schaen with the figures for the Louisa Lake dam repairs and the unfunded pension fund liability, which Taylor said is scheduled to be eliminated by 2037. In terms of potential state aid for Fiscal Year 2016, “There’ve been promises left and right that state aid will not be touched,” Taylor said. He added, “We’re all playing the waiting game right now to see what happens” when Governor Charles Baker files his budget request with the state legislature. In other business, the Finance Committee heard from Tree Warden Charles Reneau, who said $9,300 worth of work – including taking down six trees, grinding away 11 stumps and pruning other trees – had been completed at the Purchase Street Cemetery. The committee also decided to schedule a separate meeting with the Personnel Board to delve into that board’s forthcoming proposal to amend the town’s Wage and Salary Administration Plan. “We’re making a move,” commented Vice Chairman Al Correia. “Why?” he queried. Updates Given on Woodland, Youth Center Construction During the February 11 monthly Finance Committee meeting, members received an estimated completion date for construction of the new Woodland Elementary School and discussed the status of the ongoing renovation of the Milford Youth Center. Committee member Aldo Cecchi, who chairs the Woodland Elementary School Building Committee, said that – with all sub-bidders’ proposals filed – the “guaranteed maximum price” for building the new school now stands at $48,375,101. That figure is about $7,000 less than the original construction estimate, Cecchi said. Construction Manager Shawmut Design & Construction will “mobilize” equipment at the end of March and gave a date of June, 2016 for “substantial completion” of the school building, he said. “I think it’s ambitious,” Cecchi added. The building committee will delay opening the school in time for the 2016-2017 school year if it believes doing so is necessary to ensure that the school is properly built and equipped, he said. “We’re well within [cost] projections,” Cecchi said. “Right now it’s looking good. His committee’s goal is “to do the best that we can to ensure that Zach [Interim Finance Director Zachary Taylor] can manage cash flow.” Asked by a fellow Finance Committee member whether the new school will have solar panels on its roof, Cecchi said that the building will be wired during construction to handle solar energy. It will be up to the School Department to decide after the building opens whether it wants to install solar panels, he said. Will Kingkade, the committee member monitoring the Milford Youth Center, said renovation of the former Armory building is proceeding on schedule. Due to structural problems found once the building’s interior was opened up, change orders totaling $120,403 were made, but that amount is within the $300,000 budgeted for contingencies, he said. “Other than that, the work is progressing on time and on budget,” Kingkade said. Asked by committee member Chris Morin whether Milford Youth Center project included solar energy, Kingkade said that it was not part of the renovation project, but promised to check whether the building was being wired for future installation. Selectman Brian Murray, who chairs the Armory Renovation Committee, commented at his board’s February 12 meeting that he could not attend the Finance Committee because the renovation committee was meeting at the same time. The change orders covered “severe structural damage” found in the building’s walls and roof, and correcting them could add another month to the renovation’s completion schedule, he said. “The things that we’re finding are well within the contingency budget,” Murray said, listing its amount at $425,000. “The costs aren’t going up at all. The costs are well within the budget,” he said. In terms of solar energy, that was never part of the renovation project, nor was it included in bid specifications, Murray explained. By Kevin Rudden Staff Reporter/Columnist The Board of Selectmen voted on February 12 to adopt Town Administrator Richard Villani’s recommended schedule for the Annual Town Meeting: • February 12 through March 5: warrant open for submission of articles • March 9: Town Counsel begins preparation of official warrant • March 23: Board of Selectmen approve final warrant • March 24: Warrant goes to printer for reproduction • March 9-May 18: Finance Committee, Capital Improvement Committee, Personnel Board and Board of Selectmen schedule meetings to review warrant articles as necessary • May 4: Warrant is posted as required and mailed to all Town Meeting Members • May 18: Annual Town Meeting convenes at 7:30 p.m. in Upper Town Hall HOME • AUTO • BUSINESS • LIFE 6 Congress Street, Milford, MA 01757 www.brightinsurance.com 1-800-287-9191 Don’t Get Left Out in the Cold Call to find out about our price protection offers for the heating season. • • • • • We also offer: Competitive Prices Automatic Delivery 24 hour Service Service Contracts Budget Plans 508-473-9566 Why not give us a call? 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