SPENCER FAMILY DENTAL Gentle Caring State of the Art Dentistry For The Whole Family Cosmetic Dentistry • Restorative Dentistry • Preventative Dentistry CROWNS • CAPS • BRIDGES • COMPLETE and PARTIAL DENTURES New We Strive NON SURGICAL GUM TREATMENT • ROOT CANAL THERAPY Patients SURGICAL SERVICES For Painless Welcome BREATH CLINIC-WE TREAT CHRONIC BAD BREATH Dentistry HERBAL DENTAL PRODUCTS • All Instruments Fully Sterilized • Most Insurances Accepted Dr. Nasser S. Hanna Conveniently Located On Route 9 • (Corner of Greenville St. & Main St.) 284 Main St., Spencer 508-885-5511 Mailed free to requesting homes in Sturbridge, Brimfield, Holland and Wales Vol. VII, No. 27 PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF RELAY FOR LIFE OF THE GREATER SOUTHBRIDGE AREA! COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.STURBRIDGEVILLAGER.NET Friday, July 11, 2014 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE Recreation fun, concerts “Be careful that victories do not in full swing in Sturbridge carry the seed of ARIOUS ACTIVITIES ON TURBRIDGE future defeats.” V S SUMMER SCHEDULE Ralph W. Sockman BY AMANDA COLLINS ers up the road, kids playing VILLAGER STAFF WRTIER catch while there are parents STURBRIDGE — If you drive sprawled out on a blanket as the past the Sturbridge town com- sun sets. mon on a Thursday night this Roll down the windows and INSIDE summer, you might see people take it slow to enjoy the sound of lugging lawn chairs and cool- live music from some the area’s ALMANAC ............. 2 most popular bands. Or better The Mad Bavarian Brass Band came yet, pull over and join in on the POLICE LOGS ......... 5 to play at the Sturbridge Town Sturbridge summertime tradi- OBITUARIES ........... 7 Common last August, as part of the tion. town’s Concerts on the Common OPINION .............10 series. Please Read CONCERTS, page A11 CALENDAR ..........11 SPORTS .........14-16 WESO sold to Catholic LOCAL radio company SOUTHBRIDGE STATION WOULD CHANGE FORMAT, BECOME NON-COMMERCIAL BY DAVID DORE Commission to sell WESO into a non-com- STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER WESO-AM 970, owned by mercial radio station if Money Matters Radio in the FCC approves the SOUTHBRIDGE — Needham, to Worcester- sale. Southbridge’s AM radio based Emmanuel WNEB, known on air David Dore photos station is being sold to Communications, for as “1230 AM Emmanuel Candles are lit near the end of the vigil. They’ve got a new owner, which $250,000. Radio,” has been intends to change its for- Emmanuel owned by Emmanuel skills mat to Catholic talk and Communications intends Communications since teaching. to simulcast its only 2011. WNEB broadcasts Page A3 An application was other station, WNEB- Roman Catholic pro- filed last week with the AM 1230 in Worcester, Forgetting her Federal Communications on WESO and convert Please Read WESO, page A13 LOCAL not ONE LAST RIDE FAMILY, FRIENDS REMEMBER MOLLY BISH FOR 14TH YEAR BY DAVID DORE STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER WARREN — This is Area residents the year that Warren take swing at resident Molly Bish would have turned 30. cancer Would she have Page A4 walked down the aisle and gotten married, with her family by her side? Would she have SPORTS had a family of her own? Reed Hillman of Sturbridge, former head of the State Police Chelsea Davis photos and a former state rep- Riders make their way into the large crowd. resentative, wondered Molly Bish’s mother, that at a June 29 vigil STURBRIDGE — The Magi, holds a piece of to mark the 14th anni- Fifteenth Annual and Final sage to honor Black versary of Molly’s dis- Ride for Molly took place on Feather, who died recent- appearance and death. Sunday, June 29. The ride hon- ly. He has honored Molly “Molly’s death was a ors Molly Bish, a teenage girl and worked with the Bish crime against us all,” that was murdered in the early family. Hillman said to the 2000’s. The ride began at the roughly 60 people gath- guard post at Comins Sturbridge Business Park with ered on the Warren Pond in Warren, a registration from 10 a.m. to 12 Sturbridge Town Common. “None handful of people were p.m. Sturbridge Police escort- of us should rest easy identified as possible ed the riders at noon through Little League until Molly’s killer is suspects and evidence Brimfield, Palmer, Warren, apprehended and incar- has been examined. All-Stars fall Brookfield, Spencer and back cerated for the rest But no arrests have into Sturbridge.For more pho- in pool play of his life. Somebody been made. tos, turn to page A8! competition knows something.” “It’s a difficult time In the years since of year,” said Molly’s Page A14 that early summer day, sister, Heather. “It’s the 27th of June in 2000, hard, there’s really no Juno, of Juno’s Place, gets her helmet and gog- when 16-year-old Molly gles strapped on for a ride in the side of a small vanished from her life- Please Read REMEMBER, page A13 OPINION motorcycle. GET YOUR POINT ACROSS PAGE A10 Libraries offer museum passes for discounted summer fun BY AMANDA COLLINS New England’s most pop- now on the list, along ilies. It’s a great way to Hill Botanical Garden, OLICE OGS VILLAGER STAFF WRITER P L ular tourist attractions at with eight other daytime save money and have fun a pass fro two adults Summer is the perfect discounted rates — and destinations. this summer.” to get free entry to the AGE P A5 time of year to hit the sometimes even free. “The museum pass- All you need is a Worcester Art Museum road for a day trip, but The Charlton Public es are a great thing library card that’s in (where children under 17 bringing the whole fam- Library recently that could always be good standing to check are always free), half off ily can sometimes be announced that they’ve used more often,” said out a museum pass from daytime entrance to Old tough on the wallet. secured a new pass to add Charlton Public Library any local library. In Sturbridge Village for up Luckily, local libraries to their long list of others. director Cheryl Hansen. Charlton, patrons can get to four people, and half offer passes that allow The Tower Hill Botanical “There are some really half price admission for residents to enjoy some of Garden in Boylston is good discounts for fam- two adults to the Tower Please Read LIBRARY, page A11 2 STURBRIDGE VILLAGER • Friday, July 11, 2014 Opacum hires first-ever paid executive director STURBRIDGE — At their meeting leagues who will support his work to Land Conservation benefits commu- May 21, the Opacum Land Trust Board grow Opacum’s long-term stability and nities in many ways. Opacum Land of Directors approved the hiring of Ed impact. He is very excited about this Trust emphasizes the importance of Rom’s Hood, of Hardwick, as their first paid opportunity to bring his skill sets to several types of land — working agri- (Pizza Wednesday) executive director. bear on the pressing needs of land con- cultural and woodlands that support Hood left Old Sturbridge Village servation and preserving and improv- local farmers and land owners, undevel- Buckets Every Day where he was vice president, and ing quality of life issues in the thir- oped land for protecting air and water where he served for 21 years, start- teen communities that Opacum serves. quality, passive recreation and wildlife 508-347-1440 ing as a curator and then moving Ed’s relationship with Opacum Land habitat preservation, preserving crit- into administration and fundraising. Trust extends back to its early days in ical habitat areas, and also preserv- We Cater! Opacum Treasurer Jennifer Morrison, 2000, when he assisted the organiza- ing the local character and history of of Sturbridge, noted that Opacum chose tion by providing historical advice on each community. Opacum’s very first Fax 508-347-1441 Hood because of his administrative and the Gaumond property on New Boston conservation project, First Acres, in fundraising experience, in addition to Road, today the 30-acre Herve & Mary Sturbridge, preserves 27 acres of wet- Tele 508-347-1440 his familiarity with the Opacum towns Jane Gaumond Memorial Sanctuary, land and swamp, protecting the water- and his knowledge and the adjacent Opacum Woods prop- shed of Walker Pond. of New England’s erty. A recent study by the Trust for Public historic landscape. The president of Opacum’s Board of Land documents the economic value Founded in Directors, Jennifer Ohop, a naturalist of natural goods and services from REB Products 2000, the Opacum at Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, noted lands conserved across Massachusetts Land Trust is a that “in order to protect more land, to between 1998 and 2011 as providing $4 non-profit land increase the pace of conservation in in economic benefits for every dollar trinkets & treasures conservation orga- this region, and to continue to provide invested in land conservation. In addi- nization serving educational events … Opacum Land tion to such economic benefits, hav- 13 communities in Trust is hiring a part-time executive ing open space conserved in each town GIFTS GALORE! southern, central director.” improves the overall character and And Massachusetts. This will be the first paid staff person quality of life for residents of these Working with in the organization’s 14-year history, communities. Jewelry with flare at affordable prices! towns and local and denotes a major step forward in the Among several current projects, landowners, the organization’s efforts. The volunteer Opacum Board Vice President Leslie volunteers of Board of Directors, and all the volun- Duthie of Monson is directing the Wednesday - Sunday: 10am - 5pm Opacum have teers and members who make the work implementation of a $10,400 grant conserved more of Opacum possible will continue to be from the Massachusetts Department than 1,000 acres of central to the organization’s successful of Conservation and Recreation to Sturbridge Marketplace land and created operation.