Mailed free to requesting homes in Douglas, Northbridge and Uxbridge Vol. 1, No. 51 Complimentary to homes by request, 75 cents on newsstands ONLINE: www.blackstonevalleytribune.com “A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.” Friday, September 19, 2008 Voters to act on UHS feasibility study classroom space. School SHORT-TERM DEBT RECOMMENDED TO FUND $465K REPORT officials have been trying to BY ANDY LEVIN has already received preliminary The issue has, for the most part, state reimbursement is expected to TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER replace the authorization from the state, School been dormant since January 2006, be in the range of 50 percent to 65 aging school UXBRIDGE — The often-intense Committee Chairman Ernest when voters overwhelmingly percent of the project’s total cost. for well over a debate about whether to build a new Esposito said. approved spending about $1.6 mil- Uxbridge High School is more decade. high school here is about to rear its The School Committee voted lion dollars for 36 acres of land off than 70 years old and its accredita- Cognizant of head again. unanimously last week to place the Quaker Highway as the site of a new tion was placed on probation by the the town’s cur- Ernest Esposito Voters at the fall Annual Town feasibility study request on the war- high school. Last year, the state’s New England Association of rent fiscal cri- Meeting will be asked to approve rant of the Town Meeting, which School Building Authority (SBA) Schools and Colleges (NEASC) four sis, and perhaps of residents’ weari- spending $465,000 for a feasibility will be held Tuesday, Nov. 18, at approved the district for partial years ago due to the building’s dete- study of the building project, which Uxbridge High School. reimbursement of the project. The riorating condition and lack of Turn To UHS page A8 Defending champion Rams start season with huge win NORTHBRIDGE HIGH EASILY TRAMPLES GRAFTON, 39-8 BY THOMAS MATTSON TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER GRAFTON — It would have been hard for any coach to have asked more of his team than the Northbridge Rams gave in a 39-8, season-opening thrashing of Grafton at the Indians’ field Saturday afternoon, Sept. 13. The Rams’ first team, packed with experience, size and speed, put up 33 points on the board the first half. Senior quarterback and co-captain Zach Zidelis threw two touchdown passes, and completed eight of 12 attempts for 189 yards. In the second half, Northbridge coach Ken LaChapelle used mostly his junior varsity, and they acquit- ted themselves well. In fact, in the third quarter, backup sophomore quarterback Thomas Murphy exploded for a 55-yard TD run. He also threw a long pass that fellow sophomore Evan Macintosh leaped for to make a nice snag. Grafton received the kickoff at its own 27. Joe Rice and Angel Thomas Mattson photo Clemente made some nice tackles Thomas Mattson photo for the Rams. The Indians punted to Northbridge High quarterback Zach Zidelis looks for a receiver in Saturday’s win. Dave Johnson, superintendent of Whitinsville Golf Club’s course, checks the Mike Padro, who returned it to his made it all the way to the one-yard the opening score. The kick failed, speed of the first green last week. own 47. Zidelis then threw a perfect line. From there, senior co-captain strike to a streaking Padro, who tailback Ryan Mahoney ran it in for Turn To RAMS page A11 PPUTTINGUTTING THETHE Technology staff members GREENSGREENS ININ ORDERORDER issue report to school panel BY THOMAS MATTSON Whitinsville Golf Club course, TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER he worries about the terrain of BY THOMAS MATTSON in the district. changes have to be made. I don’t NORTHBRIDGE — How would the layout as much as any dentist TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER The technology staff who think we’re there.” He was referring you like to be a dentist dealing does hovering near a klieg and NORTHBRIDGE — All four of the explained to school board members to the “proficient” and “advanced” with a “tooth” some 1,500 feet pushing, pulling and drilling a technology operatives in the local just what it is they do were Steven levels, according to state technology long? tooth. school system showed up at a recent Falconer, Steven DiMare, Brian standards. Dave Johnson is not a dentist School Committee meeting, proving L’Heureux, and Peter Ritter. DiMare explained the four tech- but, as superintendent of the Turn To GREENS page A13 among other things that there are “Technology is an absolute neces- faces behind some 1,000 computers sity in school,” said Falconer. “Some Turn To TECH page A9 After two years, Uxbridge Youth Center open again BY ANDY LEVIN Money for the after-school Located in a standalone TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER program for students grades 5- building that formerly housed UXBRIDGE — After spend- 8 became available thanks to a a restaurant and a daycare cen- ing the past year without a $50,000 state earmark secured ter, the Youth Center welcomed home, the community’s Youth in fiscal year 2008 by state Rep. nine youngsters into its new Center reopened its doors last Jennifer Callahan, D-Sutton, home on Monday, Sept. 8. week. but the Youth Center remained Karen Knapik, a member of Displaced first by a lack of without a place to call home. the board of directors and a funding and later by a massive That changed this summer, former Youth Center director, fire at its former site in the when a building at 111 South said a key to restarting the pro- Bernat Mill Complex, the Main Street became available gram was convincing the state Youth Center was able to offer for the town to rent and an Department of Social Services some of its programs during additional $50,000 for the pro- to allow the initial funding to the past two years in conjunc- gram was included in the be invested in refurbishing the tion with the school district. state’s fiscal year 2009 budget. Turn To CENTER page A16 Andy Levin photo At right, the Uxbridge Youth Center’s new home at 111 South Main St. A2-3 .............................................. LOCAL THE BLACKSTONE VALLEY TRIBUNE HAS A NEW A4,5 ............................................ OPINION B2 .......................................... NOTEBOOK E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] INSIDE 6 56525 10401 5 2 • Friday, September 19, 2008 BLACKSTONE VALLEY TRIBUNE School Committee outlines plans TRIBUNE ALMANAC BY THOMAS MATTSON BUDGET TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER QUOTATION OF THE WEEK NORTHBRIDGE — The School Committee is mulling Another major goal of the school board, according to Kittredge, is preparation of a budget in concert with the “We have done a number of things already, but we have no goals for its superintendent search, for working out the choice — that’s what the state says we have to do.” budget, for the implementation of policy, and for the superintendent by dates required by the town charter and improvement of public relations. Massachusetts General Law that “meets the needs of all of the students and that fulfills the mission statement of the — Uxbridge School Committee Chairman Ernest Esposito, on Karen Kittredge, vice-chair of the School Committee, why the district must spend $465,000 on a high school building and acting as chair of a school board goals subcommittee, Northbridge public schools.” “The budget process may include maintaining a three- feasibility study, despite the town’s years of researching the gave the report to the full committee Sept. 9. The latter will matter. act on the proposal at a later meeting. year rolling budget that is adequate, predictable and sus- Dr. Kittredge, who is a physician, listed the Northbridge tainable,” Kittredge declared. public schools mission as “to prepare our students POLICY REVIEW OPEN TO CLOSE to become responsible, contributing members of society Northbridge Town Manager by providing a challenging, rigorous educational program Another objective for the School Committee is to discuss (508) 234-2095 that will maximize academic achievement, enable establishing a policy subcommittee, Kittredge said. Northbridge Town Clerk intellectual, physical, and social and emotional She said the policy review calls for development of a pol- (508) 234-2001 development in an atmosphere that promotes creative and icy and procedure whereby approximately a third of the Northbridge Middle School, Pleasant Street, Whitinsville critical thinking.” school district’s policies are reviewed annually, with com- (508) 234-8718 pletion of a full policy review every three years. Northbridge Elementary School, 87 Linwood Ave., SUPERINTENDENT Community relations come in for a lot of attention. Whitinsville (508) 234-5264 The committee has a short-term goal to hire a new One goal calls for School Committee members to attend Northbridge High School, Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville superintendent to start no later than July 1, 2009. The per- other town committee sessions, including Finance (508) 234-6221 son chosen should work to fulfill the School Committee’s Committee meetings, Selectmen’s meetings, School Balmer School, Crescent Street, Whitinsville (508) 234-8161 mission, develop a strategic plan for the district based on Council meetings and PTA meetings. Grammar & Primary Schools, Cross Street, Whitinsville (508) the mission and to develop benchmarking tied to mutually “The stated purpose would be to increase visibility and 234-6346 agreed-upon goals with the committee for the superin- communication of student needs, being aware that indi- Special Education Department. 87 Linwood Ave. Whitinsville (508) 234-8701 tendent and for the school district. vidual opinions of committee members are not necessari- Douglas Town Manager The long-term strategic plan for the new superintendent ly those of the whole School Committee,” Kittredge (508) 476-4000, ext.