Sturbridge, Brimfield, Holland and Wales
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KNIGHT CYCLES Free Pickup & Delivery For Service Call for Details STREET, DIRT, ATV, UTV, TRIALS, SNOWMOBILE # WE BUY AND SELL MOTORCYCLES & ATV’s # 800-282-4356 129 Worcester St., Southbridge, MA KNIGHTCYCLES.COM Mailed free to requesting homes in Sturbridge, Brimfield, Holland and Wales Vol. VII, No. 13 PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF RELAY FOR LIFE OF THE GREATER SOUTHBRIDGE AREA! COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.STURBRIDGEVILLAGER.NET Friday, March 29, 2013 THIS WEEK’S Cat project helps Eagle fly QUOTE Hair today, “When the heart BOY SCOUT HELPS RENOVATE SANCTUARY speaks, the mind FOR HOMELESS FELINES gone … today! finds it indecent BY MARK ASHTON to object.” VILLAGER STAFF WRITER STURBRIDGE – An Eagle LOOKING TO PUT A SMILE Milan Kundera and cats together! It must have been fate. Alec ON SOMEONE’S FACE? Thompson of Sturbridge was in need of a Boy Scout Eagle MIGHT DO IT Project, and the operators of ‘LOL’ Here Today, Adopted INSIDE BY MARK ASHTON Tomorrow cat sanctuary in VILLAGER STAFF WRITER Brimfield were looking for ALMANAC.............2 someone to do some renova- When is a foot not a foot? When it’s a hank of pony- ENUS tions work — pretty much on M ................5 the cheap. tail or braid given to someone POLICE LOGS.........5 Following up on an email in need of “locks of love.” Though it’s truly a “dis-tress- PINION request he learned about O .............10 from fellow Boy Scouts, ing” situation, the process is OBITUARIES .........12 Thompson inquired as to not the least bit uncomfort- what was really needed, fig- able or bothersome. ALENDAR C ..........12 ured out how he could help, Years in the making, SPORTS..............14 drew up some plans, got Barbara Brogan’s mid-back- everything approved by both length tresses, for example, the Boy Scout Committee bade farewell recently to the and the “cattery” owners, rest of her hair, joining the and a lot of area cats – both ranks of donated locks des- Mark Ashton photos LOCAL homeless and soon-to-be- tined to help youngsters deal- adopted – are nowadays more Alec Thompson has a few pieces yet to install at Here Today, ing with “alopecia areata” comfortable and contented Adopted Tomorrow cat sanctuary in Brimfield. and other hair-loss situations because his combined efforts. look – and feel – better. Thompson, a 17-year-old Brogan, who recently junior at Tantasqua Regional retired after decades as the school nurse at Tantasqua High School, has been in Mark Ashton photos scouting (beginning as a Cub Regional Junior High School Scout) since the first grade. in Sturbridge, decided it was Bagged and ready to go, Barbara Having recently served a time to “donate a foot” to the Brogan’s fresh-clipped ponytail is destined for new life as a pros- term as Senior Patrol Leader Locks of Love organization, a thetic hairpiece for a needy child. (and now as Assistant Senior “non-religious, non-political” Patrol Leader) for Troop 161 non-profit that provides hair- in Sturbridge, he was pretty pieces to financially disadvan- self-confidence and normal- much on track to “make taged children in the U.S. and cy” to their lives. Donated Eagle” when he hooked up Canada suffering from long- hair, which must be a mini- with the shelter last year. term medical hair loss “from mum of 10 inches long, is Within a matter of weeks, he any diagnosis.” acceptable in ponytail or expects to have attained that Hair donated to the organi- braid only. Wigs, falls, hair official status. zation is used “to create the extensions, dreadlocks, or The project that will get highest quality hair prosthet- synthetic hair are not usable. Resident tackles Pearl poses, in typical aloof fashion, in a kitty cubbyhole at the sanc- ics” for kids under age 21, in order to “return a sense of Boston Marathon Please Read SCOUT, page A13 tuary. Please Read HAIR, page A13 Page A3 LEARNING Chamber forum promotes female leaders BY GUS STEEVES Age Limit on Success” pan- VILLAGER STAFF WRITER elists came from the tradi- STURBRIDGE — Years tional leadership descrip- ago, a group of women in a tion – State Rep. and lawyer room together were possibly Anne Gobi. talking about children. “If you look up the defini- But on Thursday, March tion of women, strength is From the Archives: 21, about 50 of them gath- next to it,” she said during ered to share ideas about the responses to the Andrews at OSV leadership with a panel of evening’s last question. “... Page A4 their peers in their 30s You already have it. It’s just through 60s. tapping into what you ‘Very Hungry,’ “What stood out for me, already have.” because I was the oldest on She noted women particu- SPORTS the panel, was how so much larly need to learn not to be very creative has changed,” said panelist “afraid to take credit when Courtesy photos Margo Chevers afterward. you do something right. STURBRIDGE — Children at “When I was young, there Women do that a lot, but it’s the Joshua Hyde Library cele- weren’t many role models” what you’ve accomplished, brated The Very Hungry of women being leaders. what you’ve worked for, and Caterpillar Day Wednesday, At that time, she added, you shouldn’t shy away from March 20, the first day of leadership was primarily it.” spring, by creating their own expressed in two areas, poli- To author Rita Schiano, a tissue paper art work in the tics and business. Today, key skill is the courage “to style of Eric Carle. smaller groups, community be vulnerable,” and willing effort, family and self-devel- to both ask for help and Above, Ellie Marquez, 2, of opment are often held up as learn new skills. The latter, Sturbridge, begins her tissue- forms of leadership, “a con- she said, often come from paper caterpillar. Left, Liv cept that was never talked failing a few times, as scien- Kearns, 3, of Sturbridge, about years ago.” shows her completed project. One of the “There’s No Please Read CHAMBER, page A13 Spring Schedule Page A14 Summer program brings NYC kids to our region OPINION GET YOUR BY GUS STEEVES parts of New York City, all of expose them to another them. It’s not like you’re the family,” Leonard said. VILLAGER STAFF WRITER those things might as well be aspect of life. babysitting for a week.” “We’re very outside people, POINT ACROSS For those of us who have on Mars. “I hope more people will do Leonard’s family has been and since she comes from the PAGE A10 lived in this area most or all That’s why the Fresh Air it this year, because there are a Fresh Air Fund host for the city, we felt we’d be a good of our lives, the idea that peo- Fund exists. Since 1877, it has so many kids who don’t get last three years, and plans to chance to do new things.” ple have never gone swim- been sending city kids away the chance to [participate],” invite the same girl, Aliyah, Indeed, one or two weeks a POLICE LOGS ming, seen wildlife or walked for a couple weeks in the sum- said Auburn’s Sherri to stay with them again this year has exposed Aliyah to a on trails seems almost unbe- mer, initially because NYC Leonard. “What matters are summer. bunch of things. She’s PAGE A5 lievable. was experiencing a TB epi- the memories you create and “You get to know them real- But for those in the dense demic but now simply to the experiences you give ly well. They become part of Please Read FUND, page A18 2 STURBRIDGE VILLAGER • Friday, March 29, 2013 Tax check-off will fund animal control OFFICIALS EXPECT FUNDING TO BE IN PLACE BY MAY BY GUS STEEVES we’d like to see a training require- tify” using that money for outreach. VILLAGER STAFF WRITER ment.” “If you don’t address the [feral ani- Southbridge ACO Kathy Shields said mal] problem, it’ll just keep getting Everyone’s heard of taxation with- most of the ACOs she knows do rou- worse,” Blancato added. “They can get out representation. tinely get additional training, and new pregnant at five months [old] and have Now there’s taxation with castra- ACOs have to get certified within two two or three litters a year, so the popu- tion. years. Most are certified by either the lation can grow very rapidly.” The latter doesn’t get done to people, state or national organization of At this point, Cahill admits his but to feral dogs and cats because of ACOs, with some having both, she said. agency doesn’t yet know how the new the former — or, more accurately,a vol- To her, the animal care funding is fund will operate or what it can be used untary check-off on your state tax crucial, since feral cats are common in for. But it already has money in it. The form starting this year. every community. In most cases, offi- Department of Revenue deposits According to Mass. Department of cers and area shelters try to address money monthly,and the first deposit in Agricultural Resources Animal Health them with a “trap, neuter and release” early February totaled about $17,000, Director Michael Cahill, the Homeless program that literally goes “street by he said. Animal Prevention and Care Fund was street until all the cats are caught” or Since it’s a tax check-off, Cahill said created last October to provide funds the money runs out, she said.