Auburn Preschool Pre- MARY D
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(508) 943-4800 Newsstand: 75 cents www.auburnnews.net Friday, May 10, 2013 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE Taking things “Reading is to the mind what for ‘granted’ exercise is to the body.” EDUCATION Sir Richard Steele FOUNDATION AWARDS INSIDE TEACHER CALENDAR .................. MINI-GRANTS PINION O ................A6 BY MARK ASHTON SENIORS ................A8 STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER OBITUARIES ................ CHARLTON — School budgets being what they are SPORTS................A10 and area communities as strapped as they are for “extra” cash, schools some- LOCAL times have to get creative in seeking funding for projects beyond the scope of every- day learning. Such creativity can pay off when those seeking the fund- ing have a detailed plan – and can articulate it. Such was the case recently, THE DELIVERY when the Bay Path Education Foundation Jon Gouin photo announced it has awarded two mini-grants, totaling UPTON — Auburn’s Mike Vaitkunas delivers a $2,700, to fund two teacher- pitch versus Nipmuc, a 4-0 complete game victory led projects during the 2013- A run for a cause: 2014 school year at Bay Path Monday,May 6. For the story and more photos, turn Mark Ashton photos Angiosarcoma 5K to Sports on page A9! regional Vocational Bay Path graphic arts instructor Dawn Wilson wrote the grant that continues to grow will fund an after-school art program for the coming year. Please Read GRANTS, page A10 Page A4 SPORTS CMMCP continues efforts to collect used tires BY AMANDA COLLINS can become breeding quitoes, explained CMMCP carry West Nile virus, the Collection efforts include STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER grounds for mosquitoes. In director of operations Tom CMMCP says. If tires infest- residential pickups, and three years, they have col- McGlinchy. ed with eggs and larva are roadside and pile cleanups The Central Mass. lected and recycled nearly “Mosquitoes go to these transported, the potential to that usually take place in Mosquito Control Project is 100 tons of old tires. The piles and lay their eggs and introduce mosquito species the spring and fall. The continuing its efforts this program’s success has led it the tires end up becoming into new areas or the poten- CMMCP also works with spring to remove abandoned to become part of the orga- producers of large numbers tial for the spread of viruses local boards of health to tires from its member nization’s annual operating of mosquitoes,” he said. significantly increases. hold collections in conjunc- municipalities. budget. Indeed, during the course “The ultimate goal of our tion with town-wide recy- The CMMCP’s Used Tire Used tire casings without of one season, the potential program is reduce the area cling or clean up days. Program began as a grant rims that are left out in the exists for hundreds or even suitable for mosquito larva Among the 32 towns that Rockets get back on funded pilot program in environment collect water thousands of mosquitoes to and to reduce the risk for have participated in the pro- 2010 as an endeavor to rid that becomes stagnant and emerge from just one tire, spreading diseases,” said track as Vaitkunas polluted and attracts mos- including species known to McGlinchy. local woods of tire piles that Please Read CMMCP, page A10 blanks Nipmuc, 4-0 Page A9 LEARNING ‘A voice for the Auburn community’ SIMONIAN HOPING FOR SECOND TERM ON BOS BY JOY RICHARD STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER AUBURN — With the Annual Election right Support continues around the corner, three- for AMS building year Selectman Stephen R. Simonian said he hopes he project wins over residents the same way he did in 2010 — by hear- Page A5 ing their concerns face-to- face. Simonian will run for one open Board of Selectmen OPINION seat on Tuesday, May 21, GET YOUR against newcomer Thomas Dombroski. POINT ACROSS Simonian said he has Stephen R. Simonian PAGE AX loved working for the resi- 2nd Worcester District race dents of Auburn during his ended, friends and relatives term. asked him if he would con- WHAT TO DO “When I ran three years sider running for a second Gus Steeves photos ago, of all the doors I Several people look over the pelts of various common animals after Jim Lagacy’s talk Monday, term as selectman. A CALENDAR knocked on, the biggest Simonian said while he was April 29. issue was the roads in OF AREA EVENTS tired from the fast-paced Auburn,” said Simonian. November race, he said he PAGE AX “There were people who still had the drive to repre- were outright angry. So, I sent the community. Into the wild think besides putting money “We put in a lot of work,” into the accounts we have said Simonian during a sit- improved our infrastruc- BY GUS STEEVES down interview last week. OCAL SENIOR STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER ture.” “Everyone was asking if I L During his stint as a CHARLTON — Most people like was running for the Board of selectman, Simonian said he Selectmen, and I said want- CENTER HOSTS wildlife. threw his hat into the state To biologist Jim Lagacy of the ed some down time with my WILDLIFE TALK senator arena, running family. I figured I pretty against Sen. Michael Moore, much would though. I have Please Read WILDLIFE, page A11 D-Millbury, in 2012. 6 9 Simonian said after the 56525 10391 Please Read SIMONIAN, page A10 2 • THE AUBURN NEWS • Friday, May 10, 2013 Water District warns residents of arsenic levels AUBURN — Important information about drinking water standard or maximum con- bathing and showering in water that con- arsenic removal treatment system for the your drinking water —to all customers of taminant level (MCL) for arsenic is 10 parts tains arsenic at these levels does not pose a West St. Wells. the Auburn Water District located in per billion (ppb) and is determined by aver- known risk to human health. Arsenic is not Although this is not an immediate health Auburn, arsenic has been detected above aging the results of the quarterly samples easily absorbed through the skin and does risk, AWD failed to provide the required drinking water standards. collected during the last 12 months. This not evaporate into the air. public notification to its customers when This is an important notice — please averaging of samples is called a running Further health information is available the arsenic contaminant level was exceeded translate it for anyone who does not under- annual average (RAA) or contaminant level. from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 in August 2012 and after the subsequent stand English. Arsenic samples collected at our West (800) 426-4791 and at the EPA Arsenic in exceedances. Moving forward, AWD will This notice is to advise our customers Street Water Treatment Facility (Wells #11 Drinking Water website provide the required quarterly public notifi- that our water system is in noncompliance & #12) in August 2012 resulted in a contami- http://www.epa.gov/safewater/arsenic/ind cation to its customers of any exceedances with the drinking water standard for nant level of 11 ppb. Arsenic samples were ex.html of the arsenic maximum contaminant level arsenic. Although this is not an emergency, again collected from the West Street WTF in and provide updates of its progress to you have a right to know what happened, November 2012 and resulted in a contami- WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT IS BEING return to compliance. what you should do, and what we are doing nant level of 18 ppb. Our latest round of DONE?Arsenic occurs naturally as a con- For more information please contact Ken to correct this situation. samples collected on February 21, 2013 from taminant in some groundwater in Smith, Superintendent, at 508-832-5336 or 75 The Auburn Water District (AWD) rou- the West St. WTF, resulted in a contaminant Massachusetts, most frequently in the cen- Church St., Auburn. tinely monitors for the presence of arsenic level of 24 ppb. tral part of the state. It can also be a by- Please share this information with all the at each of our drinking water sources on a product of some agricultural and industri- other people who drink this water, especial- quarterly basis (four times per year). The WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? al activities. Drinking water from bedrock ly those who may not have received this wells, also called drilled or artesian wells, notice directly (for example, people in apart- This is not an immediate risk. If it had gravel developed wells and less frequently been, you would have been notified right ments, nursing homes, schools, and busi- from shallow or dug wells, may contain nesses). You can do this by posting this away.Some people who drink water contain- arsenic. ing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many notice in a public place or distributing years could experience skin damage or We recently met with the Massachusetts copies by hand or mail. problems with their circulatory system, and Department of Environmental Protection may have an increased risk of getting can- (MassDEP) to evaluate the water supply and cer. The MCL is based on the average indi- research options to correct the problem. vidual consuming 2 liters of water a day for Immediate actions to reduce the arsenic lev- ALMANAC a lifetime. However, children and pregnant els will include removing one or both of the women may be at increased risk and should West St. Wells from service, cleaning the seek advice from their health care providers wells, and monitoring arsenic levels within QUOTE OF THE WEEK 508-752-3909 if they have any concerns. Children are at the distribution system to gauge levels after Owner On Every Job www.skyhooktree.com greater risk (to any agent in water) because blending with AWD’s other wells that do not “The biggest thing I hope people real- of their greater water consumption on a per have elevated arsenic levels.