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Mailed free to requesting homes in Sturbridge, Brimfield, Holland and Wales Vol. 3, No. 40 COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.STURBRIDGEVILLAGER.NET ‘Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.’ Friday, October 2, 2009 When groceries were hard work New search panel OSV HOSTS Being formed ANNUAL AGRICULTURAL SELECTMEN FAIR DIVIDED ON BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER FINAL APPOINTEE STURBRIDGE — Back in the in 1830s, the average person put in hours of manual labor just to pre- BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL pare the soil to plant the crops for NEWS STAFF WRITER their table. STURBRIDGE — Selectmen Fast-forward to 2009, and most clashed Thursday Sept. 24 on who people rarely give a second should be appointed as the final thought to the hard work that goes member of the Town Administrator into food produced for grocery Search Committee. store shelves. One seat on the five-person panel “People still today will plow remains open after three new mem- Scott Garieri their fields,” said Old Sturbridge bers were selected at the meeting. Village (OSV) costumed inter- Selectmen could not agree on a preter Thomas Mahoney as visi- fifth member for the committee. tors took turns pushing a plow a They planned to meet again pair of oxen were towing. “It is a Wednesday, Sept. 30, to appoint the harder way of living, but sim- final member. pler.” Ryan Grannan-Doll photos Board of Health Chairman Linda That was just one of the lessons Costumed interpreters help a child Cocalis, Department of Public OSV visitors could learn Works Director Greg Morse, and for- Saturday, Sept. 26 at its annual push a plow being pulled by oxen dur- ing last week’s Agricultural Fair. mer candidate for selectman James Agricultural Fair. Erhardt were added to the new Demonstrations of various farm- Interpreter Phil Eckert demonstrates how to fire a musket. panel. ing techniques from the period Selectman Scott Garieri remained were exhibited, along with cider “Carding is one of those things people don’t think much about on board after four others resigned production techniques and textile en masse during a joint Tuesday, manufacturing. A second day of [when they buy clothing],” OSV costumed interpreter Tom Sept. 8 meeting between Selectmen festivities was scheduled for and the first search committee. Sunday, Sept. 27. Kelleher explained to a gathered crowd in a carding mill. Motions to appoint former select- Adults and children tried their man Arnold Wilson, and hand at pushing the plow as inter- The wool, still lumpy, was Mary Blanchard placed on a carding engine that Conservation Commission member preters explained the laborious Jeffrey Bonja failed — both with 2-2 process of preparing a field for smoothed it out into material that … that is dead-square in the mid- could be spun or weaved. votes. A motion to appoint local dle,” Creamer said. “I guess I am planting crops. The plow would businessman Gary Galonek also breakup the field’s soil, and a har- A tub wheel below the mill pow- really looking for some really fresh ered the machines, but the failed in a 2-2 vote. ideas. I’m fairly convinced Jeff row tool would turn the soil over, Selectmen Tom Creamer and Mahoney said. Then workers process could also be done by brings those ideas.” hand. Hand-carding could take Garieri voted against Wilson. White took issue with that saying would remove rocks — frequently Selectmen Harold White and Ted found in New England pastures — days, where as the engines could Bonja is a former town employee finish the job in minutes. The Goodwin voted against Bonja. whose departure was “clouded.” from the field, Mahoney said. White and Goodwin voted against Two workers usually operated wool would be spun into yarn or “I don’t think [Bonja’s departure] thread for weaving. Galonek. bodes well for sitting on this com- the plow, which strained the oxen After appointing the three, select- as well. Another carding engine could mittee,” White said. make long rolls for other uses, men quibbled between appointing He did not elaborate about what “This is pretty hard work for Bonja and Wilson. Creamer advocat- them,” he said. Kelleher said. After their inven- he meant by “clouded.” tion in the 1700s, they eventually, ed placing Bonja on the group as he Creamer shot back saying former Interpreters also demonstrated praised his education, experience the steps to create clothing. The they became commonplace. Town Administrator James Malloy “Just about every town had one, and analytical approach to solving praised Bonja’s experience in gener- first step was carding the wool — problems. a process used to remove impuri- “I’m trying to look for somebody Turn To SELECTMEN, A11 ties and detangle fibers. Turn To OSV, page A11 page Chalking up A wellspring of concern SPECIAL TOWN a big success MEETING SEEKS FUNDS TO QUINSIGAMOND SOUTHBRIDGE FINANCE WELL CAMPUS ENROLLMENT SOARS BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL expand educational opportunities to BY CHRISTOPHER TANGUAY STAFF WRITER Southbridge and the surrounding VILLAGER STAFF WRITER SOUTHBRIDGE — area. It offers classes in English, STURBRIDGE — Although the Quinsigamond Community College math, history,criminal justice, early main topic of the October Special only expected to fill 500 classroom childhood development and govern- Town Meeting is the Burgess seats when it opened its new cam- ment among other topics, Sullivan Elementary School building project, pus this summer. said. voters will also be asked to weigh in Enrollment quickly shattered that All signs point to a bright future on an article requesting funding for estimate — 738 classroom seats have for students seeking skills in a wide an additional well in Sturbridge. been filled for the fall semester array of fields. In total, 371 students Department of Public Works alone, according to the college’s have registered for the fall semester, (DPW) Directory Greg Morse told Vice President of Enrollment and Sullivan said. They have not made the Board of Selectmen at the Student Services Steve Sullivan. any official estimates for the spring Monday Sept. 21 meeting, “Well “It gives you a sense of how big semester, but Sullivan said they are number one is under the influence Well number one is currently being held in reserve as officials await the OK to begin this has taken off,” he said. “It is aiming for 300 students in 650 seats. of surface water.” repairing it. Although it is not functioning right now, it could become active if the huge compared to what we had “That is the hope, but it could be Surface water, or the visible flow- demand required it. anticipated.” more than that, which would be just ing water of the Quinebaug River, is Students have flocked to enroll at terrific,” he said. in danger of mingling with the “We’re still going to use it, we just water flowing through well one is the new campus, located at 5 Optical The bad economy, Sullivan said, aquifer water the well is tapped into. shut it down for a while,” Morse chlorinated, an additional filtration Dr., since it opened two weeks ago. make estimates difficult. For that reason, the DPW has said Tuesday.“But if we need to use system is needed to optimize the The Worcester-based state commu- decided to keep well one in reserve it we certainly can.” nity college opened the facility to Turn To QUINSIGAMOND, page A11 and only use it if necessary. Morse said that even though the Turn To WELL, page A11 ALMANAC ..............2 LOCAL SPORTS TRIVIA POLICE LOGS ..........5 PANTHERS RUN AWAY When senators OBITUARIES ..........13 THE JOB IS filibuster, what are OPINION ..............10 WITH VICTORY OVER WAITING... they doing? CALENDAR..B SECTION WARRIORS PAGE 4 PAGE 14 Answer inside. INSIDE SPORTS ..........14-15 2 STURBRIDGE VILLAGER • Friday, October 2, 2009 Confusion abounds at Mass Pike RMV office VILLAGER VOICEMAIL SYSTEM STILL DIRECTS CUSTOMERS TO CLOSED SOUTHBRIDGE BRANCH ALMANAC BY RYAN GRANNAN-DOLL removed. rupted once to ask how many be fantastic,” and added he would STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER Dufresne’s comments came last times Jenner would even have to be contacting authorities who CHARLTON —If one calls the Thursday before she hung up on a use the RMV. Then, she requested enforce the Americans with QUOTATION OF THE WEEK state Registry of Motor Vehicles reporter asking questions about further questions to be posed to Disabilities Act. office asking for the closest the Charlton RMV’s restrooms her via e-mail, because she had to The RMV took more flack last “I think she is very, very rude. She doesn’t branch the automated listing may and concerns swirling around the attend to something else. When week over its consideration of a want to address the issues. She is probably be surprising. site overall. She responded to sev- the reporter declined, she hung plan to issue toll vouchers to dis- hoping everything is just going to go away.” “The Southbridge branch, locat- eral initial questions about the up. abled people who would have to ed, at 926 West Main Street, is open site’s bathroom facilities. When Before she did, Dufresne said use the turnpike to access the — THOMAS JENNER, OF CHARLTON, ON RMV Monday through Friday, from 9 the reporter started asking her to the bathrooms in the RMV build- handicapped parking. The five SPOKESMAN ANNE DUFRENSE’S ATTITUDE a.m. until 5 p.m. except holidays,” respond to a Charlton man’s ing are only open to employees parking spots are only accessible TOWARD THE NEED FOR HANDICAPPED an automated voice says. recent experience at the registry, and said customers could use the by the pike, and not by the Route RESTROOMS AT THE MASS PIKE RMV OFFICE.

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