Full Service, Full Attention, Full Satisfaction $ OFF Any Service Ask about Free Rentals 5 No Appt. Needed With coupon. Exp. 10/31/15 508-832-0900 • 505-509 WASHINGTON ST. (RT. 20) AUBURN, MA FULLERAUTOMOTIVE.COM Mailed free to requesting homes in Douglas, Northbridge and Uxbridge Vol. III, No. 49 Complimentary to homes by request ONLINE: WWW.BLACKSTONEVALLEYTRIBUNE.COM Friday, October 2, 2015 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE Rams leading “Force is all-conquering, but the charge its victories are short-lived.” NORTHBRIDGE Abraham Lincoln SHUTS OUT AUBURN IN ROUT BY JON GOUIN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT INSIDE NORTHBRIDGE — “They were bet- ter than we were, period. There’s really A2-3 .................LOCAL nothing else to say. They’re a better A4-5 .............. OPINION football team than we are, top to bot- tom, and kudos to them.” Nick Ethier photos A7 ............ OBITUARIES That was how Auburn High head Uxbridge’s Oliver Sawyer beats the David Prouty defense and football coach Jeff Cormier react- A9 ........ SENIOR SCENE hauls in a 52-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Max ed to a somewhat shocking 51-0 loss White-Cohen. A11-13 ........ SPORTS at Northbridge’s Lasell Field last B2 ............. CALENDAR Saturday, Sept. 26, during the Rams’ Homecoming. B4 ...........REAL ESTATE “They’ve been outstanding in recent B5 .................. LEGALS years. Coming in, obviously I was Spartans nervous about this game, Auburn’s Auburn,” Northbridge head coach Ken EDITOR’S LaChapelle said. “They’re well coached but this is one time where they don’t OFFICE HOURS Jon Gouin photos have the horses they’ve had in the past.” win big Northbridge’s Koby Schofer fires a pass to The Rams’ high-powered offense ONDAYS M 12-5 Jake Wood in the flat during a 51-0 throttling was on display versus the Rockets WEDNESDAYS 1-5 of visiting Auburn on Homecoming Saturday, UXBRIDGE DOMINATES IN Please Read RAMS, page A11 FRIDAYS 1-5 Sept. 26. VICTORY OVER PROUTY LOCAL BY NICK ETHIER grabbed an interception SPORTS STAFF WRITER and picked up a fum- SPENCER — After ble, and as a result they suffering a 21-13 loss to improved to 2-1 with a Grafton High in week 49-6 victory. two action, the question David Prouty slipped to Uxbridge High head var- 1-2. sity football coach Bob “We wanted to throw Martellio asked his team the short passing game was quite simple before and take advantage of the Spartans took on our athletes,” Martellio David Prouty Regional said of the offensive game last Friday night, Sept. 25. plan. “It’s been something “How are you going we’ve been trying to do to react after a loss,” he all year is get the ball into explained. “We had a their hands.” A FUN RUN pretty good game plan Uxbridge’s aerial and we went out and exe- assault was evident from cuted it. Everybody did the get-go, as junior Big thanks for Greg Barlow photos their job offensively and quarterback Max White- Faulkner DOUGLAS — On Sunday, Sept. 27, nearly 350 registered for the fami- defensively.” Cohen threw four times ly-friendly community wide 5K Color Run in Douglas, presented by the Uxbridge’s offense during the game-opening Page A2 Douglas PTO and Athletic Boosters. For more photos from the event, turn primarily used an possession. His fourth to page A3! attack through the air, pass was intercepted by the Spartans’ defense Please Read SPARTANS, page A12 LEARNING Birthday wishes turn to birthday blessings SUTTON BOY GIVES INSTEAD OF RECEIVES FOR HIS BIRTHDAY BY GREG BARLOW ting when it comes to Corso earns NEWS CORRESPONDENT celebrating each of his ‘Commended SUTTON — Four birthdays. years ago, Freddy Sekyere hosts a Student’ status Sekyere, of Sutton, party each year around refused to accept any the time of his birth- Page A10 birthday presents for day, where people are his sixth birthday, encouraged to make an odd decision for a donations to the Sutton SPORTS young boy. Food Pantry. On Oct. Instead, he asked for 11, Sekyere will be donations to be made turning 10. As usual, to the Sutton Food he expects no gifts but Pantry. funds to be raised for Ever since, Sekyere the Sutton Food Pantry and his mother, instead. Kimberly Bernier, have Oct. 17 marks the Courtesy photos continued the tradition Kimberly Bernier and her son Freddy Sekyere, of Sutton, sitting in the Northbridge Town of giving instead of get- Please Read BIRTHDAY, page A14 Common (Kimberly was a former Northbridge resident of 18 years). Spartans score eight times to defeat David Douglas child conveys environmentally friendly message Prouty boys’ BY GREG BARLOW bears. parents, Colleen and knowledge of panda gest concern is that there soccer NEWS CORRESPONDENT “I was reading a book Mathew Piconso, Erin bears and the causes of are only 1,864 pandas left DOUGLAS — For the one day and found out set up a three-fold post- their endangerment. Her in the world. She hoped Page A12 last two Saturdays (Sept. that there were 1,864, and er board, filled with pic- goal was to raise as much to convey this message to 19 and Sept. 26), third there used to be so much tures and facts about money as possible to the at least 100 new people at grader Erin Piconso, of more than that,” said panda bears at her own World Wildlife Fund the Farmer’s Market this Contact the Douglas, has spent time Piconso. “I want people stand/table, which was (WWF). past Saturday. Tribune editor at the Douglas Farmer’s to learn how 1,864 pandas set up on the side of During her presenta- She made it a point Market to raise aware- isn’t as much as it once the Douglas Historical tions, Piconso was less to spread the word that at aminor@ ness of deforestation in was, and we should treat Society’s Jenckes Store. worried about the money bamboo cultivation often stonebridgepress.com Asia in efforts to raise the Earth better.” There, she present- and more focused on rais- funds to help save panda With the help of her ed and shared her vast ing awareness. Her big- Please Read PICONSO, page A14 2 • Friday, October 2, 2015 BLACKSTONE VALLEY TRIBUNE A big thank you for Faulkner TRIBUNE LOCAL VETERAN HONORED FOR SERVICE ALMANAC QUOTATION OF THE WEEK “I imagined myself being one of those foodless people. I wouldn’t want to be foodless and homeless. I know that must feel bad.” Joe Faulkner, third from left, holds the Joe Faulkner’s son, Isaiah, 2, is ready for his Courtesy photos $10,000 he received. birthday cake. - Freddy Sekyere, of Sutton, U.S. Army veteran Joe Faulkner, left, who commenting on the motivation recently moved to Charlton, was honored behind starting a tradition in with a surprise celebration by Fairway be better than living in a place where were hands on in bringing so many Mortgage last week. freedom originated?” agents and sponsors together for this which instead of receiving pres- For 15 years, Faulkner defended incredible event.” ents for his birthday, he instead freedom overseas, serving tours in Added Murphy, “He [Faulkner] was collects donations for the Sutton Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, and Africa. so impacted and moved that he and his BY KEVIN FLANDERS Food Pantry. NEWS STAFF WRITER Tasked with assisting Faulkner with family not only came up to the stage, the financing process for his new home but Joe took over and expressed his WORCESTER — After 15 years and in Charlton, the folks from Fairway gratitude for a sense of belonging in the seven tours of duty that took him Mortgage thought a little surprise party community.” around the world, recently retired U.S. was the least they could do to pay him It can be a challenging process for vet- OPEN TO CLOSE Army veteran Joe Faulkner decided to back for countless years of dedicated erans to reintegrate back into society, begin the next chapter of his life in cen- service. especially for those who have served Northbridge Town Manager tral Massachusetts. At the Sept. 16 event, Faulkner for more than a decade. Faulkner, who (508) 234-2095 And he had a lot of help in his tran- received $10,000 for home upgrades and started transitioning out of the Army Northbridge Town Clerk sition from the Fairway Independent a brand new John Deere tractor cour- a few months ago, has been thrilled (508) 234-2001 Mortgage Corporation branch in tesy of Fairway Mortgage’s American by how easily the process has gone Northbridge Middle School, Pleasant Auburn. Warrior Initiative. Faulkner’s son, and how welcoming the community has Street, Whitinsville (508) 234-8718 Faulkner was honored by Fairway Isaiah, received a John Deere tractor been to his family. He’s looking forward Northbridge Elementary School, 87 Mortgage at a surprise event on Sept. and trailer of a slightly smaller scale to getting to know the area better and, Linwood Ave., Whitinsville (508) 234- 16 at Worcester’s Beechwood Hotel. for his second birthday celebration, and of course, spending his first fall in New 5264 Originally from Evansville, Ind., everyone joined in singing happy birth- England. He is also eager to give back to Northbridge High School, Linwood Faulkner elected to settle down with his day to him. the community. Avenue, Whitinsville (508) 234-6221 wife, Sara, and son in Massachusetts for “Joe is very humble and an incred- “Fairway Mortgage has been very Balmer School, Crescent Street, several reasons. ible human being who made sacrifice helpful. It’s been a really smooth tran- Whitinsville (508) 234-8161 “The people in this area are very after sacrifice during his time in the sition for me and my family,” Faulkner Grammar & Primary Schools, Cross hospitable.