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2 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE APRIL 2020

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THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE 3 Time Out

his will likely be a different type of col - still a while and contemplate both their past technology grand?) one of those little social umn than what you usually get from behavior and what their future behavior media ‘sayings’ that appear every day. This Tme. I usually try to rely on a bit of humor should be. one looked at quarantine measures in a very and the general absurdity of some aspects of What my very wise spouse had realized positive way. It brought some things into life to scaffold one of these short groups of is that perhaps we adults should consider perspective for me. The wording was this: paragraphs. This time, the theme might this time of partial isolation from ‘normal’ “Getting outdoors, Not canceled. Music, seem a bit more serious, and I hope that is life and community as an opportunity to do Not canceled. Family, Not canceled. Read - okay. the same. We should not hoard, but we ing, Not canceled. Singing, Not canceled. Today I’d like to look past the astounding should value the things available to us in Laughing, Not canceled. Hope, Not can - ways our lives have been changing in such our great nation. We should not be selfish celed. Let’s embrace what we have.” abrupt fashion as they have in only the last but should find ways to assist those around We are hearing, day after day, that the fu - few weeks. Those things do amaze me, es - us who need assistance. We should not fear ture is uncertain regarding the coronavirus. pecially in their rapid succession. Our entire but find comfort and strength in our faith That, in its far-reaching effects, is obviously nation, our entire world has been, hopefully and family, as we always should have. true, at least so far. The virus, as the doctors temporarily, thrown into a worsening situa - One newsman that I was listening to the and scientists have said, will wash over our tion that is evolving with each new day. By other day said this is beginning to be re - nation before it subsides. We must hold on, the time you read these words many things ferred to as the ‘Big Pause,’ another way of hole up, and prepare for that. will have changed still more. expressing the idea of a ‘time out’. A per - Still, life is very good and much of that Only yesterday, as my wife and I sat here son’s conscience is often shaken and reset by goodness depends on our attitudes. I once in our own self-imposed partial quarantine, a time of adversity; perhaps this is also true read this quote by famous author Charles she mentioned the idea that perhaps our na - of the conscience of a nation. We do need to Swindoll: “I am convinced that life is ten tion is finding itself in the midst of a great find common ground in this fight against an percent what happens to me, and ninety ‘time out’. She and I almost daily babysit for invisible and common enemy, if we are to percent how I react to it. And so it is with our very active three-year-old granddaugh - win. A virus is no respecter of race, religion, you.” ter and are very familiar with the meaning sex, or political leanings. Stay safe, stay well, and stay optimistic of a time out, for sure. Those times are when My very wise wife also recently texted my friends. a child is disciplined by being forced to sit me, from the other end of the couch, (Ain’t

4 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE BOOK REVIEW By Richard Morchoe

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think By Hans Rosling with Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund Flatiron Books, 2018 Hardcover, 352 Pages ISBN-10: 1250107814 ISBN-13: 978-1250107817 It’s all good ... right?

ou want to like this book. With bad news As anyone who has seen his videos or read most in our region average out somewhat bet - everywhere in the media, it can only be a the book can see, he has gathered a lot of data ter, but it is where the “rich” consumer level Ypleasure to read someone who sees the world to back up his assertion of the progress to date starts. as getting better and has done research, a lot that gives him, he reasons, cause to assert the In Factfulness , he does show that the “devel - of it, to back up his contention. possible. oping,” or level 1 and 2 nations are progress - The man is Hans Rosling and his testament Hans begins the book by giving the reader ing. The bubble charts on the inside cover and to constant progress is Factfulness: Ten Reasons a test. This is kind of a spoiler alert and no rea - through the book are illustrative of that, but at We're Wrong About the World—and Why Things son not to read the book, but you will flunk it. his Gapminder website, the charts are ani - Are Better Than You Think. In this endeavor, he Why? Because the answers go against the mated. The one that starts at 1800 through was assisted by his son, Ola and daughter-in- worldview prevalent among people living in 2019 displays the progress even nations con - law Anna Rosling Rönnlund. the “developed” world. sidered benighted have made. Rosling's Factfulness uses graphing tech- From the quotes around the word in the last To illustrate, the US, Europe and Japan have niques to make his point and Youtube and Ted paragraph, you can assume the author has is - lifespans now just below or even above 80 Talk videos by him abound on the internet. sues with the term. Rosling does not like “de - years. Considering the starting point, things One must marvel that he became optimistic veloping countries.” He sees it as simple, but are constantly getting better as of the 2019 about the world at all. A medical doctor and misleading and would replace it by dividing chart. sword swallower, he traveled to places beset the world into four groups instead of the two. In 1800, on average people even in the two by unusual diseases and problems such as Rosling admits that is simple as well, but richest countries, The United Kingdom and Konzo, a malady resulting from the improper thinks looking at four levels of income gives a the Netherlands, did not live past 39.9 years. processing of a staple African foodstuff, cas- better picture of the world's condition. People The author points out that in the West, we sava, that leads somehow to cyanide poison- are classified by how much they make in dol - look at the so-called developing countries as ing. That should make anyone a pessimist. lars per day. Those on level 1 make only a places that will never “develop” past a lower However, the man never called himself an buck and up on level four, over $32. Granted, Next page optimist. Rather, he saw himself as a “possi- bilist.” People often call me an optimist, be- It's Y our Eq ui ty Home E quity L ine o f C red it cause I show them the enormous progress they didn't know about. That so g o a head a nd e njoy i t! makes me angry. I'm not an optimist. % That makes me sound naive. I'm a AP R* very serious “possibilist”. That’s 1.89 † No applic ation fee or closing c osts! something I made up. It means some- one who neither hopes without rea- Apply online or st op b y an y br anch t oda y. son, nor fears without reason, Uxbridge S outhbridge Sturbridge Charlt on Gr afton A uburn Simply BeHer . someone who constantly resists the Home E quit y Line of C redit (HEL OC ), APR = A nnual P er cen tage R ate. P roduc t a v. f or New HEL OC cust omers only and r equir es a S avers Bank check ing ac coun t overdramatic worldview. As a possi- set up with aut o-pa y f or the mon thly loan p ym t. Special disc oun ted r ate f or this HEL OC is cur ren tly 1.89% APR f or 12 mos ., then a v ar iable r ate of P rime + 0.00% (cur ren t APR 4.75%) f or the lif e of the line , subjec t t o min. in ter est r ate of 4.00% and max. in ter est r ate of 18.00%. The v ar iable r ate ma y change a t an y bilist, I see all this progress, and it fills time and adjustmen ts ar e made mon thly on the 1st calendar da y of each calendar mo . The inde x is the P rime R ate as pubg . in the WSJ in the M oney R ate Sec tion on the last business da y of each mo . The cur ren t P rime R ate is 4.75% as of 3/1/20. D ur ing the Dr aw P er iod pa ymen ts ar e in ter est only based on a vg. me with conviction and hope that fur- daily balanc e and in ter est r ate. D ur ing the R epa ymen t P er iod P aymen ts ar e F ix ed P rincipal amoun t plus in ter est due with a $50 min. p ym t. Ter m 20 yrs . (10 yr . Dr aw/10 yr . R epa ymen t). A bal . r emaining a t the end of the dr aw per iod will aut oma tically be set up on a 10 yr . r epa ymen t plan. M in. L oan A moun t $25,000/ ther progress is possible. This is not Max. L oan A moun t $500,000. O wner oc cupied r esiden tial pr oper ties only . B or row up t o 70% C ombined L oan To Value ( CL TV) based on tax assessed v alue or 80% CL TV with full appr aisal . L oan amoun ts g rea ter than $249,999 r equir e a full appr aisal . A ppr aisal c osts ar e paid b y bor rower and can r ange fr om $400- optimistic. It is having a clear and rea- $600. †No app . or closing f ees , char ges ma y apply if pr oper ty is held in trust . P ym ts . do not include tax es or insur anc e pr emiums . Homeo wners insur anc e and ood insur anc e wher e nec essar y, on the pr oper ty secur ing the line is r equir ed . Ear ly t er mina tion f ee of $500 applies if y ou pa yo and close the HEL OC within sonable idea about how things are. It 3 yrs . of the da te y ou sig ned the not e and mor tgage . Disc oun ted r ate is v alid as of 3/16/20 and is subjec t t o change a t an y time without notic e.

is having a worldview that is con- sa versbank .c om ∙ 800.649.3036 Member FDIC Member DIF Equal Housing L ender structive and useful.” THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE 5 Factfulness

From preceding page price.” level. Yet even there, progress is ongoing. As you drive along the roads of our region, Burkina Faso is a nowheresville most Western - Routes 9 or 20 or 67, there are many shuttered ers have never heard much about. It is still in Hans Rosling died factories where workers could once make relative poverty, but even there, things have of pancreatic cancer enough to have a house and support a family. gotten better. In 1800, lifespan was less than just as the book Those days are gone. 30 years, today it stands at more than 62. That was finished. Did the jobs go because they “had to be out - is impressive. Other statistics for health and Beset by health problems, he led sourced” or because they could be outsourced? income also show progress. a heroic life. Capital went where it could make the most money and politicians of both parties watched The Gapminder website has many graphs 1800 to three in 2017. This is a program that it happen. Tariffs on everything such as Smoot- and not just the bubble variety and they are began in the West in the Middle Ages and Hawley were counterproductive. Also, tariffs fun to get lost playing around with when you spread throughout the world. Of course, it rivalled slavery as a cause of the Civil War, but should be doing something else. had to be qualified with the word “Legal” as they were what protected the New England Rosling has many anecdotes of what is hap - there is a non-negligible amount of illegal Textile industry. pening and he is either optimistic or possibilist servitude out there unmentioned by Hans. There has been pushback against the Rosling that the best places for investment and According to a BBC Ethics Guide, there are family project. For example, Factfulness uses progress are the level 2 and 3 countries. He more slaves today than when it was legal, al - the 2010 population forecast for Africa. The does not go deep into cause and effect. Was beit at a smaller percentage of world popula - 2017 correction sees the continent's increase as the progress in other places organic, or did it tion. That no one in public life defends the 900 million. Not the slowdown the book proj - all just happen in the wake of “First World” institution is wonderful but the continued ex - ects. progress. istence means that there is no cause for a vic - This was noted in a critique by his country - The graphs on Pages 60-63 are a good place tory lap. man Christian Berggren, a Swedish professor of to look at this. The alphabet was invented mil - As an American, and a New Englander, industrial management. In his review, Good lennia ago and the spread of literacy was a some of what he writes tends to stick in my Things on the Rise: The One-Sided Worldview long slow process, but can be considered a nat - craw. On the top of Page 252 he starts: of Hans Rosling, Berggren takes issue with ural progression to rise from 10% in 1800 to “Decades ago, Western companies re - much of the statistics presented in the book. He 86% in 2016. The eradication of Smallpox to 0 alized that industrial production had too notes that the later projections undercut cases in 1979 is a monumental human tri - to be outsourced to the so-called Rosling's population assertions. umph, but was in origin and through comple - emerging markets on Level 2, where Berggren wrote, “The book contains a graph tion mostly a Western project. products could be manufactured at showing the decrease in hunger around the The first graph on Page 60 measures the de - the same quality for less than half the cline of Legal Slavery from 193 countries in world…” then observes, “Countering the graph presented in Factfulness, however, a report from UN World Food Program in September 2018 showed that the number of people suffering 1O@Q@N
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TUFWFTDPMMJTJPOOFU That said, it may be, not overly optimistic, but overly possibilistic. n 6 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE Coronavirus: Things That Always Happen in Epidemics

By Kenneth Rice, Ph.D. and blame are futile and even harmful. Sad to EXCLUSIVE TO THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE relate, that means that most press coverage of f I wanted to scare you about the extent of an an epidemic is useless or worse. epidemic, I'd make a picture like the one There's nothing to do about the press though. Ishown above. I’d start with a doom-laden, They’re always looking to get clicks and find black-and-gray world map, and I’d color the hot someone to blame. That makes news sites and zones an angry red. I’d make the hot zones rel - cable channels almost completely irrelevant to atively large compared to the actual number of stopping the epidemic, and that's where most cases, so they cover up a lot of real estate. For people get their news. The US CDC, UK NHS, example, in the image above, the big circle and WHO have plenty of up-to-date informa - around Asia covers a population of over 4 bil - First, once an outbreak — or any large disas - tion on the epidemic written in accessible lan - lion people but it represents (at the moment) ter, for that matter — occurs, press coverage in - guage. I believe you'll do much better if you go only 81,000 confirmed cases. The circle is there - evitably focuses on who should be blamed for right to those sources. fore about 57,000 times larger than it should be the damage. The virus doesn’t know or care The second thing that always happens is that if we wanted it to represent the true proportion who’s to blame. It’s an entirely soulless, re - governments always underestimate an epi - of cases in the Asian population. If we made the morseless, mechanical entity that spreads ac - demic’s current spread, and totalitarian govern - area of the circle proportionate to the number of cording to its own rules. If the epidemic keeps ments underestimate it intentionally and cases, it would be a few pixels across. A more spreading, the press fulminates against the gov - grotesquely. In a decent government, a certain realistic picture would display 100 or so red pix - ernment, saying that the methods in use are in - amount of this error is due to a government’s els scattered across Asia, with a slightly larger sufficient and incorrect. If the epidemic stops information lagging behind what’s happening red dot over Wuhan. spreading, the press turns on a dime and says on the ground, and that’s inevitable. That lag is Here’s the odd thing. The image above is the that the methods in use were excessive and un - particularly severe in less-developed countries. default display at the best realtime coronavirus necessary. They do it every time. That's true even if no-one in government has an site I’ve found. It’s at the Center for Systems Sci - Here’s the problem with naming and sham - intent to deceive. ence and Engineering at Johns Hopkins Univer - ing. What the virus does next depends entirely Totalitarian governments almost never say sity: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/ on what we do next, not on what we did last anything truthful about the extent of an out - opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd402 month. The first principle of epidemics is that break. Note that China has near-total control 99423467b48e9ecf6 you can’t treat one by changing the past. over its information networks, so who knows By all means, visit that page. It’s the best one- Processes like epidemics are therefore said to be whether the numbers out of China are any stop look at how the epidemic is progressing. "memoryless". What matters is that we under - good? They’re still useful as an estimate of the You can drill down into the data by clicking var - stand how a particular epidemic is behaving at minimum number of cases that are out there. ious buttons on the page. Just be aware that on - the present moment so we can change our be - When possible, it’s always good to fact-check line sources tend to present a worst-case havior in a way that minimizes its spread. government claims about a spreading epi - scenario. That’s the best you can do if you want to stop demic. You can do that, for example, by using Four things always happen in an epidemic an epidemic. All statements involving shame Next Page

THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE 7 Coronavirus

From previous page indirect methods based on sampling theory. Iran claims 10,075 cases as of this morning, but indirect sampling methods indicate that the total outbreak is likely tens of times larger than Iran is admitting. That's a story worth follow - ing over time. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/ 03/irans-coronavir... Again, glitches and delays in information processing can make even an honest govern - ment’s numbers wrong by a factor of two to four, but it likely takes serious governmental meddling to get the discrepancies that we see in Iran. The third thing that happens is that people always skip out of hot zones. You and I would too, probably, if the zone were hot enough and if we had a safe place to go. In fact, if things get bad enough, lots of us will leave the hot zone and a few of us will take the bug with us. There’s always a tension between maximizing individual health and public health. Maximiz - ing one usually doesn’t maximize the other. Getting out might optimize my health oppor - tunities, but it endangers public health. Never - theless, people are gonna skip out, even if they're guarded by armed troops. Count on it. Fourth, and this is an important one, an epi - demic’s spread rate depends on a host of social variables. The fundamental constant that you need to know when thinking about an epi - demic is the bug’s Basic Reproductive Rate, called R-naught and written as an R followed by a zero, R0. R-naught (hereafter R0) is the av - erage number of people who are infected by a single individual with the disease. In a naive and highly simplified view of an epidemic, R0 is a property of the bug itself, and some bugs are intrinsically much more contagious that others. On average, a single measles patient in - fects about 15 other people (!) because measles is a highly contagious disease. A single in - large R0 means that an epidemic spreads faster tive R0 in our environment is lower than it fluenza patient infects 2 or 3 others, which is a than one that has a smaller number. would be if we lived in large dormitories with much better number, though it's still high Humans live in complex environments and closely spaced rows of bunk beds. In fact, a lot enough to kill tens of thousands of people per human interaction is itself a complex system. of Chinese workers live in such dormitories, year. As far as we know, a single COVID-19 pa - What matters to us is the effective R0 in the en - and we would therefore expect the effective R0 tient in China infects 2 to 4 others. Let’s say that vironments we visit. If all of us live in detached in a Chinese working community to be much COVID-19’s R0 is 3, on average. If that’s the dwellings with individual bedrooms (as in higher than it would be in fancy commuter case, a single patient in China infects about posh residential communities such as New counties such as Westchester. three others if that person isn’t quarantined. A Rochelle in Westchester County, NY) the effec - Next page 8 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE From preceding page avirus patients infect less than 1 person apiece Turkey is surrounded by countries with multi - That said, New Rochelle and outlying on average, the epidemic is guaranteed to sput - ple outbreaks? Turkey also has 3.6 million Westchester County had 121 confirmed ter out. It's really that simple. refugees living in crowded camps, many of COVID-19 cases as of this morning — 82 cases Therefore, expect to see a lot more local quar - which have inadequate sanitation. They just the day before yesterday — and NY’s state antine announcements over the next few weeks. took in 100,000 new refugees from Syria last government just deployed its National Guard We’re looking at a multi-center epidemic. As you week. Coronavirus is all over the place in Syria. to create a one-mile containment zone around know, schools are shutting down all over the Is the Turkish government super-effective at the town. world, moving to online classrooms where they controlling contagious diseases? That’s what What happened in New Rochelle was that the have the technology to do so. they tell us. Do they have a lot of cases but virus got into a place of worship and about 70 peo - Latest zinger: Chinese researchers, publish - haven't discovered them yet? Are they lying? I ple were infected over the course of a few days. ing today in the peer-reviewed and highly re - honestly don’t know. Living in a posh place improves your chances, but garded British journal, The Lancet, looked at Finally: Tony Fauci, who is getting a lot of the virus may get in anyway. We can always im - 191 cases and found that patients were shed - airtime on the news channels lately, is a gen - prove our situation by keeping it out. ding virus particles (and were therefore able to uinely reliable guy who has an exquisite ability Here's the punch line. All reasonable meth - spread the disease) for an average of 20 days. to communicate specific information about epi - ods of limiting or ending an epidemic require That’s a week longer than we thought people demics without being hysterical about it. As reducing effective R0 in a given environment. could spread it yesterday. One patient was still much as any one person could be said to have Vaccines, quarantines, travel restrictions, hand shedding virus on the 37th day after infection. done so, Fauci was the guy who talked us sanitizers, and school closings are effective if That’s a game changer if it’s true. through the early years of of the HIV epidemic. they combine to bring R0 to a level less than 1.0. Exit question: Why is there exactly one re - He’s good at his job. When he talks, I pay at - n Another way of saying this is that if coron - ported Turkish COVID-19 case given that tention.

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9 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE Election 2020 Board of Selectmen candidate profiles

By Elisa Krochmalnyckyj “I love Sturbridge,” said Blanchard, who has come a dining destination, and a wedding Voters in the Monday, April 13 Town Election lived in town for 46 years. “It’s a great commu - destination. It works out great.” will be asked to choose two of three candidates for nity.” After 12 years on the Board of Selectman, Board of Selectmen — incumbent Mary Blanchard, One of the best things about Sturbridge is preceded by 6 years on the Zoning Board of newcomer Ian Dunnigan and incumbent Priscilla that it’s appealing to both insiders and out - Appeals and many years as registrar of voters, Gimas. All other candidates are unopposed. Polls are siders, she said. Blanchard would like to think she had a role open form 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. “I love when people hear I’m from Stur - in Sturbridge’s acclaim. Just a role. bridge, and they say ‘Oh, I love Sturbridge! It’s “I never consider anything my own ac - MARY BLANCHARD so nice. We’ve been to the Village,’” Blanchard complishment,” she said. “Everything is a de - Mary Blanchard is running for her fifth term said. “And more and more lately, people talk cision of the board. I have been chairman for, as a selectman for one reason: about their dining experience. We’ve really be - gosh, maybe 10 years, but even at that, I only facilitate meetings. I do think the board works well together, and we get things done.” That’s especially true of the town’s $35 mil - lion budget, which is the root of the town’s stability, and the bane of Blanchard’s select - manship. “The thing I’m most proud of is always the budget, because a good budget means having a solid financial situation,” Blanchard said, then laughed. “But the budget season, which we’re in right now, is my least favorite part of my job. And my favorite part of my job is when budget season is over.” Still, the budget is the most critical part of the town’s ability to be a place residents and visitors love. “We have an outstanding fire department, police department, school system, and we have great people working for the town,” Blanchard said. “And that all costs taxes, which is why it’s all about the budget.” Of course, there are always complaints, and that’s okay, Blanchard said. “There isn’t a town in the whole state where the people say ‘oh, my taxes are just right,’” she said. “I do wish that before com - plaining on Facebook or complaining to us, they’d come to a meeting or two to get the facts, because sometimes the facts are different than they thought.” High on Blanchard’s list of priorities — which is alway tempered with the knowledge that progress is always slow — is continuing improvements on the “Commercial Tourist District” which is Route 20 from New Boston Road to Route 148. “I think the visual picture that the town presents to people driving through is impor - tant,” she said. “Our Main Street has some Next page 10 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE Next page

nice places, and some that aren’t quite as nice. having alliances, I don’t have any one group of town waiving his tie-in and connection fees, There are plans on revitalizing that, but it people I feel I should support more than other,” which were significantly less than $2.4 mil - doesn’t happen overnight. Like everything else, he said. lion. it costs money.” Having someone from the next generation Selectmen rejected the proposal in a 4-1 Blanchard hopes that voters allow her to stay will allow that generation to carry Sturbridge vote. Gimas was the only one who wanted to on the board. forward, Dunnigan said. accept the proposal. “I feel that I have the experience and the his - “We love this town,” he said. “It’s why we “I stood alone in support of it,” she said. torical background to contribute a lot,” she said. moved here. I was working in Marlborough “The town of Sturbridge has spent thousands “And I really enjoy it.” f and my wife was working in East Hartford, and thousands on studies about how to de - and we drew a circle around the towns in the velop Route 15, but when any possible devel - IAN DUNNIGAN middle — Sturbridge, Charlton and Oxford. opment comes, it is met with immense Candidate Ian Dunnigan has no agenda, no We rented here for a year, loved it, and found resistance.” preconceived notions, no groups he’s rallying our house on Cedar Street.” Gimas has always been an advocate of behind — and that’s why he believes he’d be a Dunnigan, now the sales manager of Bay broadening the tax base by adding more busi - good choice for Board of Selectmen. State Brewing in Worcester, is happy he landed nesses, because the bigger the tax base, the “I think I bring a fresh perspective and rep - in Sturbridge. lower each tax bill is, she said. resent the newer people,” said Dunnigan, who “The tax rates are pretty high, which I don’t “My favorite part of being a selectman is moved here seven years ago. “Being a new - mind because I moved to town for its good finding ways to alleviate tax burdens for res - comer and being younger, I am part of the school system,” he said. “I like Sturbridge’s lo - idents and businesses,” she said. “And I have changing demographic of Sturbridge.” cation, its trails, so many things.” always supported tax-deferred financing, so Dunnigan, 31, is clear that he sees no need That said, it would be nice to have the tax those businesses can get a head start and not for major change, and has nothing but nice rate at least level out, he said. be worried about being saddled with taxes.” things to say about Sturbridge. “I would like to keep all of those things we Gimas supported such financing for the “I love the town the way it is,” he said. have, but look for new commercial tax revenue Publick House’s new hotel, and for the Holi - “That’s why my wife and I moved here.” instead of raising the taxes more every year,” day Inn Express development. Dunnigan has no political background or he said. “And I think it is important that while “I think that development of New Boston history of serving on boards or commissions. we’re doing that, we preserve the historical side and Route 20 is such a pleasant view now — He didn’t think about being a candidate until of Sturbridge because that’s a big part of our so much nicer than it was before — and I am he saw that the only people running in this draw.” f very happy with that,” she said. “And I also year’s selectmen race were the unopposed in - supported allowing the Panera on Boston cumbents. PRISCILLA GIMAS Road to be built with a drive-through.” “I have seen some things gone on with Priscilla Gimas would love to continue the Next on Gimas’ list of places to develop is board, and I felt like it was time to have some - kind of work she’s been doing on the Board of the old truck stop on Route 20, just past Hall one new in, maybe have another perspective,” Selectmen since she was first elected to it in Road. he said. “When I didn’t see anyone else doing 2011. “I would like to see something there,” she it, I decided I would run.” “First and foremost, my biggest concern said. “Something that is viable, maybe a Dunnigan prides himself on objectivity and right now is the Coronavirus and the uncer - small-scale supermarket like Trader Joe’s, or middle-of-the-road views, which he thinks tainty it is creating for everyone,” Gimas said. a specialty shop, something that will help us would serve the board and the Sturbridge com - “My priority is to find ways to help, including retain the character of Sturbridge.” munity well. by delaying tax bills, or extending the day taxes Gimas is proud of all of the things she’s be “I tend to be in the middle on everything,” he are due by 90 days. Now, more so than ever, we able to be a part of over the past three terms, said. “I first take in what everyone says, then I have to help our community.”” from assisting tornado victims to helping the make what I think is best is the best choice for In addition, Gimas, running for her fourth town to adopt the town’s formal water everyone, for the present time, and for the future.” term, wants to continue doing what she be - reguGimas priorities include keeping tax rates Being politically unencumbered and politi - lieves she does best as a selectman — support - as low as possible. cally independent means Dunnigan would not ing businesses. “A lot of people are struggling, especially come in with any preconceived notions or per - Gimas talked about a proposal last fall that now,” she said. “Not everyone in Sturbridge sonal biases, he said. would have allowed the new owner of the old brings in a half-million in income. We need to “Lot of people have groups they are part of, Yogi Bear campground to pay for a $2.4 million make it affordable to live here.” n but with not having kids in town yet, and not sewer line along Route 15, in return for the

THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE 11 What’s your roast? By Elvis Dyer Owner/Roster hy do coffees taste so much differ - • Light Roast: This roast is light brown Sturbridge Coffee Roasters Southbridge and Dudley ent? Some may be bright and fruity in color with no oil on the surface of these wWhile others are dark and chocolatey. Cof - beans because they are not roasted long fees can taste more intense than others, not enough for the oils to break through to the necessarily because of the origin or climate surface. the beans grew in, or how the beans are • Medium Roast: This roast is medium processed (although these factors do play a brown in color with a stronger flavor and a part). The most noticeable flavor of the cof - non to light-oily surface. fee is usually determined by the roast. • Dark Roast: produces shiny black Roasting beans is an art and science. Each beans with an oily surface and a pro - roaster uses their own temperatures, meas - nounced bitterness. The darker the roast, urements and methodologies. The goal in the less acidity will be found in the coffee coffee roasting is to enhance the qualities of beverage. Dark roast coffees run from the green coffee beans and to develop them slightly dark to charred. to their fullest potential. Each bean has its Light and dark roasts are the first indica - own unique flavor profile that the roaster tor as to what your coffee is going to taste enhances during the process. For example, like. bringing out a citric flavor or enhancing the Light roasted coffee is processed with

chocolate notes. Generally, roasters will less heat than a dark roast. During the bring the beans to roasting levels such as: roasting process, the process forces water

12 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE

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and moisture out of the bean by evapora - and experimenting with different brews tion. Since light roasted beans aren’t left in is the only way to truly taste the differ - the roasting machine for as long as dark ences. roasted beans, they’re left with more mois - If you’re trying to figure out which ture inside the bean, rendering it denser. roast is for you, generally, light roast cof - This denser coffee bean provides more caf - vor. The complexities found in a lighter fees have a thinner body and more deli - feine, more brightness (sometimes called roast coffee start to disappear the longer the cate flavors. Dark roast coffees are more “acidity,” but not actually chemically beans are roasted. full-bodied with bolder and more acidic), and more fruit-forward, herbal fla - Dark roast coffee is often described as straight-forward flavors. vors. There is more complexity in a light having flavors reminiscent of caramel, And remember, the flavor of a coffee roast coffee, however the body is thinner roasted nuts, coffee and graham crackers. bean peaks within a few days and de - than that of a dark roast. And yes, there is Since dark roast are roasted long enough to creases rapidly when exposed to air, more caffeine in a light roast, which is why develop their oils and bring them to the sur - light and humidity. We recommend you you often see light roast “Breakfast Blends” face, the body of your coffee will be thicker. purchase whole beans and fresh-grind to give you the morning pick me up needed. The best way to truly appreciate the dif - as needed and store them in a cool, dry Dark roast coffee beans are roasted for a ferences between a light roast and a darker place in a container with a tight-closing longer time and often at a higher tempera - roast is to sample each and figure out what lid. When brewing, make sure your ture. During this process, the beans lose you like more. A dark roast of a certain equipment is completely clean, as old more moisture, making them less dense, country does not mean it will have a bolder coffee oils can impart a bitter flavor to a less caffeinated, and more single-note in fla - flavor. The flavor could be totally different new brew. n

THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE 13 “We take in anything that is vilified’ Big Hair Animal Rescue: not your typical animal rescue sanctuary

By Elisa Krochmalnyckyj Sturbridge’s Big Hair Animal Rescue isn’t your typical rescue sanctuary. “We take in anything that is vilified: pit bulls, chihuahuas, hounds, chows — the chows are where the name ‘Big Hair’ comes from,” said founder Jessica Specter. “Even snakes, but it is mostly dogs. They come to us because they are either facing a dangerous-dog hearing, or facing euthana - sia, or maybe because their owner has to move.” What makes Big Hair so successful — it has rescued 1,000 pets — are the families who foster newly arrived dogs, said Specter, who last November moved Big Hair from Southbridge to the home she bought on Fairview Park Road. “When you foster a dog, you are helping © 2020 Sturbridge Times photos by Elisa Krochmalnyckyj it with the transition from a shelter envi - Above, dogs welcomed to Big Hair Animal Rescue and enjoying time there; at right, Jessica Specter gets a kiss from her Chihuahua Bosco, ronment to a home environment,” Specter a former stray who created the spiral effect that wound into Big Hair Animal Rescue. Specter adopted Bosco 11 years ago. said. “That’s not just for the dog to learn, but for the family to further evaluate the her family’s dog, a rescue hound-mix “The biggest thing with Jessica is that dog and see who would be suitable for the named Chance. she looks at things from the animal’s per - dog to live with. A family with kids? With All but one of the dogs the Georges fos - spective, and finds people who suit the an - other dogs? Cats? Does it need a home tered ended up being adopted by forever imal,” she said. “She really, really gets to with a yard? Does it have food aggression? families when they left. The exception was know each animal, and works with them, Things like that.” Allie, a Boston Terrier mix who came to the and gets to know their strengths, their Volunteer Christie George, with lots of Georges as a 12-week-old puppy. weaknesses, their quirks, everything about help from her now-12-year-old twin boys, “She was our ‘foster fail,’” George said, them. And she shows such respect for has fostered a half dozen of Big Hair’s then laughed. “That’s what it’s called in every one of them.” dogs in her Shepherd Road home in the this business when you end up adopting Specter has a few of her own “foster past two years. Her first foster was to test George said she has seen Specter “work fails” and other keepers, including Lacey. if it would be good to get a playmate for magic.” Next page

14 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE From previous page said. “I fostered for five rescue groups for Lacey is a chow-shepherd mix that Specter about five years, and that’s when I realized rescued two years ago after Lacey, who that it would make more sense to do it on was allowed to roam by her owner, had my own.” several incidents of biting. Lacey was sub - Along with the rescue component of Big ject to a dangerous-dog hearing, and was Hair, there is “Big Hair Pet Care,” which turned over to Big Hair. provides dog-walking and dog-training “Lacey is one of my favorites — as it services to help Specter make ends meet ends up she is very maternal, and she and keep her schedule open for her res - helps with raising the puppies that come cuees. through here,” Specter said. “There is such Specter’s boyfriend, Richard Finch, is also on board at Big Hair. irony in having this deemed-dangerous Jessica Specter with Bosco dog with a bite history lovingly rearing “I met him because I worked with his puppies. It makes my heart smile.” structure and routine, the dogs thrive with mother, she has a rescue group out of Specter’s conversation is peppered with that as well.” Arkansas,” she said. “Richard is very dog- admonishments like “Oh Rocco, no,” and Specter was rescuing so-called “un- savvy. It’s kind of a must with me.” “Quiet Daisy…good girl!” adoptable” dogs long before she started Most of Specter’s career was in working Specter apologized. Big Hair — in fact, it’s why she started Big with homeless adults with addiction and “It’s raining,” she explained. “We are Hair. mental health issues,. The fundamentals usually outside. I’ve learned that just like I “I began working at a kennel years ago, that she used in that field are the same fun - Page 22 do better when I exercise and have a daily and I began fostering in my home,” she

THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE 15 r MUSINGS FROM LONG HILL s SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

BY RICHARD MORCHOE

his month, there is no story other than also known as the Great Recession was ex- Tthe Covid-19 or Coronavirus, or what- perienced as a bad dream, but was no col- LEGAL ever it will be called next week. There is lapse. other news, but even that is completely dom- Nine-eleven was immense, but as bad as BRIEF inated by the emergency. it was, nobody expected swarms of planes This virus is what Nassim Nicholas Taleb crashing into buildings on an ongoing ROBERT A. GEORGE, ESQ. might call a Black Swan. basis. STURBRIDGE ATTORNEY Mr. Taleb is the author of a book with the None of it compares to what is happen- M O N T H L Y L E G A L A D V I C E title Black Swan. As I have not read it, my ing currently because the outcome is, as of F O R R E A D E R S O F knowledge of what Taleb means by that is now, so unknown and uncertain. T H E S T U R B R I D G E T I M E S M A G A Z I N E second hand and imperfect. In popular parl- The last condition, concocting an "expla- ance at least, it is taken to mean something nation that makes it appear less random, Attractive Nuisance completely unexpected, but more than that. and more predictable..." will probably hap- According to the book review website, pen, but might one not ask the question, Goodreads: why, after SARS and other events, was the Back in 1871 a child climbed aboard a cart left "A black swan is a highly improbable possibility of a virus not anticipated? unattended in the street, fell and hurt himself, event with three principal characteristics: It The Trump administration has taken which is why we put fences around our pools. is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; heat for having shut down the National Se- The judge in the lawsuit resulting from the and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation curity Council directorate for Global Health child’s fall established what has become known as that makes it appear less random, and more Security and Biodefense and thus not being the “attractive nuisance doctrine,” which holds property owner liable for injuries to children who predictable, than it was." ready for the next pandemic. It was put in are lured onto their land by, well, an attractive nui - The first two conditions are met. In my place after Ebola happened. That depart- sance. life, to date, this is the most unexpected event ment may or may not have made a differ- The doctrine spread from England, where the ever, and I am old enough to remember a lot. ence, but because it was abolished, we can't child fell off the cart, to the United States, when a The impact is huge. know. child’s legs was crushed by an unsecured railroad The crash of '87 was the biggest one day Any government office, the longer it is turntable. It has been adopted by many states, in - Dow Jones Average drop ever and as it was around, becomes more sensitive to political cluding Massachusetts, which passed as statute out - happening, the anxiety was palpable. Yet the considerations. Trump was castigated by lining what a child must prove to get money for an recovery was quick. some for stopping air travel from China. injury. The Subprime Mortgage Crisis of 2008, Not too many are still questioning that, but He must show the landowner should have known there are children around and that there is something unsafe on his property that might attract them. For instance, swimming pools, discarded refrigerators, abandoned cars, holes in the ground, electrical wires . . . Sadly, as the list grows, so do the There is no age beyond which the doctrine won’t apply. Rather, the court looks to see whether the person injured was a of such a tender age that they couldn’t appreciate or understand the danger of the nuisance that tempted him onto the landowner’s property. Local Writer Landowners have some defense. They can argue Send resume and one clip that they took reasonable steps to eliminate the dan - in confidence to ger, or to prevent trespass and secure the nuisance. They can also argue that the cost of eliminating the [email protected] nuisance was high as compared to the risk to the children. That last argument, however, is a tough one to make against a child who lost a leg, or worse. 16 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE

would a directorate have acted as decisively as ingly so. the country to pollinate crops so that American a man who is oft accused of being a law unto So, the government can learn and when in - consumers can enjoy a bountiful harvest of himself? stitutional memory works, may, if not perform fruits and vegetables. It is the most efficient Our official think tank, The Long Hill Insti - splendidly, at least rise to the occasion. way to provide this necessary service, but it tute for the Study of Debacles has long relied Is that happening now? It was encouraging comes with a cost. on Vaughan's Law to explain the foibles of to hear Governor Cuomo say nice things about If there is a disease among honey bees in one regimes. Dick Vaughan, entrepreneur and po - Trump and Trump trying, somewhat, to sound place, migratory bees will carry it everywhere. litical activist and member of Governor Mike a little statesmanlike, but time will tell. The varroa mite arrived in the US in 1987 and Dukakis' administration arrived at the conclu - Though none of us know the end, there will was dispersed throughout the country quickly. sion, "There will always be a government, but probably be enough of us around to keep civi - The migratory beekeepers took it every - nobody knows how to run a government." lization going. Are there any lessons to learn? where and the economic cost is vast. We, at the Long Hill Institute stole that dic - The Long Hill Institute posits that we may West Nile virus? Notice they don't call it tum and claim it as our own, but, that being have to rethink Globalization. West Quinebaug or West Quaboag. Migration said, the government does sometimes learn. Offshoring means cheaper goods for the means a good chance of disease spreading all The Federal Emergency Management consumer, but relying on foreign suppliers for through a nation. Agency or FEMA took a lot of flak for its per - critical items, such as drugs and those masks Along the trade route known as the Silk formance responding to Hurricane Katrina may not be wisdom. Road, many Asian luxuries, such as, oddly during the younger President Bush's adminis - The benefits of free or freer trade and migra - enough, silk, came to Europe in the Middle tration. In the November, 2017 issue of this tion are touted by the government and media, Ages, but that was not all. magazine, we reported how a relative was but there is a cost. The Bubonic Plague came with the trading. drafted from another federal department to As a beekeeper, your columnist has seen it Also known as the Black Death, it cut the Eu - work with FEMA as it responded to Hurricane become more difficult since he began. One ropean population like a scythe. An estimated Harvey. My cousin came away impressed cause of that has been migratory beekeeping. 60% died. There was no way to tell it was com - Next page with the performance of the agency, surpris - That is the practice of colonies moving through

17 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE Morchoe column HEALTH&FITNESS greater sturbridge’s fitness expert From previous page By Julie Gerrish ing and no way to know how to treat it. Talk PERSONAL TRAINER about a black swan. JULIE GERRISH FITNESS, STURBRIDGE International travel is not going to stop, but the burden of proof that you are not carrying a communicable disease should be on the trav - eler and the government of the country of ori - A disease-busting diet gin, and it should be strict. Covid-19 is serious business and we should not believe something s I write this, we are in the throes of potent effect on the body as a cancer in - else won't occur later. panic and uncertainty over the coron - hibitor. The migratory bees were vectors for the Aavirus, COVID-19, and people are hunkering Stem cell growth is another of the body’s mites. As the crisis continues, we social dis - down and trying to stay healthy as we hear defense systems. Stem cells are special cells tance so we do not become vectors. about more and more people succumbing to that can develop into many different cell Lest we get on a blame Asia kick, pathogens a disease that we know very little about and types, such as muscle cells, skin cells or brain have arisen in this country. Eastern Equine En - have nothing specific to treat it with. cells. They also have the ability to repair cephalitis was first recognized in horses here in Like you, I am willing to do whatever I damaged tissues. We have stem cells present Massachusetts in 1831. The first human case can to try to either avoid getting this disease in our body throughout our life that our was discovered in New England in 1938. Score at all, or to try to fight it off with my immune body calls upon when it needs them for re - one for the home team. system to get better quickly. What we eat pair to damaged cells, such as those dam - The infamous Spanish Flu may or may not and drink has a very big impact on our aged by cancer, an injury or another illness have a US origin, but the first known case was health. like arthritis or Parkinson’s Disease. Sugar is on an army base in Kansas in 1918, far away Dr. William W. Li focuses on the different said to reduce stem cell growth. Age, drink - from the Iberian Peninsula. ways food helps the body repair itself in his ing, diabetes, and smoking are some factors So, let's be responsible and keep our distance book, “Eating to Beat Disease.” He says the that can damage stem cells. There are several and wash our hands and that should have body has five built-in defense systems to foods that promote the growth of stem cells, some good effect, or not. fight off infection and disease. such as blueberries, broccoli, ginger root, The big question is can we really deal with Angiogenesis is the process our body goes nuts and seeds, mushrooms and fatty fish the unknown. President Carter said the energy through to grow and maintain blood vessels. and seafood. crisis was the moral equivalent of war. It was - Blood vessels deliver oxygen and other nu - The microbiome, our body’s host of bacte - n't. trients to our organs. When abnormal blood ria, is another key part of our body’s defense The last world war saw the nation go over vessels grow, they will deliver oxygen and system. When we refer to “gut health,” we to an effort of almost the whole people in a "we nutrients to microscopic cancers, which are are talking about the 100 trillion or so bacte - are all in this together" spirit, at least officially. always growing in our body. In a healthy ria, yeasts and viruses that live in the diges - Can we survive when we are all in this to - body, the blood vessels know which area to tive tract. These microbiomes actually help gether separately? At one of his pressers, the supply blood to and will effectively “starve” our bodies stay healthy by breaking down president said the crisis itself could last until the cancers so they don’t grow into tumors. potentially toxic food compounds and syn - July or August. Other estimates say even later. Keeping this balance in the circulatory sys - thesizing certain vitamins and amino acids That is a long time to spend with only your tem is known as homeostasis. for absorption by the body. Eating foods nearest and dearest. Did you know that your body forms mi - called prebiotics feed our microbiomes. How long before the citizenry decides to croscopic cancers all the time? According to Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains break curfew? n Li, studies of the deceased show about 40% such as wheats, oats and barley are good Right now of women 40-50 years old have microscopic sources of prebiotics. Probiotics like yogurt, is the time to breast cancers, 50% of men 50-60 years old kefir and other fermented foods such as kim - listen have microscopic prostate cancers, and 100% chi, pickled vegetables and kombucha (fer - to physicians of people in their 70’s have microscopic thy - mented tea) can increase the levels of roid cancers. microbiomes in the body. and scientists. Li says eating lots of fruits, herbs, vegeta - The fourth system of defense is DNA pro - bles and spices, such as berries, grapes, soy - tection. A recent publication on Turn off the politicians. beans, garlic and parsley can inhibit sciencedaily.com (“DNA protection, inch by But remember EVERYTHING abnormal blood vessel growth by over 60%, inch”) says that “DNA within reproductive in November. and combining these foods has an even more Next Page 18 THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE

April: Planning a family day hike By Tom Chamberland Associate Member, Sturbridge Trail Committee

ith the sun finally starting to shine and BEFORE YOU GO -- Insulation (extra clothing). dry out our trails, and your kids get 1. Choose the right trail. -- Sun protection (sunglasses, sunscreen, Wbored being home all the time due to Covid Think about your experience and fitness and hat). 19, may I suggest a family day trip into the levels, and those of your family. Shorter, flatter -- Knife or leather man. great outdoors? Bringing children along on a hikes are the most universally enjoyable. If -- Illumination (headlamp and/or flash - hike might seem daunting, but with the right you bring children, choose trails where it is light and extra batteries). preparation, hiking can be a lot of fun for easy to turn back, in case the kids can't hike as -- Nutrition (extra food). them and for you, and getting outdoors as a far as you expected. For children, it's more -- First-aid supplies. (Including child med - family unit, is good therapy for these Covid – about the journey than the destination. Look ications and Benadryl) 19 times. Although we have several great for trails that have features to engage children -- Hydration (extra water). places in town to take a hike, I have broad - along the way. That doesn't mean lookouts - -- Fire source (waterproof matches, lighter, ened these suggestions for a wider range of children aren't as interested in pretty views as candles, etc.). hiking experiences. Use these few basic tips adults are; instead, think waterfalls or bridges -- Whistle. to have a safe and healthy day outside with across creeks, where they can stop and look the whole family. for frogs and bugs. 4. Pack with kids in mind 2. Dress appropriately Be sure to pack child-friendly versions of Diet Checking the weather is about more than such items as sunscreen and insect repellent. knowing whether the sun will be out. The Also, that extra clothing can come in handy From previous page warmer the day, the better the kids will enjoy with children who like to play in mud puddles cells is protected through a clever system of it. If you cannot go out for a full day, try just so bring a plastic bag for wet or dirty clothes. find and destroy.” The article says that “a ½ a day, preferably a warm sunny afternoon. Engage your children in the packing process, team of scientists discovered how cells pro - Clothes should breathe, go for synthetic fab - especially when choosing what food or snacks duce tiny pieces of RNA—called piRNA— rics (remember cotton kills) that wick mois - to bring. They absolutely will need to eat out that identify and silence ‘jumping genes’: ture away. Worried about blisters? Wear two there for energy, so you want to make sure that genes that are able to …alter or disrupt the ge - pair of socks. they're totally sold on what you've got for netic code.” Dr. Li says that we have over 3. Pack for safety. them. A great family project of making your 60,000 mutations in our DNA daily, but our -- Navigation (map, compass and GPS, if own trail mix can be a fun pre- trip activity. A DNA can fix itself to stop those mutations. you have one). Page 21 Some of Dr. Li’s picks for DNA protection are leafy greens, kiwis and extra virgin olive oil made with Greek Koroneiki olives. The fifth and final defense, the immune system, is a complex interworking of cells, tis - sues and organs all working together to fight off diseases and other foreign invaders. You can definitely boost your immune system re - sponse by getting lots of sleep, exercise, and eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes lots of (preferably organic) fresh fruits and vegetables, fatty fish and shellfish, anti-in - flammatories such as ginger and turmeric, green tea, yogurt, and nuts and seeds. During this time of uncertainty and feelings of helplessness surrounding the coronavirus, take charge of your diet, exercise and sleep routine to give yourself the best immune sys - tem you possibly can. n THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE 19 YARDWORKS Caring for what grows in your yard By Tom Chamberland, ISA/TRAQ Is it time to consider Victory Gardens?

ith all the recent events around lands – supermarket shelves are always develop. Loose leaf lettuce, chard, kale this COVID-19, I thought it would full. A whole generation of young people spinach, endive and pac choi are all leafy Wbe an opportunity to bring back an “old know it no other way. History is cyclical, greens well suited for this type of harvest - idea” Victory Gardens. Many of us may the strong economy of the 2000.s has ing, a group that one could call “cut and have watched a PBS series “The Victory begun to weaken, and this may be a lesson come again” vegetables. Garden.” Did you know that this initially to be learned from the past. Second, consider a planting strategy, was a Government promoted program This may now be a good time to plant which will make more efficient use of the during World War II? The world was at your own "Victory Garden". I have over space. Interplanting one crop with another war. Resources of all kinds were being these past years written a lot about gar - is such a strategy. Planting a fast growing diverted to support the war efforts. Our dens and vegetables, here is a primer that radish with a slow growing onion or carrot government asked their citizens to help pulls it all together. A Victory Garden does is an example. Another way is planting in every way that they could. (sound not have to be large, so let’s “dig in” to lettuce between rows of tomato plants. somewhat familiar?) maximize yields from a small space. There is plenty of room, and the lettuce Americans dutifully funded the war The first thing to consider is an appro - will actually do better with the shade pro - effort by purchasing bonds, conserving priate selection of crops. The best vegeta - vided by the tomato plants. raw materials, many recycled, rallied be - bles for a small garden should have high Third consider succession planting, a hind the troops, helped their neighbors, yields per space unit, or provide a contin - technique where a second crop is planted they gave their lives, and they planted uous crop over a long period to time. is planted in the small space after another "Gardens for Victory". Tomatoes are a good example, a large crop has been harvested. For example, an Victory Gardens came in every shape number of fruit from a single plant with a early season crop like spinach, radishes, and size. Governments and corporations continuous harvest from July thru Septem - lettuce, and peas are harvested beets, promoted this call for self-reliance. Peo - ber. Broccoli is another good example. beans turnips or carrots can be planted in ple in all areas, rural and urban alike, After the primary head is harvested, leav - the same space. The idea is to not let any worked the soil to raise food for their ing the plant in place will encourage side space go unplanted through the growing families, friends, and neighbors. Victory shoots with small heads of broccoli. season. gardening enabled more supplies to be Harvesting crops frequently and not let - Next, look up! The use of vertical space shipped to our troops around the world. ting them get overly ripe will keep the should not be overlooked when trying to These concepts may now seem to be plants productive for longer periods. save space in the garden. Vine crops in - foreign to us in this global economy. For Summer squash and cucumbers are two cluding peas, pole beans, cucumbers, win - years we have been bombarded by mar - good examples, and as a bonus, smaller ter squash and cantaloupes can be grown keting messages of consumerism, re - fruits are usually tastier, more nutritious on a fence or trellis. Tomatoes can be liance on others, and have experienced and have smaller seeds. The harvest sea - grown in tall wire cages made from con - nearly constant economic growth with a son for leafy greens can be extended by crete wire or staked rather than being al - growing reliance on food grown in other continuing to cut off young leaves as they Next Page OUR C OFFEE BEANS ARE FRESH RO ASTED IN SOUTHBRIDGE FOUNDED IN STURBRIDGE IN 2004 5SVTU
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From page 19 place, but it's best to have a backup plan. Cell means climbing to the top of the mountain or good lunch will include fruit, and sandwiches phones are helpful but are not enough, as getting all the way to the lake and back. Set a with ingredients that won't perish quickly in service can be spotty and batteries can die. reasonable goal for your children to be com - a backpack. Be sure to pack out what you Have a plan and share it! Always let someone fortable and safe, be flexible, you may have don't eat, even fruit pieces such as apple cores. know when and where you are going, and planned for a two mile hike, and only get a Many of us in the outdoors are espousing the when you plan to return. Call that person quarter of a mile. Think of this as a successful “leave no trace” ethic; carry out everything when you get home. If you don't call, your day, because sometimes that just happens. Pa - you carry in. To learn more about Leave no contact person will know to report that you're tience and flexibility are really important trace visit: http://lnt.org/learn/7-principles missing. If you do become lost, stay put. It’s when out with children. One way to extend has been well documented, lost people walk your hike is to motivate your children by say - ON THE TRAIL in circles. It's better to just sit and wait it out. ing things like, "We're going to come to a 5. Avoid becoming lost; and if you do be - bridge and when we get to the other side of come lost, know how to be found. 6. Watch your step, watch for animals the creek, we're going to stop and have an en - Knowing how to read and follow a topo - Trails along hillsides often have drop-offs, ergy bar." graphical trail map and using a compass can besides looking out for yourselves, it's crucial help you avoid becoming lost in the first to keep children away from exposed areas. 9. Make it an adventure Hold their hands in dangerous spots, and find A few supplies can turn a regular hike into Victory Gardens other creative ways to keep them close, so that an exciting adventure for children. Bring a even on flat ground they stay on the trail. magnifying glass so they can examine objects From previous page Walk with one adult in front of a child and one they find and a sketchbook so they can do leaf lowed to sprawl over the ground. adult behind. That keeps them in view in case rubbings or draw a cool tree or insect. Stop for Finally, even when you think there is no they trip. Although rare, animal encounters a few moments in silence and listen to the space for a vegetable garden it may still be can happen, especially if the animal is rabid. sounds of the forest. Children who are old possible to grow some vegetable crops. How The safe thing to do is make loud noises and enough might want to carry their own small about selecting bush or dwarf varieties of veg - back away rather than turn and run away, try backpacks, with water and a snack. Finally, re - etables and grow them in a container on the to make yourself look bigger by holding your member that everything is better with a deck or patio? Also consider that some plants arms above your head. If you have small chil - friend. Scouting recommends a “buddy sys - have some ornamental features that can be in - dren with you, hold onto them. Don't crouch tem” so consider inviting one of your chil - corporated into the landscape. Red leaf let - or turn your back and don’t scream! Talking dren’s friends along too. tuce, herbs such as sage, chives, basil, and or whistling is usually enough to keep wild Taking your family out for a day hike can parsley can be used as edging plants for animals at bay. Black bears only attack people be great way to enjoy the outdoors. Although flower beds or planted with low growing if they are surprised or have cubs with them, many of our open space lands are not so large perennials in a mixed border. so if a bear does appear, stay calm, make some as to present a real problem, being prepared I have many memories of working with my noise and walk slowly back the way you is more than a Boy Scout motto. Getting out - Dad in his large garden. Today my garden is came. doors as a family is also a terrific way to ad - only 6’ x 20’ and we grow many of the vegeta - dress nature deficit disorder. Let your bles I have listed. So while you may not want 7. Monitor body temperature and hydra - children run and explore, be prepared for to get into a big garden I hope I have pre - tion. some great questions, and HAVE FUN! sented some ideas so size will not be a deter - Hiking is a great way exercise, remember rent for anyone who wants to exert a little to ask your children along the way if they are Volunteer and learn about our trails independence and create your own victory too hot or too cold, and remind them to take a Not sure where to go on your first family garden! n drink every 20 minutes. Remember to keep hike? One great way to learn is to volunteer babies in carriers warm enough in cool on a trail day and come out to help! Our first Tom Chamberland is the retired Tree Warden weather. volunteer trail day for 2020 is set for Saturday for the Town of Sturbridge and a Certified Ar - April 18, 8:00 a.m. at 10 Sturbridge Village Rd, borist, TRAQ qualified. He enjoys caring for FUN FOR THE CHILDREN This event is tentative and tied to COVID-19 plants that grow in his yard and welcomes reader 8. Adjust your perspective. rules. n suggestions for future articles. Email him at: With children in tow, hiking no longer [email protected] THE STURBRIDGE TIMES TOWN & C OUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE 21 Big Hair Animal Rescue

From Page 15 met and passed on. He came in at 65 other purposes. damentals that guide her at Big Hair. pounds, was fostered, and was adopted by “When you are placing dogs, you have to “My work involved creating written a young man who is a carpenter. He left at consider the characteristics that are appro - treatment plans, identifying weaknesses 80 pounds.” priate to their breed, because those things and strengths, and always having respect,” Another rescue, whose picture had just are not going to change,” she said. “If you she said. “Those principals work very well popped up as a memory on Specter’s Face - place the dog with someone who is an en - with animals too.” book page, was a hound mix who came in thusiast of that breed, those are the charac - The other principal she carried over was very sick and with serious behavior prob - teristics they’re going to love.” to always do all that she could do for every lems. Specter discovered that the dog had a Specter has been overwhelmed with the rescue, no matter how frustrating it might common medical condition called “Ex - support she’s gotten from so many people be or how long it could take. ocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency.” — including the people who make the do - “When organizations are volunteer- “He had terrible diarrhea and was wast - nations that allow her to keep doing what based, there is often the idea that doing ing away, and I learned finally, after four she’s doing. ‘something’ is more than enough,” she said. months, that he had EPI and that all of his “I never expected it, the number of peo - “That’s not a fair mentality to have. You problems were because he was literally ple who support us — and I couldn’t do it can’t know everything, but you have to be starving,” Specter said. “Now, we are quick without that ton of support,” she said. committed to that dog and making it work.” to recognize EPI, and we can fix it. We end Even the tough times that come with tak - It is the dogs who nobody else wants — not up with a whole new dog.” ing in the most challenging rescues and pre - even other rescue organizations — that Specter One of the things essential to good place - viously-failed placements give meaning to focuses on, and who thrive at Big Hair. ment is understanding the idiosyncrasies of Specter’s job. “We’re not known to be cherry pickers,” each breed, Specter said. That is especially “I am constantly learning, and I find that she said. “I took in an 8-year-old Old Eng - important for “working breeds,” dogs who fascinating,” she said. “Everything is either lish Bulldog that three other rescues had are predisposed to guarding, herding or a blessing, or a lesson.” n Insura nce co vera ge that ’s tailore d to your unique needs.

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