TOWN CRIER UPTON & MENDON, MASSACHUSETTS February 21, 2014 Vol. 23 No. 3 Est. 1993 • Mailed FREE to all 5,800 addresses in Upton and Mendon. www.TownCrier.us Incumbents Miscoe Students Showcase Their Talents to Help Others Begin Taking Out Nomination Papers in Upton By Michelle Sanford Staff Reporter/Columnist As of February 13, three Upton incumbents have taken out their nomination papers for the May 5 Town Election. Nomination papers for interested candidates became available on February 10. According to Town Clerk Kelly McElreath, incumbent Richard Kennedy took Miscoe Hill student Toby Genova Miscoe Hill student Lily Bolton, accompanied by out his nomination papers Miscoe Hill students Emmaline Kent and Ben Tremblay performs on the piano during the Chorus Director Brendan Ferrari, sings during the for the fi ve year seat on perform during the February 12 Miscoe Hill Talent February 12 Miscoe Hill Talent 8th Annual Miscoe Hill Talent Showcase. the Housing Authority. In Showcase. Show. Hosted by Miscoe’s Student addition, incumbents Richard By Melissa Orff hours of dancing, singing, piano Th e Talent Showcase is an Council, over a hundred audience Desjardins took out papers Staff Reporter playing, guitar playing, comedy event that is completely run by members watched 25 performances for the Board of Health’s Students at the Miscoe Hill acts and even a marionette the students. Th e Council holds ranging from music to dance to three year seat and Teresa School showed off their special performance. Twenty-fi ve students the auditions, chooses the acts comedy and more. Ambrosino has also taken talents at the 8th Annual Talent participated in this year’s Talent by majority vote, assembles the out her papers for Board of Showcase on February 12. In Showcase. program, sets up the auditorium, Th is year, assisted by Co- Assessors three year seat. what has become an anticipated Money from the $3 admission and emcees the entire night. Advisors and Miscoe teachers A number of other positions tradition, the Talent Showcase is fee, 50/50 raffl e, and concession Student Council Co-President Heather McCourt and Meagan are also up for re-election. hosted by Miscoe Hill’s Student sales will be used by the Student Owen Lukas said that the entire (DaSilva) Pike, the Student Th eir term length and Council and aff ords students Council in a variety of ways, said Student Council looks forward to Council has reached out numerous current offi ce holder include: from grades fi ve through eight the members of the Student Council. hosting this event each year. “It’s a times into the community to Selectman for three years, opportunity to be in the spotlight “Th is is a fundraiser to raise way for kids to express themselves help those in need. In December, James Brochu; Moderator for an evening. money that we plan to use in the and to show off their talents to the Student Council teamed up for one year, David Loeper; Th e event began with a lively school and out in the community,” the whole school. It is a really fun with Miscoe’s Friends of Rachel jump rope routine by the Miscoe said Student Council Co-President night,” he said. Club to purchase and deliver 25 UPTON NOMINATION p 9 Hill Skippers, which led into two Leah Fitzgerald. MISCOE STUDENTS p 18 Mendon Town Meeting Article Requesting Funding to Refurbish Town Hall Floors PRSRT STD PRSRT PAID US POSTAGE PERMIT #35 MA UPTON, 01568 By Michelle Sanford the Board brought in a fl oor specialist to discuss future expansion to the Senior Center, sports Staff Reporter/Columnist the steps necessary to complete the fl oors which fi elds, aff ordable housing, or open space. CPA Town offi cials are looking to spiff up the would include sanding, fi nishing, and also funding could not be used for the Senior Center fl oors of the Town Hall and an article on the placing runners in high traffi c areas. If passed, expansion however, sports fi elds, aff ordable Special Town Meeting warrant is requesting the project would take place in the spring or housing or open space could be funded through funding from the Community Preservation Act summer. CPA monies. (CPA) funding to undertake that project. Th e Article 14 is requesting $7,000 from the CPA And fi nally, Article 12 is requesting $6,000 Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, Open Space Account to fund a Conservation from Community Preservation Act funding in February 24 at Miscoe Hill School and will Restriction on approximately 24 acres of the an eff ort to remove non-native invasive weeds begin at 7 p.m. former Fino property on Milford St. According located in the Inman Pond on the Meadow In total, there are 19 articles on the warrant. to CPC Chair Anne Mazar, the restriction Brook Woods property. Of those, the Community Preservation is necessary because the Fino portion of the Th e Planning Board is also bringing two Committee (CPC) is bringing forward four. property that was purchased for open space bylaw amendments to be voted on that evening. Article 13 is requesting an amount up to $9,000 was purchased with CPA funding and therefore Article 18 aff ects the Mendon Zoning By- from the CPA’s Historical Preservation Account it must have a conservation restriction on it, Laws section titled Allowable Land Uses to be POSTAL PATRON POSTAL CAR-RT-SORT WS MA 01568 UPTON, to refurbish the Town Hall’s main fl oor and but currently it does not. In order for the town replaced with the section Uses of Land and stairway. to receive a recently awarded $315,000 LAND Structures. According to Bill Ambrosino, the For some time, the Board of Selectmen has grant, Mendon “has to be up-to-date on all largest change to the bylaw is taking what used been discussing the project and discovered the conservation restrictions,” said Mazar. to be in paragraph form and putting that text costs of refi nishing could be covered by CPA Article 15 is requesting an amount not to into a Use Table. Should Article 18 pass, Article funding because the Town Hall is a historical exceed $500,000 from CPA funding to purchase 19 will help to “clean up other bylaws” said structure. 70 acres of land located at 52 Providence Ambrosino. Crier Town & Mendon e Upton Th Inc. Crier Publications, Town Street 48 Mechanic MA 01568 Upton, During a February 10 Selectmen’s meeting, St. which could eventually be utilized for a A World Premiere right here in Milford? You bet! QUESTS & Preview Legends and learn more about Ms. Okrusko at www.fantasyviolin.com Quests & Legends: Saturday, March 8th at 7:30 p.m. iLegends: WriƩen and performed by CHSO’s Julia Okrusko iBorodin: Prince Igor-Polovtsian Dances Greig: Peer Gynt Suite Reserved- $39 ~ Student/ Senior- $25 Call 508.478.5924 for more informaƟon. Grand Ballroom Milford Town Hall, 52 Main St., Milford, MA Order Ɵckets online at www.claflinhill.org Upper Charles Clafl in Hill Presents Rail Trail Public World Premiere Forum Performance On Saturday March 8, the Friends of Th e Clafl in Hill Symphony Orchestra’s the Milford Upper Charles Trail will host (CHSO) 2013-14 “Journey” Season continues the second annual Upper Charles Rail on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Th e Trail Public Forum from 9 a.m. to noon Milford Town Hall Grand Ballroom with at the Ashland Community Center at “Quests & Legends” – featuring music of 162 West Union St. (Rte 135) in Ashland. Edvard Grieg, Alexander Borodin and a new Meet and greet will be from 9 - 9:30 a.m. world premiere by Julia Okrusko, CHSO Th is annual forum provides the Assistant Principal Violinist. current status, future plans and Th e CHSO will be joined by the New benefi ts of a regional approach to rail World Chorale, under the direction of Holly trail development across the Upper MacEwen Krafk a for this monumental concert Charles Trail. Th e Upper Charles Trail which includes Grieg’s “Music from Peer is envisioned to be a 27-mile loop Gynt” and Borodin’s “Polovetsian Dances from that includes the towns of Milford, Prince Igor.” Okrusko’s “Legends – Fantasy Hopkinton, Holliston, Sherborn and Violin” will complete the evening’s program. Ashland. Okrusko, a native of Lithuania, came to the Th e forum will include presentations United States in 2005 as a graduate student by the Metropolitan Area Planning at Boston University, and joined the CHSO Council focused on a regional view of during the 2006-07 season. She is presently rail trails, legislative advocates, and a the Assistant Principal Second Violinist of the successful business owner providing orchestra and is also the First Violinist of the insight on the commerce aspect of a New England String Quartet, whose members multi-purpose trail. Representatives are also all CHSO musicians. from the Upper Charles Trail towns of “Legends – Fantasy Violin” is a 45-minute Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton, Milford work in 11 movements for solo violin, with and Sherborn will provide updates on orchestra and chorus, and is inspired by Celtic, their towns and answer questions from New Age and “Tolkien” themes. Okrusko the public. wrote the work during the winter of 2013, With just one-mile left to complete, and recorded it digitally in a recording studio. the Milford section of the proposed 27- During the last fi ve months, she has been mile multi-use trail has proven to be a completing the orchestral and choral scores for wonderful asset to the town of Milford its fi rst live performance with Clafl in Hill in as well as surrounding communities.