Sturbridge, Brimfield, Holland and Wales
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Mailed free to requesting homes in Sturbridge, Brimfield, Holland and Wales Vol. VII, No. 31 PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF RELAY FOR LIFE OF THE GREATER SOUTHBRIDGE AREA! COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.STURBRIDGEVILLAGER.NET Friday, August 2, 2013 THIS WEEK’S QUOTE An ‘unbelievable’ “We must learn to live together as honor for the Hoyts brothers or perish together as fools.” FATHER/SON TEAM Martin Luther King Jr. RECOGNIZED AT ESPY AWARDS BY DAVID DORE INSIDE STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER HOLLAND — On Wednesday,July 17, with ALMANAC ..................2 celebrities and sports stars looking on, a “couple of stubborn Boston guys” — as one POLICE LOGS..............5 of them called themselves — stood on the OPINION ..................10 stage of the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Dick and Rick Hoyt, the father-and-son OBITUARIES..............13 team from Holland and Sturbridge, respec- SPORTS..............14-15 tively, were there to receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPY Awards, CALENDAR .........B SECT held annually by ESPN to honor the best of REAL ESTATE ......B SECT the best of the sports world. “To receive this ESPY award, it’s unbeliev- able for us to be receiving this award,” Dick Hoyt said Wednesday, July 24. “Whoever would have thought 51 years ago when Rick LOCAL was born that we would be receiving an award like this?” While in Los Angeles, Dick Hoyt said, they Clowning around experienced the red carpet treatment and Courtesy photo met a lot of athletes and stars. Rick and Dick Hoyt with the Jimmy V Award for Mark Ashton photo “It was quite a red carpet,” Dick Hoyt said. Perseverance they received at the ESPY Awards in STURBRIDGE — Presented by the Joshua Hyde Library “I told Rick, ‘You’re going to see the real Los Angeles Wednesday, July 17. under the direction of Children’s Librarian Patricia Lalli, paparazzi now.’” ‘Circus Minimus’ was held at the Sturbridge Host Hotel One star they met was Boston native Ben It’s just an honor for me to meet you guys.’” last week, entertaining more than 100 kids of all ages in Affleck, who presented them the award. joyful attendance. Pictured, Alyssa gets a partial facelift What they’ll remember the most about the “We did get to talk with him for a while, trip, he said, was “the way we have been from the master. For the story and more photos, turn to and he said he was aware of us,” Dick Hoyt page A8! said. “He said, ‘I just want to meet you guys. Please Read HOYTS, page A12 Pastor profiled Page A2 House bill would expand definition of qualified housing LEARNING BY GUS STEEVES simple. Sponsored by Rep. tured homes, in-law apart- towns don’t get credit for “affordable” for a set peri- VILLAGER STAFF WRITER Susan Gifford, R- ments and any first-time it,” said Town od of time. If it does not, For years, Chapter 40B Wareham, it seeks to add home buyers participating Administrator Robin developers who include has both promoted afford- the following to the state’s in any state or federal Craver when she brought such housing in their proj- able housing and sparked definition of what kinds of assistance program.” the subject up. She was ects can essentially violate controversy over what that properties can be defined On Tuesday, July 23, in referring to the require- the town’s zoning codes phrase actually means. as “affordable” when a response to a request from ment that towns must have and the town has far less A bill before the town calculates whether it Wareham selectmen, at least 10 percent of their control over what, where Legislature promises to meets its 10-percent goal: Charlton selectmen voted housing stock classified as and how they build. continue that trend this “Low and moderate 4-1 to send a letter support- “low-to-moderate income” That was Wareham year. income housing shall also ing the bill. under Chapter 40B, as Chairman Peter House 1115 is short – just include mobile homes and “There is affordable defined by income limits one paragraph – and seems group homes, manufac- housing, but cities and and rent that must stay Please Read BILL, page A16 Coming together Flea Market Powered by a mission Page A4 DOZENS OF AREA RIDERS JOIN PMC ‘TO BE in honor of Jay SPORTS PART OF THE NEXT CURE’ BY MARK ASHTON VILLAGER STAFF WRITER STURBRIDGE — It annually raises more money than any other athletic fundraising event in the country. When the 34th annual Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) kicks off from the Sturbridge Host Hotel in the wee hours of Saturday, Aug. 3, it will be in hopes of raising $38 million for the Dana- Courtesy photo Farber Cancer Institute Some of Jay Harper’s family members gather for a photo at last Connie Mack through the Jimmy Fund. month’s golf tournament — from left, Lori Furtado (Harper’s sister), action Among the more than Jared Harper (son), Karen Harper (wife), Megan Harper (daughter), 5,500 expected cyclists are Chris Harper (brother), Madison Harper (niece) and Dianne Harper Page A12 dozens from the Tri- (mother). Community area and sur- rounding communities, each with his/her own GOLF TOURNAMENT RECALLS LIFE OPINION reasons for riding, often the loss or struggles of a OF AST ROOKFIELD NATIVE GET YOUR E B family member or loved Courtesy photo POINT ACROSS one dealing with cancer. BY DAVID DORE brought dozens of golfers to Dina and Steve Sexton of Sturbridge share a moment with STONEBRIDGE PRESS STAFF WRITER PAGE A10 And more than a handful Taylor and Cameron at the Franklin Water Stop during the Heritage Country Club in of riders (some 300 this 2010 PMC ride. CHARLTON — They Charlton on Friday, June 21. year) have a tale to tell of came from near and far to It honored the 47-year-old POLICE LOGS their personal victory turned her life upside Her Stage 2 cancer, she play golf, raise money and East Brookfield native who over the disease. down in April 2012. “It was told by oncologists, reflect on the life of a fellow died in October while on a PAGE A5 Amy Paul of Spencer, was last April, a week would have been a “death athlete, a classmate and a business trip in Deerfield for example, will be riding before my 40th birthday,” sentence” just a dozen friend who was described by Beach, Fla. for the first time, even says the mother of two, years ago. But with the KAREN TRAINOR his mother as kind, compas- Harper’s mother, Dianne, K T while she’s continuing who along with her hus- most-up-to-date sionate, trusting and metic- said the tournament “went chemotherapy treatments band, Douglas, will also ulous. just great. It was very suc- PAGE A9 for the breast cancer that be riding this year. Please Read PMC, page A12 The inaugural Jay Harper Memorial Golf Tournament Please Read HARPER, page A13 2 STURBRIDGE VILLAGER • Friday, August 2, 2013 ‘Caring and committed’ NEW PASTOR BRINGS MUSIC, LOVE OF PEOPLE TO METHODIST CHURCH BY MARK ASHTON VILLAGER STAFF WRITER SOUTHBRIDGE — There’s a new voice in town, one with her very own pulpit, and one who’s not afraid to use it. The voice belongs to Pastor Sophia Cooper, who began her duties at the First United Methodist Church (UMC) on Main Street on July 1 and who came to that call- ing and assignment by way of a rather cir- cuitous route. A native of Cape Cod and the Hyannis area, Cooper is a 1997 graduate of Barnstable High School. She followed that up with studies at Cape Cod Community College (through 2000) and then moved to Worcester, where she married and shifted her studies to Quinsigamond Community College. Eventually, she transferred all her credits back to CCCC and received a degree in liberal arts. Since 2005, the family has attended Wellspring United Methodist Church in Shrewsbury, where they were “very wel- Sophia Cooper is the new pastor at First United comed” and others soon noticed that she Methodist Church in Southbridge. had “a lot of music experience.” In fact, she has “been a musician, playing the flute moved and “came forward,” says Cooper, since the fourth grade, and also a singer, admitting that her ministerial path “seems a really odd story.” since back in elementary school,” says Courtesy photos Cooper. Her talents and eagerness to serve did not Putting those musical talents to work at go unnoticed at the conference. Thus, when With the kids at Easter. the Rev. Bruce Denson, pastor at Wellspring, she was asked “a few years musician as well.” She was ultimately “beautiful pipe organ.” Southbridge’s First United Methodist back” to take a lead in the worship services. deemed by all as “caring and committed.” Learning “more and more” about her Church for two years, announced his pend- “Last year, I was also asked to preach,” she As a “very new pastor with no formal pas- flock, Cooper says she is busy “trying to con- ing retirement, the process was set in adds. And thus began her path toward her toral training,” Cooper is attending “lay ser- nect with my congregation right now” and motion to locate and identify the congrega- current stewardship in Southbridge. vant classes” and considering “working looking forward to adding such things as a tion’s next leader. It was just last year, in fact, that she toward” studies that would lead to ordina- fellowship meeting (coffee and snacks) after That process involves a group of attended an annual Methodist conference, tion and acceptance by the board of min- Sunday worship services, along with a pos- Methodist bishops and a search committee, usually held in June, at which leaders asked istry, she says.