Mailed free to requesting homes in Sturbridge, Brimfield, Holland and Wales Vol. V, No. 15 PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR OF RELAY FOR LIFE OF THE GREATER SOUTHBRIDGE AREA! COMPLIMENTARY HOME DELIVERY ONLINE: WWW.STURBRIDGEVILLAGER.NET “You can do nothing to change the past, and the future will never come exactly as you plan or hope for.” Friday, April 15, 2011 Blanchard retains; Gimas, Ellison win selectmen spots COCALIS ANNUAL ELECTION CRUISES TO MONDAY, APRIL 11 RE ELECTION THE RESULTS Mary - Voter turnout: 1,423 out of Blanchard TO BOARD OF 6,389 registered voters (22 per- cent) HEALTH * denotes winner BOARD OF SELECTMEN Kevin Flanders photos BY KEVIN FLANDERS *Mary Blanchard: 978 VILLAGER STAFF WRITER Cancer survivors kicked off the Relay for Life by making the opening lap around the track, cheered on by hundreds of local Priscilla *Priscilla Gimas: 903 students and their friends who came out to support the American Cancer Society. Gimas STURBRIDGE — *Angeline Ellison: 776 Following a hard fought Scott Garieri: 605 campaign by candi- Alphonso Esposito: 556 dates running for posi- tions on the Board of BOARD OF HEALTH Selectmen and Board of ‘Fighting back’ at the track *Linda Cocalis: 871 Health, residents final- Angeline Kimberly Desy: 487 Ellison Turn To ELECTION page A11 TANTASQUA RELAY FOR LIFE RAISES FUNDS FOR CANCER BY KEVIN FLANDERS the track throughout the night and SLAM announces ‘Mayday’ VILLAGER STAFF WRITER early morning and enjoyed food, STURBRIDGE — The American entertainment and camaraderie as Cancer Society hosted its eighth they camped out and cheered for annual Relay for Life walk at each other. Tantasqua Regional High School “The greatest highlight of this Friday night, April 8, and well into event was the fact that we took Saturday morning, April 9, as time to celebrate cancer survivors, more than 200 local high school remembered those who lost their students helped raise thousands of lives to cancer, and also focused on dollars to fund cancer research. fighting back,” said Kathleen The Relay for Life was a team Kelly, a spokeswoman for the event during which participants American Cancer Society. walked or ran around the track in The Relay for Life schedule of relay-style shifts to celebrate the events reflected the American hope that cancer will be beaten. Cancer Society’s decision to Cancer survivors Kyle Lamoureux Team members took turns circling and Sandi Garceau talk prior to the Turn To RELAY page A8 event. Officials mull room renaming for veterans Courtesy photo SLAM teamed up with Sen. Stephen Brewer to convince Gov. Deval Patrick to name May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month. From left, SLAM members Elise Provost, Trish BY KEVIN FLANDERS Iwo Jima and remains Sturbridge’s “We hope to install brass letters McCleary, and Mary Lee. The group will host a Mayday Lyme Fair Sunday, May 1. VILLAGER STAFF WRITER only recipient of the Congressional over the doors as you enter each STURBRIDGE — The Board of Medal of Honor. room so guests will know exactly Patrick officially declared May to be Selectmen discussed a proposal Also included in the proposal is a where they are,” Chamberland said. LYME DISEASE Lyme Disease Awareness Month in made by Veterans Services Director request to name the front second “I contacted a contractor and Massachusetts, and members of Tom Chamberland to name the sec- floor conference room in honor of received a price of $40 per letter.” SUPPORT GROUP SLAM (Sturbridge Lyme ond floor conference rooms at Town the town’s respondents to the call to Chamberland admitted that he Awareness of Massachusetts) will Hall in honor of veterans from arms during the American found this price surprisingly high, HOSTING FAMILY celebrate this proclamation with its Sturbridge. Revolution. Chamberland indicated but he assured the board that it is an first ever Mayday Lyme Fair on Chamberland’s proposal involves to the board on Monday night that important investment that will EVENT Sunday, May 1. naming the rear second floor confer- this proposal has been supported by ensure that many of Sturbridge’s After attending one of the month- ence room in honor of Platoon Sgt. local veterans groups, the Historic veterans are remembered. He listed BY KEVIN FLANDERS ly Lyme disease support group VILLAGER STAFF WRITER Joseph “Rudy” Julian, who lost his Commission, and the Historic the projected costs for the improve- meetings offered by SLAM, Sen. life during the World War II battle of Society. STURBRIDGE — Gov. Deval Turn To VETERANS page A11 Turn To SLAM page A11 Bicycle business begins in Sturbridge store Kevin Flanders photo BY KEVIN FLANDERS crossroads of the Mass Pike and In addition to getting off to a great VILLAGER STAFF WRITER Route 84, and we have already seen a start sales wise in Sturbridge, Bob Carey, who STURBRIDGE — The owners of tremendous increase in customers McGarrah and Carey have also co-owns Bicycle the newest business in town, Bicycle in our first week in business. Many established strong connections Concepts with Concepts, celebrated the store’s of the people who have dropped in within the community by donating Patrick grand opening Friday, April 8, by so far hadn’t even heard of our bicycles to local charities and pro- McGarrah, poses inviting members of the communi- Southbridge location.” grams and collaborating with other with his wife, ty inside for a tour. In addition to selling bicycles small businesses like the Sturbridge Stacy, at the The owners of Bicycle Concepts, made by three of the most popular Coffee House. store’s grand Patrick McGarrah and Bob Carey, companies (Trek, Specialized and “The people of Sturbridge have opening celebra- both of Sturbridge, decided to move Pinarello), Bicycle Concepts also been so welcoming to us, and it has tion Friday, April the store from Southbridge to sells such bicycling gear as helmets, been a lot of fun to meet and work 8. Bicycle Sturbridge in order to gain more bike seats, apparel and other sup- with other business owners,” Concepts sells customers. McGarrah and Carey plies. McGarrah said. bikes, biking also own a store in Putnam, Conn. “Several of the major sporting One local business McGarrah and apparel and sup- “Sales were OK for us in goods stores don’t offer clothing for Carey will likely form a strong rela- plies. Southbridge, but Sturbridge is a bicyclists,” added McGarrah. “We tionship with is Village Music, as much better location for our store,” offer a wide assortment of clothes in this store is located directly above McGarrah said. “It is located at the all the popular colors.” Turn To BICYCLEpage A11 ALMANAC.........................2 LOCAL SPORTS POLICE LOGS ....................5 OBITUARIES ....................12 RRI CELEBRATES TALENTED TANTASQUA OPINION.........................10 SUCCESS OF REHABILITATION TENNIS TEAM GETS BACK CALENDAR......................12 PROGRAM TO WINNING WAYS INSIDE SPORTS .........................13 PAGE 2 PAGE 13 2 STURBRIDGE VILLAGER • Friday, April 15, 2011 RRI celebrates success of rehabilitation program BY KEVIN FLANDERS his one-on-one mentor, Felix Lopez-Villafane. VILLAGER STAFF WRITER “I spend about 40 hours a week helping STURBRIDGE — April is Autism Peter through his daily activities, although he Awareness Month, a time when communities has become much more independent and now celebrate the successes of individuals with requires less assistance with certain tasks,” developmental disabilities and honor the Lopez-Villafane said. agencies and organizations that support In fact, Dean became so self-sufficient that them. he managed to obtain a job at nearby Optim Rehabilitative Resources Inc. (RRI), of Inc. through the help of RRI. After learning Sturbridge, is proud of the accomplishments about the progress made by Dean and the fact many members of its day rehabilitation pro- that he wanted to earn money to pay for CDs gram have achieved, especially Peter Dean, and other items, RRI CEO Bonnie Keefe- who has made tremendous progress in the last Layden talked with Optim’s Tom Root about few years and now enjoys the thrill of holding the possibility of hiring him. a job. Once hired, Dean began assembling and dis- Dean, who lives at an RRI residence in assembling various items at Optim, which Southbridge, spends 30 hours a week at the specializes in designing and manufacturing day program at RRI’s 1 Picker Road facility. optical imaging tools for medical and security His favorite activities are exercising, watch- purposes. He spends about 10 hours per week ing movies, and traveling to various locations at Optim, and both Keefe-Layden and Lopez- as part of his program’s field trips, which Villafane cited his ability to work productive- include the YMCA and the Elm Hill Center in ly as a major sign that his social and commu- Brookfield. nications skills have significantly improved “I love watching sports games and movies,” in the last four years. said Dean, who listed his favorite Boston Red “Peter has come a very long way during his Sox player as David Ortiz. time with us,” said Keefe-Layden. “His time Dean has been enrolled in RRI’s day pro- spent at Optim has improved his social skills, gram for the past four years, and he has great- and he enjoys the activities provided by the ly benefited from the assistance provided by day program.” Kevin Flanders photo Rehabilitative Resources Inc., of Sturbridge, is celebrating Autism Awareness Month by honoring the accomplishments of individuals in its programs like Peter Dean, left, who works at Optim, Inc.. In this photo Dean poses outside the Optim facility with his one-on-one mentor, Felix Lopez-Villafane. In addition to loving his job, he doesn’t mind improvement we see people make here.” the fact that he gets paid for his services, thus RRI is a not-for-profit corporation that was enabling the purchases of CDs produced by Inc.