TOWN CRIER FIREWORKS IN UPTON UPTON & MENDON, MASSACHUSETTS June 6, 2014 Saturday, JUNE 21 Vol. 23 No. 10 See ad on page 31 Est. 1993 • Mailed FREE to all 5,800 addresses in Upton and Mendon. www.TownCrier.us Nipmuc Graduates Encouraged to Follow Their Own Paths By Michelle Sanford Music from Nipmuc High students Staff Reporter/Columnist was also a big part of the ceremonies. Dressed in green and white gowns The High School Chorus, led by and carrying or wearing yellow Director Ann Marie Tremblay, sang roses, 179 students walked into 100 Years, the Nipmuc High School Nipmuc High School Gymnasium Band, led by Director Michael Morel, and two hours later left as high played Towards a New Horizon, and school graduates. Nipmuc High’s 54th High School Senior Arianna Bonito commencement ceremonies took sang I Was Here and received a place on the evening of May 30 with standing ovation. hundreds of family, friends, and school Last to speak was Superintendant officials in attendance. Dr. Joseph Maruszczak who gave the Following the processional of students some interesting facts about the soon to be graduates and the their future to ponder. He told the National Anthem, Principal John class of 2014 that many of them will Clements spoke to the class of 2014 be in the work force for more than and noted their achievements over 40 years of their lives and will hold the last year stating 66 percent of at least 11 jobs over that time. As a the class completed at least one AP result, he told them to “commit to course and in total, the group received With smiles or looks of contemplation, members of the Nipmuc Regional High School Class of 2014 being a lifelong learner.” $2.4 million worth of scholarships. prepare to receive their diplomas at the 54th Annual Commencement Exercises held in the From there, each student eagerly Clements also encouraged the group to school on May 30. Harry Platcow photo walked across the stage to accept his look ahead to the future and told the or her diploma as attendees cheered You helped us back to our feet when we fell. You brought us back to understanding when we were audience the graduates are “ready to on their great accomplishment. And confused. We are who we are today because of you. It is only right that we celebrate this day together.” take on the next chapter of their lives.” with that, 179 graduates walked out Class Salutatorian Laura Ng’s speech titled On Trail Blazing: Embracing the Unknown quoted the Class president Emily Wojtowicz of the gymnasium and into their class’s motto written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where also gave a warm welcome to the exciting new futures. there is no path and leave a trail. Ng encouraged her fellow classmates to follow their own journeys in audience and thanked all those who life. “Emerson is merely telling us to follow our own paths; trail blazing will happen as it will. Do not sustained the graduates through their To view more photos of the Nipmuc limit yourself by what you do and do not need to know,” she said. “Embrace the unknowns of your years at Nipmuc. “You supported Regional High School graduation future and allow them to become stepping stones in the path you make of your life.” us when we participated in our ceremonies by Harry Platcow turn Class Secretary Robert Aziz told his classmates they will become “a generation of leaders and countless sports games, dance recitals, to page 16 or visit TownCrier.us innovators” and Emily Kossuth stated through all the trials and tribulations of their 13 years of music concerts and plays. You gave and click on photo galleries. schooling the one constant that got them through was “we knew we were loved.” us the push we needed to succeed. Valley Tech Celebrates Next Generation of Workforce Leaders PRSRT STD PRSRT PAID US POSTAGE #35 PERMIT MA UPTON, 01568 Mendon resident named Class of 2014 Valedictorian Submitted by Andrew Morrison Valley Tech The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester was packed Thursday evening as family, friends, and educators gathered to take part in the Blackstone Valley Tech Class of 2014 commencement ceremony. After four years preparing for the next stage of their career development, the Class of 2014 was praised by Superintendent-Director Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick for its near 100 percent placement in post- secondary institutions, employment, apprenticeships, and military service. As the students embark on their chosen professional pathways, Fitzpatrick drew on his experience as an avid gardener and advised the Joe Trettel of Milford was joined by Blackstone Valley Tech Class of 2014 POSTAL PATRON POSTAL CAR-RT-SORT WS MENDON, MA 01756 graduates to keep their feet on the ground and their hands in the dirt. Elizabeth Wojnar of Grafton, proudly Valedictorian Jennifer Morin of “My advice is to keep moving. Keep sowing the seeds, tilling the earth, showed off his attention-grabbing Mendon and Salutatorian Jake Rivard and even occasionally shoveling the proverbial manure, in the garden of socks following Valley Tech’s May 29 of Northbridge were all smiles prior to your life,” Fitzpatrick said. “Do not give up and your odds will improve.” commencement ceremony. Trettel their commencement ceremony on May As the Class of 2014 Valedictorian, Jennifer Morin of Mendon graduated from the BVT Electrical 29. Jennifer and Jake are both graduates advised her classmates to honor their Valley Tech education by making program. BVT photo of the BVT Drafting and Engineering good decisions and striking an important balance in the years ahead. Technology Program. BVT photo “Life, in my mind, is a balance of risks and responsibility,” said Morin, The Upton & Mendon Town Crier Town Mendon & Upton The Inc. Crier Publications, Town Street 48 Mechanic MA 01568 Upton, a graduate of the Drafting and Engineering Technology program. “Our Assistant Principal Matt Urquhart, the grade level administrator for the Class parents and teachers have helped us preserve this balance up until this of 2014, applauded the graduates for surpassing the high expectations that come point. Now it’s up to us to maintain it.” with the pursuit of both an academic and vocational technical education. He Morin was joined on stage by fellow Drafting and Engineering said, “By being on this stage tonight, you have illustrated that you can handle Technology graduate and Class of 2014 Salutatorian Jake Rivard of responsibility, you can handle adversity, and that you are not afraid to look a Northbridge, who saluted his classmates for seeking and securing a challenge in the eye and say, ‘I want more.’” vocational technical education. “We are no longer children, but rather To conclude their commencement ceremony, a total of 279 seniors from homebuilders and manufacturers. We are the people who ensure throughout Valley Tech›s 13-town district took the final steps of their secondary the lights stay on, the computers keep working, and your hair looks careers across the Hanover stage and received both a diploma and a certificate fabulous on those specials day,” said Rivard. “Going to Valley Tech was of occupational proficiency. always about more than keeping the water running and the cars on the road. It was about taking the initiative to learn something useful, For more information about BVT’s graduation, turn to page 18. without sacrificing anything academically, and using it to make our futures that much brighter.” Hospital Donation from Bright Insurance Agency and the Ellis Family The Milford Regional Medical Center member, recently co-chaired the Excellence Foundation officially announced a leadership Gratitude event featuring the Pointer Sisters. gift of $175,000 from Bright Insurance Agency, For more than 30 years, the Ellis family Peter and Janet Ellis, and Steve and Lynn Ellis to has operated the Bright Insurance Agency in Excellence…The Campaign for Milford Regional Milford, employing a dedicated customer service Medical Center. The gift is part of $17 million the philosophy that mirrors their commitment to capital campaign has already raised towards a goal MRMC, and resonates with the people of Milford. of $25 million. The full-service agency specializes in automobile, “It is nearly impossible to characterize the value home, life and health insurance. of the relationship Milford Regional Medical “We are ever so grateful to the Ellis family, and Center has enjoyed with Peter and Steve Ellis and the Bright Insurance Agency, for their generous their families through these many years,” says John leadership gift to our capital campaign,” says Burns, Chairman of Excellence as well as the Board Burns. “They have always understood the value of of Trustees of Milford Regional. a great local Medical Center, and have committed “They are inextricably linked to the growth and copious resources and time, energy and finances stature of our Medical Center, and have played toward our mission.” significant roles in helping us raise funds.” Peter Excellence is supporting a major capital Ellis, a Milford Regional Medical Center Board initiative that will result in a new emergency member for many years, helped start the popular department, intensive care unit and private patient and infinitely successful Golf Classic and Janet is a rooms. The new two story structure will more than former member of the Medical Center’s Mélange double the size of the current ED from 30 to 52 committee and a current member of the Medical private treatment rooms, increase the number of Center’s Auxiliary. Steve Ellis is a member of the patient rooms in the ICU from 10 to 16 expanding Medical Center’s Board of Trustees, chair of the their size to accommodate the latest technology, Excellence Major Gift committee for individuals and add a 24-bed private room unit with the intent and a member of the Golf Classic committee.