friday july 13 - Southbridge Evening News

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10 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, July 13, 2012 www.webstertimes.net VIEWPOINT THE DEADLINE to submit letters to the editor and commentaries for next week’s newspaper is Friday at noon. SEND ALL ITEMS to Editor Adam Minor at THE WEBSTER TIMES — aminor@stonebridgepress.com A STONEBRIDGE PRESS WEEKLY NEWSPAPER 25 ELM STREET, SOUTHBRIDGE MA 01550 TEL. (508) 764-4325• FAX (508) 764-8015 www.webstertimes.net FRANK G. CHILINSKI STONEBRIDGE PRESS PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER ADAM MINOR EDITOR THE WEBSTER TIMES EDITORIAL Beating the heat The term, “Beat the Heat!” has been overused in my life as of late. I used the phrase ad nauseam as the Boston Celtics looked poised to beat the Miami Heat in this year’s Eastern Conference semifinals last month. Alas, the Heat stormed back to win the final two games of the series, and we, unfortunately, did not “beat the Heat!” Now I’m sad again…thanks for reminding me, Adam. These days, the heat (with a lowercase “H”) is beating me. We live in New THE MINOR England, so I’m used to being cold, and DETAILS then warm, and then ADAM magically cold again. MINOR We’ve adapted to an area that sees both extremes over the duration of the year. But there’s something about this most recent stretch that, much like Lebron James’ mid-range jump shot — is just draining. Usually, on my ride to and from work, I’ll open the car window and let the breeze wash over me. I don’t have air conditioning in my car, so I really have no other choice. Instead of feeling refreshed however, I feel like I’m being blasted by a giant hairdryer set to high. It’s not refreshing at all — it just makes it worse. But there’s one other reason why the term “beat the heat” comes to mind these days, and this one has nothing to do with me. You see, as you read this, it will be only days until my friend Jesse leaves for boot camp in Georgia as a recruit for the U.S. Army. That’s right, Georgia — in the middle of July. Yikes. I do not envy him. Jesse has been looking forward to the opportunity to serve his country for a very long time — and next week, he will finally get his wish. I have to admit, it’s tough to see him go. I’ve known Jesse since he was a little munchkin. Although I know I’m sounding like I’ll never see him again, part of me believes that I will probably not see today’s Jesse ever again. He is about to grow up — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s well known that the Army changes people. They need to change you, reshape your personality to make you a soldier. But here’s to hoping that the Jesse I see on the other side is the same goofy kid I’ve always known — just with a whole lot more weapons training. We gathered at his house on July 4 last week to say “goodbye for now,” and he told me he was excited to go. He knows the importance of what he is doing, and although I can never say I’ve ever made the same sacrifice for my country, I’m thankful for him and his willingness to do his part to protect my freedom. I’m thankful to all of you who do the same. So Jesse, for what you are about to do, thank you. I look forward to the great things you’re going to achieve. Adam Minor may be reached at 508- 909-4130, or by e-mail at aminor@stonebridgepress.com. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Clearing up questions about Court of Honor To the Editor: Webster, I just want to clear up a few things concerning the money in the Court of Honor trust. That money was collected from the people who bought bricks to put in the Court of Honor. When these bricks were bought it was told that the profit from the bricks would be used for any maintenance and repairs that would be needed in the Court of Honor. Now, that does not include the Civil War Monument. There are people trying to say that since a 3-foot walkway was put in to connect the two, it is now part of the Court of Honor, and any maintenance or repairs should be taken out of the Court of Honor trust. Right now you have enough money in that trust to take care of the Court of Honor for about 20 years, if not longer, but if you start to use that on the Civil War monument To the Editor: When it comes to the United States Senate race here in Massachusetts, the voters face a stark choice between the two candidates, Senator Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren. As a volunteer for the Elizabeth Warren campaign, I hear her say this time and time again, “What this election is about is ‘Whose side are you on?’” When the voters in Massachusetts look into Senator Brown’s voting record they will find that answer loud and clear. Just recently, he voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act, which sought to close the gender income gap between men and women. Senator Brown said that the bill would “put more burdens on small businesses.” At a time when middle class families continue to struggle to make ends meet, Senator Brown continues to put his party’s politics above the needs of his constituents. If you think this is just one example of Senator Brown’s divergence from his socalled “independent voice,” think again. Last fall, Senator Brown voted against not one, not two, but three jobs bills, which would have brought 22,000 jobs here to Massachusetts. In this election season, when the number one issue on most voters’ minds is the economy, The reading of police logs often result in questions for this column. Recently, I was asked about the charge of shoplifting. The person wondered what it meant to be charged with shoplifting by “asportation.” He asked for some clarification on this issue. Shoplifting, under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 266 Section 30A, contains a number of ways a person can commit a violation. Asportation is one of these terms and it is contained in the first section of this law. It is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “The act of carrying a thing away; the removing of a thing from one place to another.” This is the common offense which most people associate with shoplifting. The definition can be rather complex, however; it generally involves intentionally taking possession of an item and carrying it away from the place in which it is stored. The most common example of this is when a person goes into a store, takes an item, and leaves without paying for it. The shoplifting statute does contain many other charges as well. They include concealment, altering merchandise, label switching, and more. The mere act of taking an item and placing it in your pocket, without leaving the store, could possibly be considered as shoplifting. If you take the price tag off one item and place it on another, it can also qualify as a violation under this section. Shoplifting cost the retail industry billions of dollars each year and the losses are passed on to the paying customers. Penalties can include a fine or jail time, depending on the value of the item. Police officers also have a statutory right of charge without a warrant. FOURTH OF JULY or any monument not part of the Court of Honor that could be gone in five to eight years, if not less. That Civil War Monument has been part of the town for more than 100 years now. [Now, people are saying] the town has no responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance when there was a special account set up in early 2000’s just to make sure the monument was cleaned and the statues were able to be maintained with a protective coating to keep them from turning green, but that account is not funded with enough money to do that anymore. When I went to get money at the town meeting, it was always moved over for more information. As a former member of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument Committee I thought the public should be aware of this. Whose side are you on? arrest for this Over the Fourth of July holiday, I had the opportunity to attend a few events and visit several stores. I once again experienced something that continues to be a concern of mine. I passed by or met three or four people who were accompanied by their small children. The people appeared to know or recognize me. Although I did not notice what their children were doing at that time, they were apparently misbehaving in some manner. They were warned to behave by the parents. They were threatened if they did not, I would arrest them and put them in jail. This is very troubling to me and many police officers in general. I wanted to take this opportunity to once again provide some information to people in order to try and avoid this uncomfortable scenario from repeating itself in the future. RAY BEMBENEK WEBSTER Senator Brown fails the test. He’s against the Buffet Rule, which would make millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share. He helped weaken the rules for Wall Street banks, which can now continue to make the same risky bets that drove us into this ditch in the first place. If this isn’t enough, he voted against the President’s plan to deprive the largest, most profitable oil companies of $24 billion in tax subsidies. Again this begs the question, “Whose side are you on?” Elizabeth Warren stands on our side. She believes that women should receive equal pay for equal work. She believes that we, as a society, shouldn’t be shelling out money to the richest corporations, but investing it in education and infrastructure. She believes that the government should be protecting small businesses on Main Street, not loosening regulations on Wall Street. And finally, she believes that each of us deserve a level playing field, where every child born in America has the opportunity to make it in America. That’s the choice we face this fall. Ask yourself, “Whose side are you on?” SETH NADEAU WEBSTER Questions about shoplifting CHIEF’S CORNER STEVE WOJNAR Unfortunately, this type of situation occurs all too often. I am sure parents do not have bad intentions when making these comments, but they must realize this can leave a lasting impression on some children. Police officers have a tough image to overcome in general, simply due to the nature of our job. In the eyes of children, we are seen most often as people who only arrest “bad guys.” Although this is a small part of our job, it is perhaps the most well known aspect. When children are told they will be arrested if they do not behave, they can develop or increase an existing fear of police. Think how this can have an impact on them. For example, if a child becomes lost or is taken by someone, they may not see police officers as being there to help. They may only believe we are there to punish them. Since they are lost, they may think it is their fault and believe they are in trouble. This means the police will then take them to jail. The child may now avoid the police, rather than seeking them out for help. This situation is difficult for the officers as well. When these threats of arrest are made to a child, the police officer on the other end is forced to become involved in some way, even if it means performing some form of “damage control.” The child is obviously not being arrested under these circumstances, therefore, what does a police officer say to him or her? If we deny an arrest will occur, the child can be confused as to who is telling them the truth. Is it their parent or the police officer? If we agree, even to play along with the situation, the child could be extremely frightened. Police officers have worked very hard over the years, through the community policing and other programs, to highlight the many positive aspects of our job. Over the last 15 years, I have conducted a lunch program at the Mason Road School where I interact informally with the kids in order to try and place them at ease when they are around police. When a parent threatens a child with arrest during a moment of “undesirable” behavior, a great deal of this positive work can be wiped away in an instant. As police officers, we appreciate any time people can find an alternative disciplinary measure to solving a problem, other than using our presence and position as a tool. Thanks again for your questions and comments. Please send them to me at the Dudley Police Department 71 West Main St. Dudley, MA 01571 or email at swojnar@dudleypolice.com. Opinions expressed in this weekly column are those of Chief Wojnar only and unless clearly noted, do not reflect the ideas or opinions of any other organization or citizen. Worthwhile reading Plus ca change ... and all that jazz! Recent attempts to clean out some back rooms at the newspaper have turned up evidence that everything old becomes new again – or at least recyclable. Along with some old maps of the town are antique photos, of Civil War veterans gathered for reunion portraits and of the downtown business district when there were still trolleys – and bustling businesses. One framed item that really caught my eye, however, was a newspaper dated Saturday, March 7, 1857, providing a wealth of information into America’s past. But is there anything in it still relevant, or useful to contemporary readers? AS YOU Under the slogan “Free and Independent — To LIKE IT Promote the Public Welfare,” this issue of “The MARK ASHTON Southbridge Press” features no illustrations, just an array of pieces written to inform, influence, and inspire readers to productive thought and meaningful action. Poetry, it appears, was not out of place – even on page one – in 1857. Charles McKay’s “Good Heart and Willing Hand,” for example, lauds the virtues of those “two best friends,” with which “poverty grows rich/And finds a loaf to spare!” Not to be outdone, “A Mother’s Love,” by William Winter, extols the maternal love that “burns on so calm and pure ... steadfast and so sure.” And this without a single reference to Mother’s Day, which was decades away from even being invented or exploited. “Old Habits” is a 10-inch tale that doesn’t make its true intent known until the last three paragraphs. Documenting the illogic of “carrying a stone in one’s pocket” by honoring “the good old customs of our fathers,” it ends up railing against “the use of tobacco, chewing, smoking, taking snuff – of what use are they to me?” While we seem to have overcome the widespread use of snuff today, and while chewing is more-or-less limited to a handful of baseball managers, smoking remains “one more stone to throw away” for the sake of our communal health, agreeability, and “neatness.” Other good advice on page one: “Never take a light into a closet.” This was important in the days of candlelight and oil lanterns, and not so crucial in these days of LED bulbs. A HEROINE OF THE SEA recounts the amazing exploits of Mary A. Patton, a New Englander who, at the tender age of just 20, accompanied her husband, a sea captain, on a commercial cruise from New York to San Francisco and, when he was taken sick to the point of going blind, took over as commander, fighting unusually severe weather and incompetent first mates to bring the $350,000 worth of cargo safely home – even while “very near the period of her maternity.” The New York Tribune reprint suggests that “the merchants of New York … make up a liberal purse” for the soon-to-be widow, and a reader from this, that, or any other era would be hard-pressed to find a viable argument to suggest otherwise. “Receipt for Making the Day Happy” touts the virtues of doing a good deed every day, whether providing “a left-off garment to a man who needs it, a kind word to the sorrowful, or an encouraging expression to the striving.” Doing so for 40 years, the notice adds, “makes 14,600 human beings” happy. “Now, worthy reader, is not this simple?” A culinary hint on page one substitutes snow for eggs, which “at 30 and 40 cents a dozen are a luxury not to be had by everyone.” If “light, fleecy snow is mixed with flour instead of water, an excellent batter for pancakes may be had.” A discussion of “carbonic acid gas” is included for those who require the science behind such practical suggestions. “The Swell-Head Disease” reads like a medical warning – “This dread disease sometimes attacks horses and other animals” – until it becomes clear that it is truly an ironic and sarcastic treatise on self-aggrandizing men and boys, for whom it is “frequently fatal.” “When it is caused by emptiness of the cranium, it is only necessary to fill up the vacuum with good ideas, a solid education, or common sense.” “Speak to the Young Man” offers similar advice, railing against “that young man clad in broadcloth and ruffles and tasseled cap … with ‘soap locks’ dangling about his ears.” Though it’s no longer politically correct to do so, we might forward this piece to “that young man clad in droopy drawers and sideways – or backwards – cap,” who may be saved, like his predecessors, only by procuring “some mechanical or agricultural tools; cultivating habits of industry and morality; and aiming to be an honest man.” By doing so, this 155-year-old journal asserts, a young man may “yet retrieve a fallen reputation, and make (him)self a respectable member in society.” Now, worthy reader, is this not simple? And simply worth re-reading? Mark Ashton writes a weekly column for Stonebridge Press publications. You may contact him at: mark@stonebridgepress.com, or by calling: 508-909-4144.
www.webstertimes.net Friday, July 13, 2012 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • 11 SPORTS Oxford Big League team comes up big to win state championship BY NICK ETHIER SPORTS STAFF WRITER OXFORD — With a spot in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Big League Regional waiting for the Massachusetts state champion, the Oxford and District 3 (Gardner and surrounding towns) champions took the field at Greenbriar Park on July 8 looking to secure the spot. The Regional, which sports teams from Maine to Maryland, will have Oxford as its Massachusetts representative, as they scored early to push past Gardner 10-0 in five mercy-rule shortened innings. Oxford scored three runs in both the first and second innings, and pitcher Sean O’Leary was lights out from the get-go, all of which had Manager Greg Gray beaming. “It’s just awesome to get ahead in the beginning,” he said. “With Sean O’Leary on the mound he was getting the ball where it needed to be and he was throwing strikes. The kids were making the plays in the field so I was feeling confident when it was 6-0.” The Big Leaguers, aged 17 and 18, will now travel to Delaware for the Regional. “We set out for this a few years ago hoping we’d be able to put a Big League team together that would be able to go to Delaware because we already made the ride to New Jersey with the Senior League program,” Gray said. In 2010 the Oxford Senior League team (aged 15 and 16) won the state championship and played in the Regional. Mike Cicero, Mike D’Alio, Ryan Deviney, Evan Cosentino, Jeff Yetter and O’Leary will be appearing in their second Regional. “We’re all great friends so it’s an awesome time being in one hotel room seeing everyone, every minute every day,” said O’Leary. O’Leary’s right arm was a big reason Oxford won the state championship. He allowed one clean hit — a single — in the first inning and Gardner only reached third Nick Ethier photos The Oxford Big League team holds its state championship banner proudly. base on one occasion. “I knew I had everything working,” O’Leary said. “In warm-ups I only like throwing one or two pitches for some reason…to get a good feel and throw them off a little bit. I knew I had all my pitches working so I could throw anything to them.” O’Leary credited assistant coach John Cosentino for mentoring him through the past eight years of Little League baseball. Cosentino also taught O’Leary how to throw a curveball, which worked brilliantly vs. Gardner. Oxford gave O’Leary all the run support he needed in the bottom of the first inning. O’Leary drove in the first run with a single, and Cosentino (2 for 2) and Dylan D’Angelo followed with two more RBI singles. Oxford replicated its three-run first inning output with three more in the second. Deviney’s deep drive to right resulted in an error, which scored Cicero. O’Leary (2 for 3) hit another RBI single and Yetter drew a bases loaded walk. “It was fantastic…a big confidence booster,” O’Leary said of the run support. Now up 6-0, O’Leary continued to mow batters down and Oxford put the game away with a four-run fourth inning, without the benefit of a hit. Yetter was issued another bases loaded walk to score one, Ryan Smolensky did the same, and D’Angelo and Yetter followed with runs on wild pitches. O’Leary ended the game by striking out Evan Phillips, which officially sent Oxford to Delaware. “The sweetest is winning the states [and] representing your state out of town,” Gray said of the upcoming road trip. “They all played awesome. I’m very proud of them.” Oxford’s Jeff Yetter, left, is there to shake hands with Sean O’Leary after Oxford captured the Big League state championship. O’Leary tossed a one-hitter on the mound. Sean O’Leary of Oxford eyes the plate before tossing a pitch to a Gardner hitter. Oxford second baseman Ryan Deviney extends his glove in an attempt to make a catch in foul territory. Oxford Junior Leaguers hit past Auburn for District 5 championship BY JON GOUIN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT OXFORD — On Saturday, July 7, District 5 crowned a Junior League champion, that being the 13 and 14 year olds from Oxford. In a 14-3 victory on their home field at Greenbriar Park, Oxford dominated play from start to finish of the mercy-rule shortened, five-inning affair. Auburn’s All-Star team was made up of a pool of 36 players from which to choose from, and they needed each and every one to stay close through the early innings against Oxford. Starting pitcher Conor Scully took the ball, “our number one pitcher,” as manager Stephen Westerlind referred to him as. Conor “has everything, a good fastball, curve, changeup, he’s the guy to go to, the one to bring it home for us.” Scully would start the game strong, striking out two of the first three batters he faced and inducing a weak pop-up in foul territory to breeze through the first inning unscathed. Unfortunately for Auburn, no other inning would be such a smooth experience. In opposition to Scully, the Oxford All-Stars countered with their ace, Steven Lemieux. According to head coach Paul Fitzpatrick, Lemieux is, “very strong, mixes up his pitches well, very smart and very crafty…he knows his position extremely well.” Lemieux, much unlike Scully, struggled in the first inning. Patrick Fitzgerald led off the game reaching on shortstop Bryce St. Germain’s throwing error and though he went hitless, would reach in all three of his plate appearances — the only Auburn player to do so. He quickly stole second base and Scully followed with a single and stolen base. Cleanup hitter Ben Jette would then single in “Fitz” to give Auburn a 1-0 lead, but Lemieux would record back-to-back outs to end the threat. The pitchers’ fortunes were reversed in the second inning as Lemieux gave up a single, but no runs. Scully then faltered some as his defense didn’t help him with four errors in the second that led to John Aubin, St. Germain, and Evan Lockwood all scoring unearned runs with merely a single, a walk, two stolen bases and the costly defensive gaffes. Heading into the third inning Oxford’s onslaught continued, and although Scully continued to pitch well, he couldn’t contain the impressive offensive attack. In the third, five hits for Oxford would lead to three more runs making it 6-1 after three. Lemieux had settled in and retired eight of 11 batters after the first inning. Auburn would threaten in the fourth, but could not push a run across and when Oxford came up to bat, there was a feeling of missed opportunity starting to set in. Four straight singles to start the inning, an error and a pair of stolen bases led to three more runs. It also meant the end of the night for Scully, whose line looked far worse than he actually pitched in finishing with three-plus innings of work, and 10 runs — six earned — on eight hits, a walk and three strikeouts. Evan Christy would come on to relieve Scully and didn’t fare a whole lot better. Three more hits and a walk along with another pair of stolen bases for Oxford would all but seal the deal, ending the fourth inning with a lead of 13-1. Oxford’s scoring sheet looked much like a war zone. Every player had at least one hit while four had at least two. Only two batters on the team failed to score a run. As a team, Oxford also stole eight bases on the night, which kept the carousel spinning throughout. They were led by a 3 for 4 performance by Jared Buckley, who also scored two runs and Jon Gouin photos The Junior League All-Star team representing Oxford defeated Auburn for the District 5 championship on Saturday, July 7 at Greenbriar Recreation Area in Oxford. The final score was 14-3. stole a base. Aubin went 1 for 4 but scored three runs and drove in three while stealing two bases of his own. And Lockwood was 3 for 3 on the night with a pair of runs scored and a steal. Anthony Rizzo, Jake Parmenter and Germain all drove in two runs for the 2012 District 5 Junior League champs. Aubin would come in to close the game on the mound throwing an uneventful fifth inning for Oxford to wrap up the title. Following the game, head coach Fitzpatrick was thrilled with his team’s performance, but was not at all surprised. “This team, these 12 kids come together, they bring it all…every phase of the game, they work hard and they just don’t quit,” he said. “They came in today and did a great job. Steven [Lemieux] was masterful tonight, he kept [Auburn] off-balance all night long and our catcher [Zak Renihan] did a great job calling the game for him. This team…our teamsticks together and they just do a fabulous job.” Volunteers sought to support runners in Mass Dash Relay The team representing Auburn in the Junior Division District 5 championship game held at Greenbriar Park in Oxford on July 7 stands down the first baseline. Auburn fell to Oxford, 14-3. Oxford starting pitcher Steven Lemieux went four innings vs. Auburn before being relieved in a 14-3 victory. Lemieux struck out one and walked one while allowing a single run on five hits. The third annual Mass Dash Relay is seeking volunteers to support its runners in the event’s 200-mile trek across the state of Massachusetts on July 14-15 to raise money for pediatric and adult cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Teams of up to 12 runners will begin the two-day, non-stop relay race of 36 legs across Massachusetts — from the foot of Mount Greylock in Lanesborough to the finish line at Carson Beach in Boston. Mass Dash is looking for race crew volunteers to check in runners at relay stops throughout the race, especially along the portion of the route from Sturbridge to Boston. To sign up, volunteers can visit http://massdashrelay.org/index.php?option=com_content and click “volunteer now” to check off the transition where they would like to help.
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