November 02, 2012 - Southbridge Evening News

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10 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, November 2, 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 Enough, already I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for Nov. 6 — because I’m sick and tired of election season. Now, I know what you are thinking — “But Adam, you’re a journalist, covering politics is part of your job!” Covering it is one thing — dealing with it, as a citizen, is something else entirely. It’s the constant junk mail in my mailbox, which inevitably heads straight to THE MINOR DETAILS ADAM MINOR the garbage can. It’s the constant e-mails and commercials that are less and less about asserting what a candidate believes in and more and more about why people shouldn’t vote for their opponent. It’s the constant negativity. It’s watching debates filled with socalled “facts,” and candidates constantly saying, “That’s not true.” It’s the zingers, one-liners and attacks that make candidates look more like fighting fifth graders than leaders of our country. It’s hard to know what to believe when candidates are constantly accusing each other of making up their own truth. Now, I know what I believe, and I know whom I am voting for. No amount of “campaigning,” “debating” or even “fact creating” is going to change my mind — but to an undecided voter, this election season has been a cacophony of confusion, unanswered questions and frustration. Thinking nationally, someone on the fence has had to endure (and I use the word “endure” for a reason, because trying to watch the debates has been a chore, at best) debates filled with aggression and venom that mask the questions being asked. Honestly, the news doesn’t make it any better. Constant chatter from random talking heads about the minutest minutiae? I’d rather watch a blank screen. I say all this sounding pretty snarky and condescending, and I should probably back off a bit, because the elections, especially on the state level, have been quite interesting. As part of my job, I interact with our local politicians on a regular basis, and for the most part, they’re all great — so it’s not all doom and gloom here. Some of them probably even relate to what I’m saying! My point is that for all this talking, all this promising, all this remarking, commenting and accusing, I’m ready for it to be over, so when it’s all said and done, we’ll be done with the talk, and for once, be ready for some action. My name is Adam Minor, and I support this message. Adam Minor may be reached at 508-909- 4130, or by e-mail at aminor@stonebridgepress.com. SOUND OFF! WE KNOW you’ve got an opinion, so what are you waiting for? Sound Off! It’s a fast and easy way to let everyone know what’s on your mind. What’s more is if you’re worried about putting you’re name out there, don’t be! With Sound Off! you don’t have to leave a name. Just call our Sound Off! line at 508-909- 4079, wait for the prompt and, presto, that’s it — time to talk. OK, so there are a couple guidelines: We ask that you speak clearly enough so we can accurately transcribe your message.You’ll want to keep your remarks relatively brief so we have enough space in the newspaper to include it all. If you don’t want to leave a message, that’s OK.You can e-mail your Sound Off! to SoundOffWebster@stonebridgepress.com. Just remember to label it as a Sound Off. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: Thanks to the support of Carolo’s Pizza, Dairy Express, P&D House of Pizza and Pizza Post, and the Oxford Police, Fire, EMS and CERTS, the Oxford Community Center was buzzing with activity at the Oxford 300th Anniversary’s Public Safety Awareness and Slice of Oxford Night. More than 125 people consumed 48 large cheese, pepperoni, and various “house specialty pizzas,” then took part in checking out the Police, Fire, and EMS vehicles on display in the Community Center parking lot. We have a great bunch of civil servants that came by and the kids had a great time in vehicles and trying on gear! As for the pizza tasting contest tonight, the “blind tasting” vote results are in and while not everyone voted for each flavor and only picked their favorite type of pizza we have the winning choices for this year. For those that kept track of your favorites, the pizza parlors in the Blind Taste Votes were set up as: 1. P&D Pizza, 2. Carolo’s, 3. Pizza Post and 4. Dairy Express The overall first choice in all categories; Cheese, Pepperoni, and House Specialty was Pizza Post! We also asked people to give us their ages so we could see the results by generations. The 55 plus group picked Pizza Post for the Cheese Pizza, with Dairy Express getting the pick for their Pepperoni & Specialty pizzas. The over 35 age group produced the most tied choices; P&D got their Specialty choice, but the Cheese and Pepperoni pizzas both pulled 3 way ties between Carolo’s, Dairy, To the Editor: Dear Board of Selectmen and Highway Commissioners — The Webster-Dudley Veterans Council is proud to announce that we will participate in the 8th consecutive Veteran’s Day Parade. We are also pleased to announce that for the eighth consecutive year Richard Holewa, Dudley’s Veteran Agent, will chair the parade committee. This year’s co-chairmen will be, George Bebeau, Norman Deptula, and Joseph E. Sendrowski. Master of Ceremonies is Andrew Koslowski. On behalf of Chairman Richard Holewa, we respectfully ask the Highway Pizza event a success P&D. Our 21 & up voters picked Dairy & Pizza Post for Cheese, Pizza Post edged out the win in Pepperoni, and Carolo’s and P&D shared top honors for their house Specialty pizzas. Among teens, it was Pizza Post with the slight edge in all categories. Our pre-teen voters picked Carolo’s and P & D for cheese, Carolo’s for pepperoni, and Carolo’s and Pizza Post got the nod for Specialty pizzas. The Contest Coordinator’s Choice is a 4 way tie in all categories! With such great support from these local businesses, we are all winners! These events were organized to bring the community together to meet some of their public safety officials and to have a little fun by getting out the vote for pizza, one of America’s favorite foods, and to celebrate our great community. We had babies in strollers, preschoolers, youngsters of all ages, scouts, moms, dads, grandparents, and most important, we had fun! Thank you to Carolo’s, Dairy Express, P & D and Pizza Post, Oxford Police, Oxford Fire- EMS, CERTS, Oxford Community Center, volunteer members and associates of the Tercentennial Committee, and thank you oxford residents for taking part in our event. With such monumental support in the community, Oxford is blessed some really winning pizza parlors that extends beyond their delicious wares. OXFORD TERCENTENNIAL COMMITTEE Veterans Day parade coming soon Tri-Valley receives many questions from area seniors, younger people with disabilities and caregivers and has created this monthly help line column to provide some assistance. We are also available five days a week to answer individual questions in person or on the phone. Our website is also available. Q: Should I sign up for Medicare when I turn 65? A: Yes, most people at 65 should take Medicare. Over the next 10 years, a total of 10,000 people every day will enroll in Medicare. Most people are eligible to get Medicare when they turn 65. Some people who are younger (ages 18 to 65) and have certain disabilities that prevent them from working can also get Medicare. To get Medicare Parts A and B you must be a United States citizen or have been living in the U.S. legally for at least five years nonstop. Although many people think of Medicare as retirement health insurance, there are many people on Medicare who are past 65 and still working. People turning 65 this year must wait until they are 66 years old to collect full Social Security retirement benefits. But people turning 65 can get on Medicare — whether they continue to work or not. If you’re 65 and still working (or your spouse is still working), and you work for a company with 20 full-time workers and you get health insurance from them, you may not need all of Medicare. Most people should enroll in Medicare Part A, which pays for hospital bills, because it is free. Part A becomes the secondary payer after your job’s insurance. By taking Medicare Part A when you first become eligible, you will not need to worry about enrolling later. If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) where you work, you may not want Medicare Part A right away, because your employer may stop contributing to your HSA account once you enroll in Part A. If you work for a company with fewer than 20 employees or are self-employed, you will probably want Medicare Parts A and B (which covers doctors’ care) when you turn 65. To apply for Medicare, contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or visit them on Commissioners close off West Main Street from Brandon Road to William Street from 10:55 to 11:20 a.m. on Nov. 11. We ask so that the noise created by traffic not distract from the ceremony taking place that honors America’s veterans. The event starts at exactly 11 a.m., commemorating the signing of the peace treaty ending World War I. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Thank you. JOSEPH E. SENDROWSKI CO-CHAIRMAN,WEBSTER-DUDLEY VETERANS COUNCIL Turning 65 and Medicare TRI-VALLEY HELP-LINE the internet at http://www.ssa.gov/. Once you enroll, you will be sent your Medicare card, plus a “Welcome to Medicare” kit in the mail. If you choose to delay Medicare Part B now, you’ll have to contact Social Security later, either in person or by phone, to enroll in Part B. Once you are enrolled in Medicare, you can also visit their secure website, where you can review and track your benefits. Through this free, online service, you can get 24/7 access to information about your Medicare benefits, print your recent Medicare claims and notices, track your prescriptions, and get direct assistance online from Medicare. If you have you stopped working before age 65, you can’t get Medicare until you turn 65—-unless you are disabled and have been getting Social Security disability benefits for two years. As you approach 3 months before your 65th birthday, you need to know that there are certain times when you can sign up for Medicare. If you delay signing up, you may have to pay higher monthly premiums when you do join. If you are already getting Social Security benefits, like early retiree or disability benefits, when you turn 65, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B. Tri-Valley continues to be ready to assist you with other questions through its free information & referral HELP-LINE at (508) 949-6640 or 1-800-286-6640. You may also access Tri-Valley by E-mail: info@tves.org or visit the agency’s website at: www.trivalleyinc.org To connect with services for elders and their families anywhere in Massachusetts call 1-800-AGE-INFO. Tri-Valley, Inc. is a private non-profit agency providing in-home and community based services in 25 Southern Worcester County towns. The agency receives funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and Federal financial support under the Older Americans Act furnished by the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Funds are also received from other public and private sources. All donations are welcome and memorials may be established. Marilyn L. Travinski is the executive director. “Every Town Deserves a Good Local Newspaper” TheHeartOfMassachusetts.com Celebrate! Hurray, it’s almost over! The big day is almost here. The end is near. The reign of terror has almost ended. The die is almost cast. The verdict is almost in. By this time next week, we’ll know the results, and, in theory, at least, we’ll have had a hand (or at least a yea or nay) in the process. It’s not so much that the elections will be over, but the campaigns will be behind us (we hope). The actual elections are a foregone conclusion. No need to actually vote, because, as the pollsters tell us, it’s all up to one or two (or three) “swing states” (are these the ones where Glenn Miller AS YOU LIKE IT MARK ASHTON was born and where Harry Connick Jr. now lives?). In the Bay State, the presidential results were decided decades ago, when the Cabots and Lodges gave way to the Kennedys, and the Democrats ousted the Republicans like Pilgrims pushing Wampanoags into Oklahoma. Then again, the Brown/Warren race may be just that – a real race, to see if the commonwealth is truly a one-party state, and the apparent heir to the throne can “regain the Kennedy seat” – as opposed to what a few lingering fools believe ought to be “the peoples’ seat” in Congress. But the campaigning this season has been worse than last year’s tornadoes, hurricane, and October snowstorm (complete with power outages) combined. The relentless badgering, belittling, defamation of character, disputes over facts, disrespectful comments, handwringing, head-slapping, war-mongering divisiveness has all been too much to bear. And that’s just between the telemarketer/pollsters and independent voters. The debates and contention between candidates was almost as ugly. But it doesn’t – and by this time next week, it truly didn’t – matter. Everything will have been decided. And then the pollsters will have their way again, at least for a few weeks, to explain how right they were (or how uncooperative voters were, if they’re proven wrong) and how things are expected to go for the next three-and-a-half years, when the next campaign (of terror) will befall us. You know what I wish? That there were no polls. That campaigns were limited to one month (and the accompanying BILLIONS of dollars wasted on campaigning were put to good use in implementing plans the candidates say they’d put into operation if they only had the money). I wish that the candidates knew this one very important thing: They take themselves way too seriously, and we the people could/would do quite nicely were they all to vanish from the earth. Truth be told, America hasn’t had a lot of great presidents. George Washington was one, the Father of Our Country. He could have been king if he’d had a mind to. Wisely, he recognized the problems inherent in monarchies and set the tone for executive leadership. Unfortunately, not a lot of others followed his lead. Most of his successors have not succeeded in duplicating his commitment to public service, or in heeding his warnings against the dangers (evils) of parties and partisanship. Abe Lincoln was another great president, partly because he was a Republican when it was something new, when it was the party of change, of vision, before it became simply “the opposition” to the only other show in town. Wouldn’t it be great if our elections (and debates) had eight or nine candidates, all on an equal footing – at least until the masses (not the mass media) wisely winnowed the chaff from the wheat? But how can that happen when the candidates and the “machinery” are all controlled by those whose interests bear no relationship to those of “the people?” Why even vote? Comedian Norm Crosby, on a recent fund-raising visit to Worcester, had it right when suggesting that this is the first election in which all the voters “hope everyone loses.” Don’t tell me it wouldn’t be right to not vote on occasion. A no-vote can be a message, and a fulfillment of civic duty, even more than a by-rote “votethe-ticket” ballot. Those who win our elections, unfortunately, all too often do so merely for themselves. Beholden to those who helped get them elected, they have little, if anything, in common with mainstream America. Empty suits, empty chairs, empty promises. If every candidate promises to make things better “for the middle class,” then why hasn’t the middle class ever benefited from the winner’s election? This recent campaign, in fact, has been all about protecting, preserving, and helping a whole lot more people join the ranks of the middle class. Here’s a warning to the undecided voter hoping to gain middle-class status: DON’T! To be middle-class in America means to be the servant of the upper crust, the benefactor of the poor and dispossessed. Middle, in this case, means “caught between,” abused by both high and low. Uh oh! I just remembered by agreement, recently, to leave off political commentary from this column. Let it never be said that I am not a person of my word. I have merely, momentarily, misspoken, had a slip of the pen, let my mind wander to forbidden subject matter by way of PTCD (Post Traumatic Campaigning Disorder). On the brighter side, it’ll all soon be over. The new guys will be in. We’ll be filled with hope and change. It doesn’t matter who wins. America will survive. Mark Ashton can be reached at: mark@stonebridgepress.com, or by calling: 508-909-4144.
www.webstertimes.net Friday, November 2, 2012 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • 11 SPORTS Hill’s Fossas, Worters win SWCL cross-country races SHEPHERD HILL BOYS, NORTHBRIDGE GIRLS TAKE TEAM TITLES BY NICK ETHIER SPORTS STAFF WRITER WEBSTER — Shepherd Hill juniors Elijah Fossas and Stella Worters navigated through the 2.9-mile Memorial Beach course the quickest, winning their respective Southern Worcester County League (SWCL) individual crosscountry championship races on Oct. 24. The top finishes also enabled the Rams to score well as a team. Fossas’ finish helped the Shepherd Hill boys take the team title, while Worters and her Rams teammates placed third. “I was trying to stick with a Bartlett’s Joshua Campbell continues his trek around Memorial Beach during the SWCL championship. group of guys for the first half-mile and then the plan was if I felt good I’d go,” said Fossas after winning the race. “I felt good, so I made a move in the woods.” Fossas was racing for the first time after an injury derailed most of his season. In essence Fossas — who finished in third at this race last year — was filling in for an injured Dan Stomski, who had been winning many races for Shepherd Hill but was unable to go in the SWCL championship. The Rams, now undefeated for the past two seasons, have the postseason to look forward to. “That was the goal, to win the team title,” Fossas said. “Move on and do well at districts.” For Worters, she finally grabbed a SWCL individual title after placing second behind Northbridge High’s Julie Richer in 2010 and ’11. “I know Julie likes to go off fast, so I tried to stick with her,” Worters said of her strategy. Worters, sophomore teammate Juleanna Schultz, Richer and Millbury High’s Angie DiDomenica broke away from the pack and eventually Worters outraced them all, including second place finisher DiDomenica — just an eighth grader — by 13 seconds. “I took the last half-mile to speed up and get a distance between me and Angie,” Worters said. “She was catching up to me and I heard her, and then I decided I had to go.” Worters hopes her team, which had many ill-stricken runners participating in the SWCL meet, will perform better at districts and potentially the All-State meet. “We have a good chance,” she said. “We definitely want to go to All- States as a team. It’d be the first team ever from Shepherd Hill, boys or girls.” Meanwhile, Richer may not have pulled an individual three-peat, but her team took the title for the second consecutive season. “Absolutely amazing,” she said. “I don’t think I’d want to be on any other team. We definitely wanted it again after getting it last year.” Northbridge’s top five runners placed fourth, fifth, ninth, 10th and 13th. “It’s huge having everyone so close and having such depth,” Richer said, noting that sixth and seventh place finishers Erika Haverty and Vanessa Babiy — who didn’t even officially score in the meet — still cracked the top 20 in 16th and 17th place, respectively. Now, undefeated Northbridge also hopes to get to the State meet. Elijah Fossas of Shepherd Hill, racing for the first time this season, approaches the finish line before winning the SWCL championship race. “ W e are really hoping to get to states this year as a team,” Richer, a senior, said. For now the Rams will cherish their SWCL team title. “If I’m not going to win [the race for the third consecutive year] at least the team gets the trophy and I’m so excited that that happened,” Richer said. Boys and girls team and individual results are as follows: Boys Team Results 1. Shepherd Hill, 42 points 2. Auburn, 61 3. Tantasqua, 66 4. Uxbridge, 86 5. Grafton, 139 6. David Prouty, 140 7. Oxford, 198 8. Bartlett, 266 9. Southbridge, 272 10. Quaboag, 277 Top 15 Boys Results 1. Elijah Fossas, Shepherd Hill, 15:31 2. Andy Reardon, Uxbridge, 15:42 3. Mike Dobos, Tantasqua, 15:54 Shepherd Hill’s Stella Worters (357) and Northbridge’s Julie Richer (280) have won the last three SWCL championship races. Richer won in 2010 and ’11, while Worters took it this year. 4. Hunter Schultz, Shepherd Hill, 16:02 5. Matt Lavallee, Auburn, 16:12 6. Finley Simonds, Tantasqua, 16:19 7. Brady Phillips, Uxbridge, 16:20 8. Brendan Coughlin, David Prouty, 16:24 9. Jason Bangs, Shepherd Hill, 16:35 10. Andrew Elloso, Grafton, 16:51 11. Matt Healey, Auburn, 16:56 12. Tom Gannon, Auburn, 16:58 13. Brendan Pratt, Shepherd Hill, 17:07 14. Dan Peck, Tantasqua, 17:07 15. Alberto Salcedo, Shepherd Hill, 17:08 Girls Team Results 1. Northbridge, 38 points 2. Millbury, 54 3. Shepherd Hill, 56 4. Uxbridge, 115 5. Bartlett, 148 6. Tantasqua, 153 7. Auburn, 165 8. Southbridge, 258 9. Quaboag, 259 10. David Prouty, 273 Top 15 Girls Results 1. Stella Worters, Shepherd Hill, 17:26 2. Angie DiDomenica, Millbury, 17:39 3. Juleanna Schultz, Shepherd Hill, 17:49 4. Julie Richer, Northbridge, 18:26 5. Callie Hansson, Northbridge, 19:13 6. Alexis Violette, Millbury, 19:35 7. Lauren Anderson, Grafton, 19:42 8. Lucy Harmon, Shepherd Hill, 19:58 9. Janet Haas, Northbridge, 20:25 10. Jennifer Cacciola, Northbridge, 20:34 11. Cailee King, Uxbridge, 20:38 12. Sandy Ghobria, Uxbridge, 20:40 13. Megan Mawn, Northbridge, 20:44 14. Maria DiDomenica, Millbury, 20:55 15. Keryn Reno, Millbury, 20:58 Clockwise from above left, Oxford’s Austin Greene (290) and Anthony Rizzo, who finished 29th and 32nd in the SWCL championship meet, are neck and neck near the beginning of the race. The girls take their first steps during the SWCL championship meet. The boys are off in the SWCL championship race after the firing of the gun. From the front, Shepherd Hill’s Brendan Pratt, Tantasqua’s Dan Peck, Shepherd Hill’s Alberto Salcedo and Northbridge’s Michael Fitman place 13-16 in the SWCL championship race. NICK ETHIER PHOTOS SPORTS BRIEFS Auburn/Webster Lodge of Elks to host “Hoop Shoot” competition The Auburn/Webster Lodge of Elks No. 2118 will host the 41st annual “Hoop Shoot” Free Throw Competition on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Auburn High School gymnasium. Registration opens at 8 a.m. with the shoot to follow at 9. There will be a boys and girls division with age brackets of 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13. All ages are as of April 1, 2013. There is no charge to participate and a free T-shirt will be handed to the first 50 participants. The boy and girl in each age group, with the best score, will advance to the next level of competition in January 2013. After four tiers of competition the national finals will be held at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield in April 2013. For further information contact Auburn Lodge “Hoop Shoot” Chairman David Charbonneau at (508) 832-3674. Charlton’s Heritage School to host pickup basketball games Women’s pickup basketball is now offered at the Heritage School in Charlton from 7-9 p.m. and will run Mondays until June based on the school calendar. This is not a league and there are no fees. Players must be at least 18 years old. Come for the fun and exercise. Contact Deb at (508) 248-3600 for more information.
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November 02, 2012 - Southbridge Evening News

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