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8 SPENCER NEW LEADER • Friday, October 1, 2010 VIEWPOINT OPINION AND COMMENTARY FROM SPENCER, LEICESTER AND THE BROOKFIELDS EDITORIAL Playing with our food once again Why can’t they just stop playing with our food? It’s a basic lesson we thought everyone learned from their mother. Granted, some improvements were thought to be good at the time, but even pasteurization has its detractors. Think about it: just because boiling milk makes it last longer and kill germs, who’s to say some of those germs weren’t beneficial to man over the millennia? How else does one explain probiotic yogurt? Many people who grew up drinking raw milk — as it is called now — are repulsively healthy. No allergies. No major illnesses. Could there be a link to good health and eating in a more natural manner? Hmmm. That one deserves much more consideration than it gets. Twenty years ago, how many who were in school at the time even heard of another kid anywhere who was allergic to an entire food group? We bring this up because a Massachusetts firm is on the cusp of convincing the FDA to approve genetically altered salmon — a frankenfish that grows twice as fast as the natural variety and “appears” to be safe, according to an advisory committee. They did grant more testing is in order. But why bother? We’re thinking money may be the answer to that question. Money is behind the beef industry shooting cattle up with so much antibiotics and growth hormones that children reach puberty earlier than they once did and medical science is seeing more antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” than ever before. So enter AquaBounty — who could hate a name like that? They are itching to start genetically altering fish ASAP, arguing it is economically wise and environmentally sustainable. That last word works a lot of magic these days, but critics have some weighty concerns. You start to mess with genetics of the food we eat and you end up with more food allergies and less of the natural species. And look how much backlash simply farming salmon has created globally. But man likes to tinker, and tinker he will. This is more certainly so if the words money and jobs are connected to it. This is not a rush to create a vital medicine to help eradicate disease. It is a case in which the very thing that would be created may have shortterm benefits, but let one of these superfish out into the wild and you start on the slippery slope to the eradication of a specifies with one fin in the endangered column already. It seems we are much to willing to gain a world of fish and lose our soul — and maybe our health along with it. 1 8 7 2 - 2 0 0 7 25 Elm St., Southbridge, MA 01550 Telephone (800) 367-9898 Fax (508) 764-8015 www.spencernewleader.com FRANK G. CHILINSKI PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER DAVID F. DORE EDITOR, SPENCER NEW LEADER LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Griggs: Vote Evangelidis for Worcester County sheriff To the Editor: The job of sheriff isn’t simply about keeping the inmates locked away from the public or running the local jail. The sheriff is a valued stakeholder in our communities, responsible to implement initiatives that benefit the citizens. Lew Evangelidis has made Community Partnerships one of his top priorities. Aside from ending patronage, saving taxpayer money and fighting for the implementation of inmate fees, Lew will bring innovative SOUND OFF programs to our schools to educate our children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, cyber-bullying and online predators. He has also pledged to work with our seniors to educate them on fraud and scam prevention. For the betterment of our communities, I encourage you to vote for Lew Evangelidis for Worcester County sheriff. RICHARD GRIGGS NORTHBRIDGE Morgenthau: Thank you to local Fresh Air Fund hosts To the Editor: This year, 94 New York City children found out once again just how special summer is in Southern Massachusetts. Fresh Air Fund hosts, volunteers and local supporters dedicated their time and efforts to help these inner-city youngsters experience simple summertime pleasures, including afternoons of swimming, fishing at sunset and roasting S’mores over a campfire. None of this would be possible without Victoria Cox-Lanyon, your local Fresh Air Fund volunteer leader, who works throughout the year to make sure host families and children have the opportunity to enjoy memorable summertime experiences together. I invite you to join Victoria and the local Fresh Air Fund committee to help spread the word about the wonderful opportunity of hosting next summer. The Fresh Air Fund, an independent, notfor-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to over 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. For more information on how you can help to continue this wonderful tradition of volunteering, please call Victoria Cox-Lanyon at (508) 476-1194 or visit www.freshair.org. JENNY MORGENTHAU EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FRESH AIR FUND Hicks: District has bought new textbooks in recent years To the Editor: A School Committee member recently stated the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District has not purchased a textbook series in many years. This was not factually accurate. In the five previous years $221,677 was spent on new textbook series. These textbooks were purchased, in large part, due to my having secured capital funds from the district’s two towns for this specific purpose. We also utilized federal grant money as well as surplus funds when they were available. These textbooks ranged from a complete English Language Arts adoption to social studies and science textbooks for high school subjects and new books for the implementation of the guided reading program in the elementary schools. Although I certainly wish we had more funds to replace and update textbooks, I think the taxpayers need to know that we have made these purchases. I also know we are not the only school district that is delaying such purchases until the economy rebounds. I think it is even more important that parents know that we have been updating textbooks whenever we can, and that we seek funding for these books outside of the regular budget whenever possible. I want to emphatically state that negative comments such as the ones made about our alleged lack of new textbooks do nothing but help to destroy our school district’s reputation. This leads to more children leaving our district for another under School Choice. This only takes precious state funds away from our children. RALPH E. HICKS, ED. D. SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS SPENCER-EAST BROOKFIELD REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Holdcraft: Brookfield sign ‘will always speak the truth’ To the Editor: For several years I filmed and recorded every selectmen’s meeting as the videographer for the Public Access Committee here in the Town of Brookfield. Through the lens of my camera I saw people lie and make poor decisions that benefited only themselves and didn’t seem to benefit the town or the townspeople at all. Coincidentally, I happen to have a big yellow sign on Route 9 and decided to raise the awareness of the townspeople as to what I saw and heard at these meetings. By posting the negative alongside the positive up on my big yellow sign, the people could decide for themselves what was best for them and their town. What some may call “airing out of our dirty laundry,” I call honesty, truth and accountability in representation. Others have said that they agree with my politics, but disagree with my tactics. Sometimes telling the truth can come across as negative. You may not always agree with what the sign says, but the big yellow sign will always speak the truth! JOHN DAVID HOLDCRAFT BROOKFIELD Experience with child with peanut allergies teaches lessons Sound Off: I would like to Sound Off regarding the dangers of peanuts and peanut products. I am the mother of a child — and now a grandchild — that has had allergies toward peanuts, peanut butter and any product with peanuts. Does the anonymous person in last week’s paper (“Banning peanuts at elementary school not the answer,” Sept. 17) have experience with watching or seeing a child react from peanut butter if they’re allergic to it? How would they feel about rushing their 10- month-old child to the hospital because her little throat was closing up, she was fighting to breathe, hives the size of a quarter covering her whole body and her eyes swelling up so she couldn’t see — all because there was a dish of peanuts on a table? She was too small to reach the table, so we know she had not touched them. It was in the air. Just the odor itself of the peanuts, or whatever it is. I educated my child, and we educate our grandchild, on what to do. I sent Benadryl to the school nurse and we made our child aware to watch for the warning signals, to head right to the school nurse — not stop, talk to nobody, not even tell the teacher — she had to go and just run for that school nurse to get that Benadryl immediately. The sooner she got it, the better she cleared up. The problem here is there are peanut products all over the place, and kids with these allergies can’t control them. There are kids and teachers and whomever walking around the school with peanuts in their pockets, candy with peanuts in it, whatever. Benadryl was a lifesaver, but there was also a problem with Benadryl, especially if your child was in school. Your child could become listless and very tired when they’re young and taking this Benadryl. I do not agree with the writer on all peanut products should not be banned from school. Most definitely, they should be. Parents of these children with these allergies, we teach our kids to be in control. We teach our kids what to do. But we cannot control the allergy if it affects our child. We cannot control that. Kids can’t do anything about it but head for the nurse and get some medicine. How do we expect our kids to be in control when some other kids in the school aren’t aware of the dangers and go on eating these peanut products? This stuff can kill. It’s not like the kids are being deprived of any of these products. They can, after school, go to the store and buy something with peanuts, eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when they get home. I just think that the wishes should be respected. And they have banned peanuts on airplanes. That’s a big deal for airplanes to do that. That’s how serious it can be. I think it should be banned from all schools — any peanut product whatsoever. Falling for autumn AS YOU LIKE IT MARK ASHTON This is being written in appreciation of fall, aka autumn, that wonderful, wondrous time of year when foliage and fresh air clear the head and heighten the senses. We, as a people, a nation and a world seem nowadays perilously preoccupied with “being green.” But I’m so much more enlivened by the myriad hues and happenings of autumn. Green is your ho-hum everyday American aspiration. I think that as a nation and a world we ought to aspire to being autumnal — that is, multi-hued, multi-talented, multi-tasked and multi-faceted. I just wish that those among us who are overtly vegetable (as opposed to animal) and prone to “falling” from limbs and branches each season were more commercially marketable. Take my backyard, for instance — please! One of the five largest oak trees in the state (I’ve been told) resides there in all its oaken splendor, with hundreds of branches, thousands of offshoots and twigs and other capillaries, each of which culminates in a goodly number of fruits and leaves. The fruits thereof are acorns, which are clunking to the ground in record numbers (and sizes) this year, bringing smiles (and tiny little backaches) to the squirrels trying to lug them off to nests and nooks and aeries for the approaching winter. The leaves are numbered up in the gazillions — on this one oak tree alone — and are already littering the backyard lawn with misshapen brown remnants of their original vibrant selves. Can’t some enterprising young scientist, some Billy Mays of October, come up with a few commercially viable uses for these manifestly overabundant droppings? Aren’t these oak leaves laden with tannin? Couldn’t they be used in manufacturing hair coloring? Shoe polish? Coppertone products? Aren’t they truly something literally to dye for? Or maybe there’s a way to harness them — compacted and compressed, perhaps — for use as winter woodstove fuel, or even for housing insulation, maybe even for composite hardboard sheathing or paneling. I don’t know how, but can’t somebody get to thinking on these possibilities? On the other hand, there are other things I love about autumn as well, all of which have to do with tradition. For one, there’s the chance to walk down to a high school football game, to find friends and acquaintances gathered in a spirit of friendly competition (until Thanksgiving Day, when it becomes serious do-or-die time!), junk food bingeing, joviality, fresh air, and fun. We watched last weekend’s local game with a friend who says he hasn’t missed the Turkey Day Classic, between the Southbridge High School Pioneers and the Bartlett High School (Webster) Indians, in 55 years. We hope he gets to keep the tradition alive for at least another 45 years. Also, fall provides us with better sleeping weather, brisker breezes (but without the nasty white stuff), end-of-season cornucopias of tomatoes, squashes and pumpkins, and the greatest fall blessing of all — autumnal apples. I enjoyed my first native Macouns of the season this past weekend — like most everything harvested this year a few weeks ahead of schedule, but just as tart/sweet and rock-hard tasty as ever. I won’t complain if there’s a bumper crop of Macouns this year. Perhaps we’ll be enjoying them even into the winter months for a change. I suppose that to some folks even raking and bagging are beloved traditions, but I’ve never personally gotten the hang of “enjoying” such clean-up sessions. The bounty is huge, but the benefits — at best — are minimal. What we really need, of course, is the Booker T. Washington of everything Quercus. Forget the peanut, which already has hundreds of uses and its very own wing in the Pantheon of Useful Produce. It’s about time we put the mighty oak to work as well. Otherwise, left to its own devices, the grandfatherly shrub in our backyard will spend the next four weeks sending all of its produce into two specific places: every gutter and downspout of our bungalow; and into the yard, which leads to the driveway, front sidewalks, and street. Which somehow makes all these leaves MY problem and ultimately requires significant labor on the part of someone to dislodge (rake), collect (bag) and otherwise dispose of. At the very least, can’t someone find me a way to charge the resident squirrels in our neighborhood a fair market price for the bounty they’re enjoying. Even at just a penny per acorn per squirrel, I’ll have more than enough to retire — in comfort — by this time next year. Mark Ashton writes a weekly column for Stonebridge Press publications, unless he’s forced into raking and bagging tree droppings all Saturday afternoon.
Friday, October 1, 2010 • SPENCER NEW LEADER 9 SPORTS Prouty keeps rolling with Homecoming victory BY DAVID DORE NEW LEADER STAFF WRITER SPENCER — The David Prouty football team reached its Sweet 16 on Homecoming night. The Panthers earned their 16th straight victory Saturday, Sept. 25 by shutting out Tantasqua 34-0 behind a combined four-touchdown effort by seniors Zach and Mike Grasis. Tantasqua could only muster three first downs against the Prouty defense. But the Warrior defense did well, too, stalling two Panther drives and not making drives easy for the home team. Prouty scored twice in the first quarter — the first on a five-play, 55-yard drive ending with a 13-yard touchdown run by Zach Grasis, the second on a Tantasqua fumble at the Warriors’ 36-yard line that ended with sophomore Marc Lamoureux also running 13 yards for the score. “We came out slow the last couple of games, and we just wanted to come out and score right away, get the tone set for the game,” Mike Grasis said. The second 11-minute stanza saw Zach Grasis take a kickoff return around 60 yards for a touchdown and his brother run 24 yards to put the Panthers up 28-0. Mike Grasis also had a 2-yard quarterback keeper in the third to cap a drive that took all but 28 seconds of the quarter. It gave junior Brandon Comeau a chance to shine, with eight carries for 38 yards. It also featured the return of a set of lights at Eugene R. Hurley Memorial Field that went out late in the first half. Starting for injured starter Alex Lucas, Tantasqua QB Randy Harrington handled most of what the Prouty defense presented to him. The sophomore threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, including one deep in Prouty territory on a promising chance to score. “I’m disappointed that we lost, but I’m not disappointed in the effort that our guys put out there,” Tantasqua coach Aaron Powell said after the game. “Except for the punt return, every time they scored they had to earn it. They had long, methodical drives ... Our kids made them work for every point, and I’m proud of that.” On the other side, Prouty coach Andrew Tuccio said it was “awesome” to get the win on Homecoming, and heartening to see so much support for the team. “It’s not just the parents,” he said. “The whole community gets involved. We are supported by the town, by the parents, unbelievable the amount of support we get out here.” Prouty (3-0) will next host Burncoat at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1, while Tantasqua (0-3) will head home to take on Leicester (2- 1), also at 7 p.m. Friday. David Dore photos Mike Grasis, left, and Patrick Ricard were named the Football Homecoming Most Valuable Players on offense and defense, respectively. Oxford second-half surge too much for Minutemen BY MICHAEL CORSO SPORTS CORRESPONDENT CHARLTON — The Oxford football team recorded a very impressive road victory over Bay Path, 30-12, in front of a packed George L. Fowler Memorial Field on Sept. 25. A steady running game, tricky play calling, timely passing attack, and stalwart defense were too much for an inexperienced Minutemen team that fell to 1-2 with the loss. Despite the defeat, Bay Path head coach Al Dhembe couldn’t have been more pleased with the way his team fought until the very last second. “I am extremely pleased with the way our guys battled out there today,” he said. “We played an extremely skilled and athletic team and we gave them everything we had.” Oxford (3-0) showed off its superior athleticism early and often against Bay Path, using a balanced attack that kept the Minutemen defense on its toes at all times. Senior captain Nick Tessier received the workload early on giving his team a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter following a 2-yard touchdown run up the middle of the Bay Path defense. The touchdown run was set up by a risky fake punt call by the Oxford coaching staff that resulted in a first down around midfield. Tessier finished the game with a solid statistical day carrying the ball 16 times for 80 yards and that first quarter touchdown. The Minutemen showed resolve using their offensive weapons to strike back on their next possession. Dhembe showed a lot of confidence in his unit by going for it on two fourth downs in that possession. Bay Path was able to convert on both and the last fourth down conversion was a 9-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kyle Pearson to his classmate Eric Edstrom. A blocked extra point made the score 7-6 and would also prove to be the closest the Minutemen would get. The rest of the game belonged to Oxford’s junior quarterback Dylan Bracewell and senior wide receiver Kayvon Lewis. The two players were a part of the final three touchdowns, which put the game out of reach. Right before the half the Pirates were the benefactors of another successful fake punt. The offense then put together a long touchdown drive thanks to Bracewell’s strong arm as well as his deceptive running ability. With 29 seconds remaining in the half, Bracewell called his own number and scampered nine yards for a touchdown, giving the Pirates a 14-6 lead at intermission. Dhembe had nothing but great things to say about the opposing quarterback. “He did a very nice job today,” he said. “He’s an athletic player and so is that entire team. I was very impressed with his performance.” Early on in the second half, Bay Path threw a haymaker at the Oxford defense that the Pirates didn’t appear to be ready for. Bay Path came out of the break and used a plethora of offensive sets and plays in Dhembe’s arsenal, which seemed to pay dividends. However, following a timeout by the Oxford coaching staff, adjustments were made that stifled the Bay Path offense and forced it to turn the ball over on downs at the Oxford 16- yard line. The remainder of the quarter was a defensive struggle and saw the score stay at 14-6 entering the fourth. That is when the fireworks went off. On the very first play of the fourth quarter, Bracewell hit a galloping Lewis in stride for 34 yards and a touchdown that sent the Oxford fans into an uproar. That gave the Pirates a comfortable 21-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. On Oxford’s next possession, Bracewell and Lewis had the fans in the bleachers feeling déjà vu as their next touchdown connection was very similar to the first, except this touchdown was for 35 yards and gave the Pirates a commanding 28-6 lead midway through the fourth quarter. “Lewis is an athletic kid. He’s got size, speed, and a tremendous amount of skill,” said Dhembe. “He was a major contributor for them today.” The Minutemen were able to add a late touchdown run by senior running back David Prince on a sensational reverse play that dazzled the crowd. But that was all the Minutemen could muster. Oxford added two more points to its total when Bay Path fumbled the twopoint conversion and Lewis returned it 99 yards. “We have to work on the little things in practice and cut down on the mistakes that cost us today,” says Dhembe. “If we do that I think we will be alright.” The Minutemen begin league play next week when they face off against Keefe Tech Oct. 2. The Pirates will try to continue their winning ways against at home against Southbridge on Oct. 2 David Prouty band ready for another successful season PROUTY continued from page A1 Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) marching band competitions throughout the years, entertains at local parades, and is even invited annually to perform at the Quincy Christmas Parade — one of the largest outdoor events in the Commonwealth. The band also performed at the Eastern States Exposition for Massachusetts Day on Sept. 23. But despite the impressive venues, Waage is happiest performing at home. “I have to admit I really love the football games,” he said. “I’m big on school pride and as a group we are lucky to play such a vital role in the school community.” This year, the band has something up their sleeve for the halftime performances at football games. “We’re playing the music of Queen this year, and I’m really excited about it,” said Waage. “I always try to pick music that is fun, challenging, that the kids will enjoy and that has a lot of musicality to it. Queen’s music is all of those things — it’s very musical, it has a lot of parts and it’s a lot of fun. Plus, it’s entertaining.” The Queen compilation — which will start with “The Show Must Go On,” then go into “Somebody to Love” and “Bicycle Race,” and conclude with the famous “Bohemian Rhapsody” — Pet of the Week Sponsored by E.B. Flatts Walk ‘N Wag 11th Annual Walk 'N Wag October 3, 2010 from 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM Hamilton Rod and Gun Club 24 Hamilton Road, Sturbridge, MA 01566 Get Pledge Form | Get BBQ Reservations Form Get more info... Second Chance Animal Shelter Inc. East Brookfield, MA• (508) 867-5525 www.secondchanceanimals.org is what the marching band will take to three competitive MICCA Marching Band Festivals this year. Competing against schools from all across the state, David Prouty’s Marching Panther Band will be evaluated on its halftime show by judges in several categories such as overall music performance, visual performance, general effect, percussion and color guard. “[This year] we are a little young and inexperienced,” said Waage of the band’s competition-readiness. “But I’m pretty confident people are going to love our rendition of ‘Bicycle Race.’” Getting ready for competitions takes a lot. Band members receive their sheet music in March to prepare for the following season. This allows them time to practice all summer before their weeklong band camp before the start of the school year. “Band camp this year was held the third week of August at Camp Marshall,” explained Waage. “We use that time to learn the marching drill and put it to music.” But the preparations do not stop there. “Once school starts, we have practice three to four times a week until December. Plus section leaders will typically hold sectionals once a week on their own time as well,” said Waage. It is a lot of work, but students are willing to commit their time to the band. “It’s pretty fun,” said Mike Lammi, a freshman at David Prouty High School who is playing percussion for the second year in the Marching Panther Band. “But IF YOU’VE SEEN DENNIS THE MENACE, AKA JIM LOVETT THEN WISH HIM A HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY! Love, Dad, David, Lisa & James there are some hard parts. We have to work on our foot technique, hands, and basically looking exactly like the person next you.” For Waage, the time and effort members of the band put in is important not just to prepare for competitions and other performances, but also because he said it builds students’ character. “We have great camaraderie,” he explained. “I really enjoy the teamwork aspect. There is a high level of commitment. Students learn to communicate and work together as whole.” That may be true of any other school activity, but Waage said being a member of the Marching Panther Band is different. “Unlike a sports team, there is no bench,” he said. “Everybody plays.” Amanda Collins may be reached at (508) 909-4142, or by e-mail at acollins@stonebridgepress.com. THE WRITE STUFF October 2010 ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS: 4th through 12th grade Spencer, Leicester, East Brookfield, North Brookfield, Brookfield, West Brookfield and Warren. Including home schooled! The Write Stuff features poems, stories, or essays submitted by students. SUGGESTED TOPIC: HOW WAS YOUR FIRST MONTH OF SCHOOL? Compositions may be emailed to ddore@stonebridgepress.com (please type in “The Write Stuff” on the subject line) They also may be faxed to 508-764-8015, or mailed to: SPENCER NEW LEADER 25 Elm Street, Southbridge, MA 01550 With your permission we will include a photo if provided. Please include your school and telephone number. Please call David Dore at 508-909-4140 for more information. Deadline for Essays: Wednesday, Oct. 6th Publish Date: Oct. 15th
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Page 23 and 24: NOTICE OF MORTGAGEE'S SALE OF REAL
Page 29 and 30: SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 ☎ TOWN-TO-TOWN

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