fresh air - Quaboag Current

PAGE 2 A Turley Publication • www.turley.com I Thursday, February 9, 2012
Budget management workshops planned
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Quabbin
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41 Church Lane
Wheelwright, MA 01094
Accepting applications for
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Handicap accessible unit
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CALL FOR AN
APPOINTMENT
413-477-6496
TDD (800)439-2379
By Jennifer Grybowski
Turley Publications Reporter
-EAST BROOKFIELD-
Feeling the fi nancial pinch these days? Having to
do more with less money? Looking for ways to
stretch your dollars? Then the East Brookfi eld
Public Library has got a program for you.
Running one Wednesday a month through June, Library
Director Gwyneth Payette is running a “$aving
a Dollar at a Time” program. Wednesday, Feb. 15 will
feature “Why buy that, make this;” Wednesday, March
28 will feature “Clutter Control” with guest speaker
Dave Downs; Wednesday, April 18 will feature “Meals
and recipes for $5/person or less;” Wednesday, May
16 will feature “Garden Savings.” Wednesday, June 20
will feature “Making Dollars and Cents Make Sense” a
fi nancial literacy class presented in collaboration with
the Spencer, North and East Brookfi eld Coordinated
Family and Community Engagement Grant. All programs
will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the East Brookfi
eld Public Library, 122 Connie Mack Drive.
The fi rst program, last month, featured “Couponing
101.”
“People can gain a handle on some unique ideas,”
Payette said. “We’re seeing some, “‘Gee, I can do this’
moments that brings it in perspective. It can be as
simple as don’t buy individual lunch snacks – buy in
bulk and put in baggies immediately and then you have
them. Things people say, “‘Oh, I can do that.’”
Payette said there has been a great interest in the
program.
“We have considered doing a series on job seminars
or getting businesses in that are looking to hire, but a
lot of other places are already doing that so we needed
to try to do something unique,” she said. “I think this
is an important series for people to come to this helpful
series because it’s going to help them in their everyday.”
Payette said the idea for the program was borne
out of people coming into the library talking about the
economy.
“They were saying, ‘We have got to make our dollars
stretch and how do we go about doing it,’” Payette
said. “This is a good series that we all need.”
So she decided to pick what she felt were relevant
topics and, while she’s no fi nancial expert, she did her
research.
“I do research; I use my library,” she said. “I research
the topics and formulate hand-outs because I
think that’s what people really walk away with happy
because it reminds them of what we’ve gone through.”
Payette said only fi ve people showed up to last
month’s event. Afterward, some people came to her
saying the wished they had known about the program
but mostly, she said, people couldn’t fi nd childcare in
order to attend the program.
So Children’s Librarian Mary Gershman has volunteered
to host childcare, including stories, activities and
crafts. On the night Coordinated Family Engagement
is hosting the talk, they will provide the childcare.
The program is mostly free to run, but Payette is
using a portion of her small programming budget to
pay for the guest speaker March 28. The Friends of
the East Brookfi eld Public Library is providing funding
for the printing of handouts.
Registering for the event is preferred, so Payette
knows how many handouts to make, but it is not necessary.
For more information, contact the library at 508-
867-7928 or ebplibrary@gmail.com.
Local pastor publishes new fantasy book
NORTH BROOKFIELD
- North Brookfi eld resident Ken
Winters will be one of six new local
authors signing books at the
Barnes and Noble in Millbury, in
the Shoppes at Blackstone Valley.
It will be held on Friday, Feb 17
starting at 7 p.m.
Ken has served as the associate
pastor at the First Congregational
Church of North Brookfi eld since
2004. Prior to that, he served a 20year
career in the United States
Navy Chaplain Corps. He recently
published his fi rst book, The Lost
Crown of Colonnade.
His new book is a fantasy novel
somewhat reminiscent of The Lord
of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
and The Chronicles of Narnia
by C.S. Lewis. In a recent interview
the author said, “I love C.S. Lewis
and Tolkien. Their books are very
different, yet pack a message that
is deeper than just the story. I hope
TURLEY PUBLICATIONS COURTESY PHOTO
PASTOR KEN WINTERS
those who read my book will enjoy
the story, but I also hope, along the
way, they’ll fi nd some new insights
into life, friendships and faith.”
Ken summarizes his novel this
way: “In one inexplicable moment,
@QuaboagCurrentTownCommonNewspapers.com
Winter Is Not Over Yet!
14-year-old Davey Johnsen exchanges
the comfort of his beautiful
New England home for the rugged
terrain of the unknown land of Colonnade.
There he meets six faithful
companions, Bundiggle, Snuffl es,
Bertrand, Sergeant Farmer, Captain
William, and the lovely Princess
Alisande. Guided by an ancient
prophecy, the faithful band of
seven sets off on a quest to regain
the Lost Crown of Colonnade. Is
it a dream, or are his new friends
and enemies very real? Will Davey’s
party accomplish their quest,
or will they fall victim to the overwhelming
forces of the evil King of
Necrus and his Master, Dagron?”
Voter registration set for Feb. 15
STURBRIDGE - Extended
Sturbridge voter registration
hours for non-registered voters
to become eligible to vote
in the Presidential Primary
scheduled for Tuesday, March
6 will be held on Wednesday,
WE HAVE
• String Lights
• Lamp Oil
• Snowblower
Shear Pins
• Water
• Batteries
• Generators
• Generator Cords
• Plugs
• Weather Radios
• Flashlights
• Gas Cans
• Propane Tanks
EVERYDAY LOW PRICES! CHECK US OUT!
90 Worcester Road, Charlton, MA
508-4346 x107 Fax: 508-248-4353
111 E. Brimfield Road, Holland, MA 413-245-3712
265 Grafton Street, Worcester, MA 508-792-1030
29 Summer Street, Lunenburg, MA 978-343-3202
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HOWLETT CARRIES THOUSANDS OF ITEMS YOU NEED FOR YOUR HOME, YARD AND GARAGE
YOUR LOCAL
✓
A weekly source to local happenings.
Send all community calendar items to the editor at tkane@
turley.com, or through regular mail at 80 Main St., Ware,
MA 01069. Final deadline for all calendar submissions is Friday
at noon the week before intended publication.
CURRENT EVENTS
Compiled by Tim Kane
tkane@turley.com
THE WEEK AHEAD
VALENTINE’S DANCE will be held for Warren and West Brookfi eld
Elementary 4th, 5th, and 6th graders on Friday, Feb. 10, from 6 – 9
p.m. in the Warren Municipal Building Gymnasium. Donation of $5
at door to sponsor the Dance Factory’s Freshman and Junior Dance
Teams. Refreshments will be available for an additional fee.
YOUTH GROUP MEETING of the Blessed John Paul II Parish. Friday, Feb.
10 at 7 p.m. Location: 20 Marcy Street, near St. Mary’s Church. Any Jr.
High and High School Student is welcome to come join the fun!
FRIENDS of the NORTH BROOKFIELD PLAYGROUND ANNUAL
SPAGHETTI SUPPER will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11 at the North
Brookfi eld American Legion. Serving 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with dancing
to follow. $8 per person. Proceeds to benefi t the Friends of the Playground
Scholarship. Tickets at the door, at the American Legion, Still
Hart’s or by calling 508-867-2134.
DEMOCRATS IN WEST BROOKFIELD WILL HOLD A CAUCUS to elect
delegates to the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s 2012 nominating
convention on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. in the Lower Meeting
Room of the West Brookfi eld Town Hall, 2 East Main Street. All registered
Democrats are eligible to participate. The convention will be
held on Saturday, June 2 at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfi eld.
GIRL SCOUT TROOPS # 30477 and #30390 PANCAKE BREAKFAST
will be held on Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Hayden Lodge, New School
Drive, North Brookfi eld. Cost is $7 per person all you can eat and kids
under 6 are half-price. There will be pancakes, sausage and bacon.
The breakfast will help the girls raise money for their trip to Washington,
DC for the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts.
YOUTH GROUP MEETING on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Blessed
John Paul II Pastoral Center, Hamilton St. near Trinity School, Southbridge.
Any Jr. High and High School Student is welcome to come
join in the fun.
THE EAST QUABBIN LAND TRUST at 120 Ridge Road in Hardwick
will be building bluebird and wood duck nesting boxes for its preserves
on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. Various bird populations in the
northeast are on the decline. There are a variety of reasons for this
decline, but one key element is a lack of appropriate nesting sites.
This is an opportunity for skilled and unskilled bird enthusiasts to
work together so bring the whole family. If you have a portable drill
and hammer, please bring them. We have the wood and instructions
to create several boxes of each style. If there’s time we will install the
bluebird boxes at Mandell Hill. Contact us at 413-477-8229 if you
have questions. Many thanks to W.R. Robinson Lumber for donating
the pine boards to make the boxes.
MERRICK PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING on
Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Weather reminder: when Tantasqua,
Union #61 schools are closed due to weather the public library is
also closed.
Feb.15 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at
the Town Hall Town Clerk’s
offi ce and 4-8 p.m. at the
Joshua Hyde Library. If you
have any questions, feel free
to call the offi ce of the Town
Clerk at 508-347-2510.
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PHONE
413.967.3505
Fax: 413.967.6009
EMAIL
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Jack Haesaert
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Editor
Tim Kane
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