Ashland January 2017

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Vol. 4 No. 6 Free to Every Home and Business Every Month January 2017
The Voice of Your Community
Recent Zoning Articles
Shape Ashland’s Future
Dinerman
with a barn
owl at Blue
Hills Trailside
Museum.
By Deborah Burke Henderson,
Contributing Writer
The town passed three zoning articles at
the November 28 town meeting that will shape
the way Ashland looks.
Building Height
The first article that passed is a change in
the height restrictions for downtown buildings.
Currently, Ashland zoning allows building
height up to three stories without any designation
of how high each story might be, which
could lead to very tall buildings that would not
fit in with the historical character of the town.
The Change of Height Restrictions bylaw
now caps building height at 38 feet, about the
height of the tallest buildings in downtown
(such as the house at 21 Main St).
This measure also allows for four-story, 45-
foot buildings, if the developer has secured a
stringent special permit from the town planning
board. To obtain such a permit, a developer
would need to meet new “form-based
code requirements” and be willing to make
suitable mitigation to offset the impact of a
project, such as accommodating the need for
increased parking.
A form-based code is a way to regulate
development that controls building form first
and building use second, with the purpose of
achieving a particular type of “place” or built
environment based on a community vision.
(The Planners Web, plannersweb.com)
“This bylaw change is more restrictive, as
it allows for less interpretation of what constitutes
a story,” Town Manager Mike Herbert
explained. “It gives us the opportunity
for more control in shaping the character of
the downtown area and allows us to increase
density when beneficial for the downtown district.”
Rate of Development
The second zoning article is The Rate of
Development bylaw. This bylaw restricts developers
to building only 25 percent of their
permitted housing units in a given year. The
town manager introduced this concept to town
meeting to “promote smart growth versus general
growth.”
ZONING ARTICLES
continued on page 2
Taking Care of
Ashland’s Wild Things
By Julie Nardone,
Contributing Writer
Sometimes, an unexpected
event changes the trajectory of
your life.
For Ashland resident, bird
photographer and IT expert
Brad Dinerman, it was the unforgettable
thud of a bird slamming
into his kitchen window
three years ago.
“I looked out and saw an
American goldfinch sitting on
the ground, obviously stunned.
WILD THINGS
continued on page 3
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Page 2 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
ZONING ARTICLES
continued from page 1
Smart growth is an approach
to development that encourages
a mix of building types and
uses, diverse housing and transportation
options, development
within existing neighborhoods,
and community engagement.
(Smart Growth America, smartgrowthamerica.org/our-vision/
what-is-smart-growth)
“People are not happy with
the rapid increase in residential
growth over the past several
years,” Herbert stated. “It was
important to craft something
that would help us better plan
for impact on services while not
outright banning development.”
Herbert noted that the developers
of the Rail Transit District
project (398 one- and two-bedroom
apartments on 200 acres
off the Rt. 135 MBTA access
road) paid RKG Associates to
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develop a tool that can be used
to measure the fiscal impacts
of proposed development projects.
The impact tool” allows
town officials to look at the tax
revenue Ashland would receive
versus the cost of additional services,
such as water consumption,
education and public safety
systems.
As part of the town’s planning
process, officials can now
follow a formulaic analysis of the
cost per person for town services
and determine the net impact
financially to help inform decision-making
about new building
developments. Data from
the National Citizen Survey,
recently conducted by the town,
reinforced Herbert’s belief that
passing this new bylaw was the
right choice.
Marijuana Moratorium
The town also adopted a
temporary marijuana moratorium
bylaw on the use of land
or structures for the sale and
distribution of marijuana and
marijuana products, which are
not included in the definition
of medical marijuana treatment
centers.
The moratorium will be in
effect until December 31, 2017.
During this time, the town will
address the potential impacts of
marijuana retailers in Ashland,
consider the Cannabis Control
Commission regulations regarding
this issue and consider
adopting a new zoning bylaw
to address the impact and operation
of marijuana establishments
and retailers and related
uses.
“Passing this bylaw gives us
time to responsibly shape and
regulate marijuana in the best
interests of the town,” Herbert
explained. “We took the same
approach several years ago to
better prepare our community
to host medical marijuana treatment
facilities. It’s a sound approach.”
Town’s Budgeting
Process Begins
The town’s public budget process will be in
full swing starting in January, according to an
email from the town manager. The Finance
Committee will hold a televised budget hearing
on January 10 to discuss some of the larger departmental
budgets and capital budget. This will
be the first time that FinCom has televised these
meetings. “We hope it will help people better understand
our budget process,” Michael Herbert,
town manager, said.
“I have also started meeting with residents in
neighborhoods throughout town during the evening
hours,” Herbert said. “This gives me the
opportunity to hear directly from residents about
what works and doesn’t work in town, and things
they would like to see more of. It is informal,
and leads to good discussion about a number of
topics. My goal is to do these monthly.” If you
would like to host a meeting in your neighborhood,
contact Herbert at mherbert@ashlandmass.com.
The Corner Spot Exceeds
Fundraising Goals
By Beth Reynolds,
Ashland Economic
Development Director
The December 8 deadline
for online fundraising for The
Corner Spot has now passed,
and we are thrilled to say we exceeded
our $25,000 goal, raising
over $37,000! If you didn’t have
a chance to donate, you still can;
just reach out to me at breynolds@ashlandmass.com.
After the start of the new
year, you will start to see changes
to 6 Cherry St. The Fredenzi
house will come down and in its
place a colorful vibrant park will
come alive. You may have already
seen the Adirondack chair
recently delivered. The Corner
Spot committee is working with
GMT Home Designs researching
porch swings and café tables
to create an outdoor living room
and store front we can all enjoy
starting in June. We will also be
looking for prospective businesses
soon as well.
For updates and pictures during
the next few months, and
to share your ideas on making
this a wonderful space for all to
enjoy, visit our Facebook page,
National Honor Society Raises
Money for HomeBase
The Ashland High School
(AHS) National Honor Society
(NHS) raised over $4,000 for
HomeBase Veteran and Family
Care. These funds were
collected through bakes sales
at Ashland Day and Parent’s
A huge shout-out to Tom and Donna McClements at Tom’s Auto
Body & Mike’s Collision for painting our giant Adirondack chair (with
Ashland pride) and to their great crew for delivering it! We can’t wait
to see how many pictures are taken in this big old chair! Just wait and
see what come next!
Night, flag sales, lollipop sales,
at the Thanksgiving football
game and a gift-wrapping event
at Barnes and Noble. Home-
Base is a program that provides
treatment and support to veterans
and 9/11 first responders
suffering from the “invisible
wounds of war,” such as PTSD.
It is sponsored by the Red Sox
Foundation and Massachusetts
General Hospital.
The NHS Talent Show is
scheduled for Friday, March 10.
www.facebook.com/thecornerspotashland.
Thank you to all
who donated to this project. We
can’t wait to see everyone there
in June!
Save the date and join us to see
our singers, dancers, and amazing
musicians and help us reach
our goal of raising $5,000 for
HomeBase.

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 3
WILD THINGS
continued from page 1
Stunned birds are easy targets for
hawks, cats and other predators,
which are often watching/waiting
quietly on the sidelines. I went
outside and carefully picked it up.
After a few minutes in my hand,
it regained its senses and happily
flew off into the woods.”
According to The Cornell
Lab of Ornithology, birds fly into
glass because “they see the landscape—trees,
sky, clouds—reflected
on the glass surface but do
not realize that a hard, transparent
surface lies between them and
that apparent open space.” The
lab also offers suggestions on how
to reduce collisions with windows.
For example, you can stick objects
to the outside of the glass or relocate
birdfeeders.
Not long after the successful
bird rescue, Dinerman began
volunteering Sundays at Mass
Audubon’s Blue Hills Trailside
Museum in Milton in their education
group, where he gives
live-animal presentations with
an owl, falcon or raven perched
on his gloved hand, and at the
New England Wildlife Center
(NEWC) in Weymouth on Saturdays,
where he works directly
with veterinarians or veterinarian
technicians to help care for
injured or recuperating wildlife.
Learning Rehabilitation
More recently, Dinerman
completed a 10-week rehabilitation
course at NEWC. The
course “provides basic information
about the process of becoming
a wildlife rehabilitator, about
the biology of selected groups
of animals, and introduces participants
to the skills necessary to
conduct successful wildlife care.”
To obtain a rehabilitator permit
from the Massachusetts Department
of Fisheries and Wildlife
and United States Department
of Fish and Wildlife, Dinerman
must pass an examination, secure
a location to rehabilitate animals,
and obtain permission from the
town.
The long journey to rehabilitator
is not for the faint of animal
heart. It is clearly a labor of wildlife
love for Dinerman, who has
chosen to work primarily with
birds. “The success rate of animal
rehabilitation and release is
only 30-40 percent. Most of the
animals will die of their injuries
when they arrive or during the
rehabilitation process, Dinerman
said. “Despite that, I volunteer
because it feels meaningful to
help undo some of the damage
that wildlife suffers as a result
of human activity: habitat loss,
predation by pets, toxins in the
environment, and automobile/
window collisions.”
“There are three common
ways for the most visible injuries:
They fly into windows, get hit by
cars, and get attacked by cats or
other predators,” he said. “Also,
lead poisoning and rodenticide
(rat poison) are frequent culprits
for internal injury to birds and
other animals,” he said. As an
owner and lover of cats, it made
me wince that my feline pals do
so much damage to birds. Then
I put the process into perspective.
The feline instinct to hunt and kill
is as much a part of their nature
as the birds’ desire to eat insects
or rodents. Unless we want to
modify the behavior of cats, all
we can do is assist the injured.
Dinerman did want to pass
along one important bit of assisting-wild-creature
advice: “If
you see a baby bird alone under a
tree, please leave it there. In most
situations, the baby has either
jumped or been pushed out of
the nest because nature says, ‘It is
time to learn to fly.’ Usually, the
parents are nearby watching the
process, making sure the baby is
safe and bringing it food until it
really can fly.”
The State of Massachusetts
allows licensed wildlife rehabilitators
to “legally possess and treat
birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians
with the exception of
deer, moose, bear, federally listed
species and venomous snakes.”
Dinerman told me that federally
listed birds include migratory and
the raptor, or birds of prey family:
eagles, falcons, hawks, kites, owls
and vultures.
Immediately, the film Jurassic
Park came to mind so I asked.
“Weren’t the huge, scary flying
dinosaurs in Jurassic Park also
called raptors?”
“Yes. Many scientists believe
that avian raptors are descended
from the dinosaurs. The Velociraptors
in the film were presented
as way larger than we observe in
fossils. They were actually just a
couple of feet high, perhaps up
to an average person’s waist,” he
said.
Duties of Rehabilitators
As part of his future rehabilitator
duty, Dinerman might transport
a bird from a facility like
Tufts Wildlife, wrap its wing or
keep it hydrated. It surprised me
that with all the stringent laws to
be followed, wildlife rehabilitators
cannot charge for their services,
although they may ask for donations
to help cover the cost of
medical supplies. “You pay a vet
for services, medication and supplies
because you own your dog
or cat. Wildlife are considered
as ‘owned’ by the State, which
can’t be charged,” Dinerman explained.
Unlike domesticated animals,
I realized that the State’s wild
creatures are on their own. If
they get injured and no one finds
them, they often die alone or get
devoured by another animal. It’s
admirable that people like Dinerman
volunteer a considerable
amount of their time to take care
of the wildlife that enriches our
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At the end of our interview,
I asked Dinerman for his greatest
take-away from his 10-week
training. “It increased my desire
to help the sick and injured. In
college I started off in pre-med,
but had a change of heart by
the time I hit organic chemistry.
Instead, I got a Ph.D. in physics
concentrating on lasers. At that
time, the job market was not
great for someone so junior in the
field, so I taught myself IT and
eventually opened my own consulting
business. Now I’m back on
a path that has a medical feel to it.
It feels right . . . meaningful.”
Currently, there are 41 licensed
wildlife rehabilitators in
Massachusetts listed on the Department
of Fish and Game Web
site. Dinerman would be the first
one in Ashland.
What to Do When You Find
Injured Wildlife
Ashland residents who find
injured animals are encouraged
to contact Tufts Wildlife in Grafton,
508-839-7918, or call Dona
Walsh, Ashland’s animal control
officer, at 508-881-0122.
For More Information:
• Ashland Animal Control:
www.ashlandmass.com/150/
Animal-Control
• Blue Hills Trailside Museum:
www.Massaudubon.org/getoutdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/
blue-hills-trailside-museum
• New England Wildlife Center:
www.newildlife.org/
• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
www.birds.cornell.
edu/Page.aspx?pid=1478
• Tufts Wildlife Clinic: vet.
tufts.edu/tufts-wildlife-clinic
• Wildlife Rehabilitators List:
www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/
dfg/dfw/fish-wildlife-plants/
wildlife-rehabilitation.html
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Page 4 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
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January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 5
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Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics –
Smile Magic Opens in Ashland
By Deborah Burke
Henderson,
Contributing Writer
What sets Smile Magic apart
from other family dentistry
practices?
“Our state of the art practice
provides a warm and friendly
dental care experience for each
person who walks through our
doors,” owner Reema Dhingra,
DMD, said at the Grand Opening
last month. “Whether the
patient is elderly, adult or young,
we treat everyone as family.”
Dr. Dhingra’s family dentistry
practice opened its doors
in the Market Basket Plaza at 39
Pond St. in Ashland. Her associate,
Dr. Nikhil Whig, provides
primary general and cosmetic
dental services while Dr. Dhingra
specializes in orthodontics
and dentofacial orthopedic
treatment for children, teens
and adults.
The combination of a kidcentric,
adult-focused atmosphere,
bi-lingual services,
state-of-the-art equipment and
practitioners who are expert in
current advancements in the
field of dentistry and orthodontics
gives Smile Magic its edge.
New Smile Magic patients
are offered a special first-time
visit at $49. All major insurance
plans are accepted, and for those
new patients without coverage,
arrangements are made for a
free dental exam and x-rays.
Orthodontic braces are offered
at an affordable rate of $129
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Prevention is key. Staff strive
to educate parents that a child’s
initial dental visit should be at
age one, when first teeth break
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with the ill effects of bottle feeding
at night which leaves sugar
covering a baby’s teeth, a potential
cause of cavities.
Likewise, a child’s first orthodontic
visit should be at age
seven because this is a time
when jaw discrepancies might
be found and corrected while
the child’s bones are still growing.
“It is easier to make skeletal
changes in cases with an
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Smile Magic staff credentials
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Dr. Dhingra received her
pre-med undergraduate degree,
a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition,
from Punjab University in
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Medicine after graduating
Summa cum Laude from Tufts
School of Dental Medicine in
2007, and an Orthodontic Certificate
from Tufts School of Orthodontics
in 2009.
Dr. Dhingra also owns the
well-established, pediatric dentistry
and orthodontics practice,
New England Kids, which serves
families in Auburn, Mass., and
the Worcester County area. She
bought the 20-year-old practice
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team of 23 professionals.
Dr. Nikhil Whig, DMD,
holds his Doctorate in Dental
Medicine from Boston University
School of Dental Medicine,
graduating in 2015. He also
holds a dentistry degree completed
in 2010 in India.
“Excellent patient care is my
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will always take the time necessary
to understand the specific
dental problem and explain the
treatment plan to my patient.”
Both doctors are professionally
affiliated with the American
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Dentistry and the Massachusetts
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is also associated with the
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and the New England
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Page 6 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
Ashland Businesses: What’s New
Ashland Business
Association Looks
Ahead
By Beth Reynolds,
Ashland’s Economic
Development Director
Ashland recently welcomed
the following new businesses to
town. Be sure to check out all
that our town has to offer!
Burger City, 1 West Union
St. (Rt. 135), is a family-owned
restaurant on the corner of Rt.
135 and Cherry Street. Owners
Mayra and Francisco have seen
great success from their first restaurant
in town, Mexico City;
it was only fitting that Burger
City join the family! Burgers are
fresh and never frozen, and the
handmade milkshakes are delicious!
508-309-6339
Dr. Greens Indoor Golf, 200
Homer Ave., brings golf indoors
as you’ve never experienced it
before. Seven brand new golf
simulators have you on the best
courses in the world, cold beer,
hot apps, championship caliber
shuffleboard tables or a game of
billiards with some friends and
you will be putting Dr. Greens
on your short list every time.
www.drgreensgolf.com
Kumon Math and Reading
Center, 134 Pond St (Rt. 126),
is a well-respected after-school
academic enrichment program
that has helped children worldwide
achieve success. Whether
your child is seeking enrichment,
needs help catching up
or is just beginning his or her
academic career, Kumon is
designed to help him or her
develop a love of learning. 508-
271-7222, www.kumon.com/
ashland
By Cynthia Whitty
The Ashland Business Association
(ABA) is making
plans to continue to grow
its membership; enhance its
partnerships with the town,
schools and other organizations;
and invest in the greater
community.
At its first program of the
year, on Tuesday, January 3,
at the Ashland Library, Community
Room, 66 Front St.,
the ABA will hold an interactive
session where its members
will get a chance to review
2016 and set goals for the new
year. There will be time for
early networking from 5:30 to
6 p.m.; the program will run
from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
“The ABA is excited to be
supporting and serving such a
wide variety of businesses in
our thriving community,” Alex
Carleton, ABA president, said.
“Our goal is to promote local
business as a means to building
a strong, vibrant community.
This year we will build
on our successful partnerships,
such as the high school social
media internship program and
the Town of Ashland’s project,
The Corner Spot at 6 Cherry
St.”
ABA programs are scheduled
for January 3, February
7, March 7, May 2, June 6,
September 5, October 3 and
November 7. For more information,
or to join or renew a
membership, visit www.ashlandbusinessassociation.com
or email ABA President Alex
Carleton at president@ashlandbusinessassociation.com.
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News From the
Greater Ashland Lions
By Ellie Torelli,
Greater Ashland Lions
January 7: 3-5 pm at the
Ashland American Legion Hall,
Meat Shoot. All welcome. Win
prizes of steaks, chops, chicken
and raffles. Proceeds benefit
community projects. There is a
shoot every week. Sponsored by
the American Legion, Legion
Auxiliary, Sons of the Legion
and the Greater Ashland Lions
(GAL).
January 14: 10 am at the
Ashland Public Library, Annual
Lions Youth Speech Contest
Zone Competition. All welcome.
Hear the speeches on the
topic “Being Politically Correct:
is it taken too far?”
Awards and Recognitions.
In November past Lions District
Governor William Donnellan
awarded GAL the “Best Large
Lions Club in the District” for
2015-2016. In December Lions
Beth Holohan and Ellie Torelli
received recognition from Lions
Clubs International for their
35 years of service and Lion
Pamela Amalfi for 15 years of
service. Lion Rita Dumas and
Lion Ellie Torelli also received
recognition, “For Mountains
Climbed” (International Lions
Club President’s theme for the
year).
Community Service. GAL
served a holiday meal on December
14 to over 100 seniors
at the Ashland Community
Center. The meal was hosted by
the Friends of the Council on
Aging. The GAL Annual Coat
Drive was an overwhelming success;
thank you to all who donated
warm winter coats to help
people in need.
GAL meets at 6:30 pm on
the 1 st Thursday of the month
at Erica’s 78 Front St. (our new
meeting place). For more information,
call 508-875-4513.
Kindergarten Registration
An information session for parents who
have children entering kindergarten in the Ashland
public schools in 2017-2018 will be held
on Thursday, January 26, 6:30 to 7:30 pm at
Warren School, 73 Fruit St.
To register a child for kindergarten, come to
Warren School on one of the following days:
Saturday, January 28, 9 am to 12 pm
Tuesday, January 31, 9 am to 2 pm
Thursday, February 2, 9 am to 2 pm
When registering, please bring a birth certificate,
dates of immunization and a document
that proves residency. To be eligible for kindergarten,
children must be five years old on or
before August 31, 2017. Children who have
been enrolled in private kindergarten who will
be entering Ashland schools for the first time
as first graders are also urged to register at this
time. First grade students must be six years or
older on or before August 31, 2017. For more
information, call 508-881-0188.

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 7
Joe Campanelli
to Join Needham
Bank as CEO
Jack McGeorge, Chairman
of the Board of Directors of
Needham Bank, announced
today that Joseph P. Campanelli
will be joining the Bank on January
3, 2017 as Chief Executive
Officer succeeding Mark Whalen
who announced his retirement
earlier this year.
Campanelli brings a wealth
of industry knowledge and industry
experience to the Needham
Bank Team. He began his
banking career at Hartford National
Bank and progressed to
positions of increased responsibility
through its successor
banks until leaving Fleet Bank
to join Sovereign Bank in 1997,
progressing to become CEO
and Director. He also served as
Chairman, CEO, and Director
of Flagstar Bank from 2009-
2012.
A Wellesley resident, he
serves as Chairman and Trustee
of Tufts Medical Center and as
Trustee of the Boys and Girls
Club of Boston. He is the former
Chairman and a current
Trustee of the Massachusetts
Business Roundtable, Advisory
Board Member of First Help
Financial, former Trustee of
Babson College and of Suffield
Academy, and former Executive
Committee Member
of the Greater Boston Chamber
of Commerce. Campanelli
graduated from Babson College
earning a BSBA with High Distinctions
and from Suffolk University
where he was awarded
an Honorary Doctorate of
Commerce.
“When Mark Whalen announced
his retirement, we undertook
an exhaustive national
executive search for his replacement
and met many highly
qualified individuals from all
over the country. Joe distinguished
himself based upon his
impressive banking career, community
involvement, in-market
knowledge, and personality
match with our culture. As we
approach our 125 th anniversary,
this is an even more significant
leadership change. We welcome
him to the Needham Bank family
and look forward to him
joining our team in January”
commented McGeorge. “I also
want to acknowledge the many
contributions made by Mark
Whalen during his distinguished
career with us.”
Mark Whalen, current Needham
Bank CEO, will work with
Campanelli on the transition
and continue on Needham
Bank’s Board of Directors. “As I
reflect upon my 35 year banking
career, I am most proud to have
spent that time as a community
banker. Serving the community
is a noble undertaking and one
in which I have had great pride
each and every day. I’m looking
forward to getting to know Joe
even better and working with
him as we transition our roles
and responsibilities.”
“I’ve seen first-hand how
committed Needham Bank is
to my town and all of the communities
it serves. They have
an excellent management team
and their reputation is second to
none. I’m delighted to have this
opportunity and look forward
to getting to work with them on
January 3rd” offered Campanelli.
Needham Bank is a $1.9 billion
mutual bank with nine offices
serving MetroWest.
Don’t Let Them Hurt
By Cristina Valas, DVM,
The Family Pet Hospital
When our pets hurt, we
hurt. To help, you need to
know why they are in pain,
but this isn’t always obvious.
It is important to avoid giving
your pet potentially dangerous
medications such as Tylenol,
Motrin or your own pain meds.
At best, using ice and heat are
good options that won’t hurt
your pet. Everything else
should go through a veterinarian.
Your vet will narrow
down why they hurt and
what treatments will help.
A young dog with a
sprained leg will probably
do fine with anti-inflammatory
drugs prescribed by your
vet, but as pets age their ability
to tolerate these drugs for
chronic use lessens. There are
many sources of pain, and the
ideal treatment is removal of
the source. This is not always
possible, and many geriatric
patients end up with chronic
painful conditions, just like
their human counterparts!
In aging pets, the organs are
less able to handle common
pain medications, so it is important
to use the lowest, effective
doses. In veterinary
medicine, this is accomplished
by using a multi-modal pain
treatment – giving several
medications that work on different
areas of the pain pathway,
each at lower dosages,
thus minimizing side effects.
In senior pets with concurrent
conditions, such as liver
and kidney issues, we recommend
alternative modalities
such as Veterinary Orthopedic
Manipulation (VOM),
frequency-specific cold laser
therapy or acupuncture to alleviate
pain and avoid medications
that would worsen
their medical condition.
VOM uses an activator device
like human
chiropractics do, which shuts
down the pain cascade and
helps the animal be pain-free
without medications or with
minimal meds. The beauty of
VOM is the entire body heals
better because VOM improves
circulation to all organs, thus
improving their function and
slowing their decline, in ad-
The Family Pet Hospital is now
CAT FRIENDLY CERTIFIED
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• CAT Only Waiting Room
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dition to managing pain.
Frequency-specific cold laser
therapy decreases inflammation
and pain and stimulates
aging and low-functioning
cells to produce more
energy and thus function
better and heal
faster. Other modalities
like hydrotherapy or
physical therapy or
functional nutrition
may be employed.
No, we cannot
prevent death,
but with
the correct
treatment
your vet can
make your
companion
comfortable and happy for
as long as they want to be
with us, and that is precious!
If your pet needs help or is
taking multiple medications
and you want to explore alternative
modalities, contact me
at drcrisvalas@thefamilypethospital.com.
As always, first
consultations for new clients
are free.
We offer Gentle Handling and a Promise to make the
visit as stress free as possible.
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Page 8 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
Spreading the Love: Ashland Farmers Market
to Hold First Mid-Winter Market
By Cynthia Whitty
The Ashland Farmers Market
(AFM) is pleased to announce its
first-ever Mid-Winter Market.
AFM encourages folks to come
out of winter hibernation on
Saturday, February 11, 9 a.m.
to 1p.m., at the Ashland Middle
School, 87 W Union St. (same
location as the Pre-Thanksgiving
market). Join with neighbors
and friends, to spread the AFM
love: get your sweetie a Valentine’s
gift and purchase dinner
fixins in one stop! AFM will host
a Valentine-making workshop,
so get those love poems ready!
The February market will feature
some of our much-beloved
regular food vendors and artisans
as well as some new faces.
Anna Banana’s Homemade
Goodness, Julie’s Z Breads,
Dulce de Leche, and Upswing
Farm have already signed up
along with artisans Isley’s Terrace,
Rag Hill Farm, ReDesign,
The Domesticated Wild Child
and more. Exciting new additions
include local silhouette
artist, Carol Lebeaux, who will
hand-cut silhouettes on site, and
Petal and Crumb, a florist from
Buy some fixins for a romantic dinner and flowers for your sweetie at
the first-ever Ashland Farmers Market Mid-Winter Market, February 11.
Upton, who will bring gorgeous
bouquets and take orders for
Valentine’s Day delivery. More
vendors are joining every day.
For an up-to-date list, visit www.
ashlandfarmersmarket.org/
event/mid-winter-market.
Attend AFM’s Annual
Meeting, January 28
The public is invited to attend
AFM’s annual meeting
on Saturday, January 28, 10:30
a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Ashland
Library, 66 Front St. (Snow date
is Saturday, February 4.) The
meeting is an opportunity for
residents to give feedback and
propose new ideas. This past
season, 72 vendors participated,
including artisans and food and
service vendors during the regular
season and the November
Pre-Thanksgiving Market.
AFM has become known as
Ashland Lions
an incubator for small, local
businesses. It holds many special
events and theme days, donates
food to the food pantry, and
implements many “green” initiatives,
such as “slash the trash”
and a composting program. For
more information, visit www.
ashlandfarmersmarket.org/
event/annual-meeting-2/.
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Dr. Sal
Students Participate in
First Level Lions Club
Speech Competition
The 2016 Massachusetts Lions
Local Club Speech Competition,
sponsored by the Greater Ashland
Lions Club and the Ashland
Lions Club, was held on Saturday,
December 10 at the Ashland
Community Center. Two students,
both Ashland High School
juniors participated. Maria
Pereira was selected the winner
and will represent the Greater
Ashland Lions Club; Samantha
Schultz was selected 1st runnerup
and will represent the Ashland
Lions Club. Both students will
participate in the next level of the
competition, scheduled for Saturday,
January 14, 10 a.m., at the
Ashland Library.
The Lions speech competition
begins at the club level and
progresses through zone, region,
district and, ultimately, statewide.
The competition is open to all
students, grades 9 through 12,
including public, charter, private,
foreign exchange, home-schooled
and independent study students.
The 2016 competition theme
was “Being Politically Correct: Is
It Taken Too Far?” Each speech
lasted no less than 5 minutes and
no longer than 8 minutes. The
judges for the contest were Craig
Davis, Jack Patrick Lewis and Joseph
Magnani; the tellers were
Rob Scherer and Marcia Wiles;
Alexis Christopher served as the
timekeeper. The speeches were
judged on the following criteria:
delivery, effectiveness and text.
Lions Thank
AHS Football Team
The Ashland Lions Club
would like to thank the members
of the Ashland High School
(AHS) football team for volunteering
their time to support and
assist us in making this year’s
Christmas tree fundraiser such
a success. They stepped up and
provided outstanding support to
their community.

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 9
Town Receives
Intergenerational
Grant
The intergenerational organization
Bridges Together recently
announced that the town is a recipient
of a Community-Wide Intergenerational
Leadership Team
grant. Sponsored by the Massachusetts
Association of Councils
on Aging, the grant will help create
a community event designed
to unite older adults and youth.
Bridges Together will provide
ongoing support and training, as
well as help publicize the event.
Bridges Together Founder
and Executive Director Andrea J.
Fonte Weaver led a full-day training
at the Ashland Community-
Senior Center for the Ashland
Intergenerational Leadership
Team, comprised of representatives
from Ashland Elder Services,
Friends of the Ashland Library,
Ashland schools, Youth and Family
Services, Ashland Recreation
Department, Ashland Historical
Society, Decisions at Every Turn,
Ashland Farmers Market, Arts!
Ashland Alliance, Ashland Lions
Club, Ashland Garden Club,
Ashland BNI, Ashland Business
Association and Ashland Center
for Entrepreneurship.
These organizations will plan
two events: The Ashland Garden
Club will partner with a preschool
and the Recreation Department
to create a pollinator garden and
the Historical Society will partner
with Youth and Family Services
and Decisions at Every Turn to
work on an oral history project
with adults aged 80+ and youth
from the middle and high schools.
Join the Caregiver
Support Group
By Susan Wells,
Outreach Counselor
Classes offered in:
Calculus
Pre-Calculus
High School Geometry
Algebra I, II
MATH
360
Our Caregiver Support
Group meets twice a month on
the 2 nd and 4 th Thursday of the
month, 1 p.m., at the Ashland
Community Center. Our next
meeting is Thursday, January
12. We strive to give everyone a
chance to speak and share their
experiences, tips and resources.
We aim to treat everyone with
dignity and respect.
As a family caregiver for an
ailing parent, child, spouse, or
other loved one, you’re likely
to face a host of new responsibilities,
many of which are unfamiliar
or intimidating. At times
you may feel overwhelmed and
alone. But despite its challenges,
caregiving can also be rewarding.
There are a lot of things
you can do to make the caregiving
process easier and more
pleasurable for both you and
your loved one. Come learn tips
that can help, and get the support
you need while caring for
someone you love in a way that
may benefit both of you. Remember
to give yourself credit
for doing the best you can in one
of the toughest jobs there is. We
are here to support you. Happy
New Year to all!
Who is Math360 for?
A math learner who wants to learn
from an experienced high school
Math teacher
Small classroom, big impact.
Personalized attention.
508-309-6398
Math360us@gmail.com
Christmas Tree Pick-up
and Other DPW Updates
By Dave Miller,
Ashland Department
of Public Works
Christmas Tree Pick-up:
January 2 and 9
Christmas trees will be collected
on Monday, January 2
and Monday, January 9 at the
curbside of all town residents
who are enrolled in the town’s
curbside rubbish and recycling
removal program. Please remember
to leave all trees loose
(not bagged or tied in any
way) and free of all decorations
and lights. Leave trees at
the curb no later than 7 a.m. on
the morning of the designated
pick-up days.
Drop-off Recycling:
January 7
The next drop-off recycle
day at the Ashland Department
of Public Works (DPW) will be
on Saturday, January 7, 9 a.m.
to 12 noon. We will be accepting
used motor oil, fluorescent
light bulbs and CFLs, contained
mercury, re-chargeable
batteries and oil-base paints.
The DPW is located at 20 Ponderosa
Rd. Note that the collection
takes place behind the
green salt shed, not in the DPW
garage or office or in the middle
of the parking lot.
Latex Paint Disposal
Latex paint is not a hazardous
material and can be disposed
of with regular trash. To
properly dispose of latex paint:
1. Remove the cover from the
paint can and deposit it in your
orange trash bag. 2. Allow the
paint in the can to dry-out (to
speed up the drying process,
add Quick-Dri, clean kitty litter
or shredded paper). 3. Place
the cans of dried paint next to
your trash bags, not in the bags,
so the Waste Management
driver can make sure that the
paint is dry.
Rubbish Pick-up
Reminder
Rubbish and recycling is due
at the curb no later than 7 a.m.
on the morning of your scheduled
trash day. If your rubbish/
recycling is not out when the
drivers pass your house while
picking up the rubbish/recycling
on your side of the street,
it will not be picked-up until
the following week’s rubbish removal
day. Also, in the interest
of keeping its employees safe,
Waste Management does not
allow its drivers to cross streets
on their route.
Law Offices of Scott G. Gowen
Civil & Criminal Litigation
Scott G. Gowen, Esq.
Attorney and Counselor at Law
Have you or a loved one
been a resident of a traditional assisted
living community or a memory care assisted living
community within the last 6 years?
If so, this office can assist you in determining and assessing
your legal rights regardless of the length of the stay or
if the resident is still living in any assisted living
community or if the family member
has passed on.
Contact this office for a free consultation.
165 Main Street, Suite 210 • Medway, MA 02053
scottggowen@aol.com
www.gowenlaw.com
Illegal Dumping
The DPW would like to remind
residents to refrain from
illegally dumping any waste
at the facility during non-collection
days. The DPW yard
is located in a heavily wooded
watershed area next door to the
Ashland Animal Shelter, and
any items that are left while the
facility is unattended by staff
is subject to ingestion by area
wildlife and spillage, which has
obvious negative effects on the
environment and defeats the
purpose of the collection facility.
It’s understandable that
some individuals have to work
on Saturdays and that they
may not be available to drop
off their waste motor oil and
paints during the scheduled
collections. However, making
other arrangements, like asking
a neighbor to drop off waste
when they drop their waste off
at the facility or returning it
to the store where you bought
your oil from, is a much better
option than just leaving it on
the ground and open to the elements.
It would be unfortunate
if our collection facility were to
be permanently closed down
if it were to be viewed as an
environmental hazard by the
Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection.
For more information,
contact Dave at the DPW,
508-532-7943 or DMiller@
ashlandmass.com.
Office: (508) 533-5400
Cell: (617) 943-6787
Fax: (508) 533-5410

Page 10 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
New Year, Clear Skin
By Lisa Massimiano.
Licensed Esthetician and
Certified Acne Specialist
Owner of Skin Smart Salon
If you have been diagnosed
with acne and haven’t been
satisfied with drug store products
or the suggested treatment
from your doctor, consider seeing
an Acne Specialist.
What is an
Acne Specialist?
An Acne Specialist is a licensed
skin care professional
who is specially trained to treat
acne using a combination of
clinical treatments, home care
protocols and regular followup
during the process of clearing
acne prone skin.
Most physicians don’t have
time to spend educating patients
on the root cause of
their acne. They often prescribe
oral antibiotics and
strong topical retinoids that
can leave skin dry, red and irritated.
Patients get frustrated
with these side effects and stop
using the products.
How an Acne Specialist
Can Help You
An Acne Specialist will assess
your individual skin type
and the type of acne you have
to develop a plan of action
specifically for you. They will
take the time to teach you
about the root cause of acne
and provide information on
lifestyle, diet, medications and
ingredients in makeup and
skin care products that exacerbate
acne. They help you to
get your skin clear and teach
you how to keep your acne
under control.
For people struggling with
acne, it can be frustrating to
try and communicate with
their doctor on a timely basis.
My clients tell me that the
best part of working with an
Acne Specialist is that we are
there for them to answer their
questions and provide support
while they go through the process
of getting their skin clear.
Questions about acne? Call me
at (508) 881-1180 or email me
at skinsmartsalon@aol.com. Visit
my website skinsmartsalon.com for
information about the acne program
and other services.
Huddle up from Dinner Conversations: Arnie Pollinger, Katy Shander-Reynolds, Mark Prokes, Lynda Slocomb
and Joe White
Ashland Community Theater
Plans Spring Show
Ashland Community Theater
(ACT) just completed its
sixth show since its founding in
2014. “ACT wants to thank all
those who came out to support
the December show, Joe White,
ACT’s founder, said. “The
local community made this the
second-highest attended performance
to date.” An original play
by local writers, the December
show, Dinner Conversations,
contained eight 10-15-minute
scenes based in a fictional restaurant
owned by a former NFL
sports star Tony Wesson.
ACT is already planning
its spring show, 2 ACT Murders,
scheduled for June 8-9-10. To
help out with the production,
email ashlandcommunitytheater@gmail.com.
For more
information, visit www.ashlandcommunitytheater.com.
Achieve Clear Skin
Before
after
ACNE CLINIC - for all ages
Take control and manage your acne with a customized treatment program
designed to clear your unique skin.
Education. Coaching. Support
I went to Skin Smart a little over a year ago as my last ditch effort to
treat my acne. I had tried almost every acne treatment out there and
was still struggling. When I went to Skin Smart my acne was at the
worst it had ever been. I was a little reluctant that anything was going
to help but within a few months I started seeing improvements.
A year later and my skin has neverlooked so good! I am so grateful
for Skin Smart and their products! – Jennifer
Lisa Massimiano - Licensed Aesthetician, Acne Specialist
508-881-1180
The Third Date from Dinner Conversations: Pam Schweppe, Bobby Murphy and Bill Novakowski
44 Front Street, 2nd Floor • Ashland
www.skinsmartsalon.com
Run Your Ads With Us! Call Susanne (508) 954-8148

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 11
Ashlanders Make New Year’s Resolutions
By Les Clark,
Contributing Writer
January first is the day we
put the past year, with whatever
it gave us, in life’s rear view mirror
and set on paper, share with
friends and family or let bubble
about in our brains those pesky
New Year’s resolutions. While
the success rate is varied and indeterminate,
the resolutions have
an undercurrent of hope.
I asked residents the following
questions: If you are making a
New Year’s resolution, what is it?
For any resolution you made, how
long did it last? What resolution
do you wish someone else would
make? Here are their answers.
Jordan Kotob, 13
I interviewed this articulate
young man on the phone, turning
the tables on him after he
interviewed me for his Ashland
Middle School Veterans’ Day
project. “I never really think
about making any resolutions,
but I’m going to start doing my
laundry without being told. And
maybe eat healthier,” Kotob said.
As he thought about other people,
he said, “I wish some kids in
school would be more respectful
to others.” There was a wistful finality
to his last comment: “I wish
my brother would play with me
more.”
Neha Shabeer, 14
Shabeer is a sophomore at
Ashland High School and a 10-
year Ashland resident. She is best
known as the president of Breaking
Down Barriers, a group of
students fostering leadership and
community service. She is also a
regular contributing writer to Ashland
Local Town Pages.
In keeping with the resolutions
theme, Shabeer said she
intends “to continue doing things
that really have an impact and
to surround myself with positive
people.” As she has matured and
her priorities have changed, she
admitted, “I wish I had focused
more on people and not things.”
Her desire is a universal resolution
for people “to smile bigger,
laugh louder and work harder.”
Brian and
Terry Abasciano, 35 & 36
The Abascianos, high school
sweethearts since the 11 th grade
and six-year residents of Ashland,
have two young children,
Bella and Chris. Brian and Terry
said, as they each looked at the
other for marital confirmation,
they usually don’t make resolutions
together. Brian, however,
added that whatever resolutions
he has made in the past, “they
usually last for a month.” For the
future, Terry thought for about a
second and gave not so much a
resolution but a promise: “When
he starts cleaning, I’ll go back to
work.”
For the coming year, “my resolution
is to dust off my treadmill,”
Brian said. As a couple, they
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Brian Abasciano
were specific about what resolutions
other people should make
– Brian: “I wish people would be
more considerate.” Terry: “I wish
people would take more pride in
their professions.”
Laura Pallazola, 67
(wife of this writer)
Pallazola recently moved to
Ashland, and has several family
matters of greater concern than
answering my questions, so her
answers were as short as the hair
on her grandson’s shaved head.
When asked if she makes New
Year’s resolutions, “Never” was
her retort. Her previous promises
at the start of any year lasted a
day, she said. Pallazola did mention
a resolution, not to procrastinate,
which she said should have
made but did not want to give details.
When pressed if it involved
exercise and money, I was given
“the look.” Softening just a bit,
she said of others, “People should
be nicer to one another.”
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Gabe Mugerian
Gabe Mugerian, 91 ½
Gabe Mugerian prides himself
on being an Ashland resident
since he was six months old. He
is the bus driver for the Ashland
Senior Center. During WWII,
he was a flight engineer in the
Brooklyn Navy Yard preparing
U.S. Navy fighters and flying
boats for service in both the Pacific
and European theaters.
When asked if he makes any
New Year’s resolutions, Mugerian
had a sharp retort: “I do what I
want when I want to. I’m one of
those rare people who have never
made a resolution.” Case closed.
Mugerian claims he has been
driving since age 14 and has
never been in an accident, something
I think he resolves to perpetuate.
But he was clear on what
he wants others to resolve. “I
wish people would be on time,”
he laughed, knowing he is dealing
with seniors a few years younger
but less spry than he.
For this unscientific study, I
found that New Year’s resolutions
are well-meaning but short-lived.
However, the respondents hoped
that everyone should try to make
the world a better place. It’s a
good place to start.
Les Clark is an Ashland resident
and has resolved to refrain from any
future spousal interviews. He can be
reached at lclark9247@aol.com.
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Page 12 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
State Awards Grant
to Support APD
Mental Health
Program
The Ashland Police Department
(APD) recently received
$95,000 through the Edward
Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance
Grant (JAG) Program,
which funds a broad range of
public safety and crime prevention
efforts in communities
across Massachusetts. This
funding will support the Ashland,
Sherborn, Holliston and
Hopkinton (ASHH) regional
jail diversion program that focuses
on assisting police in their
encounters with individuals
with mental health or addiction
issues, according to a press
release from Senator Karen
Spilka’s office.
The ASHH Jail Diversion
Program was launched in fall
2015 and pairs a full-time embedded
mental health crisis
clinician from Advocates, Inc.
with police officers from ASHH
police departments. The program
also provides mental
health training to police officers
in the four-town collaborative.
The primary goal of the program
is to divert non-violent offenders
who may be struggling
with a mental illness away from
the criminal justice system and
into community based behavioral
health services. The model
pairs a master’s-level clinician
with patrol officers, 2 p.m. to 10
p.m., five days a week.
Sha’arei Shalom
Sha’arei Shalom is a member-driven,
diverse congregation
offering the warmth of a
small community. We recognize
the wide range of views in our
congregation and provide both
tradition and innovation, giving
us the opportunity to learn and
grow as a community. Services
are held at the Ashland Community
Center, 162 West Union
St. For more information, call
508-231-4700, email info@
shaareishalom.org, or visit www.
shaareishalom.org.
Please Visit Our Website to Read Online
www.localtownpages.com
DISCOUNT HEATING OIL
Call for Price
*Price subject to change.
Shabbat ‘Live!’ Services:
Friday, January 6, 7:30 pm
Shabbat Live! is a musical
and interactive service featuring
our Shabbat Live! Band. Come
experience our lively twist on a
traditional Shabbat service. A
community Oneg Shabbat will
follow.
Shabbat Services: Friday,
January 20, 7:30 to 9 pm
Experience the warmth of
the Sha’arei Shalom Community.
Join us for a traditional
Friday night service with Rabbi
Margie leading the service. A
community Oneg Shabbat will
follow.
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Students Volunteer to
Help Children With
Life-Threatening Illnesses
Thirty-eight Ashland High
School (AHS) students participated
in a service trip in November
to Give Kids the World
Village in Florida, where kids
with terminal and life-threatening
illness have their “wishes”
Plan Ahead: Save These Dates!
Ashland Music Association
is bringing back Family
Trivia Night, Saturday, February
4. Doors open, 6:30
pm; program starts, 7 pm,
Ashland High School cafeteria.
Come with your own
group of 6-8 players or join a
group. Adults, $10; students/
seniors, $8. Tickets may be
granted through the Make-A-
Wish Foundation. The students
and seven adults volunteered
at Give Kids the World Village
over several days. Every
year the AHS A Make-A-Wish
Club raises several thousand
purchased at the door. www.
ashlandmusic.org
Ashland Education Foundation
Inc. (AEFI) Metrowest
College and Career Fair, Saturday,
April 1, and Annual
Awards Gala, Friday, April 7.
For details, visit ashlandeducation.org.
dollars to grant experiences,
or “wishes.” The student president
of the AHS Make-A-Wish
Club is Adam Skiba and the
AHS advisor is Jennifer Pavia
Shiels.
Ashland Mystery Festival:
New England Crimes,
Friday, April 7, mystery film,
and Saturday, April 8, writers’
workshop and authors’
panel and book sale, Ashland
Library, 66 Front St. Free
and open to the public. www.
friendsoftheapl.com, www.
artsashland.org

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 13
Art in the Library
LOWER LEVEL
Photographs by
Lynne Damianos
Extended Loan
Professional and Fine Art Photographer
Lynne Damianos of
Framingham is currently exhibiting
from her NatureScape series.
Her work is on an extended loan
to the library, located in the large
event room and the conference
room, both on the lower level.
UPSTAIRS DISPLAY CASE/
FIREPLACE AREA
“A New Beginning,” Clay Works
by Arti Bhola Goulatia
Through February 25, 2017
Ashland resident Arti Bhola
Goulatia was born in India,
worked in the fashion world for
a number of years then transitioned
into fine arts when she
started working with clay about
15 years ago in Arizona. She
moved to Ashland in 2014. Arti’s
style reflects a unique fusion of
her ethnic heritage, world travels,
fashion and contemporary art.
Water color by Mary Zocchi
DOWNSTAIRS GALLERY
“11th Annual Senior
Watercolor Exhibit,”
by Ashland Senior Citizens
Through January 13, 2017
The eleventh annual Senior
Watercolor Exhibition continues
in the downstairs picture gallery
until mid-January.
Coming in Mid-January:
“Imagination in Motion”
Paintings by Lisa G Bailey
January 17 to February 25,
2017
A New Year and a Return to “Normal”
By Rev. Larry Iannetti,
Pastor, Federated Church
of Ashland
With the arrival of January
1 st , we wish a fond farewell to the
year that has past. We pause to
remember all the good that has
happened, all that we have been
blessed with, and all that we’d like
to leave behind. The new year always
comes with a mixed bag of
things for which to be grateful, in
addition to a sense of relief that
we managed to survive the challenges.
I am confident that among
that latter, there are few of us
who will miss the political campaigning
leading up to the election
in November. Regardless of
whom we individually supported,
would you agree that the media
overwhelmed us all with stories,
quotes, news reports, comedy
sketches, facts and falsehoods?
Well, the New Year is here and
the election is over and, with fingers
crossed, things might return
to normal.
It seems to me that “normal”
should once again consist of respect
for one another and equal
opportunity before the law regardless
of race, gender, sexual
orientation, country of origin
or religious beliefs. Normal consists
of recognizing that we all
share a common humanity, with
common hopes, dreams and aspirations
for ourselves and our
families. Normal recognizes that
we share a small planet with a
delicate eco-system with limited
natural resources, where there is
a ripple effect that impacts us all
when we fail to be good stewards
of God’s creation. Normal is recognizing
principles like the common
good and common welfare.
Normal means choosing to be a
person of “good will” in the face
of threats against our neighbors
or their need.
If we truly want to celebrate
the new year, let us indeed give
thanks for our friends and neighbors,
our community and our nation,
viewing each other as a gift
from God our creator and cherishing
those entrusted to our care.
Isn’t that the normal we all wish
and hope for?
Join us each Sunday morning
at the Federated Church of
Ashland, 118 Main St., where we
gather at 10 a.m. to recall who
we are before God our creator.
There is plenty of parking across
the street behind the Town Hall.
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Page 14 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
Ashland Historical Society’s
Winter/Spring Programs
Ashland Historical Society
events are held on Sundays at
2 p.m. in the Ocean House, 2
Myrtle St. For more information,
visit www.ashlandhistsociety.com.
January 15: Dina Vargo,
author - Wild Women of Boston:
Mettle and Moxie, stories of persevering
women throughout
Boston’s history.
February 19: Richard
Gutman, author and former
president of Johnson & Wales
College - Worcester Lunch Car
Company and New England
Diners.
March 19: Alan Earls, author
- The Building of Rt. 128 and the
High-Tech Explosion.
April 9: Joel Sparks, Vice
President, Ashland Historical
Society- “Cemeteries, Universities
and Shoes: Stories Linking
Ashland, Holliston and Hopkinton
to Early Higher Education.”
Become a Member! Support
the Historical Society by
becoming a member. Dues are
$10/year for 1 or 2 people at
the same address. Please make
checks payable to the Ashland
Historical Society, Inc., PO Box
145, Ashland, MA 01721.
Friends of the
Ashland Library:
Thank you!
Reflecting on 2016 gives
us the opportunity to cherish
memories of communitybuilding
fun and enrichment
and appreciate our many
members, donors and program
participants. Because of
you, we doubled the number
of participants in our summer
reading program. We ran
three candidates’ forums and
many cultural and educational
events. We’re eager to kick off
2017, which will include some
favorites as well as many new
programs. Watch for our star
parties, adult art events, additional
author talks, and more.
Thank you for your ongoing
support. We look forward to
seeing you at our annual meeting
in May!
Ashland’s Decisions at
Every Turn Coalition:
Protective Factors and Reducing
the Risk for Substance Use
Protective factors are the
positive influencers in a child’s
life that increase the likelihood
of substance-free choices. These
influencers are found at the individual,
peer, family, school and
community levels. The more we
all nurture these positive influencers,
the greater the positive
impact on Ashland youth.
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• Positive school culture
• Supportive teachers and
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• Opportunities for youth
involvement/recreation
• Norms that support
healthy behaviors/discourage
underage alcohol
and other drug use
For more information about
risk and protective factors and
other parent tips and resources,
visit www.ashlanddecisions.org/
parent-tip-sheets.html.
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Join the
Community Book
Read, March 14
Parents are invited to participate in a Community Book
Read. Join Jim Adams, Superintendent of the Ashland
schools, for a discussion of The Gift of Failure: How the best
parents learn to let go so their children can succeed, by Jessica Lahey,
on Tuesday, March 14, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Ashland Library.
Adams will facilitate a discussion as it relates to resilience in
our children and community. The library is currently circulating
a dozen copies of the book and an audio book version,
solely for participants of this event. The book read is
sponsored by the Decisions at Every Turn Coalition and the
Friends of the Ashland Public Library. For more information,
email coalitioninfo@ashlanddecisions.org.
Tell Your Story for
the History Project
Each Ashland business and
organization has a unique history,
but does anyone but you
know what it is? How will your
story be remembered? The
Ashland Historical Society
wants to help. Please take a few
minutes to write it down, send
a copy to ashlandhistsoc@msn.
com, and the group will add it
to their records. Individuals
are also welcome to send their
own stories, too. To date, they
have received a history of the
Greater Ashland Lions and
Main Street Wine & Spirits. At
this time, the Historical Society
is only adding the information
to its records. If they decide to
do anything further with the
information, they will obtain
permission from the submitters
before releasing it.

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 15
Field Trips: Yay or Nay?
By Neha Shabeer,
Sophomore,
Ashland High School
Field trip. Two words that can
leave a little kid bouncing, a high
school teacher frowning, a parent
wondering and a student questioning.
Field trips in elementary
and middle school usually involve
the entire grade for a fun day out
at a museum, apple orchard or
historical site. While a large endeavor
for a teacher to plan, a
field trip often causes little controversy.
However, when a field trip
in high school causes students to
miss days of school, it can create
a problem.
Field trips in high school provide
amazing opportunities, but it
is difficult, even for the most conscientious
students, to catch up
when they miss class lectures and
work. I began thinking about this
topic extensively as I am faced
with the decision of going on a
field trip in April to New York
City with the high school band
to compete at a festival and visit
some tourist attractions. I would
miss three days of school, right
before Advanced Placement (AP)
exams. I sought out teachers, administrators
and parents to ask
them about the pros and cons
of field trips that cause students
to miss school, and surprisingly
found the topic more controversial
than expected.
The Pros
Principal St. Coeur began the
“pros” of field trips by stating,
“Learning about the community
and the greater world through experience
is vital. I am a big supporter
of hands-on learning, and
field trips can provide that reallife
experience.”
Similarly, AP U.S. history
teacher Mrs. Twomey described
how students would remember
course material better and feel
more personally connected with
it if they experience it first-hand
at a historical site.
Mr. Maule, an Ashland High
School (AHS) band teacher, who
runs a field trip and is a big proponent
of them, made a strong
case, as well. He explained how
field trips give students the opportunity
to travel where they might
not be able to go with their family
and provide the room to explore
the cultural and historical
significance of lessons. He made
the point that, “There is more to
education and learning than simply
sitting in a building and listening
to a lecture, doing worksheets,
taking tests, and writing essays,”
because “feeling, touching, holding,
seeing, hearing, interacting .
. . all have educational benefits.”
In his mind, field trips do not
just reap academic benefits. The
sense of camaraderie of exploring
an unknown place together
is important for the growth of
interpersonal and social interactions
between students. The experience
also improves students’
ability to interact with people in
environments different from a
school setting. He described how,
“[meeting and working] with
people who may be less fortunate
has rewards that are immeasurable,
and create lifelong memories
that will impact students in
all they do, say, and think.”
A parent and long-time Ashland
resident Maria Wheeler
said that field trips allow for a
free day for students away from
stress, which still involves learning.
Wheeler loves the aspect of
promoting happiness, passion
and helping others when students
“go on an adventure.”
The Cons
The obvious “con” is missing
school and other work. Class lectures
always bring additional insight
from any textbook, reading
or lesson, and participating in discussion
is vital to understanding
the deeper level of subjects. Mrs.
Twomey explained, “Field trips
are beneficial to some extent, but
to the point it is detracting to their
learning is not okay.”
Maria Wheeler also added
that it is a lot of work and stress
for students to catch up, so it
might not be a good option if a
student feels unsure about that
aspect. There is also the financial
burden to consider since
field trips are very expensive and
draining towards a family.
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the decision. Math teacher and
AHS Ambassadors advisor Mrs.
Jost questioned, “For the kids who
don’t go, are they now at a disadvantage?
And if they aren’t, then
what is the purpose of the trip?”
It is a dark and vicious cycle, so
I asked people what their criteria
would be when deciding to go on
a trip or not. Dean of Students
(2017 and 2019) Mrs. Carreiro
vocalized, it is important to “balance
and consider what [one]
would be missing and gaining
from the experience . . . understanding
what the benefit of the
field trip is extremely important
and defined differently for everyone.”
Science department liaison
and AP Chemistry teacher Mrs.
Sherman has very simple criteria:
students must be capable of
understanding missed instruction
and still have success in the
course. The consensus is that
students must have good communication
with their teachers,
be highly motivated, organized,
responsible, proactive, and be capable
of self-learning. Teachers
are willing to work with students
if they show maturity and commitment
towards both school and
the endeavor they are participating
in. Factoring in other major
absences in the same academic
year and grades are quite relevant,
as well. Lastly, Mrs. Jost uses
the questions “[Does going on
the trip] make a difference in the
material [one needs] to understand
for that class [providing the
trip]?” and “Is the value worth
missing other classes? Would I
leave college this often, would I
leave my job this often?”
Many teachers try to make
the choice about whether to go
easier. Mrs. Graham tries to go
on field trips at the end of the
year, after AP exams and MCAS
are administered, to lessen the
strain and impact on students.
Mrs. Twomey describes how academic
field trips are less optional,
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due to the relevance in the course,
and “The bigger question is how
often students should be out of
the classroom for non-academic
field trips, such as leadership conferences.”
On that point, Mrs.
Jost wondered, “Could the trip be
done outside of the school day?”
It makes teachers question if students
are going to miss school or
the actual opportunity and if they
would still go if they need to give
up a bit of their weekend or vacation.
Maria Wheeler believes that
sometimes due to a time constraint,
schools try to skim over
all the experiences on a trip, while
going on a family trip students
can experience it in more depth
and it may be more beneficial.
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I have found this to be an interesting
debate, and I am still
unsure on where I stand since
each case is different. At the end
of the day, I have decided not to
go on the band trip in April due
to a variety of academic and financial
reasons, along with commitments
to other conferences. It
is a fact that field trips are difficult
to coordinate and plan, so thank
you to all the teachers who go the
extra mile and provide these opportunities
for students. Also, a
huge thank you to everyone who
voiced their opinion and helped
contribute to this article. For more
about the world through my eyes,
keep reading my monthly column
:)
THRIFT SHOP
FEDERATED CHURCH OF ASHLAND
118 Main Street
Open: Wednesdays, 10 am to 4 pm
Closed: January 4
Reopening: Wednesdays starting January 11
Winter donations can be dropped off while we are open.
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[Additional parking behind town hall]
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Page 16 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
Ashland Scouts
This month, the Cub Scouts
have been busy with computer
coding, studying Ashland’s history,
laser tag battles, and more!
They have also been designing,
cutting, sanding, painting and
polishing their wooden cars for
the annual Pinewood Derby,
which will be held at our next
pack meeting on Friday, January
13. Join us and learn more
about what Scouting is about!
For more information, visit
www.pack1-ashlandma.org.
Pack 1 Cub
Scouts at a
recent Den
meeting at
Lazer Craze in
Westborough.
Den 6 Wolf
Scouts proudly
display their
Ashland
community
changes project.
Leave One, Take One
The Ashland Library is trying
out a magazine exchange in the
Concord Street entry way. If you
have magazines or gently used catalogues
too good to throw away,
Happy Holidays
and you’d like to share them, place
sure to “leave one, take one.”
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that you like. After you read them,
and they are still good, bring them
back, and take more!
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Mon - Fri: 7am – 7pm • Sat: 7am - 5pm
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So far, the area has stayed
neat, there has been no confusion
with library materials, and almost
all of the magazines have been
taken. The outgoing magazines
have been successful, but incoming
magazines so far are scarce.
For the program to continue, it
must be self-sustaining, so make
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Ashland Travelers & Friends
Ashland Travelers &
Friends announced their first
reserved three-day trip of the
2017 travel year. On May 2,
travelers will leave at 9 a.m.
via motor coach from the Ashland
High School parking lot
for a two-night stay at the Two
Trees Inn at Foxwoods. The
group will tour Newport, RI,
enjoying a guided tour of the
mansions and have dinner at
the Foxwoods Casino Resort.
On the third day, the group
will head to Mystic Seaport.
For a detailed flyer, travel insurance
application and reservation
details, visit www.
grouptrips.com/ashlandtravelgroup/1348682.
A $75 deposit
is due upon initial reservation.
Final payment is due on February
20. To reserve your spot,
contact Donna Shaw, 508-353-
2940, or email ashlandtravelers@gmail.com.
For pictures,
video and information, visit
www.GroupTrips.com/ashlandtravelgroup.
Ashland Documentary
Film & Discussion Series
Explores New Insights Into
How Children Learn, January12
The Ashland Documentary
Film & Discussion Series will
present the film, Under Construction
from the Annenberg
Learner film series Minds of
Our Own, on Thursday, January
12, 7- 9 pm at the Ashland
Library, Community Room, 66
Front St. A series of portraits of
teaching shows how six teachers
from across the country are working
to revamp their teaching and
their schools, and are struggling
against a variety of obstacles that
might thwart their efforts. These
teachers are working to undo the
myths about learning inherent
in their school systems, and are
truly the heroes who will shape
our children’s future for life in the
Information Age.
Based on recent research, as
well as the pioneering work of
Piaget and others, the film series
Minds of Our Own shows
that many of the things we assume
about how children learn
are simply not true. For educators
and parents, these programs
bring new insight to debates
about education reform. Minds
of Our Own is an Annenberg
Learner film produced by the
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics.
The Ashland Documentary
Film & Discussion Series meets
at 7-9 pm in the Ashland Library,
Community Room, every second
Thursday of the month. The films
are sponsored by the Friends of
the Ashland Library. For more
information, call the library, 508-
881-0134, or visit www.friendsoftheapl.com.

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 17
Ashland Substance Abuse/
Mental Health Resources Guide
By Cara Tirrell,
Ashland Youth and
Family Services
Mental Health
Advocates, Inc.
Framingham, MA
Psychiatric Emergency Services
508-872-333
Behavioral Health/Substance
Abuse
508-628-6300
SMOC
Framingham, MA
508-879-2250 x177
Wayside
Framingham, MA
800-492-9743
Metrowest Medical
Center-Natick
Leonard Morse Hospital
67 Union Street
Natick, MA 01760
508-650-7000
Helpline and
Hotline Information
Report a crime/save a life 911
Ashland Police or Fire
Non-emergency
Police 508-881-1212
Fire 508-881-2323
Domestic
Violence/Sexual Assault
Voices against Violence
24 hour HOTLINES:
1-800-593-1125 or
508-626-8686 (TTY-friendly)
Monday – Friday from
9am to 5pm, at 508-820-0834
Samaritans-Suicide
Prevention
877-870-4673
Samarteens-800-252-8336
24 hour helpine-617-247-0220
www.samaritanshope.org
National Runaway
Switchboard
1-800-RUNAWAY
Homeless Shelters
Turning Point
75 Hollis St.
Framingham, MA
508-875-6429
Alcohol or Other
Drug Addiction
Massachusetts Substance Abuse
Information and Education
800-327-5050/888-448-8321
www.Helpline-online.com
Detoxification Services/
Treatment
Medically necessary intervention
Arbour Counseling
411 Chandler Street
Worcester, MA 01602
508-799-0688
Spectrum
Admissions (Massachusetts)
Outpatient Services:
800-464-9555 x1161
Inpatient Services: 800-366-7732
Metrowest Medical Center-
Framingham Union
Emergency Room
115 Lincoln Street, Framingham
508-383-1000-467all or Text 24
Support Group
Al-Anon 508-366-0556
www.ma-al-anon-alateen.org
Learn to Cope Parents
508-801-3247
www.learn2cope.org
Peer Recovery
Alcohol Anonymous
1-800-839-1686
Ashland Resources
Ashland Youth and
Family Services
508-881-0140 x 3
Ashland Decisions
at Every Turn Coalition
65 East Union Street, Ashland
508-881-0177 x8284
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Call Susanne Odell Farber at (508) 954-8148
Remember Last Winter?
In Memory Of
James Argir, age 79, of Natick, passed away peacefully at
the Metrowest Medical Center on December 8, 2016, after
a courageous battle with cancer, according to his obituary.
Argir graduated from Bridgewater State University in 1961,
where he was a three-sport athlete and the captain of the
football team. He held a bachelor’s degree in elementary
education from Bridgewater and a master’s degree in educational
administration from Framingham State College. He
started his long career as a teacher at the Bennett Hemingway
School in Natick. His dedication to the field of education
was exemplified by his 25 years of service as a principal
of several Ashland public schools. In lieu of flowers, donations
in his memory may be made to the Bethany Healthcare
Center, 97 Bethany Rd., Framingham, MA 01701, or to the
Albanian Orthodox Church of the Annunciation of Natick,
37 Washington Ave., Natick, MA 01760.
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Page 18 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
Ashland Community
Gardens: A Thriving
Community Space
Ashland Community Gardens
(ACG), all-organic vegetable
gardens, is a thriving
community space near downtown,
at Stone Park. It accommodates
56 gardeners in
4X10-ft raised and in-ground
beds. In past years, ACG held
yoga in the garden and talks
on gardening and ergonomics,
bees and bee keeping, and ways
to preserve vegetables. Gardeners
painted a colorful mural on
the garden shed and created a
“waystation” garden to attract
butterflies and other beneficial
insects. The garden is sometimes
opened to artists who work on
projects inspired by the beautiful
surroundings. Requests are
accepted on a first-come, firstserve
basis. To be on the waitlist
for a garden bed, email info@
ashlandcommunitygardens.org.
School Menus
January 2017
Ashland Elementary Schools
Ashland Secondary Schools
Ashland Community Gardens’ certified butterfly waystation in full
bloom. (Photo/Florence Seidell)
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January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 19
Sports
Now A.D. at Hopedale High
Gaine’s Ashland Roots Big Key in His Latest Position
By Ken Hamwey,
Staff Sports Writer
Ashland played a major role
when Hopedale High had to fill
its athletic director vacancy. The
Blue Raiders, whose teams compete
in the Dual Valley Conference,
chose Bill Gaine III, a
former Ashland High threesport
athlete and the starting
catcher on the Clockers’ 2000
state championship baseball
team.
Gaine, who played football,
hockey and baseball, was a .350
hitter as a senior and was entrusted
by coach Kevin Maines
(now principal at Douglas High)
to call the signals.
“Winning that state crown
was my top thrill as an athlete,’’
said Gaine, whose father is the
executive director of the Mass.
Interscholastic Athletic Association
(MIAA). “Now that I’m 34,
I appreciate what we achieved
a lot more and realize now how
significant it was. Most of the
players on that team had been
together since Little League. We
had amazing talent but to reach
that pinnacle still was a difficult
task.’’
Some of the standouts on
the squad that beat Pioneer Valley
remain as familiar names in
Ashland — Russ D’Argento in
centerfield, Joey Magnani in left
field, Vince Domestico at second
base, Jason Cooper at shortstop
and Chris Maregni at first base.
Gaine, who graduated from
Ashland High in 2000, hasn’t
forgotten his teammates and he
still raves about his coaches.
“I played for Kevin Maines
in baseball and football; David
DiGiralamo was my jayvee
coach and he’s now the Middle
School principal at Ashland;
Derek Atherton was my freshman
baseball coach; and Kevin
Carney was a football assistant
who’s now the superintendent
of schools in Uxbridge. They
were all tough but fair. They
had high standards and were
great motivators. I developed
confidence as a student-athlete
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in high school and I want to help
the Hopedale kids in their development.’’
Gaine was the A.D. at Pope
John XXIII in Everett last year,
serving in a variety of roles at
the Grade 9-12 school that enrolls
250 students. Besides his
duties as A.D., he worked in
admissions, was the school’s
physical education and health
director and he coached varsity
baseball and girls soccer. A desire
to fully focus on being an
A.D. and a yearning to return
to the Route 495 area are what
made the opportunity to work at
Hopedale attractive.
“My most important objective
is building a strong relationship
with students, athletes,
coaches, faculty and the community,’’
Gaine emphasized. “I
want to be the No. 1 fan of all
Hopedale sports programs. I
want to ensure that student-athletes
get the credit they deserve.
I also want to increase participation,
partner with youth sports
and sustain Hopedale High’s
tradition in athletics by adding
my energy and style to it.’’
Familiar with how the MIAA
works and the programs it offers,
Gaine said he wants to
make sure Hopedale athletes
take advantage of the workshops
and educational initiatives
at the MIAA. “Some of
the events Hopedale’s athletes
can attend are leadership conferences,
sportsmanship summits
and women in sport days,’’
he noted. “I want our coaches to
inspire student-athletes to give
their best effort. Winning is important
but, win or lose, competing
to one’s full potential is really
what athletics is all about. I want
our kids to win but I want them
to win with class and character.’’
After graduating from Westfield
State with a major in communications,
Gaine first worked
in real estate then joined Josten’s,
the school ring company. Later,
when his focus turned to athletic
administration, he worked on a
master’s degree at Northeastern
University, specializing in sports
leadership. During that time,
Gaine coached in part-time roles
at Keefe Tech and Mount Hope
in Bristol, R.I. Before becoming
Pope John’s A.D., he coached its
varsity baseball team and in his
final year as coach, he guided
the squad to a 12-8 record and
into the playoffs, the first time
Pope John had qualified for the
tourney since 2000.
A high-energy personality,
Gaine, who is quickly learning
about Hopedale’s rival schools
in the Dual Valley Conference,
said he’ll work with others to
promote the league and make
it stronger. “I’d like Hopedale
to schedule more non-league
games with Tri Valley League
schools,’’ he noted. “Those
schools are larger but competing
at a challenging level will help us
to maintain a strong status.’’
Gaine lived in Ashland for 29
years and spent last year residing
in Everett.
“I’m a native of Ashland and
enjoyed growing up in the Metrowest
area,’’ he said. “At Pope
John, I had an amazing experience
and worked with amazing
people. Now, I’m at Hopedale
and I want student-athletes to
know they’ll have the support of
their teammates, coaches, the
A.D. and the administration. I
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like to think of our school and
the community as a team.’’
Bill Gaine III is an enthusiastic
individual whose style is all
about teamwork. And, there’s
little doubt that his Ashland
High pedigree played a major
role in his desire to become an
athletic director.
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Page 20 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
Sports
Ashland Hockey’s George Boccelli
Strives to Head Back to the Tourney
By Christopher Tremblay,
Staff Sports Writer
Ashland’s George Boccelli
began taking skating lessons at
the age of three and one year
later he decided to join his older
brother (of two years), Nick, into
the hockey rink and set out for his
own adventure.
The younger Boccelli would
begin playing Demon Youth
Hockey for the co-op team of
Ashland, Hopkinton and Holliston
where he would patrol one
of the wings on the ice up until
the beginning of high school.
Prior to entering Ashland High
School in September of his freshman
year, Boccelli would leave
the Demons to play for the Minuteman
Flames that summer. He
would continue to skate for the
Flames for three years during the
summer/fall months before high
school hockey.
When high school tryouts got
underway Boccelli found himself
a little on edge, but luckily for
the incoming freshman he had
someone on the inside who could
guide him through the tryouts.
“It was definitely nerve racking,”
he said, “but having an
older brother who already went
through the process made it a lot
easier. Nick told me just to relax
and skate hard.”
Before you knew it, Boccelli
found his name on the Ashland
varsity roster but as a freshman
saw very limited ice time;
instead most of his hockey was
skating with the Junior Varsity
squad. With limited playing time
with the varsity team, Boccelli,
who skated periodically with the
fourth line, watched as the Clockers
made the state tournament.
The fourth line center primarily
got to view the tournament from
the Ashland bench, where he discovered
the game was played at a
much faster pace. Unfortunately,
it was the last time that the Ashland
hockey team advanced into
post-season play.
Prior to entering high school,
Boccelli played one of the two
wing position, but following his
tryouts for the Clockers he began
playing center, a position he felt
he was much better suited for.
“I like to move around the ice
where I considered myself as a
two-way player so playing center
was a better position for me,” he
said. “As a two-way player I find
myself to be more of an assist guy
than a scorer.”
During his sophomore campaign
he had seven assists for
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the Clockers and last winter he
upped that total to 10, a number
that Ashland Coach Mike
Roman would have liked to have
been a little higher.
“George has been a fantastic
two-way player for us, but he
struggled a bit offensively last
year,” the coach said. “He has a
defensive game that surprises me
at times; every time I look onto
the ice and think someone should
be in a certain place, he’s always
there. He has great game presence.”
Boccelli believes his instincts
come from his older brother, who
he got to play with for two years
while in the Ashland team.
“It was a great experience
getting to play with Nick for two
years,” Boccelli said. “It was like
having a mentor on the ice during
games; Nick would give me
tips and advice to what I was
doing right and wrong during my
shifts.”
Last winter as a junior, Boccelli
was named as one of the team’s
captains, an honor that is usually
not given to an underclassman.
According to Roman, he believes
that Boccelli is the first junior
captain that he and the team have
ever elected at Ashland.
“Playing on one of our top
two lines, George has also shown
that he is open to whatever we ask
of him,” Roman said. “He works
extremely hard on the ice and is a
nice kid as well; he’s well deserving
of the title.”
Boccelli was grateful but also
very surprised by the appointment.
“To be named a team captain
as junior is a great accomplishment,”
he said. “I am honored
that my teammates believed in
me but also that the Coach took
their word. It means a lot to me
and this year as a two-time captain
I’m hoping that I can lead
my team back into the tournament
again.”
While the Clockers have only
been able to manage 11 wins
over the past two seasons (4
last winter), hockey was almost
an afterthought in Ashland this
year. Due to budget costs, the
school committee needed to
make some cuts and with the
hockey numbers dropping and
the rising cost of the sport they
decided to get rid of the program.
Luckily for the players, a
group of passionate parents rallied
and told the committee that
they would do whatever it took
Photo/Maddie Graves
to keep the program afloat.
“It would have been extremely
frustrating that we, as
hockey players, were only going
to get one chance to participate
in the tournament,” Boccelli said.
“Only one shot at the tournament
and our high school hockey
careers cut short – that was not
the way I wanted to go out.”
Now that they have a second
chance, Boccelli and his teammates
are looking to take full advantage
of what has been placed
in front of them.
“I myself, as the team’s only
captain this year, want to get everyone
on the same page,” the
Clocker Captain said. “After that
it would be huge if we could get
back to the tourney once again.”
He may not be able to will
the Clockers back into the tournament,
a place he only got to
experience from the bench as a
first year player but if Boccelli
continues to exert his passion for
the game, his teammates will follow.
And who knows, a program
that was on the verge of distinction
may find itself venturing
back into uncharted waters, giving
Boccelli a sendoff he has truly
worked hard to accomplish.

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 21
Ex-Ashland High Athlete
Sports
Surprising Vote Earns Simeone Coach of Year Award
By Ken Hamwey,
Staff Sports Writer
It’s rare when a coach is honored
for compiling a 3-11 record.
But, that’s what happened
to Nicole Simeone, who graduated
from Ashland High in 2011
and earned her bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from Nichols
College.
The 23-year-old Simeone,
who played on two state championship
softball teams and was
a Tri Valley League all-star in
softball and field hockey at Ashland,
completed her first year
as varsity field hockey coach
last fall at Bay Path University
in Longmeadow. Her squad
won only three matches, but
that number didn’t stop the five
opposing coaches in the New
England Collegiate Conference
from voting her as the circuit’s
coach of the year.
They saw an admirable tenacity
and a desire to improve
in spite of huge odds. Bay Path
finished with a league record of
3-7.
Simeone had only 11 players,
just enough to field a starting
team. There were no players
on the bench, just her assistant
coach. And, with only two timeouts
a game, she often had to
coach and instruct players while
they were battling for possession
of the ball or adjusting in transition.
Luckily, no player suffered
a major injury until the last
match of the season.
“Our goalie fractured her
wrist in warm-ups and we had
to move a midfielder to goal and
compete with only 10 players,’’
Simeone said. “It was difficult
to coach the players while they
were on the field but we had no
choice. At times I had to alternate
players to different positions
where they had a chance
to catch their breath.’’
Simeone said she was “surprised,
honored and touched’’ to
be named coach of the year but
believes her colleagues voted for
her because “we kept matches
competitive.’’
Simeone’s team bounced
back from starting 0-4 and
surrendering 32 goals during
that stretch while scoring only
once. “Our confidence was low
but we managed to win three
games and make the rest of our
matches competitive,’’ she said.
“My players seemed pleased
with the way I managed our
situation and how we finished.
The goals for next year will be
to have some substitutes on the
bench and improve our record.’’
Simeone is not only Bay
Path’s field hockey coach but
she works fulltime as the university’s
coordinator of recreation
and athletic recruitment. Her
only previous head-coaching
experience came last year when
she directed Bellingham High’s
junior-varsity girls’ basketball
team.
The 5-foot-8 Simeone was
a capable and talented athlete
at Ashland, always willing to
learn and to absorb the advice
of her coaches. She played as
a defender in field hockey and
was an outfielder in softball. She
competed on the varsity in both
sports all four years.
“My top thrill in high school
was playing on two state champion
softball teams that posted
a 54-0 record for two seasons,’’
Simeone noted. “I was a freshman
and sophomore when we
beat Hudson both times. It was
a great ride, nothing like it. Our
team had it all — pitching, hitting
and defense. And, playing
with a teammate like Nicki
D’Argento was great. She was
our star pitcher who later excelled
at Boston College. She
was confident and inspiring.
Those teams are memorable
because there were no forced
friendships; everyone was positive
on the field; we bonded and
played hard.’’
A .300 hitter who had power,
Simeone remembers hitting one
home run in each of her four
years. “My first home run, as
a freshman, came in a victory
against Medway,’’ she recalled.
“That’s was memorable.’’
In field hockey, defense was
Simeone’s strength but her desire
to score a goal was realized
in a contest against Dover-Sherborn.
“We were losing, 3-0, but I
scored close in on a corner,’’ she
said. “I remember that because
it was a great to experience scoring
a goal.’’
An admirer of Brooke Perry,
her Ashland field hockey coach,
and Steve O’Neil, her softball
coach, Simeone considers
both quality mentors who
helped her develop in the sports
roles she’s now involved with.
“Brooke showed me the ropes,
she had great qualities and was
a mentor,’’ Simeone said. “Steve
taught me a lot about softball
and made me a better player.’’
Now, Nicole Simeone is
coaching and working in an
administrative role at Bay Path.
And, she’s enjoying both positions,
especially after being selected
as coach of the year in
field hockey after enduring and
adjusting to plenty of adversity
in her first season as a collegiate
head coach.
Ashland Schools:
Handling Snow Days
The Ashland Superintendent
of Schools, Jim Adams, in an
email to parents explained his
process for handling snow days,
delayed openings and early dismissals.
He explained that “every
decision made is done so with
keeping our students, faculty and
staff’s safety as the primary component.
This being said, the decision
to cancel, delay or dismiss, is
very much a collaborative effort.”
“When snow or poor weather
is forecast, I will communicate
directly Doug Shaw, our Director
of Public Works; Chief Davis
of the APD [Ashland Police Department];
Chief Boothby of the
AFD [Ashland Fire Department];
Ms. Pat Whitney, Facilities Director
of Ashland Public Schools;
and Ms. Dona Walsh from Connolly
Bus, Adams said. “In addition,
many discussions occur with
superintendents from surrounding
towns. We will not always
get it right (nor do the forecasters),
so in any situation, if you feel
your child is not going to be safe,
please exercise parental discretion
to keep them home. I know
I would with my own children.
“Generally we will make a determination
by 5 a.m., as school
busses need to be canceled, parents
need to find child care, and
television channels need to be
contacted. I encourage families
to always have a back-up plan in
mind, especially with early dismissal.”
Some online services to check
for school closings:
• www.wcvb.com/weather/
closings
• www.whdh.com/category/271838/weatherclosings-delays
• http://boston.cbslocal.
com/closings/
• www.myfoxboston.com/
weather/schoolclosings
• Follow Adams on Twitter
@AshlandClockers.
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Page 22 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
Ashland Community Calendar
First and Third Mondays
9:15 to 11 am: Blood Pressure
check at the Ashland Community
Center. www.ashlandmass.
com/429/Activities
Tuesdays
12 pm to 1 pm: Ashland Business
Builders Weekly Networking
Group, a networking lunch
(bring your own bag lunch),
meets at Fitness Together, 126
Commerce Park Plaza (Past
UPS), 200 Butterfield Dr. RSVP
to Bob Savin, 508-438-0050,
bobsavin@fitnesstogether.com.
Every Fourth Tuesday
7 pm: The Front Street Readers
book discussion group meets
at the Ashland Library. 508-881-
0134. Next meeting: January 31
to discuss South by Ernest Shackleton,
the inspirational survival
story by the famed Antarctic
explorer of his final expedition.
Wednesdays
10 am to 4 pm: Federated
Church Thrift Shop, 118 Main
St. Winter donations are appreciated
and can be dropped off
while the shop is open. 508-881-
1355, www.federatedchurchofashland.org
Thursdays
1 pm: Films are shown at the
Ashland Community-Senior
Center. Refreshments served
at intermission. 508-881-0140,
ext. 1.
Every Second Thursday
11:30 am: Happiness is . .
. hot soup on a cold day. New
this winter season (1/12, 2/9): a
warm bowl of soup for a warm
body and warm conversation.
Cost: $3; register and pay inadvance
at the Ashland Community-Senior
Center.
7 to 9 pm: Ashland Documentary
Film & Discussion
Series, Ashland Library, Community
Room. The January 12
film is called “Under Construction”
from the series Minds of Our
Own. This film series provides
new insights into how children
learn. Sponsored by the Friends
of the Library, www.friendsoftheapl.com,
508-881-0134
Every Second and
Fourth Thursday
1 pm: Caregiver Support
Group at the Ashland Community
Center. For more information,
contact Outreach
Counselor Susan Wells, 508-
881-0140, ext. 7945.
Every Third Thursday
5 to 6 pm: Golden Pond Assisted
Living and Memory Care,
The Lodge, 50 West Main St.,
Hopkinton, hosts an Alzheimer’s
and Dementia Support Group
that focuses on individuals who
care for people in the mid to
late stages of Alzheimer’s and
related dementias. Light refreshments
served. Free and open to
the public. Register by calling
Liz Kemp, LCSW, 508-435-
1250 ext. 29.
Last Thursday of
Each Month
6:30 to 7:30 pm: Library
Teen Advisory Board meets to
discuss programming for young
adults. Teens may earn community
service hours. Ashland
Library, 508-881-0134.
Fridays
10 am: Tai Chi class at The
Residence at Valley Farm, 369
Pond St. Free and open to the
public. RSVP by calling 508-
532-3197.
10:30 to 11:30 am: YMCA
Play, Learn and Grow Group,
ages 5 and under, Ashland Library.
A parent and child group
offered by the Metrowest YMCA
and the Early Childhood Alliance
of Ashland & Framingham.
A structured program to
help prepare children for socialization
and a school experience,
including stories, music, crafts
and sensory exploration.
7 pm: Friends’ Friday Night
Film Series shows predominantly
independent or foreign
films. Many of the films are
shown with subtitles in English.
Ashland Library. www.friendsoftheapl.com,
508-881-0134.
Sunday, January 1
New Year’s Day
1 to 4 pm: Super Bingo at the
Natick Elks Lodge, 95 Speen St.,
hosted by the Ashland Fire Dept.
Association. Doors Open at 11
am. Nine Card minimum for
$30; afterwards, $10 for 3 cards.
Includes all games except the
warm up game. All seats must be
reserved and prepaid. For reservations
and other information,
call Wayne at 508-410-8547.
Monday, January 2
Christmas tree curbside pick up.
Tuesday, January 3
5:30 pm: Ashland Business
Association. Early networking,
5:30 pm; program, 6 pm to 7:30
pm. Ashland Library, Community
Room. The public is invited
to attend. www.ashlandbusinessassociation.com
Thursday, January 5
9 am: Ashland Lions Club
Community Breakfast at the
Ashland Community Center.
Open to all! A full breakfast for
$1 is cooked by the Ashland
Lions. To reserve a space, call
508-881-0140.
Saturday, January 7
9 am to 12 pm: DPW dropoff
recycling day at 20 Ponderosa
Rd.
10 am: Ashland Garden Club
meeting at the Ashland Library,
Cheever Room. Interested residents
are welcome to attend.
3 to 5 pm: Greater Ashland
Lions Meat Shoot at the Ashland
American Legion Hall.
508-875-4513
Monday, January 9
Christmas tree curbside pick up.
Deadline to register for Ashland
Youth Soccer travel players
(grades 4-12). In-town registration
(ages 4-6 years, kindergarten
through grade 3) is open until
Wednesday, March 1. Ashlandyouthsoccer.org,
aysregistrar@
gmail.com
Tuesday, January 10
7 pm: ASHPAC Monthly
Meeting at the Ashland Middle
School Activity Room - All are
welcome!
Saturday, January 14
10 am: The 2016 Massachusetts
Lions Local Club Speech
Competition at the Ashland Library,
Community Room. Sponsored
by the Greater Ashland
Lions and the Ashland Lions.
Sunday, January 15
2 pm: Ashland Historical
Society presents author Dina
Vargo, Wild Women of Boston: Mettle
and Moxie, stories of persevering
women throughout Boston’s
history, at the Ocean House, 2
Myrtle St. Vargo uncovers “an
audacious and determined procession
of reformers, socialites,
criminals and madams [that]
made the city what it is today.”
www.ashlandhistsociety.com
Monday, January 16
Martin Luther King Day
Wednesday, January 18
6:30 to 8 pm: Ashland Preschool
Open House and info
session for September 2017 at
Pittaway School, 75 Central St.
508-881-0160
Thursday, January 19
Ashland PTO Family Art
Night at Mindess School. www.
ashlandpto.com/artnight
Friday, January 20
2 pm: Dolley Madison Remembers:
Pat Perry will bring us
back in time as she interprets the
life of the early First Lady Dolley
Madison. The Residence at
Valley Farm, 369 Pond St. Free
and open to the public. RSVP
by calling 508-532-3197.
Annual Ashland PTO Murder
Mystery Dinner. Includes
buffet dinner and dessert. Purchase
tickets online, www.ashlandpto.com/artnight.
Saturday, January 21
10:30 am: Young Family Program:
Magician from Bonaparte’s
Enterprise, award-winning
family magic presentation, Ashland
Library. Admission is free,
but space is limited. Tickets
available near the Children’s
Room of the library beginning
at 10 am.
12 to 4 pm: Craternoons for
young adults (ages 10-18) at the
Ashland Library. Drop in any
time to make a colorful and
unique bracelet, key-chain, or
zipper-pull.
Monday, January 23
2 pm: Avoiding Fraud and
Scams presented by the Mass
Commission of Consumer Affairs:
Robin Putnam, Research
and Special Projects Manager,
will cover how to prevent scams,
fraud and identity theft. The
Residence at Valley Farm, 369
Pond St. Free and open to the
public. RSVP by calling 508-
532-3197.
Thursday, January 26
6:30 pm: Info night for Incoming
2017-18 kindergarten at
the Warren School.
Friday, January 27
2 pm: Peter Gerler presents
Jazz Talks, Jazz Funny’s. Join us
for this upbeat and entertaining
presentation about Jazz funnies,
including fun clips of Duke Ellington,
Louise Armstrong and
other beloved jazz musicians.
The Residence at Valley Farm,
369 Pond St. Free and open to
the public. RSVP by calling 508-
532-3197.
Saturday, January 28
Chinese New Year
10:30 to 12 pm: Ashland
Farmers Market Annual Meeting
at the Ashland Library,
Community Room. Join us to
assess the past season and help
plan the future season. Volunteers
and ideas welcome! Snow
date: Saturday, February 4. www.
AshlandFarmersMarket.org
Schools
For school programs and
events, visit www.ashlandpto.
com/events.
Town Committees
and Boards
For times and dates of town
committees and board meetings,
visit the town website, www.ashlandmass.com,
and click “Meetings,
Agendas and Minutes.”
Email your event, with
“CALENDAR” in the subject
line, by the 15 th of
every month to editor@
ashlandtownnews.com.
Events will be included as
space permits.

January 2017 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com Page 23
A Room of One’s
Own Adds to
Life Balance
Regardless of whether you
live as a couple or a family with
kids or whether you have an
open floorplan in your home
or not, it is important that
both adults each have a place
within the house, to call their
own. This can be as small as a
quiet corner reading nook or as
large as most of the basement
or garage. Having your own
area where you can relax, unwind
and retreat from the universe
is therapeutic and can be
key to a balanced and happy
lifestyle.
But first, make sure the
main living areas of the house
are set up to accommodate
the family, so your individual
spaces remain your own.
Next, each space can be
decorated the way each of
you wants – nobody else can
dictate what you put into your
space and you can set it up how
your heart desires! If your personal
space is a small area that
requires delineation, a portable
screen should just do the
trick. You’ll want a comfy sofa
or oversized chair with ottoman,
maybe a library of good
books, a TV or both, plenty of
pillows, throws, some lamps
and your own personal inspiration
on the walls! Of course,
the style and subject matter will
differ between the man cave
and the woman cave, but these
will be the essential elements of
the room in both cases! Anytime
you can incorporate a
fireplace, take advantage of
that opportunity too! The idea
is complete relaxation!
If you want to take it a step
further, you can incorporate
creative materials, a table with
a good chair, storage for supplies
and good task lighting.
Now you’ve got a private sanctuary
and hobby/craft space
combined!
The only rules for creating
your private sanctuary space
are – there are no rules! Just
make sure it’s comfortable. If
you have any trouble creating
a cozy, comfortable, inviting
space, simply search for inspiration
on design websites and/
or sites related to your interest
or theme for the room. If this is
Nancy Werneken
Lead Designer at
Masters Touch Design Build
a challenge to you, hire a professional
interior designer and
you’ll end up with a space that
will be the envy of your family
and friends. Enjoy!
Nancy Werneken is a lead
designer at Masters Touch, a
local design build firm located
at 24 Water St., Holliston.
For more information contact
(508) 359-5900, e-mail info@
MastersTouchWeb.com or visit
www.MastersTouchWeb.com.
What a Difference
a Year Makes!
For the Keenans, 2017 brings a lighter, healthier time!
When you find something that works, what
do you do? You tell your friends and family, of
course! That is exactly what 46 year-old Paul
Keenan did after his successful experience with
New England Fat Loss (NEFL). Just a year ago,
Keenan suffered a blood clot in his lung which he
was told was caused by excess fat from his stomach.
After blood thinner treatments, he knew
he had to drastically shed weight from his 341-
pound frame. A friend told him about the NEFL
program, and a year later, Keenan is happily 100
pounds lighter, and consequently, healthier!
“I had done other diet stuff, lost weight, and
it came back,” Keenan said. “I knew I had to do
something. I went in to see what it was all about.”
Keenan learned that NEFL loss is a very different
program from traditional diets. It is catered
specifically to an individual’s personal makeup
and body chemistry, and results are delivered almost
immediately.
“It’s really motivating when you see a pound
come off a day,” Keenan said. “I really liked the
science behind the system. It got to the core of
the problem. I was skeptical, but lost 40 pounds
in 40 days!”
The next step was sharing this exciting information
with his family. A few months after joining
the program, his father, mother, and two sisters
enrolled in NEFL, and each saw positive results.
By later in the year, the four Keenans happily sat
down this past Thanksgiving table substantially
lighter and healthier.
“My Dad also had a blood clot and was
on blood pressure medication and has lost 37
pounds,” Keenan said. “My Mom lost 30 pounds
initially and is still losing weight; she is killing it!
She is under 200 pounds for the first time in 30
years, and I am wicked proud of her. My sister
lost about 25 pounds, and my other sister ended
up losing about 20 pounds.”
Keenan is currently on the maintenance leg
of the NEFL program and now feels armed with
the knowledge to sustain that weight loss with his
personal information on what foods will fuel his
energy levels and burn fat. For Keenan and the
rest of his family, losing weight was not only a
family affair, but possibly a life saving journey.
“I can honestly say NEFL saved my life,”
Keenan said. The next one could have been a
heart attack or a stroke. I think everybody should
do this. Mission accomplished!”
New England Fat Loss is located at 22 South
Street, Suite 204, in Hopkinton, 276 Turnpike
Road, Suite 200 in Westborough and at 188
Needham Street, Suite 255 in Newton. To learn
more, call 1-844-437-8446 or visit www.newenglandfatloss.com.
To schedule a FREE consultation
with New England Fat Loss book online at
www.newenglandfatloss.com.
Timothy Daniels House
Getting back to your active life is your goal and ours too. Here at the Timothy Daniels House we are
professionally staffed and equipped to provide you with exceptional medical & rehabilitation therapy
between hospital & home.
♦ On Call Physicians ♦ In House Physical Therapists ♦ Alzheimer’s Support
♦ 24 Hr Nursing ♦ Short Term Rehab Stays ♦ Hospice Sevices
(508) 429-4566
84 Elm Street, Holliston, MA
www.rehabassociates.com/timothydaniels

Page 24 Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com January 2017
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