First Congregational Church Fair is July 8
A reward of a free barbecue dinner is offered to
anyone giving information that leads to the return of our lost sheep. The sheep
was placed out to pasture on the common feeding grounds of old in front of the
Royalston Town Hall on Saturday afternoon, June 17th, and disappeared
before the rising of the sun on Sunday morning. Betty Woodbury and Jan St. Jean
are especially bemoaning its loss since they spent many hours completely
repainting and relettering the three survivors of the original six sheep.
Anyone who takes delights in pranks is invited to channel his/her energies in
throwing pies at the pastor in broad daylight from 10:00-11:00 am on July 8th,
then you can even dunk her in the dunking tank. Pastor Ginger is willing to
cheerfully submit herself to such treatment because the proceeds are going to a
good cause. The 150th anniversary of the present church building (the fourth in
its history) is coming up in 2002. The sanctuary has not been painted since the
100th anniversary. The goal is to have this complete for the upcoming
celebrations. All proceeds from the fair will go towards task.
The Fair features live entertainment throughout the day:
9:15 am David Aho, 11:00 am Jumptown Twirlers, 12:00 noon Unity, 1:15 pm "In the Vine," 2:15 pm Unity.
Listen to Gospel music as you browse at the various craft tables.
Plan to make it a day from breakfast to dinner:
Second Congregational Church Pancake Breakfast: 7:00-10:00 am
Concessions (Hot dogs, Hamburgers, etc): 10:00 am-3:00 pm
Chicken Barbecue: 3:00 pm
Activities, with chairmen, include:
Cotton Candy and Popcorn: Shirley & David Putney
Face Painting: Karen & Gene Kolimaga
Concessions: John Charles Scribner Family, Betty Woodbury
Chicken Barbecue: Wayne Newton
Baked Goods Table: Louise Clement, Maxine Wilcox, Eldora Bowers. Special
advance thanks to all members of the community who will donate baked goods.
Chinese Auction: Jane & Ron Cherichetti
Children's Games: Jan St.Jean
Wagon Rides: John Divoll
Church Attic Treasurers & Bookstore: Dot & Harry Temple
Fresh fried donuts: Helen Divoll
Farm Animals (thanks to the Divoll’s, and Kate & George)
Hope to see you there!
Village School Summer Programs
These Summer Programs are held at The Village School, which is currently housed in the old Raymond School building, just off the Common in Royalston. There are still some spaces left in the following sessions:
N
ature Arts & Exploration, Ages 4-11. $60/session.Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Session 2: July 10, 11 & 13
Session 3: July 24, 25 & 27
Wednesday Mornings in the Garden. Grades 2-6. $40/session
Wednesdays, 9:00 am-12:00 noon
Session 1: June 28, July 5, 12, 19
Session 2: July 26, Aug 2, 9, 16
More information and registration forms are available at the Village School. Call for more information, 249-3505.
Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School will be held 9:00 am to 12:00 noon on August 7-11 at the Second Congregational Church in South Royalston. The theme of the life of Joseph will be explored in various ways: stories, crafts, dramatizations, and videos. There will be times of recreation, refreshments and daily prizes for memory verses. A hands on object lesson course will be set up behind the church on Friday for the grand finale. The children will move from scene to scene as Joseph. Closing exercises will be held at 6:30 pm on Friday evening with the public warmly invited. Kelly Spear wrote to a friend, " Your children will have an AWESOME time and also will learn, it is free too...... As a matter of fact mine went last year and CAN'T wait till this year's. All are welcome." For more information call Kelly at 575-0399
Customer Service Workshops
Three workshops focusing on customer service issues, will be
offered at the Athol Public Library this summer:
July 12, 7:00 pm "Keeping the Customer Happy for a Lifetime" is for
businesses.
July 26, 7:00 pm "Getting Their Attention" is for the customer and
focused on how to get complaints handled efficiently and satisfactorily.
August 16, 7:00 pm "Marketing 101 for the 21st Century" for business
and non-profits. It spells out how to showcase your business to get that
competitive edge.
All are led by Lawrence Blakley who has a Masters in Business Administration and
many years experience in advertising and customer service. They are funded by an
LSTA grant and are free to the public.
Group Bulb Order To Be Placed
The Friends of the Library will be doing another daffodil planting around town this fall. We will be ordering bulbs in bulk from Fedco Bulbs this summer, and can get a larger discount the more we buy. If any person or group would like to place an order for daffodils or any bulbs with us please contact Maureen at 249-5138. A copy of the Fedco catalog will be available at the Library. The deadline to order will be the end of August.
It was recommended by the Finance Board and voted by the Selectboard on Tuesday, 20 June, to present a Prop 2˝ Ballot question to the voters. The Ballot vote will be conducted August 3rd.
The Town will be asked to be support a Levy Limit Override, of an additional $212,624. The figure will add approximately 3.4 dollars/$1000 to the current tax rate. The amount is needed to fully fund the annual budget. The breakdown is as follows: Highway Snow and Ice Account ($85,000), Dispatch Fire/Police ($23,000), Fire Department ($28,850), Board of Health Department ($21,300), Insurance Account ($26,000), and Police Department ($28,474). This represents all but $10,000 of the snow and ice estimate and half of the other accounts.
There will be two information sessions concerning the need for the Prop 2˝ Override on Wednesday, 26 July, at the Town Hall at 7 PM and on Saturday, 29 July at the Town Hall at 1 PM. Concerned citizens are urged to attend, but please leave the tomatoes at home!
This has been a difficult decision on the part of the Finance Committee and we urge everyone to keep an open mind when they come to the discussions. The meetings will open with a presentation from the Finance Board followed by an informal question and answer session.
This year’s shortfall was not totally unexpected based on the historical trend of the Town’s Finances. Proposition 2˝ passed in 1980, was an excellent tool to keep spending under control. The 2˝% rate of change allowed in the last 20 years totals an overall rise in the tax base of 50% over this period. The Consumer Price Index, a conservative benchmark, has gone up 80.5% over this period. For 17 of the last 20 years the CPI has been over the 2˝percent allowed. Wages have gone up over 300%, fuel and other expenses nearly 400%. Large expenses such as capping the town landfill and a tanker for the fire department, added to the deficit and have depleted the stabilization fund. Although part of the Prop 2˝ impact was offset by rising property values and additional state aid, the tax base represents 46% of the town’s budget and the delta between inflation and the 2˝ percent continues to widen.
Failure to pass the override will result in severe cuts to our infrastructure. Roads, snow and ice and essential services will be impacted. Buildings and equipment not maintained will eventually catch up with us and cost even more to correct.
Although we fully understand that this will be a further economical burden to our needy friends, relatives and neighbors, we believe the consequences of not passing an override at this time will be even more undesirable.
We encourage you to attend the info sessions and seek any further information to fully understand this important matter.
Ed Wheeler, Chairman, Finance Board.
What’s Up With the Cell Phone Tower?
Is a 190-foot cellular phone tower going to be built on Taft Hill Road?
Ashburnham, Athol, and Winchendon are all involved in disputes
around the issues of putting up these towers and Royalston appears to be next.
Cellular phone reception requires a grid of equipment placed every 16 miles so
that cell phones are not more than 8 miles from a tower. There are more than
74,000 stations in the United States already. The closest towers to Royalston
now are on Bearsden Road in Athol and at Murdock Farm in Winchendon.
Telecommunications companies are interested in putting a tower here. Last year,
a company approached the Planning Board about building a cellular phone relay
tower on Bliss Hill Rd and another company looked into the Camp Caravan site.
Recently, a request for a building permit for a tower on Taft Hill Rd from SBA
Communications was made. It was turned down by the building inspector for zoning
reasons. The next step is for this company to file for a variance with the
Zoning Board of Appeals which must then hold a public meeting on the issue
within 45 days before deciding whether to grant the variance necessary for
construction. If the Zoning Board of Appeals does not make a ruling within 90
days, SBA Communications would be allowed to build the tower.
The public meeting with the Z.B.A. will be a chance to clarify the pros and cons
of cell phone towers. Better cellular phone reception, some tax revenue to the
town, and rental income to the land owners are some of the benefits.
Disadvantages may include changing views that effect the character of town,
declining abutting property values, and setting a precedent which allows for the
construction of more similar structures. Cell phone towers create more of the
low level electromagnetic radiation that is already
omnipresent in our environment from radio towers, TV
rabbit ears, and microwaves, but the FCC and major health organizations do not
consider chronic exposure a risk. SBA Communications has rescheduled a
"Balloon Test" to July 7 from 4:00-7:00 pm. The 4' red balloon that
will be flown 190' at the proposed site is intended as an opportunity to shoot
photos which can be brought to the public meeting as evidence of the aesthetic
effect of a tower.
Is a tower somewhere in town inevitable? The Federal
Telecommunications Act of 1996 states that town and state agencies cannot
prohibit public utilities from being sited in a town but that a town can
influence height and location of a tower. However, there is some question
whether SBA Communications qualifies as a public utility as they are only going
to build the tower and then rent the space to other cell phone companies. The
Zoning Board of appeals and the Planning Board will have to consider this.
Finally, because the town currently has only vague or nonexistent laws related
to the placement and construction of telecommunications towers in its zoning
by-law, the Planning Board is proposing a six-month moratorium on issuance of
new permits in order to allow the town an opportunity to adopt appropriate rules
governing this activity. This moratorium will be discussed at a public meeting
on July 18 at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall. Afterwards, the planning board will
study regulations used in other towns and hold another public meeting before
proposing an amendment to the Royalston by-laws which addresses local safety and
land use issues. The town will be asked to adopt this amendment at a Special
Town Meeting and then consider a new by-law to address the
question of regulation.
Memorial Day Resource List
bputney@crystal-mtn.com
Thank you to residents and friends of Royalston who attended the town's Memorial
Day observance in May. A special thank you to parade marshal Ralph Kirkman,
guest speaker Peggy Langlois, The Rev. Virginia E. Asel of the First and Second
Congregational Churches, Robert Dio of Our Lady Queen of Heaven and his many
parishioners who served a wonderful luncheon for parade participants, and to
Pete and Henry's who contributed ice to cool beverages after the exercises.
Thank you to the American Legion and participants from the Ladies' Auxiliary,
AmVets, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Vietnam Veterans of America and Disabled
American Veterans. We are indebted for your service to our country and thankful
you're willing to help us remember and honor those who made the ultimate
sacrifice. Thanks, also, to Vieno Sinivuori for placing a wreath on the School
House Marker just north of The Park.
T
he Memorial Day committee is embarking on a long-term project to identify all veteran's graves and, where necessary add or replace damaged markers. If you know of a veteran's grave that is not identified with a special marker or if you know of a damaged marker, please let us know. Once we have verified their service in the military through legal or historical documents, we will see their grave is properly marked and recorded.
The Committee is also trying to develop a list of residents who are
veterans and a list of potential marshals and guest speakers. If you, your
relatives, neighbors or friends from Royalston or with some connection to
Royalston would be a good addition to our list, please contact Brenda L. Putney
at 249-7787.
New Old Paint Shed
The town of Royalston now has a used paint collection program open to all residents. It is located at the Recycling Center during regular hours: Fridays 1:00-4:00 pm and Saturdays 8:00 am-2:00 pm. Residents can drop off or pick up from the "as is" shelf:
- up to 10 gallons of interior and exterior latex paint or tubes
- up to 5 gal. interior or exterior oil based alkyd paint or tubes (label if lead based)
- up to 5 gal. of stains, varnish, lacquer, polyurethane (no mixing, no creosote, wood preservative or bleach)
- up to 5 gal. of paint thinners, strippers, removers,
linseed oil,
turps (no mixing)
Cost: $1 per gallon container. Please keep in original
container, tightly sealed, in a carton or box. Label contents if label is
illegible. For more information call 249-3617.
"Preserving Royalston's Records"
Your "Preserving Royalston's Records" team has
several matters to report. First, we enjoyed an excellent preservation workshop
at the Town Hall on June 21st led by Karen Brown of the Northeast Documentary
Conservation Center. Fifteen local folk attended for an information-packed
six-hour immersion in preservation basics and the components of good storage and
handling environments for old records, with emphasis on the environmental,
biological, and mechanical problems that communities face in caring for
these valuable treasures.
Archivist Beth Patkus has just submitted her completed survey of Royalston's
historical records. This collections inventory database now gives the town a
record of what historic documents it possesses, and the condition those records
are in. Her conclusions and recommendations provide a basis for future planning
and action regarding proper storage and management of our town's records. There’s
a lot to absorb here that will take time and careful
planning, but now there is a base for beginning.
Save the date of Thursday, September 21st. That evening the "Preserving
Royalston's Records" project plans a public exhibit at Town Hall of some of
our community's most interesting records. It will be an opportunity to peek into
some of those seven big, beautiful long-unopened town safes to see what's
inside. The evening will also feature a talk by the archivist Beth Patkus about
Royalston's documentary heritage - what we have, how we should
protect it - and about the importance of preserving historic documents, public
and private. Mark your calendars now, and plan to be at this signal event.
Polly Longsworth, Project Director
Royalston Police Department News
Latch Key Kids - Home Alone
Because of the complex world we live in, and the cost of living, many parents both single and married, work long hours to make ends meet. As a result of this, many children are left at home alone during the summer and after school hours. This, more often than not, is a way of life. Parents do what they can to protect their children in all situations as best they can. I recommend parents have plan in place with their children in the event of an emergency. Below is a recommendation of things to do.
- Make sure your children know how to dial 911 and under what circumstances this should be done.
- Have an agreement with your children as to which neighbor's house they are to go to in the event of an emergency in your home, i.e., fire, someone breaking in.
- Make a list of their friends names, address and phone numbers. Several times a year we are called when a parent returns from work and cannot locate their child. The majority of these events result in the child having gone to visit a friend without permission and has lost track of time.
The above is just a guideline and I encourage parents to add to this list. If a parent wishes, the police department will retain a copy of a parent’s confidential list in the event of an emergency response to their residence while they are at work. This will provide us with the necessary information to contact the parent or locate the child as quickly as possible. For further information, please contact the police department at 249-5838.
Civilian Police Academy
The police department will be sponsoring a civilian police academy for any resident with an interest in police procedures. The academy will run from the second week in September for six weeks on Wednesday evenings for approximately one and a half hours each night. Applicants will be required to complete an application for enrollment. All individuals that expressed an interest last fall in attending an academy will have preference. There will be a maximum of 20 participants; this will allow for more instructor interaction in the classroom and on the firearms range. Interested applicants can contact the police station at 249-5838 and leave your name, number and message. You may also stop by the office on Monday evenings between 6:30 -8:30 pm.
Curtis Deveneau, Chief
Royalston Academy Annual Meeting
JoAnn Deacon, a teacher at the Royalston Community School, presented the board with proposals for cultural programs for the 2000-2001 school year. The Board approved funding for 3 of the programs: a 10 week workshop and production program by Gail Steele, Artistic Director of Theater at the Mount-Mt. Wachusett Community College; workshops and a production by Diane
Edgecomb, Storyteller; and a presentation by the Bamidele Dancers, an African dance troupe.
Beth Gospodarek, representing the Phinehas S. Newton Library, presented the Summer Reading Program 2000, entitled Open Books-Open Frontiers. The Board approved funding for the summer reading programs at the library.
Funding for the Community School and Library totaled $4,540.00. $4,045.00 came from the Royalston Academy Fund and $495.00 came from the Judy Jenkins Musco Fund.
The Scholarship Committee recommended Catherine Drouin for the $500 Catherine Cole Memorial Scholarship. The Trustees approved this recommendation. The Trustees also approved $250 from the Catherine Cole Memorial Fund for poetry programs at the Community School.
For information about Royalston Academy contact Alan Bowers or pick up a free brochure at the P.S. Newton Library.
www.royalston.com
Those with internet access can get town information from www. Royalston.com. It is a private website put together by Ed Wheeler. The information in this Newsletter (plus archived copies of past editions), updated town and school news, photos of town scenery and events, and local weather forecasts can be found there. There is currently a great selection of photographs from the RCS Spring Concert. Also, photos of animals that can be adopted are in the new Pound News section. Submissions to the website are very welcome.
Purchasing software and maintaining the site is expensive, so sponsors are sought. A box ad can be purchased at a rate of $5.00/month . A web page can be designed for you for $45.00. Your web page plus a box ad and a rotating banner ad on the main page is $15.00 month. See the website for details or contact nfp@crystal-mtn.com to arrange an ad.
Fireflies are out now. The magic and beauty of their flashes are
actually mating signals. Males flash in the air and females signal on the ground up to 10 times before approaching each other to mate. It is a tricky business, however, as several species of fireflies are found in the same location and some eat the others. The females of some species will even mimic the flash patterns of another species to lure males in for supper. Before a firefly is mature enough to flash, it spends two summers as a carnivorous larvae which eats grubs, earthworms, and slugs and burrows deep into the soil to overwinter. At the end of the second winter, it emerges, pupates for 10 days, signals, mates once, lays up to 100 eggs, and dies shortly thereafter. Although the chemical components of the flash are all known, scientists have been unable to replicate the firefly's beacon, which gives off 99% light and only 1% heat. One hypothesis is that fireflies first appeared at a time there was little free oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere. When oxygen became available, it may have been toxic, but some adapted by developing bioluminescence as a way to consume the excess oxygen.
White Tail Deer may look as though there are scraps of shaggy cloth stuck on their antlers in August. Male deer grow a new and bigger set of antlers each year. The antlers begin to grow in the spring covered by a "velvet" of nourishing blood vessels. By late summer, the antlers have stopped growing and the velvet begins to fall off giving them a shaggy appearance. The antlers themselves will fall of in the fall. It is surprisingly difficult to find discarded antlers because they are a favorite and particularly nourishing food for mice and other small rodents.
Bruce Robinson saw a bear on Stone Road and Ruth Suyenaga saw a baby moose near her home. The Royalston Community Newsletter would like to start a monthly list of interesting wildlife sitings. Please call Maureen Blasco at 249-5138 with all cool flora, fauna, and natural phenomena. Tell the date and location, too.
Local Fresh Produce
The search for perfect sweet corn will be here soon. Neale Farm has been offering fine locally grown Royalston corn for generations. Expect it to come in mid-August. The farm stand will also be selling peaches, blueberries, tomatoes, and apples this summer. If the sign is up out front, the stand is open. Located on the old roads to New Boston, the farm is out of the way since the construction of Birch Hill Dam. However, many people make the effort to find the fresh produce available at 1 Neale Road by turning up River Road in South Royalston or coming down Norcross Rd off Winchendon Road. Exceptional corn can also be found at the Four Corners Store in Richmond at the junctions of Routes 32 and 119. Pick up some of their BBQ ribs at the same time for an excellent summertime supper.
Royalston Community Food Co-op
mcbarclay@juno.com
The Co-op now stands at 12 member families. Original members have received catalogues and newer members may order with extra catalogues. The deadline for the first order is Friday, June 30. Due to vacations of co-op organizers, no produce is being ordered this cycle; all other categories are acceptable. Orders can be sent any time before July to the above e-ddress or in hard copy to Mary Barclay. Delivery is expected Friday, July 7. Members will be called with more specific information.
Coddings Meadow, By Foot or Canoe
Many people visit the dramatic gorge at Doane's Falls every year. Yet few venture across the street to an area known as Coddings Meadow, which is also administered by the Trustees of the Reservation. Following Lawrence Brook north a pathway leads to a meadow overlooking a stunning view of the brook. Wild laurel and rhododendron can be found along the pathway.
Coddings Meadow can also be reached by canoe. If you begin where Lawrence Brook crosses Rte. 68 you will find a couple of beaver dams. Soon though you are past them and the brook is deep and usually between 10 and 20 feet wide. The ride to Coddings takes 1-2 hours. When the Lawrence Brook fans out into a big marshy area, Coddings Meadow is at the top of the nearby hill. If you canoe farther, at some point you will hit too many rocks. By that time you aren't too far from the road, so it will be easy to carry your canoe. A five minute walk gets you to the Athol/Royalston Road, near Doane’s Falls. Beauty is all around us in Royalston, and Coddings Meadow is another great place to spend the afternoon.
Athol Area YMCA
249-3305
- Session II of summer swim lessons starts July 10. Sign up now.
- Yoga on Thursdays, 7:00-8:30 pm with instructor Bonnie Waker. Drop-ins are very welcome at $10/session.
- Open Swim (open to public) Mon/Wed/Fri, 1:00-2:00 pm.
- Pool closed for maintenance August 19 to Labor Day.
Clark Memorial Community Center
(978) 297-0869 or www.theclark.com
Summer day and sports camps begin from 9:00 am-12:30 pm and 1:00-4:00 pm at The Clark on July 10. Camps are ($55)$45 each for (non)members. Sports available include basketball, cheerleading, soccer, both competitive and recreational gymnastics, dance and baseball. Special summer membership rates are available for teen and adult fitness classes. Several adult sports programs are also open. Call for details.
Monty Tech News
1-800-853-6689 - www.mtech.mec.edu
Congratulations to Royalston's third semester honor students
at Monty Tech. Karylan Frazier received honors and Crystal Cormier, Apryl
Suchocki and Gina Verrelli all received high honors.
Monty Tech is adding a brand new "Masonry" program to their offerings.
A. Jandris and Sons, Inc., a member of the New England Concrete and Masonry
Association and a leader in the industry, was the moving force behind this
program. Dana Morse of Jandris and Sons reports there is a severe shortage of
trained masons. He stated the situation presents a "...big opportunity for
Monty Tech to become part of this trade" and further announced the company
is willing to help the school construct a facility, design and program and
mentor the students. Needs assessment hurdles have been cleared and final
approval for the program as a Chapter 74 vocational-technical program should
come from the Department of Education in time to get the program up and running
for September, 2001.
Sponsors from the business and industry sector and golfers are
needed for Monty Tech's sixth annual Benefit Golf Tournament, slated for
Thursday, September 21, 2000 at the Westminster Country Club. The past five have
brought in close to $44,000. For a brochure with details for sponsors and
golfers, contact Mr. Richard Horgan at extension 5213.
From the Home School Desk
mcbarclay@juno.com
Nearly every home schooling parent has heard some blunt
variation of the following: "Aren't you afraid you child won't be
properly socialized?"
The majority of parents accepting the commitment to home school take great
pains to see their children have opportunities for social interaction both
within the family and with outside groups.
Home schoolers between ages five and pre-teen years are found in various levels
of Boy and Girl Scouting right in Royalston and in units for older Scouts in
abutting towns. Teens are enthusiastically welcomed into the Royalston Grange,
the Ladies' Benevolent, and the Royalston Junior Fire Department. The Catholic
and Congregational churches in Royalston provide Sunday School, Bible study
groups, choirs and volunteer jobs.
Home schooled children are frequently seen at the Phinehas S. Newton Library,
which offers and impressive selection of fun and educational classes for
children, hanging with the Teen Group in town and at the Historical Society's
Museum. We are ringed by the Petersham Craft Center, Fitchburg Art Museum,
Diamond T Art Gallery, Orange Historical Society, Athol YMCA and Clark Memorial
Recreation Center. Programs are provided at Tully Lake in town and many State
and Federal parks in the region. You'll find homeschoolers at each of those
places.
Homeschoolers are also in traditional schools. Royalston teachers have a long
history of inviting homeschoolers on field trips, to participate in academic and
extracurricular events and even as program presenters in the classroom.
Athol-Royalston Regional School District's Assistant Superintendent Dr. Coral
Grout actively encourages homeschool children to visit public school events. The
Village School, an independent school in Royalston center has had homeschool
students as volunteers and offers many programs for all area children.
The process of socialization (the ability to interact with others)
begins at home with a child's first teachers - his or her parents.
Well-behaved, kind and considerate children are welcome in any group and, by
virtue of that acceptance, are seen as "properly socialized." Proper
(or improper!) socialization is more an issue of parenting than of the building
in which a student takes classes.
Where All the Children Are
Above Average
Congratulations, RCS honor students: Receiving high honors (all A's) were David Coflesky and Cotey Basso in grade six; Ashley Bergquist, Brett Jeffery and Heather Lively in grade five and Daniel Seco in grade four. Honors (all A's and B's) recipients were Kenji Shoul, Ben Otto, Christopher James and Ashley Coulombe in grade six; Michelle McCaisse, Jessica Putney, Justin Short and Daniel Vaccari in grade five, and Dana Griffith, Rhetta Guimond, Mieka Melbourne and Phillip Trask in grade four.
Congrats to our Athol-Royalston Regional spelling bee champs.
Royalston's own Cotey Basso took first place in grade six, Heather Lively took
third in grade five and Andrew Martioski took second in grade four.
Nathan Melbourne is one of three Athol Middle School Students to have his work
published by the Western Massachusetts Writing Project. He received the
publication of student works in June, which included his poem, "The Other
Side."
… And Very Well Traveled
Caitlin Joy Barclay has returned from "Summer Splash" marine biology camp at SeaWorld in Orlando, FL. She was among the first to swim with dolphins at Discovery Cove, open to the public this month. While in camp, her sister Heather Dawn and parents visited the sites in Orlando….
RCS Poetry Club
Winners from this year's Massachusetts Science Poetry Contest
sponsored by Boston College:
Grade 1 Most Humorous Science Poem: 1st place
Ocean
Being under the world
some fish are weird
and some are just plain.Some fish are in France
and some are in Maine.
But that does not matter,
I like them all the same. Cady Boucher
Grade 3 Most Original Science Poem: 3rd place
I'm Blooming
Oh, great, I'm so happy,
I'm singing a tune.
I'm finally, finally, going to bloom.
I've waited so long,
Months and days,
Now, I know how much time pays.
All of the flowers around and about
They haven't even started to sprout.
For once, I'm the first.
But, I'm dying of thirst.
Uh-oh, there I go.
I just died. Alexandra Krasowski
Grade 3 Most Humorous Science Poem: 3rd Place
World Atlas
My world atlas almost sticks out.
Its binding is bright red and green
sprinkled about.
Its green and blue Earth smack dab in the middle.
Sometimes I feel like I'm whirling about.
Around and around it goes. Natalie Whitcomb
Brighenti, Stephanie Coulombe (poem not available)
And one more from the RCS Club:
Solar System
Mars is red.
If you were on the sun,
you would be dead.
Neptune is blue.
If you were on Pluto,
you would have the flu. by Dana Griffith, Grade 4
ROYALSTON RECIPES
What to do with All Those Tomatoes in the Garden
After the ambrosia of that first garden tomato, there a comes a point where
tomatoes start coming too fast and furiously to be properly appreciated. Canning
is one solution, but an excellent solution for the surplus is the following
recipe for pasta with an uncooked tomato sauce. It is quick, easy, and
rewarding. You'll need some fresh basil, but if planted now, it should be ready
by the heat of tomato season.
Pasta with Uncooked Tomato Sauce
(4 servings)
2 lb. medium to large ripe tomatoes ( 3-6 tomatoes depending on size)
2 peeled cloves of garlic
1 cup fresh basil leaves (mint, cilantro, or combinations are also
possibilities)
˝ cup good olive oil
12 oz thin pasta
2 or 3 oz grated parmesan cheese (feta works well too)
Cut the tomatoes along the equator and gently squeeze out seeds and gel. Chop
the tomatoes very fine and place in a bowl. Add garlic that has been crushed and
chopped into small pieces. Cut the basil into strips and toss with tomatoes and
garlic. Add the olive oil and toss again. Let the mixture rest in a cool spot,
but not the refrigerator, for an hour or two. Cook the pasta and drain it. Add
the hot pasta to the sauce, toss together, and season with salt and pepper.
Scatter
cheese and serve immediately.
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Classifieds: Help Wanted, Babysitting, Yard Work, Items for Sale, Personals, etc. No businesses please. |
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Will pay cash $$ for old Royalston postcards for a private collection and for the Historical Society collection. John McClure 249-8675. |
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Babysitter Available. 15 year old high school student, available most nights and weekends. Enjoys children! References available. Reasonable rates. Please call Nicola Bolduc at 249-4038. |
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Lost, somewhere around the common or town hall. Large white canvas bag with navy handles and key chain attached. If found please return to Library. Huge reward. |
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Place your ad here and reach all of Royalston and beyond. Free for the time being! 5-line maximum. Deadline is 20th of month for the next issue. |
A Get Well Card to
Arline Vining
Postmistress of Royalston
We wish you a speedy recovery.
Your patrons/friends miss you and promise we’ll pick up our mail (almost) every day if you come back soon!