A STURBRIDGE TIMESBeyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape By Jenna...

STURBRIDGETIMESMAGAZINE

APRIL, 2014THE

THE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE COUNTRY LIVING

3THE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE COUNTRY LIVING THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE

STURBRIDGETIMESMAGAZINE

THE

THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE is published 11 times a year, with no January issue, in Sturbridge, Massachusetts by Carr, Quinn& Small, Inc. We accept photos, opinions, short articles, stories, poems and drawings from the general public, but assume no responsibilityfor failure to publish a submission or for typographic errors published or incorrect placement. The contents of this magazine consist of copy-rightable material and cannot be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the author and the publishers of The SturbridgeTimes Magazine. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising for any reason. We reserve the right to require editing to any advertising that isaccepted for publication. Opinion printed herein report views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of themagazine, its publisher, or Carr, Quinn & Small, Inc. We invite varying opinions and information from our writers and readers, wishing toprovide a public forum for well-tempered, well-reasoned thoughts, ideas and opinion.ADVERTISING DEADLINE: Camera ready: the 20th of each month prior to publication. The 17th of the month for Nov. and Dec.ADVERTISING OFFICE: 508-347-7077 ext. 2 (Karen Rothweiler, Ad Director).EDITORIAL DEADLINE: The 21st of each month prior to publication.

DELIVERED INTO EVERY HOME AND BUSINESS AND POST OFFICE BOXES IN STURBRIDGE, AND TO SELECTED HOMES IN BRIMFIELD, BROOKFIELD, CHARLTON, EAST BROOKFIELD, HOLLAND, NORTH BROOKFIELD, WALES, WEST BROOKFIELD, SOUTHBRIDGE, SPENCER. ALSO MAILED TO INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES ELSEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES. AND TO MEN AND WOMEN OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES WHO ARE SERVING OUR COUNTRYIN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD.

THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE | CARR, QUINN & SMALL, INC.P.O. BOX 418, STURBRIDGE, MA 01566 TEL. 508-347-7077 FAX 508-347-8150 STURBRIDGETIMES.COM CQSMEDIA.COM

© 2013 BY CARR, QUINN & SMALL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3

APRIL 2014STURBRIDGECOUNTRYLIVING

PUBLISHER & EDITOR.......................PAUL CARRMANAGING EDITOR ..........................JOHN SMALLSTORY EDITOR .................................STEPHANIE RICHARDS

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR...................KAREN ROTHWEILER

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION..............TERRI RACCA

WRITERS ..........................................LISA BOULEY.......................................................THOMAS CHAMBERLAND.......................................................MATT COLE.......................................................JOHN FEARING.......................................................ROBERT GEORGE, ESQ.......................................................RICHARD MCGRATH.......................................................KATHY MENARD.......................................................RICHARD MORCHOE.......................................................STEPHANIE RICHARDS.......................................................G.E. SHUMAN

Annual Subscription RateIf you live outside Sturbridge and Sturbridge Times Mag-azine is not mailed to your home, you may subscribe atour annual rate of $29.00. Checks must indicate “An-nual Subscription” on the detail and be made payableto Carr, Quinn & Small, Inc. and forwarded to: Stur-bridge Times, P.O. Box 418, Sturbridge, MA 01566.

4 THE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE COUNTRY LIVINGTHE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE

What we can do to counter the effects of April holiday eating

HEALTH&NUTRITION

By Lisa Bouley, MSSturbridge Times Magazine Nutritionist

April is abundant with holidays.Easter, Passover and Earth Day all fallwithin days of one another. Each spe-cial day is surrounded by great signifi-cance and meaning. This year, as youcontemplate the meaning of each holi-day and its significance in your own life,consider looking deeper and taking themessage and symbolism of the holidaydeeper, to your plate, and ultimatelyyour life.

Easter overflows with symbols ofnew life and renewal. From eggs andnew born chicks to Easter Lilies, Easteris about rebirth and resurrection.There is no better time than now tolook to put new life into your diet and

eating. Allow yourself to look carefullyat your food consumption and assesshow you feel. Do you feel energizedafter a meal? Are your thoughts clearand your brain quick? If you are notclear headed and light footed after eat-ing, it is quite likely you are not makingthe best choices for your body. Takethis time to allow yourself to inventorywhat you are eating. Read labels ofprocessed foods and notice theamount of sweeteners, salt, and oilsthat are added. Consider committingto purchase healthier versions of yourfavorite foods. Visit a natural foodstore or the natural section of yourlocal grocery. Consider buying more

whole foods and eliminating someprocessed items. Know that any andevery step you make toward eating morenatural and whole is a step in the rightdirection. You don’t have to changeovernight. However, becoming moreaware of how food affects you is ulti-mately the beginning of a process that al-lows you to start changing your dietaryhabits, to obtain optimal results for bothmind and body.

Passover is a holiday that focuses onan enslaved people escaping fro mtyranny and fleeing to freedom. Al-though we may not have direct experiencewith slavery, when we hear the story ofPassover, most, if not all of us, can relateto the feelings of being enslaved and ulti-mately seeking and obtaining freedom.However, interestingly, most of us areslaves to our taste buds, some to massmarketing, and others to the addictivesubstances in food.

Our taste buds have the ability tokeep us safe, in the wild. Often times,poisonous or plants not meant for con-sumption taste bitter and unpleasant.Likely, this kept our ancestors safe.However, nowadays, with processedfood manufactured to sell, companieshave capitalized on our taste buds’ de-sires. The combination of oil, salt, andsugar in processed foods creates an endproduct that is difficult to put down.The addictive quality of salt, sugar, andoil, is becoming a hot topic, for talkshows, writers, and holistic speakers.During this time of year, when we are re-minded of the enslaved Israelites inEgypt, consider making a commitmentto looking at your own diet and ponder-ing how you are held hostage. Taketime to ask yourself what you can do tofree yourself. What are your personalfood addictions? Do you crave sugar,salt, oil, or all three? How might you es-cape from the addictive cycle of food?

Finally, Earth Day arrives every April.

It is a day designated to celebrate theEarth. Many consider visiting EarthDay celebrations, contemplating theimpact our carbon footprint, on theenvironment and the planet. Somevolunteer to clean up highways or wa-terways. However, few take the time tothink about how our diets affect theplanet. The research on this subject isconclusive. The effect on the environ-ment of switching from a meat eatingdiet to one that abstains from animalproducts is grethan switching fromdriving a SUV to a Prius. It may besurprising to some to learn that animalagriculture, livestock production, is oneof the greatest contributors to air andwater pollution, greenhouse gas pro-duction, loss of biodiversity, and landdegradation. The amount of land andwater required to raise livestock is hugewhen compared to the amount re-quired to raise plants for human con-sumption, on that same land.

In order to have a truly sustainable,healthy planet, those who choose toconsume animal products, need toconsider the environmental impact oftheir choices, and in this time of re-birth and new life, consider commit-ting to eating a more plant based diet.This does not mean that everyonemust become a vegetarian. However, itdoes remind us to be responsible inour food choices. Let April be yourtime to recommit, to your health, tothe environment, to freedom from theaddictive substances in food. Look tonatural and whole foods for yourhealth and that of the planet. Con-sider minimizing processed foods andanimal products, while increasing theamount of fresh fruit and vegetablesthat you consume. Attempt to replacemeat based recipes with vegetarian orvegan (animal product free) recipes. Beadventurous and allow your taste budsto take a journey on the natural side.


Why do people believe in whatthey profess? In Jenna Miscav-

ige Hill's case, the question is more,why not? She was raised into adult-hood as a member of Scientology andjust accepted it until it was no longertenable.

Her book, Beyond Belief, My Se-cret Life Inside Scientology And MyHarrowing Escape is an account ofgrowing up in the religion and then

leaving. It is disturbing, as onewould expect from the title. In her404 page account, there is no feelingof fervor for the faith that she was awilling member of. Of her parentsand other relatives who joined, thereis not much of an account of a con-version experience.

Her grandfather, the first of thefamily to join, had sales success afterreading some Scientology literature,

but there was no Saul on the road toDamascus event.

Jenna provides some small discus-sion of the origin of Scientology. Inno way does it sound inspiring, andone would wonder why anyone wouldfall for it. Yet many people do.

One definition of a cult is, a smallreligious group that is not part of alarger and more accepted religion andthat has beliefs regarded by many as

extreme or dangerous. It is easy tothink in these terms of Jim Jones andhis Peoples Temple or Heaven's Gateand the mass suicides. The Moonieswho used to accost people on citystreets were non-threatening, but off-putting in their relentlessness.

The problem with Scientologistsis they are mostly intelligent and out-wardly normal. Jenna and her par-

BOOKREVIEW

Former Scientologist exposes cult’s ‘army’and ‘The Ranch,’ its brutal church-runchild labor camp

BYRICHARDMORCHOE

Beyond Belief: My Secret LifeInside Scientology and My Harrowing EscapeBy Jenna Miscavige HillWilliam Morrow, 2013Paperback, 404 pp..Public Affairs, 2013List $15.99 Amazon: $11.35

Continued on following page


ents come across as competent people. Yet they didsome strange things. Though members of the church,they had a life out in the regular world, and decidedto join the SeaOrg.

Sea Org is Scientology's army. Well, more like anavy as the members wear sailor like uniforms. WhenJenna's parents signed on, they moved from theirdream home in New Hampshire to sub-standard digsin California to work for near slave wages.

Jenna was only four when her parents moved awayfrom her to work at Sea Org headquarters. At five,she was shipped off to the “Ranch” to live with otherchildren without parents. It seems weird, if not un-feeling, but the moms and dads thought that theywere providing their offspring with the great privilegeof being raised in Scientology.

The Ranch was a rough spot that the children'slabor made into a suitable place for them to live andgo to school. Her description of her existence soundslike one long violation of child labor laws. Generally,if the kids could do the work, no outside labor wasused. Sometimes, a contractor could not be avoided.The non-scientologist skilled workers were the onlyones to complain about the oppression of the chil-dren. They were never heeded.

Schooling was more about Scientology with littleacademic instruction. Jenna did not enjoy life at theranch and missed her parents.

Oddly, bullying never seemed to have been preva-lent where she grew up. It is much in the news todayalong with campaigns to fight it. Jennifer would cer-tainly have mentioned it if older kids had been blood-

ying her nose daily. She did mention one small eventof corporal punishment for a refusal to study, butmade little of it.

The event that most disturbed was Jennifer’s bro-ken knee. The Sunday morning it happened a Scien-tology doctor told the parents over the phone to haveJennifer try and walk. When she couldn’t the doc saidit was probably broken and she should have an x-raynext morning.

The parents were told to leave the child and get towork. A caregiver took Jennifer for the x-ray that con-

BOOKREVIEW

Continued from previous page

Scientologyfirmed the diagnosis. She was given, not a state of theart knee brace or cast, but an ace bandage.

Jennifer writes about it matter-of-factly. She is notdefending it, but neither is the tone condemning.That is in itself is a little shocking. The expectedparental response would be to rush with the child tothe emergency room with at least one staying until thefracture was perfectly set. Her parents reaction doesnot seem sane, yet there is no tone of reproach. Jennastill has a relationship with mom and dad and it doesnot seem like the question, “What were you think-ing?” has ever come up.

Yet there is an explanation for the insanity. Every-body sacrificed for the “greater good.” There is a moreinvolved explanation of what that means in Scientol-ogy. It was the manipulation that got people to sacri-fice the really important things in life for theScientology team. Suffice it to say whatever the cause,when somebody calls on you to give it up for the“Greater Good” you are being played.

Eventually, she got to visit her mom in Florida.Mom was part of the church’s management and hada relatively good life. Jenna saw herself eventually ris-ing to that level. She saw escape as not getting to thegreater world, but in advancing in the organization.

Her life in the church fell apart for a number ofreasons. Eventually she would leave. The big questionseems to be what took her so long? She is a smartenough lass, but lingered on way past time.

And that is where the book fails. It is a good ac-count, but not good enough. Her life was not one ofterror, but of boredom. Your reviewer has wasted histime so you don’t have to.

“The expected parentalresponse would be torush with the child tothe emergency roomwith at least one stayinguntil the fracture was perfectly set. Her parentsreaction does not seemsane, yet there is no toneof reproach.”


Idon't often ‘do’ large malls. I'm not ahermit, I just don't enjoy shopping, ex-cept for when I'm trailing around after mywife each Saturday, in our favorite localgrocery store. Shopping for food is differ-ent, to me, than mall-roaming, and sinceI do most of the cooking at our home, itmakes sense for me to buy the food withher. All I need to do now is learn to scuffmy feet a bit as I slowly walk, and feeblyhang onto her coat sleeve, and I'll neverhave to lift another grocery bag into thecar. I know this because no one expects'old' people to do anything. Sooner orlater, (probably sooner,) I'm going to be atottering, dry-humored, grumpy old man,and the store people will take my groceriesto the car for me. Pretty cool.

Anyway, as I started to say, I don'toften do large malls, so, finding myself ata regional mall, waiting for my wife, mydaughter, and her boyfriend to shop, wasquite an experience. Not necessarily agood experience.

After several hours of shopping, whichpassed like several seconds for my daugh-ter, Emily, and several days for me, I wasready for a break, and decided to head outfrom the dress shop I had been draggedinto, to find a common area of the mallwith some comfortable chairs. My wifeisn't much of a shopper either, (thank-fully), but she was trying to help Emilychoose some clothes. This is something Iwould not be good at doing, and wouldmuch prefer a two hour root canal to it.No, I'm serious. And, my daughter'sboyfriend, who is a good guy but un-trained in the fine art of slipping out of adress shop unnoticed, stayed there withthe ladies. I looked back into the store asI left, and noticed he was serving well as amobile clothes tree, following themaround the store, with mounds of ladies’clothing weighting down his arms. He'lllearn.

Escaping a dress shop isn't especiallydifficult, IF you remember one important

tactic. All you need to do is tell yourwife, (or girlfriend) that you will be gladto take all their heavy packages off theirhands, and wait for them to finishtheir shopping. Be sure to add thatthere is “no rush.” This always sealsthe deal. You see, it's a trade off forboth of you. She would actually like tosit down, too, but wants to finish shop-ping, unhindered by her bags (andyou.)

I did find a common area, quiteeasily, as a matter of fact. There were afew empty padded chairs, and I soonpicked one out. From where I sat Icould still see the girls and theboyfriend wandering around in thedress shop. My chair was fairly com-fortable, but I noticed it wasn't exactlya recliner, and had a really uprightback. The mall people probablyplanned this, as they don't mind if yourest, but don't want you to get TOOcomfortable. (Most unconscious peo-ple don't spend much money.) To dothat you have to be in a coma in a hos-pital, or be a member of Congress,which, I think, is pretty much the samething.

I sat in my common-area circle, inmy upright, padded chair, without re-alizing what a mindless part of the cir-cle of life I had become. Suddenly,with the slightly sickening feeling ofbeing an aging clone, I began to lookaround me. There were six chairs, allgenerally facing each other, and four ofthose chairs were filled with me andthree other fifty-something men; all ofus in tee shirts, jeans and bifocals;avoiding eye contact with each other,at all costs. All of us had varying quan-tities of gray hair, crows-feet, and bellyfat. We also all shared the same boredexpression. I quickly glanced at a manto my left, pretending to look downthe mall hallway behind him, and no-ticed his pink plastic bags from the very

store that my wife and daughter were tor-turing Emily's boyfriend in. I then, moreboldly, scanned the circle, and con-firmed that every one of us men had sev-eral carefully-guarded plastic store bagsby our sides. Moments later I lookeddown from absent-mindedly admiringthe mall skylight above, just in time tosee the man directly across from me ab-sent-mindedly admiring the mall skylightabove. At that point I got a little nervous,and began making notes on my phonefor this very column, before I forgot allof this. After a while I looked to myright, to see another man making noteson his phone, probably before he forgot

all of this. Now, you won't believe this,and I realize that yawning is very conta-gious, but, believe it or not, all four of uswere soon yawning! If we had all sud-denly fallen asleep, hundreds of dollarsof ladies' 'stuff' would have been up forgrabs by any mall-wandering thief.

I couldn't believe it as I found myself,with my wife, and most of my kids andgrand kids in an even bigger mall in NewHampshire, only days later. That tripwas to celebrate a granddaughter’s sixthbirthday, so I didn't complain. It wasgreat to see her having so much fun, andI didn't end up holding the bag.

Common areas


We all hear the term “Community Bank” quite alot, but what exactly is a Community Bank?

Wikipedia defines Community Bank as: “A depository institution that is typically locally

owned and operated. Community banks tend to focus onthe needs of the businesses and families where the bankholds branches and offices. Lending decisions are madeby people who understand the local needs of families andbusinesses. Employees often reside within the communi-ties they serve.”

These four sentences pretty much sum up what acommunity bank is and how they operate. But whatare some of the advantages of dealing with a commu-nity bank versus a huge national megabank?

Unlike many of the nation’s megabanks, which arestructured to place a priority on serving large corpora-tions, community banks focus their attention on theneeds of local families and businesses. And unlikemany of the larger banks which may take deposits inone state and lend in others, community banks do themajority of their lending in communities and neigh-borhoods where their depositors live and work, whichhelps to keep local communities vibrant and growing.

Community bank officers, including the CEO andother Executive Officers, are generally accessible totheir customers on site and are not headquartered inoffices in other states or even other countries. Com-munity bank officers are typically deeply involved in

local community affairs, while their large bankcounterparts are likely to be detached physicallyand emotionally from the communities wheretheir branches are located. Additionally, commu-nity banks’ boards of directors are made up oflocal citizens who want to advance the interests ofthe towns and cities where they live and wheretheir banks do business.

When it comes to lending, many communitybanks are willing to consider character, family his-tory and discretionary spending in making loans.Megabanks, on the other hand, often apply imper-sonal qualification criteria, such as credit scoring,to all loan decisions without regard to individualcircumstances. Community banks are also able tooffer nimble decision-making on business loans be-cause decisions are made locally. Megabanks mustoften convene loan-approval committees in an-other state.

Because community banks are themselves smallbusinesses, they understand the needs of small-business owners. Their core concern is lending tolocal borrowers and to local businesses, whereasthe major concern of the mega banks is corporateAmerica.

Big banks don’t have to cater to your smalltown to stay in business but community banks are

What is a community bank?

typically very involved in the community in whichthey operate. The Community Reinvestment Act,passed in 1977, requires banks to meet the needs ofborrowers in their communities — federal regulatorsexamine banks for compliance of this law.

Your deposits in a community bank help sup-port the local economy. Borrowers and small busi-nesses in your area might rely on local banks forloans. By banking with a community bank, you playa role in the financial success of fellow neighborsand nearby businesses.

At large national banks, you may likely find feesthat are charged for live customer support. For ex-ample, many of these types of institutions havechecking accounts that discourage customers fromusing a branch teller for deposits and withdrawalsby charging fees for these types of services. At com-munity banks, it is less likely you will have to pay forpersonalized care. Smaller community banks striveto place high value in customer service. When youhave questions or problems, the community bankstaff may be more inclined to help you find a solu-tion. They pride themselves on the personal touch.

The bottom line is that when you do businesswith a community bank in the area where you live,you are making an investment in your communityand its prosperity.

INSIDE BANKING

P R O F E S S I O N A L A D V I C EF R O M A L O C A L

B A N K I N G E X E C U T I V EF O R R E A D E R S O F

T H E S T U R B R I D G E T I M E SM A G A Z I N E

By JOHN FEARINGVICE PRESIDENT & SENIOR LENDING OFFICER

SAVERS BANK

saversbank.com 800.649.3036 Member FDIC Member SIF Equal Housing Lender

Open one today.

Simply Better CheckingStraightforward, no gimmicks –

just a refreshingly simple checking account.


LOCAL LEADERS

The Society of Certified Insurance Counselors(CIC) recently honored Richard McGrath, CIC,

president of McGrath Insurance Group, Inc., for 20years of leadership.

McGrath is among the one percent of insuranceprofessionals in the country who have maintained up-dated CIC requirements for at least two decades.

The Society presented McGrath with an awardhighlighting his ongoing pledge to insurance educa-tion, commitment to excellence and dedication to theinsurance profession, along with his continued partic-ipation in the CIC Program.

“The high standard maintained by Mr. McGrathnot only benefits McGrath Insurance Group, Inc., butthe insurance profession as a whole,” said William T.Hold, CIC, CPCU, CLU, president of the Society ofCIC.

A third-generation owner of McGrath InsuranceGroup, McGrath joined the business in 1977 and hasbeen instrumental in making it one of central Massa-chusetts’ largest and best-known independent insur-ance agencies.

McGrath has served as a member of the PersonalLines Advisory Board of Arbella Mutual InsuranceCo.; the Advisory Board and the Board of Directors ofPremier Insurance Co., and the Board of Directors ofSouthbridge Credit Union. He is also a director of theNew England Service Co. & Valley Water Systems. Heis a former director of the New England Cell, Moun-tain View Indemnity. He is a corporator of South-bridge Savings Bank and Harrington Hospital, and amember of the Worcester Economic Club.

McGrath has received numerous awards and recog-nition from many organizations, including achievingChairman’s Circle status, in addition to earning mem-bership to the Admiral’s Table at Arbella InsuranceGroup. He has also earned Tower Agent and EliteAgent status with Travelers of Massachusetts.

He is a member of the Massachusetts Associationof Insurance Agents and the Insurance Alliance, andis a Certified Insurance Counselor and a MassachusettsLicensed Insurance Advisor. He is also a member ofthe Fallon Community Health Plan Broker AdvisoryGroup.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from SouthernNew Hampshire University, and completed the Execu-tive Leadership and Development Program at the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

The Society of CIC is an organization nationallyrecognized as a leading continuing education program

of insurance professionals. A not-for-profit organiza-tion, the Society of CIC is the cornerstone programfor The National Alliance for Insurance Education &Research, headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Insurance industry peers cite Richard McGrath for 20-year record of staying current on education requirements

Hitchcock’s Sue Gregorymarks 25 years of service

Sue Gregory, Executive Director of HitchcockFree Academy (HFA) is celebrating 25 years of serv-ice to the institution, which has a long and storiedhistory of serving the greater Brimfield community.

Sue is credited with bringing in over 22,000 vis-its involved in classes or events each year. The cur-riculum ranges from Zumba, pre-school program,dog training, how to baby sit, genealogy, cooking,art, and many more offerings.

Sue is proud to know that “HFA is making a dif-ference and it continues to be a terrific journeywith a blend of new and old programs, perpetuallynew technology to keep up with and a dedicatedwonderful staff who all compliment and supporteach other.” She reflects that when she started 25years ago both HFA and the world were different inmany ways. But she is quick to point out that “theone constant is the people and caring. “HFA has al-ways been focused on meeting the needs of thelocal communities and I am pleased that we haveremained true to that mission.”


Another grape to consider is Albarino fromSpain or Portugal (where it is called Alvarinho.)They will perform is a similar way to Rieslingswith the meal. Ask your merchant to suggestone that is dry to off-dry.

Three red grapes that match well with hamare Pinot Noir, Gamay and Tempranillo. All areable to reach a perfect level of ripeness andcomplexity without heavy tannins. Many ofthese wines will be lighter in color than othervarieties but their lighter tones do not meanthat the wines are light in flavor.

Fruit driven Pinot Noirs work well withham. Look for wines that are ripe and full with-out being too high in alcohol or oak. Favoritesare those grown in California’s Russian RiverValley and the entry level Burgundies of betterproducers.

Gamay shares some of the style on PinotNoir but with a different range of scents andflavors. The classic home for this grape is Beau-jolais. While Nouveau gets a lot of attention itis not the best dinner wine from Beaujolais.Look for wine labeled Beaujolais-Villages fromartisan producers and consider stepping up totheir single village wines including Brouilly,

Ham is an enjoyable main course to matchwith wines. It may be matched successfully

with both white and red wines. There are a num-ber of good choices of grape varieties that willwork with ham and your selection may comedown more to pleasing family tastes than gettingthe perfect selection.

The features of the ham that sets it apart fromother meats in how it combines with wines is it’ssaltiness, it’s smokiness and it’s glaze (if any.) Thewines should be refreshing, not too heavy in al-cohol, oak or tannin and have flavors that com-pliment the ham.

Rieslings are natural partners with ham. Lookfor Rieslings that are off-dry (with a little residualsugar) to dry. How the sweetness of the sugar isperceived is greatly effected by the level of balanc-ing acidity in the wines. Look for Rieslings fromGermany’s Rheingau and Mosel regions, fromFrance’s Alsace region, from Austria and fromNew York’s Finger Lakes. Ask your wine merchantto recommend Rieslings that are ripe and well bal-anced without too much green apple acidity.

Austrian wines from the Gruner Veltliner

grape are worthy table mates with ham. Many ex-amples provide the freshness of Rieslings but witha different range of fruit scents and flavors and lessassertive acidity. These are good picks for hamscooked with a sweet and/or mustardy glaze.

The smoke and salt elements in hams will workwell with white wines in a drier style provided thewines have good acidity and are unoaked. The clas-sic Chardonnay selection is Chablis (the Frenchregion whose name was used in the U.S. for yearsas the generic name of white wines.) I suggest stick-ing with a Village Chablis from a top producerrather than one labeled Premier Cru or GrandCru. Expect a brilliant expression of Chardonnaywith a real backbone of fruit, traces of mineralsand bracing acidity.

WINECONNOISEUR

Wine pairings with Easter hamBY PETER SAGANSKY, IMPORTER-EXPORTER, CHARLES RIVER WINE COMPANY

Peter Sagansky announces a Tasting Panel for Sturbridge


Fleurie and Morgon.Spain’s Tempranillo grape has been planted in

many new World regions. For ham dinner stick towines from Spain where the wines have the kind ofbalance and flavor profiles that work best. We wantto avoid wines with too much oak so stick to wineslabeled Jovan or Crianza. The classic region for thisgrape is Rioja but better values are often found inother regions. A recommendation from a trusty mer-chant is advised.

THE STURBRIDGE TASTING PANELThis new group will meet once a month to taste

wines, food and wine and food combinations. Wewill discuss what we taste and rank them as a groupin order of preference. For example we will taste agroup of wines with a group of cheeses and rank ourfavorite wines, our favorite cheeses and our favoritewine and cheese pairings.

A focus of the group will be mastering the lan-guage of wine. We will approach this subject utiliz-ing sources that present the legitimate descriptorsthat apply to the scents and flavors of wines in anorganized way.

When we describe the scents and aromas of

wines we most often compare what we are sensingto fruits. One wine’s scents may suggest citrus fruitswhile another may suggest stone/pit fruits. Oncewe decide that the scents are citrusy we can decideon which citrus fruit(s) they most reminds us of; or-ange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, etc. Should we decidethat the scents suggest stone fruits we can discusswhich stone fruit(s) they smell like; plums, cherries,peaches, apricots, nectarines, etc.

Describing wines involves identifying scents andflavors and then attaching words to further definethem. Levels of ripeness and intensity are examples.Thus “scents of apricots” in a late harvest Rieslingmay become “deep, developed scents of ripe apri-cots.”

We will discuss the scents, aromas, flavors, after-tastes, length and balance of the wines that we tasteand try to come up with group descriptions. We willstay away from giving wines numeric grades and in-stead utilize a simpler system to serve as remindersof our impressions. The goal is to make usefulrecords of the wines.

We will use ballots to rank the wines, foods andwine-and-food combinations and try to come upwith a group consensus. When we taste a group of

wines with a group of cheeses we will sniff all of thewines, sniff all of the cheeses, taste all of the wines,and then taste all of the cheeses. We will then tastethe first wine with all of the cheeses and proceeddown the line until all of the combos are tasted to-gether. We will note our favorites and then go backand try them a final time.

This will very much be a group project. We will de-cide as a group if we want to know the items we aretasting ahead of time or just know the categories andtaste the selections blind. The possibilities are endless.

The goal is to meet with fellow lovers of fine winesand foods, fine tune our skills as Tasters, and most ofall have a good time. We will record our tasting resultsand space permitting I will list our favorites in futurecolumns in The Sturbridge Times.

Look for more details soon at The Winebuyer’s Out-let or send an e-mail with the subject line “Tasting Panel”to [email protected]

Sturbridge-based Importer and Distributor PeterSagansky runs Charles River Wine Company. His winesare featured at The Winebuyer’s Outlet and at finerstores and restaurants throughout Massachusetts.


GARIERI JEWELERS

By Stephanie Richards

Table 3 Restaurant Group is ready to expand Stur-bridge appetites in a big way. Having tasted success

with their restaurant revitalizations of the former CedarStreet Restaurant (now Cedar Street Grille) and TheWhistling Swan (now Avellino’s and The Duck), their

most ambitious project is now on the menu and it willkeep their roots planted firmly in Sturbridge.

This group came together in April, 2010, and in-cludes former West Brookfield native Michael Lyons(President and CEO), and Sturbridge residents DanielGonya (General Manager, Business Development), En-

rico Giovanello (Executive Chef), and Patrick Far-relly (Head Chef, Pastry Arts). The business wasformed around the motto, “A restaurant mealshould be among life’s most memorable experi-ences.” Table 3 follows three principles to fulfillthis motto including: demanding the highest qual-

Sturbridge’s most dynamic restaurant group, Table 3, announces


ity ingredients, focusing on exceptional serviceand flawless operations as the norm, and consis-tently working to earn guest loyalty.

Table 3’s first venture (Cedar Street) bloomedin July of 2010, with the purchase and rehab ofthe former Cedar Street Restaurant. Five monthsof major renovations transformed the buildinginto Cedar Street Grille, an American Bistro-typeeatery with full bar and small plates, sliders, sea-sonal entrees and desserts.

Just a few months later, the group purchasedthe former Whistling Swan and Ugly DucklingLoft, renovated the building, revamped the menusand re-defined the Swan space into Avellino’s Ital-ian Restaurant with a custom bar, open kitchenconcept, and menu featuring traditional, home-made cuisine. The Duck maintained its casual at-mosphere but with a mix of customer favoritesand new Farmhouse Entrees focusing on all-nat-ural, organic, and sustainable foods. “There was astigma tied to The Swan as a fine dining or specialoccasion restaurant. We wanted to create a morecasual atmosphere with Italian cuisine and include

an open kitchen where guests could see and inter-act with the chefs,” Gonya said.

A front porch project was completed on Avel-lino last month, which added French-style doorsswinging outwards to allow retractable screens tobe drawn in warmer weather. It also adds addi-tional space for parties. “The front room lackedthe cozy feeling we wanted to create,” Gonya said.“It was the portion of the restaurant that had the

most staid feeling of the old Swan. The frontporch allows us to connect the restaurant withMain Street. In addition, it provides more lightfrom the inside out (the doors are black and lessreflective), so a passerby can see activity,” Gonyasaid. “We now have space for approximately 55 inone larger room for special events or 25 to 30 peo-ple in two separate ones using a divider. We were

expansion in town to include: banquet, catering, teachingBest Getting BetterThis rendering shows the new en-closed front porch on Avellino Ital-ian Restaurant. With French styledoors that swing outwards, the ad-dition has retractable screens thatcan be drawn to provide an alfrescodining experience. The expansion al-lows accommodation of 55 peoplefor special events or two groups of25 each with a divider. The restau-rant was voted BEST ITALIANRESTAURANT in the GreaterSturbridge Area in the 2014 Stur-bridge Times Readers’ ChoiceAwards.

Table 3 Restaurant rendering

Continued on next page


Table 3 expansion to the Seraph campus at 420 Main Street

getting a lot of requests for rehearsal din-ners and anniversary parties of thosesizes.”

Perhaps the biggest transformationwill come with the group’s latest venture,the creation of Table 3 Chefs & Cateringon about six acres of property at 420Main Street, Sturbridge. Porchlight In-

vestments III, LLC purchased theproperty for Table 3 on February 27for $1.65 million dollars from 1817Shoppe, Inc. The property, owned byAlex and Mike Pifer, is home to TheSeraph, which specializes in 17th and18th Century reproduction furnitureand accessories. It also previously in-cluded several restaurants and retail es-tablishments, most recently Veritas

Restaurant.Gonya said three acres of the

property are zoned “commercialtourist” and the other three “subur-ban/residential.” The site includes125 parking spaces and four build-ings, totaling 18,000 square feet. TheSeraph and Domas (unique homefurnishings) are currently operatingin two of the buildings. A third

building included the former restaurantspace, and the final one has been empty,though was undergoing renovation workby Veritas owners for use as a futurefunction/catering space. “We did ask theowners of Veritas to stay on, but they de-clined citing an interest to return toVieques where they had past and futurecommercial interests,” Gonya said. “TheSeraph will remain at its current locationon the property. We developed a goodrelationship with Alex and Mike whenwe bought the Cedar Street Grille prop-erty across the street. They have beengreat to work with in purchasing thisproperty.”

Located at the corner of Cedar Streetand Route 20, the property was ideal forits aesthetics. “Buildings two and threehave beautiful post and beam construc-tion that give a country feel. Thegrounds provide a green, spacious areafor outdoor events (possibly weddings,corporate gatherings),” Gonya said.“Right now, I don’t know what the vari-ables will be within the CommercialTourist District with regard to things liketents. However, I like the idea of a semi-permanent space similar to the PublickHouse. There are a lot of great opportu-nities at this location.”

It took about a year for Table 3 tofind the right spot for their next venture.“We looked at different markets, such asPutnam and Wilbraham, and also atother possibilities such as creating an-other Cedar Street Grille in an area likeWestboro. This was a more logical direc-tion for us, and it further meets the in-terest we were seeing in catering and thecooking school (Cooking with Ricoclasses),” Gonya said. “This property sitsright between Cedar Street Grille andThe Whistling Swan property, so theproximity was great. Keeping things inclose proximity makes it all easier to runbecause you can keep a handle on every-thing. In addition, Sturbridge is being es-tablished as a dining destination withmany new restaurants opening–like Stur-bridge Seafood and Teddy G’s. Our re-views started out heavy with localpatrons but now we are seeing people



107 Dresser Hill Rd, (Rte 31), Charlton, MA 01507

508 248 5566 | charltonfurniture.com

Mon - Fri 10–6 | Sat 10–5 | Sun 12–5

Escape the ordinary. Transform your home into a place where you can relax and be inspired.

timeless design | superior craftsmanship | modern elegance

cape the ordinarEsm your home into a place where you can relax and be inspired.ransforT

timeless design |

cape the ordinarm your home into a place where you can relax and be inspired.

superior craftsmanship | modern

. ycape the ordinarm your home into a place where you can relax and be inspired.

modern elegance

m your home into a place where you can relax and be inspired.



107 Dresser Hill Rd, (Rte 31), Charlton, MA 01507

508 248 5566

Mon - Fri 10–6 | Sat 10–5 | Sun 12–5

Complimentary design service available.

charltonfurniture.com|5566

Mon - Fri 10–6 | Sat 10–5 | Sun 12–5

ill Rd, (Rte 31), Charlton, MA 01507

e available.

charltonfurniture.com

Mon - Fri 10–6 | Sat 10–5 | Sun 12–5

, MA 01507

will host cooking classes, banquets, headed by Enrico Giovanello

travel from outside the area to dine here.That’s good for everyone.”

Gonya said the Town of Sturbridgehas been very cooperative in doing busi-ness. “From our first project, we’ve hadto work closely with planning, design,zoning and the Board of Selectman. Forexample, at Cedar Street Grille, weneeded a variance for our addition.We’ve made sure to have everything in

order and the town has provided a lot ofpositive feedback to us.”

Building 2 (former Bass retail outlet)will be the first one to undergo renova-tion for use as a function, event andcatering venue with seating for up to125. It will also allow the expansion ofTable 3’s popular cooking classes onsite.“There was a significant amount of work

done by Veritas in this direction alreadyand the town is quite familiar with theproject and has made several recommen-dations. We can move on them quicklyand address issues like fire and safety,and handicap access bathrooms. Ourgoal is to open by the end of April,”Gonya said. “We don’t want to operate

this venue like an island. There is a lotof room for a mid-size function facilityin town for weddings, corporate dinners,and other special events. Our hope is towork together with similar businessesand when our space is filled, recom-mend another local venue and vice versa.

Continued on following page

The 420 Main Street campus will be a place for celebrating and learning to cook©2014 Sturbridge Times Magazine photo by Stephanie Richards


The Table 3 offerings at 420 Main Street will include banquets in an elegant post-and-beam facility right in the center of town.Erb Photography

Table 3 Group readies for its exciting expansion in Sturbridge

In addition, we would like to open up the spaceto other caterers when available. For example, ifa couple wants a pig roast for their wedding, Icould see us cooperating with Brian Treitman atB.T.’s Smokehouse. We would like to test theconcept.”

Leading this new Table 3 business will be Ex-ecutive Chef Enrico Giovanello, who foundedEnrico’s Brick Oven Pizzeria and Giovanello’sItalian Market, and played a key role in creatingthe group’s Cedar Street Grille and Avellinorestaurants. In addition, Brad Arcoite has beenbrought on staff to oversee the banquet functionbecause of his significant experience with eventsmanagement at both Old Sturbridge Village andThe Publick House. Table 3 currently employsabout 50 people and Gonya said staff will havefirst rights on additional hours, but that therewill be a need for additional employees.

Initial plans for the former Veritas buildingmay be some type of food café for breakfast andlunch. The building will likely need to be gutted,leaving the details of the exterior intact, whichwill probably take about a year. Gonya said they




are also open to the idea of mixed retail forother building space. As for the land zonedsuburban/residential, multi-dwellings may beexplored for the future.

In a time when many businesses struggleto maintain, Table 3 Restaurant Group hasbeen able to thrive with its ventures. “We’vebeen fortunate to have solid investment back-ing and the ability to plan. We have a greatmix of strong business, marketing and finan-cial people and the right culinary and fronthouse staff. Our concept from the start hasbeen restaurant revitalization. What we do isallow the business side to support the busi-ness and the chefs and front of the house staffto flourish at what they do. We set certaingross sales targets and that has allowed us topay good salaries and provide resources to payback the investment on properties,” Gonyasaid. “We are really excited about this project.It was in our plan to allow us to grow; it justtook a little longer than expected. We’re gladit did and know it is going to be the rightthing for us. It allows for expansion, flexibilityfor employees, and ease to run the operation(because it’s all in Sturbridge). It is a key pieceof the puzzle for Table 3.”

For more information about Table 3 Chefs& Catering, go to www.t3chefs.com.

Table 3

Continued on page 23

BOARDOFSELECTMEN

BOS Chair, Priscilla Gimas and board veteran Mary Blanchard run for re-election

Pricilla Gimas

Understanding your core values and con-victions is essential to making decisions

and leading effectively, says Priscilla Gimas. So,it’s no surprise that Gimas, whose doctoral dis-sertation focused on ethics, became involved inleading town government in Sturbridge—firston the finance committee and then on the

Board of Selectman (BOS) in 2011. Shebecame BOS chair in December and isseeking reelection for a second, three-year term in this month’s election.

A resident of Sturbridge since 1990,Gimas is a professor of business ethics atBay Path College and teaches remedialmathematics and business at Quinsiga-

mond Community College. She hasbeen the Principal of Hellenic AmericanAcademy (Lowell) and Assistant Princi-

Reports by Stephanie Richards


r MUSINGS FROM LONG HILL s

BY RICHARD MORCHOE

AMERICA’S NOT-SO-GRAND STRATEGY

As far as the law is concerned, promises are cheap, worthlessactually. Say, for instance, grandpa promises to give you his bassboat once fishing season starts and then gives it to your brotherinstead. Tough luck for you. You’ll have to ask your brother fora ride.

What you need in order to force grandpa to give you a boatis something that makes the promise binding. That somethingis called consideration.

Consideration comes in many forms. Money works. If youruncle promises to give you the bass boat in exchange for tenbucks, then it’s your brother who will be doing the asking.

“Ten bucks for grandpa’s bass boat!” your brother mightshout. Tough luck for him. The law generally avoids trying tofigure out whether the consideration is fair. As long as there’sno evidence that you deceived or coerced grandpa into the deal,ten bucks is good enough. People are free to make stupid deals.

There are other ways to provide consideration. Say the sum-mer before grandpa, who’s getting a little loopy in his old age,took you out fishing and accidently hooked your eye with hisWalleye jig.

You tell grandpa you won’t sue if he gives you the boat.Voila! Consideration equals your promise to forbear from en-forcing your legal remedy against grandpa.

You can’t, however, get the boat for doing something thatyou already did. For instance, grandpa tells you he’s going togive you his boat because two years ago you gave him a classic“flat head” tarpon fly that you made all by yourself.

No consideration. It wasn’t bargained for. You didn’t knowwhen you made it and gave it to him that you would later becompensated for it. So, once again, you better make sure youare on your brother’s good side. Better yet, let grandpa keepthe boat and duck the next time he casts his jig.

LEGALBRIEF

CONSIDERATION

M O N T H L Y L E G A L A D V I C E

F O R R E A D E R S O F

T H E S T U R B R I D G E T I M E S M A G A Z I N E

STURBRIDGE ATTORNEY

ROBERT A. GEORGE, ESQ.

In the recent contretemps regarding The Ukraine* talkradio was abuzz with how Vladimir Putin is the devil in-carnate. Noting that the head of the largest of the FormerSoviet Republics is a martial artist of sorts, one of the callersto the Hank Stoltz show on WCRN opined at how wellhe might do against Chuck Norris. Occasionally, the levelof calls rose even higher.

Putin was the bogeyman du jour. The courageous lis-tenership who will never meet him face to face called himout more than once as a coward. Moi, I am guessingHank’s audience hates that he played his hand well enoughin spite of the opprobrium of being on the “wrong side ofhistory” as noted by the Secretary of State. You rememberhim, our own John Kerry, fresh from his non-success inSyria.

Near on cue, Hilary Clinton compared Putin to Hitler.This was an example of what is called Godwin’s Law ap-plied to the greater world. Attorney and author Mike God-win promulgated the rule that, "As an online discussiongrows longer, the probability of a comparison involvingNazis or Hitler approaches1." Granted, it was not online,but it is now almost axiomatic that if you are not with us,you are fuehrer du jour.

And of course, John McCain also showed up on sched-ule to say we are all Ukrainians now. He says things likethat. When the Georgians attacked South Ossetia and gottheir clock cleaned, he said we were “all Georgians now.”

One should not be too hard on Senator McCain. I’msure his suffering as a prisoner in North Viet Nam was bru-tal. Other than that, there is nothing to suggest that he isqualified for much. To date, it is not clear if either the

Ukraine or Georgia have actually granted him citizen-ship.

In the great tradition of the presidency, Obama istelling Putin where to get off.

“The proposed referendum on the future of Crimeawould violate the Ukrainian constitution and violate in-ternational law …”

Funny how in 2008 as Senator Obama, he was all forthe independence of Kosovo from Serbia, when secessionwas viewed as a sacrament. His threat of sanctions hasnot excited the Kremlin. After all we don’t have muchtrade with the Russkies.

It’s not that American hypocrisy is stupid, that hasbeen the story of our foreign policy all through the Bush-Obama Administration. The problem is that it is nowmore dangerous than before. The Russians have nuclearweapons on a par with ours. Keeping The Ukraine or atleast keeping it out of the clutches of the West is impor-tant enough for them to go to the mat.

Putin is running rings around our leadership. Howcan this be? Should not our vaunted democracy producethe best leaders? No, we get politicians a notch abovemediocre on average.

The greatest observer of our system, Alexis de Toc-queville, noted that there was greater opportunity forwealth and advancement outside of elective office inAmerica. Does anyone remotely believe that any of thelast several presidents was as smart as Warren Buffet?

Putin arose in the old Soviet Union. There was noopportunity to become an entrepreneur. If you wanted

Continued on page 21

Shop at Sturbridge Marketplace


Fitness Myth 2 centers on Heavy lifting

HEALTH&FITNESSBy Matt ColeSTAFF TRAINEREverybody’s Fitness, Shaw’s Plaza, Sturbridge

One of the most common myths in the fitnessworld are that women and beginners should

avoid lifting heavy weight. Beginners are some of the most interesting clients to

work with. The results that can be seen in the first yearof lifting are enough to drive jealousy into the hearts ofexperienced lifters everywhere. During this time period,many adaptations occur in the body. When workingwith novice weight lifters, it is important for fitness andstrength coaches to be cognizant of what can go wrong.Many fitness coaches and fitness magazines alike will rec-ommend traditional beginner weight training protocolsthat involve performing three sets of eight to twelve rep-etitions per exercise on strength training machines. Theidea here is that beginners only need to work at approx-imately 40% of their 1 repetition maximum (1RM) tosee strength gains. This number increases up to 70-85%1RM as lifters become more experienced. Another con-cern is that lifting heavy free weights will put a beginnerat an increased risk for injury. However, research showsthat volume plays a much greater role than intensity inengraining movement patterns into the neuromuscularsystem.

The term volume refers to the amount of sets andrepetitions performed. The term intensity refers to theamount of force or power produced, to keep it simplefor this discussion, it will refer to the amount of weightlifted. A novice weightlifter doing three sets of eight totwelve repetitions on front squat will not be a prettysight. Form will not be polished, and fatigue will set inearly on. Repeating an important functional movementpattern thirty-six times with poor form, worsened by fa-tigue will engrain this faulty movement pattern into theneuromuscular system, setting one up for poor move-ment quality and possibly injury.

A beginner who uses a higher intensity, for less vol-ume will decrease the opportunity for fatigue and givethe fitness coach a better opportunity to correct formwithout risking the unpolished, faulty pattern becomingengrained into the neuromuscular system. Mixing inheavier weights will also increase strength and bone den-sity gains beyond those received by exclusively usinglower intensity and higher volume. This is not to say thatthere is no place for three sets of eight to twelve repeti-tions of an exercise. This protocol should absolutely beused for beginners when doing simple, accessory exer-cises. These exercises would include movements such as

lunges, hip bridges, and push-ups. Larger, complex full-body movements such as squatting and deadlifting arethe exercises that should be done at higher intensitiesand lower volumes.

It is also a common misconception that womenshould avoid lifting heavy weights for fear of “bulkingup.” It is physically impossible for females to gain musclemass in the same way as males, due to differences be-tween our endocrine systems. Females have roughly 15to 20 times less testosterone than men. This makes it in-credibly difficult for females to gain muscle mass and“bulk up”. Lifting heavy will increase the amount ofGrowth Hormone (GH) released by females, which hasa much greater impact on fat loss than it does on musclegrowth. Thus lifting heavy will accomplish the com-monly heard goal of many females: Toning, but notbulking.

Another reason females should embrace lifting heavyis bone density. Females are predisposed to low bonedensity disorders such as osteoporosis and osteopenia.According to research, in order to accomplish significantincreases in bone density, one must put approximately1/10th of the amount of pressure on the bone that itwould take to break the bone. As this is not a particularlycomforting bit of information when phrased in thismanner, while not completely accurate, a good rule ofthumb is that if you can lift the weight 11 or more times,it probably is not increasing bone density very much. Itwould be extremely valuable to health for females to addin some exercises at these heavier loads.

There is still a place for completing three sets of eightto twelve exercises per set. As mentioned previously, thisis best suited for smaller “accessory” exercises. However,for complex movements such as squatting or deadlifting,it is important that both beginners and females alike ig-nore the myth that they should not be lifting heavyweights, as there are great health and fitness goals theywould be missing out on. To give an example of a com-mon heavy protocol this would be five sets of four repe-titions of squats. The weight used should make fourrepetitions challenging, but the client should be able tomaintain good form. Performing six or seven repetitionsof that weight should be nearly impossible. This is justone example to lead you in the right direction. Onceagain, it is always important to have a program designedspecifically for your needs and goals by a qualified pro-fessional.


By Richard McGrath, CIC, LIAPRESIDENT & CEO, McGRATH INSURANCE GROUP

INSURANCEGUIDANCE

Natural disasters

One thing to be thankful for in 2013 was that thenumber of major natural disasters was relatively low.

The bad news is that 2013 may have literally beenthe calm before the storm. According to the 2013CoreLogic® Natural Hazard Risk Summary andAnalysis, “with the cyclical nature of some of theseevents, 2013 should be considered fair warning that2014 will likely see a return to the higher average

numbers of damaging natural disasters.”Putting 2013 statistics aside, natural disasters in

the United States have been becoming more com-mon and more costly. The two years preceding 2013were among the nastiest ever. While damages ex-ceeded $1 billion in only two natural disasters in2013, there were 14 natural disasters in 2011 and 11in 2012 in which damages exceeded $1 billion.

Property damages from natural disasters totaledmore than $110 billion in 2012, including $60 bil-lion from Hurricane Sandy.

During the 32-year period from 1980 to 2012,damages exceeded $1 billion when adjusted to the2013 consumer price index in each of 144 weather-related disasters in the U.S. That comes to an averageof 4.5 major natural disasters per year. The total costof the 144 natural disasters exceeds $1 trillion, ac-cording to the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA).

Natural Disasters Are CyclicalNatural disasters tend to be cyclical, so it’s not un-

usual for a disaster-filled year to be followed by anearly disaster-free year – and for a year with few nat-ural disasters to be followed by a year that’s full ofthem.

The CoreLogic report found that 2013 had abelow-average number of tornadoes, hurricanes,floods and wildfires. We will soon find out whether2014 is one of those years in which a year with a low

number of natural disasters is followed by a yearthat’s full of them.

In the meantime, let’s consider CoreLogic’s find-ings for each of the categories its report covers.

Tornadoes. As of late October, there were 710 tor-nadoes in the U.S. during 2013. That may sound likea lot, but it’s 229 fewer than in any year during theprevious decade.

Sturbridge residents can still see the destructiveforces of the tornadoes that ripped through our townin 2011, but we can be grateful that we don’t live inOklahoma. The most severe tornado ever recorded,measuring up to 2.6 miles wide, hit rural El Reno,Okla., in 2013, killing 13 people, while a second tor-nado sliced a 17-mile path through Moore, Okla.,killing 23 people, injuring 337 and causing an esti-mated $2 billion to $3.5 billion in damages.

CoreLogic says future risk is “tied not only to thefrequency of storms, but also to the possibility of in-dividual storms to increase in size, speed, and sever-ity.”

Hurricanes. While 2012 brought HurricaneSandy, hurricanes were a non-event in 2013.

Experts predicted that 2013 would bring 18named storms and nine hurricanes, including fourmajor hurricanes. Instead, only 13 storms were of alarge enough magnitude to be named and only twowere classified as hurricanes.

None of the named storms had a direct impact on


Richard Morchoe

the United States. The first officialhurricane of the year, Hurricane Hum-berto, was just three hours shy of set-ting the record for the latest date atwhich the first hurricane of the yearwas recorded.

In contrast, there were 19 namedstorms in 2012, of which 10 were up-graded to hurricane, including twomajor storms.

Floods. Given the low number ofnamed storms in the Atlantic, it’s notsurprising that flooding was moderatein 2013.

Still, residents of Boulder, Colo.,would not consider 2013 a moderateyear for flooding, as more than 19,000homes across 17 counties were dam-aged or destroyed. CoreLogic esti-mated that 2013 flood losses totaled$2 billion. In comparison, HurricaneKatrina caused $100 billion in dam-ages in 2005 and Hurricane Sandydamages in 2012 totaled $60 billion.

Mid-Atlantic states reported 56flooding events in 2013, which was upfrom 35 in 2012, but far below the2011 total of 454.

Wildfires. Both the number of wild-fires and the total acreage burned werebelow the 10-year average in 2013,CoreLogic found. The number of fireswas at the lowest level in 10 years, withabout 40,000 fires reported, which iswell below the 10-year average of63,000.

Still, wildfires reached average levelsin California, Colorado, Washingtonand Idaho, and some of the fires thattook place in 2013 caused widespreaddestruction.

California’s Rim Fire, the thirdlargest in the state’s history, destroyedmore than 257,000 acres, includingmuch of the Stanislaus National Forestand parts of Yosemite National Park.Colorado’s Black Forest fire burnedthrough 14,000 acres, damaging or de-stroying more than 500 homes whilecausing more than $300 million inlosses, while Arizona’s Yarnell Hill fireburned through 8,400 acres and de-stroyed 129 homes, resulting in thedeath of 19 firefighters.

With drought conditions persistingin the west and an increase in fuel loadin wildfire areas, experts say there is in-creased wildfire risk in 2014. Fuel load

is a buildup of easily combustible de-bris, such as leaves and branches, onthe forest floor.

CoreLogic identified 740,000 resi-dences with a value exceeding $136billion at high risk of wildfire damage.

Sinkholes. Sinkholes are drawingincreasing attention after three signif-icant sinkholes caused damage in2013 in Seffner, Clermont andDunedin, Fla., resulting in one deathand the destruction of two houses

and a tourist resort.CoreLogic has identified 23,000

sinkholes in Florida, and believes theyhave the potential to cause damage inother parts of the country as well.

It’s difficult to predict tomorrow’sweather accurately, so no one knowsfor certain what 2014 will bring, butit’s best to be prepared for the worst.Talk to your insurance representativeto make certain you have the coverageyou need to protect your family and

your home. You may not need thecoverage, but what if you do and youdon’t have it?

Richard A. McGrath, CIC, LIA isPresident and CEO of McGrath In-surance Group, Inc. of Sturbridge,Mass. He can be reached at [email protected].

This article is written for informa-tional purposes only and should not beconstrued as providing legal advice.

to rise in the USSR, it was only throughworking in the government. The intelli-gence agencies recruited the brightest youth.Whatever caused the system’s demise it wasnot the fault of the KGB.

A man who forced his way to the topwould more likely be a strong leader thanour last two incumbents. They both havetheir partisans, but what impresses? Onehad family connections that got him his jobas a sports franchise front man. It was worknot too different from his presidential role.The other had his way smoothed for himby a sycophantic press, not that he didn’tearn that Nobel.

Putin is an authoritarian and noThomas Jefferson, but he isn’t running ourcountry.

Since 2001, our foreign policy has onlybeen a failure. We had to leave Iraq becausethey refused us a status of forces agreement.Libya is a mess. Egypt found democracy abit of a trial. Mean old Vlad saved us frombecoming Al Qaeda’s air force in Syria. Weare in no sense winning in Afghanistan.

What to do? We referred the questionto our official think tank, the Long Hill In-stitute for the Study of a Busy Body ForeignPolicy (LHIftSoaBBFP for short). Lookinginto the wisdom of the past, they suggest aparaphrase of the words of Oscar Wilde. “If this is the way our country treats its for-eign policy, it doesn’t deserve to have one.”Dear readers, let us face reality and stop theongoing botch of international relationsand close the State Department. We mightmiss out on a war or two, but that’s a smallprice to pay.

Granted an army of diplomats on foodstamps will offset the savings in wasted for-eign aid money, but we must be willing toface reality. We will have fewer problemswith the world and vice versa.

Continued from page 18


YARDWORKSBy Tom Chamberland, ISATom Chamberland is the Tree Warden for the Town of Sturbridge and a Certified Arborist

Caring for what grows in your yard

A few planting guidelinesPeople are always asking me “when is the best time

to plant?” My answer is generally “whenever the groundisn’t frozen”. That doesn’t mean digging up a plant inyour yard and moving it to another location will alwaysbe successful. But any plant that is available at a gardencenter should be easy to get established in your yardwhenever it is offered for sale at the garden center.

The next question “how do I choose the rightplant?” needs more consideration. If you’re a typicalhomeowner, chances are you’re a bit mystified by theprocess of selecting the proper plantings for around yourhome. Obviously no single tree or shrub can be suitablefor every location; there are simply too many variables –our climate, soil conditions, rainfall, sun exposure, windand other factors all help define the possibilities. Andonce you start exploring the options, you may be over-whelmed by the multitude of claims various growersmake about their plants.

Choosing the right plants depends upon your partic-ular needs and preferences, so it’s always best to startwith some basic considerations. For example,

• What purpose and function do you wantyour landscape to serve: a quiet place to relax, shade tohelp cool your home, screening an undesirable view,guiding traffic flow, a low maintenance groundcover,year-round appeal, etc.;

• Are the plants appropriate for the conditionswhere they’ll be growing; know our growing zone. Our

“Zone” in Sturbridge is 5b so see this link for more in-formation on growing zones:http://www.garden.org/zipzone/index.php

When you’re ready to plant, your local independentgarden center usually offers the most reliable and rele-vant help. Select a business that is family run and hasbeen in operation for a long time (those ubiquitous“box stores” tend to be more concerned with generatingincome rather than providing well-considered advice).Try to hitch up with a staff member who is interested inyou, understands your needs and is willing to spend thetime to work with you.

Second only to watering poorly, (remember wateringa good slow soaking, at least once a week) planting toodeeply is the most common reason for trees and shrubsto fail. Roots set their depth very carefully so that they’llreceive not only the correct amount of water and nutri-ents from the soil but also oxygen. Yes, roots need tobreathe. If air is cut off from the roots by excessivedepth, roots suffocate, deteriorate and eventually diewhich leads to dieback in the above-ground parts of theplant.

Make sure you measure the height of the root ball todetermine how deep the planting hole should be. For acontainer-grown plant it’s easy; just measure from thebottom of the pot to the soil surface. For a balled andburlapped plant you need to open the top of the burlapBEFORE planting. Rub away any loose soil from the

top to find the original soil surface and the trunk flare(where the stem of the plant widens just before divingbeneath the surface to become roots), and measurefrom there to the bottom of the root ball. If you get car-ried away and dig the hole too deeply, remember tostomp on the soil you use to backfill to correct thedepth. You don’t need to compact it like cement, butyou need to firm the soil enough so that the root balldoesn’t settle deeper and deeper with each watering.When you’re all done planting, you should still be ableto see both the original soil surface and the trunk flare.Remember that you’re mimicking nature when you’reputting in a new plant. No above-ground part of theplant should go below ground.

There are a handful of exceptions to the rule. Clema-tis should be planted with the crown (the base of theplant at the soil level in the pot) 2-4” below grade. Androses, usually planted with the graft at grade or slightlybelow grade, can be planted with the graft up to 2″below grade to protect the graft in our area from thecold.

So, remember when “Planted too deep? Read ‘emand weep. Planted at grade? You got it made!” Ormaybe “Deep is dead”, “Grade is good”. Or “Your gradewill be a D if you plant too deep”. Or “D is for deep asin Dead as a Doornail”. Or … I’m sure you get thepoint!


pal of Allied Health Academy at Putnam VocationalTechnical High School (Springfield). In addition, shehas been editor for two books written by Sturbridgefiction writer Alberto Mercado. She holds a Masterof Business Administration degree from Anna MariaCollege and a Doctor of Educational Leadershipfrom University of Hartford. She has also earned aCertificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Second-ary Administration from Westfield State College.

Growing up in the Bronx and moving to South-bridge in middle school, Gimas said she has alwaysloved learning. “I always liked education and enjoyedlearning, so academia was a great place for me,” shesaid. “When I was pursuing my certificate in ad-vanced studies, it was suggested I go for a doctoratedegree. It seemed like an ominous achievement at thetime, but I would repeat the experience in a heart-beat. I had a dynamic advisor who was constantlychallenging me. I would say something and she’d ask,‘So what?’ It really forced me to think.”

The premise of her dissertation was determiningwhat creates self-efficacy (a person’s belief in their abil-ity to succeed). It was titled, Ethical Dimensions forEducational Leaders: A Qualitative Study ExaminingGraduate Educational Leadership Programs. “Oneof the first assignments we had to do was write a fivepage personal creed titled, ‘Who are You?’ The pro-fessor said if you don’t know who you are, then youcan’t lead anyone,” Gimas said. “It was not about re-flecting on our strengths and weakness; it was moreabout determining what values drove us and what wewere willing to stick our neck out for.”

Gimas served on the Sturbridge Finance Commit-tee for a few years, and said it was a good precursorto the role of selectman. “I had to run a few times be-fore I became known. Being on the finance commit-tee, you really get a clear picture of the town overalland its operations. I think it provides a good workingknowledge of every area as you are acting in a liaisoncapacity to other departments.”

After taking a few years off due to conflicts withher work schedule, Gimas decided to run for a termon the BOS. “I believed it needed a change…newblood,” she said. “I think the biggest eye opener tome was that residents didn’t realize that they makethe decisions on things like raising taxes or not –that’s what the annual Town Meeting is all about.Very few realize their vetting power as a citizens.”

Gimas took over as chairman after former select-man Tom Creamer resigned in November. She saysher leadership style allows people to do their job with-out micromanaging. “If you keep the channel ofcommunication open, you know the work is getting

done. It’s not about asking 100 times if the work didget done,” she said. “I was vice chair and assumed thechairmanship because I wanted to change the aura.The BOS meetings needed to be less tense andshorter–there was far too much redundancy. Thereis no reason for a meeting to go until 11 p.m. I knowfrom teaching that you lose the audience after awhile.The first thing I did to ease the tension was visit de-partment heads when I took over. I wanted them toknow it was a new day and to give me a chance. I did-n’t want them to assume I voted in a block withoutmy own personal reasons.”

Establishing an atmosphere of trust was importantfrom the start to Gimas. “Trust is something that isearned, whether you are requesting or giving it. In-tegrity is intrinsic–you either have it or you don’t.You need to operate with no personal vendettas,agendas, grudges or special interests. Diversity is good,with varying opinions, but not on every single issue.Five people agreeing all the time is not good either.”

She cited the recent evaluation of Town Admin-istrator Shaun Suhoski as a case in point. “As chair, Iput the composite together for all staff evaluations.There were some statements made in his evaluationthat were not factual and that is not right,” she said.“We pay him to administrate over the town and whatis a priority should be at his discretion. I meet onceevery week or so with him and there is great commu-nication. He knows if there are other things on thehorizon between BOS meetings.”

Being informed is an important part of the roleof a selectman, Gimas said. “I believe personally thatevery selectman is responsible to the residents to dotheir homework. That means attending other publichearings and meetings that might pertain to thetown,” she said. “Then, you make informed decisionsbased on core values. For example, the BOS was facedwith a vote on a decision for a business to expandtheir Sunday hours to sell alcohol. It was a question-able decision for me; I abstained for religious reasons.My religious component is my moral compass andthat’s what I lean on. I vote for what I believe in; Idon’t buy into the rhetoric.”

As for issues facing the town, Gimas says there areno large capital projects in Sturbridge’s future rightnow. She also said new Fire Chief Dave Zinther is ontrack and has built a good rapport with staff and thepublic. “I’d like to see us look at a part-time economicdevelopment/grant writer or hire a company or con-sultant. The timing is right to have a liaison to busi-nesses and seek monies dedicated to specific projects.For example, the Senior Center needs new windowsand other improvements. Senior Citizens tell me thebuilding is cold and in need of improvements, but

they also don’t want to pay more in taxes. We shouldbe exploring grants so it doesn’t fall onto the taxpay-ers. If we go with someone part-time or a consultant,there are no benefits required. It’s a cost effective wayto see if there is a benefit to the town,” she said. “Inaddition, one thing I’d like to see explored down theroad is our own electric and cable company, lookingat Shrewsbury as one example.”

She also sees work continuing on the CommercialTourist District Revitalization Plan. The plan includesthe area on Route 20 from Brookfield Road to NewBoston Road. It provides recommendations for cre-ating gateways at the eastern and western ends of thecorridor that have visual appeal, enhancing the pedes-trian experience, and developing or redevelopingareas to offer commercial and recreation activities forvisitors and residents. “It is a phenomenal plan thatspeaks to residents’ input on the Master Plan,” shesaid. “It gives us a vision of something to work frombut needs some tweaking. A lot depends on how statefunding plays out.”

Finally, Gimas said she’d like to see more progressin making Stubridge a destination. “There seems tobe more foot traffic on Route 20 and the business cli-mate is good. I think Cinemagic is one of the greatestthings to happen in town. Some businesses are moresuccessful than others; some fold by their own accordand it does not necessarily relate to the town,” shesaid. “Old Sturbridge Village’s new leadership (underJim Donahue) has infused a lot into the communityand the good things happening there are spilling overto the town. Tourism is still part of the town’s liveli-hood.”

More on the BOS Candidates on page 25

Conversation with Sturbridge BOS Chair Priscilla GimasContinued from page 17


PETS Q&AWITH KATHY MENARD

Raw diets, housebreaking and socialization

Q. What is a raw diet? Do you just give raw meat to yourdog?

A. There are many forms of raw diets. Typically, PetSupply stores carry frozen, complete and balancedchubs/logs, patties or nuggets, as well as groundmeat/bone/veggies. Some are not approved as completeand balanced, so be sure you know which you want andwhich you are getting. You thaw out what you will usewithin a 3 day period, much like you would do for yourown frozen meat, and, yes, you feed it to them raw.

There is another type of raw diet that you prepareyourself, called the BARF diet (bones and raw foods). Inthis diet you give raw meaty bones, such as chicken necksor backs along with vegetables that have been put througha juicer (so that they can utilize the nutrients in the veg-gies - they can't utilize nutrients from raw vegetables un-less cooked or juiced/cut up very very fine). This diet ismore complex for the novice as you need to add varioussupplements based on what you are feeding. Many peo-ple who opt for this method purchase meat grinders thatcan handle grinding bone as well as meat, choosing tofeed the food ground to eliminate any possibility of prob-lems with the bones.

Raw diets are very controversial. There are manybooks available on the subject. If you are interested inpursuing it further, I highly recommend picking up a fewof the books, or researching on line. As always, don't for-get to discuss with your veterinarian.

Q. We rescued a dog about a year ago. In the be-ginning, we had housebreaking issues, but theyseemed to finally go away. Lately, tho, he has beenhaving accidents during the night. We hate tocrate him since he is used to sleeping with us.What do you recommend?

A. In order to break a pre-existing habit you needto prevent the behavior for a minimum of 12weeks. You mentioned his accidents are primarilyduring the night, which is a time you can't keepan eye on him. I would go back to crating him fora 3 month period. In the interim, you could ad-just his feeding schedule to either later or earlierto affect the time he needs to go. You may haveto play with the time - if you feed later he may beable to hold it until morning, if you feed earlieryou may get him to go before bed. Another possi-bility is that he isn't completely eliminating whenhe goes outside. Many dogs don't like the coldweather and will run out and go only enough toalleviate the pressure, in order that they can comeback inside sooner. If you see him doing this,bring him out numerous times before bed.

Q. Can you please clarify what socializing reallymeans? I am fortunate to be able to bring my dogto work with me every day where she is exposed tomany people. A friend told me this isn't enough.She is 15 weeks old.

A. Your friend is correct. You want to expose herto as many different stimuli, people, places, noisesas possible, prior to 17 weeks of age. Everythingshe is exposed to prior to this 17 weeks makes alifelong impression. Of course you want to keepit all very positive. Don't drag her up to someoneor something if she is afraid. Use treats to dis-tract her if she seems concerned. There are nu-merous stores in the area that allow pets, considerbringing her in and browsing. Most folks lovepuppies and will happily give them attention.Bring treats to help reinforce that strangers aregreat! Join a puppy play group.

Kathy Menard has been a dog trainer for over 35years and is certified through the Certification Coun-cil for Professional Dog Trainers. She has trainedunder three world-renowned Schutzhund trainers for14 years and has competed in the American KennelClub and the sport of Schutzhund, earning over 15titles. Kathy is the owner of Compatible Canine inFiskdale, MA and KT’s Pet Stop in Palmer, MA.


You might say that being involved in politics came natu-rally for Mary Blanchard, incumbent candidate for a three-year term on the Sturbridge Board of Selection (BOS). “Igrew up in Worcester in an Irish Democrat family. My momworked the polls and we always paid attention to what washappening politically,” she said.

A resident of Sturbridge for 41 years, Blanchard is seek-ing her third term in the April 14 election. She was firstelected to the BOS in 2008, and has served on the ZoningBoard of Appeals and the Open Space, Route 131 Study,Charter Review and Personnel Committees. She was also aRegistrar of Voters for nine years.

Blanchard’s husband, Charles, served on Sturbridge’sWater and Sewer Commission before it was absolved into afull-time Department of Public Works position. Currentlythe Town Administrator in Palmer, he went on to serve 18years on the Sturbridge BOS. He also served on several com-mittees and is currently involved on the Burgess SchoolBuilding project.

A graduate of Notre Dame Academy (Worcester) and

Worcester State College, Blanchard was an elementaryschool teacher at Burgess for 26 years. Now that she is re-tired, she says she has the time to invest on the Board. “Iserved on four negotiating teams for contracts; I have al-ways been concerned where tax dollars were going. Nowthat my kids are grown and I am retired, I have the timeto contribute to the committee. Part of being on theBOS is to be well versed and informed in all areas; I tryto attend things like school meetings and budget hear-ings,” said the 68-year-old Blanchard. “I really enjoy beingon the BOS and feel I still have experience to contribute.I can and do make fair and impartial decisions.”

Making decisions boils down to two things, Blan-chard says. “It comes down to the budget and what serv-ices town residents say they want. I don’t foresee any bigcapital projects in the near future; we have already ad-dressed the school (Burgess) and waste water treatment.Sturbridge has been very supportive,” she said. “Townbuilding improvements were identified in the MasterPlan and they need to be addressed in the future. TheSafety Complex garage floor has been completed, but theDepartment of Public Works building needs renovationas well as the skylight in the library.”

Another project that is moving forward is the TheCommercial District Tourism Plan and the conceptualplan has been completed. “There are a lot of aesthetic im-provements along Route 20 proposed, but since it is astate highway, it boils down to state dollars and grantmoney,” she said. “The plan has some good aspects, butI’m still not convinced the turnaround is a good idea.”

The idea of a part-time grant writer position for Stur-bridge has been suggested, but Blanchard sees that as theTown Administrator’s (Shaun Suhoski) role. “Grants arefew and far between. Department heads in areas like po-

lice, fire and planning have sought grants that fit whatwas needed and have been successful. I don’t see us put-ting dollars into a grant position and it paying for itself. Iexpect seeking grants to be part of the Town Administra-tor’s role.”

She said a general review of government services andregulation-size ball fields should be explored in the nearfuture. “I think the Town Administrator can handle re-viewing whether or not we are providing the best servicesto residents in the most efficient manner. In fact, this wasone of Shaun’s goals when he was hired,” Blanchardsaid. “Residents have also been clamoring for more fieldssince I moved to town and it keeps coming up. It may bea private complex; tournaments do bring in people witha need for food and lodging so it can be good for thetown.”

In the past, Blanchard said she has been in favor of apart-time economic development position. “It is hard tojustify full-time as there may not be enough work. Itmight be that it can be combined with another position.However, Town Planner Jean Bubon is well aware ofwho is interested in doing business in Sturbridge. Route15 has no water and sewer and there has never been pub-lic dollars used to put those things in–it is the ratepayer’sresponsibility–so that’s a drawback,” she said. “However,we are fortunate to have the commercial and industrialbase that we have in town. I think the budget is vettedwell from all parties involved (Finance Committee, TownAdministrator and BOS) and not extravagant. A 10-towncomparison shows we are in the middle of the road interms of salaries.”

Blanchard says the dynamics on the board havechanged and once all five BOS positions have been


BOARDOFSELECTMEN

Mary Blanchard


filled, she welcomes another chance to be a part of town gov-ernment. “I was surprised that the Town Administrator eval-uations were on the two ends of the extremes. But, we havemoved beyond the previous micromanaging and rehashingout of the same things. The atmosphere is calmer and theshorter meetings have been just as productive if not moreso,” she said. “One thing I think BOS members realize nowis that we are one Board and make decisions as one. We candisagree; it’s nothing personal.”


BOS Candidates: Two running for one-year seat

Mary Blanchard

Two residents are vying for a one-year term on the Stur-bridge Board of Selectman (BOS) in this month’s town elec-tion.

Donald Fairbrother, a retired middle manager from alarge aerospace firm, and Craig Moran, owner of SturbridgeService Center, Inc., are newcomers to the BOS race. Theyare competing for the remaining term of former SelectmanTom Creamer who resigned last November.

Fairbrother moved to Sturbridge from Marlborough eightyears ago because of its country-style of living. He has been amember of the Zoning Board of Appeals, and Cable Advi-sory, Stipend Study and Personnel Committees. He says he

is running for the BOS for three reasons. “First, there hasbeen a lack of appreciation shown to town employees. Manyhave felt demoralized and bullied and this has caused signif-icant attrition by many experienced and valuable people. Iadmit there has been a dramatic improvement with the recentchange in the makeup of the BOS. I want to contribute tothis continuing morale improvement and reduce the subse-quent impact of attrition,” the 69 year old said. “Secondly,the issue of lack of regulation ball fields available for differentsports is terrible. Sturbridge has been struggling with this needfor far too long. I see this as a priority in the next year.”

The third reason Fairbrother is running is he wants tohelp Sturbridge become an overnight destination. “Stur-bridge is an ideal location in Central New England becauseit is at the juncture of two major highways. It has a rejuvenatedOld Sturbridge Village, a spate of motel and hotel rooms, along list of unique shops and excellent dining experiences. Italso has an envious set of nature trails that need to be profes-sionally marketed to establish it as an overnight destination,”he said. “Making investments in the town that provide a re-turn should be a priority in the next year. We need to alleviatereliance on residents and local businesses for tax receipts. ”

Moran purchased Sturbridge Service Center, Inc. in 1987and has lived in town since then, commuting to his Hopkin-

ton home on days off to be with family. He purchased a homeon Cedar Lake in 1996 and became a full-time resident in2008. He also operates two other businesses –Sturbridge Re-alty Co., Inc. and MobileMed Transportation, Inc. “I dothink the board needs some stability and a more user-friendlyformat with residents and businesses. I think I can add a freshoutlook on town operations and provide accountability toresidents,” he said. “My schedule can be full at times, howeverthe one year slot lets me test the waters to see if the board po-sition is a good fit and also lets residents test me for a longerterm.”

Priorities for Moran will be looking at overall expendi-tures, projected school expenses and needs, and the Route20 project (Commercial Tourist Revitalization Plan). “Taxesare climbing and we need to get more residents involved inthe Town Meeting process so their voices can be heard – it istheir money. We need to see what we can do to offset the taxburden on residents,” the 65 year old said. “Senior citizensshould be a priority too; we need to help them with the ever-increasing charges for services on the local level. I’d also liketo see us be friendlier to businesses that may wish to settle intown.”

A STURBRIDGE TIMESBeyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape By Jenna...

Documents

Transcript of A STURBRIDGE TIMESBeyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape By Jenna...