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Grafton remembers the Civil War

CivilDreamsGrafton rededicated its Civil War monument today and celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Grafton Town House. A good hunk of the town is getting all dressed up for a costume ball tonight but the highlight of the day so far was the Civil War encampment on Grafton Common. The 13th Massachusetts, a group of Civil War re-enactors, set up camp and held a muster this morning.

I couldn’t resist the photo op, so I broke out the trusty Greater Grafton Rebel and headed up to the Common.

Joked Brook Padgett “You got a job, it’s the weekend, and you’re still taking pictures around town? You might want to get help for that.” Yeah…

 

 

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Grafton History Day recalls Civil War

115_1589Saturday is Grafton History Day, which means Grafton Common will be transported back in time to the Civil War era in celebration of the Grafton Town House’s 150th birthday and the rededication of the Civil War monument.

Featured events include:

10 a.m. Civil War Muster featuring the 13th MA Volunteers

11 a.m. Concert at the Unitarian Universalist Church (Apple Tree Arts and UUSGU Choir)

1 p.m. Rededication of Civil War Monument

2 p.m. Concert at the UU Church (Youth Bands, Youth Solos and Jazz Quintet)

7 p.m. Costume Ball at Pleasant Valley Country Club to benefit the restoration of the Grafton Town House (by the way, check out this T&G story about a Grafton teen who made her own costume and read her blog about her Civil War-era sewing exploits).

Activities from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. around Grafton Common include the Grafton Garden Club Plant Sale and Raffle, the Grafton Historical Society Museum’s Warren Exhibit, an open house at the Unitarian Universalist Church, arts & crafts and vendors on the Common, children’s activities including a bounce house and pony rides, a sidewalk art show at the Grafton Public Library.

On Sunday, the Unitarian Universalist Church will be rededicated in a ceremony honoring the life of its “Fighting Chaplain,” Rev. William G. Scandlin, who served as Chaplain of the 15th Massachusetts Regiment during the Civil War.

Scandlin’s great-great-granddaughter, Donna Scandlin, is expected to join UUSGU in rededicating the church, along with her husband, Rod Magson. The service will feature eight re-enactors who will read from original letters and diaries from the Civil War period. Following the 10am service the congregation will dedicate a Peace Pole on land between the church and One Grafton Common.

During Sunday’s service Rev. Scandlin will be portrayed by Thomas Connell, a member of the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry reenactment group. Connell often portrays “The Fighting Chaplain,” in Civil War reenactments.

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Letter: Dave Ross thanks Grafton residents for support

DaveRossThank You

As my time on the Board of Selectmen ends this coming week, I would like to take a minute to thank all of you for your support and guidance over the past eight years (five on the Finance Committee and three on the BOS).  I would especially like to thank my wife and daughter for their support and understanding as my involvement in town government has meant sacrificing many evenings together.  The time required of those who are lucky enough to serve is far greater than one imagines.  Only a fraction of the meetings are televised, and the effort and work put in by all members of the town’s various volunteer committees often goes unnoticed.  However, we do not do this for the accolades, but instead to better our community for ourselves, our families and our neighbors.  Members of the Board of Selectmen often get much of the credit (or blame), but there are hundreds of other volunteers who deserve our thanks and gratitude.

I would like to thank my fellow Board members: Brook Padgett, John Dowling, Peter Adams, John Carlson, Mary Ann Nolan and Chris Lemay for helping in the transition from novice to Chairman and for making Tuesday evenings enjoyable and productive.  As Peter Adams stated, “we may disagree during the meetings, but every night we leave as friends.”  Our town staff led by Tim McInerney and Kevin Mizikar has done tremendous work in recent years and I look forward to continued improvements.  The residents of town have been wonderful in supporting initiatives I have championed and in making suggestions or requests on a whole range of issues.  I never grew tired of hearing about everything going on in town; I will miss that sense of being “in the know”.  After eight years it’s time for me to step away and let someone else have a chance.

I continue to be amazed by the passion Grafton residents have for their community and the numerous activities and projects they are invested in.  There is no purer form of democracy than participation at the local level, where your voice and vote can truly make a difference.  Over the years I have seen the hard work of a few dedicated souls lead to the successful passage of numerous initiatives, and I am proud to say that I have been an active participant in the process.   This coming Tuesday you will have the opportunity to elect two new members to the Board, I urge you to vote.  Your vote on Tuesday may have a bigger impact on your day to day life than your vote for President or US Senator, as these individuals will be empowered by us to lead this town, by setting tax rates, funding different initiatives, maintaining parks, repairing roads and setting policy.  Voting is a wonderful right provided to all Americans, and we should honor and embrace it.  Please vote on Tuesday.

Thank you

Dave Ross

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Meal tax passes, Westboro Road taking fails

021Catching up with my Town Meeting news this morning before I head off to work. Appreciate all the updates last night!

  • Richard Price at The Grafton Villager gives a rundown of the big ticket items, which include a meal tax for Grafton.
  • Susan Spencer at the T&G also details the failure of an eminent domain taking of Grafton & Upton Railroad property by the town for needed repairs on Westboro Road. This was heavily opposed by Dennis Flynn, a selectman candidate. Text from a friend last night: “Scott Browne has officially been replaced by Dennis Flynn, YIKES.”

 

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‘Ask The Geezers’ airs 150th show this week

Ask The GeezersGrafton Community Television marks another significant broadcast accomplishment on Thursday evening, May 16, when the 150th live episode of “Ask The Geezers” airs at 8 p.m.

The one-hour discussion program features Jim Gallagher with GCTV producers Bob DeToma and Rick Schultze. The program airs live at 8 p.m. every other Thursday evening on Charter Channel 11 / Verizon Channel 34 and is then rebroadcast on Fridays and Saturdays at 11 p.m..

According to Bob DeToma of Ask the Geezers, “Originally the Geezers would meet weekly for coffee and discuss anything we could think of, or as one witness put it, ‘are you guys trying to solve all the worlds problems in one night?’ . . . . . and from there we entered the studio and created history,  . . . . or mayhem, the viewer gets to choose.  150 shows later, we’re still at it, with some cast changes along the way, and looking forward to show number 200.”

Grafton Community Television provides programming on three distinct public access channels in the Town of Grafton over the Charter Communications and the Verizon cable systems. Monthly schedules for Grafton Community Television Channels can be found at http://www.GraftonTV.org.

Charter Channel 11/Verizon Channel 34 provides general interest programming, Charter Channel 12/Verizon Channel 33 broadcasts town government programming, and Charter Channel 13 /Verizon Channel 32 features school programming and high school sports events. The Grafton Community Television studios and offices are located at 296 Providence Road in South Grafton.

Submitted by John LaPoint, GCTV

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Free tomato plants at Plantapalooza

PlantapaloozaThree words: free tomato plants!

That must mean it’s time for Plantapalooza, the Community Harvest Project’s annual plant sale fundraiser. This year’s Plantapalooza is Saturday, May 18, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wheeler Road farm.

Proceeds from Plantapalooza support Community Harvest Project’s operations, providing funds for seeds and other farm supplies needed to grow fruits and vegetables for hunger relief, increasing access to healthy foods for more families in our community.

Included in the event will be:

  •     A huge selection of annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetable plants
  • The Cookie Walk – take home bucket of cookies for a very low price
  • FREE TOMATO PLANTS – 4 free tomato plants to the first 1,000 attendees
  • Craft Sale – check out the offerings of our talented local crafters
  • Food – have a bite to eat while you stroll through the plant selection

Admission to the event is free.

Plantapalooza sponsors include Dunkin’ Donuts, Polar Beverages, Sweetbriar Perennials, Worcester Garden Club, and Worcester Restaurant Group.

Community Harvest Project, Inc. is a non-profit organziation with a mission to build an engaged and healthier community by bringing volunteers together to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for hunger relief.  Thousands of volunteers every year come together every year to become part of the solution to hunger in our community.  In 2012, over 9,200 volunteer visitors from schools, churches, corporate and civic groups came to our farms and orchard to plant, tend and harvest over 250,000 lbs. (nearly 1,000,000 servings) of produce for hunger relief.

For more information, visit http://www.community-harvest.org.

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Introducing The Grafton Villager

20130513-163616.jpgPining for coverage of tonight’s Town Meeting?

I won’t be live blogging for the first time in five years — so it’s the perfect time for a new Grafton news site, don’t you think?

Introducing The Grafton Villager, which is run by my former Grafton reporter, Rich Price. Rich is grabbing the reins of Grafton’s hard news side to keep everyone a bit more informed!

It’s such a relief for me. I’ve been going nuts without my Grafton daily news fix and just haven’t had time to do it myself!