The Winchendon Courier
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of August 6 to August 13, 2020

DCR Recreational Advisory: Cyanobacteria Bloom in Dunn Pond in Gardner

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is warning the public of a cyanobacteria bloom present in Dunn Pond within Dunn State Park in the City of Gardner. During a bloom it is strongly advised that the public should not have contact with the water. Additionally, pet owners should keep their animals away from the shoreline to prevent them from ingesting the water. The waterbody will be retested until cyanobacteria levels are within acceptable limits per Department of Public Health (DPH) guidelines. For questions regarding cyanobacteria blooms, please contact the DPH at (617) 624-5757 or visit the agency's algae webpage.

MWCC Welcomes New Director of Veterinary Technology Program

MWCC Veterinary Technology Director Tara Novak

August 6, 2020, Gardner, MA – Mount Wachusett Community College is pleased to welcome Tara Novak as the new Chair and Program Director of the Veterinary Technology Associate Degree Program.

Novak joins MWCC after ten years with Becker College in Leicester, Mass where she was most recently the Director of Veterinary Technology as well as clinical instructor and certified veterinary technician. She brings extensive veterinary and laboratory skills and experience to the MWCC program.

As Director of Veterinary Technology at MWCC, she is responsible for all aspects of accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) and the adherence of the curriculum to AVMA/CVTEA requirements.

Novak holds a Bachelors in Veterinary Science from Becker College and Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG) certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS), and Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) certification from the Massachusetts Veterinary Technician Association (MVTA).

The Veterinary Technology program at MWCC was launched in 2017 thanks to a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Workforce Skills Cabinet and received accreditation by the AVMA/CVTEA in September 2019. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE). MWCC is one of only five Massachusetts colleges to hold CVTEA accreditation.