"Winchenstock" Returns to Benefit the CAC with a Blowout Blast from the Past
The 4th annual Winchenstock Festival will be held this Saturday, August 12 from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at its new location, the Winchendon Community Park, 86 Ingleside Drive. As a major benefit fundraiser for the Winchendon CAC, this is a ticketed event. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the gate. Kids under 16 are free if accompanied by an adult. Parking is available in the park's new parking lot, with overflow parking in the soccer field by the entrance. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on. There are picnic tables scattered around the site. 100% of all proceeds go to the Winchendon CAC.
Advance tickets are available at the Winchendon CAC, 5 Summer Drive, or online at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/71363. Should it be necessary, the rain date is Sunday, August 13.
This year's theme is "Love 'N Local". The music is being sponsored by LaPointe Law Offices and will include tunes from the Peace and Love psychedelic 1960s, especially those played at Woodstock in 1969. But classic rock from other decades is also on the program, including numbers played at the 1994 Woodstock music festival.
Featured musicians will be playing on the Robinson Broadhurst Performing Arts Amphitheater stage and are all local to Winchendon or Massachusetts. The current scheduled lineup is as follows:
- First on the stage is solo acoustic performer and Winchendon native Ron Morey, who writes his own music and plays guitar.
- Next up is the acoustic duo Two for the Road--Jeff Merrifield on guitar and James Gauthier on vocals.
- The third act will be local cover band Neon Alley, playing songs from both Woodstock festivals in 1969 and 1994.
- Fourth to take the stage will be the local band Midlife Crisis.
- Closing the show will be Winchendon's own The BIG RanDom, playing cover songs from the 1960s and more.
HEAL Winchendon and the CAC will be running kids' activities including face painting, tie-dying, and a bounce house. There will be raffle tickets on sale for a whole array of hand-made donated raffle baskets and prizes. Bring some kids' school supplies to donate to the GFA Federal Credit Union/Winchendon CAC School Supply Drive (see details right here in the Courier, on the Schools page) and get free raffle tickets! The new Local Makers Hub will have an information table up.
LaPointe Law Offices has sponsored Winchenstock since it debuted in 2019, at the Winchendon Rod and Gun Club in Royalston. David LaPointe, owner of LaPointe Law Offices and also the drummer for The BIG RanDom, told the Gardner News that over four years, Winchenstock has raised a total of some $20,000 for the Winchendon CAC. This year, they hope to raise $5,000 to $6,000.
"We encourage people to dress up in the days of Woodstock, get out the groovy clothing and the armbands," LaPointe told the Gardner News. "The BIG RanDom and other acts plan to play music from Woodstock '69 and Woodstock '94 so it's going to be a lot of fun."
Photojournalist Keith Kent visited the Park to check out the preparations and found crews hard at work. The only thing still needed is YOU!
If you're a local crafter or maker and would like to have a table at Winchenstock, fill out this form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexNyKiPJVrpJk9zuoiFkYu9SERWwKVdiOEfzyW-ZkYZx7yuQ/viewform and contact the vendor coordinators, Janet (lee@7acrefarm.net) or Shaina (shaina.cunningham@heywood.org). We are promoting a "Buy Local" culture and would love to showcase the variety of great products that are made locally. Setup is free for Winchendon & Gardner Crafters, and your event entry fee is waived. For vendors that are residents outside of Winchendon and Gardner, a $20 vendor fee will be collected during setup, which includes your event entry fee. Setup starts at 10:00 a.m. at the Winchendon Community Park. Crafters will need to provide their own tent/table etc. No electricity will be available.
As part of weekend preparations for the upcoming "Winchenstock 2023" celebrating its 4th annual performance at the Robinson Broadhurst Amphitheater, Town of Winchendon DPW Employee Sue Garno who both tends to town parks and also assists at the Town Transfer Station on weekends, is seen in these photos diligently beautifying the Amphitheater grounds near the stage and spectator seating areas making sure all can look its very best in time for the big show!
Photos by Keith Kent
Winchendon CAC Moves to Summer Drive, Ahimsa Haven Moves to Old CAC Building
Visitors looking for the Winchendon CAC may be a little surprised to find the building at 273 Central Street suddenly home to dozens of cats and kittens rescued by Ahimsa Haven Animal Rescue. The Winchendon CAC, with all its equipment, services, and even the custom-built farm stand shed in the front yard, has entirely moved, with great speed and efficiency, to its brand new location at 5 Summer Drive--formerly the Playaway Lanes Bowling Alley, right next door to Bull Spit Brewing. The CAC has purchased the bowling alley, while Ahimsa Haven has purchased 273 Central Street. Hardworking and dedicated volunteers for both organizations have had a incredibly busy two weeks. Both new sites are up, running and open for business.
The Winchendon CAC's food pantry and other services are now available at 5 Summer Drive, although some final installation needs to be finished; the walk-in fridge and freezer have been moved but not entirely set up. The Winchendon School is generously allowing the CAC to store frozen food in their freezer space until the CAC freezer is ready.
The CAC will be able to expand its services, classes, and activities in the spacious new location. But there are even more plans being developed for the building as well. Stay tuned for a full report to come!
Meanwhile, Ahimsa Haven is closing its rented shelter space at the DPW Yard in Templeton. Although the lease for the space was renewed after some concern earlier this year when it appeared that the town of Templeton would give the space to its DPW for offices, Ahimsa has long wanted to own a building in Winchendon. When the opportunity to purchase 273 Central Street came up, Ahimsa was quick to take advantage of it. Cats, cages, and supplies were all moved up from Templeton in a marathon volunteer effort last weekend. There are still some supplies, including several tons of donated cat litter, to be transferred.
Stay tuned for an announcement of the new shelter building's Grand Opening!
And remember, if you're looking for the CAC...go down Central Street two blocks, pass the Clark YMCA and the UU Church, turn left onto Summer Drive and go all the way to the end. Use the entrance to the left as you face the building. Bull Spit Brewing and Beauvais Insurance have a new neighbor!
Traffic Delays Worth the Finished Product
Front Street Finally Repaired!
As seen in these photos at the intersection of Front Street and Academy Streets on Wednesday, August 9, also just past School and River Streets in a very high traffic area of both Routes 202 and 12, road paving crews are witnessed in the "Early Stages" both redirecting traffic through a myriad of streets and applying new hot asphalt.
Photos by Keith Kent
As the shortest and warmest season of the calendar year is quickly passing, road repair crews have had to work extra hard to take advantage of one special resource in 2023, "Sunlight!" With month of July providing the City of Worcester and many parts of Worcester County a staggering 14 inches of rainfall, the town of Winchendon is kicking road repair efforts into overdrive. Toy Town residents should be prepared for delays and detours throughout the month of August.
On the day of August 9, and "Front Street Paving" and due to the nature of the high volume traffic area, while operation began at 7:00 am, a "Heavy Roller" was seen still in operation well after 7:00 pm in the vicinity of Cumberland Farms, also leading up to near the United Parish Church. Workers were clearly trying to make the most of every minute of daylight possible.
While the project is highly necessary for the downtown business district, large sections of Front, Pleasant, and Central Streets were blocked off or redirected for much day at a minimum. The Cumberland Farms convenience store parking lot, usually nearly full to full, was witnessed almost empty for much of the duration and into the late evening. Employees on duty were asked on more than one shift were asked how much if any the temporary traffic redirection affected business sales. Each time the responding employee said, "It's dead," or "It's never like this, it's just totally dead today."
The immediate area has been a hotbed of discussion on social media for quite some time as many have questioned when the both high traffic and congested thoroughfare would finally be addressed due to its many considerable potholes in conjunction with its location adjacent to Town Hall, Cumberland Farms, State Highway intersection, and more, leading to some frustration. However with the now strategic completion of the extensive Central Street Reconstruction Project the project doors have since opened for local "Subsidiary connective arteries" to now be addressed in the proper order.
These current "Full Road Replacement Repairs" completed by professional paving companies where streets are completely ground down and then repaved, have complemented many more repairs in 2023 recently performed by Winchendon's own DPW workers where large sections of road have been patched where replacement was not a financial option. That, along with new additional Chapter 90 funding in 2024 was reported in a previous update story, "DWP Patching Many Roads with Few Hands, More Chapter 90 Funding on Way in 2024" in the July 20-27, 2023 edition of the Winchendon Courier (scroll down the page to the article).
On Thursday, August 10, Director of Department of Public Works Brian Croteau told the Courier that this week's major paving work will be wrapping up on Friday. Another series of projects is scheduled for September, a few weeks from now.
School Committee Appoints Charlotte King as New Director of Pupil Services
At their meeting on Thursday, August 10, the Winchendon School Committee voted to appoint Mrs. Charlotte King (LinkedIn) as the new Director of Pupil Services for the district. Mrs. King has served as the Dean of Students for Toy Town Elementary School for the past year. She lives in Pepperell and was Principal of Wildwood Early Education Center in Wilmington, MA from 2014 to 2021. Prior to 2014, she served as an integrated preschool teacher for the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District for five years, and before that, she was an Early Childhood Coordinator for the Ayer Public Schools. According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) website, she is licensed as a principal/assistant principal, early childhood (grades Pre-K to 3) teacher for students with and without disabilities, and Special Education Administrator.
Director of Finance and Operations Amanda Babinski introduced the recommendation from the Director of Pupil Services Search Committee, explaining that the committee was comprised of "teachers, a representative from the teachers' union, parents, and a member of the leadership team. All interested community members were invited to attend." The committee also heard feedback from several other parties.
The committee looked for a candidate that possessed "five major indicators" that they felt were vital to a department facing significant change. They looked for someone who was approachable, knowledgable, was consistent with expectations and procedures, a good listener and had a proven ability to build relationships with families. Looking at her career, the search committee unanimously agreed that Mrs. King has the skills and characteristics needed for the role of Director of Pupil Services.
Mrs. King rose to respond. "I knew when I came to Winchendon that I really felt a warm welcome" and she looked forward to creating a department that was positive and maintained high standards.
School Committee Chair Karen Kast-McBride said she wanted to "address the elephant in the room" because some parents were already aware of a bit of history. Mrs. King left Wilmington following allegations that students at the Wildwood Early Education Center had been abused by a staff member. These allegations were verified. It was established that Mrs. King could not have been aware of what was going on, and she was not held responsible. However, she left Wilmington as a result of the incident.
Mrs. King said frankly that this incident happened while she was Principal "and it was really upsetting. Honestly, that's not anything that anybody wants to happen." She said that she felt she handled the situation as well as she possibly could, and that she had been told she handled it well. She stated that she had been completely upfront about this past occurrence in her interview a year ago and with Superintendent Thad King.
Ms. Kast-McBride warned that Mrs. King would be under "a lot of scrutiny" in this position, given all that the Special Education Department has been going through. "Right now I believe in full transparency," she said, and Mrs. King agreed.
Asked what she thought the role of the Director of Pupil Services should be, Mrs. King said, "I think that the Director needs to be present...Listen to what they need, what they are looking for. Provide professional development for those families, provide informational sessions, things like that." Asked if she thought she could "put together the pieces here," Mrs. King said, "I think it's going to be a team effort, but yes."
Asked if she had any questions for the Committee, Mrs. King said over the next three weeks, she probably will, but had nothing to ask at the moment.
The Committee voted to approve Mrs. King's appointment unanimously.
The School Committee numbered only three members--David LaPointe, Anthony Findley, and Chair Karen Kast-McBride. On Monday, August 14, a joint meeting of the School Committee and Board of Selectmen will consider applications to fill the two empty seats vacated by Greg Vine and Dr. Ryan Forsythe, with the aim of appointing two new School Committee members to serve until the 2024 Town Election.
Outdoor Movies and Marionettes at the Beals Memorial Library
Enjoy some puppet entertainment with Rosalita's Puppets and a fun showing of Pinocchio at the Beals Library on Thursday, August 17.
Photo courtesy of Beals Memorial Library
There are no strings on Pinocchio, but there are strings on the puppets coming to the Winchendon Library's second Outdoor Movie Night of the month! This month, the library will be showing some fantastic, family-friendly films on Thursday nights out on the library lawn. Before each show, there will also be some exciting puppet entertainment! Here's what's coming next:
On Thursday, August 17, the library will host their second outdoor movie night of the month with a screening of Disney's Pinocchio, starring Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cynthia Erivo, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth. In this live-action remake of the classic Disney animated film, a young puppet is brought to life and gets into some misadventures as he tries to become a real boy. The movie will begin at sundown.
Before the film begins, come early for some marionette entertainment with Rosalita's Puppets and their talented puppeteer, Charlotte Anne Dore, at 7:00 p.m. Enjoy a humorous and magical show fit for the whole family!
Also prior to the start of the show, the Friends of the Beals Memorial Library will be running their book sale and concession stand from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Purchase some used books and media for low prices or grab a tasty treat to enjoy during the show. Popcorn and lemonade will be available for purchase from the Youth Changemakers' Sunshine Cafe.
This year's Outdoor Movie Nights are sponsored in part by the Winchendon Cultural Council and the Friends of the Beals Memorial Library. In the event of rain, the movie will be rescheduled to the following day.
All Outdoor Movie Nights at the library are free and open to the public, no strings attached!
The Beals Memorial Library is located at 50 Pleasant Street in Winchendon. For more information, contact the library at 978-297-0300 or visit their website at bealslibrary.org.
Winchendon Music Festival to Present Seven Concerts, August 16-27 2023
John Arcaro
Photo courtesy of Andrew Arceci
The Arcadia Players
Photo courtesy of Andrew Arceci
The Winchendon Music Festival, led by Founder and distinguished American musician Andrew Arceci, who performs on colascione, viola da gamba, and double bass, returns this year for seven concerts from August 16 to 27. Featuring performances by international artists from a variety of genres including classical, folk, jazz, historical performance, and world music, this festival will showcase Mr. Arceci, Renaissance lutanists Hideki Yamaya and William Simms, other WMF Artists, the Arcadia Players, John Arcaro & Band, pianist George Lykogiannis, the folk collective Floyds Row, and the Worcester Jazz Orchestra. Full program details follow:
Hideki Yamaya & William Simms, Renaissance lutes
Wednesday, August 16, 7:00 p.m. | Murdock-Whitney House (151 Front St., Winchendon, MA 01475) Mr. Yamaya and Mr. Simms have selected several popular 16th century lute duets by John Johnson (c.1545-1594), Thomas Robinson (c.1560-c.1610), John Dowland (c.1563-1626), and John Danyel (1564-c.1626).
Andrew Arceci & WMF Artists
Friday, August 18, 6:00 p.m. | Winchendon Amphitheater (85 Ingleside Dr. Winchendon, MA 01475) This program features various contemporary classical pieces, including works by the iconoclast John Cage (1912-1992), the minimalist Terry Riley (1935-), and others.
Arcadia Players
Sunday, August 20, 7:00 p.m. | Beals Memorial Library (50 Pleasant St. Winchendon, MA 01475) This program will feature Italianate vocal and instrumental renditions of British folk tunes, performed by soprano Hailey Fuqua and a string ensemble led by Artistic Director Andrew Arceci. The material is culled from works by two late 17th/early18th century musicians from Lucca, Italy, Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762) and Francesco Barsanti 1690-1775) who, as was popular among Italian composers of the time, immigrated to London. In 1742, Barsanti published "A Collection of Old Scots Tunes," and in 1749, Geminiani produced "A Treatise of Good Taste in the Art of Musick."
John Arcaro & Band
Monday, August 21, 7:00 p.m. | Beals Memorial Library (50 Pleasant St. Winchendon, MA 01475)
Berklee College of Music professor, John Arcaro, leads a program of works from the "Great American Songbook", complemented by contemporary jazz compositions.
George Lykogiannis, piano
Friday, August 25, 7:00 p.m. | Murdock-Whitney House (151 Front St., Winchendon, MA 01475)
Noted Greek-American pianist and accordionist George Lykogiannis, will perform works by his compatriot Manos Hatzidakis (1925-1994), the great 20th century Catalan composer Federico Mompou (1893-1987), and the beloved Spanish composer/pianist Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909). Mr. Lykogiannis will also play a composition of his own.
Floyds Row
Saturday, August 26, 7:00 p.m. | Murdock-Whitney House (151 Front St., Winchendon, MA 01475)
Folk collective, Floyds Row, explores the connections among early, classical, folk, newgrass, and world genres. The ensemble has performed throughout the UK and the US--recent venues have included Club Passim (Cambridge, MA), the American Folk Art Museum (New York, NY), Rockwood Music Hall (New York, NY), Gaithersburg Arts Barn (Gaithersburg, MD), and others.
Worcester Jazz Orchestra
Sunday, August 27, 2:00 p.m. | Winchendon Amphitheater (85 Ingleside Dr. Winchendon, MA 01475) Ever popular, the Big Band plays works by Glenn Miller (1904-c.1944), Buddy Rich (1917-1987), and others.
Called a "thoughtful interpreter of historically informed early music" by Stephen Brookes in The Washington Post, Andrew Arceci has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. In addition to serving as Arcadia Players' Artistic Director, he is the Founding Director of the Winchendon Music Festival (Winchendon, MA). During the 2019-2020 academic year, Mr. Arceci was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University's Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Mr. Arceci has taught at several institutions, including Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Wellesley College (Director, Collegium Musicum), and Worcester State University. Additionally, he has given lectures, masterclasses, and/or workshops at Illinois Wesleyan University, the International Baroque Institute at Longy (Bard College), the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, the Narnia Arts Academy (Italy), Institutum Romanum Finlandiae (Italy), Taipei National University of the Arts (Taiwan), and Burapha University (Thailand).
Mr. Arceci studied double bass, viola da gamba, and art history at Peabody and went on to study early music at The Juilliard School and at Magdalen College, Oxford.
Founded in 2016, the Winchendon Music Festival, dubbed "a world-class event in the small north Worcester County town" by Richard Duckett in the Telegram & Gazette, is dedicated to the memory of Andrew Arceci's father, Robert J. Arceci, a pediatric oncologist with a passion for the arts.
For further information, please contact Hemsing Associates at 212-772-1132 or visit www.hemsingpr.com.
Massachusetts Broadband Institute Announces Several More Participants in Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program
Twenty-seven new municipalities, including three regional efforts, will join program that supports expanding digital access efforts across Massachusetts
WESTBOROUGH, MA - (August 9, 2023) The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at MassTech has announced the second group of municipalities that will benefit from the Commonwealth's Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program, which provides strategic consultation to cities and towns to help them identify barriers to internet access, boost direct community engagement, and execute digital equity plans to close the digital divide. The program will fund technical assistance for 27 municipalities that will help uncover the best ways to leverage existing and potential future resources, build digital skills, and engage residents in order to expand internet access, affordability, and adoption in each community.
"We are committed to ensuring people all across our state are able to access the essential tools that allow them to compete in today's economy," said Massachusetts Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. "Equitable access to broadband is an essential part of that work, and the expansion of the MBI's program demonstrates that we are working to make sure that we reach that goal for every community."
"We are excited to continue to build upon the progress our organization has made in expanding broadband access and adoption in Massachusetts," said Michael Baldino, MBI Director. "Every community has its own set of challenges when it comes to providing robust digital access to residents. That's why we have taken a customized approach that drills into the root causes of digital inequity for every municipality that joins this program. This supportive approach allows each municipality to chart a path that reflects their local needs and identifies the quickest way to enhance connectivity in their community."
The new award brings the total number of municipalities in the program to 62, following the announcement of the first group of 35 municipalities in early May 2023. The participants in this second round represent cities and towns of different sizes from various parts of the state, including the cities of Boston, Gloucester, and Lowell, to collaborations of smaller communities in Berkshire and Franklin Counties in Western Massachusetts. The Program offers two options for municipalities to engage in digital equity planning activities with the state-funded consultant: a short term, 'low barrier to entry' charrette process, or a more comprehensive and longer term Digital Equity planning process. Both options provide flexibility and recognize the administrative capacities of each applicant. More information on these options can be found an overview of the program on the MBI website.
The Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program was funded by the "Act Relative to Immediate COVID-19 Recovery Needs" legislation, which created a Broadband Innovation Fund as part of the Commonwealth's response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
MBI has spearheaded several other statewide efforts to address broadband gaps and digital equity. In April, as part of the Digital Equity Partnerships program, MBI granted $14 million to select digital equity projects covering various regions of the state. The three companies spearheading those projects, Tech Goes Home, Vinfen, and BayState Health, are taking targeted, regional approaches to address connectivity gaps and increase digital literacy. Last month, the institute announced the Internet for All Listening Tour, a set of meetings and focus group sessions across the state where members of the public can share their experiences accessing the internet and tackle topics related to digital equity.
Cities or towns interested in joining the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program can submit an application on MBI's website at: https://broadband.masstech.org/municipal
Last on the list of municipalities joining the program is:
Winchendon
Winchendon is seeking to develop a plan that identifies where the town's residents who "are unserved/underserved with no internet/broadband access" live in the community and those "in need of financial assistance, those that might need training and creating an action plan that can be used to apply for upcoming grant initiatives to put the plan into action."
The Town will identify those who lack access through "surveys, public meetings, [and] specific data analysis."
About the Massachusetts Broadband Institute
A division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) is working to extend high-speed internet access and availability across the Commonwealth. To achieve this, the MBI utilizes state and federal funding to launch infrastructure expansion programs that target areas of the state which lack high-speed internet access, as well as digital equity programs which tackle barriers to internet adoption and increase availability, addressing critical issues around affordability, enhanced public Wi-Fi, the need for internet-enabled devices, and digital literacy training. Learn more at https://broadband.masstech.org.
