Arts and Recreation

Fitzwilliam Cornhole Tournament and Fun Day

Come support the Danny Baker Fund (benefitting Fire/EMS/Public Safety) by playing in the Annual Cornhole Tournament on August 9 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Bring the family as there will be food, music, games, and raffles. A fireworks display over Bowker Pond will end the day. All games, parking, and fireworks are free of charge. There is a fee to enter the cornhole tournament, and food and raffle tickets will be for sale. The Family Fun Day will be at the Drill Yard, 156 Bowkerville Road, in Fitzwilliam NH.

For more information, contact: admin@fitzpolice.us or 603-585-6561.

The Danny Baker Fund is a 501(c)3 organization and has given over $85,000 worth of fire/ems/public safety equipment to the towns of Troy, Fitzwilliam, and Richmond over the past 3 years. This event is the main fundraiser for the organization.

Regional News

Second Chance to Host Low-Cost Fitchburg Pet Vaccine Clinic September 13

Clinic Honors the Memory of Jeffrey Stephens of Leominster

FITCHBURG, MA (August 7, 2025) - Pet owners can now register for Second Chance Animal Services' upcoming low-cost pet vaccine clinic on Saturday, September 13, at the Fitchburg Fire Department Headquarters. The event is held in honor of Jeffrey Stephens of Leominster, who co-founded the Fitchburg clinic series in 2011. The clinic is made possible in partnership with Be PAWsitive Therapy Pets and Friends of Fitchburg DOGS Inc.

Rabies vaccines will be offered for just $5, the distemper/parvo combo vaccine is free, and microchips are available for $22. This special pricing is made possible in part by the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation, and Petco Love.

Second Chance CEO and founder Sheryl Blancato says the clinic is part of the nonprofit's commitment to keeping pets healthy and in their homes. "We know that cost can be a barrier when it comes to pet care. Offering low-cost vaccines and microchips helps protect pets from preventable diseases and ensures they have a greater chance of being reunited with their family if they ever get lost."

The Clinic is named after the late Jeffrey P. Stephens, who worked for the Board of Health in Leominster, and previously in Fitchburg. After his passing, Deana Stephens, Jeff's widow said, "Along with all the work he did for the Fitchburg Board of Health, Jeff was extremely proud to help establish an affordable vaccine clinic for residents and their pets. Not only did he do whatever was possible for people, but his caring nature extended to their four-legged companions. Our family is comforted that his legacy continues because of Second Chance Animal Services' long commitment to providing low-cost vaccines for pets in our community."

Jeff Stephens began the low-cost vaccine clinic in 2011, and the partnership with Fitchburg Fire Department continues. “We love to help a great cause,” says Fitchburg Fire Department Chief Dante Suarez. "Fitchburg Fire Department is very happy to help support pet owners keeping their pets healthy."

Fitchburg dog owners can also license their dogs on-site with the City Clerk's office--$9 for spayed/neutered dogs and $15 for intact dogs.

The clinic will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Fitchburg Fire Department Headquarters, 33 North Street. The clinic is open to pets from any community. Space is limited, and advance registration is strongly encouraged. Limited same-day availability may be offered. To register, visit www.secondchanceanimals.org/scasconnect-north-brookfield/.

Gardening

Annual Flowers that Take the Heat

Heat-tolerant Sun Parasol® Giant Peach Sunrise Mandevilla and Blue Tiara^TM Supertunia®.
Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com

by Melinda Myers
As temperatures rise, some annuals slow down or stop flowering due to heat stall. They will recover as temperatures cool but may leave your gardens or containers looking less colorful.

Take some time now to evaluate annual flowers that are thriving in your garden and those that may need to be left off the plant list for next year's garden.

Start looking for more heat-tolerant plants and cultivars to use in the future. A visit to your local botanic garden and viewing gardens in your neighborhood can help provide insight and inspirations for plants suited to your summer weather.

Zinnias are known for their heat and drought tolerance. These long-blooming annuals come in a variety of colors and heights. Wheat, plume, and crested celosia not only add color, but also interesting flower shapes to gardens and arrangements.

Angelonias, also known as summer snapdragons, are upright plants that make great vertical accents and add season-long color to containers and gardens. Granvia strawflowers are taller, more vigorous plants with larger flowers than older strawflower varieties. Enjoy them in the garden and for months after in arrangements, dried wreaths, and other decorations.

Annual vinca, Catharanthus, with its shiny leaves and long-lasting flowers, thrives in hot, dry weather. The dainty flowers of the Soiree® Kawaii series and the fringed, ruffled flower petals of the Soiree® Flemenco series provide a unique flare. Include pentas with their star-shaped flowers to help attract and support butterflies. You'll find plants with white, red, pink, lavender, violet, and bicolor flowers, and even a few trailing varieties.

Cupheas are not only heat tolerant but are magnets for hummingbirds. These season-long bloomers are covered with flowers and do not need deadheading. Mandevilla is another long-blooming, heat-tolerant plant that thrives in sunny locations. You'll find upright, trailing, and tall climbing varieties to include in gardens, containers, and hanging baskets.

If you are looking for a heat-tolerant, trailing plant, consider bidens. The BeeDance® series is an earlier and continuous flowering variety. Moss roses and other portulacas are also trailing and low-growing plants that can be used as annual groundcovers, edging plants, and trailers in containers.

Look for more heat-tolerant cultivars of your favorite annuals that tend to stop blooming during hot weather. Heatopia^TM, Hot® Waterblue, Techno®, and Laguna® lobelias show more heat tolerance than many older lobelia cultivars. White Stream^TM, Snow Princess®, and Frosty Knight® are a few alyssum cultivars to consider. They tolerate the heat but prefer moist well-drained soil.

Hot Pak^TM French marigolds have been bred for increased hot weather tolerance. The triploid marigolds like Endurance^TM and Zenith^TM are a cross between the African and French marigolds. They have the longer bloom time of the French marigold and the heat tolerance of the African species.

Don't give up on heat stalled annual plants in your garden and containers. Continue to water the heat-stressed plants as needed but wait for them to recover before fertilizing if needed. Trim back leggy plants and once the temperatures cool, the plants will start flowering.

Continue to watch for, try, and evaluate new, more heat-tolerant additions for your gardens and containers. Finding the right plants for your growing conditions and garden design can help boost your garden's beauty and your enjoyment even as temperatures rise.

Melinda Myers has written over 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" instant video series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.