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THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE THE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE COUNTRY LIVING2

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THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINETHE CHRONICLE OF STURBRIDGE COUNTRY LIVING 3

STURBRIDGETIMESMAGAZINE

THE

PUBLISHER & EDITORMANAGING EDITOR

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

CONTRIBUTORS

PAUL CARRJOHN SMALL

KAREN ROTHWEILER

JEFF BURDICKTOM CHAMBERLANDJEFFREY DAVENPORTROBERT GEORGE, ESQ.RICHARD MCGRATHRICHARD MURPHYSTEPHANIE RICHARDS

THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE is published every month in Sturbridge, Massachusetts by Carr Media Group. We accept photos,opinions, short articles, stories, poems and drawings from the general public, but assume no responsibility for failure to publish a submission or fortypographic errors published or incorrect placement. The contents of this magazine consist of copyrightable material and cannot be reproducedwithout the expressed written permission of the author and the publishers ofº The Sturbridge Times Magazine.

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v

AUGUST, 2009

STURBRIDGECOUNTRYLIVING


Sturbridge is a tourist destination. Of course, the res-idents, living here all year round can be forgiven forwanting to go elsewhere when it’s vacation time.

The Sturbridge Times Magazine spoke with members ofthree families about what they do away from home.

THE PEABODYS TO THE ALLAGASH

Ginger and Carl Peabody live in an idyllic spot onSturbridge’s Wildwood Lane. It is such a peaceful

place that could only be the abode of a couple seeking acontemplative existence. That, however, would not bethe Peabodys. When they leave Sturbridge in theSummer, they go for adventure.

Ginger is originally from Lenox in the Berkshires andCarl hails from Berlin in Northern New Hampshire. Sheran the tourism outlets for the Mass. Turnpike and hedrove tandem trailers for UPS. They met on coffee break.First date, the tall ships. Second, paddling the Allagashin northern Maine. Carl said of Ginger that she took to it“like a duck to water.” Ginger says she was “exhilarated.”At one point, they came upon a haystack (i.e. a high waveencountered in whitewater canoeing) and the bow was sohigh, she could not get the paddle in the water.

This year’s odyssey will not be as strenuous. They willdo the West Branch of the Penobscot described as “anintimate little river.” The starting point is Lobster Lake.No, there are no lake lobster, but the name describes theshape of the pond. Upon coming out of the West Branch,they briefly enter Chesuncook Lake going through a cou-ple of ponds before entering Caucomgomoc stream They

— You can’t come home if you never leave —

ing into the Balsams in Dixville Notch, NH, for a weekof skiing.

When it comes to active retirees, Carl and Gingercould be the poster couple.

THE SALOIOS TO TUSCANY

Sturbridge Police Department Detective Mark Saloioand his wife Meara may not vacation at the pace of

the Peabodys, but that does not mean they are dormant. Their winter vacations are what New Englanders

crave if they are not partaking in seasonal sports. Nonskiers crave the sun. There are two things the Saloioslook for in a trip. First, they like to go somewhere thathas not been reviewed. They have found that reviewscan raise or lower expectations.

The second criterion is value for money. Mark cred-its Meara for the ability to search out a good deal. ThisWinter they traveled to Valentin Maya in Mexico for aweek poolside.

Their summer vacation is another type of adventure.Meara again patiently searches for the vacation.Through a Chianti and more (yes, where they make the

will have to line (i.e.pull) the canoe upstream for twomiles in waist deep water. From Allagash Stream is ashort portage (that means carrying everything) aroundLittle Allagash Falls, into Chamberlain Lake. Then it isabout a 12 mile paddle to Chamberlain Bridge, wheretheir car will be waiting.

It sounds so routine. Actually, in all the years theyhave been doing this, Ginger says there has been onlyone uneventful trip. By uneventful is meant, no rain, noheadwinds and adequate water level. They have beenon trips where polar bears have been traipsing about out-side the tent. Fortunately, it was at a time of year whenthe bears are living off their fat and not inclined to dineon humans.

On one trip, their canoe was smashed almost in two.Carl jury rigged it back together using duct tape untilthey had sufficient dry weather to do a real repair. Thatcanoe is still in use. Nothing in their testimony shouldbe taken as complaint. They’ve gotten to view 14 baldeagles along the Allagash. On a trip to Hudson’s bay,they paddled with an escort of a school of Beluga whales.

They do take a less strenuous trip in Winter, check-

BY RICHARD MURPHY

STURBRIDGE LIFE

VACATIONING ELSEWHERETHREE STURBRIDGE FAMILIES


wine) website she finds what they are looking for inTuscany.

What they are looking for is a villa with a full kitchen.On vacation they will travel the surrounding small townsand attend the markets. There is a new one everyday.Meara is a gourmet cook and she prepares the day’s pur-chases. Mark describes himself as the grunt who gets tocarry everything. He also claims the title of taste tester.His motto is “Have fork, will travel.”

Just how much of an adventure is this? In this country,a food item is just a package in a supermarket. In thefarmers markets over there, they will cut you a piece ofProsciutto right off the leg of the hog. Just travelingaround, they came upon a nothing little hole in the wallplace in the town of Poggibonzi and ate food to die for.On the A-1, equivalent to the Pike, you can gas up at therest stops and have real food with wait service. There isjunk food available but it is a fraction of the amount at aservice area here.

The Saloios vacation in a different world and it mustbe hard to come back. The website Meara found the vaca-tion is http://www.chianti-and-more.com/.

THE CHAMBERLANDS TO CAMP SCHOOL

Tom Chamberland’s Summer plan stands in contrast tothe first two vacations. Tom took his time off to serve

in and for a program he believes in, The Boy Scouts. Heserved as an instructor at the Camping School held atTreasure Valley in Rutland.

Camping School is where the training takes place forthe staff of Boy Scout Summer Camps. Tom was theHealth and Safety Officer. He gave the courses on first aid

CPR, and general health and safety. This year, atten-tion must be paid to the possibility of H1N1, common-ly known as swine flu.

All the attendees were over 21 so it was a group whotook their responsibilities seriously as does Tom. Henoted that by teaching at the school, his students wouldgo out and staff camps and what he did would extendexponentially to far more than those he instructed. Thegoal is safe camps where kids do not get hurt.

Serious business, but lest one think Tom only thinks ofservice, he takes other types of vacations. His thirtiethwedding anniversary is coming up and he and his wifeplan to get away and head south for a trip to ColonialWilliamsburg this fall.

There you have it. The vacations of three Sturbridgefamilies, each quite different from the others. While thissample is admittedly tiny, I suspect that Sturbridge folkstend to defy any fashion of stereotyping.

TOM CHAMBERLAND WITH DAUGHTER CHRISTINE ENJOYING NATIONAL CAMP SCHOOL IN RUTLAND.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHAMBERLAND FAMILY


buy a clothing item costing $40, that par-ticular purchase requires 2 hours of yourwork life. Of course, your $20 earnedbecomes less in actual cash available toyou because of income taxes and SocialSecurity and Medicare taxes. Taking intoaccount state taxes and income brackets,you can figure, as a rule of thumb, that

you must earn approximately $1.50 inorder to have $1 to spend.

You don’t need the mathematicalinsights of Isaac Newton or AlbertEinstein to use arithmetic as an impor-tant tool helping you appreciate the rela-tionships of money, time and the uses ofyour funds right now and for the future.

Now let’s find out when yourmoney will lose half its buying power.The Rule of 70 helps us do that. Let’ssuppose that the expected inflationrate is 3.5%. Simply divide 70 by 3.5,which is 20. This means that yourpresent dollar will be worth 50 centsin purchasing power in 20 years. Whatwould happen if inflation were 10%?The number 70 divided by 10 equals 7.Therefore, your dollar today will pur-chase 50 cents worth of goods, intoday’s terms, 7 years from now.

Sometimes called the EighthWonder of the World, compoundingcan produce some amazing results. Forinstance, if you invest $100 at 6%annual interest, and just leave yourinvestment alone, in 10 years, thanksonly to compounding, your total willcome to $179. At 10% annual interest,your $100 will grow to $259 in 10 years.Another way of understanding the dra-matic impact of compounded interest isto consider the Doubling Penny. Hereis how it works: On the first day of amonth, save 1 penny. The next day,save 2 pennies. Now you have a total of3 pennies. On the third day save 4 pen-nies. Continue each day to double theamount of money you saved the previ-ous day. On the last day of the monthyour grand total, which is 1 cent plus 2cents plus 4 cents plus 8 cents plus 16cents and so on, will come to (are yousitting down?) $10.7 million!

The future gains you lose foreverwhen you fail to invest money or with-draw funds from an investment areeasy to estimate. If, for example, youwithdraw $100 from your retirementaccount when you are 25 years old,that $100 cannot, obviously, earninterest. That interest would havecome to more than $2,000, assumingan 8% average annual return for 40years. By withdrawing $100 today, youwould never receive approximately$2,000 later. In other words, assumingan 8% average annual return, everydollar you invest can double in 10years, amount to $5 in 20 years, $10 in30 years and $20 in 40 years.

An amount of money, by itself, hasno meaning until it is connected tosomething you consider as valuable.The money you earn represents thetime it took you to earn that money. Ifyou earn $20 an hour and you want to

Some easy-to-do arithmetic can openyour eyes about your finances.

Let’s look first at the Rule of 72. Thisquickly tells you how long it will take foryour money to double at a given rate ofreturn. If, for example, your money is aver-aging an 8% annual return, your moneywill double in 9 years. Divide 72 by 8, andyou get 9.

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If you are looking to get personallyfit, Trainer Kathy LeBlanc saysthere are three key ingredients—a

personalized program, correct formand consistency in exercise regime.

The owner of Personal FitnessTraining, LeBlanc has had a passion forexercising since her early 20s. Somuch that she decided to pursue certi-fication from the Young Women’sChristian Association (YWCA) andthe Aerobics and Fitness Associationof America (AFAA) to teach others.

Initially, she taught at local gymsincluding Sims Premier Fitness andthe YMCA, then saw a need to haveclasses available on-site at corpora-tions. “People would talk about howdifficult it was to leave work and haveto go right to the gym. Otherwise, theyprobably wouldn’t go. So I brought thetraining to them at their workplace. Itaught everyone from nurses at nursinghomes to employees at HarringtonHospital. It was well received but thetravel to locations became difficultwith a 14 month old daughter athome.”

Later, LeBlanc would openPersonal Fitness Training, located at35 Main Street in Sturbridge. Sheoffers private or buddy training, rehabtraining after injury, child and teen fit-ness, training for weight loss, BothSides Utilized (BOSU) classes and fit-ness assessments.

The first step to personalized train-ing is to assess an individual’s fitnesslevel, which includes cardiovascular,and flexibility tests along with body fatpercentage to use as baseline informa-tion. “It is important to know whatindividual limitations are and also todetermine fitness goals first. Then, youcan develop an individualized trainingprogram, working with clients one-on-one and be their motivator,” she said,emphasizing that no one else is in thetraining studio during client workouts.

Form is key to eliminating injuryand getting the most out of a workout.

“It is easier tomake sure you aredoing exercisesright with a per-sonalized trainer,who watchesyour form as youworkout. Somepeople who comeare already goingto the gym; theywant to makesure they are doing the right exercisesto reach fitness goals,” she said.

No two workouts are the same asLeBlanc changes things every time.“Every muscle is exercised, just in adifferent fashion, which helps to elim-inate boredom. This is important toincrease the results of workouts. I staywith the client the entire time, watch-ing their form and teaching themproper breathing techniques. Stretch-ing is important both before andafter…otherwise you won’t get the fullrange of motion.”

LeBlanc uses various equipment todevelop a tailor-made workout pro-gram, including an elliptical, tread-mill, stationary bike, and nautilusequipment. She also uses BOSUs,

body bars, medi-cine balls, freeweights andbands. BOSUhas been used byathletes to helpwith balance,coordination andconditioning.

L e a r n i n gabout the musclegroupsof the

body is vital to the fitness process,LeBlanc said. “You should know whichmuscles you are using during particularexercises. I go over posterior and ante-rior views of the muscular system soeach person gets a more complete pic-ture.”

Being consistent in your exerciseregime three to five times a week is amust in order to see results. Individualsmay work with a trainer one day aweek and then on their own the otherdays. “It really does take time and con-sistency to achieve results. Whenclients are ready to go off on theirown, I suggest joining the gym that isclosest to home…they are more likelyto go.”

So what about loosing weight in

addition to toning muscles. LeBlancsays the key is to eat healthy and avoiddiet fads. “I’m not a nutritionist, but Ihave taken classes. It is vital to look atthe food pyramid and then have thingsin moderation. I ask individuals to fillout a diet form to see what and howthey are eating; I tell them to be truth-ful. Then I ask questions, and offeralternatives, like going from drinkingtwo percent milk to one percent. It isall about eating healthy and havingreasonable portions. I believe dietingand eating are very much psychologi-cal…people think they are weak andcan’t do it, but they can.”

Some people have unrealisticexpectations. “I have received callsfrom those looking to drop someweight before a wedding that is just amonth away. The results can’t beachieved and I have to turn themaway,” she said. “We must teach exer-cise as part of a lifestyle. Obesity hasincreased, especially among children.Whether you are a child or 82 yearsold, you need to focus on what you liketo do. Some people don’t like to exer-cise at all…I tell them to pick out theone thing they like — even a little.”

Other clients are looking tostrengthen injuries after completingphysical therapy and receiving physi-cian’s approval to exercise again.“They can’t do things the same waythey use to and I show them how toworkout in a different fashion. BOSUis a great method to teach good bal-ance, which is important for the elder-ly as there are so many cases offalling/slipping on ice during the win-ter months,” said LeBlanc, who isBOSU certified.

LeBlanc employs another trainerwith a degree in exercise physiology todo evening appointments. One hourprivate sessions are offered for $45; afive session package is $215. “I tellpeople to not commit to anythinguntil they come in…then make a deci-sion.”

THE RIGHT FITNESS REGIMEACCORDING TO LOCAL FITNESS GURU KATHY LEBLANC,

IT’S ALL ABOUT FORM, CONSISTENCY AND HAVING A PERSONALIZED PROGRAM

BY STEPHANIE RICHARDS


COUNTRY LIVING

On 25 acres of property in Brookfield, there is aserene place with two ponds, complete with awaterfall, fish and Heron birds that come to try

and catch lunch. As you walk the property and take in thescents and beauty of a vast array of flowers, you sensecalmness from the day’s stresses.

That impression is exactly what Dick Lamoureux wantsplanted in the minds of anyone who comes to LamoureuxGreenhouses. “We want it to be more of a destination,with customers taking time to walk the grounds, see what’savailable and ask questions of the staff. Plus, kids cancatch frogs or feed fish in the pond,” said Lamoureux, whohas been in business for 31 years. “I never planned to havemy own business…it just happened. I like growing things--starting something from a seed or cutting and bringing itinto full bloom.”

Ten years ago, Lamoureux moved his garden business toits current location at 9 Schoolhouse Road in Brookfield.The property has 10 greenhouses and endless rows ofshrubs, trees, flowers, vegetable plants, garden statutes,bird baths and stone. “We grow a lot on site… 20,000perennials for example. In addition, we raise and sell fish,mostly Coy, but also Goldfish,” he said.

Fifteen years ago, Lamoureux diversified into landscapework off-site, including water gardens, patios, landscapingand retaining walls. In addition, he is currently exploringa farmers market for the future with increased interest inlocally grown and made products.

The New England area has a lot of its own variables ingrowing. “The biggest challenge is the weather…it is so

unpredictable and then the terrain is rocky. Thingsthis spring were going well until the rain and then sur-prising cold weather,” said Lamoureux, as his two JackRussell Terriers, Sydney and Jilly, followed us on ourwalk. “There’s still time to have a good seasonthough, now that freezes are not happening untilOctober. Although fall is a great time to plant treesand shrubs, I think spring is the best time to plant in

New England. Plants and shrubs must have time to getestablished before the cold comes to avoid winterinjury.”

As the economy has changed, Lamoureux agreesthat people seem to be getting more into gardening andlandscaping. “We grew tons of vegetables and sold all ofthem. That has never happened before. We alsoincreased our supply of blueberry bushes and apple

Lamoureux Greenhouses9 Schoolhouse RoadBrookfield. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. DailyTelephone: 508.867.2218.

Lamoureux Greenhousesin full bloom for gardeners

BY STEPHANIE RICHARDS

DICK LAMOUREUX IN ONE OF HIS GREENHOUSES© 2009 Sturbridge Times photo by Stephanie Richards


trees. It is the first time in a decade that weare carrying varieties of fruit trees,” he said.“I am trying biological controls; if some-thing has just a bit of bugs, we leave it anddon’t use chemicals. On our vegetables, wedon’t use chemicals on the plants them-

selves; just chemical fertilizer. Naturetakes care of things. People shouldn’t beafraid to eat fruit if it has a small blem-ish…it’s just part of the process.”

Just as decorating and clothing trendschange, the same is true in gardening.

“Colors and styles of things are verytrendy. We’ve moved away from hangingbaskets and have more people looking formoss or coco liners. As long as it nicequality material at reasonable price...itwill sell,” Lamoureux said. “I look to seethe trends in the rest of the country, espe-cially out West and in the South. Peopleare staying home more and working ontheir gardens. We encourage people tocome and ask questions about garden-ing…that’s why we’re here.”

Owning a small business has manychallenges. “I tell people to support localbusiness, whether they come toLamoureux Greenhouses or go to anotherone. I always try to go to small businesseswhen I can. There are so many thingsagainst small businesses today and I haveno love for the big box stores as they put

everyone else out of business,” he said.“At one time we grew 5,000 poinsettias ayear and sold out. Now they are importedfrom Canada and we can’t compete. Wedo well in the spring, but not so in thesummer, fall and winter.”

There is no typical day for Lamoureux,but a lot of diversity in tasks from water-ing, trimming shrubs, and transplantingplants. “Today I ended up fixing a brokenhose for one of the fish ponds…it threw awrench in my work but had to be done.We are one of the few greenhouses thatare open year round so I work 24/7. Ifthere is a power outage in the winter, I’mthe one who has to get the generatorshooked up too. Still, there is a lot of free-dom. I love my commute; three steps andI’m here,” said Lamoureux, who lives onthe property.

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“I tell people to support local business,whether they come to Lamoureux

Greenhouses or go to another one. Ialways try to go to small businesses whenI can. There are so many things against

small businesses today and I have nolove for the big box stores as they put

everyone else out of business.”

DICK LAMOUREUX


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(ARA) In this day and age, we all have to be carefulabout how we share information online. Browsing theWeb is the single most popular activity on the PC --with both the time people spend on the Web and therange of things they can do continuing to grow. Withsocial networking sites, online shopping, and onlinebanking becoming more common and convenient, therisk of fraud or identity theft continues to grow. Thiskind of activity is on the rise every year.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t surf safely online.Quite the contrary, you just need to follow a few simpleguidelines to protect yourself and your family and cre-

ate a safe and enjoyable experience. And given thatJune marks Internet Safety Month, it’s a good time tothink about how best to educate yourself and yourloved ones on both the risks out there, and the simpleways to prevent them.

“Consumers really need to be proactive in the fightagainst cyber crime. Staying safe online is a combina-tion of using the latest and greatest security softwaretools and exercising good judgment and commonsense,” says Michael Kaiser, executive director of theNational Cyber Security Alliance.

In honor of Internet Safety Month, here are eighttips to help keep you, your family and your personalinformation safe online:

1. Manage your e-mail inbox. Delete unwanted andunsolicited email and don’t open e-mails from peopleyou don’t know. Be cautious about unusual e-mail frompeople you do know. Some cyber criminals use softwareto make an e-mail look like it comes from an officialorganization (like your bank) or someone you know.

2. Always think before you click and treat links andattachments in e-mail and instant messaging with cau-tion. Download files only from sites you know and trustand never open an attachment from someone you don’t

know. These can contain viruses and malware that cancause your computer to break down or is an attempt tosteal personal information. If in doubt, delete it.

3. Use extreme caution when working on a publiccomputer; Do not save your log in information, alwayslog out of Web sites by clicking “log out” on the site(even if you are just stepping away for a few minutes),and never enter sensitive or personal information on apublic computer.

4. Be sure your firewall is turned on. A firewall is anelectronic fence that helps protect your PC from hack-ers that may try to steal sensitive information. To turnon your firewall, simply click the start button and openthe control panel. Follow the security link and thenclick ’Turn Windows Firewall on or off.’

5. Protect personal information by using strongpasswords. Make sure they are lengthy and incorporateletters, numbers and symbols.

6. When shopping online, be a savvy consumer.Conduct online research to find out what others haveto say about their customer satisfaction. Be wary ofcompanies that don’t provide any contact information,including a physical mailing address and telephonenumber.

7. The best way to protect yourself is to keep yoursecurity software, operating system and browser up-to-date with automatic updates and practice safe onlinebehavior.

8. New security, privacy and reliability featurestools in Internet Explorer 8 can provide you with amore secure Internet experience. It’s worth consideringdownloading it for free. Internet Explorer 8 puts you incontrol of your safety and privacy online and helps pro-tect you from new threats online.

For more information, visit www.microsoft.com/ie8 orthe National Cyber Security Alliance atwww.StaySafeOnline.org.

Eight ways to protect you and your family onlineTECHNOLOGY


(ARA) - A recent study by NetworkSolutions and the University ofMaryland investigating the overallhealth of U.S. small business showedthat 69 percent of small businesses wereprofitable in 2008 and, of those, 69 per-cent say their success was equal to orbetter than the previous year.

“This is a great time for personalchange. Pursue a lifelong passion orturn your professional experiences intoprofit for yourself,” says RebeccaRodskog, a corporate change manage-ment consultant and founder ofRodskog Change Consulting in NewYork.

Ever thought of freelancing or con-sulting? Have a penchant for chocolate?Do you have a talent for knitting? Is cal-ligraphy something you happen to begood at? Believe it or not, you can makemoney from these skills by starting yourown business, says Rodskog.

Having started out on her own afteryears in corporate America, Rodskognow offers several tips for turning therecession into revenue:

• Take it small scale at first. We’re nottalking comprehensive business plansand venture capital commitments. Stepone would be to get yourself online.Creating a Web site for your business orto tout your skills is neither difficult norexpensive, and it’s a great way to getyourself started. Let’s face it, everyonesearches online first when they arelooking for a service or product.

• Proactively network. Connect withnew people on social and professionalnetworking sites such as Twitter,Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo and Xing.And don’t forget to network offline too.In the Sturbridge area, there are severalsmall business groups that meet regular-ly, such as THE STURBRIDGEAREA BUSINESS BUILDERS, ACHAPTER OF BUSINESSNETWORK INTERNATIONAL(BNI). This group meets weekly onFridays from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. atthe Southbridge Savings BankCommunity Room, Route 20 inSturbridge.

There is also COMMUNITY

BUSINESS ASSOCIATES, who meetthe second and fourth Friday of eachmonth from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. at OliverWight’s Tavern, Olde SturbridgeVillage.

You can also attend industry, cham-ber of commerce and community events— and always have a business card withyou. Some of your best marketing canoccur through your own face-to-faceand offline communities.

• Work with partners. Don’t be afraid toask for help from those who have anexpertise you don’t. You can also con-sider bartering your skills for theirs tokeep your costs down.

Not ready to go out on your own? Ifstarting your own business isn’t in thecards for you, Rodskog also suggests afew things to keep in mind to be sureyou stand out in the crowd.

In this market, flexibility and adapt-ability are key essentials to finding anew job. Consider new categories andpositions that you otherwise might notpursue.

Tap into one of the many web sitesthat specialize in career changes like:www.careerchange.com, www.rodskog.com, www.careerapple. com andwww.how-to-change-careers. com.

Also, believe in the power of the col-lective. Offer to help others when youcan — whether it’s passing along a jobtip, article or helpful contact.

For more information and other valu-able tips from Rebecca Rodskog andNetwork Solutions, visit www.growsmart-business.com.

TURNINGTHE RECESSIONINTO REVENUE

NATIONALLY, THINGS ARE LOOKINGGOOD FOR SMALL BUSINESS START-UPS


Continued on page 14

ENVIRONMENT

By Stephanie RichardsThe legal proceedings over expansion

of the Southbridge Landfill continue asResidents for Alternatives to TrashingSouthbridge (RATS) filed motions forjudgment on the pleadings andSouthbridge Recycling and Disposal Park,Inc., a subsidiary of Casella, and the Townof Southbridge Board of Health filed theiroppositions to the motion.

Located at 165 Barefoot Road inSouthbridge, the landfill is operated byCasella for the Town of Southbridge. Thelandfill currently receives about 180,000tons of waste per year, which includesmunicipal solid waste (MSW) and recy-clable material. The 20 year extensionagreement will allow the landfill toreceive up to 405,600 tons of MSW peryear, according to Christopher Clark,Southbridge Town Manager. That con-tract extension is in effect pending theappeal, he said, although Casella sent aletter to the town saying for all intentsand purposes, the contract extension is inplace.

The 3-2 Southbridge Board of Health(BOH) ruling in favor of expansion atthe Southbridge Landfill has been thecenter of controversy. Initially, two partieswere against the landfill expansion-RATS, an ad hoc organization of about300 residents of Southbridge, Sturbridge

and Charlton, and the Sturbridge Boardof Health (BOH). Casella reached a set-tlement with the Sturbridge BOH inAugust 2008.

Last year, an administrative appeal tothe decision in favor of expansion wasfiled by RATS. After the settlement withthe Sturbridge BOH, Casella filed amotion to dismiss the RATS claim inWorcester Superior Court, which wasdenied in February.

Among the issues addressed in theappeal is the legality of the five-memberSouthbridge BOH that made the decisionfor expansion and an outdated site assign-ment for 29,000 square feet of wetlandsarea where a proposed new road to thelandfill would be built. Kirstie Pecci, aSturbridge resident and lawyer who repre-sents RATS, said the Southbridge TownCharter includes provisions for a three-member Board of Health, but two addi-tional members were appointed without ahearing. She is arguing that it was notlegal at the time the expansion decisionwas made.

Now that the motions for judgment onthe pleadings have been submitted, ahearing date will be set where both sidescan give oral arguments before a judge,Pecci said. “The judge can do severalthings, including deny the motion ofjudgment and leave it as is, vacate the

decision, change the decision or someportion of it, or send a decision foritems to consider back to theSouthbridge BOH. However, no newpermits can be issued until the appealprocess is exhausted.”

There is an additional claim by 12residents whose land abuts the proposedEnvironmental Industrial Access Roadto the landfill off Route 169 on thebasis of wetlands laws. On behalf ofthose residents, Pecci appealed to theMASS Department of EnvironmentalProtection (DEP) an order of condi-tions, which was denied. Subsequently,

she filed a motion for dismissal to theDEP supercede order of conditions anda hearing by the administrative lawjudge is scheduled for August 13. If itproceeds, a recommendation would bemade by the judge to the commissionerof the DEP, who would either agree ordisagree with it.

Clark said Southbridge owns 45acres adjacent to the proposed roadproject which could be developed inthe future. The road portion of theproject was put out to bid and furtheraction is pending Town Council

LEGAL ACTIONSOVER SOUTHBRIDGE LANDFILL EXPANSION

CONTINUE

Continued on following page


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approval, Clark said. Although it cameup for a vote, the Southbridge TownCouncil did not approve the low bid assome members wanted to see what willhappened with the DEP appeal and get awaiver on a piece of contract languagefrom Casella, which is in process.

Currently, the primary access road tothe landfill is off Pleasant Street and thisnew road would see most of the trucktraffic from the expansion, Clark said.“There has been a lot of noise (vocalopposition) and a lot of things get lost(information). The landfill was built inthe late 1970s and the access road offRoute 169 has been on the books forsome time. The truck traffic to the land-fill would use this new road instead ofcoming off of Route 131, which wouldbe a benefit to Sturbridge residents.”Clark said. “In addition, the company(Casella) is a recycler; I’ve been to theirfacilities in Auburn and Charlestownwhere they recycle with high tech equip-ment. This will give them the ability toexpand recycling here.”

The new access road is part of a blue-print that has been in place to bringexpanded recycling to the landfill. JohnSchwalbe, Casella Director ofOperations, said a building has beenonsite for one and one half years andcurrently the landfill recycles mostlyconstruction and demolition debris.“Our permit is specifically for recycling,but right now we don’t have electricityto the building. The new road will pro-vide that so we can expand our (recy-cling) efforts in the future.”

Apart from the legal issues, some lan-guage in the contract extension is apoint of contention. It includes a fuel toenergy option and gasification, whichPecci contends is incineration.However, Schwalbe says there are not“specifically any provisions for incinera-tion” in the contract. Massachusetts hashad a moratorium on incinerators since1989 and is currently reviewing the banas part of developing its Solid WasteMaster Plan.

The fuel-to-energy option will be areality in the near future. Schwalbe saidit involves converting methane gas from

the landfill, which is now collected andcombusted, into usable electricity.“We’re (Casella) waiting for the last per-mits to construct a one mile line in thearea by the new road. The gas-to-energy

part is fully permitted. We expect tohave power to the landfill later this yearor early next spring and then can pro-ceed.”

Methane is a large greenhouse gasgenerator, about 22 times worse thancarbon dioxide, said Jim Bohlig,President of Casella Renewables.“Methane is a source of energy.Converting the methane gas generatedfrom the landfill to electricity will helpeliminate greenhouse gases. The roadneeds to be built so we can get water,sewer and electric to the site to moveforward. It is all a part of the existingdevelopment,” said Bohlig. “The elec-tricity produced will be sold and gener-ate revenue for Southbridge as a percent-age will go back to the town. We’re try-ing to build a future and address prob-lems and solve them.”

Any additional projects will needzoning and EPA approvals, Schwalbesaid. “We are looking at higher levels ofrenewable energy that are currentlybeing talked about.” Waste-to-energytechnology was the topic of a meetingJuly 28 hosted by The Future ofSouthbridge Group. A representativefrom the EPA’s Landfill MethaneOutreach Program was in attendance togive an overview and answer questions.

The Southbridge Landfill expansionis now the subject of an independentfilm, “Now U Know,” featuring inter-views with experts, scientists and con-cerned resident. The film, which pre-miered locally June 26, was produced byindependent Washington D.C. filmmak-er Jonathon Alexander with collabora-tion by his wife, Heather Roymans, and

“The electricity produced will be sold

and generate revenue forSouthbridge

as a percentage willgo back to the town.We’re trying to builda future and addressproblems and solve

them.”

JIM BOHLIGPRESIDENT,

CASELLA RENEWABLES

Continued on page 16

Continued from previous page

a


DOCUMENTARY DELIVERS SEVERAL REASONS TO REFLECT

By Richard Murphy

DOCUMENTARY

For decades, Southbridge, Massa-chusetts claimed the position ofbeing pioneering center to the opti-

cal industry. Today, according to arecently made 28-minute documentaryby Jonathan Alexander titled Now-U-Know, the town’s municipal waste dumpcould give Southbridge two more distin-guishing characteristics—home to thelargest landfill in the state, and the siteof the closest distance between a landfilland an airport.

The issue of airport proximity hasconcerned the Federal Aviation Admin-istration (FAA) for years. The agencyissued an advisory in August, 2000, stat-ing: “In light of increasing bird popula-tions and aircraft operations, the FAA

believes locating landfills in proximity toairports increases the risk of collisionsbetween birds and aircraft.”

You might recall the ditching lastwinter of a jetliner in the East River dueto a bird strike. When this happened,CNN interviewed Ron Merritt, who hadserved seven years as chief of the BirdAircraft Strike Hazard Team located inthe Pentagon.

In Merritt’s testimony against theSouthbridge landfill expansion, beforethe board of health in Southbridge, heremarked: “I can’t think of anything inthe last 20 years that has basically raisedthe hair on the back of my neck morethan this. The potential for a catastroph-ic strike is enormous. I guess all I can say

is now you know.”Those last words became the title for

the documentary — Now U Know —which seems to hold people accountablefor their actions, or lack thereof, afterlearning about the plan to expandSouthbridge’s landfill into the largest inthe Commonwealth.

Of course, no one shouts “we’re num-ber one” when their town has the biggestdump in the state. There is good reasonfor that. While trash has to go some-where, why should one municipality,one area, become the regional landfilland take in solid waste from who knowswhere?

The drift from the landfill carries aradius of three miles. The documentary

discusses other issues such as anincreased incidence of asthma in theneighborhood surrounding the existinglandfill and leaking leachate fromendemic breaches in landfill liners.

Kirstie Pecci, the pro bono attorney,said that “the only people who havespoken up in support of this landfill areeither making money because of thelandfill directly or because they’re con-cerned that their paycheck from thetown will be cut off.”

Lynne Simonds, program director forSouthbridge Community Connec-tions, a local advocacy office, spoke onthe film about how she had felt govern-ment was on her side. Then she said,

Continued on following page


“Like all town councils, city councilsand school committees they getduped to believe that there is moneyin this for the town. I always wantedsomeone to answer the question howmuch have we made so far withCasella? I mean what do we showhere as progress, a soccer field? Andwe can be placated by that? What inactual real dollars have we madethat’s made a difference with thistown?”

The film has an animated explana-tion of how a landfill is built and run.The point is, a landfill is not a stableentity. At the bottom is a liner. AsPecci stated, Cassella’s own expertadmitted, “All liners leak.” Where doesthe stuff leaking out go?

The film was made by JonathanAlexander, who is married to the co-producer, Heather Roymans. I spokewith Jonathan and what was clearly evi-dent was his affection for the area.Heather is a native and he visits often.

Jonathan is hoping to enter Now-U-Know in the Ameilia Island FilmFestival and perhaps the Washington,D.C. Environmental Film Festival.

He is seeking grant money to furtherdevelop the film. Whether that happensor not, it is a well-made, tight little doc-umentary.

All the people on screen are articu-late in their cause and make the caseagainst the landfill.

To view this film, visit: www.south-bridgedump.org. (no hyphen).

Lindsay Goodwin, biologist and localactivist. Alexander became interested inthe landfill when visiting the region lastspring among the controversial meetings.(See related story on page 12).

Pecci said finding the best solutions towaste disposal is the goal, not finger point-ing. “I may disagree with some of thethings Casella has done. However, waste iscreated by all of us and this is a problem wehave to solve. People want to point thefinger at each other, but we don’t need todo that. We need to find a solution togeth-er,” she said.

Education is a big part of the RATSgroup and their comprehensive website,www.southbridgedump.org, includesspecifics about the landfill’s air quality andodor, water quality, traffic hazards, anddevelopments in the motion. A “GetSmart” area educates visitors on variousways to embrace waste disposal alterna-tives such as composting. “Individuals canget involved in the process too, contactingthe DEP and requesting that Zero Waste(composting, recycling and extended pro-ducer responsibility) be included in thenew solid waste disposal plan. They canalso embrace recycling and composting athome,” Pecci said.

Landfill legal

AUDIENCE FOR FIRST PUBLIC SCREENING OF “NOW-U-KNOW” AT COHASSET COUNTRY CLUB ON JUNE 26.

Continued from page 14

Save fuel and theSturbridge economy

at the same time.SHOP & DINE-OUT

LOCALLY

Continued from previous page


(ARA) - Despite the fact that summer doesn’t seemto have come to the Sturbridge area yet, many of ushave felt the urge to get the grill going and take ourmeals outdoors.

Hot dogs, hamburgers and pork ribs aren’t thehealthiest eats possible, especially if getting fit is a pri-ority. But if you think on balance, you won’t have tocompromise thesegood ol’ grillingfavorites at yournext barbecue iflighter substitu-tions are made else-where.

“Incorporatinghealthy, flavorfulside dishes is keywhen you’re serv-ing copiousamounts of barbe-cued meat,” saysChef Steven M.Simpson, CulinaryDirector at TheI n t e r n a t i o n a lCulinary School atThe Art Instituteof Michigan.“What I like to dois take an oldfavorite likecoleslaw that’s typi-cally drenched in a mayonnaise dressing and modify itto create a light, refreshing alternative.” For example,Simpson makes an Asian-inspired coleslaw with severalkinds of Chinese cabbages, oranges, carrots and redonion with a light dressing of orange juice, ginger and adash of canola oil.

He also advises keeping different types of oils andvinegars on tap to make vinaigrettes, which serve as agood substitute for the heavier cream and mayonnaisedressings typically found in pasta and potato salads.

Another tip is to experiment with salad greens. “Youcan liven up a humdrum salad by switching out yourstandard iceberg or romaine lettuce with chicory, dan-delion greens, Belgian endive, Bibb lettuce, watercressor arugula,” Simpson says. “Not only are these darkergreens more flavorful, but they also tend to be muchhigher in vitamins and minerals.”

An advocate for homegrown foods and spices,Simpson utilizes herbs and various vegetables like let-tuce, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and chilipeppers from his own backyard. “When planting a gar-den, choose foods that you eat frequently and enjoybecause if all goes well, you’ll have an abundance ofthem.”

If gardening isn’t your cup of tea, then Simpson sug-gests buying produce and meats from your local farmersmarket, as it’s the next best thing.

Grilling fresh meats and produce isn’t just for specialoccasions. According to the Propane Education &

TAKE DINNER OUTDOORSTASTY AND HEALTHY WAYS TO

Research Council, 63 percent of parents say that barbe-cuing or grilling outdoors is the most fun way for a fam-ily to eat dinner together during the summer months.And facilitating family bonding isn’t the only benefit.Cooking on a grill can help food retain nutritional valueif cooked properly.

Simpson cooks almost everything on the grill -- pota-toes, summer squash,zucchini, sweet pota-toes, greens, salmonand eggplant, just toname a few. “Asidefrom oil, salt andpepper, I don’t dotoo much to thefoods I grill. It’s a fla-vorful and simpleway to preserve theintegrity of theorganic products,whether bought orhomegrown,” hesays.

“The beauty ofeating in the sum-mertime is that thereis so much variety tochoose from. Mybest advice is to keepit simple, refreshingand light, and enjoythe natural flavors of

the food just as they are,” he adds.

To see what else is “cooking” at The Art Institutessystem of schools check out www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

Asian ColeslawRecipe courtesy of chef Steven M. Simpson, culinary direc-

tor at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute ofMichigan.

Yields 6 cupsServing Size 3/4 cup8 Servings

Ingredients:

2 cups Napa cabbage,shredded2 cups bok choy, baby bok choy, Savoy or other cabbage, shredded1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded1 carrot, julienned1 red bell pepper, julienned1/4 cup red onion, julienned1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice1 teaspoon freshly grated gingerRice vinegar (unseasoned) to taste1/4 cup canola, sunflower or soybean oil2 tablespoons toasted sesame oilSalt and pepper to taste2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds12-15 orange, grapefruit or tangerine segments (can substitute canned mandarin oranges)

Preparation:

1. Combine cabbages, carrot, red pepper and red onion into a largemixing bowl and toss together.

2. In a separate bowl whisk orange juice, canola and sesame oilstogether. This is a broken vinaigrette so it will need to be whiskedimmediately prior to dressing the coleslaw.

3. Add salt and pepper to dressing and taste. If you would like amore tart dressing you can add rice vinegar to adjust the acidity.

4. Combine 2/3 of the dressing with the slaw mixture. You justwant to coat the cabbage; it will release some moisture as it sits. Ifneeded, add the remaining dressing.

5. Check the seasoning again and transfer the coleslaw to the serv-ing dish.

6. Garnish with the citrus segments and toasted sesame seeds.

FOOD


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Members of the Woman in Business Scholarship Committee pose for a photo with scholarshiprecipients following the June 2009 meeting at the Oliver Wight Tavern. Pictured left to right:Scholarship Chairwoman Carol Porra, Scholarship Recipients Allison, Alison Kane and NicoleGiles, Scholarship Committee Members Laurie Anderson from Savers Bank and Nancy Sawyerfrom Tantasqua Regional High School.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

2009 BROOKLYN FAIRIS GOING COUNTRY

Fairgoers have long enjoyed the major entertainment brought to the Brooklyn Fair(about :45 minutes from Sturbridge, depending on how you travel.) The fair willbe held this year from August 27 to August 30 at the Brooklyn Fairgrounds in

Brooklyn, CT.This year’s lineup includes up-and-coming country music stars Luke Bryan and Jake

Owen plus Julianne Hough—made famous by ABC-TV’s “Dancing with the Stars”.Headlining entertainment is scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at8 p.m. on the main stage. All shows are free with purchase of general admission to thefair. ($10 pp / children under 12 free).

On Thursday, August 27th, the Fair will feature singer-songwriter Luke Bryan(www.lukebryan.com). Noted by People Magazine as one of “Country’s Hottest Guys,”Luke won Music Row’s Breakthrough Songwriter Award and has been tapped “an artistto watch” by both Billboard and Country Weekly.

On Friday, August 28th, international dance champion Julianne Hough(www.juliannehough.com) will tap her way onto the Brooklyn stage at 8:00 p.m.Recently signed by Universal Music Group Nashville, the 19-year-old will performsongs from her debut album.

Saturday night, August 29th, features the Academy of Country Music’s Top NewMale Vocalist of 2009, Jake Owen (www.jakeowen.net). This Nashville musician hastoured with such talents as Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn and AlanJackson.

To wrap up the weekend, Changes in Latitudes (www.changesinlatitudes.com) willperform on Sunday, August 29th at 1 & 3pm. This nine-piece Jimmy Buffet TributeBand promises to take its audience to Margaritaville for a “Latitude Adjustment.”

COUNTRY SINGER, LUKE BRYAN

BROOKLYN FAIRBROOKLYN FAIRGROUNDS, BROOKLYN, CONNECTICUT

AUGUST 27, 2009 TO AUGUST 30, 2009

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FINANCIALFOCUS

JEFF BURDICK

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


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 FINANCIAL ADVISOR

To retire comfortably, you need to save and investregularly. For example, you need to contribute as muchas you can afford to your 401(k) and IRA. But once youretire, you’ll need to “switch gears” somewhat and movefrom wealth-accumulation to wealth-transfer strategies.

An effective wealth-transfer strategy can help youaccomplish a variety of goals, such as distributing yourassets the way you choose, avoiding probate and reduc-ing estate taxes. And you can explore a variety ofwealth-transfer tools, including the following:

• Gifting — You can give up to $12,000 per year to asmany people as you’d like without incurring gift taxes.And if you want to help a child or grandchild pay forcollege through a Section 529 college savings plan, youcan “bunch” the $12,000 limit over five years to makeone $60,000 gift, or one $120,000 gift if it comes fromyou and your spouse. (If you group the contributionstogether this way, you won’t be able to make another

$12,000 gift to that same child or grandchild for thenext five years.)

• Will — A will is simply a plan for distributing yourassets to family members and other beneficiaries. If youwere to die intestate (without a will), state laws woulddetermine how your assets should be distributed — andthere’s no guarantee that the end result would be whatyou would have chosen.

• Beneficiary designations — Many of your financialassets — including annuities, life insurance, IRAs and401(k) plans — allow you to name a beneficiary. Uponyour death, your beneficiary will automatically receivethese assets, avoiding the sometimes time-consuming,expensive (and public) process of probate. Becausebeneficiary designations supersede any instructions youmight put in a will or living trust, it’s essential that youperiodically review these designations to make surethey reflect your current wishes.

• Trusts — Different trusts can help you accomplisha variety of wealth-transfer and estate-planning goals.For example, a revocable living trust can help you leaveassets to your heirs without going through probate. You

can also structure the trust to stagger payments over anumber of years, rather than all at once, or includeother restrictions or incentives. An irrevocable lifeinsurance trust allows you to keep the death benefit ofyour life insurance policy outside your estate, so theinsurance proceeds won’t increase your estate tax liabil-ity. And a charitable remainder trust allows you totransfer an appreciated asset — such as a stock or pieceof real estate — to a charitable trust, thereby allowingyou to defer or even avoid capital gains.

As you can see, trusts are versatile instruments —but they are also complex. Consequently, you’ll need toconsult with your tax and legal advisors regarding yourparticular situation.

This article was written by Edward Jones on behalf ofyour Edward Jones financial advisor.Edward Jones, itsemployees and financial advisors do not provide tax or legaladvice. You should consult with a qualified tax or legal spe-cialist for professional advice on your specific situation.

This article has been submitted by Jeff Burdick,Financial Advisor, Edward Jones, 113 Main Street,Sturbridge, MA 01566. Jeff may be contacted at 508-347-1420 or at [email protected].

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On the day I amwriting this, wesaid good bye to

about as good a friend asone can have in this life.He was no genius. Wenever had a conversa-tion in which I am surewe understood eachother. Strictly speaking,we never even had aconversation as it wouldbe defined in a diction-ary. The social graceswere not his strongpoint. They weren’teven his weak point ashe didn’t possess them. He was just a big happy slob.

Tug was 15 years by the calendar, but by the dog yearscalculation, 105. What he lacked in intellect, he madeup for in a warm and loyal heart. I know from interact-ing with farm animals that how we feel about them andthey feel about us bears no comparison. Still, if you candefine love as a near absolute separation anxiety, we andhe shared that.

The separation anxiety was most acute as regards mywife, Robin, and my son Ciarán. Tug always knew whenshe was coming up the driveway and would demand togreet her. Even deaf, he was up and alert as sheapproached home.

Our son was tiny when Tug came to live with us.From the beginning he claimed him as his own. Heeven wrote a “book” about him for his third gradeEnglish class called, oddly enough, “My Dog Tug.”

Time stands still for no one. Ciarán grew apace.Being a responsible young man, a friend’s folks asked ifhe would house sit for them during their family vacation.

This would be thelongest he had ever livedaway from home. Tugmissed him no end.When he stopped by forresupply, our canine wasoverjoyed. He wouldnot let our son leave.finally, Ciarán bribedTug with a ride in histruck. When they cameback, the poor dogaccepted the inevitable.

As wonderful andgood as our friend was,like all of us, he was notperfect. In fact, it sad-

dens me to point out, he had no morals. Adequately fedevery day, he never respected that our cats’ foodbelonged to them. Knowing we did not approve of hislarcenous attitude, Tug would evince no interest in thefeline food dish while we were around. As soon as hethought we were gone he would break into what wethought was their secure dining area and gobble as fast ashe could.

When confronted with the crime, there was no signof contrition. Not the slightest recognition of guilt. Hewould look at us as if to say, what are you trying to getacross? Maybe, it was as in the words of the captain fromthe movie, Cool Hand Luke, “What we’ve got here is fail-ure to communicate.” When he was looking at us, hemight have been thinking, “If only they could say that indog language, I’d be happy to do what they ask.”

Still, no matter how upset we might have gotten, henever showed any resentment toward us. A day’sabsence would not bring a remonstrance. He would justbe glad to be a whole family again.

Eventually, it became obvious that he was goingdownhill. It starts small. When in his prime, he wouldwalk us. A few years back he started to slow down on thejourney up Long Hill road. For the last several months,he would just go out and wander around the house.

Then during an evening of strange behavior, itbecame obvious that he had suffered a stroke. Afterthat, he would still go out, but he was compensating inthe way he walked. He would move along with his headslightly cocked to one side. He would still go out andsome walks were better than others, but his falling overbecame more frequent. We hoped his heart would giveout before we would have to make a trip to the vet.

Alas, it was not to be. We made the appointment forthe first thing in the morning. A staff member usheredus into an examining room. Tug performed the ritual ofsniffing everything and then lay down on the floor. Idon’t know what he thought as we gave him as muchattention as we could. I would rather have been any-where else. For me, it was a small glimpse of hell.

After a short time that seemed light years, the doctorcame in, explained the procedure and got to work. Itwas not long before the heart was still. We took himhome to the spot we had prepared over a year ago andsaid our final good bye.

J MUSINGS FROM LONG HILL J

BY RICHARD MURPHY

AU REVOIR, CHER AMI

Many of the For Sale signs you see these daysadvertise a “short sale.” This doesn’t mean

it won’t take very long to buy the house. It meansthe seller is selling it for less than he owes. He is“short” money to pay the bank the balance on hismortgage.

As far as timing, short sales generally take farlonger than normal sales.

Sometimes the seller is asking the bank to dis-charge its mortgage for a fraction of what he owes.

Banks are willing to consider the deal for severalreasons. It can avoid the cost of foreclosing and thenmaintaining the property. (Banks are terrible proper-ty managers and houses often fall into disrepairunder their ownership). Just as likely, the bank fig-ures that it will get less than it would at foreclosurethan it will at a short sale, so it may as well cuts itslosses.

It gets out from under a bad loan. The sellerescapes with only minimal damage to his credit.And the buyer gets a good deal.

But before a bank can permit a short sale, it mustabide by federal guidelines that only allow banks toaccept less than they are owed on a mortgage aftermaking sure the seller is truly insolvent.

This due diligence can be as daunting as it waswhen the seller initially applied for his mortgage.Often banks must examine the seller’s tax returns,pay stubs, bank statements and other financial data.

Add to that the general inertia that banks exhibitwhenever they have do anything that requires botha lot of paperwork and a serious loss of money andit’s not so surprising short sales are often the longestsales of all.

LEGALBRIEF

SHORT SALE

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


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

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THINGS TO DOTHEATRE, INC. will present the AndrewLloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical, “JOSEPHAND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLORDREAMCOAT” at the Charlton MiddleSchool auditorium, Oxford Road, Charlton.Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 7:30P.M. and Sunday at 2:00 P.M. Tickets are$15 for adults, $12 for seniors and youthunder age 18. For information, callGATEWAY PLAYERS at 508-764-4531 orgo to the website: http://www.gatewayplay-ers.org/.

Aug. 16. IMPRESSIONISM: MONET’SMAGIC GARDEN (HOW TO PASTELPAINT AS IMPRESSIONISTS) A pastelworkshop with award-winning pastel painterGREGORY MAICHACK. WednesdayAugust 12, 1:00 - 3:00 P.M. at theSTURBRIDGE SENIOR CENTER. Thisfree intergenerational program will accom-modate participants 16 years of age andabove. Please call the Joshua Hyde Library at508-347-2512 or the Senior Center at 508-347-7575 to register.

Aug 19. PUBLICK HOUSE COOKSFOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.One evening per month for our family din-ner series to raise funds for different localcommunity organizations. This nights eventis MERCHANTS OF STURBRIDGE. AllYou Can Eat Buffet Served from 5:00 P.M. –7:30 P.M. Cash Donation ~ Adults $13Children $5 (4-13). on the menu; NEWENGLAND CLASSICS, buffet includes;Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes Corned Beef& Cabbage Macaroni & Cheese, TossedSalad. 295 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA01566 1-800-PUBLICK • www.publick-house.com

Aug 21. MURDER MYSTERY DINNER.“Who’s Killing the Greatest Chefs?” Thetraveling Food Network television show,’Metal Chef Throwdown’ is being filmed atthe SALEM CROSS INN. Some of themost famous, flamboyant and dangerouschefs will be demonstrating their culinarytalents. Unfortunately, their cooking can bedeadly! Tickets must be purchased inadvance. ($51 per person, includes tax andgratuity). 260 West Main St., Route 9, WestBrookfield MA.http://www.salemcrossinn.com/Order tickets online or contact the folks atSalem Cross by calling 508-867-2345.

Aug. 25. BACK TO SCHOOL STORYTIME. Get ready for the new school yearwith stories, songs, and a special craft. Forchildren entering pre-K through grade 1.Register in advance. 10:30 – 11:15 A.M.JOSHUA HYDE LIBRARY, 306 MainStreet, Sturbridge, MA 01566 508/347-2512

Aug. 27 - 30. THE 160th BROOKLYNFAIR. Brooklyn Fairgrounds in Brooklyn,CT. Gates open at 8:00 A.M. and close at10:00 P.M. (Thursday, Gates open at 4:00P.M.) Admission is just $10 for adults andchildren (12 and under) are always FREE.

Sunday is senior citizen’s day – admission isreduced to $6 for seniors 65 and older.Purchase tickets in advance, $30 for a fami-

ly four pack, and save! For more informationvisit www.brooklynfair.org

Aug. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9. THE FOREIGNER -Stageloft Repertory theater, 450A Main St.,Sturbridge, MA announces the comedy,“The Foreigner”, to be performed at its the-ater. Each Friday & Saturday 8:00 P.M. EachSunday 2:00 P.M. Tickets are: $16 adults; $14seniors 65+; $8 students under 14. For infor-mation and reservations call 508-347-9005Stageloft Rep is air conditioned and fullyhandicap accessible.

Aug. 6. THE NORTHAMPTONHUNTER AND JUMPER HORSE SHOW.Three County Fairgrounds, Northampton.413-584-2237.

Aug. 6. GALLERY WALK. DowntownAmherst. 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. FREE.

Aug. 8, 9. TEXTILE WEEKEND. Thisyear’s event focuses on bed quilts and varioustechniques popular in the 1830s. See early19th-century quilts and demonstrations ofquilting techniques, then try your hand athexagonal paper piecing. Old SturbridgeVillage, 1 Old Sturbridge Village RoadSturbridge, Massachusetts 01566. Telephone:(508) 347-3362

Aug. 9. MEET THE ECOTARIUM BIRDSOF PREY. Join us for a program that givesyou an up close experience with theEcoTarium’s bald eagle, hawk, and owl. 1:30P.M. - Free with museum admission. [email protected].

Aug. 12. A SERVICE IN THE STYLE OFTAIZÉ AT HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.The Taizé liturgy is primarily for the worshipof God, but it is also meant to quiet the soul.Then we may be still and be at peace in thepresence of God. You can find out moreabout Taizé, the origins and the communityby visiting Holy Trinity’s web sitewww.holytrinitysouthbridge.org. You areinvited to share in this service, which startsat 5:15 P.M. at HOLY TRINITY CHURCH,446 Hamilton Street, Southbridge. 508-765-9559.

Aug. 12. ASIAN LONGHORNED BEE-TLE; SMALL INSECT - BIG IMPACT. Learn about the Asian Longhorned Beetle.Small insect — Big impact! 5:30 P.M. -7:00P.M. - $5/person, $4 for members. ECOTAR-IUM, WORCESTER. For more information,e-mail [email protected]. or call 508-929-2700.

Aug 13. WAY I SPENT THE END OFTHE WORLD—Synopsis—Bucharest 1989.Last year of Ceausescu’s dictatorship. Eva, 17,lives with her parents and her 7 year-oldbrother Lalalilu. One day at school, Eva andher boyfriend accidentally break a bust ofCeausescu. They are forced to confess theircrime before a disciplinary committee. 6:00P.M. admission is FREE. JACOB EDWARDSLIBRARY 236 Main Street, Southbridge,MA 01550. Phone: 508-764-5426Email: [email protected]

Aug. 14 - 16. GATEWAY PLAYERS


Hey, where’s summer?

YARDWORKSBy Tom Chamberland, ISASTURBRIDGE TREE WARDEN

Caring for what grows in your yard

What has happened to the sum-mer of 2009? Thru mid July ithas been a relatively wet and

cold summer, not record breaking,although our rainfall total amounts areon the high side, and not our “normal”summer pattern. So what does this meanto our plants, garden and yard? Wellthere are several things that I canaddress.

First let’s start off with some goodnews, the rainfall. We started 2009 withan actual annual deficit of rainfall intoMay, then the weather pattern changedand we are now experiencing 2+ inchesof precip a month over the normal aver-age. This extra water has been very goodto our recently planted plants providingthem with more then enough water andall but eliminating our need to waternewly planted plants. The down side ofall this rain has been that our dailyamount of sun has been decreased andthe average daily high temps have notbeen reached for prolonged periods,again, this is usually good for new plants.In general when we look back on the

growth rings of treesand our plants we willsee a wide growthspace, indication of agood growing wet year.

The down side of allthis wet weather is asmentioned, is the lackof sunlight, and moreimportantly the warmernights that encourageour garden plants togrow. Many of myneighbors have com-mented on how theirgardens are just notgrowing. This is duemainly because of thelack of sunlight warm-ing the soil to a 65+degree temp, an opti-mum temperature fortomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and mostabove ground plants to grow. Anotherdown side of this wet and cool patternis that it makes an idea climate fornumerous fungi and mold to grow. I

anticipate seeing a lotof various molds andfungi growing on theleaves and wet groundsurfaces as we go intothe fall. Sooty mold, awhite covering onleaves, tar spot, a darkspot on leaves, stemand flower tip rot, andmushrooms will beobserved on and aroundmany of our plants.Fortunately most of thepathogens cause no realharm to our plants,except to reduce thesize of the harvest, theirpresence is sometimesmore of an aestheticconcern, however goodhouse cleaning this fall

to remove this effected plant matter isimportant to reduce its inoculation fornext year.

Another down side of all this rain isthe “washing out” of nutrients in the

soil our plants need to grow healthyand produce crops. A dressing of limewill do much to improve your plantsoverall health as our summer progressesand except for woody plants (mostlytrees and shrubs) and application of 10-10-10 fertilizer would be appropriatenow that a more “normal” rainfall pat-tern has returned.

Mid-summer fruit crops like blueber-ries, and peaches should do quite wellthis summer and be plump and juicy.We will have to wait a little longer tosee if fall crops like apples; will bereceiving enough rainfall through thesummer to be of good size.

Lawns have probably been a choreto keep up a good mowing routine, ifyou let your lawn get too long, consid-er bagging the clippings, a heavy layerof grass clippings over wet lawns are anideal incubator for lawn fungi andmold. One way to reduce this heavylayer is to raise the height of the mowerto 3”. The taller grass will have fewerclippings, and will keep weeds fromsprouting, making for a greener lawnand reducing the need for chemicalweed control.

Many times in this column I haveadvised against over mulching of treesand shrubs often referring to “MulchVolcanoes”. If you have over mulchedthis year you are greatly increasing amold and fungi stress on your trees andshrubs. There should be no more than3” thick of mulch around any plant,and for trees, this mulch should be atleast 3” away from the stem of the tree.Now would be a good time to rake outand reduce mulch around your treesand shrubs. Place this excess mulchalong with your grass clippings in thecompost pile, and next spring harvestsome true gardeners gold.

One final note, if you have largedense plants close to your home, a judi-cial pruning to open up these over-hanging trees and shrubs which willencourage air circulation will go a longway in drying out the roof and siding ofyour home, thus reducing moldbuildup, and allowing for drying of thesoil around your foundation.

Although we bemoan the lack of asummer this year, this is still NewEngland, so all we have to do is wait aminute and our weather will change!Our plants will react accordingly.


Preparing for a cardiac emergency

THE HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL ADVISER

Q: Hearing about Michael Jackson’sdeath has me spooked — what can Ido if someone I love collapses?

A: The exact cause of MichaelJackson’s death hasn’t been madepublic as of this writing, butauthorities have said he died of car-diac arrest. This means that hisheart abruptly stopped beating.About 20 percent of deaths in theUnited States each year are causedby sudden cardiac death. This isdiagnosed when a cardiac arrestends life less than an hour afterheart symptoms develop in some-one who does not have a condition that seemsfatal. The most common cause of sudden car-diac death is coronary artery disease. The car-diac arrest is often blamed on a heart attack,but that’s not always accurate.

The term heart attack technically refers toa myocardial infarction. This is caused by aclot blocking one of the coronary arteries thatfeed oxygen and nutrients to heart cells. It’susually accompanied by pain in the chest, jawor arm, or by nausea, shortness of breath, acold sweat or other symptoms. Some heartattacks damage just a small portion of theheart. Others are so severe that the heart can’tpump effectively.

Sudden cardiac death often strikes withoutwarning, though it can be foreshadowed bychest pain and other symptoms. Heartbeatscapable of circulating blood cease. Cardiacarrest in a hospital is a critical event; evenunder the best of circumstances, fewer thanhalf of victims survive. A cardiac arrest outsidea hospital is always fatal unless someone sees itand knows what to do.

That’s why you should take a CPR course

-- or sign up for a refresher if you haven’tpracticed your skills in a while. Knowinghow to do CPR is like installing a smokedetector: You may never need it, but you’llbe grateful that you have this skill if the needever arises.

If someone near you collapses and does-n’t respond to you, call 911. Professionalsmay be able to coach you through CPRwhile the emergency team is on the way. Tostart, tilt the head back and listen for breath-ing. If the person is not breathing, pinch thenose closed and cover the victim’s mouthwith your own. Blow until the chest rises,about 1 second. Then give a second breath.

If the person still isn’t breathing or mov-ing, put one hand on the center of the per-son’s chest. Put your other hand on top of it.Press down firmly, using your weight if nec-essary, to push the chest inward about 1-1/2to 2 inches. Relax only long enough to letthe chest spring back, and do it again.Repeat the press-relax cycle 30 times, at arate of 100 compressions per minute. Thengive two more breaths. Continue giving 30

compressions and then two breaths untilhelp arrives, doing the best that you can.Even less-than-perfect CPR is better thannone at all.

Some people may be reluctant to giverescue breaths to someone they don’tknow, perhaps fearing disease transmis-sion. Although this is unlikely, just provid-ing chest compressions alone increases avictim’s chances of survival.

This brief explanation makes CPRsound easy. Indeed, it’s not difficult. ButCPR takes practice to do it under pressure.Taking a course helps prepare you muchbetter. You can find one in your area bycalling the American Heart Association at800-242-8721 (toll free) or the AmericanRed Cross at 202-303-4498.

Keep in mind that CPR only buystime; it can’t restore a healthy heartrhythm. That’s up to the automated exter-nal defibrillator. It can shock the heart outof a deadly quivering rhythm — or none atall — and into a normal one. Becausedefibrillators are available in many public

places, such as malls and air-ports, you may learn how touse one during your CPRcourse. But if you haven’ttaken a course, you can followthe simple directions thatcome with these devices.

Taking steps to prevent acardiac emergency is just asimportant as knowing how torespond to one. By choosing ahealthy lifestyle, you can helpprevent the build-up of fattyplaque in your coronary arter-ies -- a condition that often

leads to heart attack and cardiac arrest. Toreduce your risk, take these steps:

n If you smoke, quit.

n Exercise regularly.

n Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grainsand nuts.

n Cut down on foods containing saturat-ed fat, and avoid trans fats.

n Keep your blood pressure and choles-terol levels in the normal range.

If a heart attack or cardiac arrest occurs,family members and friends often find them-selves wishing they had done more. Instead oflooking back with regret, know the warningsigns and learn CPR. That way you can feelyou did everything possible and, more impor-tant, maybe save a life.

© 2009 the President and Fellows of HarvardCollege.

BY THE FACULTY OF HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

A REGULAR FEATURE INTHE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE

THE STURBRIDGE TIMES MAGAZINE26

The reason for buying life insurance, of course, isto protect your family. But it can also be used toprotect your business, transfer wealth from one

generation to another, provide retirement income andserve as a source of financing.

Like any insurance policy, life insurance should bepurchased for the protection it provides; if you’re look-ing for an investment, for example, you can likely findmore profitable ways to invest your money. However,life insurance is perhaps the most versatile form ofinsurance and can serve many purposes relating to itsvalue as insurance.

The most basic reason to have life insurance is toreplace your income in case tragedy strikes. The “deathbenefit” it provides can allow remaining family mem-bers to continue living in their current lifestyle.

You may have other goals, too, that life insurancecan help you accomplish, such as:

Transferring wealth. The death benefit from life insur-ance is subject to federal estate taxes, but not to feder-al income taxes. Transferring ownership of the policyto a trust or buying a new policy for a trust can make itexempt from estate taxes, too. Given that estate taxesare scheduled to return to a top rate of 55% in 2011,that’s an important advantage. Currently, assets valuedat up to $3.5 million are exempt from estate taxes, butthe exemption is scheduled to drop back to $1 millionin assets in 2011, unless Congress takes action beforethen.

When the insured dies, the death benefit canremain in the trust and provide income to a survivingspouse or to other heirs. Income from the trust is notpart of the spouse’s estate for tax purposes.

It is important to know, though, that a life insurancetrust is irrevocable. The trust will own the policy per-manently, and you will not be able to change the ben-eficiary, cancel the policy, borrow against it or other-wise alter it. Also, if you transfer an existing policy intothe trust rather than establishing a new trust-ownedpolicy, it will be subject to estate taxes if you die with-

in three years.Passing on ownership of a business interest. When a

business has multiple owners and one dies, theremaining owners typically need to find a way to buythe portion of the business owned by the deceasedowner.

Using cash to purchase the business interest of thedeceased is typically not an option; few businessesgenerate enough cash to make such a purchase with-out putting a financial strain on the business.Instead, owners can purchase life insurance policieson each other and use the death benefit to buy outthe interest of the deceased partner.

Business owners may even purchase a special poli-cy called first-to-die insurance, which, despite itsgloomy name, is an attractive product, because it cancover multiple lives with a single policy. For exam-ple, if a business has two owners and one dies, thedeath benefit will go to the other owner to pay sur-viving heirs for the business interest of the deceased.

A buy-sell agreement is typically established toguarantee that when an owner dies, the survivingowners will purchase the deceased owner’s share ofthe business at a fair-market price.

When an owner retires, the cash value of the lifeinsurance can also be used to purchase the retiringowner’s share of the business. Life insurance can pro-vide a variety of methods to prepare for either the

death or retirement of an owner without having a finan-cial impact on the business.

Generating retirement income. While life insurance is notthe best way to generate retirement income for most peo-ple, it is often used by executives to fund a “split-dollarplan.” Typically, the employer advances funds to theexecutive to pay premiums on a cash-value life insurancepolicy. The employer is a beneficiary of the policy.

The employer may receive money back from the deathbenefit when the executive dies or from the surrendervalue of the policy when the employee retires. Theremaining funds can provide income for the executive ora benefit for the executive’s family.

Split-dollar plans are subject to complex federal regu-lation. Experienced legal, tax and insurance advisorsshould be consulted when establishing a split-dollar plan.

Borrowing. Depending on the policy, loans and partialwithdrawals typically can be made on up to 80 percent ofthe surrender value of a cash-value life insurance policy,minus any outstanding loans and surrender charges,depending on the policy. However, loans and with-drawals may be subject to interest charges and with-drawals may be subject to partial withdrawal charges andfees. Loans and withdrawals will also reduce the policy’scash value and death benefit.

Loans can be made after the first year of the policy andcan be repaid at any time during the life of the policy.Loans and accrued interest not repaid are subtracted fromthe death benefit and surrender value. As long as thepolicy is in force, loans are not subject to income tax.

Life insurance is versatile, but its more important roleis to provide the protection you need for your family andyour business.

Richard A. McGrath, CIC, LIA is President and CEO ofMcGrath Insurance Group, Inc. of Sturbridge, Mass. Hecan be reached at [email protected].

This article is written for informational purposes only andshould not be construed as providing legal advice.

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

INSURANCEGUIDANCE

The many uses of life insurance

Life insurance is versatile, but its more

important role is to provide protection.

RICHARD MCGRATH


TRI-COMMUNITY YMCA

TRI-COMMUNITY YMCA43 Everett Street, Southbridge, MA 01550

Tel. 508-765-5466 • Fax 508-765-5894tricommunityymca.org

P #

Relocated here,missing

Starbucks?In addition to thegreat local coffeeplaces we have in

town, there are twothat serve StarbucksCoffee and each is anon-profit. They are

the new café located in the

Sturbridge TouristCenter on Main

Street; the other isthe Café outsideOSV’s gift shop.

Rowenta IS-7800 Industrialstrength, commercially ratedsteamer removes wrinkles fromhanging garments such as cur-

21" diameter, 17" high with 5lights with glass globes. $50.508-347-2129.

Holy LoveLove God above all things; loveyour neighbor as yourself =Holy Love.www.holylove.org.

Brand New5-Light Sonoma ChandelierBought for our last home, neverinstalled. In box. Mission style,almond colored glass and greenaccents. 18” diameter chandelier

THE STURBRIDGE TIMES

Rowenta IS7800 CommercialGarment Steamer $89.00Retail price: $149.00

Crystal Chandelier

ITEMS FOR SALE

CLASSIFIED RATESFREE for ALL AREA RESIDENTS1 Headline+ 3 Text LinesEach line = 24 characters______________________

RESIDENTS (excess of 3 lines)

AND BUSINESSES:$3 per line per monthHeadlinesand Textlines = 24 Charactersincluding spaces, phone #.

$7.50 per photo

PLACE YOUR AD:E-MAIL:[email protected]

US MAILSturbridge Times Magazine, P.O. Box 418Sturbridge, MA 01566(please give way to contact)

All ads in print also appear on our website in the pdfcopy of this newspaper. Deadline is the 20th of eachmonth at 4:00 p.m. All classified ads must be paid priorto publication. The Sturbridge Times accepts no liabilityfor its failure, for any reason, to print an advertisementor for any errors appearing beyond the cost of theadvertisement. The Sturbridge Times reserves the rightto edit, rewrite or reject any ad. Sorry, no refunds onclassified advertisements.

CLASSIFIEDSS T U R B R I D G E - A R E A

Area Residents ...Sell your

Stufffor Free!

tains, bed skirts, and suit jack-ets. Also ideal for difficult toiron fabrics such as sweaterswith beading and delicateitems.. 508-347-8252.

Free Free

w/intricate filigree border on thehandcrafted glass shade andbeautifully styled antique bronze5-light fixture.• Antique black patina finishTiffany style glass shade• Overall size 19” wide x 19”highPaid $168. Will sell for $125.508-347-8252.

prsrt. std u.s. postage paid , ma permit no. 2orcester w2 the sturbridge times magazine the...

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