More Good News!

Back on September 15th Selectman Tom Creamer let us all know that the front doors of the town hall had received a variance for full and permanent use from the Architectrula Access Board of the commonwealth.  I wrote about that long awaited news back then.  In the comment section of that post someone wrote:

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for the efforts and the news about the front door at the Town Hall. Can anyone give us the status regarding the doors at the old school house across the street? It does seem to be a safety issue having only one door accessible to everyone from the outside.

Yesterday I received the following email:

Greetings All,

I am pleased to announce that I was contacted today by Mr. Thomas Hopkins - Executive Director of the Architectural Access Board - and was informed by him that the A.A.B. has “…granted the Town of Sturbridge variance relief to 521CMR Section 25.1 for the main entrance to the Center Office Building. Thus, we have now been approved to implement full access to the Center Office Building via the front doors, similar to that received two weeks ago for the Town Hall. This of course is welcomed news and brings closure to a nearly 3-year odyssey, which was sadly based upon inaccurate and incomplete information that has been associated with this issue since the inception of the renovation plans.

As previously stated in an earlier correspondence associated with the variance approval for the Town Hall, though this issue predates nearly all current members of the Board of Selectmen, it became our responsibility to rectify this issue once we became knowledgeable of its existence; to that end, there was uniform commitment among all members to have this issue corrected on our "our watch". As such, I, as an individual member of the Board, extend my personal thanks to all members for the unanimity of resolve in bringing a successful conclusion to this challenge.


In addition, I extend my personal thanks to Executive Director Tom Hopkins for the proactive approach he took in addressing this issue on our behalf. His initial outreach, followed by a public meeting with the Board of Selectmen and his continued efforts in support of assembling and reviewing the required information prior to submission for determination by the Architectural Access Board provides a clear example of government at its best. Regardless of what the outcome may have ultimately been, Mr. Hopkins took the time to work with us and ultimately guided us to a successful conclusion. That said, I extend my thanks to Town Administrator Shaun Suhoski as well for working closely with Mr. Hopkins, while drafting, assembling, and presenting two variance requests that were viewed very favorably by the A.A.B. Shaun's efforts were commendable.

Moving forward, it is worth noting that the Board had previously instructed the Town Administrator to undertake the measures necessary to address the required hardware allowing for emergency access to the front of the Center Office Building and as that process is underway, we will soon be able to utilize same for all non-disabled access and egress. 

Respectfully, 

TRC

Thomas R. Creamer - Chairman, 

Sturbridge Board of Selectmen

Town of Sturbridge

308 Main Street

Sturbridge, MA 01566

Mobile: 774-696-0903

Fax: 615-634-0903

When the anonymous person left the comment I wanted to respond, "Wait for it, wait for it...", but restrained myself.  I knew it would be handled as well.  Some people do not like to leave a job half done, others are satisfied to accept the status quo.  For those people that  like to make sure things are put right, they feel that it would be a reflection on them, or the group they are associated with not to. Some may say it's an ego thing, I believe it is a simple mater of just doing the right thing for the right reasons.  We are fortunate to have a few folks like this in that newly restored town hall.  

It's a matter of turning ones energy toward good, and productive work such as righting the screw ups with the entrances in the two newly restored buildings.

Keep it up, people, there is is a whole lot more to be done in town, and from my vantage point, you're doing swell.

"Welcome To The Graveyard" Presentation October 19th

North Cemetery in Sturbridge, Massachusetts
© W. Hersee

(Worcester, MA)  Cemetery educators, The Gravestone Girls, whose mission is to “Keep Our Dead Alive”, will be presenting a virtual tour, called “Welcome to the Graveyard”, centered on Sturbridge’s three local cemeteries at the Sturbridge Town Hall, Wednesday, October 19st at 7pm.  As guests of The Joshua Hyde Public Library, The Gravestone Girls’ 90 minute presentation is built on photographs recently taken in these special and interesting burying places around Sturbridge, which was incorporated in 1738, and charts the evolution of cemeteries and gravestones from the colonial era into the 21st century.

This is a popular program that has been given around the New England area by The Gravestone Girls for the past ten years.  The group regularly works with libraries, historical societies and genealogical groups, among others, to teach about “the art, symbolism and history of these living history museums located on everyone’s mainstreets and backyards” says Ms. Sullivan, one in the group of three cemetery enthusiasts.  She further added “Almost everyone is interested in these peaceful and beautiful spaces, but may be hesitant to say so to others.  Our presentation lets you know you’re not the only one.  Come see what we do, we fill the room every time!”

For a detailed calendar of this and other Gravestone Girls’ events please visit www.GravestoneGirls.com   Further information can also be found at the library at 306 Main Street.  The address of the Town Hall where the event will be held is 308 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA.

The Gravestone Girls not only provide interesting historical cemetery presentations, they also create beautiful and unusual sculpted art pieces using the primitive art from the faces of original New England gravestones as well as teach gravestone rubbing classes and lead cemetery tours.  Their gravestone art is shown regularly at art and craft festivals.  Often commissioned for documentation and fundraising projects utilizing special aspects of important cemeteries and gravestones, they have executed these public and private projects for clients nationwide.  The evening’s presentation will include a variety of gravestone castings from their 100+ image collection, as well as the opportunity to purchase these lovely art pieces.

Contact Information:   Brenda Sullivan
Company Name:  The Gravestone Girls
Address:  16 Schussler Road, Worcester, MA  01609
Telephone:  508.212.3162
Email:  thegirls@gravestonegirls.com
Website:  www.GravestoneGirls.com

Harvest Days at Old Sturbridge Village Oct. 15-16

Heirloom vegetable harvesting, grain threshing, cider-making, and more

(Sturbridge, Mass.) --The fall harvest was one of the most important times of the year in early New England and Old Sturbridge Village celebrates it accordingly during its old-fashioned Harvest Days weekend October 15-16. Visitors can see the ox-powered cider mill in action (Saturday only), take part in hands-on crafts, tour the root cellar, and help with old-time harvest activities like threshing and winnowing grain, shelling corn and beans, churning butter, and putting an herb garden “to bed” for the winter. For details, call 1-800-SEE-1830 or visit www.osv.org.

Not only can visitors enjoy the Village’s brilliant fall foliage at its peak, they can take part in the harvest by helping to pull up root vegetables and by picking apples using19th-century methods.  They can also taste some of the nearly 100 antique apple varieties being preserved in the Old Sturbridge Village orchards.  Most of these heirloom apples are not available in contemporary supermarkets. OSV farmers will be grinding apples at the Cider Mill on Saturday and pressing the pulp for its juice on Sunday.

Although most people today associate autumn harvest time with fall foliage and “leaf peeping,” for early New England farm families, it was a “make or break” season. They worked long days to harvest and put away enough food to last until the first harvest the following summer. With no refrigeration, preserving the newly-harvested food was an important element of the season to ensure that families had enough to eat throughout the winter and spring. During Harvest days, OSV visitors can learn about food preservation methods used in the 1800s and how these can be applied today.

Offering some of the best foliage views in New England, Old Sturbridge Village is a favorite autumn destination – especially with photographers. Among the most photographed scenes are of the Village’s authentic Concord stagecoach rolling past brilliant sugar maples on the Common, and its 19th-century Vermont Covered Bridge framed in brilliant foliage and reflected in the Mill Pond.

Old Sturbridge Village celebrates life in early New England from 1790 – 1840. Located just off the Massachusetts Turnpike and Routes I-84 and 20 in Sturbridge, Mass., OSV is open year-round, but hours vary seasonally. Currently, the Village is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission is: $20 for adults; $18 for seniors; $7 for children ages 3-17; children under 3 are admitted free. Each admission includes free parking and a free second-day visit within 10 days. Woo Card subscribers get 25% of adult daytime admission; college Woo cardholders receive 50% off adult daytime admission. For details, visit www.osv.org or call 800-SEE-1830.

A Soft, and Subtle Arrival

Wetland beside Long Pond on Champeaux Road in Fiskdale.

It arrives softly.  A subtle announcement made by changing light.  The angle of the sun becomes more acute, and its rays, reflecting the changes on the leaves, do not stay as long as just a few days before.

Color abounds.  We are being purposely immersed in it.  Soon, there will be a time when our living color world steps back to kinescope black and whites, and it will seem like a millennia until the first pieces of crocus colors emerge from beneath the snow.

Enjoy our color now.  

Walk in the light in the early morning, and again in late afternoon.  Experience a different feeling for each time of day.  

Smell the air.  The colors have a scent all their own, and they are recognizable.  Your head will whirl back in time and take you to those walks to school when you were eight.  As you walk on top of those leaves already fallen, listen as the colors are released underfoot as you step, and join the other scents around you.

This is so much more than a mere "change of seasons".  It can be as subtle, or intense as you would like, and all it costs is to be aware.

Enjoy the light.  Smell the colors.  

Thank You, Tom

Some effort, tenacity, and a little time is all that it took.  Thank you Shaun, Tom, and the other members of the Board of Selectman for your commitment.

From a silly oversight, to making it right in our lifetime is truly amazing.




Selectman Thomas Creamer  Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 12:09 AM

Greetings All,

I am pleased to announce that this past Monday, I received a communication from the Executive Director of the Architectural Access Board – Mr. Thomas Hopkins – that the A.A.B. has “...granted the Town of Sturbridge variance relief to 521CMR Section 25.1 for the main entrance to 308 Main Street, the Sturbridge Town Hall”. Simply stated, this means that the Town has formerly received permission to engage full and permanent access via the front doors of Town Hall.

The variance was conditional to an upgrade specific to the handrails leading to the front doors and in support of same, the Town Administrator has already requested and received plans from the Architect consistent with the A.A.B.’s condition. This is a relatively simple fix and the Town Administrator reports that we will “...get the work accomplished through the TH/COB (Town Hall/Center Office Building) project budget”; thus it will require no additional funding.

Though unfortunate that the variance request was not undertaken prior to construction - as part of the original project scope – it is now behind us and can serve as a “teaching moment” for all future projects. That said, I would like to extend my gratitude to current members of the Board of Selectmen who supported continued efforts to pursue this matter and have it corrected on “our watch”. Though predating nearly all of us on the current Board, it became our responsibility to rectify the issue once we became knowledgeable of its existence and there was uniform commitment by all to see this resolved successfully.

In addition, I extend my deepest gratitude to Mr. Tom Hopkins who took the time to reach out to our community, offer his guidance, and pledge his support in assisting us through this process. His efforts have been a power of example to all in terms of proactive and responsible governance. Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to Town Administrator Shaun Suhoski for drafting and assembling a variance request that was viewed quite favorably when received by the A.A.B..

-- Respectfully,

TRC

Thomas R. Creamer - Chairman, Sturbridge Board of Selectmen Town of Sturbridge 308 Main Street

Sturbridge, MA 01566 Mobile: 774-696-0903

Fax: 615-634-0903

When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property. - Thomas Jefferson