12 minute read
people & places
12 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, August 27, 2021 PEOPLE PLACES&
Adaptive water-ski event making waves on Lake Quinsigamond
Waterskiing | from page 1
skiing, and to teach lake preservation, good sportsmanship and boating safety,” she continued. “Safety always being of the utmost importance.”
She said the collective was started several years ago. They partnered with the Connecticut-based Leaps of Faith Adaptive Skiers, which is another nonprofit that has been providing adaptive skiing opportunities for decades.
“There’s no other club in Massachusetts that does it,” Candela said. “There’s only four in New England that do it.”
As she sees it, this is the collective’s way of picking up that torch. It’s an additional example of outreach of their mission statement to teach water-skiing.
“Now we can say that we
People on jet skis ride alongside a boat operated by the Webster Water Ski Collective.
“It’s just a feel-good situation where we can get these kids [who may not] have the means to get out on the lake …
Linda Candela
People help Siddharth Suratwale into the lake.
can teach any age and any disability,” Candela said.
She estimated that the Collective needed a jet ski, a boat and eight people to help put individuals on their adaptive water skis. All that amounts to about $3,500 in equipment costs.
The collective operates through donations. This event was free for participants. Learn more at https:// www.websterwaterski.org/.
The American Heritage Museum presents: Race of the Century
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COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Westborough students to wear masks for return to school
By Dakota Antelman Managing Editor WESTBOROUGH - Westborough Schools superintendent Amber Bock outlined school reopening plans at a meeting with the School Committee, Aug. 17.
The meeting also saw school officials clarify previous Community Advocate reporting that had inadvertently misrepresented a vote by the Board of Health earlier this month.
The board had voted to require masks through Sept. 17. At that point, school officials would consult with the Board of Health to determine whether the district should move to a more flexible masking protocol.
On Aug. 24, though, the state passed its own mask mandate, requiring masking through at least Oct. 1.
Those under the age of five will be exempt from this mandate. Exceptions will also be made for those who cannot wear a mask due to medical conditions or behavioral needs.
Bock had discussed masking and reopening at a meeting with the Board of Health on Aug. 10. A Community Advocate article published online on Aug. 16 incorrectly stated that the Board of Health had approved a recommendation that Westborough students and teachers in pre-K through sixth grade classrooms wear masks.
That was a reporting error.
While the topic was discussed, the Board of Health’s vote did not formalize that recommendation.
“That was not what the superintendent was recommending at the Board of Health meeting and that is not the guidance that we received from the Board of Health,” Vincent said at the Aug. 17 School Committee meeting.
“It was part of our discussion in terms of we hope to have some flexible guidance if we have good numbers or we hope that those who are vaccinated can have times where they’re wearing their mask in school less,” she continued. “But that was not a decision that we came from.”
“We did recommend the adoption to the Department of Public Health’s guidelines which will allow for flexible masking, but not until after we receive Board of Health approval and also until we move through the first three weeks,” Bock said of the discussions with the Board of Health.
According to state guidelines, masks will now be required through Oct. 1, at which point the state may re-evaluate the need.
This comes thanks to a 9-1 vote by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Aug. 24.
In a memo released with this decision, Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said he would provide more specific guidance to districts in the coming week.
“I want to be clear that we are hopeful that this will be a shortterm measure, and we continue to work with the health and medical community on off ramps for masking,” he said during the board’s meeting according to Boston.com.
Back in Westborough, outside of masking, Bock explained that a number of other protocols will be evolving as students enter a third school year impacted by COVID-19.
“Westborough public school classrooms will return to a much more normal set-up,” she said, noting that students will be able to resume a more typical style of group work when applicable, among other things.
Assigned seating will continue in classrooms and at lunch to aid in contact tracing. This requirement will no longer be in place on buses, however.
The district will continue its air filtration, sanitization and hand hygiene protocols while also maintaining physical distancing when possible.
Schools will implement a new testing option, moving away from pool testing programs that were popular in some area districts last year.
A new “test and stay” model will allow for rapid testing of asymptomatic close contacts via a shallow nasal swab administered by school nurses with parent permission. These close contacts would be tested daily over a seven-day period to monitor for COVID-19.
“When your numbers are so low, the effectiveness of pool testing is negligible,” Bock said.
The district is looking to resume in person events, such as concerts and other gatherings.
Likewise, it is anticipating a full return of athletics activities.
Masking will be required for students in music classes playing instruments indoors. This requirement will be waived, however, for students playing outdoors.
Remote learning is not an option this year, as dictated by state guidance.
High School students, meanwhile, will see their normal lunch schedules resume after disruption last year.
The School Committee approved these plans, greenlighting a document to be shared with the community on Aug. 19 that details answers to frequently asked questions regarding reopening.
Unanimous in their decision, School Committee officials noted the gravity of this return to school planning.
“I don’t want anyone to think that we’re making this decision lightly,” school committee member Lisa Edinberg noted.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Reporting published in last week’s edition of the Community Advocate erroneously misstated an aspect of the Board of Health’s Aug. 6 recommendation on the return to school in Westborough. That article has been corrected as it appears online. The print edition containing that article had already been finalized and sent to press by the time this error was noted, however. The Community Advocate regrets confusion caused by this error.
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New CFO comes to St. Mary’s Credit Union YWCA looking for volunteers to paint facility
Frank Borawski Jr. is the new CFO and Senior Vice President of Finance at St. Mary’s Credit Union. MARLBOROUGH - St. Mary’s Credit Union has a new CFO and Senior Vice President of Finance.
Frank C. Borawski Jr., CFA, of Norfolk, is looking forward to bringing his passion for financial success to the MetroWest community.
Borawski received his bachelor’s in business administration from Boston University with a focus in finance and operations and technology management. Additionally, he’s a CFA Charterholder and has a Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
Before joining St. Mary’s, Borawski was the Vice President and Lead Finance Officer at State Street Bank.
Borawski will also help develop and implement St. Mary’s strategic plan.
PHOTO/LAURA HAYES
The YWCA in Westborough is looking for volunteers to help paint part of its facility. WESTBOROUGH - Volunteers are needed to help paint the YWCA Central Massachusetts’ Early Education and Learning Center at 15 Grove St. in Westborough.
For over 30 years the YWCA has provided early childhood care and education for children, infants and toddlers at the Westborough site.
The YWCA is hoping to get a team of 10 to 12 people together on Thursday, Nov. 11, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Their work will include painting the center’s outdoor handicap ramp as well as its main entrance, hall and two classrooms.
Supplies will be provided. Volunteers should wear old clothes and comfortable shoes. Anyone who wants to volunteer should email events@ywcacm.org by Friday, Nov. 5.
Aging Gracefully
by MariAnn Paladino, Dir. of Admissions, Notre Dame Long Term Care
GET UP AND GET MOVING
One of the most significant issues for retired seniors, especially those who do not have a spouse living with them, is mobility. Modern conveniences, such as computers, video streaming services, and video games, have made it easy for people to go from hard-working individuals to couch potatoes, putting their health in danger. Staying physically active improves mental and cardiovascular health, keeps weight manageable, and may even help keep a social life going. But one of the most important benefits of consistent mobility is enhanced flexibility and stability. Falls are among the most frequent reasons seniors end up in the emergency room. Increased daily mobility can help prevent a broken hip or worse.
For many seniors, quality of life includes participating in hobbies, maintaining independence and getting out into the world. Mobility issues can physically prevent someone from spending their time doing activities they enjoy and can lead to social isolation, depression and declining health. Please call NOTRE DAME LONG TERM CARE CENTER at (508) 852-3011 to learn more about our long-term care center at 559 Plantation Street.
P.S. Simple things like the ability to stand from a seated position or use stairs safely can help seniors maintain independent lifestyles and stay in their own homes longer without the expense of nursing care.
Notre Dame
Health Care
Long Term Care 559 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 508.852.3011 · notredamehealthcare.org
Seniors on the move
Worried About Losing Your Home to the Costs of Long-Term Care?
By Elder Law Attorney Mary F. Proulx, Fletcher Tilton PC
When faced with the need for long-term care in a nursing home, many fear losing their home to the exorbitant costs of such care.
An individual can qualify for Medicaid coverage for long-term care while owning a home in his or her own name; however, MassHealth (the State Medicaid agency) is usually entitled to receive reimbursement after the Medicaid recipient’s death.
Options exist to protect the home and other assets if proper planning is done at least five years prior to applying for MassHealth. In limited circumstances, even without advance planning, the home may be transferred to specific individuals without penalty.
The MassHealth regulations permit the nursing home resident to transfer his or her home that is used as a principal residence to the following individuals: • A spouse • A child who is under 21 years old, or who is blind or totally disabled • A “caretaker child” who MassHealth determines has lived in the parent’s home for at least two years immediately prior to the parent’s admission to a nursing home and because of the care provided, enabled the parent to remain at home rather than in a nursing home. • A sibling who has a legal interest in the home and was living there for at least one year immediately before the nursing home resident was admitted to the nursing home
An experienced elder law attorney can guide you with long-term care planning advice specific to your own situation.
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