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Uxbridge Times “Your Hometown News” VOL. 25 • ISSUE 7
Free Monthly Since 1991
Uxbridge • North Uxbridge • Linwood • Douglas • Northbridge • Whitinsville • Sutton • Manchaug
The Boom is Back The Uxbridge 4th of July Committee and Premeer Real Estate is excited to announce the return of fireworks to the Uxbridge Premeer 4th of July Celebration. The event this year will be held on July 9th at the McCloskey Middle School Field from 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. (Rain date July 10th) Fireworks will begin at 9:00 p.m. Bring a chair or blanket and plan for an evening of fun, entertainment, food and fireworks! The event is hosted by the Uxbridge 4th of July Committee and Premeer Real Estate, featuring music, food trucks, inflatable fun and sweet treats. Also, the return of the Dunk Tank, always a blast! We thank
all of our sponsors, without them, this event would not be possible. Don't forget to purchase your $3.00 admission bracelet this week also available at the gate! Bracelets are available at Lynch’s Riverview Wine & Spirits, Uxbridge Children's Library and the Uxbridge Farmers Market on Mondays at the Town common from 4:00 7:00 p.m. Stay tuned to their facebook page for updates and videos of Murray the Meerkat visiting our sponsors! For more information visit www.UxbridgeJuly4th.com or face book.com/UxbridgeJuly4th. Check out the Uxbridge Premeer 4th of July ad on page 20.
JULY 2016
Special Delivery Honor Flight New England founder, Joseph Byron, (at right) holds a donation check from Thanks To Yanks for his organization. Honor Flight is a charity that provides free transportation to WWII Veterans and Korean Veterans to Washington D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Thanks to Yanks is a local charity dedicated to serving veterans and military families. For more information visit: thankstoyanks.org or like us on Facebook.
Photo by Michael Shain
Quilt of Valor recognizes often forgotten Veterans Story & Photo by Constance Dwyer “I still savor that moment when I was surprised with a Quilt of Valor for having served in Vietnam and I was moved to be recognized,” said Joseph ‘Joe’ Dougherty of Douglas, still with emotion in his voice. His wife, Lee, worked confidentially with Chris Calvey of Uxbridge, one of the six women volunteers who make the quilts, and the two planned the surprise for Joe during the last day of their “Light of the World” retreat at St. Mary’s Church in Uxbridge last October. They are all parishioners at St. Mary’s, Joe added, “Lee told me to go to a room and all of a sudden there was a crowd forming and Chris Calvey came forward with the handmade Quilt of Valor nicely tucked in a handmade pillow case with Americana designs. I’m not a flamboyant kind of guy and kept asking myself, ‘Why me?’ Why were they (the quilters) thinking of me and spending time, effort and love in making this quilt of valor for me? I had to fight back the tears. I never considered myself a hero and always felt I was one of many defending our country.”
POSTAL PATRON
Quilter Chris Calvey presents Joe Dougherty with his Quilt of Valor. Also pictured (at left) is Joe’s wife Lee. Each Quilt of Valor has a special note attached which reads: “Dear Veteran, I salute your courage, your honor, and most of all, your sacrifice. Please accept this special ‘thank you’ from one American who truly appreciates your willingness to serve our country and what it cost you.” As the 4th of July is celebrated across the country, it is only fitting to rePRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NO 55800
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member those who have served, and serve our country to keep us free and safe so that we may have our independence. Joe was a machine gunner in a helicopter crew in the Marines, and was deployed in 89 combat missions. “I was one of the fortunate ones that came back alive but to this day, I remember the names of all the other Marines who fought with me and died 49 years ago. I am thankful I was not shot, although I was shot at.” Joe was 20 years old when he was in Vietnam, Lee said, leaving her and a two month old daughter, Linda, behind in West Warwick, RI. Joe said, on a sadder note, that when he was in uniform coming home in 1967 and at a Chicago airport “some protesters treated him with disrespect and blamed for the Vietnam war,” which was pretty common at that time. For about ten or more years now, Joe along with officers, and the enlisted men he served with have had “reunions” every other year with people “from all over the country.” His group, HMM-265 Squadron consists of pilots, co-pilots, crew chief and gunners. One of their first meetings took place at the Marine Corps Air Facility in North Carolina at Camp Lejeune.
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Great Stories
Spark your imagination with comics, Strategy Games, toys, action Figures and much more when you step through the doors of chris and Melissa Mills’ Uxbridge store. See story on page 31
According to Chris Calvey, “Quilts of Valor is a nationwide organization which began in 2003 and its founder is Catherine Roberts from the Midwest. The organization became a non-profit in 2005.” “Here, in Uxbridge, Chris continued, we have a group of 6 selfless individuals who have volunteered over the past few years and who work tirelessly for the foundation, making beautiful quilts and, also, Kathy Starr, who longarm quilts them for us for free. She said that all of these women volunteers have given their time and hearts to the many who serve our country.” Most of the quilts have been given to Veterans in the Blackstone Valley and the recipients include the following: Donald Lapan, Korean War from Medway, George Lajoie, WWII Army from Uxbridge, Louis Tiberi, Afghanistan, Army National Guard and Jarred Tiberi, Army National Guard, a father and son from Uxbridge, Pat Fetuccia, WWII, from Uxbridge, Tim Rogan, Vietnam, from Uxbridge, Joe Dougherty, Vietnam, Marine Corps, from Douglas and Henry Kosiba, Air Force, from Uxbridge. For more information, send a note to: Madonna Terlizzi, 26 Douglas St., Uxbridge, MA 01569.
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