~ THE NEW ~
Uxbridge Times
“Your Hometown News” VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 8
A FREE Monthly Publication
UXBRIDGE • NORTH UXBRIDGE • LINWOOD • DOUGLAS • NORTHBRIDGE • WHITINSVILLE • SUTTON • MANCHAUG
AUGUST 2012
Sen. Moore details vision for the Valley
The Providence & Worcester Railroad is currently upgrading a number of bridges along their line. The Route 16 bridge in Uxbridge was included in that plan. Work entailed site preparation activities, removal of the
existing structure, assembly of the new structure and placement of the new structure in the footprint of the existing. The work rerouted traffic for a total of 4 days. photos by stanley smyth
iPad initiative for Uxbridge High School students The Uxbridge School Department is pleased to announce that it will launch a one-to-one iPad initiative for high school students starting in the 20122013 school year. All students in grades 9-12 will receive an iPad in the next month that will stay with them throughout their career at Uxbridge High School. “The educational possibilities with this devise are endless,” said Superintendent Kevin Carney. “With the new building project Uxbridge had an unprecedented opportunity to put the latest technology directly into students & teachers hands,” Assistant Director of Technology Patrick Mistler believes that the infra-
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structure choices the Technology Committee made will allow integration of virtually any technology platform in the future. The Committee determined that iPads would best serve the academic needs of Uxbridge’s students and teachers. “Our first priority was the educational value to our students and teachers. The iPad already has thousands of educational applications, most at low or no cost. We want to make sure that our students and teachers had programming that would benefit their educational practice immediately and iPad gives us that option,” said Tara Bennett, High School Principal.
Mistler called the iPad, “a portable and personalized intuitive device… a game changer for education.” While few questioned the educational benefits of such a program, there was concern about the ongoing impact to the annual operating budget. To illustrate the sustainability of such a program, Business Manager Don Sawyer compared forecasts of the 2013 budget using the iPad initiative and a traditional desk-top computing environment. By extracting savings in several of the school department accounts, Sawyer is confident that this will not have a negative impact on the annual operating budget. “If we didn’t
have numbers that show we can sustain this initiative, we wouldn’t be advocating for it,” said Sawyer. Uxbridge High School teachers are excited about changes this technology will have on their work in the classroom. Justin Pominville, Math teacher and Dean of Students, is looking forward to integrating the technology on a daily basis. “I am looking forward to providing our students an opportunity to be more competitive [than their peers] by having experiences with utilizing technology” in a variety of settings. Teachers received their iPads in January, and have been working to continued to page 9
business bio:
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAgE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NO 55800
Monet’s Table at FrameSense
eCRWss
Monet’s Table is a great addition to Sue Dion’s frame shop and painting studio.
this shop is for the customer seeking high quality attractive, and unusual gifts, including art work by local crafters, custom linens, soy candles, vintage pieces, stonewall Kitchen and much more. See story on page 32
Armed with a comprehensive outline of priorities encompassing economic prosperity, preservation of open space, and transportation and infrastructure needs, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, delivered his vision for the Blackstone Valley during a public forum at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School recently. The event was held in conjunction with a partnership project through which the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission and the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission are developing a plan for regional growth and creating a map designating priority areas in the Blackstone Valley for development and preservation. "Progress in the Blackstone Valley requires a strategy for fostering our powerful manufacturing sector and small business base, maintaining our strong natural heritage, and delivering on the needs of our communities," said Moore. "I applaud the Chamber and Commissions for taking on this project and leading the discussion to help the Valley move forward." Under economic prosperity, Moore discussed the Valley's need for a Regional Economic Development Strategy similar to that which the state is required to develop pursuant to the Economic Development Reorganization law that was enacted during the last legislative session. "The Valley needs to incorporate the dynamic of being located on a border with another state and seek ways to capitalize on this geographic position," he said. The Senator also pointed to the need to support existing businesses while expanding opportunities for post secondary education and promoting basic skills for personal and financial success. Continuing, Moore suggested that preserving open space requires a focus on protecting the national significance of the Blackstone Valley through two key continued on page 12
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