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Uxbridge Times You Are Not Forgotten
“Your Hometown News” VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 5
Uxbridge • North Uxbridge • Linwood • Douglas • Northbridge • Whitinsville • Sutton • Manchaug
POSTAL PATRON
MAY 2013
BV Education Foundation urges continued partnership
Veterans to observe Memorial Day Local Uxbridge Veterans have announced the final arrangements for Memorial Day weekend activities. The slate of activities will begin on Friday, May 24th. The "Flying Squadron", which consist of local Uxbridge Veterans, will visit all Uxbridge schools for the 139th consecutive year. During the past several years older veterans have been lost due to various reasons and they are looking to recruit new members to get involved with this great program and help continue this great tradition. On Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th, members of The VFW Post 1385, and American Legion, Charles A. Rice post # 33, will depart the VFW (located on Douglas St. / Route 16 in Uxbridge) at 6:00 a.m. and proceed to St. Mary's Cemetary, and Prospect Hill Cemetary, where a short ceremony will be held to honor all the deceased veterans, consisting of a short prayer and a gun volley. The annual Memorial Day parade will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Whitin Elementary School on Granite Street in Uxbridge. All units and participants are asked to assemble at the school no later than 8:30 a.m. to receive their assigned positions. After the opening exercises, the parade route will take the units to Walter F. Wesgan Square, Veterans Memorial Gymnasium at the McCloskey Middle School, Minuteman Monument outside of Prospect Hill Cemetery. A brief exercise will take place at each location. The parade will end at the Town Common where the main program will take place. In the event of rain, scheduled exercises will be held in the McCloskey Middle School auditorium at 10:00 a.m. For further information on any of these events please contact Don Letourneau at 508-278-2100.
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Lt. Gov. Murray, Keynote Speaker at meeting by Constance Dwyer
GOD BLESS AMERICA - Sabrina Tibedo, a member of Uxbridge Brownie Troop 11020, helps the girls in making a positive impacet in their community. The Troop has contributed to the community through their charity work and caring for others. See complete story on page 14.
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID BOSTON, MA PERMIT NO 55800
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An innovative resource for educators and business people lies in the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation (BVEF). Executive Director Paul Lynskey says, “The Blackstone Valley Education Foundation serves as the primary link between schools and local businesses…Our mission is to connect current learning with future career paths for students, whether following post-secondary education or immediately after high school graduation.” Most importantly, the BVEF provides school district staff with the ability to leverage community re-sources and to develop collaborative programs and services that would not be possible for one school district acting alone. The Blackstone Valley Education Foundation school districts include: Milford, Hopedale, Blackstone Valley Technical High School, Douglas, Northbridge, Uxbridge, Sutton, Grafton, Mendon-Upton, Blackstone-Millville, and Touchstone Community School, Grafton. With the Foundation’s mission in mind, Mr. Lynskey organized a successful, informative two-hour meeting at Pleasant Valley Country Club, Sutton, on April 4th; The Blackstone Valley Education & Business Forum brought over 130 educators and business people, as well as Rep. John Fernandes-Milford, to 13 tables to discuss how best to prepare today’s students for the job market today and in the future. Identical questions were given to the participants at each table: How can BVEF be more of a resource in organizing collaborative career programs for schools? In what ways can businesses help the schools to develop such programs? In what ways can schools help businesses to develop such programs? If BVEF creates a “Speakers
BuSineSS Bio:
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Blackstone Valley Music
Town News ..............Page 4 Dining Out…………Page 17 Calendar...................Page 21 School News............Page 23 Senior Corner ..........Page 27 Society .....................Page 33 Business News........Page 37 Sports.......................Page 41 Classified .................Page 43
Want to play a musical instrument; take voice lessons; buy an instrument? Where do you go? easy answer,.6 Mendon St. in uxbridge. See complete story on page 37
Bureau,” what topics would benefit either teachers or students? The questions are consistent with a 2012 Q&A presentation involving both business representatives and local members of the state legislature, and, significantly, with relevant objectives expressed in the following excerpts from President Obama’s recent FY2014 budget message; his budget document proposes to “Re-design High School” in order to “both college and career readiness” by “rewarding schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers”to “prepare students to continue on to postsecondary education or transition into skilled jobs. Further it “proposes to strengthen and reform career and technical education to better align programs with the needs of employers and higher education.” The Forum provided an overview of the Foundation’s “programs and services for schools,” a keynote address by Massachusetts Lt. Governor Timothy Murray, directed round-table discussions to “identify ways to improve communication, enhance collaboration on initiatives and to develop awareness of 21st century workforce needs” and a brief awards ceremony to recognize a few “outstanding business people and teachers who are helping to strengthen community partnerships.” Lt. Governor Murray’s keynote address stressed repeatedly the need for not only “building career pathways,” but also closing the “skills gap” which necessitates “introducing secondary students to multiple success pathways by exposing them early in high school to career options through “meaningful field experiences, such as internships” and by “assessing both their college and career “readiness.” He cited as an example the Blackstone Valley Region-
Doug Williamson