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Uxbridge Times “Your Hometown News” VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 5
FREE Monthly Since 1991
Uxbridge • North Uxbridge • Linwood • Douglas • Northbridge • Whitinsville • Sutton • Manchaug
Veterans called to march
The Uxbridge Parade Committee Wants You! They want Veterans to come march with them in the Uxbridge Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 29th. Meet at Whitin School, 8:30 a.m. parade steps off at 9:00 a.m. Show Uxbridge who has had their backs since 1776. It does not matter if you served during a conflict or not, you have served with distinction, pride and honor and they want you with them. If your military backpack has gotten a little too heavy and you would like a ride, let them know and they will do their best to find you a stylish ride. The members of the VFW Post 1385, and American Legion, Charles A. Rice Post #33, will depart the VFW at 6:00 a.m. and proceed to St. Mary’s Cemetery, and Prospect Hill Cemetery, where a short ceremony will be held to honor all our deceased Veterans, consisting of a short prayer and a gun volley and Taps. In the event of rain, on Parade day, scheduled exercise will be held in the McCloskey Middle School auditorium at 10:00 a.m. Also, they are looking for local Uxbridge Veterans to volunteer to participate in the “Flying Squadron” which visits all the Uxbridge Schools for the 141th consecutive year. This will take place Friday, May 26th. Please contact one of the individuals below if you would like to participate or have any questions: Dennis Seely, 1508-278-0057, Tom Taft, USN 1-508962-5545, or Russ Wise, USMC 1-508328-4499.
Spring Town Meeting
Tuesday, May 9th • 7:00 p.m. Uxbridge High School 300 Quaker Highway, Rt. 146A
POSTAL PATRON
MAY 2017
Douglas Library funding in jeopardy
LOOKING FOR FRESH VEGGIES?
The Douglas Farmers Market is a wonderful weekly market held on the grounds of the historic E.N. Jenckes Store in downtown Douglas. See story on page 11
The beautiful Simon Fairfield Public Library, on Main Street, is on the verge of closing its storied oak doors forever if it doesn’t receive the funding necessary to keep operating as a certified Massachusetts library. This year’s FY 18 budget process revealed that the library was a specific target of funding cuts that would result in decertification and the eventual closing of the library. According to librarian Justin Snook, the closing of the library will also mean that Douglas residents will not be able to access library materials or services at any other local library. In a letter to the Finance Committee he wrote: “I have also reached out to Blackstone Valley library directors to find out whether or not they will check out materials to Douglas residents if we are decertified or closed. Upton, Grafton, Milford, Uxbridge, and Mendon will definitely not. In Whitinsville and Sutton, it will be put to a vote by the trustees. The directors are certain, though, that the answer will be no. The only service they will provide to Douglas residents is use of their facilities, and the ability to use materials without leaving the building.”
Representative Kuros announces $1.4 Million for Roads and Bridges State Representative Kevin J. Kuros, (R) Uxbridge, is pleased to announce that the 8th Worcester District will receive $1.4 Million in funding assistance for local road and bridge repairs under the state’s Chapter 90 program. The money was included as part of a $200 million bond authorization approved unanimously by the House of Representatives. The bond bill must still be approved by the Senate and signed by Governor Charlie Baker before the funding is finalized. PRESo RTED STANDARD US Po STAGE PAID Bo STo N, MA PERMIT No 55800
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The money allocated to each town in the 8th Worcester District is as follows; • Uxbridge $512,447 • Bellingham $543,634 • Blackstone $234,153 • Millville $102,421 Established in 1973, the state’s Chapter 90 program allocates funding to cities and towns using a formula based on the weighted average of a municipality’s population, employment, and total road miles. The funds are paid out as reimbursements to com-
munities for qualifying infrastructure work. Chapter 90 funds can be spent on a variety of municipal roadway projects, including resurfacing, drainage, sidewalks, guardrails, traffic control, rightof-way acquisition and street lighting. The funding can also be used for bikeways, landscaping and tree planting, and for purchasing and maintaining certain road building machinery, equipment and tools.
Nor’easter Roofing
See story on page 35
Help save the Simon Fairfield Public Library...Vote, May 1st! provide Middle School students with materials for their English Language Arts classes. At this point, the public library is spending more on reading material for students than the entire school district. Decertification will end that and cut us off from the materials we have already purchased.” At their final budget hearings both the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee narrowly voted in favor of the former Town Administrator’s recommendation that the library’s budget be brought to level funding through an additional $100,000 from the town’s free cash. The town’s people have the final say when they vote on the Municipal Budget at Annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 1st at 7:00 p.m. at Douglas High School.
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Bu Sin e SS Bio :
o ffering a new state-of-theart showroom with samples of roofing, siding and windows for customer convenience.
But this also impacts school children and adults in another way. Decertification will mean that electronic reader users will not be able to download books, magazines or other materials to their Nooks or Kindles. He added, “…Decertification will bar our residents from using o verdrive. I have been seriously investing in our collection of e-books this year in order to
Rob Chaille, Owner
Town News ..............Page 4 Calendar...................Page 21 Society .....................Page 23 Senior Corner ..........Page 25 School News............Page 31 Business News........Page 35 Sports.......................Page 37 Classified .................Page 39