~ THE NEW ~
Uxbridge Times
“Your Hometown News” VOlume 22 • ISSue 10
FREE Monthly Since 1991
uxbridge • North uxbridge • linwood • Douglas • Northbridge • Whitinsville • Sutton • manchaug
OCTOBeR 2013
New Sutton High late for class Story & Photo By Constance Dwyer
Officer Peter Bates and Officer Timothy Dean
Two full-time Officers join Uxbridge Police Department The Uxbridge Police Department and Chief Peter Emerick are pleased to welcome two full-time officers to the roster at the police department. Officer Timothy Dean and Officer Peter Bates successfully completed and graduated from the Plymouth Police Academy. Both officers began in Uxbridge as reserve officers. They attended the police academy for the last six months. Training at the academy includes
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rigorous classroom in-struction, various police procedures, an extensive course on evasive driver training, as well as a physical fitness component. Recruits are routinely tested on their skills throughout the six months. The outcome is highly trained individuals that are ready for the rigor of all that police work entails.
New construction of any building can have its complications, but Sutton Memorial High School has seen them all. During an interview in Superintendent of Schools, Theodore “Ted” Friend’s office at the Elementary School, he appeared calm, cool and collected as if the new high school was to be opening without a glitch. However, the ups and downs, causing numerous delays of opening day, hopefully “no later than” September 23rd, were enough to make any head-ofschool frazzled, if not totally dazed. Yet, Ted Friend demonstrated a streak of optimism that overcame every bump in the road this new building project has seen. Humorously, Mr. Friend admitted, “This new building project has been fraying my very last nerve, but I have maintained a positive attitude.” For instance, because of the new high school not being ready to open September 1st, opening was delayed just over a week. Students most likely welcomed that extra week of vacation but they didn’t expect that on September 9th they’d have to not only juggle their backpacks, but their destination as well. Freshmen and Sophomores headed to different classrooms at the Elementary School, while Juniors and Seniors trekked to the Lifesong Church on Gilmore Road, off Route 146 in Sutton. Mr. Friend explained the temporary arrangement has been a challenge, requiring parent, teacher and student volunteers to set up chairs for classes and then the need to take everything down on Friday nights to enable church services on Sunday. With enthusiasm, he said “Thirty to forty volunteers have been fantastic in setting up the classrooms in the church.”
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Theodore Friend Superintendent of SchoolS in Sutton
Reflecting on the original day, April 1, proposed for completion of the new high school, he jokingly said, “It was April Fool’s day for us after all!” “However, he continued. “It was a realistic date for the completion of the middle school project. Most readers know that not only is a new high school being built on the town-owned land, but a new middle school as well. Both schools will share an impressive looking cafeteria and library. The high school gym will be “rehabbed” and a new middle school gym and auditorium will be built in the next phase. Mr. Friend confirmed that there are over 400 high school students and 450 middle school students that will enjoy the new facilities and resources. In addition to the middle school and high school, there are just less than 400 children in the elementary school and about 400 in the Early Learning Center that combined comprise the Sutton School District. What’s happening to the old high school? “We’re tearing it down since it
BuSineSS Bio:
The Mane Place it’s a time for celebration at the Mane place in uxbridge, a silver anniversary. the family-run business is successful in its’ 25 years because of linda and paul chita’s committment.
ecrWSS
Paul and linda Chita
See story on page 37
was not cost effective to refurbish it,” Mr. Friend explained. What’s the cost of the new high school, readers may ask? “It’s a $56 million dollar school complex,” the Superintendent noted, “but we’ve stayed within budget,” he was pleased to acknowledge. To insure that both the new middle school and high school were being handled correctly by the construction company, Mr. Friend attended every School Building Committee meetings as well as the regularly scheduled School Committee meetings. “That’s part of my job as Superintendent and what I signed up for; I want to be fully informed,” said Mr. Friend, now serving his fourth year. The critical part of the new high school being opened by September 23 was that all “safety points” had to be in place. An on-site inspection was actually being conducted by Sutton’s Building Inspector John Couture during the interview on September 11th and he told Mr. Friend that the fire safety measures were going to be reviewed as well that day by the Fire Chief Matthew “Matt” Belsito. Superintendent Friend was quick to praise all town officials for their ongoing support of the new construction project. The school has a state-of-the art water suppression system with an 80,000 gallon tank that will provide the sprinkler system for the whole school. The new high school now has a new Principal, Mr. Theodore “Ted” McCarthy. The Assistant Principal is Daniel Delongchamp, Dean of Students last year. Other familiar and resourceful faces, those of Mrs. Linda Blair, Administrative Assistant to Superintendent Friend, and Mrs. Terri Senecal, Administrative Assistant at the high school, were there to welcome all students.
~ INDEX ~ Town News ..............Page 4 Dining Out…………Page 27 Calendar...................Page 23 Society .....................Page 25 Senior Corner ..........Page 29 School News............Page 33 Business News........Page 37 Sports.......................Page 41 Classified .................Page 43