THE NEW
Uxbridge Times
“Your Hometown News” VolUmE 21 • ISSUE 10
A FREE Monthly Publication
Uxbridge • North Uxbridge • linwood • Douglas • Northbridge • Whitinsville • Sutton • manchaug oCToBER 2012
Capron Park in Uxbridge rededicated
Sheriff’s Farming Program yields bountiful results Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis has implemented a new program at the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction that has yielded bountiful results. The inmate Agricultural Training Program initiated by the Sheriff last spring and in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and has grown into a 10 acre plus success story that is feeding both inmates and the community. The Sheriff’s farming program currently utilizes an existing 10 acre parcel of WCSO land appropriated by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture and is tended to during the week by inmate labor. The crops which are all organic consist of sweet corn, zucchini, summer squash, acorn squash and pumpkins and with just under a thousand dollars in initial start up costs for seed and fertilizer, the new program has quickly grown into a cost effective win-win for both the inmates and the local community. This year’s harvest has yielded over 7,000 ears of sweet corn and 9,000 lbs of additional vegetables providing inmates with a better alternative to the usual canned vegetables with the added benefit of a significant savings of over $15,000 in inmate food costs at the jail. Another plus, Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis recently paid a special visit to the Worcester County Food Bank in Shrewsbury to personally deliver over 375lbs of organic vegetables picked fresh that day at the Worcester County House of Correction by inmates selected for the agriculture program. “We can not thank Sheriff Evangelidis enough for thinking of us today and personally delivering of over 375 lbs. of fresh organic produce from the WCSO inmate Agricultural Program. Our food bank always appreciates receiving locally grown vegetables and with high demand, this wonderful produce will get distributed to our network of pantries right away.” said Worcester County Food Bank Director of Operations Bartt Pinchuck. Another positive result has come to blossom along with the fresh vegetables, about a dozen inmates who are selected for the Sheriff’s new agriculture program are learning a new trade and are feeling a sense of accomplishment as well. “i am very proud to be part of the Sheriff’s new agricontinued on page 21
PoSTAl PATRoN
PRESERVING ITS BEAUTY - A view of Rice City Pond in Uxbridge after the successful mechanical harvesting of the Asian water chestnut plant infestation in August. See related story on page 18. Photo by tom Flannery, mass DCr
Volunteers needed for Blackstone Valley Riverways annual cleanup The Blackstone River Watershed Association (BRWA) is sponsoring a river cleanup on Sunday, October 21st from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. This event will be held rain or shine. BRWA Team Leaders will work with volunteers at various sites within the Blackstone River Watershed including Grafton, Uxbridge, and Blackstone. Have fun outdoors while protecting your local water resources. Be part of an ongoing partnership to remove trash along local riverbanks that will make for a cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAiD BOSTON, MA PERMiT NO 55800
resource. You can make a difference by volunteering just a couple of hours of your time. This project also meets community service requirements for many organizations. Refreshments will be available for volunteers at River Bend Farm in Uxbridge after the cleanup. The Blackstone River Watershed Association’s (BRWA) mission is to engage, educate, and advocate to improve water quality in the Blackstone River watershed. For more information, or to register for the cleanup, call the BRWA office at 508278-5200 or email at events@thebrwa.org.
Capron Park, a node of the Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park located on Route 16 next to the Mumford River, was recently rededicated in honor of Effingham Capron, a nationally recognized leader of the anti-slavery movement prior to America’s Civil War, announced Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge. The park was initially called Capron Park when it was dedicated in 1986 and got its name from nearby Capron Pond. The pond was named for the Capron Family who operated the mill across the street from 1820 through much of the 19th Century. Effingham L. Capron, son of the mill’s founder, John Capron, operated the mill and was a prominent local businessman. Effingham Capron, a Quaker, became an ardent abolitionist in the anti-slavery movement of the pre-Civil War period and was the head of the local branch of the famed “Underground Railroad” which helped escaped slaves reach freedom in Canada. “During this 150th anniversary of the Civil War, it is fitting to honor a local resident who worked for one of the principal causes of that great conflict that split ‘brother against brother,’” explained Sen. Moore. Legislation, sponsored by the Senator and Rep. Kevin Kuros, R-Uxbridge, officially named the park for Effingham Capron. The Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park is a linear park along the Blackstone River that was established in the nineteen eighties through the efforts of then - Senator James A. Kelly, Jr., D-Oxford, and Senator Moore, when he served in the House of Representatives. Most of the park is located in Uxbridge and Northbridge with a visitors’ center at River Bend Farm on Oak Street in Uxbridge. Additional features include Capron Park in Uxbridge center; the Millville Canal Lock off Central Street in Millville; and Blackstone Gorge at the end of County Street in Blackstone. The planned Blackstone Valley Greenway/Bikeway is also a related feature to the park system. For more information on Senator Moore’s work on behalf of the Worcester & Norfolk District, visit www.senatormoore.com, or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/senatormoore .
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business bio:
Rita’s: 3 Stores in 1 Celebrating her “1 year anniversary” last month on september 15th, Patricia, “Pat,” benoit, owner of rita’s, couldn’t be happier to share information about her downtown shop. read all about her success in our business section.
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Pat Benoit; owner
See story on page 35
Town News ..............Page 4 Calendar...................Page 23 Dining .......................Page 24 Society .....................Page 25 Senior Corner ..........Page 27 School News............Page 33 Business News........Page 35 Sports.......................Page 39 Classified .................Page 43