Sturbridge Trails starting to Trek: over $660,000 to be spent building trails over next three years.

Sturbridge: A message from Tom Chamberland. The Town of Sturbridge has recently been notified of several grant awards and pending approval to proceed on trail projects in the community. When this work is completed, which is expected to take up to three years, expenditures will total over $660,000.00 of construction.

This past spring the American Hiking Society approved a $5000.00 grant to be used to start the first phase of the Arbutus Park Loop trail on the Leadmine Mt Conservation lands. This grant was a joint application by the Town and the Grand Trunk Trailblazers, the region’s local Non Profit Trail group. This American Hiking Society grant was awarded to the Grand Trunk Trail Blazers based on line Web site voting last fall. The grant will be used to purchase fine gravel and some signage to start work on the 2.1 mile trail that will encircle the Hamant Brook valley and be named the Arbutus park loop trail.

This multiple use, fully ADA compliant trail will provide connection and access to all other trails on this property. This first phase is approx ¾ mile long located along the easterly side of Hamant Brook, reclaiming the road once used by horse drawn carriages when Arbutus Park was in operation. The two bridges needed to cross Hamant Brook were recently completed by the Tantasqua High School carpentry class with design work provided by the School’s computer aided drafting class and erosion control and restoration planting installed by students of the Environmental Science class. Future phases of work will be on the westerly and southerly portions of this trail, as well as establishing 2 trail head parking lots, one the OSV Access rd and the other at the Shattuck Rd entrance.

Helping the Sturbridge Trail Committee and the Conservation Commission, along with The Grand Trunk Trailblazers in administering the grant is Leslie Wong, who volunteered to assist in this project. She will be overseeing the first major volunteer trail effort to support this grant coming up this Saturday June 27th from 9am to 4 pm. Over 50 members of the regional Mormon Church Youth group will be grubbing and clearing the trail surface in preparation for the fine gravel surface application. Additional volunteers to assist in this effort are needed. If you can donate even a few hours, all help will be greatly appreciated, as we need to demonstrate the area’s volunteerism in support of this grant. Please contact Leslie at: 508-347-2505 or email her at: ewight@town.sturbridge.ma.us . It is requested you bring proper work shoes, gloves and a water bottle.

This past week the Town was notified by State Senator Steven Brewer that the town’s application to the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) for a $35,600 Recreation Trail grant was awarded. This grant was applied for by the Sturbridge Trail Committee in partnership with the local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, East Brimfield/Westville Lake Office. The Corps and the Town will provide matching funds and in-kind services in the amount of $61,400 for a total project cost of $97,000.00.

These funds will be used to complete the 1.5 mile section of the Grand Trunk Trail from the Corps of Engineers Wallace Rd trail head parking lot to the Ed Calcutt Bridge, which spans the Quinebaug River off River Rd. Work on this project includes cross drain pipe repairs, leveling base course gravel and placement of a fine gravel packed ADA compliant surface. Corps of Engineers Park Ranger and trails expert Tom Chamberland will be coordinating construction oversight of this section of the trail.

After much coordination with Mass Highway, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Project Review Board has approved the release of Federal funds for the design phase portion of the ¾ mile section of the Grand Trunk Trail from the Ed Calcutt Bridge to the intersection of Farquhar and River Roads. This $550,000.00 total construction cost project will be matched with Sturbridge funds of $11,100.00 for a total project cost of $561,100.00. Upon competition of the design phase, expected to take 1 year, construction will administered by Mass Highway. With the completion of this section and the DCR grant a total of 3.5 miles of the Grand Trunk Trail will be complete from Westville Dam at 200 Marjorie Lane in Southbridge to River Rd in Sturbridge.

Recently, the Community Preservation Committee working with local volunteers started the initial clean up of the recently purchased river lands property, upon which the next major phase of construction of the Grand Trunk trail will occur.

Pat McGarrah, President of the Grand Trunk Trail Blazers, and Sturbridge Trail Committee Chair said: “The Grand Trunk Trail Blazers were organized back in 1992, Ed Calcutt had this terrific vision of a 60 mile trail through Southern New England now some 17 years latter Sturbridge is full filling their portion of that dream with actual trail on the ground”.

Agreeing with Pat, Corps of Engineers Park Ranger Tom Chamberland added “Much hard work has gone into preparing and submitting for these grants, the vision of Ed Calcutt is really starting to take shape. The Corps is pleased and proud of our partnerships with the Towns we hold lands in and the Grand Trunk Trail Blazers in working to develop recreational trails to improve the quality of life of the residents and visitors to our area.”

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For more information contact:

Erin Jacque, Conservation Agent Town of Sturbridge: 508-347-2506,
ejacque@town.sturbridge.ma.us

Tom Chamberland, park Ranger COE: 508-347-3705
Thomas.A.Chamberland@usace.army.mil

Pat McGarrah, Chair, Sturbridge Regional trails Comm. 508-347-3647,
pat.mcgarrah@charter.net

Celebrating Our Independence

In the coming days, communities and individuals alike will participate in public and private celebrations commemorating the birth of this great nation. Two hundred and thirty three years have passed since “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America” was issued.

For John Hancock and the other 56 signatories to the “Declaration”, it was a monumental and courageous step that would alter the course of human events for time immortal. Our nation has become the world’s pre-eminent leader and has endured great suffering along with unparalleled success in becoming the most benevolent country history has ever witnessed. Surely, this is, and shall continue to be great cause for celebration among the citizenry of the United States, as well as those across the globe who depend upon us daily.

Here locally, we will be fortunate to lay witness to a dramatic and exciting Fourth of July celebration hosted by Old Sturbridge Village. Last year’s event was incredibly well choreographed and attended, with this year’s promising to be significantly more so. It will be a great opportunity for all of us to showcase the very best that Sturbridge has to offer in terms of amenities, hospitality, and safety.

With so much excitement surrounding the upcoming holiday, it is easy for many of us to lose sight of the annual tragedies that occur as a result of July 4th celebrations; some legal, most otherwise. Injuries – physical and emotional – resulting from burns, disfigurement, and even death are all too commonplace during the weeks surrounding our Independence Day celebrations. As well, one is all too familiar with increased news reports of alcohol related accidents and deaths resulting from a proclivity for increased alcohol consumption by a small yet not inconsequential percentage.

All Americans recognize the great desire and need to memorialize – through celebration - the great freedoms we enjoy as the world’s most sovereign people. It is a fundamental aspect of who we are as a people. With that said, one is reminded of last year’s tragic accident during a non-sanctioned pyrotechnics display, which resulted in serious injury to a visitor. Fortunately, this remote and regrettable accident is an extreme rarity in this area and hopefully one not likely to occur again.

Speaking as an individual member of your elected leadership, I invite all Sturbridge residents to celebrate the birth of our great nation with excitement and vigor; I also encourage each of us to do so in a safe, sanctioned, and sensible manner.

Have A Happy and Safe Fourth of July.

Thomas R. Creamer, Sturbridge Selectman.

Revitalizing Our Community - The Merchants of Sturbridge

As many have no doubt heard or read about by now, Sturbridge public officials, residents, and members of the business community have undertaken a grass roots initiative aimed at revitalizing our community. This group, approximately one hundred strong, has been meeting for the last six weeks in an effort to develop a comprehensive strategy for reinvigorating our local economy and breathing excitement back into our community.

In addition to what you may have heard from enthusiastic supporters or read about in the local news media, I wanted to provide a more detailed progress report, while simultaneously reviewing our brief history.

As some of you may recall, I had pledged during the election campaign to reach out to and work with the business community in an effort to stem the exodus of local merchants from our community. To that end, I initiated direct contact with retail establishments, local restaurants and attractions, along with local government representatives and residents soliciting their commitment to join to participate in a Downtown Revitalization Summit.

The “Summit” would provide an opportunity for various groups within the community to Communicate directly in hopes of laying the foundation for long-term Cooperation. Subsequently, it was hoped that this cooperation would result in better Coordination of community-wide efforts and a stronger Commitment from all to work collectively towards solving the issues facing the community.

In just under six weeks, we have witnessed some very impressive and inspiring progress, which is galvanizing increased support within the community. The “Downtown Revitalization Summit” has resulted in the formal establishment of the “Merchants of Sturbridge” (MOS), a comprehensive group of merchants, professional service providers, residents, and local public officials whose charge is to create a strong desire and reason for people to Shop, Eat, and Stay in Sturbridge.

The group at large has met three times, with each meeting witness to standing room only representation. The enthusiasm and energy present at each meeting is as palpable as a head-to-head finish-line race by world-class runners. Inspired by the overwhelming sense of hope within the group, the Publick House, Old Sturbridge Village, and Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park have each pledged substantial donations to the group. Merchant, resident, and governmental members have responded by pledging personal donations towards our revitalization efforts.

Three committees have been formed within MOS to better channel and prioritize efforts. Each committee – Marketing Team, Events Committee, and Finance Committee are comprised of merchants, residents, and at least one local government representative so as to ensure a cohesive, coordinated, and comprehensive approach to identifying solutions to the challenges facing our community.

Soon, in small incremental steps, residents and visitors alike will begin to witness the fruits of labor produced by these committees and MOS at large. A Marketing Plan has been developed and is in a “pre-release” state as funding options are reviewed. The Events Committee is developing two “event blueprints” that will guide long-term (strategic) planning as well as short-term (tactical) planning efforts. The strategic blueprint is focused on creating four seasonal events designed to draw both residents and visitors alike to our town in celebration. The tactical blueprint is designed to capitalize on conferences, tour groups, and emerging events driven by the calendars of local attractions and hotels. The Finance Committee is in the preliminary stages of incorporating the Merchants of Sturbridge as a non-profit community entity with an overriding theme of “revitalizing and reinvigorating” our beloved community. The incredible devotion to this endeavor by the Sturbridge Business Community has been nothing short of inspirational.

An important and integral aspect of this cooperative relationship has been the input of resident members of the organization. Sturbridge residents are providing a balanced consumer perspective that integrates their financial concerns, hopes, and dreams, as well as their desire for a thriving community that capitalizes on and protects the character of Sturbridge. As well, they have stepped forward to provide direct assistance to merchants in beautifying our Main Street district. Over the last week, residents Karin Rokicki, Maryann Thorpe, Emma Thorpe, and Jeannine Creamer have donated their services to merchants, providing 21 hours of landscape work, with many more hours still committed.

Surely, in the grand scheme of things, our progress to date can only be measured in mere baby steps. When one views the enormous challenges before us and the long steady decline of our downtown district, (years in the making), coupled now with a beleaguered economy, it is clear that no quick-fix silver bullet is going to transform our community overnight. Nevertheless, one must bear in mind as well that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and to that end, it is encouraging that we have already taken several steps and our stride at this point appears to be a comfortably enthusiastic one.

Elementary School Building Committee - NEWS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE: IMMEDIATE
CONTACT: CHARLES T. BLANCHARD
chasblanchard@msn.com
508-277-9057
508-347-7285

UPDATE SET FOR BURGESS CONSTRUCTION

Decades-Old School Would
Modernize, Expand with State Funding

STURBRIDGE — The community-based Elementary School Building Committee announced today a public information meeting to spell out plans for construction and renovation of the 59-year-old Burgess Elementary School at 7:30 P.M. Wednesday, June 17, in the school building’s north cafeteria.

Opened in 1950, last expanded in 1972, and most recently structurally improved 19 years ago, the Burgess Elementary School has qualified for state reimbursement of a portion of construction costs of the projected 129,000-square-foot facility. It would occupy the present Burgess School site, off Cedar Street.

With an October 1, 2008, enrollment of 824 K through Grade 6 students plus the faculty and staff, Burgess is among the largest and least modern elementary schools in Massachusetts.

School Building Committee Vice Chairperson Charles T. Blanchard, in announcing the public information meeting, emphasized that “The faculty continue struggling admirably to bring to students the latest proven teaching approaches, and the staff are always striving to deliver support services in an outmoded schoolhouse that is fraught with gerry-rigged and piecemeal ‘fixes.’”

The information meeting will show a computerized ‘flyover’ illustration of the exterior, the floor plan and a side-by-side comparison of the building’s current limitations and the plan’s features.

Mr. Blanchard noted that “The plans that the School Building Committee will present at the information session fit the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s comprehensive, specific, detailed and interrelated guidelines that are calculated according to the state’s projections for Sturbridge’s future elementary school student census.”

Anticipating present conditions, Sturbridge voters established the Elementary School Building Committee seven years ago.

While the committee’s membership has changed somewhat over the years, its current composition includes: Mr. Blanchard, who is a former Sturbridge Selectman and current Town Administrator of Paxton; Dr. Daniel J. Carlson, Principal, Burgess Elementary School; William Chamberland, a facilities manager with building and maintenance experience; Elementary School Building Committee Chair and former School Committee Chair Angela Cheng-Cimini; Daniel G. Durgin, Superintendent, Tantasqua/Union 61 School District; Burgess Elementary School teacher and former Selectman William A. Emrich; Selectman Scott A. Garieri; Planning Board member Sandra Gibson-Quigley; Town Administrator James J. Malloy; Finance Committee member Laurance S. Morrison; Lisa O. Noonan, a Parent Teacher Organization leader and community activist; Dawn L. Pratt, a School Committee member; David Travinski, a Department of Public Works employee; and former Finance and School Committee member Holly O’Neil-Turley. Supporting the committee is Barbara Barry, the Sturbridge Finance Director, who is a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official.

Joining the School Building Committee members in presenting the plans at the public session will be architect Carl R. Franceschi, AIA, of the firm Drummey Rosane Anderson, of Newton Centre, and the project owner’s manager, Eric D. Moore, AIA, of the architectural firm Lamoureux Pagano Associates, of Worcester.

In reflection of the complexities that shape public construction, the School Building Committee remains in conversation with the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Mr. Blanchard said that he foresees a resolution of the talks in time for the state to decide whether to award final approval, which would lead to a Sturbridge Special Town Meeting, probably this fall, when voters would be asked to authorize a bond issue. The specifics of funding, he explained, will result from those talks.