Font ResizeCaleb Butler Yard Sale
April 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 11 Sculley Road, Ayer (off W. Main Street). Limited spaces available for $20. Contact 978-400-1100 for details. Saleable donations requested, excluding large furniture, general clothing, auto parts/tires. Held rain or shine.
United Way's Recognition,
Volunteer Thank-You Event
The United Way of North Central Massachusetts will hold its 30th Campaign Recognition and Thank-You event Thursday, April 15, at 5 p.m. in the Four Points by Sheraton, 99 Erdman Way, Leominster.
United Way will acknowledge volunteers and area companies for their workplace campaigns, as part of its 30 anniversary. There will be special recognition of United Way Youth Venture volunteers, in addition to announcing the winners of the Star Projects Competition, an initiative to generate volunteers as part of National Volunteer Week, April 18-24.
The event is free, but seating is limited. Anyone interested in attending should RSVP by April 8 to the United Way of North Central Massachusetts, at 978-345-1577, or e-mail uwncm@uwncm.org.
Freemasonary Open House
Local Masons, members of Caleb Butler Masonic Lodge in Ayer invite you to learn more about Freemasonry in Massachusetts at an open house to be held on March 27 at Caleb Butler Lodge, 11 Sculley Road, in Ayer.
A program featuring tours of the Lodge, membership information and Masonic history will be provided.
Caleb Butler Lodge recently celebrated its 150th anniversary since being chartered by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The Lodge membership consists of more than 200 men living in Worcester and Middlesex counties, as well as in more than 30 states.
Freemasonry is the oldest and largest fraternal organization in the world. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was established in 1733 and is the third oldest Grand Lodge in the world. Today, there are nearly 40,000 Freemasons in Massachusetts that meet in some 270 individual Lodges in cities and towns throughout the commonwealth.
Freemasons give more than $3 million a day, of which the vast majority of these donations support the general public. Among their works are the Shriners Hospitals for Children, with 22 sites throughout North America, including a burn center in Boston and an orthopedic facility in Springfield; almost 225 Learning Centers helping children with dyslexia and speech and hearing disorders; the Masonic Youth Child Identification Program (MYCHIP), and the Masonic Angel Foundation, providing modest assistance to children and adults in local communities who do not fit the criteria for usual social services.
They are responsible for collecting a significant portion of blood for the Red Cross in Massachusetts, and are one of their largest sources annually. The Grand Lodge Scholarship program provides more than $400,000 each year, and this does not include the many scholarship programs provided by local Lodges in their communities.
Masonic Lodges also sponsor and support the Order of DeMolay for young men and the Order of Rainbow for young women with several active chapters and assemblies here in Massachusetts.
Freemasonry membership is open to all men, age 18 and over, regardless of race or religion and offers a wide range of opportunities for community service, personal improvement, leadership and fun.
Literacy volunteers
Have you ever wanted to help someone learn to read who did not have the opportunity when they were a child, or to teach a person who is learning English as a second language to read and understand the details of the written word? If so, consider becoming a Literacy Volunteer.
There will be an informational meeting in the meeting room next to the Collette Library in Townsend on Wednesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. to discuss what it takes to be a volunteer and answer questions.
Any questions prior to the meeting contact Judy Maider at 978-597-5927.
Share Easter with a missionary
The First Baptist Church, 365 Main St,, Groton (www.firstbaptistofgroton.org, 978 272 1335) will "Share Easter with a missionary," on April 4 -- Missions Sunday; 9:30 a.m. Sunday School, Robert Mickey, Missionary to Kenya, Africa; 10:45 a.m. Service, Cal Fuller, "Winning New England for Eternity." Plus a testimony and presentation from Al Choquette, "Planting a Church" in Portsmouth, N H
Boutique Sales
The Friends of Nashoba Valley Medical Center sponsor several Boutique Sales throughout the year and these sales are open to the public as well as the staff of the hospital.
On Thursday, March 18, "Sparkles" will offer reversible tops, vests and jackets, scarves, gloves, jewelry and much more.
On Thursday, April 1, "Shaker Kitchen" will be back with their delicious dips, cheese ball mixes, jams and jellies, mustards, pottery, and other great gift ideas. They will be followed by "Idle Times", on Thursday, April 15, showing handmade pillow quilts, tablecloths, table runners, placemats, bibs, and more.
The "Books Are Fun" sale will be held on Thursday May 13, featuring books and games for children and adults as well as a large assortment of other unique items.
All Boutique Sales are held in the hospital's Vending Area and are generally held from 9:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m, times may be confirmed by calling 978-784-9318.
Mother's Day Plant Sale
The "Friends" will be holding their annual sale on Friday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come early as the beautiful flowers, hanging plants, bedding and cemetery plants and (new this year ) potted herb gardens, sell out early. This sale is also held in the Vending Area.
All funds raised from these sales go to the Scholarship and Outreach Committees to be used for the benefit of our local high school seniors and our Councils on Aging.
Calling All Crafters for 29th
Annual Townsend Craft Fair
The Townsend United Methodist Church 29th Annual Spring Festival and Craft Fair is Saturday, May 15. Rain date is Sunday, May 16.) The location on Townsend Common at the junction of Rts. 13 and 119 makes it a fa highly visible venue.
Crafter sites are 12 feet by 12 feet; the fee is $20. There will be a full food court, activities for the whole family, plenty of free parking, and rest room facilities.
Applications for crafters and artists with their own hand-crafted items are available by calling the church office at 978-597-2486. Applications can be sent via postal mail or e-mail.
Earth Day Celebration
space available
Townsend Recreation and Recycling Committee has space available for Townsend's Earth Day Celebration on the Common, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rain date is April 25, noon to 4 p.m. Slot space is $20 for profit and free for nonprofit groups.
The theme is water conservation this year. If your company helps the environment, we especially want you to join us! Acts needed to perform on the gazebo, too. Tom Knight puppets will be presenting an environmentally themed show from 12:30-1:20 p.m. E-mail clew6six@verizon.net to confirm space.
Payment may be sent to Townsend Recreation, c/o Karen Clement, 101 Main St., Townsend, MA 01469. Meetings will be held Feb. 16, March 2, 16, 30 and April 6, 13, 20 at 7 p.m. in Townsend's Memorial Hall.
NRWA Auction 2010
Online auction: through Friday, March 26, at www.biddingforgood.com/NashuaRiverWatershed
Live auction: Saturday, March 27, from 5:30 to 10 p.m., at the Radisson Hotel in Nashua, N.H.
The big event, our Live Auction, will take place on Saturday, March 27, at the Radisson Hotel in Nashua, N.H. We'll have a great silent auction with over 200 hundred items, a delicious dinner, and the live auction, which will include such items as an African photo safari, a week on the Isle of Skye donated by LHHScotland, Red Sox vs. Yankees tickets, high tech items and much more.
Reservations are required to attend the live auction. This year there are two ticket levels: Silver Level- $60 per person and Gold Level- $120 per person (Gold Level attendees will be eligible to participate in a special drawing for a $200 Gibbet Hill Grill gift certificate). Buy your tickets online at www.MKTix.com/NRWA (small online fee) or call the NRWA to reserve by phone. We hope you can join us for a fun and festive evening, all to support the work of the NRWA.
For all auction questions, please contact Pam Gill, NRWA Development Associate at 978-448-0299, or e-mail PamG@NashuaRiverWatershed.org.
Comedy night
The Bull Run Restaurant will host a Viking Comedy Night fundraiser for Nashoba Valley Technical High School's baseball team on Saturday, April 24, at 8 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.
In addition to comedians, there will be a raffle table, and donations to the Vikings baseball team will be accepted. Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more details or tickets, call Pat Miele at 978-692-4711, ext. 4105, or e-mail pmiele@nashoba.tec. ma.us.
Mental Health
Awareness Month
The planning committee for Mental Health Month in May invites organizations and groups to submit listings of events in north central Massachusetts to be published in the master calendar for the month. The theme for the month is "Mental Health: From Birth through Adulthood."
Please include the title or description of the event, the name of your organization, the date and time of the event, the location, and a contact person and address.
Listings should be sent by March 31 to Guy Beales at r.beales@yahoo.com (or to P.O. Box 442, Fitchburg, MA 01420).
Rabies immunizations
The Nashoba Associated Boards of Health, in cooperation with local veterinarians, will provide rabies immunization for dogs and cats. All dogs and cats over 6 months of age, not previously immunized, and those with a green bell (2007) rabies tag, must be immunized. The vaccine provided at Nashoba clinics is effective for three years for dogs and cats over 1 year of age and currently immunized. Dogs and cats between the ages of 6 and 12 months and those who have let their immunization lapse must receive a booster within one year of the initial inoculation. They are then protected for three years.
All dogs and cats must be immunized against rabies.
Cats must be brought in cages or closed boxes during the last half of any clinic. The tag for 2010 will be an orange oval. The charge per immunization is $10. All pet owners must present. To participating veterinarian, proof of current vaccination to receive a three-year rabies vaccination. Failure to do so will result in your pet receiving a one-year vaccination
Residents of Nashoba member towns may attend any of the following clinics:
Groton/Dunstable -- Dr. Horowitz -- March 27, noon to 1 p.m. -- Groton Fire Station.
Littleton/Boxboro -- Dr. Kilgore -- April 3 1 to 3 p.m. -- Littleton Animal Hospital
Scholarships Available
The Friends of Nashoba Valley Medical Center is accepting applications from high-school seniors who are graduating this year and are planning to further their education in any branch of the medical field. Seniors who attend schools in the service area of NVMC can contact their Guidance Department or go online at Nashobamed.com to obtain copies of the application. Previous recipients have been from the towns of Littleton, Ayer, Lunenburg and Townsend. Towns served by NVMC include Littleton, Westford, Groton, Dunstable, Ayer, Shirley, Pepperell,Townsend, Harvard, Boxborough, Lunenburg and Devens. For more information call Norma Garvin, 978-448-5424.
