The Winchendon Courier
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of October 22 to October 29, 2020

Park Theatre Holds Virtual Halloween Costume Contest

Three prize categories: Adult, Children and Pets

JAFFREY, New Hampshire (October 19, 2020) Halloween will be a different experience for many individuals and families this year. To meet the surrounding communities’ needs, Jaffrey’s Park Theatre debuted a virtual Halloween Costume Contest last week.

Participants can upload a photo of the entrant in their costume, along with their contact information. There are three categories in the contest: Adults, Children, and Pets. The winner in each category wins $50. All entrants have the opportunity to see their costume entry featured on The Park Theatre’s Facebook page plus the Monadnock Tonight! program broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube.

“This is a tough year for trick or treating and Halloween events, so we wanted to bring a fun (and spooky) opportunity directly to our fans in a safe way,” remarked The Park Theatre’s CEO and Managing Director, Steve Jackson.

People who want to enter the contest can find the online entry form link on The Park Theatre’s website (www.theparktheatre.org) or by going to the entry form website (https://form.jotform.com/202824020501134). Children under 18 must have their parent or guardian authorize the entry and use of the photo.

The Park Theatre must receive entries by Tuesday, October 27, at 5PM EDT. The winners from the three categories will be announced live on the Monadnock Tonight! program on Thursday, October 29, at 5PM. The theatre can answer questions about the contest via their office telephone (603) 532-9300 or by email, parktv@theparktheatre.org.

First Hearings on COVID-19 Outbreak at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home to be Held This Week

HOLYOKE-Senator Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) will take part in the first hearings for the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home COVID-19 outbreak this week on Tuesday, October 20th at 11 A.M and Thursday, October 22nd at 12 P.M. The Tuesday hearing will be held at Holyoke Community College, and the second will be conducted virtually. Since the outbreak began in mid-March, at least 76 veterans in the 247-bed home have died from COVID-19, while another 80 veterans and 84 employees contracted the virus.

Senator Gobi is the former Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs and currently serves as Vice Chair on the Joint Committee on Public Service. She had this to say on the hearings this week, “I am committed to doing all I can to make sure that our Veterans receive the care they deserve and that the deaths of our heroes was not in vain. I thank the families for their willingness to share their loved one’s stories and for their desire to see positive change.”

Family members are encouraged to testify either in person, remotely, or by written testimony, and this will be their first opportunity to do so in a public forum. First priority will be accorded to family members of both our heroic Veterans that have succumbed to COVID-19 and to those of our surviving residents at the Holyoke Soldiers Home. Unfortunately, given COVID protocols and procedures, hearings may be extended where we are soliciting testimony from family members beyond this date. Regardless, we will make every accommodation possible to provide the opportunity for all family members and healthcare proxies to testify.

For individuals looking to testify at the hearings, please email Jessica Avery at jessica.avery@mahouse.gov. Please make sure to include Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke COVID-19 Outbreak Testimony Sign Up in the subject line. We also ask that you provide us with your name, organization, phone number, and email that you will use to sign into the hearing. We will follow up with you about how to share testimony with the committee.

You are also invited to send your testimony either as an attached PDF or in the body of an email to Jessica Avery, Research Director, at jessica.avery@mahouse.gov or Hannah Buntich, Chair Timilty’s Chief of Staff, at hannah.buntich@masenate.gov no later than 7:00 pm on October 22, 2020. Please make sure to include the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke COVID-19 Outbreak Testimony in the subject line. We also ask you provide the committee with your name, address, organization (if applicable), and phone number.

For more information, please contact our office at (617) 722-1540.

Volunteers Unite for Cleaner Rivers

[Greenfield, MA] — This year’s annual Source to Sea Cleanup, organized by the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), continued the tradition of cleaning up rivers despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. “More and more people turned to their rivers this summer, since social distancing limited other activities,” says Stacey Lennard, CRC’s Cleanup coordinator. “Unfortunately, the increased use led to more trash in many locations. It was clear the Source to Sea Cleanup was needed, it just had to be different this year.” The volunteer event was expanded from the typical 2-days to the entire month of September. Hundreds of volunteers with masks, work gloves, and trash bags gathered in small groups across the four-state Connecticut River basin (NH, VT, MA, CT) from Stratford, NH near the Canadian border all the way to Old Saybrook, CT near the Long Island Sound.

“Source to Sea Cleanup volunteers’ hard work and dedication is inspiring and makes a real difference for our rivers. We were heartened to see volunteers rallying to protect their rivers from trash pollution,” continues Lennard. “Everyone was happy to get outside to connect with nature while also making a big difference for their communities. And they shared their photos and stories online to connect with each other in a new way using #RiverWitness.” Groups included local river and conservation groups; elementary, high school, and college students; Girl and Boy Scouts; and many employee volunteer groups from local businesses.

Final trash totals are still being tallied. Drought conditions across the region lowered water levels and revealed trash that had been hidden underwater for decades. One aspect of the Source to Sea Cleanup that wasn’t possible this year was coordination to remove large debris like abandoned cars and boats, an oil pipe and platform, tanks, and multiple tire dumps. “Large items like these require special equipment and coordination. Some require permits,” says Andrew Fisk, CRC’s executive director. “If anyone wants to help out and has boats, large trucks, winches, or SCUBA skills, please get in touch.”

Now, focus shifts to preventing trash in the first place. While the Cleanup event is over for this year, CRC continues to work on trash pollution year-round. “Our work isn’t done until we put ourselves out of the river clean-up business,” continues Fisk. After cleaning up more than 1,167 tons of trash over the past 23 years, CRC argues that repeated cleaning is not the solution to our trash problem. CRC is working with partners across New England on laws and policies that will improve recycling, redesign our single-use economy to prevent waste, and extend producer responsibility to include the entire life cycle of products.

“We all have a responsibility to solve this problem—individuals, manufacturers, businesses, and government,” says Fisk. “We need to show our legislators, businesses, and manufacturers just how bad the problem is and tell them – as their constituents and customers – that we can’t ignore this problem any longer. We’ve been doing our part for 24 years by cleaning up our rivers. It’s time they finally do their part in helping solve our trash problem. These ideas are going to take time, decades even. And we’ll keep at it as long as it takes. But our rivers need us to start now.”

Eversource, USA Waste & Recycling, and All American Waste are the Lead Source to Sea Cleanup sponsors. “Sustaining the environment for generations to come drives our decisions as a family and company,” says Frank M. Antonacci, COO of USA Waste & Recycling. “The Source to Sea Cleanup is very special to us – our family of employees and their families participate in this cleanup year after year and we donate dumpster services to ensure the waste collected is disposed of in a responsible manner. CRC does a great job organizing and we are proud to be a part of it!”

“We take great care to promote conservation and protection of wildlife, natural and cultural resources and strive to foster the long-term vitality of the land we manage,” said Eversource Manager of Sustainability Clare Connolly. “Working with the CRC at their Source to Sea Cleanup event helps to sustain healthy rivers and protect important natural resources.”

Since 1952, Connecticut River Conservancy has been the voice for the Connecticut River watershed, from source to sea. They collaborate with partners across four states to protect and advocate for your rivers and educate and engage communities. They bring people together to prevent pollution, improve habitat, and promote enjoyment of your river and its tributary streams. Healthy rivers support healthy economies. To learn more about CRC, or to make a contribution to help protect your rivers, visit www.ctriver.org.