Your Hometown Radio
Wachusett Mountain ski resort opened for the season this past Friday, Nov. 24 and currently has four trails covered with machine-made, groomed snow open for skiers and snowboarders – Ollie’s, Indian Summer, Conifer Connection, and Ralph’s Run. Lift operator Hank Hamelin said it was the “busiest opening day” he’s seen in the last seven seasons – now open weekdays 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
The Princeton-based NEADS service dog trainers graduated a cohort of service dogs of varying skills during the ceremony earlier in November in Fitchburg. Of the dog and client teams that came to the ceremony, some were service dogs for Veterans, another was for classrooms and others specialized in hearing. NEADS service dogs also work with professionals in classroom, therapy, hospital, ministry, and courthouse settings.
NEADS World Class Service Dogs, based in Princeton, held their annual graduation ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 5 to celebrate the newest group of NEADS Service Dogs and Assistance Dog teams. The ceremony was held at Montachsett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg and heard from clients who spoke about how a NEADS dog changed their lives. As client KateLynne Steinke says, “It takes an extraordinary dog to give someone an ordinary life.”
STERLING — Dozens of local Girls Scouts gathered at Sholan Park on Oct. 15 for the annual investiture ceremony.
Nine troops in the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts council were on hand for the occasion held on the shores of the town beach that featured swearing in new Daisy scouts followed by s’mores and a good deeds raffle. The girls from Leominster, Sterling, Princeton, and Jefferson created a circle with each other and recommitted themselves to the Girl Scouts promise for the year of scouting ahead.
Daisy troop 65386 and Brownie troop 65179 joined with their troop leaders Caitlin Leary, Alanna Malatos, Courtney Mankus, and Julia Metzidakis. Each of the troop leaders have daughters in the respective troops they lead, which meet in Sterling every other Sunday and are both full.
Eight of the 10 daisies in troop 65386 were sworn in at the ceremony, including 5-year-olds Mariah Malatos and Stella Turk, both from Leominster, along with other new scouts in various troop levels. The Malatos family also includes Girl Scouts Brownie Zabelle Malatos, 7, and dad Ryan Malatos, a captain in the Leominster Police Department.
Alanna Malatos said that swearing in her daughters and the other eager girl scouts was very meaningful for her.
“It was a full circle moment to be able to pin both my girls to welcome them into Daisies and Brownies as I was when I was little,” she said.
The mom of two is a troop leader for both of her daughters’ troops, pulling double duty along with Leary, who also has a daughter in each troop. When asked what she likes about being a Girls Scouts troop leader, Alanna Malatos said she relishes “being able to experience adventures and to teach my girls lifelong skills and values as both their mom and leader.”
“Overall, I enjoy leading both troops with my leader friends to be able to give the girls opportunities to learn and grow with each other while being part of a very long tradition that connects generations of girls across the world.”
PRINCETON — The Princeton Arts Society’s Annual Spring Show & Sale is the perfect opportunity to view inspiring works of art and perhaps add a piece to your personal collection.
The Annual Spring Show, titled “Fresh!” will open with a reception from 6 until 8 p.m. Friday, May 19, followed by show hours from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21.
The show will be held at the Princeton Community Center, 206 Worcester Road (Post Office Place).
“All work is created by the society’s members, many of whom are award winning artists widely recognized in their fields,” said Jean Strock, a member of the Princeton Arts Society. “The show includes works in oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, photography, and more, including three-dimensional works, with subject matters as varied as our artists.”
Strock said the society is extremely proud that this will be their 32nd members’ spring show, expecting over 30 participating artists whose work will be judged by the Worcester Art Museum’s Anne Greene.
An awards presentation will be held at 7 p.m. at the opening reception.
A longtime member of the Princeton Arts Society, Judy Fava-Houle, is excited to be exhibiting her artwork at this show.
“I have always loved art,” said Fava-Houle. “In college I experienced art appreciation courses and after graduation I enrolled in several art classes at the Fitchburg Art Museum and took advantage of a few local and regional classes where watercolor was taught. I found that I enjoyed being creative in that medium.”
While Fava-Houle enjoys representing many scenes, she said her greatest joy comes from painting the beautiful outdoors, scenes of mountains and snow-covered forests.
Fava-Houle said she learned about the Princeton Arts Society while visiting one of their shows a few years ago.
“I was amazed to find this group of friendly and helpful people focused on all kinds of art and so I joined,” she said. “Soon after, I was enrolled in some of their classes where I experienced encouraging help from their teachers and fellow students. Seeing the work of some of my fellow students helped me to improve my art.”
Fava-Houle believes that the Princeton Art Society shows are a gathering place where artists can display their recent efforts and where they can enjoy the work of their fellow artists.
“There is always something new and exciting at each show,” Fava-Houle said. “With the broad range of media and arts represented at each show, I am always sure to enjoy finding something new and interesting there.”
“Judy’s work is gorgeous,” said Strock. “I admire the fact that she shares her talent through teaching, inspiring others to discover their ability. She is one of our most consistent artists exhibiting work every year in our annual show.”
The exhibit is named “Fresh!” because the work is just that – “fresh, new, and exciting,” said Strock. “And spring is the perfect time for something fresh and new in our lives. The community is welcomed to be inspired by some beautiful art by astonishing local artists whose work is calming, challenging, and creative.”
Art shows help teach us about the world around us, Fava-Houle added.
“Art can tell a story, show you the beauty of our world, make a social statement, capture a moment in history, celebrate an event, and it can even make you laugh,” she said.
For more information on the society, visit princetonarts.org or on Facebook at Princeton Arts Society.
PRINCETON — Massachusetts State Police are investigating the death of a man in an apparent skiing accident at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area Monday morning, according to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester DA’s Office, aided by the Princeton Police Department, responded to a report of an unresponsive adult male found by another skier who was passing by, State Police said.
The man, whose name has not been released pending family notification, was later brought to the bottom of the mountain by Wachusett Ski Patrol and determined to be deceased.
The Sentinel & Enterprise’s sister paper, the Boston Herald, reported that the 67-year-old skier died after hitting a tree on an advanced trail.
Wachusett Ski Patrol responded to the incident around 9:25 a.m., whereafter they provided emergency care before handing his care over to first responders, according to the report. “All of our thoughts are with the skier’s family and friends,” the ski area said in a statement.
An investigation by State Police is ongoing, according to the Worcester DA’s Office.
