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Calendar… June 18, 2014

UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE RANDALL LIBRARY
Teen Writing Club Wednesday, June 18,  5pm – Randall Library’s Teen Advisory Board runs the Teen Writing Club, where they share writing, write with writing prompts, and discuss each other’s work and writing tips. Followed by the Teen Advisory Board Meeting Wednesday, June 18, at 6pm.

Author Lauren Scheuer, Once Upon a Flock, Thursday, June 19, 7pm – Many people have gotten into having their own backyard flocks of chickens. If you are already a convert to the “call of the chicken”, or if you are considering becoming one, you should come and meet author Lauren Scheuer. Her humorous, poignant, informative, and sometimes heartbreaking book Once Upon a Flock: Life with My Soulful Chickens, is sure to get you “egg-cited” about how to go about establishing your own backyard flock.

Summer Reading Adult Program Bingo Game, starts June 20 –  This summer, from June 20 to August 28, the Randall Library is having a summer reading program for adults, too! Come play our library bingo game. The more you use, the great things the library has to offer, the more points you earn to win some fabulous raffle prizes! Stop by the Randall Library Circulation desk and find out how to play.

“How Planes Work”, Tuesday, June 24,  10:30am – The first of our summer reading programs for kids, Andy from Minuteman Airfield will be at the Library to teach us fun facts about flying.

“Exploring the Worcester Art Museum- The Ancient to Medieval Collections”, Thursday, June 26, 7pm –  Martha Chiarchiaro is teaching a three-part series of lectures on the great works of art at the Worcester Art Museum. Come to the first of these discussions of the treasures at this marvelous local museum. Passes to the museum are available soon thanks to the Randall Library Friends Association.

Do good / dig manure / feed your plants
On Saturdays in June, 11am-2pm,  dig your own well-composted horse manure. Great stuff! $5 a bag. All proceeds benefit the horses at Eye of the Storm Equine Rescue, 65 White Pond Rd., Stow. Don’t call, just come. Drive in slowly, past the barn, bear right. You’ll see the huge manure pile on your right. Bring your own shovel. Fill as many bags (or your own buckets or bins) as you’d like.  Continue around the circle to drive out.  Please, no dogs, no smoking, keep kids in check, no tours. Thanks for helping the horses!

Ann’s Friendship Community Dinner at Union Church
Please join us on Friday, June 20, 5 to 6pm. It’ll be a cookout with hamburgers, hot dogs, and summer inspired side dishes and dessert! There’s no reason to eat alone when you can join us for friendly company. Whether you are new in town or have been here a while, you are invited. Come alone or bring your family. Although there is no charge, donations are accepted. The Union Church with the blue doors is at 317 Great Rd (Rt 117), Stow. To learn more please visit us at www.unionchurchofstow.org.

STOW’S 1825 WEST SCHOOL HOUSE MUSEUM 2014 PROGRAMMING
June 29, Sunday at 3:00 pm – Please join us for our annual Oral History Program.  Our featured speakers this year will be:  1) Skip Warren, 1782, Pilot Grove Farm’s Changes over the Centuries, 2) Professor Dick Gelpke, The Evolution of the Lake Boon Community, and 3) Mary Wetherbee, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times.  The Wetherbee family dates back to 1679 and were among the original settlers in the Pompositticut Plantation. Steve Dungan will be our interviewer for this fun and informative history program.  So come and learn more about our wonderful little town. Refreshments to follow.

The 2014 programming also includes 1) Sunday, August 10, the West School House Open House; 2) Sunday, September 7th, the Back to School program; and the Sunday, October 5th, Storyteller Todd Goodwin’s Stories of New England.

All events are scheduled from 3-5:30 pm and are run jointly by the Stow Historical Commission and the Stow Historical Society.  The Stow West School is located on Harvard Road at the intersection with Hiley Brook Road.  Convenient parking is across the road. These programs are sponsored in part by a grant from the Stow Cultural Council which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

NASHOBA COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP SAYS GET OUT AND EXPLORE!
Nashoba Community Partnership for Children invites you to join us this spring and summer as we GET OUTDOORS & EXPLORE! All ages are welcome.

At Randall Library, Stow, there will be a Teddy Bear Picnic on Wednesday, July 16, at 11am. Bring lunch, a blanket, and teddy bear, to participate in stories, songs, and activities. Held rain or shine. On Wednesday, August 13, at  10:30am, Explore Outdoors, as we take a walk and look closely at nature’s wonders. Children will use different magnifiers as they make new scientific discoveries.

In neighboring towns–Story Time In the Park & Planting takes place at Bolton’s Memorial Park Playground, Wattaquadock Hill Rd., Wednesday, June 18, 10:30am. You and your child can StoryWalk through the park and have fun planting seeds. On Thursday, July 31, at 11am, there will be a Teddy Bear Picnic at Lancaster’s Thayer Library, Main St., Lancaster Town Green. And on Thursday, August 21 at 10:30am, Lancaster hosts Explore Outdoors at the Thayer Library.

~Outside of Stow~

RiverFest – Celebrating our Local Rivers
Don’t miss the 13th Annual RiverFest on June 20-22 —an opportunity to enjoy a full weekend of activities celebrating our local federally designated Wild & Scenic Rivers, the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord!  Forty-five events in nine communities will be free and open to all who want to experience the beautiful rivers flowing through our communities.

There are boat rides, bird watching walks, fishing classes, and canoe trips, as well as historical reenactments, art exhibits, and music. Kids may especially enjoy events allowing them to explore the river banks or get an up-close look at some wildlife. Local community groups plan and organize all the activities.  Stay close to home, or travel a short distance, and spend the day enjoying all the rivers have to offer.

For a full listing of events, maps, and to find the events in your community, please visit www.sudbury-assabet-concord.org. Some events require pre-registration. Call 978-369-3956 with any questions.

Fourth annual Lancaster River Festival
The Lancaster Friends of the Nashua River will hold its fourth annual Lancaster River Festival on Saturday, June 21, from 10am till 4pm at Culley’s Field, 339 Seven Bridges Rd., on Route 117 in Lancaster – directly across the street from the Lancaster/Bolton Fair Grounds. Admission to the Festival and parking are FREE.

The Festival will feature canoe and kayak rides, with Still River Outfitters  from Bolton providing the boats and supervision for three trips from Main Street to the Festival field. Nashoba Paddler’s of Groton is providing canoes for a trip down the river and a clean-up of the Dead River section, and Mass Audubon  is also offering a guided trip down the river. Signup information will be online at our River Festival web site at Lancasterfriendsofthenashua.org or by contacting any of those organizations. Those bringing their own kayaks or canoes are encouraged to come take a ride on the river any time during the day independent of the guided tour schedule.

The Festival will again feature a wide variety of family activities and include exhibitors from throughout the community. The Lancaster 4-H Club will have livestock on site, Mass Audubon will run educational programs, the Lancaster Fire Department will have an educational program and a fire hose for kids, and several non-profit community organizations will have informational booths. In addition, there will be food and drink supplied by the local Scout troop, and ice cream will be available from mid-day on. There will again be three free kids’ bouncy toys set up on site to maximize the family fun.

FOBS Shredding Party
Saturday, June 21, 9am-12noon, the Friends of Bolton Seniors is having a Shredding Party! Please join us at Murphy Insurance parking lot, 739 Main St., Bolton, for refreshments and entertainment provided by Beckwith Strings. Dispose of your confidential personal and business documents that have been piling up for years. Watch them destroyed in a secure mobile document shredder from P. Pellegrino Trucking Co. The fee is $5 per Bankers Box. All proceeds benefit Friends of Bolton Seniors programs, a 501 (c) 3 corporation. Donations are graciously accepted and tax deductible as allowed by law. Thank you to Murphy Insurance for making us visible with the use of their parking lot. This event is made possible by Legacy Financial Advisors, Inc. and Bolton’s Economic Development Committee. For additional information please visit www.fobsbolton.wordpress.com.

D’Ambrosio Eye Care to celebrate 30th Anniversary
On  Sunday, June 22, D’Ambrosio Eye Care will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a Family Fun-day Fun-raiser to benefit NEADs:  Dogs for Deaf & Disabled Americans. All events take place at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster.

American Red Cross blood drive, bake and book sale, are at 9am-2pm. Walk-in donations are welcome or register at redcrossblood.org. From 11am-2pm will be the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office IRIS scan, meeting NEADs puppies & trainers, children’s crafts, dunk tank, and food. DJ services donated by Platinum Productions of Gardner.

Rain or Shine!

River’s Edge Arts Alliance Summer Drama Workshop
The River’s Edge Arts Alliance is proud to announce the Summer Drama Workshop is now accepting registrations for its four exciting theatre workshops. The workshops are designed especially for area students ranging in age from entering grade one to recent high school graduates. Each drama workshop will culminate with a musical theater performance from a popular production in the beautiful Hudson High School Auditorium.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and some workshops are filling up fast!  Workshop classes are held beginning June 24 with a final performance on July 26. Registration is limited and forms are available at upwitharts.org.

Visit upwitharts.org or call 978-562-1646 to learn more about any of the River’s Edge Arts Alliance performing groups.

SUMMER PROGRAMS FROM MINUTEMAN COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Registrations are flying in for Summer 2014 with Minuteman Community Education, located at 758 Marrett Rd., Lexington, and we are excited about all of our great offerings! Whether your son or daughter needs an academic boost, wants to explore nature, create iPhone games, or play sports, we have it all. All programs run between July 7 and August 1, and are for students entering grades 1 – 12. Class categories are Academic, Academic Enrichment, Career Exploratory, Creative Arts, Sports & Recreation, and Test Prep & Study Skills.

For more information – including a list of classes and transportation information – visit www.MinutemanCE.org or call 781.861.7150.