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Calendar…April 15, 2015

Events at the Randall LibrarY
Boston Harbor Island Lecture “Home in the Harbor”, Thursday, April 16, 6:30pm – The largest recreational open space in eastern Massachusetts, the Boston Harbor Islands offer not only a fun and  beautiful place to visit  but are full of fascinating historical facts and fictions. Come to this lecture to learn more about their history. Plus, don’t forget that the library has Harbor Island Ferry passes available so you can take the whole family to visit this magnificent park system, thanks to the Randall Library Friends Association.

National Poetry Month Celebration: Poetry reading with poets Cathy Bomba and Ruby Hatlevig, Thursday, April 23, 7pm – Come celebrate the power of poetry to enrich lives, when local Stow poets Cathy Bomba and 10 year-old Ruby Hatlevig read some of their beautiful and profound poems and talk about how their poetry affects their lives.

Author Donald Brown, “The Morphine Dream”, Thursday, April 30, 7pm – An awe-inspiring  and life-changing story of one man’s desire to overcome adversity, The Morphine Dream is a true story about recognizing natural gifts and abilities and being persistent  in the pursuit of your dreams. Come meet Donald Brown as he talks about his life and how he transformed it.

Tours for Rising NASHOBA Freshmen and their Parents
Nashoba Regional High School will be holding guided tours at the high school on Thursday, April 16, at 3:30pm and on Tuesday, May 5, at 3:30pm for rising freshmen and their parents. We will assemble just inside the front entrance of the high school, and each tour will head out into the building promptly at 3:30. This will be an opportunity to see the high school, receive general information about the school and the 8th-to-9th grade transition, and to ask questions. If you attended our Rising Ninth Grade Open House then much of the information will be similar, but repeat visitors are certainly welcome to attend!    There is no need to RSVP, simply show up by 3:30 on one of the two days.

UPCOMING SEPAC MEETINGS
The Nashoba Regional School District’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), along with the district’s Special Education Dept., are sponsoring two events for parents/guardians during the month of April.

The “Basic Rights Workshop” on Thursday, April 16, at 7pm will introduce participants to the federal and state special education laws, special education process, parent and student rights, and how to resolve differences with the school. Participants will learn how to be effective partners with their child’s school, and to plan, make decisions and monitor their child’s educational progress. Workshop led by Bonnie Polakoff, an educational advocate.

The workshop on “The Roadmap to CBHI and Applying for MassHealth and Accessing Services” on Thursday, April 30, at 7pm will be led by Bonnie Thompson, Family Leader at Mass Family Voices, who will speak on a topic that many parents have questions about with the newly enacted legislation (MA Autism Bill of 2014). Topics such as accessing autism related services through ARICA will also be covered.

The meetings will be held at Nashoba Regional High School, 12 Green Rd. in Bolton, in Room 216. For more information email Isabel Wells at [email protected].

relay for life bake sale
A bake sale will be held out side of Ace Hardware in Stow on Saturday, April 18, from 8:30am to 5:30pm, or until the goods runout. All proceeds will go to a local Relay for Life team “Just Keep Swimming”. Please come out and show your support! Any questions, contact Melissa Buck at [email protected].

Friends of Troop 1 Stow Electronics Recycling Event
Friends of Boy Scout Troop 1 Stow will hold the 12th annual electronics recycling event, Operation Motherboard, at Bose Corporation, 688 Great Rd. (Rt. 117), on Saturday, April 25, from 9am to 2pm. An electronics pickup service is available on April 18 for seniors, those requiring assistance with heavy items such as air conditioners or TVs in advance of the recycle event day, and anyone not able to drop off on event day. Please visit http://troop1stow.net/recycling for complete rate details and to review the accepted items list. Call 978-212-9175 or send email to [email protected].

Annual Spring Peeper Contest
What does your family do during April School Vacation? Are you looking for a fun family outdoor adventure in Stow? Each spring the Stow Conservation Trust (SCT) sponsors the Spring Peeper Contest. Hunt for six (6) Spring Peeper posters located in some of SCT’s Conservation properties to be entered into a drawing to win a family membership to Mass Audubon (currently valued at $65). Participants submit photos of all six (6) posters (displaying the poster number) or submit sufficient written details of the location the posters were found to [email protected].  Further details are found at SCT’s website, www.stowconservationtrust.org. Have fun!

The Stow Minutemen to Re-enact Country’s FIRST Patriot’s Day
On Monday, April 20, 4:30am-12noon, the Stow Minutemen Company will celebrate its 50th anniversary as a group by once again marching to Concord, following the route taken by the colonial militia in April 1775. The militia marched upon hearing the news that the British Regulars were marching towards Concord.

This year the Company will begin its annual pre-dawn Trail March “muster” (an assembly of troops prior to parade) with over 30 Colonial re-enactors dressed in period garb, as well as many modern-day “civilians” who are welcome to follow along at the rear. (The Stow Minutemen do not actively organize, supervise, or chaperone civilian followers, and cannot be held responsible for any child or adult.) Please note that our route is the same new route as in 2014, and our breakfast stop will be at Rideout Playground in Concord. The annual Trail March and our participation in Concord’s Battle at Old North Bridge and Parade is rain or shine.

The full parade route is at stowminutemen.org. For more information, email us at [email protected] or call us at 978-206-1775.

new book club meets
The next meeting of the New Book Club will be on Tuesday, April 21, 7pm, at Randall Library. We will be discussing Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford.  William Eng, a 12-year-old Chinese-American boy, lives at Seattle’s Sacred Heat Orphanage. He is convinced that the exotic film star, Willow Frost, is his mother. Follow this sweeping emotional story as William searches for the comforts of family and a place to call home. Suggestions for next month’s book will be welcomed. Questions—978-897-6055.

STOW CANDIDATES NIGHT
The League of Women Voters will sponsor a Candidates Forum on Monday, April 27, at 7:30pm, at the Stow Town Hall. Candidates for all open positions have been invited to speak.  A question and answer period will follow. The public is cordially invited to attend. The evening will be recorded for Stow Cable TV.  Check program schedules for air times.
The League is a non-partisan, multi-issue organization that encourages informed and active participation of citizens in local, state, and national government. The League neither supports nor opposes candidates. Go to www.lwv-aa.org for more information, or contact Kathy Borofsky (978-897-8741) or Donna Beusch (978-897-7920).

7th Annual Stow Town Cleanup
There is litter beneath the piles of snow! Help us pick it up during the 7th Annual Stow Town Cleanup. Sign up for your cleanup area on the town map at the Lower Common near Papa Gino’s on Saturday, May 2, from 8am to 12noon. The Stow Cleanup Group will have garbage bags and gloves (adult sizes) available at no cost. Bags can be tossed in your own trash can or left by the side of the road. The Town Highway Dept. will pick up bags the following Monday. Participants should wear gloves, long pants, and long sleeves to help avoid poison ivy, along with bright clothes or a reflective vest for safety.

For more information, go to www.stowcleanup.wordpress.com.

STOW GARDEN CLUB’s ANNUAL PLANT SALE
The Stow Garden Club will be on the Lower Common (in front of the shopping center) for the annual plant sale on Saturday, May 9, from 8am-12noon. You will be able to purchase many varieties of established plants, both for shade and/or sun, young trees, and ground covers. These are not “box store” plants. They are local plants that thrive in Stow, and some heirlooms and unusual plants that may not be available commercially. They are safe for pollinators – no bee-killing neonicotinoids. The inventory is totally managed and donated by Garden Club members and has been known to sell out before closing. Come early and reap the items that will make your garden look wonderful. For questions, contact MariePatrice Masse at 978-579-0897.

springfest: save the date!
SPRINGFEST 2015 is just around the corner. Please mark your calendars for Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16. Come and enjoy spending time with you friends and neighbors (who you probably haven’t seen for awhile due to our harsh New England winter). Watch for additional articles in the Independent.

Writing (and Publishing!) Your Memoir
Everyone has a story to tell, no matter what kind of life they have had, and there is simply no better way to preserve your personal stories, history, and heritage than in written form. On Saturday, May 16, 10:30am, at  Randall Library, the Publishiing Networking Group will present Nancy Shohet West,  a professional journalist, essayist, and blogger with a passion for helping people of all ages to write and self-publish their memoirs. Join in the conversation about memoir-writing: We’ll talk about who does it and why, what to include, how to shape your story, and how to get it into print for your friends and family to treasure.

This is a public meeting open to anyone interested in the publishing field. For more information, please contact Eileen Kramer at [email protected].