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Press Clippings
Lions Health Day’ May 7 at the Community Center
The next "Lions Health Day in Sherborn" is Thursday, May 7, from 1-7 p.m. at the Sherborn Community Center, 3 Sanger St., Sherborn. The Sherborn Lions Club is sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive and the Lions Eyemobile.
The blood drive will be inside the Community Center from 1-7 p.m.
The Lions Eyemobile will be located just outside the Community Center. It is equipped with modern testing instruments and staffed with trained volunteers. You can have your eyes screened for visual acuity and eye pressure and have your hearing and blood pressure tested. This health screening is provided free of charge.
Sherborn Community Center program seeks to save lives through driving education
By Staff reports
Tue Apr 07, 2009, 07:31 PM EDT
After seeing a powerful, mandatory program designed for drivers with serious motor violations last September, several community leaders knew they had to bring a version of it to Dover-Sherborn High School students. Last Friday, their months of hard work paid off. Approximately 150 students and a small group of parents filled the Sherborn Community Center’s upstairs room for "Driving — A Privilege Not a Right."
Even though the presentation was more than two hours longs and the promise of free pizza was on many minds, the teens sat quietly and listened attentively. While admitting the program was lengthy, Jim Byrnes, SCC president, said the evening was truly a success.
Sherborn Police Officer David Bento, who is also a director of the Sherborn Community Foundation, and Jane Biagi, director of Reach Out and adviser of the high school’s SADD program, worked with Byrnes to bring the program to the community. Sponsors included the Sherborn Police Association and the Sherborn Fire & Rescue Association.
Byrnes began the night by stating that having a driver’s license is a responsibility. A mistake can affect you for the rest of your life. He hoped after a frank discussion of the ramifications, the students would walk away with more knowledge that would help them to prevent future missteps.
Bento addressed the students by simply stating his hope was to make them a better driver, passenger or both. He introduced Sgt. Richard Eubanks of the Massachusetts State Police, who is the designer and instructor of the SCARR program — State Courts Against Road Rage. In December 2006, the Massachusetts House signed into law a bill to incorporate SCARR into the Junior Operator Law effective March 31, 2007. Young drivers face serious consequences for certain first-offense motor vehicle violations. The right to operate is suspended for 90 days, and the driver is required to attend the SCARR program.
Eubanks was tough and blunt. After a judge asked him about programs for repeat offenders, Eubanks was frankly not aware of any. To "address the educational void," he developed SCARR to "change the behavior of people driving out there." He stated the financial cost is high if a teen makes "one hiccup, one mistake … even if you don’t think it can happen to you." He broke down how with court costs; a single speeding ticket can run up to $1,000.
Talking a little bit about alcohol, he asked the audience what the legal limit is and got the correct response: .02 for those under 21. He went further. If someone is over the legal limit, "That’s all I need … is that beer worth it?" He spoke on the consequences of refusing or failing a Breathalyzer test. He also mentioned that even though a judge may have said your case was "dismissed," a drunken driving incident as a teenager could show up in your future. Even during a job interview years later. Even after "keeping your nose clean" all throughout college.
Eubanks continued with actual footage shot from a police helicopter showing unmarked vehicles arresting drivers for disobeying some common driving laws that some more experienced drivers might not be aware of. His intention was not to teach the audience how "to subvert the law" but rather to show "the reason the people get stopped is because they draw attention to themselves."
The film was a bird’s-eye view of drivers failing to keep right or driving aggressively. He emphasized that the helicopter camera is able to zoom in on your face, your vehicle and your license plate, "and you’ll never know they’re there." Summing up, Eubanks said, "The 12 feet of road you’re on doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to the commonwealth."
He then showed a video named for Michelle and Cory. The video clip was actual news footage taken in court after Michelle was sentenced to spend time at MCI-Framingham, with a roommate who had stabbed her husband to death. She was responsible for her friend’s death due to drunken driving. At the time it happened, Michelle was only 19 years old. Eubanks said while family and friends could offer their support, they could not really help Michelle. The film scanned them in court. "See the anguish in their faces," the father’s, the mother’s, the aunt’s, knowing they could not help.
The second half of the video was put together by Cory while serving his time in prison. According to Eubanks, he "was another nice kid." Cory filmed the video so other kids "don’t screw up," even though they think they are invincible.
Eubanks reminded the audience, "I can’t take your rights away, but I can take your privileges away."
After his presentation, Bento introduced a special guest speaker — Derrick, a 29-year-old inmate from the Worcester House of Corrections in cuffs and shackles. This was his third time in jail. "Things in life don’t always pan out the way you want," he said. Derrick told the audience he even lost a baseball scholarship because of his selfish behavior. "The more I talk about things I did wrong, the easier it is for me to make the right choices … I’m making choices in jail that I should have made in the street."
By speaking out, Derrick gets no recognition. He stressed, "My worst thing was never asking for help. I let my pride get the best of me." Even though he is actually getting out of jail this week, he will never forget living in a 6-by-9 cell. He told the kids he hasn’t enjoyed pizza for years … just the same old food on a plastic tray with a plastic fork.
To end the night, another very moving speaker told the story of how his life was changed forever by a drunk teenaged driver. Jim Butcher, an assistant chief probation officer, lost his daughter, Courtney, in April 2007. She was riding in a car with friends to get ice cream after leaving a Red Sox game.
Even though it’s been a couple of years, Butcher told the audience he still gets emotional when speaking about her unnecessary death. Born in 1988, Courtney was an honor student, lacrosse and basketball player. She was a freshman at the University of New Hampshire.
Tears falling, Butcher said still remembers what he said about the driver that night who was supposed to drive Courtney home, "The kid makes me nervous … he was not a bad kid, but a bit of a showoff." Turns out he was right. Four out of five teenagers died that night. The driver was going 80 mph in a 30-mph zone on a country road. Even though his ex-wife has forgiven the teenager for what happened, Butcher says he’s still not able to. He reiterated Eubanks’ message — what happened was not an accident, it was a crash. What happened could have been prevented.
He now speaks to young drivers in the hopes of making them think twice about driving recklessly: "These are the things you leave behind when you drive like an idiot." He admitted he isn’t perfect and regrets certain things he’s done on the road. In that regard, he like a lot of parents in the room has been lucky.
He visits Courtney every Wednesday: "Losing my daughter was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I’m here mostly for your parents tonight." He hopes to help them by educating their kids about unforeseen tragedies that can take place in a split second.
Butcher ended with a simple statement to the students: "Hope you’re taking what I’m telling you to heart because it’s coming from mine."
Taking on teen driving at the Community Center
ABIGAIL DAVIDSON, Hometown Weekly Staff 02.APR.09
From football captains and straight A students to
budding, young artists and student council presidents, reckless driving has
stolen and drastically altered the lives of teenagers from every walk of life.
Each year the stories of teen driving disasters make headlines, sending
shockwaves through small towns and big cities, but every year more and more
accidents and fatalities occur.
How to drive home the risks of reckless driving to adolescents has been a
question plaguing parents, educators and public safety officials for years. The
towns of Dover and Sherborn have been lucky, with no serious accidents involving
teens occurring for a number of years. But with statistics working against them,
parents and adults from Dover and Sherborn are looking for a new way to drive
home the dangers of speeding, driving under the influence and goofing around
behind the wheel to the towns' youngest drivers.
Tomorrow evening, Friday, April 3rd, the Sherborn Community Center (SCC), in
conjunction with the Sherborn Police Department and the Massachusetts State
Police, will be presenting "Driving: A Privilege Not A Right" starting at 7pm.
Admission is free, and pizza and door prizes will be offered to students
attending. Additionally, students will receive community service hours for
attending the seminar.
The event will feature presentations on road rage, driving under the influence,
seat belt usage, as well as driving distractions like cell phones and music.
Sergeant Richard Eubanks will lead the program, playing footage of crash scenes
and courtroom sentencing, presenting guests speakers directly affected by
reckless driving and fielding questions from students.
The idea for "Driving: A Privilege Not A Right" came from Sergeant David Bento
of the Sherborn Police. For years, Bento served as the juvenile officer in
Sherborn, and during that time he recalls handing out numerous driving citations
to young operators for speeding or reckless driving. Under Massachusetts law,
junior operators charged with motor vehicle violations such as speeding have
their licenses suspended for 90 days and are required to attend the State Courts
Against Road Rage (SCARR) program.
In search of a better way to promote safe driving, and as a result of the large
volume of calls he received concerning teen driving, Bento decided to check out
the SCARR program for himself.
"I thought the course was just fantastic, the information being passed on and
the way it was being presented," recalls Bento. "After I found out about the
program I got involved with the Community Center and asked if they thought there
was a way to use the Center for a teen driving event. My thinking was why wait
for kids to get court ordered to make them better drivers?"
Bento spoke with James Byrnes, president of the SCC, who immediately agreed to
jump on board to help make the Sergeant's dream a reality. Byrnes enlisted the
help of Lynn Mountford, SCC director, and Jane Biagi, director of Students
Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D), to plan the event.
After attending a SCARR class, program coordinators spoke with Sergeant Eubanks,
designer and instructor of the course, about bringing the workshop to Sherborn.
Eubanks agreed to tailor a new version of SCARR, suitable for juvenile operators
who have yet to receive a violation and even those not old enough to drive, to
help educate Dover and Sherborn's teenagers about the dangers of reckless
driving.
"The event is geared towards young adult drivers and to-be drivers, grades nine
through 12," says Byrnes.
Both Bento and Byrnes stress that the emphasis of the program will be on
prevention and education. Program coordinators are hopeful that by bringing the
SCARR course to the Dover- Sherborn community, a fatal or serious accident can
be avoided.
"This is absolutely a pre-emptive step," relates Bento. "We don't want to just
be responding to tragedies, we want to prevent them."
Byrnes adds that he feels the program is useful in reminding young drivers that
operating a motor vehicle is an enormous responsibility, and one that should not
be taken lightly.
"I wish we had a course like this when I first started driving; it's all about
education and what can happen," explains Byrnes.
The timing of the event is also fitting, just before prom and the start of
summer vacation when teens are often allowed more freedom to hit the road with
friends.
Bento and Byrnes hope to follow-up next year with a similar event to help
educate the next round of drivers in Dover and Sherborn. Additionally, Bento
would like to see the SCARR program added to the driver's education curriculum,
as he feels more accidents could be prevented if drivers were taught of the
perils of driving before they get behind the wheel.
"We're trying to help the kids," explains Bento. "The last thing we (police
officers) want when we're working the night shift is to get a call about a teen
motor vehicle accident."
"Driving: A Privilege Not A Right" will take place tomorrow evening at 7pm at
the Sherborn Community Center, 2 Sanger Street, Sherborn. Sponsors of the event
are the Sherborn Community Center, Sherborn Police Association, Sherborn Fire &
Rescue Association, Reach Out Inc. and S.A.D.D. Admission to the program is free
and pizza will be served to all in attendance. Free door prizes include two Red
Sox tickets and a flip video camera. Students attending the event will also
receive credit for community service hours.
Benefit Café for Cancer at Community Center
Wed Apr 01, 2009, 07:12 AM EDT
Dover-Sherborn - A Benefit Café for Cancer, in remembrance of Andrea Moore of Sherborn, who passed away March 2 after a lifelong battle with cancer, will be held Friday, April 10, from 6-10 p.m. at the Sherborn Community enter. Admission is $7 at the door; food and drink will be sold; all proceeds will go to the Cancer Floor of Children’s Hospital Boston where Andrea received her care.
Come spend time with friends and listen to local bands play live — all for a good cause!
Donations are welcome in advance with a check made out to Children’s Hospital Boston and sent to: Rory Sheble-Hall, 16 Smith St., Dover, MA 02030.
Rock with the Battle of the Bands this weekend
Fri Feb 19, 2009, 06:00 AM EST
Battle of the Bands 2009 will be held at the Sherborn
Community Center on Saturday, March 21st. Through an audition process, six bands
have qualified to compete for cash prizes.
"I am, once again, excited to be involved with this Community Center sponsored
event. The idea of the night in general gets my adrenaline flowing," stated Zach
Sokol, Student Director of the Sherborn Community Center. "We have a great team
coordinating this event." The event starts at 7:00pm and tickets can be
purchased at the door. Tickets are $8 for students, $12 for adults and seating
is limited.
"The Community Center is certainly ideal for an event as epic as the Battle of
the Bands", Sokol added.
The Sherborn Community Center is a nonprofit organization that manages and
maintains one of Sherborn's most historical and finest buildings. It does not
receive any taxpayer support and generates all funds through membership
donations, business rentals and events.
For more information, please visit
Driving — a privilege, not a right
Fri Feb 27, 2009, 06:00 AM EST
The Sherborn Community Center is announcing an event for high school students. It will be held on Friday, April 3, starting at 7:00 p.m. at the center on Sanger Street. Admission is free, along with pizza and door prizes.
This program will be presented by the Massachusetts State Police and in conjunction with the Sherborn Police. It is geared toward helping young adults understand and avoid the distractions that can cause potentially life-threatening situations.
"We have teamed up with some dedicated professionals in the interest of saving lives and avoiding costly mistakes," said Sergeant David Bento of the Sherborn Police and director of the Sherborn Community Foundation Inc. "I have been through the program myself and it is quite compelling."
The presentation is in the form of discussion along with real-life footage of some dramatic examples of the consequences that these kids can suffer. It includes footage of crash scenes as well as courtroom sentencing. Topics include road rage, left-lane driving, use of phones and other electronics, driving under the influence and how to get out of the vehicle if passengers feel it is unsafe.
"I am excited that this is coming together for the young adults of the community," said Jane Biagi, Reach Out director and adviser of the Dover-Sherborn High School’s SADD program. "I also attended the program along with other Community Center directors and thought that it would be a perfect fit for our community."
Other sponsors of the information session are Sherborn Police Association, Sherborn Fire & Rescue Association, Reach Out Inc. and SADD
The Sherborn Community Center is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that provides community support in a historic venue. The center receives no tax dollar support and is funded by membership donations and business rentals.
For more information, please visit
www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com.Girl Scouts give back: Clothing Drive Sorting at the Community Center
ABIGAIL DAVIDSON, Hometown Weekly Staff 26.FEB.09
When Sherborn Girl Scout Troop 2584 Leader Melissa
Connolly brainstormed an idea to have the elementary-aged Girl Scout troops from
both Dover and Sherborn hold a clothing drive for Cradles to Crayons, she saw
the project as a two-pronged effort. The Sherborn mother she wanted to both
expose the girls to poverty and explain to them why it is so important to give
to those in need.
But Connolly not only wanted to have an immediate impact on her Scouts, but one
that would stay with them throughout adulthood, instilling a lifelong commitment
to community service.
"It's my goal as a leader that do they do this throughout their lives, not just
as a Girl Scout activity, but that they become aware of less fortunate people in
the world and do something to try and help that as they become adults," explains
Connolly.
The Girl Scouts of Dover and Sherborn typically participate in two service
projects a year. According to Connolly, recent projects Troop 2584 Scouts have
participated in include a toy drive for the Starlight, Starbright Children's
Foundation and an annual cemetery clean up around Memorial Day.
Last year, Troop 2584 participated in a winter coat drive for Cradles to
Crayons, a non-profit organization that provides poor and homeless Massachusetts
children from infancy to age 12 with everyday essentials. When Connolly brought
the girls to the Cradles to Crayons headquarters to drop off their donations,
she recalls being struck by the organization's commitment to helping children in
need.
Connolly came back from Cradles to Crayons with a mission, to create a Scout
service project to benefit the organization, and one that would also bring Girl
Scouts from both Dover and Sherborn together. She proposed the idea to troop
leaders from both Dover and Sherborn, all of whom were excited by the prospect
of Girl Scouts from the two towns working together on a community service
project.
What also appealed to Connolly was that the drive would give her Scouts a
concrete way to relate to poverty, as the drive would benefit youngsters just
like them.
According to Connolly, "It can be hard for kids to understand that there are
other kids out there that don't have clothing, or clothing that is not
appropriate for the weather, but they can relate to a child needing a coat
because they need a warm coat. It's a fundamental need for food and shelter and
clothing, we can all relate to that."
Thus far, almost all of the elementary-aged troops are participating, from
Kindergarteners who are bringing in some of their own gently-used clothing to
Connolly's own Troop, which is collecting items at various locations around
town.
"(The drive) is somewhat voluntary, but pretty much
all of the troops are participating," explains Connolly. "Each troop decided to
take over one spot and monitor it and then at end we will have a get together at
the Community Center and do a clothing sort. Also, people can drop off clothing
that day too."
The Scouts will be collecting clothing through March 6th at various locations in
both Dover and Sherborn. Connolly is hopeful that Dover and Sherborn residents
will use the Cradles to Crayons drive as an opportunity to get a jump start on
their spring cleaning while helping out a worthy cause.
"I hope we get a lot, when we did the coat drive we got 80 coats, which is
pretty good, but I hope we raise a substantial amount of clothing," says
Connolly. "Kids grow out of their stuff and it's still in good shape, so I'm
thinking there is lots of clothing out there if people do their spring cleaning
a little earlier."
As for what the Girl Scouts from Dover and Sherborn will get out of the project,
Connolly is hoping they will be able to bond with their neighbors while also
getting a better sense of the importance of community service.
"We are all so fortunate and kids don't see poverty in this town. This is a way
to get the kids to see how they can actually make a difference by doing
something like a clothing drive," explains Connolly. "Every year at the start of
the year I ask the girls what they want to do (for a service project) and they
say they want to help less fortunate people. So they know it's out there, but
this is a way for them to do something physically about it, not just give money,
but actually help."
The Girl Scout Cradles to Crayons clothing drive will run from February 23rd
through March 6th. The Scouts are collecting donations of new and gently-used
clothing and shoes in sizes newborn to 16. New underwear, socks and pajamas will
also be accepted. Drop off locations are also at the Sherborn Library, the Pine
Hill School, the Sherborn Town Offices, the Sherborn Transfer Station, the
Chickering School, the Dover Church, the Dover Post Office, the Dover Library
and St. Dunstan's Church in Dover.
You can call Melissa Connolly at 508-652-7293 in Sherborn, or Julie Palo Hayes
at 508-785-8322 in Dover for answers to questions about the drive.
Letter to Editor: Sherborn holds its own inaugural ball
On Inauguration Night, the Sherborn 1858 Town House (aka the Community Center) was once again the place to be. The gala event, hosted by the Sherborn Democratic Town Committee, drew celebrants from Weston to Walpole, Holliston to Natick, but mostly from Sherborn. Comfortably crowded with toddlers, octogenarians and all ages in between, the Great Hall was the center for happy people to come together to honor and toast the newly sworn president and vice president.
Live events from Washington were projected on a large screen set up by local media techie Doug Ambose. Joe Lillyman’s nine-piece Boggestow Pickup Band styled itself the "Lipstick on a Pig Jazz Band" just for the night. Resplendent in matching vests emblazoned with the Denver 2008 Democratic Convention logo, the lively band entertained with dance music that easily matched any played at the Washington, D.C., balls. A life-sized stand-up of President Obama was available for photo ops, and large placards were on display for people to write messages to the new president. Those messages will be sent to the Web site established to receive citizen concerns for the new administration (www.change.gov).
True to the grassroots spirit of President Obama’s campaign, guests were asked to bring a sweet or savory to share and a nonperishable contribution for A Place to Turn food pantry in Natick. By the end of the evening, the food donation box was overflowing and surrounded by bags of even more cans.
Joanne Cunningham, chairman of the event, rightly labeled the evening a huge success. Once again, the Sherborn Community Center by lending its historic splendor to a wonderful celebration, lived up to its motto "A Place for Everyone."
Carole B. Marple
Stoney Brook Road
Sherborn
Locals celebrate Obama inauguration at Sherborn Community Center
By David Golann/Correspondent
Sherborn - Sherborn’s inaugural party may not have been as big or raucous as the star-studded balls in Washington, but the guests seemed fairly satisfied.
"This something I have been waiting for, for a long, long time," said state Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, leaning against the wall by the dance floor. "I wouldn’t have missed it for the world."
Democrats, Republicans and unenrolled voters showed up at the Sherborn Community Center Tuesday night, Jan. 20 to celebrate the inauguration of America’s first African-American president, Barack Obama. Some came from as far afield as Weston and Arlington to share drinks, dancing and happy chatter.
Linsky was among the first guests to show up at the inauguration bash. He said he was also the first elected official in the state to endorse Obama’s presidential bid.
"He is not a white, male child of privilege as our presidents have historically been," said Linsky. "We need someone who can understand the trials and tribulations that ordinary Americans face. He absolutely gets that. There is no doubt in my mind."
Linsky is looking forward to good economic stewardship, including the federal stimulus package designed to re-ignite the national economy. It doesn’t hurt that the MBTA’s West Natick parking garage is number one on the state’s list of "shovel-ready" stimulus projects.
The Old Boggastow Jazz Band set the mood at the party with gentle but joyous Dixieland music. This was a climactic moment for the musicians, who spent the fall playing at Obama campaign fundraisers as "The Lipstick on a Pig Jazz Band."
To celebrate the inauguration, band leader Joseph Lilliman outfitted his mates with overstocked Democratic National Convention vests he picked up at Building 19. Even a couple of devout Republicans decided to wear blue and join the horn section.
"They crossed the aisle and they are here tonight," said Lilliman. "We are all together tonight. Obama has just brought everyone together."
Lilliman described the rising fortunes of the Democratic Party in Sherborn and the enthusiasm created by Obama’s campaign.
"When I came to town, I was on the local Democratic Committee and we used to meet in a phone booth," said Lilliman. "Now the town is just teeming with Democrats."
This enthusiasm was particularly strong among those below voting age. The mock elections in the Dover-Sherborn schools were a 4-to-1 Obama blowout, according to student Natalie Andrews and her friend, Julesy Flavell.
Flavell stood in the corner of the room, writing on a board reserved for messages to the president: "Go President Obama. I think you rock. You are awesome. Yes we did." Asked to elaborate on their feelings, she and her friends responded in verse.
"I think he rocks like an awesome possum," said Flavell.
"From a blossom," added Gus Laughlin.
Party organizer Joanne Cunningham planned to e-mail the messages on the board to change.gov, President Obama’s transition Web site. She said Sherborn campaign volunteers will soon hold their first meeting to figure out how they can support the new administration.
"For me, that was the whole beauty of this campaign and this new president. He wants to know what we care about and what we are interested in," said Cunningham. "He truly wants us to stay involved."
Casual dance at Community Center
The Student Directors of the Sherborn Community Foundation are pleased to announce that they will host a seventh- and eighth-grade Casual Dance at the Sherborn Community Center on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 7-10 p.m.
"We are proud to host this dance for the middle school students," said Phoebe Laughlin and Julia Watson, student directors at the center. "It is so much fun planning and executing an event and then seeing it publicized around our school."
Various committees have been formed to manage the upcoming dance such as the decorations committee managed by Katerina Akrivlellis and Erin McCall. They are busy transforming the Great Hall for the evening in "a red and silver theme because it is close to Valentine’s Day" Akrivlellis said.
The Sherborn Community Center was built in 1858 and has been used a variety of ways in the town of Sherborn. During a span of more than 150 years, it has been a school, meeting hall, show hall, town offices and even a police station.
Today, the nonprofit Community Center is leased from the town, managed by the foundation, and does not receive any tax dollar support. In order to manage and maintain the historic building, all revenues go directly back into the building’s upkeep. Revenues come from business rentals, room rentals, membership donations and director-sponsored events.
Admission will be $10 at the door.
Inauguration Party at the Community Center
Tues Jan 20, 2009
Residents from Sherborn and some of the surrounding communities gathered at the Sherborn Community Center on Tuesday night, January 20 for the Sherborn Community Inaugural Hometown Party. There was music by the Olde Boggestow Pickup Jazz Band, food and drink, and people watched the Washington event on a big screen TV…..
Sherborn Community Center, true or false
Wed Dec 03, 2008, 09:15 AM EST
Q: The Sherborn Community is supported by your tax dollars.
A: FALSE
The Sherborn Community Center building is owned by the town, but is in a long-term lease with the Sherborn Community Center Foundation Inc. The foundation is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that manages and maintains one of Sherborn’s oldest, historic buildings. The board is composed of 26 dedicated volunteers who work together, in a committee format, to make the center "A Place for Everyone".
The Sherborn Community Center has just launched its annual Membership and Endowment Campaign. This campaign is an important part of the revenue stream that the center depends on for funding the maintenance of the 150-year-old building.
Along with business rentals, the center provides programs such as Friday Night at the Movies, the Moon Walk during the Library Spring Fair and Student Director-sponsored dances. It also hosts events for the Newcomers and Neighbors Shopping Soiree and is a meeting place for Sherborn organizations such as the Council on Aging, the Sherborn Yacht Club, Sherborn Snappers, Sherborn Girl/Boy Scouts and the Sherborn Open Space Committee. It also offers classes for yoga and ballroom dancing.
Please consider contributing during our annual campaign. Visit
www.sherborncommunitycenter.com for more information.Lions Health Day Dec. 4th at the Community Center
The next "Lions Health Day in Sherborn" will be Thursday, Dec. 4, from 1-7 p.m. at the Sherborn Community Center, 3 Sanger St. The Sherborn Lions Club is sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive and the Lions Eyemobile.
The Red Cross Blood Drive will be inside the Community Center from 1-7 p.m.
The Lions Eyemobile will be located just outside the Community Center. It is equipped with modern testing instruments and staffed with trained volunteers. You can have your eyes screened for visual acuity and eye pressure, and have your hearing and blood pressure tested. This health screening is provided free of charge.
A Student’s Perspective
After being on the Committee of Student Directors at the Sherborn Community Center for less than a month, I can already see that I underestimated all the responsibilities it requires.
The first event planning I participated in was the recent Black and White Dance for freshmen and sophomores, which was a major hit! The first stage of preparation for this dance was the planning. Mr. Byrnes, Mrs. Marple, the six other student directors, and I met two weeks in advance to discuss budgets, decorations, setup, the music, and all the other items a dance entails. We were all assigned different jobs we had to do before the day of the dance, from purchasing balloons and snacks to advertising the dance by making posters and announcements. I now know what a reimbursement form is all about! Over the two weeks between our meeting and November 22nd, the date of the dance, we communicated through various emails, text messaging, our Face Book Event Page and phone calls, making sure we were spreading the word to our friends, and that all the aspects of the dance were covered.
On the day of the dance we arrived four and half hours early, some of us after making a trip to BJ’s or the balloon store, to transform the Community Center into a Black and White wonderland. We hung black and white streamers in the entry way and placed bunches of balloons leading from the doorway, up the stairs, and into the room where the dance was being held. We set up tables and lined the walls with chairs, then put out the snacks and drinks. After an hour and a half we were satisfied with the decorations, so we dispersed to get into our semiformal attire, and get ready to meet back at the Community Center at 6:30 PM, an hour before the dance started.
We all arrive between 6 and 6:30 PM, some of us earlier then others in order to meet the DJ and the police detail. By seven, we were all ready to go, standing around the main entrance and at seven thirty when the first group of kids started to trickle in we opened the cashbox and got the hand stamp ready to go. Over the course of an hour, more and more kids appeared, sometimes in big rushes, and at other times there were big gaps between the arrival of people. By 8:15 PM it seemed like most of the kids had arrived, so the student directors headed upstairs to dance and have fun.
For the next two hours, there were tons of loud, upbeat music, and plenty of teenage kids enjoying themselves. Throughout the night, cameras were flashing all over the place, there were kids jumping and dancing in big groups and at one point all the people at the dance participated in singing Happy Birthday to two Freshman attending the dance. It was awesome!
At 10:30 PM, the last song was played and the madness started to die down as the lights slowly came on and kids started chatting with their friends while getting their shoes and sweatshirts, making their way towards the door. The stairs were crowded with kids all going to get their jackets and wait for their parents to come pick them up. Once everyone was downstairs, we started popping balloons and ripping down streamers, sweeping the floor until the Community Center was back to the way it had been just seven hours before, shiny and clean!
We briefly discussed the night, waited for the last people to clear out, turned the lights off, locked the doors and then we went home. All in all, the night was a huge success. We got tons of great feedback from our friends and fellow students at the high school, and we are definitely psyched to plan more dances and other events to utilize the space at the Sherborn Community Center.
So during this time of giving, please consider the Sherborn Community Center and its Annual Membership and Endowment Drive. We do not receive any support from the Town with tax dollars and we rely solely on business rentals and membership donations to maintain this wonderful historic building in our Town.
Alexandra Kelly
Member of the Student Committee
Sherborn Community Center Foundation Inc.
Letter to the Editor
As Student Directors of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation, we feel it is important for our citizens to know why The Sherborn Community Center is worthy of your generous support during its annual membership donation campaign.
First and foremost, it is essential to know that the Sherborn Community Center does not receive any funding from the Town of Sherborn. We are a non-profit group of 26 resident volunteers trying to make a difference in our community. The necessary funds are derived solely from building rentals and generous membership donations from you. These funds maintain and manage our beautiful historic jewel that is now 150 years old.
Our main priority at the Sherborn Community Center is to really make it "A Place for Everyone." As student directors, we host a myriad of events including dances such as the popular Black and White Dance and the successful Battle of the Bands, in order to get teenagers involved in our community. In essence what we, the student directors, aim for is to attract the teenagers of Dover and Sherborn to our community by providing them with a clean, fun and most importantly safe environment to hang out with friends in. We are proud of the work we have accomplished so far and look forward to further utilization of this wonderful building that can be achieved by your donations.
In addition to the teen events, there are other exciting Sherborn Community Center programs centered on our community’s youth. After its fifth year of running, Friday Night at the Movies continues to draw hundreds of elementary school aged children to fun nights of entertainment, popcorn and water for only $1.00! These children have the opportunity to watch an awesome (and usually hilarious) movie on Friday nights with friends in a safe youth focused environment. Also, our Moon Walk at the annual Sherborn Library Fair continues to be a hit for kids.
As "A Place for Everyone," the Sherborn Community Center provides plenty of fun for adults. It hosts the famous Newcomers and Neighbors Annual Shopping Soirée, and a meeting place for Sherborn organizations like the Sherborn Yacht Club, Sherborn Snappers Swim Team and the Sherborn Open Space Committee. It also offers classes catered to adults such as yoga, ballroom dance, and other types of dance.
As student directors, we bring energy and ideas to the Foundation’s Board meetings and participate in strategy sessions that help to connect all age groups to our community. Being on the Board also provides us with a leadership opportunity centered on our community which is an experience that people our age not often get to share. The Sherborn Community Center offers us the chance to experience the challenges and successes of running a non-profit organization. In addition to the valuable lessons we learn from this position, we simultaneously have a lot of fun with our peers and the rest of the Board of Directors.
Currently, we student directors are working diligently to create even more events that are geared to all members of our community. Our goals include having a Girl Scout Sleepover, a Food Pantry Drive and the continued success of hosting of the Annual Town Caucus.
So now, during our annual membership and endowment campaign, please join us in showing support for the Sherborn Community Center and what we represent in our community by your financial contributions.
Thank you for your support!
Katerina Akrivlellis, Alex Kelly, Grace Goodearl, Phoebe Laughlin, Zach Sokol, Julia Watson
Students Directors of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation Inc.
SHERBORN
Foundation Raising Funds
The Sherborn Community Center Foundation, a local group set up to support the town facility, is running its annual membership and donation drive. Residents should expect pledge cards to arrive at their homes over the next few weeks. The center depends on donations to meet its annual $60,000 operational costs. The foundation is also launching a "green" fund, allowing supporters to invest in energy-reducing practices at the center. For details, see its website, www.sherborncommunitycenter.com. - Anna FiorentinoNew student directors appointed for Sherborn Community Center
By Staff reports
Wed Nov 19, 2008, 11:21 AM EST
Sherborn - Two new Student Directors have been chosen to help make the Sherborn Community "A Place for Everyone." With their unique talents and high energy, the sophomores from Dover-Sherborn High School have a goal to expand the youth activities and help support the many adult programs offered.
Phoebe Laughlin and Julie Watson just recently attended their first meeting with members of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation and are already busy organizing the popular "Black and White" dance for freshman and sophomores this Saturday.
Watson said, "This is a favorite activity of mine. I like planning events, and this position will give me a chance to bring my influence to the community. It’s like everything what I like to do wrapped into one thing."
Watson started the Dover-Sherborn High School French Club this year and is a member of the Environmental Club. An avid tennis player, she was on the DSHS team last year. Watson also enjoys being involved in community service. As a student using both the Sherborn and Natick libraries, she is helping run the neighboring town’s efforts to make its library more accessible to teens. One example is a plan to offer free tutoring to students.
Students from other towns are invited to the upcoming dance. Laughlin is also excited to take part in its planning: "It’s a great semi-formal, and we hope to have another in the spring. The center is the perfect space for it." She said a boy from Oregon is even planning to attend; it’s a great way to socialize and catch up with friends from other schools.
She applied for the Student Director position because "in the past I have often been the beneficiary of all it has to offer." Laughlin is currently president of the DSHS sophomore class. Watson proudly backed her classmate: "We are sure she will be President someday!"
Laughlin is actively involved in the drama program. She has been in multiple plays, including all the middle school productions and "Into the Woods," a community-run show performed at the center this past summer. In her "spare" time, she plays the harp and lacrosse. " ‘Into the Woods’ was held here, and my younger brother and I have helped out at Friday Night at the Movies. It’s a great deal for $1! I also went to the ‘Battle of the Bands.’ The center is really important and it deserves my extra time and effort," Laughlin said.
The girls were required to fill out a formal application and go through a round of interviews with other student directors along with Board President Jim Byrnes and member Carole Marple. According to Byrnes, "The Student Directors continue to be very active at the Community Center, especially with their understanding as to how our nonprofit organization works. They truly want it to be ‘A Place for Everyone,’ and are very involved in our upcoming membership campaign."
Watson encourages people to "donate! All the money we make is going back to the community. The center is the core of the community."
Laughlin added, "We need donations to maintain the building and keep it as great as it is. Almost everyone in Sherborn has been to a center event and thoroughly enjoyed themselves."
Watson added the student directors "want to explore new options." They will be working on a Girl Scout Sleepover, a Food Pantry Drive and continue hosting of the Annual Town Caucus. The girls noted the idea for a "free" Valentine wedding was brought up and as possible future event planners, they hope to see it come to fruition. They have both attended many Bar/Bat Mitzvahs at the center, and believed the building’s atmosphere and location makes it ideal for such celebratory events.
Both are looking forward to the leadership role they are lucky enough to take part in at the center. It does not receive any funding from the town. The foundation is a nonprofit group of 26 resident volunteers who work together to keep the 150-year-old center intact so Sherborn residents, as well as many from Dover, can utilize the space for all sorts of events, meetings and classes.
As for Saturday’s semi-formal, tickets will be sold at the door for $10 — an admission lower than last year’s. The girls are hoping for a turnout of approximately 130 teens. They also look forward to introducing a new DJ to students — Paul Liberty. Doors will open between 6:45 and 7 p.m.
Black and White Dance
The annual Black and White semi-formal takes place Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Sherborn Community Center. Tickets are $10.
Gourmet cookie sale at the Community Center
The Friends of the Sherborn COA will inaugurate the holiday season with a Gourmet Cookie Sale on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Sherborn Community Center. Townspeople can buy delicious homemade delicacies of many varieties between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the first floor of the center.
More than 20 volunteers will bake from l5 distinctive recipes for customers to make their own selections. Proceeds from the sale will support COA programs and services in town. The Bake Sale Committee has chosen prize recipes from famous dessert chefs, top-rated cookbooks, private recipe collectors and from grandmothers’ vintage favorites — all selected to delight buyers. The cookies will be displayed for buyers’ individual selection and sold by the Baker’s Dozen in attractive gift boxes.
They can be given as gifts to family, friends, employees and neighbors without requiring the usual holiday "fussing" over the stove. They can also be eaten immediately if the family can’t wait, or frozen for several weeks, said Jan Morgan, Friends Cookies Committee chairman.
A few more volunteers are needed to join the "merry band of bakers" for the event. Please call 508-651-4991 to bake and/or to receive more information about the sale.
Sherborn Community Center starts drive for donations
By Staff reports
Fri Nov 14, 2008, 07:59 AM EST
SHERBORN - The Sherborn Community Center Foundation is putting together its annual drive for membership and donations. The newsletter and pledge cards should arrive in Sherborn homes soon.
This drive is an important part of the center’s financial health. The Community Center gets no tax dollars from the town, and relies on donations from residents and friends as well as the rental of space to meet the roughly $60,000 in annual maintenance expenses and major maintenance investments.
This year the foundation is starting a "Green" Fund that offers donors an option to help it invest in energy reduction. One of the first projects being examined is using solar power to supply electricity for the outside security lighting.
2008 marks the Sherborn Community Center’s 150th anniversary. It is a beautiful, historic building that provides space for meetings and events for many Sherborn groups. The foundation also sponsors community activities such as Friday Night at the Movies for elementary school-age kids; dances for middle and high school age teens; and a Battle of the Bands. The foundation is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors, including student directors, elected by foundation members.
The foundation’s Web site is www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com.
Friday Night at the Movies
Friday Night at the Movies opened its fifth season on Friday, Oct. 17. Nearly 100 kids enjoyed the magical movie "Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium."
The events are widely anticipated by both kids and adults. It’s the only place around where the kids can enjoy a good old-fashioned night at the movies with popcorn and water for just $1.00.
The event is really "by kids, for kids." The children take the money at the door, serve up the popcorn and do the vast majority of the cleaning up. "It’s a great tradition on the part of the Community Center," said Lynn Mountford, a director at the Community Center.
To date, more than 2,800 children have come to the Community Center to enjoy the latest movies. The next showings will be Nov. 14, Jan. 9, Feb. 6 and March 6, 2009.
For more information, please visit www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com
Cornerstone forum coming up at the Sherborn Community Center
Wed Nov 12, 2008, 08:49 AM EST
SHERBORN - The third annual Cornerstone Forum will take place Sunday, Nov. 16, from 4-6 p.m. at the Sherborn Community, 3 Sanger St., Sherborn.
The forum will feature Bill McKibben, an environmentalist and writer who frequently writes about global warming, alternative energy and the need for more localized economies. Beginning in the summer of 2006, he led the organization of the largest demonstrations against global warming in American history. McKibben is active in the Methodist Church, and his writing sometimes has a spiritual bent. Al Gore wrote in 2007 that "when I was serving in the Senate, Bill McKibben’s descriptions of the planetary impacts ... made such an impression on me that it led, among other things, to my receiving the honorific title ‘Ozone Man’ from the first president Bush."
The forum is open and free to all, but donations are welcome and encouraged so that the forum can continue to provide citizens with the opportunity to participate in the current discussion of issues affecting the greater world. Seating is limited — please arrive early.
The Cornerstone Forum is a nonprofit foundation created to provide an opportunity for public conversation about a variety of topics of public interest. It is sponsored by Sherborn’s Pilgrim Church, but is intended for the benefit of the entire Sherborn community and beyond.
For more information, contact Frank Davidson at ffdavidson@gmail.com.
Fiber Arts Festival packs Community Center
By Maureen Sullivan/Staff Writer
Mon Nov 10, 2008, 04:36 PM EST
It was kind of hard of think warm and fuzzy when the weather was warm and muggy.
However, Fiber Fest vendors and visitors alike knew such balmy conditions rarely last in November, so the Community Center was filled with those seeking practical (such as socks, mittens and scarves) and pretty (such as pottery and shawls) ways to ward off the winter’s chill.
"It’s been a good turnout so far," said Deb Smith of Iron Horse Farm, who organized the annual Fiber Fest. While she greeted friends inside, husband Skip led three others in parking cars.
Both floors were filled with vendors, but the second floor had the added attractions of music and author Barbara Delinsky, who signed copies of her books; proceeds from book sales and special Fiber Fest tote bags went to benefit breast cancer research in Massachusetts.
"I’ve already done my shopping," said Delinsky as she showed a couple of bags behind her.
"This is terrific," said Kate Reynolds McLeod of Newton, who was participating in her second show. "Debbie does such a great job of putting this together."
McLeod runs Jilly Lane Bags & Accessories, a line of handmade felted bags, totes and more. "I do three to five shows a year, and this is my favorite," she said.
Vendors, and visitors, came from all over the state.
"My wife Rebecca’s into knitting," said Peter Fry of Andover as to why their family was at the Fiber Fest. Other visitors said they wanted to get a jump of Christmas shopping, and see what area craftspeople had to offer.
One of the more popular vendor spots as anneSpirationZ, where Anne Shuman offered original T-shirts and clothing made from recycled T-shirts. She was right in the middle of things, with bluegrass music on one end of the second floor and a big mirror on the other, where potential customers tried out shawls and other apparel.
In addition to running the show, Deb Smith was also helping at the Iron Horse Farm Coop booth, which featured an array of handspun yarn, hand-knit items, handmade soap, candles, jewelry and more.
More than 50 vendors took part in this year’s Fiber Fest, as well as three bands — the Fiddling Fogies, the Appalachian Travelers and Stone’s Session Players.
For information on Iron Horse Farm, including holiday hours at the coop’s gift store on Coolidge Street, call 508-653-3433 or visit www.irnhosefarm.org.
Shopping Soiree at the Community Center
Sherborn Newcomers and Neighbors will sponsor its seventh annual Ladies Shopping Soiree on Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 7:30-10 p.m. at the Sherborn Community Center.
More than 20 vendors will be there; admission is $5 at the door.
Frank: U.S. is in worst economic crisis since Great Depression. Speaks at the Sherborn Community Center.
By Ben Kossack/Correspondent
Mon Nov 03, 2008, 04:20 PM EST
This is the worst economic crisis the United States has been in since the Great Depression, but it will likely not turn into a depression, a cautiously optimistic Congressman Barney Frank, D-4th, told a crowd of more than 100 during a recent visit to Sherborn.
Frank took the stage to explain how the country got itself into the current economic crisis, and how it will bring itself out of it.
Regulation was the watchword as Frank addressed the three questions that needed answers that night: How did we get into this crisis; how do we get out of it; and how do we prevent another from happening?
To answer the first question, Frank began with an explanation of sub-prime mortgages and securitization. These sub-prime mortgages were the "bullets" that shot the economy, Frank said. But, he added, bullets are nothing without a gun, and the "gun" was securitization.
Frank said the crisis "crystallized" in his head when he heard a story from a man whose family had been evicted from an apartment because they were unable to make rent. They looked for another place to rent, but with no luck. Nobody would rent to someone who couldn’t make rent payments. So, he got a loan and bought a house.
Frank lay partial blame for the crisis on not only the kinds of unwise loans that made buying a house easier than renting an apartment, but also the push towards an "ownership" society. Some people, he said, for social or economic reasons, simply should not be buying homes.
Near the end of the talk, Frank began to outline how the bailout plan helps not only the banks and other financial institutions that the money is being directly given to, but the economy as a whole, and what further measures are needed to continue to bring the economy out of its slump, including giving more money to states and towns for infrastructure work, which would not only maintain funding for much-needed projects already in the works, but also create domestic jobs to curb unemployment.
When the floor was opened for questions, they ranged far from the immediate topic, and reflected the range of people asking, from high school students to bankers. Generally, those who took the microphone seemed to be concerned with how the financial meltdown would affect other areas of the economy. There was a question on the auto industry, and one on credit cards. There was one on commodity futures, and one on the Cuban embargo. There were a few on clarifications of statements Frank had made earlier, and a few on how to preserve or rebuild trust relationships in the economy. One questioner asked Frank to assume some of the responsibility for causing the crisis.
In the end, Frank left to a standing ovation.
Congressman Frank meets Student Director
Invited by the Sherborn Town Democratic Committee, Congressman Barney Frank recently visited the Sherborn Community Center to discuss the state of the economy.
During his visit, Congressman Frank took time out of his busy schedule to meet Grace Goodearl, a Student Director of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation. Grace was instrumental in reaching out to Mr. Frank last year who coordinated the donation of a United States flag for the Community Center and for it to be flown over the capitol in honor of the Sherborn Community Center and the 150th year celebration of its building.
"It was an honor to meet Congressman Frank and personally thank him for his support of the Sherborn Community Center", stated Ms. Goodearl. "I never met a Congressman before!" she went on to say.
The Sherborn Community Center is a non-profit, all volunteer organization that maintains and manages one of the oldest historic buildings in Sherborn. It does not receive any tax support from the Town and generates revenue from business rentals and membership donations.
For more information on the Center, please visit our website at:
www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com.Friday Night at the Movies
Friday Night at the Movies opened its fifth season on Friday, Oct. 17. Nearly 100 kids enjoyed the magical movie "Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium."
The events are widely anticipated by both kids and adults. It’s the only place around where the kids can enjoy a good old-fashioned night at the movies with popcorn and water for just $1.
The event is really "by kids, for kids." The children take the money at the door, serve up the popcorn and do the vast majority of the cleaning up. "It’s a great tradition on the part of the Community Center," said Lynn Mountford, a director at the Community Center.
To date, more than 2,800 children have come to the Community Center to enjoy the latest movies. The next showings will be Nov. 14, Jan. 9, Feb. 6 and March 6, 2009.
For more information, please visit www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com.
Barney Frank to visit Sherborn
Thu Oct 23, 2008, 11:15 AM EDT
Join the Sherborn Town Democratic Committee for coffee and cake with your Congressman.
Congressman Barney Frank, D-4th, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, will be discussing the state of the economy including the federal bailout plan with all citizens on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Sherborn Community Center. If you have concerns about the housing finance debacle, are wondering about the status of legislation to provide oversight and regulation of the financial services industry, or are just worried about your retirement savings, this is a discussion you won’t want to miss.
Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be served.
For additional information, please contact Cathy Neidich at 508-655-0173.
Fiber Arts Festival at the Community Center
Iron Horse Farm will sponsor the annual Fiber Arts Festival on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., rain or shine, at the Sherborn Community Center, 3 Sanger St. Sherborn, MA.
As many as 50 different artisans from 30 studios will showcase their crafts. Artisan demonstrations to include hand spinning.
Collections offered: (Fiber) scarves, shawls, silk garments, jackets, vests, hats, mittens, handbags, quilts, yarns, wool, rugs, felted landscapes; (Visual) photography; (Functional Art) pottery, ceramics; (Wearable Art) jewelry; (Crafts) candles, soap, lotions, bath salts; (Craft tools) knitting, spinning and felt kits; (Juvenile) nursery necessities, dolls; (Period Pieces) vintage accessories.
Author Barbara Delinsky will be reading from and signing her latest book, "The Secret Between Us’, during the event from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Writing is Delinsky’s job; knitting is her reward for that discipline.
The Fiddling Fogies ("Old-Timey" tunes) and the Appalachian Travelers (American folk) are back with a festival-first debut by the Stone’s Session Players (traditional Irish) to provide live music morning and afternoon.
Art raffle: a cashmere throw, valued at $300, will be presented at the end of the day. All admission tickets are eligible for the drawing in the festival’s final moments of 2008.
General admission will be $6; $5 for seniors over 65; free for children under 12.
Visit http://www.fiberartsfestival.com.
Farm Pond Focus Night at the Community Center
By Staff reports
Fri Sep 19, 2008, 06:24 AM EDT
The Farm Pond Advisory Committee, supported by the Sherborn Forest and Trail Association and held at the Sherborn Community Center, is sponsoring a Conservation Connections Conscientious Cocktail Party on Sunday, Oct. 5, from 4-7 p.m. at the Sherborn Community Center. "Focus on Farm Pond" will be the theme.
The featured guest speaker will be Dr. Marianne Morse, associate professor of biological sciences at Wellesley College and an expert on lakes. Her talk will be "Protecting Sherborn’s Rarest Asset: Farm Pond."
Everyone is invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and learn more about Farm Pond.
Sherborn Community Center seeks student directors
By Staff reports
Wed Sep 17, 2008, 09:15 AM EDT
The Sherborn Community Center Foundation is announcing two sophomore Student Director positions on its Board of Directors commencing in October. These positions will hold a two-year term.
These additional Student Director positions will be instrumental in developing new ideas for low-cost, high-energy youth-oriented events and helping the Sherborn Community Center become a "Place for Everyone."
The successful applicant will gain valuable experience as to how a self-supporting, nonprofit organization operates. Monthly, full board meetings are held to review financials/budgets, key performance indicators and discussions are held on general issues that come up in the management of the historic building.
Areas of special interest could involve chairing an event; developing a proposal for youth events through to execution; a theatrical piece; Web site maintenance; database maintenance; grounds beautification; or some type of administrative task that requires a specialized software skill.
Community service hours will apply.
If you have any questions, please contact your fellow students and current Student Directors, Katerina Akrivlellis or Zach Sokol.
For those students that are interested, please complete the application form at the Guidance Department Office or online on the Sherborn Community Center Web site (www.sherborncommunitycenter.com) and mail it to Mr. Byrnes, 30 Ivy Lane, Sherborn, MA 01770.
Applications must be mailed no later than Sept. 26.
American Idol rocks at the Sherborn Community Center
By Jennifer Roach/Correspondent
Tue Sep 02, 2008, 12:48 PM EDT
Sherborn got its own taste of tinsel town last Wednesday when former American Idol contestant and Wrentham native Ayla Brown stepped up on stage at the Sherborn Community Center. While it wasn’t quite the venue she’s grown accustomed to, having traveled across the country with her act, Brown agreed to perform in Sherborn for a very different reason.
After her father, State Sen. Scott Brown caught word that the Sherborn library could use some extra funding, he offered up his daughter’s act as a way to raise some money…….
Ayla Brown at the Sherborn Community Center
If you haven’t heard of Ayla Brown, your children surely have. And wait ’til you tell them she’ll be singing at the Sherborn Community Center on Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. You may be canceling plans to Cape Cod.
This Wrentham native with a belting voice finished 13th in the 2005 "American Idol" singing competition. Not too shabby. On You Tube, listen to the dreaded Simon Cowell tell her, "Pretty good, actually," following her performance of "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield.
Ayla, 19, whose father is state Sen. Scott Brown, just finished playing in her musical debut, a part in the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," in Waltham. She attends Boston College.
Tickets to the event are $15. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door, but they will also be available in advance at the library, The Sherborn Out, Sherborn Wine and Spirits, and Sherborn’s Eaton Apothecary. Ayla will autograph and sell her CD "Forward" at the concert.
All proceeds from ticket sales and 10 percent of the night’s CD proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Sherborn Library. Friends President Kate Moore said, "We are thrilled to have an artist of Ayla’s caliber donate her time and energy to support our local library." The Friends of the Sherborn Library provide financial support to the library and help bring many educational family programs to the Sherborn community.
To hear Ayla’s exceptional voice, check out "Forward," the title song on her first album recorded in 2006. It’s on iTunes.
For more information, call the Sherborn Library, 508-653-0770. The library is at 4 Sanger St., Sherborn.
"Into the Woods" hits stage tonight at the Community Center
Save the date. The Friends of the Performing Arts of
the Dover-Sherborn schools and the Sherborn Community Center present Into the
Woods, a musical comedy by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. The show will be
performed on Thursday, August 21st, Friday, August 22nd, Saturday, August 23rd,
and Sunday, August 24th at 8:00pm at the Sherborn Community Center, located at 2
Sanger Street in Sherborn.
Directed by Dover- Sherborn Middle School's own Scott Walker and performed by a
very talented group of middle and high school students.
The show takes place in "Fairytale Land" and follows a number of Grimm Fairy
Tales as they crash, fumble, and improvise their way through their various
missions "into the woods" in order to reverse curses, undo spells, and save the
land from a giant. At the same time, the interesting and delicate relationships
between parents and their children are explored through the characters' stories.
The show culminates into a song that Barbara Streisand recorded entitled
"Children Will Listen".
This is a new summer theater program that showcases wonderful talent in the
community. The music is compelling, the humor is creative and hilarious and you
won't want to miss it. Stay tuned for ticket information.
Summer Concert on the green
The Coffee House Band performs at the first summer concert on the Sherborn Library green Wednesday, June 25, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Bring the children, blankets, lawn chairs, food and enjoy tunes by Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire and Linda Ronstadt. Rain venues will be hosted by the Sherborn Community Center directly across the street.
Perspective: Behind the scenes at the Sherborn Community Center: take two
By Grace Goodearl/Guest Column
Thu Jun 05, 2008, 08:57 AM EDT
The Sherborn Community Centers prides itself on being a "Place for Everyone." Each individual who gives his or her time for the Community Center has a story and is recognized for the effort they put in and the diversity they bring to the table.
Steve Falk is a long time Sherborn resident who puts his time and energy into creating and maintaining many different computer programs and databases for the Sherborn Community Center.
Like many in Dover and Sherborn, Falk traveled a winding road before finally settling down in Sherborn in 1967. He attended several well-known colleges and was in the Coast Guard stationed up in Portland, Maine. "Do you have a vision of what that’s like? Three weeks on duty stationed in the North Atlantic where the seas are so high that they cross your mast… I had no idea about that duty, the deadly danger hour after hour, day after day, week after week are we going to live today? I don’t know. I just had no idea," he said.
Before this, Falk earned degrees in economics at George Washington University and the University of Michigan. After his years in the service, Falk attended Harvard Business School, graduating in 1955. Not long afterwards, he was scouring the suburbs of Massachusetts for a new home.
Falk originally moved to Sherborn for family and work obligations, and his first house on Bridle Path gave him everything he needed. His daughter had challenges, and a house on a cul-de-sac so close to the Boston School for the Deaf was perfect. It’s "a neighborhood where a toddler who has difficulties can run around and be an outdoor kid," he said.
Falk became the "the single parent who goes to PTA meetings and soccer games and activities." During these busy times, Falk worked for Sterling Institute, a multidivision management consulting company originally headquartered in the Prudential Center.
While living in Sherborn, Falk bonded with some of Sherborn’s finest, establishing many friendships, including one with Bob Ambos, another member of the Sherborn Community Center support system. Ambos and Falk go back to the early days of Sherborn Yacht Club and their joint love of being on the water. The pair also founded the Sherborn Golf Club.
"I was the co-founder," said Falk. The Golf Club needed a way to issue handicaps, so Falk jumped right in and said, "I could write a program for handicapping. If there are fixed rules, you can program it."
"I am thrilled that Mr. Falk still finds the time to be involved in his community and especially his continued support for the Community Center," said Jim Byrnes, president of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation Inc. "Diversity adds depth to our bench in running the Center, and Mr. Falk brings with him a solid background of wit, wisdom and experience."
Falk continues to maintain the programs he has created for many organizations in Sherborn, helping out with the Sherborn Golf Club, the Sherborn Fire Department, dog licenses for the Town Clerk, the Sherborn Community Center, the Council on Aging and taking on many other duties. Without his help and knowledge, the Sherborn community would not be what it is today.
Thank you, Mr. Falk.
Grace Goodearl is one of the student directors at the Sherborn Community Center.
Memorial Day in Sherborn; Refreshments at the Community Center
The Memorial Day Parade and Dedication will be held on Monday, May 26, at 10 a.m. and concluding at 11:30 a.m.
Organizers encourage the participation of all veterans and ask for the support of all town residents as we remember those who have gone before us. All marchers will assemble at the Town Garage on Butler Street at 9:30 a.m. The march will proceed from the town garage down North Main Street to the soldiers lot at Pine Hill Cemetery, and then to the Peace Monument at routes 16 & 27.
Following the dedication, the parade will proceed to the Sherborn Community Center for refreshments. For more information, contact Mike Kickham at 508-655-4607.
Behind the scenes at the Community Center: take one
By Zach Sokol, Guest Columnist
Wed May 28, 2008, 10:17 AM EDT
Sherborn - To members at the Sherborn Community Center, Bob Ambos is a household name. He has built up the foundation (literally and figuratively) of the prominent, historical building that influences the town today. The Sherborn Community Center is indebted to him.
The building was built in 1858 but, at the time, it was known as the Old Town Hall. Since then, it has housed myriad bureaus, including a post office, a police department, a school and government offices, all at different times. In recent years, the Selectmen held their meetings in the Conference Room while the present Town Hall was being renovated. Throughout the 1900s, the building had similar uses, but the Sherborn Players, a theatrical group, used it frequently for their productions. Ambos was the president of the players from 1984 to 1986
The building was condemned in 1981 by Sherborn’s building inspector due to its unsafe conditions with warped floors and a leaking roof. Electrical and plumbing issues plagued the building as well. While the building remained unoccupied for a few years, there were ideas peculating among some town activists, and the group turned to Ambos for a solution. The decision became to "take over the building, and propose a plan at the next selectmen meeting," said Ambos. "They offered to sell it to us, but we said no. It is a town building; we don’t want to own it. We just want to maintain a piece of history."
According to documents, it was noted that the town does not have the desire to operate, maintain and manage the building, and it would be in the best interest of the town to have a third party operate, maintain and manage the building. A deal was approved at Special Town Meeting in 1983 that resulted in the beginning stages of a newly formed entity. Rent would only be a dollar per year, and the center would have to raise all the money to pay for the expenses and renovations. "No tax dollars involved," stated Ambos in a stern tone.
Ambos and his associates starting meeting with other concerned citizens in a UUAC Church basement, generating a strategy to move forward and get the job done. "I was elected president, and we asked the people who were there to become the original board of directors," recalled Ambos. The group of approximately 15 members formed the original board, and thus the Sherborn Community Center Foundation Inc was formed in 1985. The foundation is presently in a formal lease with the town until 2022.
The task appeared overwhelmingly complicated, a mission too large for part-time actors with other full-time jobs. Ambos noted that the Players "were a play group, and we wanted the status quo. We had no idea that the Sherborn Players would ever be involved in something like this." He also admitted that the hardest challenge of forming the foundation was that "it wasn’t easy to find such dedicated and talented people, let alone keep them, for that matter."
Ambos and the foundation’s first goal was to fix the safety hazards. They brought the building up to code and put on a new roof, using money that board member Faith Hiberia was essential in raising. That alone cost nearly $40,000. Ambos also helped during the renovation process by cleaning out the entire basement (which at the time was filled with countless bicycles that the Sherborn Police had found over the years) and "I even dug a trench for the sewer line," he acknowledged. The current Community Center was literally crafted with aid from the president of the foundation that exists today, 23 years later. After serving two years as president, Ambos allotted his position to Walter Levering.
Currently head of the center’s Member Database Committee, Ambos spends close to 40 hours per month on database-related jobs. Jim Byrnes, president of the SCC, commended him for organizational skills and work ethic. Byrnes added that "If I need a list of the latest and greatest membership listing, within minutes, it’s coming over the Internet. No messing about with Mr. Ambos. We greatly appreciate his continued enthusiasm and energy."
According to Ambos, "I applaud from the side. I think the current activities taking place [in the community center] are wonderful and the group is on the right track." He is also the Veteran’s Agent of the town, meaning he makes sure that all veterans receive all the benefits they are entitled.
To add to his grocery list of activities, Ambos is the co-founder of the town’s Golf Club (the other creator being the focus of next week’s "Behind the Scenes-Take Two" article), the curator and commodore of the Yacht Club, and he cuts wood free of charge for senior citizens in town. On May 21, Ambos also received the Sherborn Lion’s Club’s fifth Community Service Award for outstanding leadership and service to Sherborn.
The only goal that this pioneer wants to see accomplished in the future is that "the community center is used every day," Ambos went on to state. Ambos loves Sherborn, and says that he does not need a pat on the back. "As far as I’m concerned the people who deserve credit are the people serving on the board. The rest of it is history."
Sherborn Library craft fair draws 100 vendors, 481 at the Moon Walk
By Bev Wax/Correspondent
Wed May 14, 2008, 11:06 AM EDT
Sherborn - It turned out to be a beautiful Mother’s Day on Sunday, and probably a lot of local moms were lucky enough to receive gifts from their kids purchased at the Sherborn Arts & Crafts Fair on Saturday.
The fair is organized by the Friends of the Sherborn Library every year as its sole, major fundraiser. Even though the morning was a little slow due to cool weather, by the afternoon the library grounds were crowded with adults and children buying handmade crafts, enjoying crafts and games, listening to music and socializing under the food tent.
Alex Mountford, an eighth-grader at the Dover-Sherborn Middle School, was debating with her friend, Caitlin Mitchell, whether to buy her mom a unique, small mirror surrounded by cut glass. It would coordinate with a bowl she found at last year’s fair.
Two Dover-Sherborn High School seniors were at the next booth featuring handmade jewelry. Charlie Yon decided on a pair of earrings. His friend, Jake Coblyn, joked, "We’re thinking of getting our ears pierced…" The vendor, Gail Ames of Silver Fox of Upton, gave the boys a small discount for coming back to her booth after looking around quite a bit. She exhibits at the Sherborn Fair every year and has been in business for some 28 years.
Along with the craft exhibits, the library sold secondhand books from the "Book Cellar." The Friends held a raffle along with a silent auction for a watercolor by Holly Lombardo, whose work is on display at the Sherborn Library until May 21.
Anne Doherty was holding a personal silent auction in honor of her brother, Neil Collins, who died of cancer at 44 years old. The funds would help sponsor his doctor, Harvey Mamon, who plans to ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge this summer, an annual bike race dedicated to raising dollars to fund cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.
Doherty made up gift baskets thanks to the generosity of many local businesses such as Weston Nurseries and the Sherborn Day Spa. Along with passes to the Duck Tour and the Aquarium in other baskets, Doherty pointed out a special infant one that included a knitted baby cap especially made by 10-year-old Grace Kennedy of Sherborn.
The Boggestow Garden Club sets up a table at the fair every year selling colorful geraniums and other assorted plants. Member Gail Warden said, "Every year people line up in their cars! All the money goes to town beautification." In fact, last year the club sold out. If any plants are left, they are planted in tubs outside of Farm Pond.
This year’s president, Rosemary Sortor, said the club also always decorates the Town Office and police station for Christmas. The club also sponsored a bird garden behind Pine Hill Elementary School dedicated to Michael Lisnow who died at a young age. It features a Hibush blueberry plant. As part of the third-grade science curriculum, Sortor said, "The children get to take care of their plant and watch it grow."
Face painting was a big hit with a lot of the young girls. One standout was the tiger face of Bryn Melanson, a sixth-grader at DSMS. Next to the face-painting booth, younger kids were patiently standing in line for the Moon Bounce, put up by the Sherborn Community Center. Center President Jim Byrnes said by mid-afternoon, "We counted 481 kids … a record-breaking year!" And best of all for moms and dads, it was free.
"The 36 annual Friends of the Sherborn Library Arts and Crafts Fair was very successful," said co-chairman Kristina Gallant. "We had about 100 vendors even after five withdrew because of weather, and it ended up being a beautiful day. My co-chair, Kristiina Almy, and I would like to thank the Friends of the Library Board, and our president, Anne Hovey, the day was a success because of their hard work and dedication."
Sherborn Library’s Arts & Crafts Fair this Saturday. Moon Walk at the Community Center.
Wed May 07, 2008, 06:00 AM EDT
Sherborn - The annual Arts & Crafts Fair at the Sherborn Library is a unique family affair. In this era of generic toys and electronic gadgets, this fair’s strict emphasis on authentic, handmade crafts and simple, old-fashioned fun make it a true anachronism.
This Saturday, May 10, come celebrate spring at the library where artists, jewelers and craftsmen, carefully screened for the authenticity of their handiwork, spread their tents across the lawn. Booths for face painting, games with prizes and cotton candy are on the list of vintage activities for children.
"All of the vendors at the fair sell their own handmade items — no middlemen or prepackaged, mass-produced goods. It’s a craft fair that harkens back to the traditional arts and crafts fairs from simpler days," said Anne Hovey, president of the Friends of the Sherborn Library, which organizes the event.
A little more a la mode, the Moon Walk, very popular with over 374 kids last year, returns to the adjoining Sherborn Community Center parking lot. Also, raffle baskets will showcase items such as an American Girl doll, an iPod and restaurant gift certificates.
Shopping for Mother’s Day? Buy her a plant, shrub or small tree. There will be a plethora of uncommon gifts as well as practical household items, including original pottery, funky housewares, hand-made jewelry, paintings, photography, wearable art and handcrafted accessories.
For the hungry, there will be gourmet gift-type food items in addition to freshly grilled burgers and more.
Secondhand books from the library’s "Book Cellar" will be for sale as well.
The fair, Sherborn Library’s sole, major fundraiser per year, will be held rain or shine, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., outside the library on Sanger Street.
Dover-Sherborn Goes… "INTO THE WOODS!" at the Community Center
Thursday May 01, 2008
SHERBORN - In partnership with Community Ed and the Sherborn Community Center Foundation, we are proud to announce the first summer drama program available to current sixth through ninth graders living in Dover and Sherborn. The idea for the program was the brainchild of some enthusiastic freshmen, eager to do what they love during the break!
Mr. Walker will be directing four performances of the hilarious and emotional Broadway musical, Into the Woods.
The production will feature an orchestra, a cast of thirty to forty students, and some fantastic sets. The production will be held at the Sherborn Community Center from August 21st-24th. Auditions will be held in late May in the middle school’s choral room after school. Students will not need to prepare any audition material in advance, but will need to get the informational packet signed by a parent before attending the audition. These packets will be available outside of the middle school main office starting May 8th.
"Life Stages" performance brings together generations at the Community Center
Mon Apr 07, 2008, 03:16 PM EDT
Sherborn - On Saturday evening, the Sherborn Community Center was filled with people, ranging in age from 8 to 85, to listen and experience "Life Stages: A Community Conversation through the Dramatic Arts."
COA Drop-in Director Laila Vehvilainen, working with Sherborn playwright Kelly DuMar, brainstormed the perfect opportunity to create intergenerational theatrical performance. With funding from the Sherborn Cultural Council (a local agency supported by the Mass. Cultural Council, a state agency), DuMar solicited the talent of Chris King and, together, they worked up a program to showcase both the humor and tender moments of growing up and growing older.
The evening showcased the plays and poetry written by DuMar and King and used local actors from Pine Hill Elementary School, Dover-Sherborn High School, as well as seniors from Sherborn and greater Boston.
The Sherborn Garden Club provided added color with their floral arrangements from "Pine Hill Art in Bloom" and a pre-performance reception, hosted by Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, added to the night’s festivities.
At the conclusion of the program, the "Community Conversation" gave the audience and the playwrights an opportunity to speak to some of the most poignant moments of the evening: the loss of a driver’s license and its impact on independence; the emotions of moving and going separate ways; the excitement of young love; and the comfort of long-standing companionship. It was best summed up by 95-year-old senior Nora Barraford, who recognized that the joys and difficulties that people feel in their relationships are the same regardless of age.
First Battle of the Bands strikes gold
By Zach Sokol, Sherborn Community Center Student Director
Tue Mar 18, 2008, 07:04 PM EDT
Sherborn - After months of planning, as well as blood, sweat and tears shed, the Sherborn Community Center’s first Battle of the Bands was pulled off on March 8 with raging success. It was a sellout crowd of young and old who came to see their favorite local bands perform. Sure, it was no Woodstock, but let’s just say this sets a pretty big standard for any town event to follow.
Lead Student Director Kate Vacovec, along with the three other Student Directors (including myself), two students on the committee board and SCC board members such as Arthur Crandall, Jim Byrnes, Carole Marple and Eugene Ham, started planning the event in early January.
The idea was initiated by Arthur Crandall years ago: "Oct. 2nd, 2004 to be exact," the board member said. "When I was younger, there were people with instruments who would jam in a band, but wouldn’t have a place to play. D-S is a small town, and I thought it’d be pretty cool to put on a battle of the bands. And you know what? The result came out beyond expectations for everyone"
Although the BOB (we made it into a clever acronym) was his brainchild, he modestly added that "the outstanding initiative of the student directors and committee members that made the event come to fruition."
Jim Byrnes, president of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation, said, "Our student directors continue to amaze the board with their energy and vision. We are very proud of their efforts for the community at large."
A tremendous effort was put forth by Mrs. Marple, a first-year board member at the SCC. If anyone saw the banner in town or the T-shirts sold on Saturday, you can compliment her. Her guidance and thoughtfulness during the entire planning process was superb.
After a series of auditions, there were eight bands performing (playing styles that ranged from death metal to funk and blues). The winning band was Paint us Thieves, formerly known as Troubadour, from Holliston. I work with the bass player/co-lyricist, Alex Watling, at the Sherborn Inn, and his group was truly a milestone of high school bands. He simply stated that the event was "nifty," and he would "most assuredly" do it again.
Second place went to Awakened Chaos (based on their name; wouldn’t you think they’d be on the soundtrack to a yoga video?) with DSHS sophomore Chelsea Carter acting as front-woman. She had the rock moves down — equipped with everything just short of a stage dive.
And to the audience’s amazement, third place went to Intros Never Last, a screaming death metal band that almost caused windows to shatter and audience members’ inner Marilyn Manson to awaken. They were great at their genre of music, but while playing, I noticed deer and small children running for shelter. As Brian Kors, a judge and history teacher at the high school, said, "You have to be impartial to the style of music, but rather judge how good they were at that style." Other judges included Mike Sweeney, Eugene Ham and Arthur Crandall.
First prize took home $300, second snagged $150, third got $100, and the audience favorite (Charlie Taylor’s four-man ensemble "Salsa Picante") received a $50 stipend.
I arrived at the SCC on March 8 at 4 p.m. I had just worked a five-hour shift at the Sherborn Inn, and I was ready to switch my focus to the BOB (starting by putting on my Pink Floyd shirt). Mr. Ham and I were the only people there for about an hour, and it was quiet — as if a storm was a’comin’. Sure enough, band members started flooding the ballroom-turned-Fillmore East. I was surrounded in a deluge of questions, guitar equipment and noise; which made me feel like a 16-year-old Ari Gold of HBO’s "Entourage." All I have to say is that I prepared for this madness intelligently by stocking up on Red Bull and espresso the night before.
From 5 to 7:30 (when the show started) Team SCC, as I call us, had countless tasks and what not to take care of. This included the biggest issue of how to fit eight bands’ worth of equipment onto a relatively small stage. With the help of Pat Cassell, we got the lights up, sound checks completed and were ready to start "jamming."
Here on, the night was as smooth as "buttah." We sold all the tickets, listened to good music, and will have a cult following for years to come.
Kelly's Plays Featured in Life Stages Festival at the Sherborn Community Center
Kelly's short plays for kids, teens and adults featured in the upcoming Life Stages Festival at the Sherborn Community Center on April 5 include: Rocky and Skye (new), The Cell (previously produced), Run For Your Life (previously performed), Eating Oreo's Cookie (new), and Clay (previously performed). This event is free and open to the public, funded by a grant from The Sherborn Cultural Council and The Sherborn Council on Aging.
Battle of the Bands rocks Community Center|
ABIGAIL DAVIDSON, Hometown Weekly Staff 13.MAR.08 Visitors to the Sherborn Community Center rocked out to guitar riffs and drum solos at the first annual Battle of the Bands. Local bands from Dover, Sherborn and beyond competed for the honor of being crowned the best and prizes totaling up to $1,000. |
Student directors at Town Caucus
The Sherborn Community Center was the venue for the Sherborn Town Caucus. Opening remarks were given by student directors Katerina Akrivlellis and Zach Sokol.
"The caucus is one of the highlights of the season for the Community Center," said Mike Kickham, immediate past president of the Sherborn Community Center. "It gives us a chance to show off our wonderful building, and it gives an opportunity for our student directors to gain experience with public speaking".
The Community Center was filled to capacity with Sherborn residents who came to participate in the important political process of the caucus. The caucus is an annual nonpartisan event that provides a forum to encourage candidates to run for town office and give them an opportunity to meet with voters.
Battle of the Bands coming up March 8th at the Community Center
By Bev Wax/Correspondent
Fri Feb 29, 2008, 10:31 AM EST
SHERBORN - The first-ever Battle of the Bands competition is taking place next Saturday evening, March 8, at the Sherborn Community Center. And it promises to be a blast.
Art Crandall, the center’s treasurer, who will also be a judge that night, came up with the idea. He first brought it up four years ago at a board meeting when potential goals for the center were being discussed. Crandall however, gives credit to the SCC’s Student Directors for initiating new activities and finally making the competition happen: "The kids have taken it and run with it."
Zach Sokol, a director and musician, is one of those kids. As a member of the Dover-Sherborn Music Club, he’s looking forward to the Battle of the Bands and even convinced Alex Watling of Holliston, a member of the band Paint us Thieves, to audition. Sokol works with him at the Sherborn Inn.
Watling’s band is one of eight bands chosen to perform. Each band member will receive a T-shirt for participating. Prizes total $1,025: First Place — $300, Second — $150, Third — $100; $25 will also be given to each band as a "thank you" gift.
Crandall is so committed to making the night happen that he is willing to subsidize the prize money if necessary, "if we don’t get it at the gate." Tickets will be sold at the door at $7 for students, $10 for adults. "We have no chance of losing … it’s an idea that’s going to go over big. It’s never been done here … ever. It’s a chance for people to listen to the talent we have in our towns … and some good ‘ol rock-and-roll." Easy listening, hard rock and a little bit of grunge are also on the schedule.
Keith Maxwell and Alex Kwatcher from Dover-Sherborn High School are members of the two-man band, Iron Mclaod. Maxwell said, "We definitely plan to do an original composition, ‘Bulls on Parade,"‘ ‘Killing in the Name’ and possibly ‘Mama Kin.’ We have been a group for about a year now and have only ‘performed’ once before at a school coffeehouse."
Both decided to enter because they love to perform and wanted to take the next big step by playing in front of a larger audience. And, Maxwell admitted, if they win, the money is good, too.
Another DSHS band, Let ‘em Run, has been together for two years playing in the school’s jazz band with Jake Hershey on drums, Garrett Akie on bass and Noah Simon on lead guitar. According to Hershey, Jake Gatof, with whom they occasionally play, will join them for the competition as lead vocalist, and guitarist Hershey’s sister, Emma, who has never performed with them, will possibly sing as well. "We hope to incorporate some Police and Dire Straits tunes into our repertoire," Hershey said.
Three members in another group of DSHS seniors call themselves Salsa Picante and have been playing together for a year or so in the jazz band as well. Dan Curtiss is on bass and vocals, Charlie Taylor plays lead guitar and James Chang plays drums. Sam Johnson will be joining them on second guitar for the Battle of the Bands. The appetizing name was chosen "spur of the moment based on a product we thoroughly enjoy on our food," joked Curtiss. He adds they decided to enter for a change in venue, "live to play, play to live …"
They are psyched to have been chosen and winning the cash wouldn’t hurt, either. Their music will be a continuous jam of mellow rock with some spontaneous improvisations possibly thrown in to fill the allotted 30-minute time period given to each band. Curtiss compares their sound to that of Phish.
Crandall, too, is thrilled that the bands will have a new venue to play in. He grew up as a drummer on the North Shore and recalls when the "good" bands used to play at high school dances. Nowadays, he has a local cable show on DSCTV called "Cooking with the Crandalls," with his son, who is also named Art. Along with Crandall, judges include Gene Ham, another board member, DSHS social studies teacher Brian Kors and DSMS media coordinator Mike Sweeney.
Kors and Sweeney will introduce the bands and in fact, be the warmup act. Kors sings and plays guitar; Sweeney plays bass; Charlie Yon, a DSHS senior, will be their drummer for the performance. Sweeney pointed out, "We like Charlie so much we named the band after him: The Charlie Yon Experience."
Like Crandall, Sweeney grew up playing in bands. "I think it is a positive outlet for teenagers to join a band and learn something that can impact them for a lifetime. Students can find another way of expressing themselves creatively and be able to share that experience with others," he said.
"Because of this, I jumped at the chance to become involved in this event. I see it as more of a support of our local talent than a battle. Anyone who has the guts to get out on a stage and play in front of people is already a winner in my book," said Sweeney.
As for Kors, "I decided to judge because I want to be the guy that can rightfully say … I discovered the next James Brown."
The audience gets to judge the bands as well. The third-place prize will be "Audience Choice." Two signed CDs and posters from Chad Urmston will be given away that night to some lucky members. The event begins at 7:30 p.m.; refreshments will be sold.
Schedule
·
Intro into the evening —Sweeney and Kors will be playing music·
Crandall and Kate Vacovec (Student Director) present T-shirts and thank you to judges as well as introduce event.·
Band lineup1. Iron Mclaod
2. Paint us Thieves
3. Awakened Chaos
4. Intros Never Last
5. Moonvest
6. The Last Unit
7. Let ’em Run
8. Salsa Picante
Forest and Trail Association to meet at Community Center
The Sherborn Forest and Trail Association will meet on Monday, March 10, at 7 p.m. in the Conference Rom of the Sherborn Community Center. The group will discuss plans for a proposed Kite Festival in April. The group is also looking for volunteers to take on the leadership of the organization, as all current officers are no longer available to continue in their positions.
For more information, contact Mary Barbara Alexander at 508-647-1631 or mbas@verizon.net.
Battle of the bands coming soon
Tue Feb 12, 2008, 05:44 PM EST
SHERBORN - The Student Directors of the Sherborn Community Center will be hosting the first Battle of the Bands on Saturday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center.
The venue will be full of competing local high school bands from Dover, Sherborn and surrounding towns, all vying for prizes totaling up to $1,000. Judges will include directors of the Community Center and high school educators.
"This is a great experience not only for the Student Directors, but for me as well" said Art Crandall, treasurer of the Sherborn Community Center who is working directly with the students on this program. "The students are so much fun to work with and they always have new ideas as to utilizing the center."
"The SCC’s first Battle of the Bands will not only showcase the talent of students within the Dover-Sherborn region, but will depict diversity and creativity from members of our community,"said Zach Sokol, student director.
The Sherborn Community Center is a nonprofit, self-supporting organization that manages and maintains one of Sherborn’s historic buildings. The building, built in 1858, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. It does not receive any tax-funded support from the town of Sherborn.
For further information, please visit our Web site at: www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com or e-mail at BattleoftheBands@SherbornCommunityCenter.com.
Sherborn Citizens’ Caucus to be held March 5th at the Sherborn Community Center
Tue Feb 12, 2008, 10:09 AM EST
Sherborn -
The Sherborn Citizens’ Caucus Committee has called this year’s Caucus to meet on
Wednesday, March 5, at 8 p.m. in the Sherborn Community Center.
The Citizens’ Caucus is an annual nonpartisan event that provides a forum to encourage candidates to run for town office and give them an opportunity to meet with voters. All registered Sherborn voters are welcome to attend, perhaps nominate a candidate or become a candidate, consider all the nominees and then elect those candidates to be designated "caucus nominee" on the ballot in the May 8 Town Election.
Potential candidates should arrange to have someone nominate him or her in a two-minute-or-less speech that will introduce the candidate and highlight his/her experience, skills, interests or other information that establishes the person as a viable candidate. All contested nominations are decided by secret ballot. Candidates who receive Caucus endorsement must accept their nomination in writing by Friday March 10.
The following positions, and length of term, will be on the 2008 town election ballot: Moderator for 1 year; Selectmen for 3 years; Town Clerk for 3 years; Assessor for 3 years; Sherborn School Committee member for 3 years; Sawin Academy Trustee for 5 years; three Library Trustees for 3 years; Water Commissioner for 3 years; Cemetery Commissioner for 3 years; two Planning Board members for 3 years; Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee Member for 3 years; Board of Health member for 3 years; and Recreation Commissioner for a 3 year term.
The Sherborn Citizens’ Caucus is organized by Caucus Committee members Melanie Flanagan, George Fiske and Janet Walsh. Committee members are elected annually at the close of caucus.
The Caucus Committee tries to assure that at least one candidate for each office will appear on the town ballot. As a committee, it is also our mission to remain neutral and not endorse any one candidate.
Perspective: Hell rises and falls with midterms at Dover-Sherborn High School
By Zach Sockol/Guest Commentary
Wed Feb 06, 2008, 08:58 AM EST
DOVER and SHERBORN - A midterm exam is what each student makes of it. It all depends on how much the student prepares and acts during the test. No one needs to be a genius to get the golden A each student strives to obtain. The bottom line is: midterms are manageable!
Within my coterie of friends, we have myriad ways to prepare for midterms. One friend saves all his studying for the weekend before, and usually pulls off around a B in each class. He’s quite happy with that, but who wants the B when an A is right around the corner?
I have a friend who will glance at each of his notebooks once, and then declare war on studying and be a sloth until midterm week. This student is brilliant, but I see white tigers in my backyard more frequently than success stories like him. He will get good grades without studying, but I highly recommend that future midterm takers in Dover-Sherborn do not base their midterm grades on luck and natural intelligence. However, I am the studier who gets all my work ready the day I get back from December vacation. This is about three weeks before midterms, and this process is perfect for me.
The first week, I browse around my notes, nothing too serious. I’ll basically just find out what I can remember from the last six months of school. At the end of this week, I turn into a book-lusting banshee whose sole goal is to conquer midterms in a Napoleon-esque coup-de’tat. I isolate myself in my room, which has momentarily turned into a battlefield (visitors think bombs went off in the area around my desk), and I only come out when I’m hungry. I’m not saying this is the best method, but it works for me.
The most direct way to prevail over midterms is to find out what works and what doesn’t in study methods. It is very easy to be lazy and push everything back, but starting earlier is always better.
Teacher’s goal for midterms is not to torture students, or get a quick out of their poor grades. They want us to succeed and get the A, but I also have teachers who think grades are not the most vital part of midterm week. These teachers want us to forget about the numbers and letters, and focus on reaching our highest potential of learning. It is easier said than done, but this is the real ideals of school when I really think about it. As I have heard many times from a teacher of mine, "if you can zero in on what I am teaching you, the grades will take care of themselves." It is true, grades are not the most important aspect of high school, but this doesn’t mean that students cannot receive As.
This year I had seven main exams for midterms: English, World History, Algebra, Chemistry, Spanish, Music Theory and Physical Education. In total, the tests took up about 12 hours of my life. I felt prepared for all of these classes, and I a very happy with my grades. The week is still nerve-racking though.
When I first sat in my chair on Wednesday, Jan. 23, to take my Social Studies midterm, I immediately scoured the room for possible escape routes. Finding nothing short of jumping out a second-story window, I decided to man-up and take the test. The two-hour exam went by extremely fast, but it was still stressful. There are the usual issues that arise (i.e. do I have enough pencils? Is the answer for number one B or A? Is this room spinning?). Once the final
Midterms are very manageable, and I can say that no stomach ulcers were a direct result. It all depends on how much work is exerted. However, when the week is over, a celestial scent makes the air sweeter, the skies look bluer, and I cannot help but do a few heel-clicks in the air. Now I can go back to my regular schedule for the next 4 1/2 months until finals start.
Classical dance at the Community Center
The Sherborn Community Center announces classical dance sessions to be held through March.
Through the Academy of Classical Dance, Juliann Farrar, a certified registered teacher, will provide instruction in the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus in ballet and modern jazz for ages 3 1/2 to adult. These studies are an excellent technical foundation for all dances and a platform for further exploration of this wonderful art form.
"We are very excited to bring dance back to the Community Center" said Jim Byrnes, president of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation. "Our roots go back to dance performances, the Sherborn Players and even a school."
RAD is a London based dance organization firmly focused on providing quality ballet education throughout the world. The local related Web site is www.WellesleyRAD.4T.com.
"The Sherborn Community Center’s wide open spaces, natural light and architectural detail make it an ideal and beautiful space for dancing. I’m delighted for the opportunity to offer classes here, and hope to meet other Sherborn residents who share my love for this art form," said Farrar.
For more information, contact Farrar at JLNBF@Comcast.net or Info@SherbornCommunityCenter.com.
Winter Dance at the Community Center
The Sherborn Community Center’s student directors will be hosting a winter dance for Dover-Sherborn seventh- and eighth-graders and their guests. Student directors Kate Vacovec and Alexa Collins, and newly elected directors Zach Sokol and Katrina Akriviellis, have been planning with the Community Center’s student committee, Erin McCall, Danielle Aston and Grace Goodearl, to organize this middle school dance.
The event will be held at the Community Center on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 7-9:30 p.m. Dressy-casual attire is suggested, and the cost is $10 at the door.
The high school student directors, along with other Dover-Sherborn community members, will be chaperoning the event, and a police detail will also be present. DJ Kupah will be supplying music for the night.
All proceeds from the dance will go to the maintenance and management of the Community Center, a nonprofit, self-supporting entity that does not receive tax-dollar support from the town.
For more information, contact Kate Vacovec at vacoveck@doversherborn.org.
Coffeehouse at Sherborn Community Center
Thu Jan 31, 2008, 09:25 AM EST
SHERBORN - The Sherborn Community Center will be rocking on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 7-9:30 p.m. at the third annual Joyful Noise Coffee House presented by the Middle School Youth Group of Pilgrim Church.
This is a benefit for One Family Scholars, a program that empowers at-risk women to become self-sufficient through higher education.
"We are very proud of hosting this event once again," said Jim Byrnes, president of the Sherborn Community Center. "This benefit encompasses the entire community for the benefit of a program that is truly needed in our society. It embodies our mission to give back to our community."
The Coffee House Band, composed of Laurie Young, Stacey Brandon, Kim Holland, Doug Ambos, George Moore, Clayton Raithel, Brad Kohl, Joe Sawain, and Bob Brunsdon, and guest musicians Janelle Oveson, Betsy O’Riordan, Gracie and Brad Van Brunt, John Hudson, and Paul Surface, will perform hits from the ‘70s to the present.
Beverages and desserts will be provided by the Middle School Youth Group. All are invited to attend this wonderful night of music with an opportunity to help others. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students, and $50 for a family of four or more. Tickets may be purchased or reserved through the Pilgrim Church office by calling 508-655-1667.
Editorial: Celebrate responsibly
Tue Jan 29, 2008, 05:34 PM EST
Dover - This Friday, the Dover-Sherborn High School chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions is holding its fourth biannual "SADD Prom Fashion Show." This promises to be a fun evening featuring the latest prom fashions as well as raffle prizes from places such as the Sherborn Day Spa and Richard’s of Wellesley. We’d like to encourage everyone to go.
What’s particularly positive about the fashion show, though, is that the young people who are part of SADD are promoting enjoyable, substance-free fun. They’re encouraging their peers to focus on camaraderie and fashion and not on the drinking and other substance abuse that often accompany prom celebrations around the country.
Prom is still months away, but the message that SADD members are sending is one that everyone — young people and adults alike — needs to listen to now, perhaps this weekend, more than ever. Coming up on Sunday is another much anticipated day — the Super Bowl — that is often accompanied by above-average drinking. We hope that young people who are not of legal drinking age will find ways to celebrate this fun-filled day that do not involve drinking, and we hope that parents make sure that happens. But we also hope that adults who are of legal drinking age are celebrate responsibly, especially if they are celebrating at a friend’s house and plan to drive home after the game.
Kudos to young people who encourage everyone in the community and their peers in particular to have substance-free fun. The young people who are part of SADD are not the only ones who do this. The student directors and the Student Committee at the Sherborn Community Center do the same thing when they plan fun evenings for young people in a safe place like the community center. Last weekend they hosted a dance for middle-schoolers, which was only the first of many fun evenings to come in 2008. There still may be a family bingo day, a pajama dance and more coming up. So thank you to that group of young people as well.
New student directors for community center brainstorm fun for 2008
By Bev Wax/Correspondent
Tue Jan 29, 2008, 05:54 PM EST
SHERBORN - Dover-Sherborn High School sophomores Katerina Akrivlellis and Zach Sokol are thrilled about recently being selected as the Sherborn Community Center’s Student Directors. Both positively glow with enthusiasm when talking about planned activities for middle and high school students in the town’s historic 1858 building.
According to Jim Byrnes, chairman of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation, "The Student Directors and Student Committee at the Sherborn Community Center are reflective of our investment in the future leaders of our community. They are bright, articulate, inquisitive and totally engaged in the process. We are enjoying their enthusiasm and look forward to their involvement."
Due to the high caliber of applicants, those involved in the selection process decided to form a Student Committee this year as well. The directors were chosen by a selection committee consisting of Byrnes; the present student directors, Lexy Collins and Kate Vacovec; and Foundation Director Carole Marple, who is also Sherborn’s Town Clerk. Students Danielle Aston, Grace Goodearl and Erin McCall serve on the committee.
Akrivlellis, of Dover, and Sokol, of Sherborn, were already actively involved at the school and their communities. Sokol is a student representative on the Student Council and attends all School Committee meetings. He is president of the Music Club; a writer for the Focus, the DSHS student newspaper; and the school literary magazine, RUNES. He is also recognized around town as a host for the Sherborn Inn.
"I think it is rewarding to give back to the community … to a nonprofit like the community center. It’s a great place to go and have a good time," Sokol said. He hopes to sponsor a Battle of the Bands in April and is promising there will be "a good prize" for the winner. In fact, so good, that he is sure "kids will start making bands" to enter the competition.
Akrivlellis is kept busy working at a local Medfield clothing store and as an assistant teacher at Paulette’s Dance Studio in Newton, where she has been a student for 13 years. She is also treasurer for the school’s Gay/Straight Alliance. The club held its annual coffee house at the center where an Indian dancer, the school’s dance team and The Rest, the high school’s a cappella singing group, all performed.
She was interviewed at the Black and White semi-formal this past fall that Collins and Vacovec organized. The dance and the GSA event were great successes. She believes the Great Hall setting is often more appropriate than the high school gym. Her plans include a talent show to the center that is no longer held at the high school.
She also credits the Student Committee and looks forward to working with the members during her term that will last until the end of junior year. "Because they are all different people, ideas were spinning through the room the last time we met," she said. Meetings are usually held monthly.
Marple said, "All the applicants were so good, we didn’t want to let anyone go! Katerina and Zach are fabulous. They will take what our two original student directors have done and run with it. They are just delightful and their enthusiasm is contagious."
With the help of the committee, the Student Directors hope to bring back an old-fashioned pajama dance; an end-of-year fifth-grade team-building activity for new middle school students; a career day conference for seniors; and even a family bingo day. They kicked off 2008 with a dance for middle-schoolers at the center this past weekend.
Life Stages Festival of Readings at the Sherborn Community Center
Life Stages ~ A Community Conversation Through the Dramatic Arts, will be held April 5, 2008, 7:00 p.m. at the
Sherborn Community Center featuring plays by Kelly DuMar & Chris King.The festival, sponsored by the Sherborn Council on Aging, will feature readings of Sherborn Playwrights Kelly DuMar and Chris King's plays performed by local seniors and and actors of all ages followed by a "community conversation" with the playwrights, actors and audience.
The Sherborn Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass. Cultural Council, has awarded a grant to support this play festival. The Festival is free and open to the public, and the space is wheelchair accessible.A Cappella for the Community Center
Please join "The Rest" and "The Works" for an evening of a cappella song to benefit the Sherborn Community Center on Friday, Jan. 11, at the center, 2 Sanger St., from 7-8:30 p.m.
Dover-Sherborn High School’s a cappella group, The Rest, was founded six years ago. With continual funding from Friends of the Performing Arts and from the high school, the group has grown not only in a small sort of notoriety, but also in talent. The group consists of 15 students from the Dover-Sherborn High School from grades 9-12. Each year the group starts from square one with and learns a new repertoire of 20-30 songs.
Hailing from parts all over Massachusetts, from Cape Cod to Cape Ann, The Works consists of two women, four men and great tunes. The Works performs an eclectic mix of contemporary close harmony fromthe B-52s to Gershwin; from Ricki Lee Jones to James Brown.
Tickets are $5 at the door, free for children under 7.
For information, call Jake Gatof, musical director of The Rest, at 508-308-8680, or Fred Jordan of The Works at 508-650-0561. You may also visit The Works online at www.theworkssing.net.
Sign wraps up Community Center makeover
Sat Dec 22, 2007, 03:07 PM EST
Sherborn - The Sherborn Community Center has installed a new sign to complete the final refurbishment projects that started two years ago.
The new sign has been in the works for many months after going through a very detailed review of design, color and wording with the Board of Directors. The specifications were also reviewed by the Sherborn Historical Commission in order to comply with the standards established with historic buildings.
"It feels good to see this final refurbishment phase get completed," said Bob Whitman, co-chairman of the Preservation Committee at the Sherborn Community Center. "After 22 years, the old sign started to show its age."
Over the past couple of years, the Community Center has invested more than $60,000 in refurbishing the historic building, which was built in 1858 and completely renovated in the mid 1980s. The main focus has been on exterior painting and Great Hall improvements, including lighting, floor refurbishments, interior painting and new elegant curtains.
The Sherborn Community Center is a nonprofit, self-supporting, volunteer organization that receives no tax dollar support. All funds go back into managing and maintaining this historic building and are generated through membership donations, leases and building rentals.
For more information, please visit our new Web site at www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com.
Pine Hill honors DeFusco at the Sherborn Community Center
Wed Dec 12, 2007, 08:19 AM EST
Sherborn - The community of Pine Hill School invites the public to attend a retirement reception for Carol DeFusco, the school’s librarian, who is setting down this month after 20 years of service.
The reception will be held Friday, Dec. 14, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the Sherborn Community Center.
Stop by the Lions Eyemobile – Health Day at the Community Center
The next Lions Health Day in Sherborn is scheduled for
Thursday December 6th from 1:00 to 7:00pm at the Sherborn Community Center,
located at 3 Sanger Street in Sherborn. The Sherborn Lions Club is sponsoring a
Red Cross Blood Drive and the Lions Eyemobile. Residents are asked to consider
donating much-needed blood.
The Lions Eyemobile will also be located just outside the Sherborn Community
Center. It is equipped with modern testing instruments and staffed with trained
volunteers. You can have your eyes screened for visual acuity and eye pressure
and have your hearing and blood pressure tested. This health screening is
provided free of charge.
Two more student directors for the Community Center
Tue Dec 04, 2007, 06:53 PM EST
Sherborn - The Sherborn Community Center Foundation has announced the formation and election of two additional student director positions on its Board of Directors, along with a new Student Committee.
Zach Sokol of Sherborn and Katerina Akrivlellis of Dover were unanimously approved as the new student directors at a recent Board of Directors meeting.
"We are extremely pleased with all of the applicants during this process" said Carole Marple, co-chairman of the Student Director Committee. "It was a very difficult decision, for all of the applications were of the highest caliber."
The application process was administered through the Dover-Sherborn High School Guidance Department. It was facilitated by daily morning announcements and a formal application process.
"The Sherborn Community Center offers a real-world learning experience that will assist in making our students well-rounded and strong leaders within our community" said Joann Kenney, director of the Guidance Department at the high school. "The present student directors, Lexy Collins and Kate Vacovec, have done such a wonderful job and have passed their positive experience to their classmates."
Due to the overwhelming response of the applications received, the Board of Directors unanimously voted the formation of a new Student Committee. This Student Committee will be lead by Erin McCall, Danielle Aston and Grace Goodearl. The charter of this committee will be to foster good relationships with the general student body and provide an environment that will encourage Community Center involvement and leadership.
For more information, please visit the new Web site at www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com.
Community center gets spruced up
Wed Nov 28, 2007, 09:34 AM EST
SHERBORN - The Sherborn Community Center is under renovation. Walls have been painted, floors have been repaired, drapes have been purchased and a new sign will soon replace the old one. For most event-oriented centers, work of this nature would warrant a ribbon-cutting ceremony or an opening reception, but for the folks of Sherborn, this effort seems to be all in a day’s work.
Jim Byrnes has been the President of Sherborn Community Center Foundation Inc. for the past two years. Calling it a "historic jewel," Byrnes said this structure has stood the test of time.
"Twenty-two years ago, a group of dedicated citizens founded the Sherborn Community Center Foundation for the sole purpose of saving this building. This building was about to be demolished because the town could not take care of it anymore. The building was built in 1858 and has seen many different facets within its span of life. It has always been a gathering place: a school, a place for fashion shows and theatrical shows, the Police Station and the Sherborn Post Office at one point. In 1985, we literally saved the building from the demolition ball and entered into a lease with the town. The lease goes until March 2022. The lease payment is $1 per year. The wording in the lease says that the town does not have the resources or the desire to operate, maintain and manage the use of the 1858 Town House. The town determined that it was in the best interest of the town to have a third party manage the building; hence the formation of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation."
When they first decided to save the building, about $1 million was raised to bring the building up to code. Since then, through fundraisers, membership drives and event rentals, monies have been raised to keep the building going.
According to Preservation Committee member Ken Adams, "We are in maintenance mode and it is expensive. We are in the rental business. Every dollar that we make, that we bring in, goes into managing and maintaining the building."
Adams said that he got involved in the Community Center about 10 years ago because he wanted to get more involved with the community. He has lived in Sherborn for almost 30 years. He said that he had no idea how hard it would be to raise funds and try to encourage people to get involved.
"People are only too happy to give money when they see it going for their children or their child’s school, but it took more effort to get people to understand the concept of giving funds for a building." He added that he spends a lot of time trying to educate people about the Town House’s history and its relevance to today’s community. Adams and his family recently had a christening party for one of their grandchildren at the center.
Many events take place at the center during the course of a year. According to Byrnes, the fall and spring are the busiest times of the year. Highlighting some of the annual events, Byrnes lists Friday night at the movies for elementary school kids; dances; shows by town student directors; community events such as town caucus and cornerstone forum; different fairs and festivals; weddings; bar and bat mitzvahs; adult socials; religious classes; birthday parties; Red Cross blood drives; Girl and Boy Scouts; horticultural club meetings; Policemen’s and Firemen’s balls; ski team meetings; yoga classes; a camp in the summertime; swim team awards ceremonies; and a Daughters of the American Revolution event, just to name a few.
Byrnes added that one of his favorite gatherings was when they erected a Moon Walk in the Great Hall of the building and 472 kids came in during the course of one day, just to bounce and have fun.
At the Fiber/Arts Festival earlier this month, organizer Deborah Smith commented on the building’s architecture and ambience: "There is a lot of history here. Having our event in this building really adds a lot of flavor to our show."
Today, the Sherborn Community Center has 25 director positions and standard officer positions. "It is run like a business. There are monthly board meetings whereby we look at monthly financial reviews and discounted cash flow presentations. We run it with the committee approach. The Preservation Committee has been charged over the past few years with getting the building back in order," said Byrnes. The most recent renovation project has taken two years to complete and cost some $60,000."
Bynes called the center "a true nonprofit organization."
"We did not receive any tax dollar support from the town. We raise money on an annualized basis by membership donations, renting out space for functions, rental revenue from a cell phone tower and we rent out an office space. We have created a diversity of revenue streams. All the money we make goes right back into the running and renovating of the center."
Although there will be a round of applause when the new sign on the building goes up in a couple of weeks, the foundation is not happy to rest on its laurels. Saying the Shaker roof is starting to "moan and groan," Byrnes said some recent roof leaking may be an indication of the next big project the center will be working on.
For information about joining or renting the center, go to www.sherborncommunitycenter.com.
Editorial: Thumbs up
Thu Nov 29, 2007, 09:57 AM EST
SHERBORN
Community center volunteers. Kudos to the dedicated citizens who make up the Sherborn Community Center Foundation and the Sherborn Community Center Preservation Committee. Twenty-two years ago, the group saved the building from probably demolition and has kept it going since. Recently, the building has undergone a number of renovations. Its walls have been painted, the floors repaired and new drapes purchased. Soon, the center will even have a new sign. And all of this has been done without the help of any government money, through pure volunteer effort and independent fundraising. The volunteer group helps host events at the center and runs its own events, from movie nights to school dances for the Dover-Sherborn middle and high school students. The management of the center takes a great deal of energy, but for the tremendous asset it’s proven to be for the community, it’s worth it. Thank you to all those who put in the hard work to make this happen.
New Web site for the Community Center
Tue Nov 27, 2007, 07:22 PM EST
SHERBORN - The Sherborn Community Center has announced that its new Web site has been launched.
"Our new Web site communicates what we are all about at the center," said Jim Byrnes, president of the foundation. "In one weekend, we can go from a movie night, to a formal wedding reception, to a Sunday morning religious class."
The new Web site merges the community-driven events and the more formal venue of the 1858 Town House. It provides easy access to both areas of the center’s activities.
"It has been fun working with the subcommittee on the project," said Andrew Watson, the Web site master and a senior at the Dover-Sherborn High School. "By working on the site, it has given me a real insight as to what the Community Center is all about.
The first site was launched in December 2004 and has been very successful. Within the three years on the initial launch, the site has seen more than 500,000 hits. The online calendar of activities, the rental forms and the photo gallery has seen most of the activity.
"We enjoy the enthusiasm that our students are bringing to the center for its keeping us current with the times," Byrnes said.
The Sherborn Community Center does not receive any funding from the town. It is an independent, self-supporting, volunteer-run organization that maintains and manages one of Sherborn’s oldest, historic buildings.
Please visit our new Web site at www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com.
Sherborn Newcomers and Neighbors Club Newsletter
FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
The Sherborn Community Center is once again hosting Friday Night at
the Movies, showcasing films that are age appropriate for elementary
school students. Movies are scheduled for November 16th, January
4th, February 8th, and March 14th. Festivities start at 6pm, with
pick-up promptly at 8:15pm.
Student Director Community Center Events Planned
The Student Directors of the Sherborn Community Center have announced the upcoming events: Middle School Dance — Jan. 18; and the Battle of the Bands — March 15. Additional events are also being contemplated.
"It is exciting once again to be involved in organizing these middle- and high school-oriented events for the community," said Lexy Collins, a returning student director of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation. "We have gained from the experience of last year and are planning to have some different events, such as the Battle of the Bands this year."
Battle of the Bands promises to rock the Community Center with a variety of local youth bands competing to be number one. Returning to the Sherborn Community Center calendar is the successful Black and White Dance, where Dover-Sherborn high schoolers dance the night away to their favorite tunes while dressed in semi-formal attire.
Due to the success of the Student Director program last year, and the students’ contribution at full board meetings at the Community Center, it was voted unanimously that two additional student director positions will be added to the Board of Directors. Interested students should inquire at the Guidance Department at the high school.
"It gives us great pleasure to provide guidance to the Student Directors and watch them grow in their leadership and service to the community," said Jim Byrnes, president of the Board of the community center. "These students have injected an exciting new perspective and added value at board meetings and to the Community Center events with their fresh insight and positive energy."
The Sherborn Community Center Foundation is a nonprofit organization, which is self-funding through contributions and events. The foundation manages the Community Center, which is an important historic building in Sherborn that is approaching its 150th birthday in 2008. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com.
Friday Night at the Movies
The Sherborn Community Center has announced the schedule for Friday Night at the Movies.
The schedule is as follows: Jan. 4, Feb. 8 and March 14. All of the fun starts at 6 p.m., and pickup is promptly at 8:15 p.m.
"We are excited to continue this successful program for the children," said Mary Beth Arigo, a director at the Sherborn Community Center. For the past three years, there have been 14 movies which have been well attended.
"The children actually participate in setting up, preparing the popcorn boxes and cleanup at the end of the night," said Arigo. Movies are age-appropriate for the elementary school students.
The Sherborn Community Center is a nonprofit, self-supporting organization managed by 23 dedicated citizens. The center does not receive any funds from the town for maintaining the historic building built in 1858.
Showcasing fiber, other arts at the Community Center
By Denise Taylor | November 9, 2006
The morning routine at Iron Horse Farm starts with 32 llamas, 56 sheep, 50 chickens, 20 angora goats, eight angora rabbits, seven cats, and five dogs. That's how many mouths Deborah and Skip Smith have to feed before they head off to their "real" jobs -- or turn to other tasks, like the Fiber/Art Festival Deborah will host in Sherborn this weekend.
"We didn't really plan on this," said Smith, 51, explaining that she and her husband purchased their 3-acre -- and at the time animal-free -- farm in Sherborn in 1989 as a home at which Skip could base his landscaping business.
But Deborah Smith, a neonatal nurse, had been an avid knitter since she was a child. So, when Skip brought home two Angora rabbits for her in 1993, she figured she could find the time to raise the little critters for wool.
"So, we started with two rabbits and somehow it just multiplied from there," she said. "Now we have the sheep and goats and llamas and, oh yeah, the chickens -- can't forget the chickens."
But it doesn't stop there. As their livestock count and wool supply grew, Smith evolved into a promoter of all things related to fiber arts. She held knitting, spinning, and felting classes. She organized a co-op of 24 local fiber artisans. In 2002, the Smiths converted their barn into a shop selling the co-op's wares, wool from the farm, and fresh eggs. Smith runs it during the day while keeping her hospital shifts at night.
By 2003, she'd caught the attention of Sherborn's special events committee, who invited her to organize a festival showcasing the co-op's artists. She did, and now after a three-year hiatus, she's back with a new event -- the first Fiber/Art Festival in Sherborn, which will feature work by 31 artists, including jewelry, pottery, handmade tiles, mosaics, knitwear and knitting kits, hand-woven textiles, quilts, and candles.
"This time we're featuring not only local artists but also artists from throughout New England," she said. "This is a juried show, and we only selected the best."
Like the original event, the festival will take place at Sherborn's restored Sherborn Community Center built in 1858. "The Old World feel in the building fits what we're offering because everything will be handmade," Smith said.
Smith, who raised three children as her farm grew, has two secrets to her nonstop pace. "I don't get much sleep," she said. "But it's also just so gratifying. Both the animals and getting to knit and spin and teach other people how do to do what I love doing just keeps me going."
Being open to opportunities also helped. Back when all they had was rabbits, a friend offered the Smiths a few rare Shetland sheep.
Sherborn Lions Club has Web site
Sherborn Lions Club recently put its own Web page on the www.SherbornCommunityCenter.com Web site. This is the first Sherborn civic group to do so under the Community Center’s new program to help Sherborn groups prosper and grow.
Part of the Sherborn Community Center’s mission is to give Sherborn a greater sense of community and to become a true center for the community that is more than just a building. This led to the new ability to provide Web pages to the nearly 40 civic and community groups in Sherborn that are "affiliate group" members of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation. It gives them a way to get their message across to more town residents and provide residents with a more complete picture of what these groups do.
Jim Byrnes, vice president of the foundation, said, "The Sherborn Community Center invites all Sherborn civic and community groups to set up their own Web pages on the Community Center Web site. Just call us at 508-655-2701 or e-mail us at mailto:info@SherbornCommunityCenter.com. Let’s make this a real community Web site."