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Press Clippings
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.
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 - 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.
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 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
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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 lineup
1. 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 ~ 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
At the
Sherborn Community Center, 3 Sanger Street
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
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.
