Community Notes

Friends of Townsend Seniors announce upcoming news

Friends of the Townsend Seniors are again accepting reservations for a bus trip to the Mohegan Sun, in Uncasville, Conn. on Thursday, April 12. Cost is $25 per person. Meet at the Townsend Seniors parking lot at 8 a.m. as bus will leave promptly at 8:30 a.m. The bus should return around 5 p.m. For information, call Connie at (978) 597-5420 or Avis at (978) 597-6829.

Once again, the Friends of the Townsend Seniors will be hosting their International Dinner from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 27, at the Townsend V.F.W. Cash Bar. Tickets are $7 for adults; $6 for seniors; $5 for children 10 and under. They are looking for all those wonderful bakers to donate a main course and/or dessert dish as they have so generously in the past. For tickets, contact Bob Tumber at (978) 597-8843. For a food/dessert donation, contact Connie at (978) 597-5420 or Avis at (978) 597-6829.

The Friends of the Townsend Seniors have two four-some golf certificates for some lucky golfers at the Townsend Ridge Country Club. A $10 donation per ticket might just win one of them. Only 100 tickets will be sold. Drawing to be held at later date. For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Bob Tumber at (978) 597-8843.

Antonioni to hold office hours

Senator Robert A. Antonioni will hold office hours in Townsend on Friday, April 20, at 9-10 a.m. at the Town Hall on the main floor.

Antonioni encourages any resident or interested party to attend and discuss any community, regional, or statewide issue that may concern them. Any questions regarding the Senator's office hours should be directed to his legislative aide, Tillie Ryan, at (617) 722-1230.

If any resident cannot attend these office hours and would like to speak with the senator of his staff regarding any issue, please contact his Boston office at (617) 722-1230 or his Leominster district office at (978) 534-6946 to set up a personal appointment at any time.

Earth Day celebration in production

The Townsend Recycling Committee and Townsend Recreation will hold Earth Day meetings on Tuesdays, April 3 and April 17, at 7 p.m. in Room 2 of Memorial Hall (Town Hall). Please join in their preparation of Backyard Habitat, to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 28, on the Townsend Common. Environmental companies, local businesses, crafters and nonprofit groups are invited. Cost for a booth space is $20 for profit groups; free for non-profit groups. Send self-addressed stamped envelope with payment to Town of Townsend, c/o Karen Clement, 101 Main St., Townsend, MA 01469.

Many groups have responded and it looks like there will have great information on environmental issues. A plant swap for indoor and outdoor plants is planned. Bring one or a few and take one or a few! Smokey the Bear will be visiting and the Animal Adventures program from Bolton will do a presentation with 8 to 10 animals, courtesy of Townsend Recreation. Music on the gazebo, a karate demonstration, a healthy lawn talk and lots of good food and games will round out the day! Have recyclable goods to sell as yard sale items? Why not rent a booth? Rain date is Sunday, April 29, from noon to 4 p.m.

Local library to offer SAT preparation course

The Townsend Public Library will offer a free five-week SAT (Verbal) prep course to any high school, charter school, or home schooled student in the 11th grade, in order to provide valuable test-taking strategies. Each session will run for 1.5 hours and will focus on a different section of the test: Short and long reading passages, vocabulary and sentence completion, grammar and usage, and essay writing. Practice tests will be administered and immediate feedback will be given. All materials will be provided by the instructor. Students are encouraged to make a commitment to attend all five sessions and to complete any home assignments that are given.

Mrs. Janet Loomis is a retired teacher with more than 30 years of classroom experience and 20 years of experience in private tutoring, writing workshops, and SAT prep courses. Classes will run from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 31, through Saturday, April 28, in Room 2 of Memorial Hall.

Sign up at the library for this free class. Space is limited. For more information, call the Townsend Public Library at (978) 597-1714.