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Upcoming
Events
Stay
tuned for upcoming events!
Ongoing Events
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Free
Stargazing at Wheaton College, Brown
University and Bristol Community
College!
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Hikes aren't the only way to look at stars. If the outdoors (and
sometimes muddy ground) are better left towards those "hippie" types,
you can always drive up to an observatory for some prime time starry
nights.
There are two local observatories that are open to the public for viewing.
Wheaton
College in Norton has free Open Nights on Friday. Viewing starts at 7 p.m.
The Observatory is open during the Fall and Spring semesters when
classes are in session. Starting times will vary depending on the
season and when there are special viewing opportunities. This school's observatory
website
will be updated to show weather cancellations if we are predicting
cloudy skies.
"If the
sky is clear, they can come over and come up to the roof," said Wheaton
instructor Tony Houser, who hosts Open Nights at the school
observatory. "It's a nice mix of people. Kids can be as young as 1 or 2
and look through the telescopes. All ages come. Sometimes we get older
folks who are pretty interested in astronomy."
Wheaton's
observatory uses 12- and 14-inch telescopes, and student helpers go
around and tell people what they are looking at. There are no Open
Nights when school is not in session.
Wheaton also keeps the
observatory page on its Web site updated with sky information and
viewing highlights - full moon, quarter moon, etc. Go to wheatoncollege.edu/Acad/Astronomy/OpenNights.html.
Bridgewater State College has public viewing. The BSC observatory is used primarily for public and private
viewing sessions. At these sessions, astronomy experts and enthusiasts are
available to show you the wonders of the night skies, help you learn about our
equipment, and answer as many questions as they can. These sessions are free and
made possible by the support of BSC's offices of Academic Affairs, External
Affairs, Students Affairs, and the Physics and Earth Science departments. To
check to make sure the observatory is open, call the hotline an hour
before the start at 508-531-DARK for current weather conditions.
(www.bridgew.edu/observatory/).
The BSC Observatory is located at 400 Summer St., Bridgewater, MA 02325
Another
option for seeing the stars is the Ladd Observatory at Brown
University, which is free and open to the public Tuesday evenings,
weather permitting, from 8 to 10 p.m. For more information go online to
www.brown.edu/Departments/Physics/Ladd/
or call 401-863-2323. Ladd Observatory is open to the public, free of charge, Tuesday evenings, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, weather permitting.
Past
Events
Attleboro
Area Council for Children honors 2010 Champions
for Children
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Attleboro
Area Council for Children president,
Kelly Fox
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REHOBOTH - Recently, the Attleboro
Area Council for Children honored nine local
organizations and individuals for their
work for children and families. They
also recognized Dave Kane and Bill
and Diane Jones for more than 20 years
of volunteering with the Christmas
is for Kids program. The Council’s
president, Kelly Fox, read the inscription
on the clocks that they were given: “From
the thousands of children you’ve helped:
thank you!” The event was held
at Hillside Country Club in Rehoboth and
was attended by approximately 65 people.
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Bill
Jones (left) and Kelly Fox
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The purpose of the Champion for Children
award is to recognize and thank the people
and organizations who have partnered with
the Attleboro Area Council for Children
to further the mission of providing programs
and educational support to enrich the lives
of children in need.
Over the last few years, according to
Fox in her opening remarks, “the Council
has been fortunate to develop partnerships
with a variety of companies, organizations
and individuals and this collaboration has
magnified the help that our local families
have been able to receive. The
interesting thread that I want to point
out among all of our honorees is Principled
Leadership. The hallmarks of Principled
Leadership include empathy, shared values,
a clear vision, and a knack for questioning
the status quo. There is no question
that all of our honorees tonight embody
all of these qualities.”
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Dr.
John Sbrega - President and
Dean Kathy Torpey Garganta of
Bristol
Community College with Kelly
Fox
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The first honoree of the evening was
Bristol Community College, who has
opened its doors to the required parent
classes for the last two years. Dean Kathy
Torpey Garganta was recognized by Fox as
“our local ambassador to higher education
for many local families. She has spoken
at parent classes,
encouraging parents to read to their younger
children and to bring their teens in for
a tour of the campus in a way that takes
some of the intimidation out of high ed.”
Fox went on to say that “we want to
recognize the college as an entity that,
under the leadership of Dr. John Sbrega,
BCC’s president, has had such a positive
impact on the children in our community,
many of whom are going on to college who
may not have made the choice to stay in
school if BCC wasn’t in our community in
the positive way that it is.” Dr Sbrega
spoke briefly, thanking the Council for
the recognition and acknowledging the Dean’s
close ties to the community.
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Attleboro
Mayor, Kevin Dumas
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With just weeks before the phones needed
to be turned on for Christmas is for Kids
and without a home, Mayor Dumas offered
two ideas for space, one of which was ultimately
the volunteers’ home away from home for
the month of December. But the decision
to honor the Mayor, explained Fox, “is about
so much more than his help to get space
for us, although we can’t thank him enough
for that. Mayor Dumas has been a vocal
proponent and advocate of helping the children
and families in the city who need an advocate.
Mayor Dumas started the Attleboro Youth
Commission, lead the National Trails Day
Walk with local children and worked with
the Boy Scouts to clean up the Blackinton
Pond.” His efforts to raise funds
for fuel assistance were also noted. Before
bring Mayor Dumas to the podium, Fox finished
by saying, “I am sure that there is a long
list of additional programs that he’s helped
with where he wasn’t in the spotlight and
for me, that is true leadership: doing
the right thing when no one’s looking!”
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Pia
Durkin, Superintendent of Attleboro
Public School Departmentt
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The Mayor and the Attleboro School
Department worked together to offer
the use of the old Brennen Middle School
for the month of December for Christmas
is for Kids, which gave new toys and clothes
to 884 local children. Special thanks
went to the maintenance department for their
help because, as Fox described, “you cannot
imagine the level of trash and mess that
can be created when over 100 volunteers
haul truckloads of toys and clothes into
the space to turn it into Santa’s workshop!”
Tim Richmond, the director of The
Network, Attleboro’s alternative high school
which is housed in the same building, was
recognized for his work “in creating an
environment that encourages the students
to have compassion for the children we serve”
observed Fox. “We applaud Dr. Pia
Durkin’s leadership in insisting that ALL
children have an opportunity to learn in
an environment that works best for them,
a challenge given the diverse nature of
the city, but necessary for exactly that
reason. From the honors program at
the high school to the most challenged students,
it seems to us that Dr. Durkin’s Journey
Toward Excellence allows every student to
find their own definition of excellence.”
This wasn’t the first collaboration the
Council for Children has had with Attleboro
Schools. Last spring, the council
was a sponsor of the all-city music festival.
Upon accepting the award, Dr. Durkin
offered the space again for the gift drive
and said that she looked forward to additional
partnerships.
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Blackstone
Valley Chapter of the Harley
Owners Group
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For hundreds of local Christmas is for
Kids supporters, Santa’s sleigh bells sound
more like the roar of a Harley. For
nearly 20 years, the Blackstone Valley
Harley Owner’s Group has kicked off
the Christmas is for Kids toy drive with
a “run” through several towns, finishing
at the North Attleboro Elks Lodge. “The
HOG run is one of the most fun things we
do. The younger elves take the job
of counting the bikes as they drive in and
the more seasoned elves have fun gathering
the toys in bags as each member of the Harley
Owners Group walks in for lunch. They
have never let us down, regardless of weather,
and we are incredibly thankful for their
unwavering support,” Fox told the group,
“To say that this recognition is overdue
is an understatement. Their members
have helped us solidify relationships with
other supporters, compounding their help
exponentially. We are very glad
that Ron Hawkins, the club’s secretary,
and his wife Charlene, are with us here
tonight.” Upon accepting the award,
Hawkins told the group, “As long as there
is a Christmas is for Kids, there will be
a run to support it!”
Best friends Claudia Courville
and Irene Briggs, along with Irene’s
husband Marty, spend some of their free
time all year shopping for infant clothes
even though they don’t have any children
that size in their homes. They buy
for children they will never meet. Claudia
buys girls’ clothes and Irene and Marty
buy the boys’ clothes, keeping an inventory
of what they have and then, the first week
of drop-off for Christmas is for Kids, they
come to the drop-off center and invariably
between the friends, they will take care
of almost every infant in the program. They’ve
lost track of the number of years that they
have helped. “Their generosity is
matched only by their compassion,” observed
Fox as she went on to tell a story of one
young family that was helped in 2009. There
was a rare situation where parents of 30+
children needed to go on a waiting list,
including one young family who had a little
boy in an infant carrier. “If you
remember the week before Christmas,” said
Fox, “it was bitter cold. We allowed
the parents to take whatever they needed
from what was left. This young couple
went right over to the infant clothes and
picked up … a snowsuit. We watched
as the mother unwrapped the baby from the
blanket and we saw that he had only a light
pair of pajamas on. She dressed him
in warmer clothes and put the snowsuit right
on him. We immediately bagged up every
piece of warm clothing in that child’s size
and gave it to them. This gift
came from you and we know that this scene
was played out in so many homes on Christmas
morning thanks to your love of these babies.”
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Erin
Morrissey
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The Christmas is for Kids spirit sometimes
gets us to do things that under other circumstances
we wouldn’t have an opportunity to do,”
Fox told the group. For example, people
who would rather do almost anything but
shop, they compelled to shop. Janet
Morrissey described her daughter
Erin as someone who “hates to shop.”
“But you would never know it,” according
to Fox, “ if you saw Erin carefully read
the details of a child’s wish-list and note
down every detail for the long list of children
she buys for every year with her mother.
I always seem to have a few
“problem” children. … Children whose stories
have jumped out at me because of extraordinary
issues. Children that I want to have
a little extra TLC. When Erin comes
in, I know they’ll be in good hands. It’s
people like the Morrisseys who put that
level of concern and care into making sure
that each child is delighted on Christmas
morning."
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Norton
Fire Chief Richard Gomes (left)
and his secretary, Judy McCarron
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Up until 2009, Norton Fire Chief Richard
Gomes’ secretary, Judy McCarron,
coordinated the Christmas is for Kids program
for the Norton families. Hundreds
of Norton children have benefited from her
spirit and the generosity of the fire chief
in giving her the flexibility to work for
the town in a different way. In early
2009, Judy announced that she was ready
to step down and begin enjoying the holidays
with her family. “We appreciate the
confidence she and Chief Gomes had in our
ability to bring the Norton children under
our wing,” Fox said, “Judy’s contacts
in the Norton community helped enormously
during the 2009 gift drive. We heard
over and over about how wonderful she is,
which of course we already knew. But
she obviously did an amazing job of building
bridges in the community in order to coordinate
the program so well. We also want
to recognize the chief for his continued
support of our programs. He was instrumental
in getting support from the town during
the transition, which made things go very
smoothly not only for us, but especially
for the parents and the donors. Chief
Gomes will be still be working with us as
we go forward. He has volunteered
to teach one of our Christmas
is for Kids parent classes this year
at BCC and we are very grateful for his
support of all of our programs.”
Blackstone Valley HOG and Santa Saddle up for Kids
* Local Motorcyclists to Host Annual Ride to Support Christmas is for
Kids *
On Sunday November 1st, the Blackstone Valley Harley Owners
Group (HOG.) hosted their annual Christmas is for KidsTM Ride as the kick-off
to the annual gift drive to support Christmas is for KidsTM. As in years past,
Blackstone Valley HOG is continuing to enrich the lives of local children and
families in need through their support of the Attleboro Area Council for
Children's program.
The
police-led ride departed
Preceision Harley Davidison at 11:30 AM and, once again, was lead by Santa.
The ride finished at the North Attleboro Elks Lodge on Bulfinch Street where a huge Italian
feast was served. Blackstone Valley HOG welcomes all makes of bikes to this rain or shine
event. Those attending in cars
prodeeded directly to the North Attleboro Elks Lodge.
Riders brought new
unwrapped toys or a $10 cash donation. Proceeds from
the ride went to the Attleboro Area Council for Children for their Christmas is
for KidsTM (CIFK) program. Christmas is for KidsTM is a volunteer run, gift-giving
program that assists children who would otherwise go without a gift on
Christmas Day. CIFK assists local families from Attleboro,
North Attleboro, Norton, Seekonk and Rehoboth
who are in need.
"In such tough
economic times," Council board member Meredith Brooks said, "We are
grateful to the Blackstone Valley H.O.G.'s for their continued support and
dedication to this cause."
About Blackstone
Valley HOG
Blackstone Valley HOG,
sponsored by Precision Harley-Davidson Buell of Pawtucket, RI,
is a local chapter of the over 1,000,000 member strong Harley Owners
Group. We draw our members from Southern
Massachusetts and Northern Rhode Island. For
more information on the Christmas is for Kids ride visit www.blackstonevalleyhog.com or
call Firman Locke at (508) 543-3457, flocke@naisp.net.
Council for Children
The
Greater Attleboro Area Council for Children is a volunteer organization
dedicated to providing year-round programs and educational support to enrich
the lives of children in need. The Council provides
programs and services to children and families residing in Attleboro,
North Attleboro, Mansfield,
Norton, Seekonk and Rehoboth. The Council’s initiatives include Christmas
is for Kids, Happy Birthday Backpacks, and Bears
on Board. For more information, visit http://www.councilforchildren.org/.
Get
Information on the Area’s Preschools in
One Place, on One Night
Learn
to maneuver the process of selecting a
preschool
NORTH ATTLEBORO - The MOMS
Club®
of North Attleboro
Sixth Annual Preschool
Information Night took place
on Thursday, October 15th,
2009.
Over 25 of the area’s preschools were
invited to participate in the open
house-style event, which took place
at the North Attleboro Middle School
cafeteria from 6:30-8:00
p.m.
The event was free and open to the public.
“Our goal is to help ease the preschool
selection process and inform area parents
to the options available to
them.
Several preschools have October and
November deadlines for the 2010 school
year.
Many parents don’t realize they need to
start planning now for next
September.
Parents will be able to gather information
in one place, in one night,” said Pamela
Schuster, president of the MOMS Club of
North
Attleboro.
Parents
had the opportunity to talk
with representatives from the preschools
and hear first-hand experiences from
parents who’ve already traveled this
road.
Booths with displays from each preschool
gave parents an idea of the choices
in area preschools and an overview of
teaching methods of each
school.
In addition, all parents who attended the
open house were entered in a raffle for
prizes including Fidelity Clubhouse
tickets for an upcoming New England
Revolution match,
free sessions in area preschool enrichment
classes, and gift certificates from local
businesses.
Contact:
Pam Schuster or Tina Neighbors,
vice presidents of the MOMS Club of North
Attleboro and event chairwomen at
northattleboroughmoms@yahoo.com.
For information about the
MOMS Club of North Attleboro, please visit
their website at
www.northattleboroughmoms.org.
 Offers Discounts In Exchange for Used Items
In
an effort to keep potentially unsafe children's items from being
resold, Toys "R" Us Inc. launched a program that allows consumers
to trade in used cribs, car seats and other baby products for discounts
on new items in those categories.
The program, known as the "Great Trade-In" event ran from Aug.
28 to Sept. 20, 2009. Toys "R" Us encourages day-care centers or other
organizations who want to exchange items in bulk to contact their local
store beforehand to ensure availability of new merchandise.
For each used item consumers bring in to Babies "R" Us or Toys "R"
Us locations nationwide, they will receive a 20% discount on any new
product from select manufacturers. Additional products that can be
brought in are bassinets, strollers, travel systems, play yards and
high chairs. "We felt these were categories that were somewhat suspect,
either because of the nature of the category or because there have been
a large number of recalls in the category," said Jerry Storch,
chairman and chief executive of the Wayne, N.J. company. "We feel it's
critical to get these older products out of the chain of commerce."
Indeed, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and safety advocacy
groups are urging people to be more careful about buying and selling
used products that could be dangerous. In 2008, 563 product recalls
were issued, up from 472 the year before and 402 in 2005, according to
the CPSC. Items that have been recalled range from cribs to play yards
to children's metal jewelry.
Parents should also be aware of safety concerns involving certain
products, even if they have not been recalled. For instance, with
cribs, regulations for safety testing have changed in recent years and
older products may not meet the new requirements. And car seats have
expiration dates because materials can deteriorate over time,
potentially making the product less effective in a crash.
For
more information, visit the Toys R Us website here,,,

Seekonk Economic Hope Day offers advice for troubled times
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Economic assistance offered Seekonk’s
Economic Hope Day offered resources for people needing assistance. It
was held Saturday at the Johnson and Wales Inn. (Photo by Joseph S.
Siegel)
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SEEKONK - Job seekers and those who are struggling to make ends
meet in difficult financial times were provided with assistance from
several local organizations at the Johnson and Wales Inn on Saturday, June 6th,
2009.
The
first Seekonk Economic Hope Day event, open free to town residents, was
sponsored by the Charitable Coalition, which includes Human Services,
Friends of Friends, St. Vincent DePaul and the Seekonk Kiwanis Club.
Among
those in attendance were representatives from the Seekonk Public
Library, which offers computer classes and job-hunting resources; the
American Credit Counseling Service, based in Plainville; recruiters
from the Army, and Accountemps.
Workshops were also held to assist with resume and interview techniques.
State
Rep. Steve D'Amico, D-Seekonk, who was at the event, noted that the
towns in the southeastern part of the state, such as Seekonk, Rehoboth,
and Swansea, had higher unemployment rates than the state average, due
to their proximity to Rhode Island.
D'Amico said that although the national
unemployment rate might be improving, Massachusetts would likely be
lagging behind other states due to a shortage in state revenues.
What
Massachusetts has is a "social safety net" for people who are out of
work and need assistance with health insurance, housing, and other
needs, D'Amico noted.
Lori Searles, one of the event's
coordinators, hoped that it offered help to those in need. She also
hoped there wouldn't be a reason to hold another next year. "We hope
the economy recovers," she said.
Seminars and information were held on these topics:
Managing personal finances.
Resumes and interviews and training for job searches.
Finding out what agencies are available for temporary help.
A listing of volunteer opportunities to gain experience.
Joseph S. Siegel covers Seekonk. He can be reached at joesiegel@cox.net.
 BY JOSEPH S. SIEGEL FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE Sunday, June 7, 2009 2:12 AM EDT
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~ Car Seat Safety Program ~
~ Blood Pressure Check-Up ~ ~
Membership Drive ~
sponsored
by

Greater
Attleboro Women of Today held a Car Seat Safety Program/Blood
Pressure Check-Up/Membership Drive along with the Professional
Firefighters of Attleboro. This event was held on Saturday, May 23rd from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the South Attleboro Fire Department at 1476 West Street (Route 123). There
were 2 certified firefighters to do the Car Seat Safety Program and
2 paramedics available for the Blood Pressure Check-up.
Home
Energy Seminar - April 30, 2009
The Attleboro Public Library
sponsored a free "Home
Energy Seminar" on Thursday, April 30th, 7:00 p.m. in the Balfour Room of
the Library as the first event of our
"Back to Basics" movement.
The seminar style talk was provided by the Massachusetts Municipal
Association focusing on ways to reduce home energy costs, quick easy
do-it-yourself solutions for saving on energy, and financing opportunities for
homeowners considering alternative or replacement energy techniques. Participants were
offered a variety of
informational pamphlets to further their ability to consider cost saving
options for their home.
The Massachusetts Municipal Association, of which Attleboro is a member, states on its website: mma.org,
that "The Massachusetts Municipal Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
association that provides advocacy, training, publications, research and other
services to Massachusetts
cities and towns. The MMA is the only
statewide organization that brings municipal officials together to establish unified
policies, to advocate these policies, and to ensure the effective delivery of
services to community residents."
The "Home Energy Seminars" take this mission a step further,
by providing up-to-date information directly to the residents of Massachusetts.
The "Back to Basics" movement at the Library is
part of an overall planning effort being developed to better serve our
residents. The Library has always been
an information and resource center for the individuals we serve, but with the
changing times we are looking at ways to improve upon serving the current and
future needs of our community. From
programming to collection development to at home on-line resources, as well as
in house library services, our staff is developing the tools needed to meet
these needs. In today's economy we are
making every effort to put our dollars to the best and greater use for the
people of Attleboro. Helping people with the information to get
"back to basics", whether for the home, job, family, or personal
need- we at the APL are there for you!
Download
the Home Energy Savings flyer!
For further info, please contact: Joan Pilkington-Smyth,
Assistant Director, APL. jpilking@sailsinc.org; 508-222-0157.
Council for Children honors Champions
- March 23, 2009
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on thumbnail for full-sized image
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The Attleboro Area Council for Children
recently held its annual Champion for Children dinner and recognition
event at Leona's restaurant in Plainville. Those honored, included,
from left, Nancy Young, Sarah Scales, Kristen Mahoney, Brian Germain,
Lisa Jessick, Beth Fies, Donny Achin and Sarah Achin.
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Group recognizes many who have made positive difference for youngsters
ATTLEBORO - Throughout the year, the volunteers who make up the
Attleboro Area Council for Children strive to better the lives of area
youngsters who could use a helping hand.
Recently, those
volunteers took time out to focus on some area adults, and even
youngsters, who have helped the council to help those children.
It
all took place at the Council's annual Champions for Children dinner
and recognition event at Leona's restaurant in Plainville.
The Champion for Children Honorees as noted by Council for Children President Kelly Fox were as follows:
Sarah
and Donny Achin of Achin's Garage in North Attleboro, for organizing a
toy drive for Christmas Is For Kids at the Community School, which
brought in a truckload of toys and a cash donation.
Nancy Young, owner of Attleboro Jewelry
Makers, was honored for her help over the years as a supporter of the
Council and for donating space for the 2007 Christmas Is For Kids
drive. As noted by Fox, Young also was recognized "for her commitment
to helping children in Attleboro in ways that most people don't know
about, such as mentoring more than 30 teens over the years, often times
helping them get into college."
Brian
Germain, the owner of Germain Plumbing, was recognized for donating
space to the 2008 Christmas Is For Kids drive as well as for
contributing to the drive.
Lisa Jessick and Beth Fies, owners
for Dream Dinners in Plainville, were recognized for their help through
the year on several initiatives to help the council.
According
to Fox, Dream Dinners and its guests raised hundreds of dollars to
sponsor one particularly hard-hit family in 2008 by giving them a
pantry make-over and enough cash to buy a new refrigerator, and Jessick
and Fies also brought lunch to the elves during Christmas Is For Kids,
did a hat-and-mitten drive for the program, sponsored some of the
children on the drive and also have helped with the council's Happy
Birthday Backpack program.
The Greater Attleboro Leo Club, based
at Attleboro High School, was recognized for making 75 stockings each
year for the Christmas Is For Kids children, and for providing hope for
tomorrow, according to Fox, who said, "If you ever need reassurance
that we're leaving the world in good hands, you need to meet these
students. These teens are wonderful!"
Sheila McKenna of
Attleboro, although not able to attend, was recognized for having led a
book drive through her Bridgewater State College alumni association and
collected more than 400 books for the Council.
Borders Books in
North Attleboro and in Mansfield, and the Children's Place at Emerald
Square mall on Route 1 in North Attelboro.
Although these three
retailers also were not present, they were recognized for their support
of the Christmas Is For Kids drive. Borders Books in North Attleboro
and in Mansfield each collected more than 1,000 books for the drive,
and The Children's Place at Emerald Square mall, came to the rescue
during the last few days of the drive as volunteers scrambled to make
sure that all of the children had clothes.
"The employees at all
three stores were incredibly helpful and patient, really trying to be
sure that we had exactly the right item for each child," Fox said.
"We have found wonderful partners at each location and look forward to working with them going forward."
The Council for Children's board of directors includes Debra Mark, Anne
Bibeault, Sandra Newfield, Deborah Hegarty, Dave Kane, Alan Goldberg,
Laura Dolan, Meredith Brooks, Karen Reimels, Judy Romero, Liz Cochrane
and Nancy Monroe.
The council invites others to join as well, noting that it meets the third Monday evening of each month. To volunteer, visit councilforchildren.org
 BY JANETTE BOULAY FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE Saturday, March 23, 2009 2:18 AM EST
Fairy GodMother project celebrates 10th year
- March 20, 2009
TAUNTON - The Fairy GodMother Project will celebrates its 10th
year helping teenage girls get to the prom in style with the 10th
annual Princess Boutique on Friday March 20 from 3 to 7 p.m. and
Saturday March 21 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Holy Rosary Parish Center,
80 Bay Street, Taunton. (map/directions)
The nonprofit organization offers free
prom attire to teenage girls that are financially challenged. The Fairy
GodMother Project, formed in 2000,has assisted more than 4000 teenage
girls in Massachusetts with free prom gowns, shoes, gloves, purses,
jewelry and make-up.
Since forming the Taunton Princess
Boutique, the Fairy GodMother Project has launched a sister program on
the North Shore and also holds Princess Boutiques at the Assabet Valley
Regional High School to help teens in the Metro-West area.
Any
teenage girl attending a prom or formal high dchool dance may qualify.
If you would like to help, unopened make-up, gift certificates for Hair
& Nail Salons and monetary donations can be sent to: Fairy
GodMother Project P.O. Box 222 Raynham, MA 02768. Any interested
student may see their guidance counselor for more information or call
Denise at 508-824-7748 to make an appointment.
 Thursday, February 19, 2009 2:55 AM EST
The Cinderella Swap! - March 7,
2009 The dresses of their dreams
Deana Pinette, owner of The Cutting
Edge Salon & Spa on South Main Street in Attleboro and Jessica
Tyler of WCTK 98.1 radio station look through some of the over 300 prom
and party dresses that were donated over the last couple of weeks.
(Submitted)
Project 'recycles' prom gowns
ATTLEBORO -- It might not be the classic fairy princess story,
but many a young lady might feel that way come prom season, thanks to a
new effort called the Cinderella Swap.
The effort was started by
Deana Pinette, owner of the Cutting Edge Salon & Spa in Attleboro, who teamed up with Nations Heritage Federal Credit Union and
Cat Country 98.1 WCTK to help ensure that area high school girls in
need of a little extra help this year get the opportunity to attend
their proms - in style.
As part of the event, Jessica Tyler of
WCTK conducted a live broadcast at The Cutting Edge Friday to help
publicize the event, noting the donations that area businesses have
made toward the effort.
Pinette says she has been more than pleased with both the prom dresses and donations.
"It
has been so incredible the response we have had with such generous
people," Pinette said of the prom dresses. "Many of them still even
have price tags on them, and have never been worn. People have driven
from the Cape and from the other side of Rhode Island just to bring in
dresses.
"I think the girls will be very
surprised at what a wonderful selection they will have. We have even
had some jewelry, shoes, accessories, and hand bags donated."
With
a few hundred dresses donated so far, Pinette says she is now focusing
on setting up after-hours appointments for area girls to come in and
try on a dress.
In addition to the many prom dresses, some of
the donations that have been made to make the prom a special event for
area girls are:
A limousine for the evening for one lucky girl, donated by Nations Heritage Federal Credit Union.
Flowers, donated by Flowers by the Station.
Dry cleaning and alteration certificates, donated by KC Dry Cleaners and Tailoring.
Gift certificates for salon services, donated by The Cutting Edge and its vendors.
For
those who would like to support the event, organizers are asking for
gently used, clean, and in-style prom dresses, as well as donated
raffle items from area businesses.
Dresses can be dropped off at The Cutting Edge Salon & Spa, 778 South Main St., Attleboro from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. today.
To make a raffle or gift bag donation, contact Sheila Farragher at 1-800-325-8428 x153 or via sfarragher@nationsheritagefcu.com.
For information about other aspects of The Cinderella Swap, call Deana
Pinette at 508-222-5592 or 774-282-0322, or via e-mail at deana@thecuttingedgesalonandspa.com.
 BY JANETTE SEARS FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Saturday, March 7, 2009 2:13 AM EST
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